The original idea sounds as simple as it is ingenious: we use the body's own defenses in the fight against cancer.

Based on this idea, scientists developed the first therapeutic procedures many decades ago to activate the immune system as the strongest helper in the fight against cancer. Extraordinary progress has been made in recent years in particular. Today, it can be said without a doubt that immuno-oncological therapy has revolutionized the treatment of tumour diseases. It has established itself as the fourth pillar alongside surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Immunotherapeutic agents do not work in all cases. However, patients who respond well to the therapy are able to survive longer and often enjoy a good quality of life.

"Thanks to the specific activation and individual support of the immune system against the patient's own tumor, new, promising treatment options are now available to cancer patients."

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Volker Schirrmacher

The immune system can not only render foreign pathogens such as viruses and bacteria harmless, but also recognize and destroy the body's own pathologically altered cells. This happens constantly in our organism and is very effective in counteracting the development of cancer. Sometimes, however, the mechanism fails, as abnormal cells develop numerous strategies to evade the immune response. Immunotherapies therefore aim to support the immune system in eliminating cancer cells. There are two approaches to this: Passive immunization, in which doctors administer either antibodies or immune cells as quasi adjuvants to direct the body's defences towards the tumour - and active immunization, which alerts the immune system to cancer cells via vaccination.

The buzzword immuno-oncology usually appears more in the context of the pharmaceutical industry. However, attempts to achieve breakthroughs in the treatment of cancer with the help of immunotherapies are much older than the new term.

Targeted against the tumor - with virtually no side effects

In contrast to chemotherapy, in which large areas of diseased and healthy cells are destroyed and the entire organism suffers, individualized, autologous and specific immunotherapy only targets the cancer cells. This is why the therapy is usually well tolerated by the patient.