Immunotherapy

The immune system can recognize and kill infectious organisms such as flu viruses. Similarly, it is also able to recognize cancer cells. Unfortunately, cancer cells can trick the immune system, making themselves invisible to it.

Immunotherapy is a form of therapy that consists of stimulating the animal’s own immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells more effectively. This treatment can entail generalized stimulation of the immune system, or taking away barriers created by cancer cells, making them no longer invisible to the immune system.

Examples of specific immunotherapeutic treatments are the administration of antitumoural antibodies and cancer vaccines. Many of these treatments are being researched and are not yet available on the European market.