Immunotherapy stands as a revolutionary cancer treatment method, leveraging the body's immune

system to combat cancer cells. By empowering the immune system to identify, target, and eradicate
cancer cells throughout the body, immunotherapy offers a promising avenue in cancer management. It
can be administered alone or in conjunction with other mainstream treatments like chemotherapy,
radiation therapy, and surgery. This combined approach enhances the immune response against cancer,
presenting a comprehensive strategy for cancer treatment that may potentially enhance treatment
outcomes.1

Diverse types of immunotherapies exist, each operating through distinct mechanisms:1

Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins designed to target specific molecules on cancer
cells, either directly attacking them or activating the immune system to do so. Non-specific
immunotherapies stimulate the immune system to attack cancer cells without pinpointing specific
molecules. Examples include cytokines like interferons and interleukins, along with Bacillus Calmette-
Guerin (BCG) therapy. Oncolytic virus therapy utilizes genetically modified viruses to infect and destroy
cancer cells while triggering an immune response against cancer. T-cell therapy involves modifying T cells
in a laboratory to recognize and eliminate cancer cells, with Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell
therapy being a prominent method. Additionally, cancer vaccines expose the immune system to specific
antigens found on cancer cells, training it to identify and attack these cells.

A crucial type of immunotherapy, checkpoint inhibitors, operates by unleashing the immune system's
ability to recognize and target cancer cells effectively. These inhibitors remove the "brakes" on the
immune system, thereby enabling it to recognize and combat cancer cells more vigorously. Targeting
molecules called immune checkpoints, which cancer cells exploit to evade detection by the immune
system, checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated significant potential in enhancing patient outcomes.
Commonly used checkpoint inhibitors, such as Atezolizumab, Avelumab, Dostarlimab, Durvalumab,
Ipilimumab, Nivolumab, and Pembrolizumab, have received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for specific cancers, showcasing promising results in the field of cancer treatment.

References:

1. Cancer.net. What Is Immunotherapy? Cancer.net. Published March 25, 2013.

https://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/how-cancer-treated/immunotherapy-and-
vaccines/what-immunotherapy Accessed [04/14/2024]