Advances in lung cancer treatment are resulting in better outcomes. The five-year survival rate is on the rise across all types thanks to early detection efforts and new treatment options.
After you’ve received a lung cancer diagnosis, it’s important to evaluate all your options for treatment. Different types of lung cancer require different approaches. One of the most promising treatments is Immunotherapy. Here’s what you should know about it.
What is Immunotherapy?
The American Cancer Society says that “Immunotherapy is the use of medicines to help a person’s own immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells more effectively.” This type of therapy can be administered intravenously or through injections.
“Cancer immunotherapies, represented by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), have reshaped the treatment paradigm for both advanced non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer,” according to the Journal of Hematology and Oncology.
Ask About Testing
To find out if immunotherapy is right for the type of lung cancer you have, your medical team needs to order testing. If it is not offered to you, ask your oncologist about getting testing done. Having the test before deciding on a course of treatment is important because immunotherapy can worsen certain cases.
Ask your doctor to explain how biomarker testing can help find the right treatment plan for you.
Being an informed patient is imperative. It lets you have a say in your care. Studies have shown that is a crucial factor in patient care outcomes. Your voice matters in your care.
What Type of Lung Cancer Do You Have?
Lung cancers generally fall into two categories small cell and non-small cell. There are subcategories within those categories. There is also a third prominent category called carcinoids.
- Find out which specific type of lung cancer you have and discuss how immunotherapy might attack the tumor with your doctor.
- Ask specific questions about how immunotherapy shows up as a difference maker in cases that resemble your own.
- Ask about eligibility based on age.
What Stage is Your Cancer?
Ask your oncologist detailed questions about the stage of your tumor. Find out how immunotherapy has worked on that stage. If you do your own research, ask for your doctor’s opinion on it. If the doctor says that the cases are different from yours, ask how they differ specifically.
- If you’re having trouble following what the doctor is saying, ask their permission to record or take quick notes to remind yourself of what you discussed later.
- Don’t be afraid to get a second opinion.
- Bring an advocate with you and empower them to ask questions if you think that will lead to a better outcome.
What are the Potential Side Effects?
Immunotherapy affects everyone differently. There’s no way to know how it will impact you directly until you’ve experienced it.
There are standard side effects common with medications like exhaustion, upset stomach, dermatitis, swelling, congestion, listlessness, constipation, and sore joints. More serious side effects can occur, too.
People experiencing immunotherapy can be subject to serious infections. According to the National Cancer Institute, “Some types of immunotherapy may cause severe or fatal allergic and inflammation-related reactions. But these reactions are rare.”
What Other Treatments Are Available?
Accessibility is still a difficult road that has to be navigated by lung cancer patients. Find out the types of treatments that you have access to. If it does include immunotherapy, ask questions about alternatives that might be turned to if the treatments end up not being a fit for you.
If you are not a candidate for immunotherapy, research the treatment alternatives and discuss them with your medical team so that you can feel confident in your decision.
Supported by an educational grant by Merck Incorporated
Resources
Journal of Hematology and Oncology