Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy considers a treatment with medicine which helps the immune system to fight the cancer cells. If you have late-stage anal cancer, your provider may recommend immunotherapy to help you manage your symptoms.

One common type of immunotherapy is called a PD-1 inhibitor. PD-1 is a molecule on T cells (a type of immune system cell), which normally helps keep T cells from attacking other cells in the body. By blocking PD-1, these drugs boost the immune response against cancer cells, which shrink some tumours or slow their growth.