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Although a few are cytotoxic, most of the agents under this category are biologic response modifiers that alter the host response to cancer. A major goal of biologic therapy is to manipulate the host immune response to cancer. Most of biologic therapies still remain investigational. Despite the considerable growth during the past decade in basic knowledge about the mechanisms of host resistance and the immune response, biologic therapy has not yet become the fourth major modality for cancer treatment after surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The various strategies currently being used include:

Immunotherapy
* Cellular therapy with tumor cells, LAK cells, IL-2 and TILs
* Cytokines such as the thymosins, interferons, interleukins (IL-2, IL-4, IL- 6, IL-12), TNF
* Monoclonal antibodies:

For diagnosis: immunophenotyping and tumor marker assays
For therapy: alone or as immunoconjugates, including radioimmunoimaging and radioimmunotherapy.
To remove T-cells and tumor cells form bone marrow prior to transplantation

* Tumor vaccines

Hemopoietic growth factors
* Colony-stimulating factors
* Erythropoietin
* Thrombopoietin
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