• Conventional therapies
• Surgery
• Minimally invasive surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Chemotherapy & targeted therapies
• Radiation therapy
• Advances in radiation therapy
• Tomotherapy
• Immunotherapy
• Cancer vaccines
• Hormone therapy
• Stem cell transplant
• Other advances in cancer treatment
• Clinical trials

To create monoclonal antibodies, scientists inject a mouse with human cancer cells. The mouse’s immune system produces antibodies in response to the cancer antigen. Then, the scientists fuse the mouse’s antibody-producing cells with other cells they’ve grown — creating what are known as hybridoma cells that are capable of producing large quantities of the cancer antibody. Newer techniques using genetically engineered mice and bacteria allow for the creation of monoclonal antibodies more closely resembling natural human antibodies.

Every day, biologists gain new insights into the immune system, offering hope for more effective ways of curing and managing cancer. However, immunotherapy can pose a variety of challenges. Because some of these therapies are considered investigational, you may have difficulty obtaining insurance coverage for treatment.

There can also be side effects. With some biological therapies, they tend to be mild, such as flu-like symptoms. But other therapies can produce severe, and occasionally dangerous, reactions. It’s important to discuss the risks of treatment with your doctor.

Sending in reinforcements

Doctors often administer immunotherapy intravenously at hospitals or clinics, but in some cases you may be able to take shots or pills at home. Treatment schedules vary significantly depending on the type of treatment. Here are some widely used therapies:

Monoclonal antibodies: Some cancer cells are characterized by specific antigens — or proteins that appear on the cell’s surface. For this treatment, scientists create monoclonal antibodies specifically targeted at the cancer antigen. When they’re injected, the antibodies attach to the antigens and destroy the cancer cells or limit their reproduction.

You may receive the antibodies alone, or as carriers of other therapeutic substances. For instance, chemotherapy agents may be attached to monoclonal antibodies. This technique may help make chemotherapy more effective and reduce its side effects. The FDA has approved several monoclonal antibodies for use in cancer treatment.

Interferons: When your immune system is activated, your white blood cells manufacture interferons. Scientists can also create interferons in the lab to boost your immune response to cancer and prevent the growth of new cancerous cells. Interferons may also make other treatments more effective. The FDA has approved the use of interferon alpha for the treatment of certain cancers, including some blood cancers, melanoma, and AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma.

Interleukins: These proteins, which occur naturally in the body and can be recreated in a lab, promote the growth of cancer-destroying cells and stimulate your white blood cells to fight cancer more actively. Interleukins are widely used as a therapy for melanoma and kidney cancer.

Colony-stimulating factors: These substances, also called hematopoietic growth factors, stimulate the growth of new immune cells. Your doctor may recommend them after chemotherapy or a stem cell transplant to help stimulate the creation of blood cells, reducing your risk for infections, anemia, or excessive bleeding.