Immunotherapy offers a novel and promising option in the treatment of late-stage melanoma. By utilizing the immune system to assist in tumor destruction, patients have additional options after tumor progression. Immune checkpoint inhibitors reduce the ability for tumors to evade the immune system by inhibiting key surface proteins used to inactivate T-cells. Without these surface proteins, T-cells can induce cytotoxic responses against tumors. Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte therapy is a form of adoptive cell therapy that takes advantage of a small subset of T-cells that recognize and infiltrate tumors. Isolation and rapid expansion of these colonies assist the immune system in mounting a charged response that can induce remission. Tumor vaccines deliver a high dose of unique antigens expressed by tumor cells to the entire body. The introduction of large quantities of tumor antigens upregulates antigen presenting cells and leads to effective activation of the immune system against tumors. Cytokine therapy introduces high amounts of chemical messengers that are endogenous to the immune system and support T-cell expansion. While other methods of immunotherapy exist, immune checkpoint inhibitors, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, tumor vaccines, and cytokine therapy are commonly used to treat melanoma. Like many other cancer treatments, immunotherapy is not without adverse effects, as toxicities represent a major obstacle. However, immunotherapy has been efficacious in the treatment of melanoma.
免疫疗法为晚期黑色素瘤的治疗提供了一种新颖且前景广阔的选择。通过利用免疫系统协助破坏肿瘤，患者在肿瘤进展后获得了更多治疗选择。免疫检查点抑制剂通过抑制用于使T细胞失活的关键表面蛋白，降低了肿瘤逃避免疫系统的能力。缺乏这些表面蛋白后，T细胞能够诱导针对肿瘤的细胞毒性反应。肿瘤浸润淋巴细胞疗法是一种过继性细胞疗法，利用能够识别并浸润肿瘤的T细胞亚群。通过分离并快速扩增这些细胞群，可协助免疫系统发起能够诱导缓解的强烈应答。肿瘤疫苗向全身递送肿瘤细胞表达的高剂量特异性抗原。大量肿瘤抗原的引入会上调抗原呈递细胞，从而有效激活免疫系统对抗肿瘤。细胞因子疗法通过引入大量免疫系统内源性化学信使，支持T细胞的扩增。尽管存在其他免疫治疗方法，但免疫检查点抑制剂、肿瘤浸润淋巴细胞、肿瘤疫苗和细胞因子疗法是治疗黑色素瘤的常用手段。与许多其他癌症治疗方法类似，免疫疗法并非没有不良反应，毒性反应仍是主要障碍。然而，免疫疗法在黑色素瘤治疗中已显示出显著疗效。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家