At Columbus Regional Health, we offer cutting-edge cancer treatments that include immunotherapy—a powerful option that helps your immune system recognize and fight cancer more effectively. Our team of oncology specialists uses the latest in immunotherapy science to provide customized care based on your unique diagnosis and treatment needs.
How Immunotherapy Works
Immunotherapy uses your body’s natural defenses to detect and destroy cancer cells. While your immune system can often identify abnormal cells, some cancers find ways to hide or shut down that immune response. Immunotherapy helps restore or boost your immune system’s ability to fight back—offering a vital treatment pathway for certain types of cancer.
Types of Immunotherapy Available
Our oncology program uses several forms of immunotherapy, depending on the type and stage of cancer, including:
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors – Drugs that help the immune system respond more strongly by blocking cancer’s ability to evade detection.
- T-cell Therapy – Uses your own immune cells, modified and expanded in a lab, to better recognize and attack cancer.
- Monoclonal Antibodies – Lab-created proteins that bind to cancer cells and flag them for immune destruction.
- Cancer Treatment Vaccines – Stimulate your immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
- Immune System Modulators – Enhance or restore the immune system’s function to target cancer more broadly.
Is Immunotherapy Right for You?
Immunotherapy is currently used to treat a growing number of cancers, including melanoma, lung cancer, bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, and certain blood cancers.
To determine whether immunotherapy is appropriate for you, our team will conduct specialized genomic and biomarker testing on your tumor. These tests may include:
- PD-L1 expression – helps predict how likely a tumor is to respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors
- Microsatellite instability (MSI) or mismatch repair (MMR) status – used in colorectal and other cancers to assess immunotherapy eligibility
- Tumor mutational burden (TMB) – evaluates how many mutations are present, which may influence treatment response
- Specific genetic markers based on cancer type (e.g., EGFR, ALK, or BRAF mutations)
Our specialists use these advanced testing methods—along with your cancer’s stage, type, and overall health profile—to build a personalized care plan that may include immunotherapy alone or in combination with other treatments like chemotherapy or radiation.
What to Expect from Treatment
Immunotherapy may be given intravenously (IV), orally, or—in certain cases—directly into a specific part of the body, such as the bladder or skin. You may receive treatment every few weeks or on a set schedule, often with rest periods between sessions to allow your body time to recover.
As with all cancer treatments, immunotherapy can cause side effects, which are carefully monitored and managed by your care team. These may include fatigue, skin reactions, or flu-like symptoms. Because immunotherapy activates the immune system, it may occasionally cause inflammation in healthy tissues, which is why close follow-up is essential.
