Immunotherapy isn’t a new kind of cancer treatment, though every day our researchers are investigating new ways of using it. The FDA approved the first immunotherapy vaccine to treat bladder cancer in 1990. 

Your immune system typically detects and destroys invading infections like viruses, bacteria, fungi, and invasive diseases. It looks for anything it doesn’t recognize as a normal part of the body and attacks it. 

But cancer cells start out as normal, healthy cells. This makes it easy to trick the immune system into letting cancer cells grow and multiply. The immune system doesn’t see those cells as foreign invaders. 

And even if the immune system recognizes cancer cells, it often can’t build up a strong enough defense against them. Cancer cells can also develop special proteins that turn off the immune system’s response. These proteins can even alter normal nearby cells so that they protect the cancer cells from the immune system. 

Different types of immunotherapy help your immune system in their own ways. Immunotherapies may be used in combination with other treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Most immunotherapy drugs are given through an IV infusion. 

Some immunotherapies are considered standard treatments, while we offer others through clinical trials. The type of immunotherapy you may get will depend on the type of cancer, your overall health, and other factors. 

Types of immunotherapy we offer include:

• Immune checkpoint inhibitors: The immune system has a series of checkpoints, called immune checkpoint inhibitors. They keep it from responding too strongly to attack. Checkpoint inhibitors close off those checkpoints, allowing the immune system to mount a much stronger defense against cancer.
• CAR T-cell (chimeric antigen receptor) therapy: T-cells are white blood cells that protect against infections. We take those cells from your blood and genetically engineer them in a lab so they can identify cancer cells. When they’re inserted back into your blood, they attach to cancer cells and kill them. Find out more about CAR T-cell therapy.
• Cancer vaccines: Cancer vaccines are drugs we give to help the immune system prevent cancer. An example is the HPV vaccine, which protects against most types of cancer caused by human papillomavirus. Other cancer vaccines can treat certain cancers, including prostate and bladder cancers.
• Monoclonal antibodies: These lab-created versions of proteins attach to and put “signs” on cancer cells. These signs make it easier for the immune system to find and destroy the cancer cells. 
• Immune system modulators: Also called immunomodulators, these drugs boost the immune system’s defenses and block the creation of new cancer cells. They're often used to treat advanced cancers that have spread to other parts of the body. 

Every cancer is unique and treatment needs to be as individualized as the cancer itself. Not all patients will benefit from immunotherapy. Before trying immunotherapy, we look for certain biomarkers. They offer clues that help us predict whether a cancer will respond to the drugs. 

Cancers we may treat with immunotherapy include: