To help a person’s immune system better fight skin cancer or treat conditions such as psoriasis, Tower Wound Care Center offers skin biologic therapy. At the practice, patients can find relief from symptoms and help the body to heal itself with this innovative treatment. Locations are available in Santa Monica, Encino, and Los Angeles, CA.
Skin biologic therapies employ man-made versions of substances which occur naturally in the body or living organisms to assist the body with fighting cancer. The therapy can be used to either stimulate the body to make more of a substance which attacks cancer cells, utilize man-made versions of that natural substance, or target something found on the cancer cells. Biological therapies may also use laboratory altered cells from the patient’s body. Biologic therapy is different than chemotherapy. While chemotherapy affects the cancer cells directly, biologic therapy works with the immune system to fight the disease. The aim of biologic therapy is to augment the body’s natural defenses and its capability of combating cancer. Biologic treatments are designed to strengthen or restore the body’s immune function in order to make it easier for the immune system to eliminate the disease and prevent it from spreading. This therapy can also be used to treat immune-related skin disorders, such as psoriasis.
Biologic therapies can be administered through a pill, into a vein, or by injections either under the skin or into the muscle. Depending on the type of disease being treated, such as a melanoma or psoriasis, and how far the condition has spread, patients might only require biologic therapy. However, for others, this is performed in conjunction with other therapies including chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation.
Patients will be observed through radiologic studies such as CT scans, MRIs, and PET scans periodically to identify if the tumor has responded, either by shrinking or staying the same with no active growth. A blood test can also be used to determine in the “tumor marker,” a substance which is produced by either the tumor or by the body in response to the tumor, levels have decreased. In other cases, a decrease in a patient's symptoms can help to display whether or not the medications are working to correct the immune skin disorder. For more information, talk with the doctor about arranging a consultation and going over how these medications could work for your specific situation.
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