Possible Side Effects of Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy medications may lead to several side effects when treating people with leukemia. These include joint pain, itchiness, fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, skin rashes, nausea, or a lack of appetite. In several circumstances, immunotherapy would cause the immune system to attack other tissues in the body. As a result, some serious or even fatal side effects may happen. If you experience any abnormal problems after undergoing this treatment option, make sure to inform your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Based on the situation, they may decide to stop or continue the treatment. [9]
Success Rate of Immunotherapy for Leukemia
Many studies have shown that immunotherapy is an effective treatment to improve the survival and remission rate in people with leukemia. Some factors may affect this rate, such as age, overall health, form of leukemia, form of immunotherapy, and progression of cancer cells. For instance, a recent study shows that those patients who received monoclonal antibodies lived longer than those who received chemotherapy alone. More specifically, the median survival in the monoclonal antibody group was 7.7 months, while that of the other goup was 4 months. [10]
