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Biological therapies for bowel cancer |
There are two commercially available biological therapies for bowel cancer. These are still being tested in clinical trials to find out their optimal place in the management of large bowel cancer.
These are not chemotherapy but target the tumour more specifically. Historically, one of the first observations of an immunotherapy reaction was seen at the turn of the 20th century, when a patient's breast cancer shrunk following a severe skin infection. Her bodies defences where so greatly stimulated to fight the infection they also attacked the tumour. Since then there has been major strives to enhance this reaction by identifying specific tumour targets (often the tyrosine kinase receptor) and develop antibodies against them called monoclonal antibodies (Mab). Other biological agents attack tyrosine kinase receptors via proteins which are not Mab's. These agents are generally known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Other biological agents attack the blood vessels of tumours (angiogenesis) stopping them growing. More specifically for bowel they attack an agent called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The available biological agents for bowel are Mab's but other agents are being developed.
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Monoclonal antibodies |
Trade Name |
Used to Treat: |
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Cetuximab |
Colorectal cancer |
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| An intravenous inhibitor of erbB1(EGFR) | ||
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Bevacizumab |
Colorectal cancer |
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| An intravenous humanised Mab attaches to and inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor which then prevents new blood vessels forming in cancers (angiogenesis) | ||
How are Mab made? Some patients are interested in the technical aspects of their treatments are made. If you are not please ignore this paragraph. - Antibodies are mass-produced in the lab by fusing a myeloma (a type of bone marrow cancer) cell from a mouse with a mouse B cell that makes a specific antibody. The cell that results from this fusion is called a hybridoma, from the Latin word hybrid, meaning offspring with parents of different species, and the Greek suffix oma, meaning tumour. The combination of a B cell that can recognize a particular antigen and a myeloma cell that lives indefinitely makes the hybridoma cell a kind of perpetual antibody-producing factory. Because the antibodies are all identical clones produced from a single (mono) hybridoma cell, they are called monoclonal antibodies ( MAbs).
Further general information Your doctors and specialist nurses are in an ideal position to give you relevant information on your disease and treatment as they know your individual circumstances. Cancerbackup has a help line (0808 800 1234) and a prize winning video available in English, Italian, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati & Hindi explaining Radiotherapy & Chemotherapy. Cancernet.co.uk has over 500 pages describing cancer, its management, practical tips and tool which patients, their carers and their doctors have found helpful during the cancer journey.