IMMUNOTHERAPY

The immune system, composed of immune cells, is the body’s natural defense against diseases and infections.

Immunotherapy is a treatment that encourages the immune system to fight against cancer cells. This includes:

Sipuleucel-T (Provenge)

This treatment is used in patients with hormone-resistant metastatic prostate cancer who have few or no symptoms. This therapy drug is known as a “cancer vaccine.” First, immune cell samples are collected from the patient, sent to a lab, and activated to recognize and target prostate cancer cells. Lastly, the immune cells are injected back into the patient’s body where they attack cancer cells.

Pembrolizumab

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is a type of immunotherapy called an immune checkpoint inhibitor. It can stimulate the immune system of the body to be able to defend itself against the cancer cells in a small number of people whose prostate cancer is due to specific genetic mutations.