Although medicine and medical treatment play a significant role in the fight against many illnesses, it’s important not to forget that, when functioning as it should, the body itself naturally responds to many health conditions. Oncoimmunology applies this principle to cancer. This form of treatment, based on conventional ideas in the field of immunology, is designed with this approach in mind. The goal of the treatment is to correct a failure in the body’s immune system, specifically its inability to recognize cancer cells as foreign bodies that should be destroyed.

When the immune system fails to recognize cancer as abnormal, this is referred to as an anergy. Typically, it first occurs when B-cells and macrophages, which should identify cancerous cells as harmful, do not succeed in doing so. According to the basics of immunology, when these first cells do succeed in recognizing and attacking a foreign agent, other types of cells essentially take on the role of “memory cells,” remembering what the others initially did—ideally, attacking the illness—and repeating the process in the future if necessary. 

While all of this may sound somewhat technical, from a more clear perspective, it helps to think of the immune system as a network of workers who each have a particular job to do in the fight against cancer. The problem is if just one type of cell fails to do its job, the rest don’t have the necessary information to perform their roles. Oncoimmunology involves finding which cell first failed in its role, and correcting the problem so the remainder of the cells in the immune system can work as they’re meant to.

In the field of oncology, new treatments continue to be developed and applied seemingly daily, and it can be painful and heartbreaking going from one treatment choice to the next. Oncoimmunology might be the right treatment for you or your loved one.

Interested in learning more? Schedule an appointment with Linchitz Medical Wellness, based in Westbury, NY and treating patients throughout Long Island, NYC, and the Tri-State area. Visit them online for more info, or call (516) 759-4200.