Watch for Autoimmune-Like Effects From Cancer Immunotherapy

More patients using cancer immunotherapy will lead to 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.

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