Immunotherapy is the new big hope in the fight against cancer and in 2013 was voted ‘Breakthrough of the Year’ by Science magazine. Conventional treatment until now has generally involved a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
The new therapy is aimed at activating the body’s own defense system. If immune cells can identify a tumor as an enemy, there is a good chance of stopping the disease. Instead of trying to completely eliminate the tumor, the new concept focuses on improving the immune response to the cancer.