Welcome to our comprehensive guide on Immuno-Oncology. In this article, we delve into Immunotherapy: Harnessing the Immune System Against Cancer, exploring the latest advancements and essential information.
Immunotherapy is a type of biological therapy that uses substances made from living organisms to treat cancer. It works by stimulating or restoring the ability of the immune system to fight cancer cells, marking them so they are easier for the immune system to find and destroy.
Checkpoint inhibitors are a popular type of immunotherapy. The immune system uses "checkpoints" to stop from destroying healthy cells. Cancer cells often hijack these checkpoints to hide. Inhibitors block these checkpoints, exposing cancer cells to immune system attacks.
Side effects vary but can include flu-like symptoms, fatigue, skin rashes, and in some cases, autoimmune reactions where the immune system attacks healthy organs. These require careful monitoring by a healthcare team.