Immunotherapy
Virginia Cancer Care
Ravneet Grewal, MD
Board Certified Medical Oncologist located in Reston, VA & Leesburg, VA
Immunotherapy is a cutting-edge treatment for cancer because it harnesses the power of your body’s immune system to fight disease. Dr. Ravneet Grewal, an award-winning board-certified medical oncologist at Virginia Cancer Care, in Reston and Leesburg, Virginia, specializes in cutting-edge treatments like immunotherapy to provide women, men, and children with the most effective treatments and procedures to fight cancer. Learn more about promising immunotherapy treatments, and find out if they’re right for you. Call either office location or schedule a consultation online.
Immunotherapy Q & A
What is immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy, also called biologic therapy, is a type of cancer treatment that bolsters your immune system — your body’s natural defenses against cancer. This anti-cancer treatment stimulates your immune system increase its attack on the cancer cells and stop them in their tracks.
Research indicates that immunotherapy treatments may stop or slow further growth of cancer cells and prevent cancer from spreading to other areas of your body. It has become a regular part of treatment plans for several types of cancers.
Depending on the type of cancer you have, Dr. Grewal prescribes immunotherapy to work in conjunction with other types of treatments or as a stand-alone treatment option.
What are the types of immunotherapy for cancer?
The most common types of immunotherapy that Dr. Grewal and her team prescribe to treat cancer include the following:
Monoclonal antibodies
These types of antibodies are synthetic versions of your natural immune system proteins. These little helpers are a helpful part of cancer treatment plans because they can attack specific parts of a cancer cell.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors
These medications boost your immune system into high gear so it can recognize and attack cancer cells.
Cancer vaccines
Cancer vaccines spur an immune response against a specific form of cancer as a means of prevention. Even if you already have cancerous cells, these vaccines can be an effective treatment option.
T-cell therapy
T-cells are immune cells that naturally fight infection. For this therapy, Dr. Grewal first harvests some T-cells from your blood. Then, these cells are transformed to feature specific “receptor” proteins. These receptors recognize the cancer cells. Finally, Dr. Grewal injects them back into your body to seek and destroy the cancer cells.
Other immunotherapies
Any therapy that boosts your immune system can likely help your body fight harder against this disease. Check with Dr. Grewal before adding any therapy to your treatment plan.
What type of immunotherapy is right for me?
The type of immunotherapy best for you depends on a variety of critical factors that include the type of cancer. Dr. Grewal and her experienced oncology team determine which kinds of immunotherapies will provide the most benefits as part of your comprehensive treatment plan.
To learn more about this innovative cancer treatment option, call either the Leesburg or Reston, Virginia, office locations or schedule an immunotherapy consultation online.