A type of treatment that harnesses or enhances the body's immune system to fight diseases, particularly cancer and autoimmune disorders. It can involve stimulating immune responses, providing immune system components, or removing barriers to immune function.
From Latin 'immunis' (exempt or free from) and Greek 'therapeia' (healing or medical treatment). The concept emerged in the late 19th century with early vaccine work, but modern cancer immunotherapy developed primarily in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Immunotherapy represents a paradigm shift from directly attacking diseases to training your own immune system to do the fighting - it's like upgrading your body's natural defense software to recognize and destroy previously hidden threats! Some cancer patients who were given months to live have achieved complete remission through immunotherapy, essentially teaching their immune systems to see cancer cells as foreign invaders.
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