Immunotherapy
Also known as: checkpoint inhibitor therapy, biological therapy
Treatment that helps the body's own immune system find and destroy cancer cells.
Definition
Immunotherapy is treatment that helps the patient's own immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. The most widely used class — checkpoint inhibitors — release natural "brakes" on T-cells that some cancers exploit to hide from the immune system. Other forms include CAR-T cell therapy, therapeutic vaccines and cytokine treatments.
Immunotherapy has become a standard option for many cancers including lung cancer, melanoma, kidney, bladder, head & neck and Hodgkin lymphoma. Side effects are different from chemotherapy and reflect over-activation of the immune system, which can affect skin, gut, lung, thyroid or liver and needs prompt recognition.
See also
- Targeted Therapy — Drugs designed to attack specific molecules involved in cancer growth, with less harm to normal cells.
- Clinical Trial — A carefully designed research study that tests new cancer treatments in patients.
- Chemotherapy — Drug treatment that kills cancer cells throughout the body.
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Medically reviewed by
Dr. Rehan Abdullah
Dr. Rehan Abdullah is a dual-trained clinical and radiation oncologist with over a decade of experience treating both solid tumours and hematologic malignancies. He serves as Consultant Oncologist at INMOL Hospital and sees patients at Farooq Hospital and Healthnox Medical Center, Lahore. Read full profile →
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