Immunotherapy is a form of cancer treatment that works to support your immune response and help it to eliminate tumor cells. The immune system is normally able to detect and destroy abnormal cells and prevent the growth of cancerous cells. However, cancer cells can develop various means of avoiding the natural immune response to reach healthy cells.

Immunotherapy treatments aim to help the immune cells better act against the many types of cancer. This concept of targeted therapy can be accomplished through various means. Patients may be administered with therapeutic antibodies, which are proteins that can bind to specific antigens on cancer cells to neutralize them before reaching healthy immune cells. Treatment vaccines can also be used to immunize patients and boost the immune system’s response to cancer cells.

As immunotherapy comprises various different types of medication to target antigens and ultimately treat cancer, administration methods can vary. These include:

Oral pills and tablets
Topical creams (usually reserved for early stages of skin cancer)
Intravenous (IV) infusions injected directly into a vein
Via specific transfer factor treatment
Intravesical injections introduced directly into the bladder
The exact dosage and frequency of treatment depends on the type of immunotherapy you receive, along with the type of cancer you have and how your body reacts to the chosen therapy. Immunotherapy treatments may be administered daily, weekly, or monthly, or they may be administered cyclically, meaning a period of treatment followed by a period of rest. Consult your doctor to discuss not only the types of immunotherapy but also the effects of immunotherapy to help determine the best course of action for your health and personal needs.