Therapy designed to induce changes in a patient's immune status in order to treat disease.
Synonyms: IMMUNOTHERAPY Immunotherapy immunotherapy Immunologically Directed Therapy Immunological Immunological Therapy
Term information
NCIT_C174019, NCIT_C101858, NCIT_C168549, NCIT_C173231, NCIT_C158037, NCIT_C66830, NCIT_C61410, NCIT_C159125, NCIT_C158520, NCIT_C156955, NCIT_C156954, NCIT_C156953, NCIT_C156952, NCIT_C116977, NCIT_C157711, NCIT_C118169, NCIT_C159328
A therapy designed to induce changes in a patient's immune status.
Treatment to boost or restore the ability of the immune system to fight cancer, infections, and other diseases. Also used to lessen certain side effects that may be caused by some cancer treatments. Agents used in immunotherapy include monoclonal antibodies, growth factors, and vaccines. These agents may also have a direct antitumor effect.
The concept encompasses various treatment modalities including active and passive immunization, treatment with immunopotentiators, immunosuppressants and nonspecific systemic immunostimulators and adjuvants, desensitization to any allergens, bone marrow transplantation, thymus implantation.