Watch for Autoimmune-Like Effects From Cancer Immunotherapy

Now that more patients are receiving cancer immunotherapy, you'll get questions about adverse effects with "immune checkpoint inhibitors."

Cancer immunotherapy works by teaching the patient's immune system to find and kill cancer cells. It's different from chemotherapy, which directly targets dividing cells...malignant or healthy.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab (Keytruda) or durvalumab (Imfinzi), are common immunotherapies. They block signals that cancer cells use to disguise themselves from the immune system.