Immunotherapy
If you have certain types of cancer, your oncologist may consider immunotherapy for cancer as part of your cancer treatment plan.
What is Immunotherapy?
Sometimes called biological therapy, immunotherapy is a treatment that harnesses your own immune system to fight cancer at the cellular level. Simply put, immunotherapy works by boosting your immune system.
Immunotherapy can also help your cancer care team identify and target specific cancer cell markers. When we can identify these unique proteins or traits, called biomarkers, we can prescribe biological medications, such as monoclonal antibodies. This involves cloning or copying parts of your body’s natural disease-fighting antibodies. The new antibodies can then help your immune system find and destroy cancer cells.
There are many different types of approved immunotherapy or biological medications. Of course, immunotherapy isn’t right for everyone. They typically only work for certain conditions and types of cancer, such as some skin cancers, blood cancers and breast cancer.
Considering Immunotherapy for Cancer
Through early steps such as genetic testing and tumor analysis, your doctors can look for research-supported genetic characteristics, biomarkers and other details that can help direct treatment decisions.
Depending on your condition, your oncologist may recommend additional evaluation, such as genetic blood tests and analysis of blood and tumor cell samples. Your doctors will collaborate with other specialists and talk with you about whether immunotherapy is appropriate for you.
Immunotherapy is sometimes used as a stand-alone treatment, but it can also be combined with other chemotherapy medications. Most people get chemotherapy and immunotherapy medications through intravenous (IV) treatment in our Outpatient Cancer Center.
Potential Benefits of Immunotherapy for Cancer
Immunotherapy can help with certain types of cancer, including skin cancers, that don’t typically respond well to common treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation. If your doctor recommends immunotherapy for you, we’ll make sure you understand its benefits.
Immunotherapy can:
- Boost the chance your cancer won’t return (or strengthen your immune system if it does).
- Focus exclusively on cancer cells, which means you’ll have fewer side effects for than with other treatments.
- Make chemotherapy medications work better when used together with biological therapy for certain types of cancer.
Immunotherapy Side Effects
If you have any type of immunotherapy, your care team will ensure you’re informed of any possible side effects, including:
- Chills
- Diarrhea
- Difficulty breathing
- Fever
- Nausea
- Rash
- Vomiting
- Weakness
Clinical Trial Research for New Cancer Biological Therapies
Clinical trial research tests promising medications and other approaches to cancer care in qualifying, prescreened volunteers. This type of research helps doctors learn more and gives participants a chance to try promising biological therapies before they’re widely available.
Your doctors can talk with you about new or ongoing cancer clinical trials that may be right for you.