Relatlimab is an immunotherapy drug and is also specifically a checkpoint inhibitor which is also used in combination with the drug nivolumab in treatment of certain types of melanoma cancers.
Relatlimab is a monoclonal antibody which functions as an immunotherapy drug and works along with nivolumab which is a type of immunotherapy called a checkpoint inhibitor which block proteins that prevent your immune system from attacking cancer cells.
Relatlimab targets specifically a protein called LAG-3 or lymphocyte activation gene 3, which is also another immune checkpoint which suppresses T-cell activity in cancer and when combined together Relatlimab and nivolumab are a single treatment called Opdualag.
Foods that you should not eat during immunotherapy are raw or undercooked meats, poultry, and fish, shellfish, sushi and Sashimi and raw or undercooked eggs as well as unpasteurized dairy products.
WHen eating meat, poultry and fish you should ensure that they are fully cooked to kill potential bacteria and parasites, especially if your immune system is already weakened.
You should also ensure any shellfish is cooked fully and avoid Sushi and Sashimi as they are made with raw fish and avoid runny eggs or foods containing raw eggs like homemade mayonnaise or cookie dough.
You should also avoid or limited processed foods as they can contain unhealthy additives and preservatives and avoid unpasteurized cheeses and dairy products that can harbor harmful bacteria such as Listeria and instead consume pasteurized juices, milk and cheese and ensure all fruits and vegetables you eat are also washed before you eat them to avoid potential contaminants.
You can in some cases live longer with immunotherapy although the length of time that you live longer on immunotherapy will depend on your age, overall health and how far progressed the cancer is.
Some people that have cancer and are on immunotherapy can live longer by way of harnessing the power of your immune system to fight off cancer cells and studies have also shown improvement in survival rates in various cancers when on immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy works by training the body's immune system to recognize and attack the cancer cells.
Studies have also shown that immunotherapy can also lead to longer event free survival and overall survival when compared to traditional treatments such as chemotherapy alone.
Some examples of success in use of immunotherapy for cancer include.
Non small cell lung cancer, studies such as KEYNOTE-024 and KEYNOTE-042 have demonstrated improved survival rates with immunotherapy.
And in metastatic melanoma, the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab has also shown long term benefits and Atezolizumab, which is a PDL-inhibitor, has also shown improved survival in state IV NSCLC.
Immunotherapy while can be successful in some people, it does not work for everyone, and the effectiveness of immunotherapy can vary depending on the type of the cancer, state as well as individual patient factors.
And people with KRAS mutation and high levels of PDL-1 often live longer when treated with immunotherapy alone.
Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment which uses your body's own immune system to fight the cancer and can also be used to treat autoimmune diseases.
Immunotherapy also boosts your immune system to find and attack cancer cells and targets specific antigens on cancer cells and it trains your immune system to attack specific cancer cells.