At AnMed, we provide expert immunotherapy treatment to patients in Anderson County, Greenville County, Oconee County and Pickens County, South Carolina. Our team helps you understand how immunotherapy works, what to expect during treatment, and how it can support your body in fighting cancer. Patients from across the region, including Anderson, receive personalized cancer care close to home.
What is Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy uses substances made by the body or from other living organisms to target cancer cells while causing less harm to normal cells. It works by:
- Stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells
- Preventing cancer from spreading to other areas of the body
- Increasing your immune system’s ability to get rid of cancer cells
Different immunotherapy drugs work in different ways at the cellular level. Treatments may be delivered through intravenous (IV) infusion or as medicine taken by mouth. Immunotherapy is most often used for advanced cancers, but it can also be given in earlier stages to help prevent cancer from returning.
Cancers Treated with Immunotherapy
Some cancers respond particularly well to immunotherapy, including:
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Lung cancer
- Melanoma (skin cancer)
- Certain lymphomas
Your AnMed team will help determine whether immunotherapy is right for you and explain how it can benefit your treatment plan.
How Immunotherapy Helps You
Immunotherapy strengthens your immune system to detect and attack cancer cells more effectively. Instead of directly killing cancer cells, it empowers your body’s natural defenses. Treatments include:
- Immune checkpoint inhibitors: Help your immune system recognize cancer cells
- Oncolytic viruses: Viruses that infect cancer cells, triggering an immune response
- Personalized cancer vaccines: Train your immune system to target proteins unique to your tumor
- Cellular therapies: Modified immune cells, such as CAR-T or TIL therapy, returned to your body to fight cancer
- Cytokines: Proteins that boost or regulate your immune response
- Bispecific antibodies: Lab-made antibodies that bring cancer and immune cells together to improve the immune attack
Benefits of Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy can:
- Help your immune system find cancer cells that are otherwise hidden
- Reduce the risk of cancer returning by training your immune system
- Provide long-lasting treatment responses
- Offer options for cancers previously considered difficult to treat
What to Expect During Immunotherapy
Your care team will guide you through each step. Because immunotherapy activates your immune system, side effects can occur, sometimes affecting healthy tissue. Common side effects include:
- Skin changes, such as redness, itching, or blistering
- Flu-like symptoms
- Diarrhea or swelling
- Weight changes
Most side effects can be managed, and your oncology team will work with you to keep you comfortable throughout treatment.
The Future of Immunotherapy
Research is ongoing to:
- Improve effectiveness while minimizing side effects
- Combine immunotherapy with chemotherapy, radiation, or targeted drugs
- Identify biomarkers to predict which patients will respond best
Immunotherapy is transforming cancer care. Patients with advanced cancers, such as melanoma, now have opportunities for long-term remission that were once considered impossible.
