Immunotherapy, also known as biological therapy, is a type of treatment that strengthens the patient's own immune system by allowing the body to be able to fight against viruses, bacteria, and even cancer and autoimmune diseases.
In this way, this therapy stimulates the immune system to work more and better, facilitating the combat of the various diseases, or can provide specific components that will help the immune system to fight the disease, as is the case of monoclonal antibodies.
In addition to being greatly increase the chances of cancer cure, even in advanced cases of cancer, immunotherapy is also widely used in the form of vaccines against respiratory allergies. Know who should use this treatment and the price here.
How Immunotherapy Works
Depending on the type of disease and its degree of development the immunotherapy may work in different ways, including:
- Stimulate the immune system to fight the disease with more intensity, being more efficient;
- Provide the proteins that make the immune system more effective for each type of disease;
- Injection of monoclonal antibodies from sick people who are managing to fight the disease. Learn more about this form of treatment.
Because immunotherapy only boosts the immune system, it is not able to treat symptoms quickly, so your doctor may associate other medications, such as anti-inflammatories, corticosteroids, or painkillers, to lessen the discomfort of the patient.
When immunotherapy is indicated
Immunotherapy is a treatment that is indicated when:
- The disease causes severe symptoms that interfere with everyday activities;
- The disease puts the patient's life at risk;
- The remaining available treatments are not effective against the disease.
In addition, immunotherapy is also indicated in cases where the available treatments cause very severe or severe side effects, which can endanger the life of the patient.
Where immunotherapy can be done
Immunotherapy is an option that can be suggested by the doctor who is guiding the treatment of each type of disease and therefore, whenever necessary, is done by the specialist doctor of the area.
Thus, in the case of cancer, for example, immunotherapy can be done at the oncology institutes, but in the case of skin diseases, it must already be done by a dermatologist and in the case of respiratory allergy the most suitable doctor is the allergist.
