Immunotherapy: A New Way to Treat Cancer
What is Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment that helps your body’s immune system fight cancer.
Your immune system normally finds and destroys harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses. However, cancer cells can sometimes trick the immune system into ignoring them. Immunotherapy works by helping your immune system recognise and attack cancer cells more effectively.
How Does It Work?
There are various types of immunotherapy, but they all aim to enhance your body’s natural defences. Some help your immune system recognize the cancer, while others strengthen immune cells so they can battle more effectively.
Types of Immunotherapy:
- Checkpoint Inhibitors – These drugs remove the “brakes” that cancer cells use to hide from the immune system.
- CAR-T Cell Therapy – A unique treatment where doctors take some of your immune cells, enhance them in a lab, and put them back in your body to attack cancer.
- Monoclonal Antibodies – These lab-made proteins attach to cancer cells, marking them for destruction.
- Cancer Vaccines—Similar to vaccines for diseases, cancer vaccines help train the immune system to recognise and fight cancer.
- Cytokine Therapy – Uses proteins to strengthen your immune system to fight cancer.
What Types of Cancer Can Immunotherapy Treat?
Immunotherapy is used for many types of cancer, including:
✅ Melanoma (skin cancer) – One of the first cancers successfully treated with immunotherapy.
✅ Lung cancer – Especially non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
✅ Bladder cancer – Several immunotherapy drugs are approved for this.
✅ Kidney cancer – Can be treated with checkpoint inhibitors.
✅ Head and neck cancers – Some respond well to immunotherapy.
✅ Hodgkin’s lymphoma & other blood cancers – CAR-T cell therapy and monoclonal antibodies are effective.
✅ Certain types of breast cancer – Especially triple-negative breast cancer.
✅ Colorectal cancer – If it has specific genetic markers (like MSI-high tumours).
What to Expect
- Immunotherapy is often given through an IV, similar to chemotherapy, but it works differently.
- Some people experience mild side effects like fatigue or flu-like symptoms, while others may have stronger immune-related reactions, at times severe and life-threatening.
- Your doctor will monitor you closely to manage any side effects.
Is Immunotherapy Right for You?
Not everyone’s cancer responds to immunotherapy. Your doctor will look at factors like your cancer type, stage, and genetic markers to see if it’s a good option for you. If immunotherapy is an option, it could help shrink your tumour, slow cancer growth, or even keep it from coming back.
If you have questions, ask your doctor whether immunotherapy is a good option for your cancer treatment plan.