Immunotherapy

Turn to UC San Diego Health for immunotherapy treatments designed to precisely target your cancer.

As one of the nation’s leading cancer centers, we're pioneering innovative immunotherapy approaches to expand your treatment options and deliver advanced care.

What Is Cancer Immunotherapy?

Cancer immunotherapy uses your immune system to combat cancer. Instead of directly attacking tumors, immunotherapy trains your immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. 

Immunotherapy can be used alone or as part of combination therapy, depending on the type and stage of cancer. 

Types of Cancers Treated with Immunotherapy

At UC San Diego Health, immunotherapy is now standard treatment for several types of cancer, including:

• Bladder cancer
• Breast cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Head and neck cancers
• Hodgkin lymphoma
• Kidney cancer
• Lung cancer
• Melanoma
• Prostate cancer

Types of Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy harnesses the power of your immune system to fight cancer. Below are the key types of immunotherapy we offer, each targeting cancer in unique ways:

Checkpoint inhibitors: These antibodies block cancer cells’ ability to avoid immune system attacks. They are used to treat melanoma, lung, kidney, bladder, head and neck cancers, and lymphoma by targeting specific pathways (such as PD-1, PD-L1 and CTLA-4). Checkpoint inhibitors effectively "release the brakes" on the immune system, allowing it to recognize and attack cancer cells.

CAR T-cell therapy: This revolutionary treatment uses your white blood cells that are genetically modified to target and destroy specific cancer cells. CAR T-cell therapy is particularly effective for certain types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other blood cancers.

Cytokine therapy: Proteins like interleukins and interferons stimulate your immune system to kill cancer cells. These therapies are commonly used for melanoma, kidney cancer and certain blood cancers to strengthen the immune system’s natural responses.

Cancer vaccines: These experimental treatments train your immune system to recognize and fight cancer cells. These vaccines are available only by participating in a pilot research study or clinical trial at our Precision Immunotherapy Clinic, which offers innovative ways to prevent or treat cancers.

Monoclonal antibodies and targeted antibodies: These specialized antibodies bind to specific cancer cell markers, marking the cells for destruction by the immune system or delivering toxins directly to the cancer. Examples include Rituximab for lymphoma and Trastuzumab for HER2-positive breast cancer.

Oncolytic virus therapy: This advanced approach uses genetically modified viruses that selectively infect and kill cancer cells while stimulating an immune response. Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) is an oncolytic virus therapy for melanoma that's approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Adoptive cell therapy (ACT): Beyond CAR T-cell therapy, ACT includes tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy. This process involves harvesting a patient’s immune cells from the tumor, expanding them in a lab, and then reintroducing them to fight cancer more effectively.

Immune system modulators: These therapies, which include agents such as CpG-ODNs and Imiquimod, boost your overall immune activity. They are often used alongside other treatments to make them more effective.

Bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs): BiTEs are specially engineered antibodies that link T-cells to cancer cells, guiding the immune system to attack tumors. This approach is being studied in clinical trials for various cancers.

Neoantigen-based therapies: These personalized treatments identify unique tumor mutations (neoantigens) to develop tailored vaccines or T-cell therapies. These therapies leverage the distinct characteristics of your cancer for highly targeted attacks.

Dendritic cell therapy: In this specialized vaccine-like therapy, dendritic cells are engineered to present cancer antigens and enhance the immune system’s ability to recognize and destroy tumors. Sipuleucel-T, for prostate cancer, is one such example.

Your oncologist will work with you to determine the best immunotherapy option for your specific cancer.

Does Insurance Cover Immunotherapy?

Yes, immunotherapy is usually covered by insurance, but coverage can depend on several factors, including the type of cancer, the specific immunotherapy treatment and your insurance plan.

What Is Typically Covered?

• FDA-approved immunotherapies: Treatments like checkpoint inhibitors (such as pembrolizumab or nivolumab) and CAR T-cell therapy are often covered by insurance for approved uses.
• Standard of care: Immunotherapy that's considered standard treatment for your cancer type is more likely to be covered.