Immunotherapy
Dr. Chue has always been a pioneer in immunotherapy. Prior to starting medical school, he actively researched how T-cells could regulate the body’s immune system and has applied his background in immunology to treat cancers. There are a lot of exciting new cancer treatments hitting the market that utilize the immune system to help fight a patient’s cancer, but this is not a surprise to Dr. Chue; he has been incorporating immune therapies into his treatment regimens for over 20 years.
We will commonly use medications such as interferon alpha-2b and granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor or “GM-CSF” to stimulate the immune system. Both of these medications are natural agents which can prevent infection, help the immune system fight the cancer while receiving treatment, and in some cases act as a maintenance therapy for patients who are in complete remission. Additionally, when indicated, we incorporate the latest immunotherapy treatments with such as the CTLA 4, PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors.
As strange as this may seem, metronomic chemotherapy can also have immunostimulatory effects. When certain chemotherapy agents are administered in low doses, they are thought to decrease the cancer’s ability to suppress the immune system, which can allow your immune system to help fight the cancer. Metronomic chemotherapy may work together with other immunostimulatory agents to improve treatment outcomes.