What is cancer immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment. It may be given to support or boost the body's immune system. Or it may be given to redirect or limit the immune system. Immunotherapy for cancer includes medicines, immune cell therapies, and treatment vaccines.

Some examples are:

• Checkpoint inhibitors.
• Cytokines, including interferons, interleukins, and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG).
• Monoclonal antibodies.
• Oncolytic viruses, including talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC).
• T-cell transfer therapies, including:
  • Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy.
  • T-cell receptor (TCR) therapy.
  • Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs).
• Treatment vaccines, including sipuleucel-T.

Immunotherapy helps treat cancer by supporting the body's immune system. This type of treatment can restore, boost, or redirect the immune system.

Immunotherapy for cancer includes:

Medicines.

These include cytokines and monoclonal antibodies. Cytokines are proteins made by the immune system to help cells communicate. Monoclonal antibodies find a certain protein on the surface of some cells. They lock onto it (like a key in a lock). This may then trigger the body's immune system to attack and destroy those cells.

Immune cell therapies.

One example is CAR T-cell therapy. A person's T cells are treated in a lab so the T cells are more able to attack cancer cells.

Vaccines.

Treatment vaccines, such as Sipuleucel-T, help the body's immune system find and attack cancer cells.

Here are some questions to ask:

• How long has it been used to treat cancer like mine?
• How will this treatment help me?
• What happens during the treatment? How long will it take? How often and where do I get it?
• What are the side effects?