How does cancer immunotherapy work to fight tumors?

Cancer immunotherapy helps our body’s defenders fight off invaders that are growing out of control.

Imagine your body is like a castle with soldiers, these soldiers are white blood cells, and they protect the castle from bad guys, like bacteria or viruses. But sometimes, some of the people in the castle start acting like bad guys too, they become cancer cells, and they multiply uncontrollably.

Normally, the white blood cells can tell the difference between good and bad guys. But cancer cells are tricky, they hide from the soldiers, so they can keep growing without being noticed.

That’s where immunotherapy comes in! It's like giving the soldiers a special tool or a new instruction to help them see through the disguise of the cancer cells. Sometimes it gives them extra power, or sometimes it wakes them up so they become more alert and ready to fight.

Think of immunotherapy as a superpower given to your body’s soldiers, now they can recognize the hidden bad guys (cancer cells) and attack them more effectively. This helps shrink the tumor or even stop it from growing at all!