[[{"@type":["BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/how-immunotherapy-targets-cancer-cells\/#BlogPosting","@context":{"@vocab":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","kg":"http:\/\/g.co\/kg"},"url":["https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/how-immunotherapy-targets-cancer-cells\/","https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/how-immunotherapy-targets-cancer-cells\/"],"publisher":[{"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/"}],"author":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/how-immunotherapy-targets-cancer-cells\/#BlogPosting_author_Organization","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates"}],"inLanguage":"en-US","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/how-immunotherapy-targets-cancer-cells\/#BlogPosting_image_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/RCCA-immunotherapy-targets-cancer-cells.jpg"}],"headline":"How Immunotherapy Targets Cancer Cells","dateModified":"2021-11-11T11:59:00+00:00","datePublished":"2020-08-15T15:15:13+00:00","description":"Cancer immunotherapy works closely with the immune system to target cancer cells. Find out more about how it works and why we use it at Regional Cancer Care Associates.","articleBody":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAugust 15, 2020\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nImmunotherapy is an advanced type of cancer treatment. Instead of surgical procedures or radiation therapy, it works alongside the body\u2019s natural immune system to fight cancer. It\u2019s just one of the treatments employed by the oncologists at Regional Cancer Care Associates.\nHere\u2019s a brief overview of cancer immunotherapy and how it works.\nYour Immune System\nBefore understanding immunotherapy, it\u2019s essential to know how the immune system works. Your immune system is a collection of organs, special cells, and hormones that help protect your body from infections and diseases. It keeps track of all substances normally found in the body. If there is any substance it doesn\u2019t recognize, the immune system will begin to attack that substance to destroy it or remove it from the body.\nWhile this immune function works well against bacteria and viruses, it\u2019s less effective on cancer. A tumor is composed of normal, healthy cells that have been altered so that their growth is no longer controlled. Because of this, the immune system doesn\u2019t always recognize cancers as foreign, so it won\u2019t always attack them.\nHow Cancer Immunotherapy Works\nResearchers have found ways to overcome the immune system\u2019s limitations and help it identify cancer cells as a threat. This is known as cancer immunotherapy. Using this method, doctors can empower your body to remove the cancer and perhaps also boost your body\u2019s resistance to cancer.\nImmunotherapy has been approved to treat most types of cancer. Though it has some minor side effects, immunotherapy may be a safer alternative to treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.\nTypes of Immunotherapy\nSeveral types of immunotherapy exist. Each works with the immune system in a different way to target cancer cells. The most common kinds include:\nThese drugs block immune checkpoints, which are parts of the immune system that keep the body from responding too strongly to infection. By blocking these checkpoints, the drugs allow your immune system to respond more strongly to cancer.\nT cells are a type of white blood cell that attack infection. Doctors can take immune cells from a tumor and alter them to improve their ability to attack cancer cells. The T cells are then reinserted into the body by injection to help fight the tumor.\nAn antibody is a particle in the bloodstream that attaches itself to foreign substances, helping the immune system identify what to attack. Researchers have found a way to design antibodies to bind to cancer cells and encourage your body to attack them.\nCancer cells contain substances called antigens that are not present in normal cells. A vaccine helps the immune system identify antigens, and this helps the immune system discern cancerous cells from healthy ones.\nThis treatment changes the way your immune system responds by encouraging some reactions while discouraging others. For instance, a modulator may cause certain kinds of highly effective white blood cells to become active, increasing your body\u2019s ability to fight cancer.\nImmunotherapy is just one of the many advanced ways modern medicine can fight cancer. It\u2019s also one of the treatments employed by our oncologists at Regional Cancer Care Associates in Connecticut, Maryland, and New Jersey. If you or a loved one suspects symptoms of cancer, we can provide a diagnosis and plan personalized treatment. To learn more about cancer immunotherapy, contact us today.\nwe are here for you\nFor more information or to schedule an appointment, call 844-346-7222. You can also schedule an appointment by calling the RCCA location nearest you.\nRELATED ARTICLES\nRegional Cancer Care Associates is one of fewer than 200 medical practices in the country selected to participate in the Oncology Care Model (OCM); a recent Medicare initiative aimed at improving care coordination and access to and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries undergoing chemotherapy treatment.\n\u00a9 2022 Regional Cancer Care Associates. All rights reserved.","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/how-immunotherapy-targets-cancer-cells\/"},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"LocalBusiness","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Corporate Office 25 Main Street, Suite 601","postalCode":"07601","addressRegion":"NJ","addressLocality":"Hackensack","addressCountry":"USA","name":"Postal Address","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/#PostalAddress"},"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","width":"1024","height":"468","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/themes\/rccah\/dist\/images\/RCCA_logo.jpg","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/themes\/rccah\/dist\/images\/RCCA_logo.jpg"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/themes\/rccah\/dist\/images\/RCCA_logo.jpg"},"contactPoint":[{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactOption":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#ContactPointOption","availableLanguage":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/English_language","areaServed":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Jersey","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hackensack,_New_Jersey"],"contactType":"customer support","telephone":"+1 (844) 346-7222","email":"info@regionalcancercare.org","description":"Corporate Office Regional Cancer Care Associates 25 Main Street, Suite 601 Hackensack, NJ 07601 info@regionalcancercare.org Phone: (844) 346-7222","name":"Contact Corporate Office","image":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/RCCA_logo-300x137.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#CorporateOffice"},{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactOption":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#ContactPointOption","availableLanguage":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/English_language","areaServed":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Jersey","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hackensack,_New_Jersey"],"contactType":"customer support","telephone":"+1 (201) 510-0922","email":"msalvemini@regionalcancercare.org","description":"Media Inquiries: Mary Lou Salvemini Regional Cancer Care Associates Phone: (201) 510-0922 Email: msalvemini@regionalcancercare.org","name":"Contact Media Inquiries","image":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/RCCA_logo-300x137.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#MediaInquiries"}],"areaServed":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hackensack,_New_Jersey","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Jersey"],"additionalType":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Treatment_of_cancer","alternateName":"RCCA","description":"Leaders in Advanced Compassionate Cancer Care. Fight cancer with leading-edge treatments, experienced skill and local caring\/convenience from one of the nation's largest networks of cancer specialists.","email":"info@regionalcancercare.org","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/","sameAs":["https:\/\/twitter.com\/rgnlcancercare","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/regionalcancercareassoc","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/10059183","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCFlVzU4UvZcyXBCe9ZSvAUQ"],"telephone":"+1 (844) 346-7222","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/"}],{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How Immunotherapy Targets Cancer Cells","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/how-immunotherapy-targets-cancer-cells\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]