A GROWING CACHE OF TREATMENTS Some tumours turn off

Other treatments are also proving successful in treating cancer, while some new immunotherapies show promise

CYTOKINES

Cytokines are proteins made by white blood cells that stimulate the immune system. The two main types of cytokines used in treating cancer are interferons – which help the immune system to slow the growth of cancer cells – and interleukins, which stimulate anti-cancer T-cells.

MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES

The immune system also produces antibodies that fight infections. Researchers have learnt to design custom-made antibodies in the lab that recognise targets on cancer cells. According to the Cancer Council of Australia, the type of targeted therapy most frequently used to treat types of non‑Hodgkin lymphomas is a group of drugs called monoclonal antibodies.

CHECKPOINT INHIBITORS

T cells to avoid immune attack. Drugs called checkpoint inhibitors block certain proteins so the T cells can recognise and destroy cancer cells. They are the most widely used form of immunotherapy for melanoma, kidney and lung cancers, and are being tested for other cancers.

CANCER VACCINES

The goal of cancer vaccines is to boost the power of immune cells to destroy malignant cells already in the body. The human papillomavirus vaccine and the hepatitis B vaccine are already preventing forms of cervical cancer and liver cancer caused by viruses. Vaccines for lung, breast, colorectal and other cancers are in clinical trials.