Rheumatologists join oncology space to treat debilitating side effects without affecting cancer control
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Immunotherapy is extending life for many patients with cancer, but the treatments often come with side effects that can negatively impact quality of life. A new clinic at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) and Pelotonia Immuno-Oncology Institute aims to help manage the autoimmune side effects of immunotherapy-based cancer treatment and allow patients to live the fullest life possible both during cancer treatment and long-term as a survivor.
Led by Alexa Meara, MD, the OSUCCC – James Immunotherapy Management Clinic was created to lessen the harm of cancer treatment. A rheumatologist who helps cancer survivors manage side effects of cancer treatment, Meara specializes in autoimmune diseases, which occur when the body’s immune system attacks healthy cells.
Doctors can now direct the immune system to selectively find and remove “unhealthy” cells, such as in cancer. Rheumatologists understand how the body’s immune system has reacted to treatment and what to do to calm it down to decrease side effects; however, these specialists are not typically part of the direct cancer care process. Under Meara’s guidance, the OSUCCC – James is paving the way for new thinking around side effect management for immunotherapy patients that makes this type of side effect management both proactive and an ongoing part of the treatment discussion.
The careful tightrope of cancer control and side effect management
With the increasing use of immunotherapy treatment, the cancer control/side effect balancing act is important; up to 40% of all people treated with immunotherapy will develop an autoimmune disease.
Meara says it is critical to establish a careful balance between stimulating the immune system to fight the cancer while calming it enough to avoid debilitating side effects. This, she says, is why it is so important for autoimmune specialists and oncologists to form a strong clinical partnership that supports the whole patient.
“The very drug that could potentially cure your cancer might also prevent you from holding your coffee cup or walking around your neighborhood without pain,” Meara said. “We don’t want to simply help patients survive cancer, we want them to thrive and be able to do the things they enjoy – whether that is walking their dog or playing with their children or grandchildren.”
Meara notes that these side effects most often occur within six months from beginning immunotherapy treatment – but every person’s immune system is different, so while many may experience side effects immediately and for a short period, others may develop symptoms later and struggle with them long-term.
“We want people to know that there are steps we can take to help manage these side effects; no one should feel like they must sacrifice quality of life for cancer control,” she said. “In many respects, this is shifting the paradigm of cancer care to be more like chronic disease management, and our clinic is taking the idea of survivorship to the next level.”
To learn more about the Immunotherapy Management Clinic at the OSUCCC – James, visit cancer.osu.edu or call 1-800-293-5066.
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