Word parts
What it means
In cancer care, immunotherapy helps the immune system find and destroy cancer cells; examples are checkpoint inhibitor drugs and CAR T-cell therapy. Because it turns up the immune response, it can also attack healthy organs and inflame the bowel, lungs, liver, skin or thyroid. Allergy immunotherapy (allergy shots) gives small, slowly rising doses of an allergen so the body reacts less to it.
For the nurse
Teach clients on cancer immunotherapy to report new diarrhea, cough, rash, yellow skin or deep tiredness, even weeks after a dose. After an allergy shot, the client is watched for about 30 minutes for signs of anaphylaxisan-uh-fuh-LAK-sisA sudden, severe allergic reaction that affects the whole body.ana- away, against-phylaxis protectionFull entry .
At a glance
| Spanish | inmunoterapia |
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Related terms
antineoplastic
A drug used to treat cancer by killing cancer cells or stopping them from growing and dividing.
allergy
A reaction of the immune system to a substance that is harmless to most people.
anaphylaxis
A sudden, severe allergic reaction that affects the whole body.
immune system
The body's defense system of cells, tissues and organs that fights germs and other foreign substances.