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What Types of Cancer Can Be Treated With Immunotherapy?

For many years, doctors relied on chemotherapy and radiation to treat cancer. Advances in technology have led to the development of immunotherapy. This treatment, which uses your immune system to target cancer cells, has become a valuable tool against many types of cancer. 

What is Immunotherapy? 

Your Cochise Oncology team may utilize immunotherapy as part of your treatment plan. Immunotherapy is a class of treatments that harness your own immune system and direct it against cancer cells. Immunotherapy can be administered as pills, IVs, or by other methods. While immunotherapy does have side effects, they may be less severe than the side effects of chemotherapy. 

Immunotherapy

What Types of Cancer Can Be Treated With Immunotherapy?

The list of cancers that can be treated with immunotherapy continues to grow yearly as new discoveries are made. Immunotherapy is the most cutting-edge area of cancer research, and it treats many types of cancer not listed here. Immunotherapy is effective in treating cancer of the

  • Lymphatic system (lymphoma)
  • Kidney
  • Liver
  • Neck and head
  • Brain
  • Throat
  • Prostate
  • Stomach
  • Breast
  • Cervical
  • Bladder
  • Colon and rectum

Whether used alone or combined with radiation or chemotherapy, immunotherapy has become a key part of treatment for these and other cancers. If you have questions about immunotherapy, talk to your treatment team. 

How Does Immunotherapy Work?

Like chemotherapy, immunotherapy is a broad category that includes some very different treatments. Some common types of immunotherapy include:

Treatment Vaccines

Not actually vaccines against cancer, these treatments boost your immune system’s ability to recognize and respond to cancer cells. 

Immune System Modulators

These treatments stimulate the immune system in various ways to make it more effective against cancer. 

Monoclonal Antibodies

Lab-produced antibodies are designed to bind to cancer cells, flagging them for the immune system to recognize and attack. 

T-Cell Transfer Therapy

This treatment removes T-cells from your body and clones the ones best at fighting your cancer, boosting your immune response. 

REQUEST A CONSULTATION

Simply fill out the form on this page to request an appointment and one of our knowledgable team members will reach out to you. Or call our Sierra Vista oncology center to schedule directly at (520) 803-6644.

How Effective is Immunotherapy?

The response to immunotherapy varies tremendously. Each person’s immune system and each type of cancer respond differently. 20% to 50% of patients will respond to immunotherapy treatment. This rate continues to improve every year with more targeted methods. Immunotherapy can increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy or radiation. 

Am I a Good Candidate for Immunotherapy?

Only your medical team can determine whether you are a good candidate for immunotherapy. Testing will help them understand which types of immunotherapy may work best against your type of cancer. Not all types of cancer respond to immunotherapy, although the list continues to grow. 

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Take the Next Step

Do you have questions about immunotherapy? Reach out to Cochise Oncology at (520) 803-6644 or fill out the consultation form on this page.

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