Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps to activate your immune system to fight cancer. As we know, the immune system helps your body to fight many infections. It is made up of white blood cells and organs and tissues of the lymphatic system. The immune system helps to defend the body from infections and disease process. But, cancer is a tough disease that can easily outsmart the body’s immune system and use this to grow to immense proportions. That is why, it is often not recognized until it has already become too difficult to handle.

Immunotherapy is a type of biological therapy. It is a type of cancer treatment that boosts the body's own defense mechanism to fight cancer. It activates patient’s own immune related cells to fight against the growing cancer cells. It uses substances made by the body to restore immune system function.

Immunotherapy may work by:

• Stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells
• Stopping cancer from spreading to other parts of the body
• Helping the immune system work better at destroying cancer cells

Most of immunotherapy are given in short cycles. A cycle is a period of treatment followed by a period of rest. The rest period is of paramount importance. It gives your body a chance to recover, respond well to the immunotherapy, and build more healthy cells which will ultimately rejuvenate your body.

What are the types of immunotherapy?

Several types of immunotherapy are used to treat cancer. These include:

• Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
• T-cell transfer therapy
• Monoclonal antibodies
• Immune system modulators

Benefits of Immunotherapy

• Other therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation, may work better if applied in conjunction with immunotherapy.
• Certain cancers don’t respond well to chemotherapy or radiation, but may respond well to immunotherapy.
• Your immune system adapts and learns to destroy cancer cells, if they return.
• Latest treatment of cancer with robust results and doesn’t have a side effect profile like chemotherapy does.