Your child's immune system helps protect him from illnesses and diseases. It can also be used to help him fight cancer. Immunotherapy is the use of your child's own immune system to kill cancer cells.
Immunotherapy works two ways
Immunotherapy works two ways: by making your child's own immune system stronger so that it can fight off the cancer, or by giving your child immune system proteins that boost the power of the immune system. Most times, immunotherapy is not powerful enough on its own to fight off cancer, but, in combination with other therapies such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, it's a good tool.
How immunotherapy works
Immunotherapy teaches your child's immune system to recognize cancer cells. Remember, cancer cells can grow even when the immune system is healthy. Unlike when your child has a viral or bacterial infection, the immune system does not react to cancer cells. That's because cancer happens from within the body, rather than as an invader from outside the body. The theory behind immunotherapy is that, once the body is “taught” to recognize cancer cells as bad, the immune system can produce substances that attack and try to kill those cells.
Immunotherapy is like giving your child a vaccination. As a matter of fact, doctors are working toward finding a vaccination against cancer, but they're not quite there yet. For now, immunotherapy is a way for doctors to combine cancer therapies to give your child the best treatment options.
Find more related articles
- Understand radiotherapy cancer treatment
- Get information about chemotherapy treatment
- Learn more about Magnetic resonance imaging
- Find more information about cancer treatments and tests
Written by Rebecca Stigall for Kidspot, Australia's parenting resource for family health. Sources include Better Health Channel, NSW Health, and Health Insite.
Last revised: Thursday, 29 April 2010
This article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.
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