Q. What does immunotherapy do for lung cancer?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
Immunotherapy is a groundbreaking treatment for lung cancer, which uses the body’s own immune system to fight off cancer. It works by introducing substances into the body that can recognize and attack certain types of cells associated with particular cancers, such as lung cancer. This type of therapy has been found to be highly effective in helping patients living with unresectable or advanced stages of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Specifically, immunotherapy stimulates the body’s immune system so that it can identify and target cells in tumors. Additionally, immunotherapies help to boost natural killer cells which are specialized white blood cells involved in immunity responses that attack and kill virus-infected or tumor cell targets. The primary benefit of this approach is improved disease control compared to conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy; it not only delays progression but also offers a decrease in toxicity since fewer drugs are required. In some cases, even complete remission is possible with immunotherapy alone!