What is Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy uses substances made by the body or from other living organisms to target cancer cells with less harm to normal cells.
Immunotherapy works by:
- Stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells
- Preventing cancer from spreading to other areas of the body
- Increasing the immune system's ability to get rid of cancer cells
Different drugs work in different ways to fight cancer at the cellular level. You may receive it through intravenous (IV) infusion or as medicine you take by mouth.
Immunotherapy most often treats advanced cancers, but it can also be given in the earlier stages of some cancers to prevent the disease from returning later.
Cancers Treated
Cancers that respond well to immunotherapy include:
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Lung cancer
- Melanoma (skin cancer)
- Some lymphomas
Your AnMed team will determine if immunotherapy is right for you and help you understand how it benefits you.