Cancer Immunotherapy: The Elementary Concepts and Emerging Role

Immunotherapy has been under evaluation for more than a century, but only recently has it entered a resurgence phase with approval of multiple agents for the treatment of cancer. Now, immunotherapy stands poised to join with traditional modalities, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy, as a pillar of cancer treatment. Importantly, immunotherapy is not a single entity but represents several types of treatments, including checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, growth factors, and therapeutic vaccines, with different approaches to boost or restore the ability of the immune system to fight cancer. This monograph provides oncology healthcare professionals with an overview of the role of the immune system in cancer and describes how the various immunotherapies are designed to target cancer cells. This information is highly relevant to understanding immunotherapy and may improve outcomes of patients with cancer.