How immunotherapy is given

Checkpoint immunotherapy is usually given directly into a vein through an intravenous drip. Sometimes two checkpoint inhibitor drugs are given together, or a checkpoint inhibitor drug is given with a chemotherapy or targeted therapy drug.

You will usually have checkpoint immunotherapy as an outpatient, which means you visit the hospital or treatment centre for the day. You may have treatment every 2–4 weeks in a repeating cycle.

How often and how long you have the treatment depends on:

• the type of cancer and how advanced it is
• the type of checkpoint inhibitor/s
• how you respond to treatment
• what side effects, if any, you experience.

Many people stay on immunotherapy for up to two years, but clinical trials are now testing if the treatment can be given for a shorter period of time once it has started working or whether ongoing treatment is necessary.

Because immunotherapy drugs act directly on the body’s own immune system, how long they keep working will vary from person to person. Sometimes, they keep working long after treatment stops.

Listen to our podcast on New Cancer Treatments – Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy