The major clinical components of cancer immunotherapy (modulating cell-mediated immune mechanisms)

Immunotherapy has quickly transformed from an exciting area of research to an established modality of cancer treatment. With novel approaches moving from the bench to the bedside, patients with cancer are realizing the clinical benefit of many promising U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved agents. These range from immune checkpoint blockade to adoptive transfer of engineered T cells. Likewise, there has been progress in the prevention of viral-induced cancers and in the eradication of advanced malignancies. With our growing understanding of antitumor immunity, the role of cancer immunotherapy is certain to expand beyond the treatments of today. In fact, the era of combination immunotherapy is already here, which inspires clinical development of future treatments.