June Is Cancer Immunotherapy Month

This June is the 11th annual Cancer Immunotherapy Month™ celebration. Immunotherapy has already improved outcomes for patients with cancers like mesothelioma. But ongoing research is needed to continue advances in this field. Raising awareness and funds for immunotherapy can help this important work continue.

Organizations, like the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) and Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), have outreach activities planned all month. You can show your support this month in many ways.

What Is Immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses the immune system to attack and kill cancer. Cancer is good at hiding from the immune system, which allows cancerous cells to spread. But immunotherapy helps the immune system recognize and target cancer cells, hindering their spread.

Immunotherapy includes various types of therapies and drugs. Each type of immunotherapy works in a unique way against cancer. Researchers are still studying and improving this promising treatment method. But many cancer patients have already experienced immunotherapy benefits, like extended survival and improved quality of life.

Which Immunotherapy Treatments May Help Mesothelioma Patients?

Common mesothelioma immunotherapies include immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and CAR-T cell therapies. For many mesothelioma patients, these treatments have significantly improved survival times.

Yervoy® (ipilimumab) and Opdivo® (nivolumab) are checkpoint inhibitors. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved this combination for mesothelioma treatment. One clinical study looked at participants with inoperable pleural mesothelioma. Findings showed the median overall survival for these patients was about 18 months. So far, this combo is the most effective single treatment for inoperable pleural mesothelioma.

Combining immunotherapy treatments is also promising. For example, median survival for patients treated with checkpoint inhibitors alone ranges from about 10 to 18 months. One study treated mesothelioma with checkpoint inhibitors and CAR T cells. Patients receiving this combined treatment had a median survival of 23.9 months.

These findings are encouraging, but immunotherapy may still have more to offer. Your support can help researchers continue developing this field of cancer treatment.

Show Your Support for Immunotherapy Research

You can choose from many ways to get involved in Cancer Immunotherapy Month. Some options are virtual, like sharing photos on social media. Other options may be in-person, like finding a local Cancer Immunotherapy Month meetup near you. Your involvement can help raise awareness and funds for this cutting-edge cancer treatment.