Immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors

The most developed form of immunotherapy is treatment with checkpoint inhibitors that improve the immune response. Checkpoint inhibitors for immunotherapy were developed by the pharmaceutical industry. You will receive these checkpoint inhibitors intravenously (through IV), which will then attach to the immune or cancer cells, activating the immune response. 

Checkpoint inhibitors help your immune system recognize and destroy cancer cells. Treatment with checkpoint inhibitors that can increase immune response is widespread. Large-scale studies have shown that patients with melanomas, kidney cell cancer, lung cancer, or bladder cancer can benefit from treatment with checkpoint inhibitors. 

Some checkpoint inhibitors are officially registered as drugs against late stage melanoma, or several types of lung cancer: Ipilimumab (Yervoy®), Nivolumab (Opdivo®), and Pembrolizumab (Keytruda®). Treatment with registered drugs is also known as standard treatment.