As mentioned above the immune function of human beings is closely associated with cancer. Those cancer patients with poor immune function can easily have cancer recurrence and metastasis.
Currently immunology measures used for cancer prevention include the following three aspects:
Vaccines for the carcinogenic infectious agents: the clinical anti-hepatitis B virus vaccine can reduce the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma, and the anti-human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can prevent cervical, anal, vaginal cancer as well have preventive effects to penis, oral and laryngeal cancer; Vaccines targeted against tumor-associated antigens, such as the anti-ERBB2 antigen vaccine can prevent breast cancer and anti- CEA vaccine can prevent colorectal cancer, which are still in the research stage.
Non-specific immunological intervention: Imiquimod and its sister drug Resiquimod can stimulate the immune response to treat photochemical keratosis, superficial basal cell carcinoma and condyloma acuminatum, and the cure rate of malignant lentigo can reach up to 80%. Carrageenans is a type of polysaccharide sulfide extracted from red algae that can stimulate macrophages to induce pro-inflammatory cytokine production. A trial on 1,723 sexually active women revealed that carrageenans can prevent the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection. The preventive effects of these drugs for cancer recurrence and metastasis still need to be examined. Intravesical Bacillus Calmette Guerin can prevent the recurrence of bladder cancer, especially the superficial lesions.
Interferon has immune enhancing effects for patients with the hepatitis B virus infection. If there is active hepatitis, interferon therapy or combined lamivudine treatment should be given for 1-2 years (according to the treatment specification of chronic hepatitis B); virus carriers can be given the interferon injection for 10 days every 3 months, three million units per day for 1 to 2 years. According to the literature, this method can reduce the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma by 70%. 14 years ago, I administered the treatment for more than 50 cases of hepatitis B virus carriers in the Lianjiang City of Guangdong Province, so far there is only one person who suffers from liver cancer. For liver cancer patients who have undergone effective treatments, intermittent interferon application can reduce recurrence. Generally, three million units of interferon α2b should be injected each time, 3 times a week for 3 months, then once every other day, following this it can be administered for 10 days each month for a consecutive 6 to 12 months. But patients with cirrhosis and severe liver dysfunction are prohibited from using interferon.
DC cells and CIK cells have been applied to prevent cancer recurrence, demonstrating positive prospects. For those patients with good conditions, T-plus treatment is given, which was previously introduced. Patients who receive DC / CIK treatment, 40-50 ml of blood should be drawn and then the mononuclear cells isolated from the blood, cultured, induced and then amplified in vitro with special cytokines to obtain a huge number of powerful DC and CIK cells, finally retransfused into the body through veins (Figure 42). The DC / CIK treatment should be taken once every 3-6 months for consecutive 1-2 years according to different cancers. Before
and after treatment, patients need to do blood immune cell tests (CD3+, Cd8+, Cd4+, Cd16+, Cd56+ and Cd45+) and cytokines (such as interferon, tumour necrosis factor, interleukin-2, etc.) detection. The appealing effect is that these indicators have improved significantly after treatment. Hereby I would like to cite some patients’ cases before and after treatment:
A male patient (a radiologist from Hong Kong aged 56) had been living with lung cancer for three years before undergoing a surgical lobectomy. After one year a left pleural effusion was detected, from which a large number of erythrocytes were
detected. A pleural biopsy found cancer cells and his postoperative diagnosis was lung cancer with pleural metastasis. He undertook a course of DC / CIK treatment with further T-plus treatment. Two months later, the pleural effusion disappeared and all immunological indicators improved. These indicators include significantly increased tumor specific T-cells in the blood, positive skin hypersensitivity test, significantly increased cytokines in the blood (Figure 43). A further followup of nineteen months revealed no recurrence.