Before diving deeper into Immunotherapy, we need to know what the immune system is and what it does.

What is the Immune System?

The immune system is a collection of special cells, organs, and substances that protect the body from infections and diseases.

The immune system keeps track of all the naturally found substances in the body. When a foreign substance enters the body, the immune system recognises it and launches an attack against it. The main aim of this immune response is to destroy these foreign substances and keep the body healthy.

However, in the case of cancer cells, the immune system has a hard time targeting them because cancer starts when normal cells get altered and start growing out of control.

People with healthy immune systems might still develop cancer because there are limitations on the immune system’s ability to fight cancer alone. Sometimes, the immune system might not recognise cancer cells as foreign; sometimes, the response might not be strong enough, and sometimes, the cancer cells give off substances that might keep the immune system from finding them. 

Amidst all these loopholes, researchers have found a solution in the form of a treatment called Immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy can help the immune system recognise these cancer cells and strengthen it against them. 

What is Immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is a treatment that uses a person’s immune system to fight diseases like cancer. It does so by:

• Boosting the natural defense of the immune system
• Making substances that are similar to immune system components and using them to restore the immune system’s attacks against the cancer cells

Immunotherapy works by stopping the growth of cancer cells or slowing their growth. Compared to chemotherapy and radiation, Immunotherapy has the least known reactions and side effects.

This novel line of treatment involves one’s immunity to stay healthy rather than depending on other drugs and medicines. 

Immunity can be strengthened through several ways, like eating right, having the proper routine, appropriate physical activities, mental well-being, and immune boosters.

Apart from all this, immunotherapy drugs can help produce specific agents in the immune system that fight out particular diseases.