Immunotherapy Cancer Treatment

How Immunotherapy Cancer Treatment Works

Immunotherapy is a more sustainable approach that provides long-term protection against cancer. Effects of cancer immunotherapy treatment may last long after the completion of the therapy.

The length of treatment varies with each patient and the chosen immune cell therapy. But in some cases, immunotherapy for cancer treatment may take longer to confirm an immune response than chemotherapy because doctors need to ascertain that the treatment is mobilizing the immune system to  attack cancer cells.

Since immunotherapy, a new alternative cancer treatment to chemotherapy, acts like cancer vaccines, patients can now enjoy a safer, more efficient cancer treatment, with less frequent dosing and fewer adverse effects.

Immunotherapy utilizes your immune cells to specifically target and attack cancer cells. This targeted therapy is less invasive and has fewer adverse effects compared to conventional cancer treatment options. This is achieved by obtaining sample T-cells, which are immune cells that naturally destroy pathogens and cancerous cells, hijacking them to specifically target any tumor cell that is usually in stealth mode from intrinsic immune cells, and are given back to the patient intravenously.

Normally, the immune system‘s T-cells have checkpoints that regulate their activity, turning off their offensive potential upon contact with healthy cells. Cancerous cells take advantage of this and turn off the T-cells‘ immune response, so that they bypass the cancer cells. With immunotherapy, the modified immune cells continue to function upon encountering tumor cells, preventing deactivation, and ultimately eliminating the cancer cells.

As a progressive pathological process that can be diagnosed in its more advanced stages, cancer may call for multiple forms of treatment options to sufficiently deal with the problem. Immunotherapy can be combined with other targeted therapy and treatment options for cancer to improve prognosis, offering versatility, efficiency, and better outcomes.

How Immunotherapy Treatment Is Administered

As immunotherapy treatment comprises various different types of medication to target antigens and ultimately treat cancer, administration methods can vary. These include:

• Oral pills and tablets
• Topical creams (usually reserved for early stages of skin cancer)
• Intravenous (IV) infusions injected directly into a vein
• Via specific transfer factor treatment 
• Intravesical injections introduced directly into the bladder
• Intratumoral injections

The exact dosage and frequency of treatment depends on the type of immunotherapy you receive, along with the type of cancer you have and how your body reacts to the chosen immune cell therapy. Immunotherapy treatments may be administered daily, weekly, or monthly, or they may be administered cyclically, meaning a period of treatment followed by a period of rest. Consult your doctor to discuss not only the types of immunotherapy but also the effects of immunotherapy to help determine the best course of action for your health, cancer type, and personal needs.

Additional Questions? Call Immunity Therapy Center today and get started on your path towards recovery! At ITC, all cancer patients that walk through our doors are given a completely custom treatment plan of holistic therapies for optimal cancer care. If you want to learn more about alternative and natural treatment programs for a specific cancer type, please contact our cancer center today to schedule a free consultation. 

Medically Reviewed by:Dr. Bautista

November 25, 2019

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Dr. Carlos Bautista is a Board Certified Medical Doctor. He received his Medical Degree from Universidad Autónoma de Baja California and has more than 30 years of experience working with Alternative Medicine to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases, chronic degenerative diseases, and infectious diseases. He opened Immunity Therapy Center in 2007 with the goal of providing the highest quality medical care for more than 5,000 patients.

At Immunity Therapy Center, our goal is to provide objective, updated, and research-based information on all health-related topics. This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles. All information has been fact-checked and reviewed by Dr. Carlos Bautista, a Board Certified Medical Doctor at Immunity Therapy Center. All information published on the site must undergo an extensive review process to ensure accuracy. This article contains trusted sources with all references hyperlinked for the reader's visibility.