Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is one of the latest development in cancer treatment. Cancer immunotherapy (sometimes called immuno-oncology) is the artificial stimulation of the immune system to treat cancer, improving on the immune system’s natural ability to fight the disease. It exploits the fact that cancer cells often have tumor antigens, molecules on their surface that can be detected by the antibody proteins of the immune system, binding to them. The tumor antigens are often proteins or other macromolecules (e.g. carbohydrates). Normal antibodies bind to external pathogens, but the modified immunotherapy antibodies bind to the tumor antigens marking and identifying the cancer cells for the immune system to inhibit or kill. It is often used as an Intravenous drip treatment. A wide range of cancers can be treated by various immunotherapy medicines that have been approved in many jurisdictions around the world. Some of the Immunotherapy which has been approved for lung cancer treatment includes Pembrolizumab, Atezolizumab, Durvalumab etc. Nivolumab is one Immunotherapy which has been approved for use in head & neck cancers.