Volume : 12, Issue : 09, September – 2025
Title:
CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY: AN EVIDENCE-BASED REVIEW AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Authors :
Gaurav Ashok Khandare, Sanika Gokul Vinchurkar, Rutwik Nandkishor Mahale
Abstract :
Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as one of the most significant breakthroughs in oncology, reshaping how clinicians, researchers, and patients perceive cancer treatment. Unlike conventional therapies that directly target tumors through surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation, immunotherapy harnesses and modifies the body’s immune system to recognize, attack, and eliminate malignant cells. Over the past three decades, tremendous advances have occurred in understanding tumor immunology, leading to the development of novel therapeutic modalities such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, monoclonal antibodies, and oncolytic viruses. Each of these therapeutic classes employs distinct mechanisms of action, exhibits unique toxicities, and carries implications for clinical practice. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the principles, mechanisms, clinical applications, and challenges of immunotherapy, alongside its implications for nursing practice and patient education. With continued research, immunotherapy promises to transform cancer care into a more precise, effective, and durable therapeutic strategy.
Keywords: Cancer immunotherapy; checkpoint inhibitors; CAR T-cell therapy; monoclonal antibodies; oncolytic viral therapy; immune-related adverse events; oncology nursing
Cite This Article:
Please cite this article in press Gaurav Ashok Khandare et al., Cancer Immunotherapy: An Evidence-Based Review And Clinical Implications, Indo Am. J. P. Sci, 2025; 12(09).
REFERENCES:
1. Alatrash, G., Daver, N., & Mittendorf, E. A. (2019). Targeting immune checkpoints in hematologic malignancies. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 200, 19–38.
2. Bagchi, S., Yuan, R., & Engleman, E. G. (2021). Immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of cancer: Clinical impact and mechanisms of response and resistance. Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease, 16(1), 223–249.
3. Baxi, S., Yang, A., Gennarelli, R. L., Khan, N., Wang, Z., Boyce, L., & Korenstein, D. (2018). Immune-related adverse events for anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 drugs: Systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ, 360, k793.
4. Billingham, R. E., Brent, L., & Medawar, P. B. (1953). Actively acquired tolerance of foreign cells. Nature, 172(4379), 603–606.
5. Brahmer, J. R., Tykodi, S. S., Chow, L. Q., Hwu, W. J., Topalian, S. L., Hwu, P., … Wigginton, J. M. (2012). Safety and activity of anti–PD-L1 antibody in patients with advanced cancer. New England Journal of Medicine, 366(26), 2455–2465.
6. Callahan, M. K., Postow, M. A., & Wolchok, J. D. (2016). Targeting T-cell co-receptors for cancer therapy. Immunity, 44(5), 1069–1078.
7. Couzin-Frankel, J. (2013). Cancer immunotherapy. Science, 342(6165), 1432–1433.
8. Darnell, R. B. (2015). Oncogenic drivers and the immune system. Nature, 521(7550), 167–168.
9. Farkona, S., Diamandis, E. P., & Blasutig, I. M. (2016). Cancer immunotherapy: The beginning of the end of cancer? BMC Medicine, 14(1), 73.
10. Finn, O. J. (2018). A believer’s overview of cancer immunosurveillance and immunotherapy. Journal of Immunology, 200(2), 385–391.
11. Galluzzi, L., Vacchelli, E., Bravo-San Pedro, J. M., Buqué, A., Senovilla, L., Baracco, E. E., … Kroemer, G. (2014). Classification of current anticancer immunotherapies. Oncotarget, 5(24), 12472–12508.
12. Grupp, S. A., Kalos, M., Barrett, D., Aplenc, R., Porter, D. L., Rheingold, S. R., … June, C. H. (2013). Chimeric antigen receptor–modified T cells for acute lymphoid leukemia. New England Journal of Medicine, 368(16), 1509–1518.
13. Hodi, F. S., O’Day, S. J., McDermott, D. F., Weber, R. W., Sosman, J. A., Haanen, J. B., … Urba, W. J. (2010). Improved survival with ipilimumab in patients with metastatic melanoma. New England Journal of Medicine, 363(8), 711–723.
14. June, C. H., O’Connor, R. S., Kawalekar, O. U., Ghassemi, S., & Milone, M. C. (2018). CAR T cell immunotherapy for human cancer. Science, 359(6382), 1361–1365.
15. Mellman, I., Coukos, G., & Dranoff, G. (2011). Cancer immunotherapy comes of age. Nature, 480(7378), 480–489.
16. Pardoll, D. M. (2012). The blockade of immune checkpoints in cancer immunotherapy. Nature Reviews Cancer, 12(4), 252–264.
17. Ribas, A., & Wolchok, J. D. (2018). Cancer immunotherapy using checkpoint blockade. Science, 359(6382), 1350–1355.
18. Rosenberg, S. A., & Restifo, N. P. (2015). Adoptive cell transfer as personalized immunotherapy for human cancer. Science, 348(6230), 62–68.
19. Sharma, P., & Allison, J. P. (2015). Immune checkpoint targeting in cancer therapy: Toward combination strategies with curative potential. Cell, 161(2), 205–214.
20. Topalian, S. L., Drake, C. G., & Pardoll, D. M. (2015). Immune checkpoint blockade: A common denominator approach to cancer therapy. Cancer Cell, 27(4), 450–461.