Immunotherapy represents a groundbreaking medical advancement, leveraging the body's own immune system to combat diseases, primarily cancer. This innovative...
Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer and other diseases. It works by boosting, training, or modifying the body's natural defenses to recognize and destroy diseased cells more effectively.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to directly kill fast-growing cells, including cancer cells and some healthy ones. Immunotherapy, conversely, focuses on stimulating or enhancing the body's own immune system to target and eliminate cancer cells, often resulting in different side effects.
Immunotherapy is approved for a growing list of cancers, including melanoma, lung cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, and certain head and neck cancers. Its application continues to expand as research uncovers new mechanisms and targets.
Yes, like all medical treatments, immunotherapy can have side effects. These commonly occur when the activated immune system also attacks healthy tissues, leading to fatigue, skin rashes, diarrhea, or inflammation in organs such as the lungs or liver.