Biological Therapy Offered by Mercy's Expert Cancer Doctors

Biological therapy, also known as immunotherapy, biological response modifier therapy, or biotherapy, is a treatment used to energize or rebuild the immune system. The immune system is made up of organs and cells that fight infection as well disease such as cancer. It also is used to protect the body from the side effects associated with other cancer treatments. 

Biological therapy may be used in conjunction with other cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Biological therapies either directly or indirectly help energize the immune system in the following ways:

• Help the immune system to recognize cancer cells
• Increase the immune system’s ability to destroy cells
• Redirect the growth of cancer cells to perform more like healthy cells
• Interrupt the formation of healthy cells into cancerous cells
• Energize the body to restore healthy cells damaged from other cancer treatments  
• Stop cancer cells from metastasizing to other parts of the body

The most common types of biological therapy include:

• Anti-angiogenesis – prevents the creation of new blood vessels needed for cancer cells to spread
• Immunotherapy – helps restore and energize the body’s normal capacity to attack cancer. Interferon and interleukin-2 treatments are types of immunotherapy.
• Targeted therapy – integrates non-chemotherapy drugs to target a certain cancer cell. Unlike traditional chemotherapy, targeted therapy does not damage healthy cells and has fewer side effects.

Biological therapy can be performed by injection into the veins, an organ or a cavity of the body. Biological therapy may also be administered to patients as part of clinical research studies or clinical trials. These studies evaluate the impact of biological therapy on cancer treatment. Your Mercy medical oncologist can provide information about the clinical trials offered at Mercy. 

Not everyone is good candidate for biological therapy. Your doctor will help you decide if biological therapy is a good treatment option for your type of cancer. Biological therapy can be used for patients with the following cancers:

• Brain
• Breast
• Colon
• Kidney
• Lung
• Lymphoma
• Melanoma
• Pancreas

Depending on your type of cancer, your medical oncologist at Mercy will develop a treatment plan based on the best possible outcome with the goal to target cancer cells, stop tumor or slow down tumor growth and prevent the cancer from spreading.  

The common side effects associated with biological therapy may include the following:

• Chills or fever
• Difficulty breathing
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Swelling
• Weakness