Immunomodulators

On this page we will discuss a type of therapy that can be used in lymphoma called immunomodulators.

Oral therapies in lymphoma Fact Sheet

What are immunomodulators?

Immune system modulators are therapies which enhance the body’s immune response against cancer. Some of these agents affect specific parts of the immune system, whereas others affect the immune system in a more general way.

Immunomodulators are believed to work by changing how the immune system works. They can do this in different ways, for example, by:

Restoring some of the signals between immune system cells and lymphoma cells
Blocking some of the signals within lymphoma cells.

An example of an immunomodulator is lenalidomide (Revlimid)

Lenalidomide (Revlimid)

Lenalidomide is an immunotherapy medicine that works by activating the body’s immune system to target and kill the lymphoma cells. The medicine helps prevent the lymphoma cells from growing by cutting off their blood supply that they require to exist.

Lenalidomide is structurally related to another drug called thalidomide, that is used to treat other blood cancers.

If lenalidomide is taken during pregnancy, it may cause birth defects or death to an unborn baby. Women should be advised to avoid pregnancy whilst taking Revlimid (lenalidomide), during dose interruptions, and for 4 weeks after stopping the medication.

Indications of use

Patients with relapsed and/or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).
MCL as a second line treatment

How is it administered?

Lenalidomide is taken as tablets once a day for 21 days, followed by 7 days without treatment in each 28-day cycle.
You usually have up to 12 cycles of treatment unless your lymphoma stops responding or you are not tolerating the treatment (you have severe side effects).

Possible side-effects

Fatigue
Diarrhoea
Constipation
Fever
Itching
Rash
Lowered blood counts
Nausea
Swelling of the limbs and skin
Atrial fibrillation
Depression
Insomnia

Further Information

For more info see

Product Information

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Useful Definitions

Refractory: This means the lymphoma does not get better with treatment. The treatment didn’t work as hoped.
Relapsed: This means the lymphoma came back after being gone for a while after treatment.
2nd line treatment: This is the second treatment you get if the first one didn’t work (refractory) or if the lymphoma comes back (relapse).
3rd line treatment: This is the third treatment you get if the second one didn’t work or the lymphoma comes back again.
Approved: Available in Australia and listed by the Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA).
Funded: Costs are covered for Australian citizens. This means if you have a Medicare card, you shouldn’t have to pay for the treatment.[WO7]

You need healthy T-cells to make CAR T-cells. For this reason, CAR T-cell therapy cannot be used if you have a T-cell lymphoma – yet.

For more information on CAR T-cells and T-cell lymphoma click here.

Special Note: Although your T-cells are removed from your blood for CAR T-cell therapy, most of our T-cells live outside of our blood – in our lymph nodes, thymus, spleen and other organs.