Biological therapy involves using your body's immune system to fight cancer. Depending on how well your immune system is currently functioning, it can simulate it, fix it or work in conjunction with it in the fight against cancer cells. Biological Response Modifiers (BRMs) use immune-system properties like antibodies and cytokines to bolster the immune system and help improve the health of the patient, particularly when undergoing chemotherapy. Some common BRMs include:
- Interferons: Helps cancerous cells transform into normal ones
- Interleukins: Stimulates some white blood cells to attack cancerous ones
- Monclonal Antibodies: Helps your body recognize harmful cancerous cells from normal ones
- Colony Stimulating factors: Helps produce immune system cells
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1. A paradox of tumor immunology is that so-called immune surveillance against cancer is a real and important phenomenom. Cancer is much more common in immunosuppressed people. Is the cancer a result of immunosuppression or does the cancer occur as a result of the same thing which caused the immunosuppression? The immune system is obviously very important, and major efforts have been made to harness the immune system in cancer therapy. It is a natural approach to cancer therapy.
Posted at 1:04AM on Aug 9th 2007 by Gregory D. Pawelski