Immunotherapy is one of the most transformative advancements in cancer care today. Unlike chemotherapy or radiation, which work by directly killing cancer cells, immunotherapy strengthens or modifies the body’s own immune system so it can detect and destroy cancer. It represents a major shift in how we think about treating the disease, and for many patients, it offers new hope.
What Is Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy is a type of biological therapy that activates or enhances the immune system’s natural ability to fight cancer. Normally, the immune system helps protect the body from illness by identifying and attacking harmful invaders like viruses or bacteria. Cancer cells, however, are tricky. They can disguise themselves or produce signals that block immune responses.
Immunotherapy helps overcome these barriers, making it easier for the immune system to identify cancer cells and mount an attack.
Which Cancers Is It Used For?
Immunotherapy is not effective for every cancer, but it has made a big impact in treating:
- Melanoma
- Non-small cell lung cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Head and neck cancers
- Hodgkin lymphoma
- Certain types of colorectal cancer, especially those with a genetic mutation known as MSI-high
Researchers are also testing its use in breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and other hard-to-treat cancers. Clinical trials are ongoing across the country, including at the GW Cancer Center.
Types of Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy isn’t a single treatment—it’s a category of therapies that work in different ways to boost or direct the immune system. Below are the most common and widely used types:
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Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
These drugs block proteins that cancer cells use to turn off immune responses. By “releasing the brakes” on immune cells, checkpoint inhibitors allow T-cells to keep attacking tumors.-
Examples: Pembrolizumab (Keytruda), Nivolumab (Opdivo), Atezolizumab (Tecentriq)
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Used for: Lung cancer, melanoma, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, head and neck, breast, and colorectal cancers
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CAR T-Cell Therapy (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy)
This highly personalized approach involves extracting a patient’s T-cells, modifying them in a lab to better recognize cancer cells, and reinfusing them back into the body to directly attack the cancer.-
Used for: Certain leukemias and lymphomas, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and large B-cell lymphoma
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Results: In some cases, remission rates exceed 80–90%
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Monoclonal Antibodies
These lab-made proteins are designed to bind to specific targets (antigens) on cancer cells. They help the immune system recognize and eliminate those cells. Some monoclonal antibodies also deliver drugs directly to cancer cells.-
Examples: Rituximab (Rituxan), Trastuzumab (Herceptin), Bevacizumab (Avastin)
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Used for: Breast cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer
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Cytokine Therapy
Cytokines are natural proteins that help immune cells communicate and coordinate their responses. In cancer treatment, synthetic versions like interleukin-2 (IL-2) or interferon-alpha (IFN-α) are used to boost immune activity.-
Used for: Kidney cancer, melanoma
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Often combined with: Other treatments such as chemotherapy or targeted therapies
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Cancer Vaccines
Cancer vaccines stimulate the immune system to recognize cancer-specific antigens. Some are preventive, such as the HPV vaccine, while others are therapeutic, designed to fight an existing cancer.-
Preventive example: HPV vaccine for cervical and other HPV-related cancers
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Therapeutic example: Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) for advanced prostate cancer
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What Patients Can Expect
Immunotherapy is usually given by intravenous (IV) infusion, though some treatments may be injected or taken orally. Sessions often take place every few weeks at a hospital or outpatient center.
Since immunotherapy stimulates the immune system, side effects differ from those of chemotherapy. Some patients experience fatigue, rashes, flu-like symptoms, or inflammation in organs such as the lungs or liver. Providers monitor patients closely and may use blood tests and imaging scans to track both effectiveness and side effects.
How Effective Is It?
Immunotherapy has produced remarkable results in many cases:
- 20 to 40 percent of patients with advanced melanoma have durable, long-term responses. 1
- CAR T-cell therapy has achieved remission in up to 90 percent of children and young adults with specific types of leukemia. 2
- Checkpoint inhibitors have extended survival in non-small cell lung cancer and bladder cancer. 3
While not all patients respond, immunotherapy has opened the door to longer survival and better quality of life, especially in cases where standard treatments have failed.
Looking Ahead
The future of immunotherapy is promising. Researchers are investigating how to combine it with chemotherapy, radiation, and targeted therapies to improve results. At the GW Cancer Center, scientists in the Cancer Biology and Immunology Program (CBIP) are also working on ways to expand immunotherapy to more cancer types and reduce its side effects.
Pavani Chalasani, MD, MPH, Division Director for Hematology and Oncology and Interim Associate Center Director, Clinical Investigations at the GW Cancer Center, highlights how immunotherapy fits into the broader shift toward personalized cancer care. “We are entering an era where therapies like immunotherapy are not only effective, but often tailored to the patient’s genetic profile,” she said in a recent WebMD interview. “That means more targeted, less toxic treatment, and potentially better outcomes.”
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, ask your oncologist whether immunotherapy or participation in a clinical trial may be an option. This powerful approach is already changing lives — and the next big breakthrough may be just around the corner.
References
- National Cancer Institute. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Melanoma. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunotherapy/checkpoint-inhibitors
- American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). CAR T-Cell Therapy and Leukemia. Available at: https://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/how-cancer-treated/immunotherapy/car-t-cell-therapy
- Gandhi, L. et al. (2018). Pembrolizumab plus Chemotherapy in Metastatic Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer. New England Journal of Medicine, 378:2078–2092.
Available at: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1801005
