Immunotherapy

The main type of immunotherapy for cancer uses drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors. If you are having checkpoint inhibitors, this information will help you understand how they work, why they are different to chemotherapy and what to expect after you have them.

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What is immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is a treatment that uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. Get an overview of how checkpoint inhibitors work with the immune system.

Common questions about immunotherapy

Find answers to questions such as: will immunotherapy work, what will it cost and how is it given?

Side effects of immunotherapy

The side effects of checkpoint inhibitors are different to chemotherapy side effects. Learn about the possible side effects and why it’s important to report them.

Other types of immunotherapy

Some other types of immunotherapy are being used or tested as cancer treatments. Read about immune stimulants, CAR T-cell therapy and oncolytic virus therapy.

Questions for your doctor Asking your doctor questions will help you make informed decisions. Here’s a list of questions you may want to ask.

Is immunotherapy available as part of my treatment plan?
How do I find out about clinical trials? Are there any nearby that might be right for me?
Which immunotherapy drug are you recommending? Does it have different names?
What percentage of people with this type of cancer respond to immunotherapy?
How often have you prescribed this treatment? Has it worked well for your other patients?
What do you expect the immunotherapy to do to the cancer? Will it be my only treatment?
How much will immunotherapy cost? Is there any way to reduce the cost if I can’t afford it?
How often will I have immunotherapy?
How long will I have treatment?
Where will I have treatment?
What side effects should I watch out for or report?
Am I likely to get all of the side effects on the list?
Who do I contact if I get side effects?
How can side effects be managed?
While I am having immunotherapy, can I take other medicines (including over-the-counter medicines) or supplements?
Can I have the flu, COVID-19 or other vaccines?
Can I use complementary therapies while I am on this treatment?
How will I know if the treatment is working?
Can diet and exercise assist with the success of the immunotherapy?

Podcast: Immunotherapy & Targeted Therapy

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This information was last updated in March 2025. See who reviewed the content.

A/Prof Rohit Joshi, Medical Oncologist, Calvary Central Districts Hospital and Lyell McEwin Hospital, and Director, Cancer Research, SA; Rebecca Blackwood and Meiling Zhou, Nurse Consultants, Head and Neck Cancer Service, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; James Cormack, Consumer; Prof Simon Harrison, Director, Centre of Excellence in Cellular Immunotherapy and Haematologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Melbourne University, VIC; Dr Jia (Jenny) Liu, Medical Oncologist, The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, St Vincent’s Hospital and Senior Research Officer, Garvan Institute and ProCan Children’s Medical Research Institute, NSW; Angelica Miller, Melanoma Community Support Nurse, Melanoma Institute Australia, WA; Kate Moore, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Jason Sonneman, Consumer.

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