What is immunotherapy - Cancer Research UK

Immunotherapy uses our immune system to fight cancer. It works by helping the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. You might have immunotherapy ... Skiptomaincontent HomeAboutcancerGeneralcancerinformationTreatmentforcancerImmunotherapyWhatisimmunotherapy? Gotothecancertypessectionforinformationabouttreatmentforyourtypeofcancer Immunotherapyusesourimmunesystemtofightcancer.It worksbyhelpingtheimmunesystemrecogniseandattackcancercells. Youmighthaveimmunotherapyonitsownorwithothercancertreatments. Immunotherapyisastandardtreatmentforsometypesofcancer. Anditis intrialsforothertypesofcancer. Therearedifferenttypesofimmunotherapy.Theseincludemonoclonalantibodies,checkpointinhibitors,andvaccines.Sometypesofimmunotherapyarealsocalledtargetedtreatmentsorbiologicaltherapies.  TheimmunesystemandimmunotherapyOurimmunesystemworkstoprotectthebodyagainstinfection,illnessanddisease.Itcanalsoprotectusfromthedevelopmentofcancer.  Theimmunesystemincludesthelymphglands,spleenandwhitebloodcells.Normally,itcanspotanddestroyfaultycellsinthebody,stoppingcancerdeveloping.Butacancermightdevelopwhen: theimmunesystemrecognisescancercellsbutitisnotstrongenoughtokillthecancercellsthecancercellsproducesignalsthatstoptheimmunesystemfromattackingitthecancercellshideorescapefromtheimmunesystem Immunotherapyhelpsourimmunesystemtofightcancer.Therearedifferenttypesof immunotherapytreatments.Theseworkindifferentwaystohelpourimmunesystemrecogniseandattackcancercells. Findoutmoreabouttheimmunesystem Whymightyouhaveimmunotherapy?Immunotherapyisnotsuitablefor alltypesofcancers.Butitisoneofthemaintreatmentsforafewtypes.  Researchersarealsolookingatimmunotherapyinclinicaltrialsforsometypesofcancer. Youcanhaveimmunotherapyonitsownorincombinationwithothertreatmentssuchassurgery,chemotherapyorradiotherapy. Whetheryouhaveimmunotherapydependson: thetypeofcanceryouhave howfaryourcancerhasspread(thestage)  othercancertreatmentsyou’vehad Testing Beforeyouhavesometypesofimmunotherapyyoumightneedtohavetestsusing someofyourcancercellsorabloodsample.Thisis tofindoutwhetherthetreatmentislikelytowork.Thesetestslookforchangesincertainproteinsorgenes.  Yourcancerspecialist cantellyouifthisappliestoyourtreatment. Thisisnotthecaseforallimmunotherapiesandyoudon’talwaysneedthistest. Totestyourcancercells,yourspecialistneeds asample(biopsy) ofyourcancer.They mightbeabletouse sometissuefromabiopsyoroperationyouhavealreadyhad.   Typesofimmunotherapy Immunotherapytreatments donotalwaysfiteasilyintoacertain typeorgroupoftreatments.Thisisbecausesomedrugsortreatmentsworkinmorethanonewayandbelongtomorethanonegroup.Soyoumighthearthesamedrugortreatmentcalleddifferentthings. Forexample,atypeofimmunotherapycalledcheckpointinhibitorsare alsodescribedasamonoclonalantibodyortargetedtreatment. Wehavepagesaboutthefollowingimmunotherapies: monoclonalantibodies checkpointinhibitors vaccines cytokines CAR-Tcelltherapy. Askyourspecialist aboutimmunotherapy.Theycanexplain: whetherthistreatmentissuitableforyou whattheaimoftreatmentwouldbe whatitwouldinvolveandthesideeffects Readaboutthedifferenttypesofimmunotherapy Monoclonalantibodies(MABs) Antibodiesarefoundnaturallyinourbloodandhelpustofightinfection.MABtherapiesmimicnaturalantibodiesbutaremadeinalaboratory.Monoclonalmeansallonetype.SoeachMABtherapyisalotofcopiesofonetypeofantibody. MABsrecogniseandattachtospecificproteinsonthesurfaceofcancercells.ManydifferentMABsareavailabletotreatcancer.Theyworkindifferentwaysandsomeworkinmorethanoneway.  MABsworkasanimmunotherapyindifferentways.Theymightdooneofthefollowing: triggertheimmunesystem helptheimmunesystemtoattackcancer ReadmoreaboutMABsthathaveaneffectontheimmunesystem Checkpointinhibitors CheckpointinhibitorsareMABsthatworkbyhelpingtheimmunesystemattackcancercells.Cancercansometimespushastopbuttonontheimmunecells,sotheimmunesystemwon’tattackthem.Checkpointinhibitorsblockcancersfrompushingthestopbutton. Readaboutcheckpointinhibitors Vaccinestotreatcancer Researchersarelookingatwhethervaccinescanhelptheimmunesystemtorecogniseandattackcancercells. Inthesamewaythatvaccinesworkagainstdiseases,thevaccinesaremadetorecogniseproteinsthatareonparticularcancercells.Thishelpstheimmunesystemtorecogniseandmountanattackagainstthoseparticularcancercells. Readmoreaboutvaccinestotreatcancer Cytokines Cytokinesareagroupofproteinsinthebodythatplayanimportantpartinboostingtheimmunesystem. Interferonandinterleukinaretypesofcytokinesfoundinthebody.Scientistshavedevelopedmanmadeversionsofthesetotreatsometypesofcancer. Moreaboutcytokines CART-celltherapy Thistreatmentchangesthegenesinaperson’swhitebloodcells(Tcells)tohelpthemrecognise andkillcancercells.ChangingtheTcellinthiswayiscalledgeneticallyengineeringtheTcell. Itisavailableasapossibletreatmentforsomechildrenwithleukaemia andsomeadultswithlymphoma.People withothertypesofcancermighthaveitaspartofaclinicaltrial.  ReadmoreaboutCART-celltherapy Relatedcontent Relatedlinks Cancertreatment Typesofimmunotherapy Targetedcancerdrugs Immunisationsandcancertreatment Fluvaccineandcancertreatment Coronavirusandcancer Weknowit’saworryingtimeforpeoplewithcancer,wehaveinformationtohelp. Moreinformation Relatedlinks Cancertreatment Cancertreatmentsincludesurgery,radiotherapyanddrugtreatments(suchaschemotherapy,hormonetherapyortargetedcancerdrugs).Findoutabouttreatmentsandsideeffects. Typesofimmunotherapy Therearedifferenttypesofimmunotherapytreatment.Theseincludemonoclonalantibodies,checkpointinhibitors,andvaccines.Findoutwhattheyare,howtheywork,andaboutthesideeffects. Targetedcancerdrugs Yourguidetotargetedcancerdrugs. Immunisationsandcancertreatment Ifyouarehavingchemotherapyyourresistancetoinfectioncanbe lowattimes.Therearesomevaccinationsyoushouldn'thavewhenyouhavelowimmunitybecausetheycouldmakeyoufeelveryill.  Fluvaccineandcancertreatment Canceroritstreatmentcanloweryourresistancetoinfectionandmakeyoumorelikelytocatchflu.Thefluvaccinationmakesitlesslikelythatyouwillcatchflu.  AboutCancergenerouslysupportedbyDangoorEducationsince2010. Findaclinicaltrial SearchourclinicaltrialsdatabaseforallcancertrialsandstudiesrecruitingintheUK CancerChatforum Talktootherpeopleaffectedbycancer Nursehelpline08088004040 Questionsaboutcancer?Callfreephone9to5MondaytoFridayoremailus