Cancer Immunology 101: Everything You Need to Know

Some of the biggest advancements in cancer treatment have come from the discovery that our immune system has its own cancer-fighting tools that can be harnessed for treatment. This field of research is called cancer immunology, and the treatments developed using this science are called immunotherapy.

Cancer Immunology 101: Everything You Need to Know

If you are diagnosed with cancer, your Cochise Oncology team will assess your needs and develop a treatment plan that may include immunotherapy. These treatments boost or train your immune system so it more effectively attacks cancer cells. Cancer immunology specialists are behind these remarkable treatment methods.

What is Cancer Immunology?

Immunology is a field of science that studies how the immune system works. Cancer immunology studies how your immune system reacts to cancer cells and how to make it more effective. Scientists from many different backgrounds may work in this field, including specialists in genetics, biology, and oncology.

How Does Cancer Immunology Help Us Treat Cancer?

Cancer immunology is vital to developing new cancer treatments. Immunotherapy is one of the most promising options for treating cancer, whether used alone or in combination with other methods like chemotherapy or radiation therapy. It helps our immune systems recognize and attack cancer in many different ways.

How Does Immunotherapy Work?

Immunotherapy can help you fight cancer in several ways, including:

Using antibodies that stick to cancer cells and attract the immune system’s attention
Boosting T cell response so these immune system warriors can kill more cancer cells
Using a vaccine (not the same as a flu or measles vaccine) that helps your immune system “see” cancer
Removing limitations so your immune system can attack cancer more powerfully
Enhancing your overall immune system function

Many other methods have been and are in the process of being developed. Cancer immunology continues to offer new treatment options to fight many different kinds of cancer.

What are the Benefits of Immunotherapy?

One reason cancer immunology research is so important is that immunotherapy can dramatically improve the lives of people with cancer. Along with helping other treatments work better, immunotherapy has fewer side effects than chemotherapy and often lets people enjoy a more normal life during treatment.

Immunotherapy can also be tailored to your cancer’s unique characteristics, making it extremely targeted. Since your healthy cells have ways of telling immune cells not to harm them, immunotherapy only acts on cancer cells and can “train” your immune system to target them.

Who is a Good Candidate for Immunotherapy?

Amedical assessment, usually including a genetic study of your cancer to determine its vulnerabilities, will help your Cochise Oncology team determine whether you are a good candidate for immunotherapy. Not everyone will receive immunotherapy as part of their treatment plan. At Cochise Oncology, our physicians will discuss the appropriate treatment options with you based on NCCN standards and results from your customized tests.

Take the Next Step

Do you have questions about cancer immunology? Reach out to Cochise Oncology at (520) 335-9460 or fill out the consultation form on this page. Cochise Oncology: Healing Begins Here.

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Cancer Immunology 101: Everything You Need to Know