Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy, also called immuno-oncology or “IO”, is a kind of treatment that helps the body’s own immune system fight cancer.

The job of the body’s immune system is to fight off infections and other foreign invaders that can make us sick. Without help, the immune system does not fight against cancer for a few reasons:

• Cancer comes from normal cells that have changed so the immune system may not see the cancer as an invader
• The immune system may not be strong enough to fight the cancer
• Cancer cells can fool the immune system so it cannot work to fight the cancer in the right way

• Checkpoint inhibitors: Block the bodies immune “checkpoints” so that the cancer cannot control them
  • Non-small cell lung cancer, stage I: Immunotherapy treatments approved for stage I non-small cell lung cancer patients
  • Non-small cell lung cancer, stage II: Immunotherapy treatments approved for stage II non-small cell lung cancer patients
  • Non-small cell lung cancer, stage III: Immunotherapy treatments approved for stage III non-small cell lung cancer patients
  • Non-small cell lung cancer, stage IV: Immunotherapy treatment approved for stage IV non-small cell lung cancer patients
  • Small cell lung cancer: Immunotherapy treatment approved for small cell lung cancer patients
• Vaccines

• Frequently asked questions about immunotherapy and lung cancer
• Downloadable booklets about immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer