[[{"@type":["BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/is-immunotherapy-worth-the-risk\/#BlogPosting","@context":{"@vocab":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","kg":"http:\/\/g.co\/kg"},"url":["https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/is-immunotherapy-worth-the-risk\/","https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/is-immunotherapy-worth-the-risk\/"],"publisher":[{"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/"}],"author":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/is-immunotherapy-worth-the-risk\/#BlogPosting_author_Organization","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates"}],"inLanguage":"en-US","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/is-immunotherapy-worth-the-risk\/#BlogPosting_image_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Patient-And-Doctor-Discuss-Immunotherapy.jpg"}],"headline":"Is Immunotherapy Worth the Risk?","dateModified":"2021-11-11T14:27:23+00:00","datePublished":"2019-02-15T15:04:28+00:00","description":"There are risks associated with any type of cancer treatment, including immunotherapy. Explore some of the possible side effects and risks on the RCCA blog.","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\tFebruary 15, 2019\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nAfter being diagnosed with cancer, your doctor may suggest immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is an evolving treatment method that\u2019s proven effective for many types of cancer. It harnesses the power of the body\u2019s own natural immune system to fight back against cancerous cells. As treatment planning gets underway, talk to your RCCA care team about potential risks and benefits associated with immunotherapy so you can make informed treatment decisions.\nImmunotherapy: Benefits and Common Side Effects\nThere are many immunotherapies available to patients today, such as T-cell therapy and monoclonal antibodies. While the available treatments are diverse, they do offer a few common benefits. Immunotherapy may provide more effective treatment for certain types of cancer, and it can be used alongside other forms of treatment to enhance performance.\nSome individuals also experience fewer side effects with this type of care. However, immunotherapy is not without side effects for most patients, and these side effects can vary. Patients have commonly reported the following side effects:\nFatigueFeverPain, soreness and muscle achesSwellingRash and blistersNausea, vomiting and\/or diarrheaHeadachesChanges in weight and appetiteShortness of breathDifficulty sleepingHeart palpitationsChillsWeakness\nSerious Side Effects\nThere are some potentially life-threatening side effects of immunotherapy that all patients should be aware of. Monoclonal antibodies, for example, have been known to cause high blood pressure, bleeding, blood clots, kidney damage, severe rashes and other serious risks.\nLikewise, CAR T-cell therapy can cause cytokine release syndrome (CRS). CRS results in dangerously high fevers and low blood pressure. Additional side effects may include seizures, confusion, serious infections, low blood cell counts and severe headaches.\nIn order to fight back against cancer, patients need treatments that are just as strong, like immunotherapy and other proven options. All treatment methods come with risks, so it\u2019s up to you, your support team and your doctors to weigh the pros and cons in order to make the best healthcare decisions. Remember, immunotherapy affects everyone differently. Some people may respond with very minimal side effects, while others may experience a more serious reaction.\nTo learn more about immunotherapy and to see if it\u2019s right for you, schedule an appointment at RCCA. We have locations throughout Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey.\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\/is-immunotherapy-worth-the-risk\/"},{"@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":"Is Immunotherapy Worth the Risk?","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/is-immunotherapy-worth-the-risk\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]