Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses substances made by the body or in a laboratory to boost the immune system and help the body find and destroy cancer cells. It helps treat many different types of cancer and can be used alone or in combination with chemotherapy and/or other cancer treatments. Immunotherapy is a type of biological therapy.
Forms of cancer immunotherapy include:
- Immune checkpoint inhibitors
- T-cell transfer therapy
- Monoclonal antibodies
- Cytokines
- Cancer vaccines
- Immune system modulators
Some immunotherapy treatments use genetic engineering to enhance immune cells’ cancer-fighting capabilities and may be referred to as gene therapies. Many immunotherapy treatments for preventing, managing, or treating different cancers can also be used in combination with chemotherapy, radiation, or targeted therapies to improve their effectiveness.
Why Immunotherapy Preferred
- Immunotherapy specifically targets cancer cells, minimizing harm to healthy cells and reducing side effects compared to chemotherapy and radiation.
- It offers the possibility for long-term control of cancer.
- Immunotherapy can “train” the immune system to remember cancer cells, creating “immunomemory.”
- This “immunomemory” may result in longer-lasting and potentially permanent protection against cancer recurrence.
Summary to immunotherapy :
- Training your immune system so it can do more to find and kill cancer cells.
- Helping your body produce cancer-fighting immune cells that effectively locate and destroy cancer cells.
