What distinguishes immunotherapy from traditional cancer treatment?

Immunotherapy is distinguished from traditional cancer treatments primarily due to its targeted approach in harnessing the body's own immune system to fight cancer. Unlike conventional methods such as chemotherapy or radiation, which can affect both cancerous and healthy cells indiscriminately, immunotherapy specifically aims to enhance or restore the immune system's ability to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. This specificity arises from immunotherapy's design, which often involves using agents like monoclonal antibodies, checkpoint inhibitors, or vaccines that target unique antigens associated with cancer cells, thus leading to a more focused attack against the malignant cells. This targeted mechanism can potentially yield fewer side effects compared to conventional treatments and may result in longer-lasting responses as the immune system is trained to remember and combat tumor cells in the future.