Question ID: WS-127
Submitted by: Robert Giuntoli
May 14, 2012
Can Immunotherapy reliably cure cancer? Background: Given the presence of genetic mutations, virtually all malignancies should present novel antigens capable of immune recognition. The development of a clinically apparent cancer suggests either an evasion of host immune responses or creation of an immunosuppressive environment. Manipulation of the host immune system should result in the generation of an anti-tumor response. At this time, reliable immunotherapeutic approaches to malignancies have been limited to vaccines against oncogenic viruses such as human papillomavirus and hepatitis B. Anecdotal reports have been presented of isolated patients successfully treated with adoptive immunotherapy. Can immunotherapy be used to effectively and consistently treat patients with metastatic cancers? Feasibility: Malignancies have limited methods available to escape destruction by the host immune system. Techniques are available to better understand both a tumor’s response to the immune system and the immune system’s response to a malignancy. Implications: By better understanding the limitations of host immune response to malignancy, we can design better more reliable immune based approaches to the treatment of malignancy. These approaches a most likely to be successful as part of adjuvant treatment or in patients with metastatic or recurrent cancer with minimal residual disease.
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