The human body has many different systems that work to keep us healthy. One of these systems is called the immune system. This system protects our bodies from disease and foreign substances. The spleen, thymus, and lymph system produce special cells that act as our natural defense mechanism. In addition to fighting infections, and other diseases, these cells can combat invading cancer cells. The goal of immunotherapy is to help this system do its job.

Researchers believe that some tumor cells have substances on their surface that normal cells do not have. Sometimes they can develop a therapy based on our natural immunity that will attack only the tumor cells in our body. This will leave our normal cells healthy and undamaged.

Scientists have gotten better at understanding how the immune system works. This makes immunotherapy one of the most promising areas in cancer research today. Preventive cancer vaccines are being developed against cancers known to be associated with viruses. Scientists are working on ways to cause the body's own immune system to respond to those cancers not related to viruses. They are also developing therapeutic vaccines to be given after cancer occurs.

There are already some known immunotherapy treatments for specific cancers. It appears that good results may be achieved by combining this therapy with other therapies. Surgery and chemotherapy are most commonly used with this approach.

Immunotherapy has had some success to date. This field is still at a very early stage of development. Much study continues to be done in this area.

To learn more about immunotherapy, call your local chapter of the American Cancer Society, or call (800) 277-2345, or call the National Cancer Institute at (800) 4-CANCER.

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