Immunotherapy is a form of medical treatment based upon the concept of modulating the immune system to achieve a therapeutic goal.

Activation

Cancer

Cancer immunotherapy attempts to stimulate the immune system to reject and destroy tumors. BCG immunotherapy for early stage (non-invasive) bladder cancer utilizes instillation of attenuated live bacteria into the bladder, and is effective in preventing recurrence in up to 2/3 of cases. Topical immunotherapy utilizes an immune enhancement cream (imiquimod) which is an interferon producer causing the patients own killer T cells to destroy warts, actinic keratoses, basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, cutaneous lymphoma, and superficial malignant melanoma. Injection immunotherapy uses mumps, candida or trichophytin antigen injections to treat warts (HPV induced tumors).

Vaccination

Anti-microbial immunotherapy, which includes vaccination, involves activating the immune system to respond to an infectious agent.

Suppression

Immune suppression dampens down an abnormal immune response in autoimmune diseases or attempts to reduce a normal immune response to prevent rejection of transplanted organs or cells.

Allergies

Immunotherapy is also used to treat allergies. While other allergy treatments (such as antihistamines or corticosteroids) treat only the symptoms of allergic disease, immunotherapy is the only available treatment that can modify the natural course of the allergic disease, by reducing sensitivity to allergens.

A three-to-five-year individually tailored regimen of injections may result in long-term benefits. (Recent research suggests that patients who complete immunotherapy may continue to see benefits 12 years later. ) Immunotherapy does not work for everyone and is only partly effective in some people, but it offers allergy sufferers the chance of eventually reduce or stop medication intake.

The therapy is indicated for people who are extremely allergic or who cannot avoid specific allergens. For example, they may not be able to live a normal life and completely avoid pollen, dust mites, mold spores, pet dander, insect venom, and certain other common triggers of allergic reactions. Immunotherapy is generally not indicated for food or medicinal allergies. Immunotherapy is typically individually tailored and administered by an allergist (allergologist), although standardized immunotherapy serums and injection schedules are available in some healthcare systems and can be prescribed by family physicians. This therapy is particularly useful for people with allergic rhinitis (sometimes called hay fever), or people with asthma.

The therapy is particularly likely to be successful if it begins early in life or soon after the allergy develops for the first time. Immunotherapy involves a series of injections (shots) given regularly for several years. In the past, this was called a serum, but this is an incorrect name. Most allergists now call this mixture an allergy extract. The first shots contain very tiny amounts of the antigen or antigens to which you are allergic. With progressively increasing dosages over time, your body will adjust to the antigen and become less sensitive to it. This process is called desensitization. Recent research suggests that sublingual (orally administered) extracts can be similarly effective. To read more about this topic, see allergy and hyposensitization.

Medical treatments