Immunotherapy is a specific form of treatment that aims to strengthen the immune system to fight various diseases. While disease management often focuses on treating symptoms or eliminating the pathogen, immunotherapy seeks to combat illness by boosting the body’s own defenses. As a cancer treatment, immunotherapy has redefined how we approach cancer and has opened new horizons in the fight against the disease.

How Does Immunotherapy Work?

The primary goal of the immune system is to protect the body from invaders such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and cancer cells. When the immune system detects pathogenic bacteria or viruses, it reacts by producing certain proteins (antibodies) that attack and destroy the invaders. In this way, it keeps the human body healthy by preventing diseases. The immune system reacts similarly to the presence of cancer cells.

Through immunotherapy, our immune system is activated, allowing white blood cells to recognize and attack cancer cells. However, we should be aware that our immune system can only fight cancer up to a certain point, which explains why some individuals with a healthy immune system develop cancer. Some of the reasons for this may be:

• The immune system does not treat cancer cells as “invaders” because they have not differentiated enough from normal cells.
• The immune system recognizes cancer cells, but its response is not sufficient to destroy them.
• Cancer cells themselves may produce substances that prevent the immune system from finding and attacking them.

What Are the Types of Immunotherapy?

The two main types of immunotherapy in cancer are:

1. Passive immunotherapy: Substances that stimulate and increase the immune system’s response, so that it, in turn, identifies and destroys cancer cells, e.g., checkpoint inhibitors.
2. Active immunotherapy: Facilitates immune system cells to recognize and attack cancer cells, e.g., anti-cancer vaccines.

Source: Hellenic Nurses Association

Method & Frequency of Immunotherapy Administration

Immunotherapy is administered in the hospital and in specialized day-care units. In most cases, the treatment is given intravenously. Some alternative administration methods include intravesical, topical, and oral administration.

Both the frequency of administration and the duration of the treatment you receive depend on the following:

• The initial staging and type of tumor.
• The type of immunotherapy.
• Your body’s reaction to the treatment.

Immunotherapy can be administered daily, weekly, or monthly. Depending on the type of immunotherapy, the duration of administration ranges from a few minutes to one or two hours. Treatment is repeated at regular intervals, which we call cycles, usually every 2, 3, or 4 weeks. The treatment is administered on the first day of each cycle.

Through this process, the drug will activate the immune system to facilitate the body’s attack on cancer cells. Even during breaks between treatments, the immune system remains activated and continues to attack cancer cells until the patient moves to the next cycle.

Why Undergo Immunotherapy?

Some of the benefits of Immunotherapy are the following:

• Immunotherapy trains the body to recognize and destroy cancer cells, and unlike chemotherapy, it has less toxicity and does not destroy normal body cells.
• In some cases, immunotherapy appears to offer the possibility of even complete cure.
• It contributes significantly to the improvement of patients’ quality of life. It improves symptoms and the general condition of patients with mild side effects, while simultaneously offering significant response and long-term effectiveness.