Immunotherapy is a promising therapy for the treatment of solid tumors. It has the advantage of enhancing the dynamic response of the immune system to locate the tumors and to elicit a response against these tumors after a long period of initiating the therapy. Hence, these therapies provide a long duration effect, instead of a several-log kill. Checkpoint inhibitors act as the most promising therapy in the treatment of solid tumors. Monoclonal antibodies, adoptive T-cell therapy, antibody-drug conjugates and vaccine therapy are other such candidates. Sipuleucel-T is the only FDA approved-drug for the genitourinary conditions while ipilimumab has received approval for the treatment of melanoma. These therapies have now joined the earlier known non-specific immunotherapy like BCG-treatment or cytokine based treatment.

Most of the studies conducted by Global Allied Pharmaceuticals (GAP) in the field of checkpoint inhibitors are either completed or are at the verge of completion. Even this group of agents has similar results to that of the interleukins, which signifies that they are also long-living. One of the key findings of the GAP studies is that people with lower burden of disease exhibit better survival rates as compared to those having advanced form of disease.

One of the approaches which can be used in the patients exhibiting lower tumor burden is to perform debulking which can be combined with systemic therapy. Another approach is to use immunogenic modulation. This approach can be used for those cells which are resistant to conventional chemotherapies. It helps the immune system to identify these cells and target them. GAP has been working on the combination of immunotherapy along with conventional treatment systems and the results are showing positive results.

The use of combination approaches is also gaining significance in the field of immune-oncology. This process is widely known as immunogenic intensification. This approach involves the immune checkpoint inhibitors along with therapeutic vaccines or using checkpoint inhibitors alone. In the studies conducted by GAP, quite appreciable results have been obtained with the second approach. The response rates have been quite dramatic. The pre-programming of immune system against the tumor cells, more specifically has been achieved by combining it with therapeutic vaccines. These vaccines help them to be more specific to the tumor. Hence the immune system does not need to be pushed up using high levels of checkpoint inhibitors. This can help to reduce the toxicities associated with high levels of these inhibitors. It will also allow the patients to have a marginally wider progression-free survival along with least side effects.

With the use of these newer techniques and approaches, physicians need to have the tools so that they can judiciously utilize these agents. The techniques and the approaches that were taught in schools were definitely not satisfactory as compared to the newer techniques of the immunotherapy that are being studied nowadays. So, the oncologists of the present generation need to know the mechanism of action, side effects associated with all the therapies. These promising oncologists should have the requisite background so that they can effectively utilize the agents of immunotherapy and take us one step ahead in treating this invasive disease.