What is immunotherapy?

What is immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is a newer type of treatment for colorectal cancer. The goal of immunotherapy is to boost a patient’s immune reaction to the cancer cells to help them fight the disease more effectively. There are two types of immunotherapy: active and passive.

• Active immunotherapy is intended to stimulate the patient’s immune system. The patient’s antibodies (immune system cells) are made to recognize an abnormal component in the cancer cells and then to selectively kill those cells. A vaccine is an example of an active immunotherapy. Active immunotherapy and vaccines against colorectal cancer are still under investigation.
• Passive immunotherapy products are manufactured in a laboratory to imitate the body’s antibodies. Passive immunotherapeutic medications do not stimulate the patients’ immune system to fight the disease. Rather, these man-made antibodies target specific components on the colorectal cancer cells in order to prevent the cancer cells from escaping the body’s natural immune response.