Immunotherapy 101: What You Need to Know

What Types of Cancer Can Immunotherapy Treat?

Since it enhances your immune system, immunotherapy may treat many types of cancers and can also help protect you from bacterial infections and other illnesses. There are many types of immunotherapy, and only testing can determine if one of them will be effective against a particular patient’s cancer. In general, immunotherapy can treat many types of cancer, including cancer of the kidney, brain, breast, prostate, and more.

How Effective is Immunotherapy?

Research and clinical trials on immunotherapy are ongoing, and this innovative treatment is quickly developing and becoming more effective. So far, the average response rate to immunotherapy drugs is 20-50%. Cochise Oncology has helped many patients with immunotherapy, and we are hopeful this treatment will continue to advance.

What is Immunotherapy Treatment Like?

The advantage of immunotherapy is that it helps your body fight cancer in a more natural way without harming healthy cells. Immunotherapy typically has less severe side effects than chemotherapy or radiation. 

There are multiple types of immunotherapy, and these may be administered through an IV, orally, or topically. The treatment may be daily, weekly, or monthly, and most people are on it for several months. Immunotherapy is often used to boost the immune system before or during another treatment like chemotherapy.

Most side effects of immunotherapy are actually a sign your immune system is working to fight off the cancer cells. Common side effects are similar to flu symptoms, such as:

• Fever
• Headache
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Rashes