Final answer:
Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment method that boosts the body's immune response to fight cancer, uses strategies like vaccines and monoclonal antibodies, and can be more targeted than traditional treatments.
Step-by-step explanation:
Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that entails enhancing the body's immune system to fight cancer. By activating the immune system, immunotherapy attempts to stimulate the immune response against cancer cells. The various forms of immunotherapy include the use of non-specific immunoadjuvant materials, cancer vaccines, and the application of monoclonal antibodies. Immunotherapy may be administered alone or in conjunction with other treatments like chemotherapy or surgery. Research and clinical trials have shown promise, leading to the approval of some immunotherapies by the U.S. FDA.
Emerging technologies, such as nanotechnology, are also playing a role in the development of new immunotherapy strategies. By exploiting the fact that cancer cells often present abnormal proteins that can be recognized by the immune system, immunotherapy seeks to enhance this natural recognition process, targeting the mutated cells precisely and reducing the impact on normal cells. Nevertheless, cancer vaccines and monoclonal antibodies are still undergoing extensive research, showing encouraging clinical results against cancers such as malignant melanoma and renal cell carcinoma.