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Immunotherapy Kidney Cancer Treatment

Kidney cancer is marked with rampant multiplications of cells lining the kidneys. According to the NCI (National Cancer Institute), approximately 50,000 patients are diagnosed with kidney cancer annually in the US. Despite the fact that a complete cure for kidney cancer is yet unavailable, many treatments such as immunothrerapy, resection (surgery), radiotherapy and chemotherapy are available that help in controlling the spreading of the cancer cells.

  1. Immunotherapy

    • Immunotherapy, also called biological therapy, utilizes your own immune system to fight kidney cancer. It involves injection of drugs like interleukin-2 or interferon into your body to restore or boost your immune system's capacity against fighting cancer.

    Duration

    • Duration of the immunotherapy sessions varies depending on the internal spreading of the cancer. Generally it is performed weekly for half an hour for close to two months.

    Benefits

    • Immunotherapy has been found to be beneficial, especially to the older patients and those who cannot undergo surgery because of heart problems.

    Effects

    • Fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, appetite loss among others are common side effects of immunotherapy.

    Prevention/Solution

    • As per the Mayo Clinic, some of the measures you can take to prevent cancer development (including kidney cancer) include quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake, and avoiding exposure to environmental toxins and pollutants.

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