What kind of therapy uses the body's immune system to fight cancer?

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that specifically harnesses the body's immune system to identify and attack cancer cells. This approach aims to enhance or restore the immune response to cancer, utilizing various strategies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, or adoptive cell transfer. By stimulating or supplementing the natural immune response, immunotherapy can lead to longer-lasting resistance against cancer compared to some traditional treatments.

In contrast, radiation therapy involves the use of high-energy radiation to kill or damage cancer cells, but it does not engage the immune system directly. Surgical therapy refers to the physical removal of tumors or cancerous tissues from the body, again not involving immune system activation. Chemotherapy uses powerful drugs designed to kill rapidly dividing cells, including cancer cells, but it does not specifically target or modulate the immune system. Thus, immunotherapy stands out as a unique therapeutic modality that directly manipulates and mobilizes the immune system to combat cancer.