Simmons Acute Care offers same-day appointments for established patients experiencing urgent symptoms or side effects (appointment required).
Immunotherapy
New Patient Appointment or 214-645-4673
Immunotherapy is transforming how certain cancers are treated by training the body to detect and destroy cancer cells. At UT Southwestern, treatment is guided by compassion, collaboration, and the latest research.
What Is Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment that boosts the body’s own defense system so it can recognize and destroy cancer cells more effectively. It’s often given as an infusion therapy, meaning the medication is delivered directly into the bloodstream through a vein (IV). It may also be taken by mouth, applied as a cream to the skin, or placed directly into a body cavity, such as the bladder.
Types of immunotherapy include:
- Immune checkpoint inhibitors: Drugs that block certain “checkpoints” on immune cells, allowing those cells to carry out a stronger attack against cancer
- T-cell transfer therapy (adoptive cell therapy): A treatment that grows a patient’s most active cancer-fighting T cells in a lab and returns them to the body
- Monoclonal antibodies: Lab-made proteins that attach to specific targets on cancer cells, helping the immune system see and destroy those cells
- Treatment vaccines: Vaccines that teach the body to identify and respond to cancer cells
- Immune system modulators: Therapies that boost or direct the body’s overall immune response against cancer
Why Choose UT Southwestern for Immunotherapy?
At Simmons Cancer Center, patients are cared for by an experienced, interdisciplinary team that includes specialists such as a medical oncologist, clinic nurse, dietitian, nurse navigator, and infusion nurse. Patients also benefit from access to convenient infusion therapy locations across the region, each designed with comfort in mind.
UT Southwestern was the first center in Texas to offer CAR T-cell therapy (a type of immunotherapy) for advanced cancer and now leads the region in experience with this leading-edge treatment. Additionally, researchers in our Experimental Therapeutics Program are advancing cancer immunotherapy by translating groundbreaking research into more precise, personalized treatments.
What Are the Benefits of Immunotherapy?
While each patient’s experience is unique, immunotherapy has several potential advantages, such as:
- Improved survival for some patients, even with advanced cancer
- Effectiveness against a growing number of cancer types
- Flexibility to be used alone or in combination with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or other immunotherapies
- The potential for fewer side effects compared to traditional chemotherapy
- Long-term control of cancer
What Conditions Does Immunotherapy Treat?
Immunotherapy can be effective for certain cancers, especially when other treatments have not worked or are no longer effective. Some immunotherapy drugs are approved as standard treatments, while others are only available through clinical trials.
Cancers commonly treated with immunotherapy include:
- Head and neck cancers
- Certain types of lymphoma and leukemia
- Advanced cervical and liver cancers (through preventive vaccines)
The list of treatable cancers continues to grow as researchers develop new drugs and combinations.
What Should Patients Expect with Immunotherapy?
Before Immunotherapy
Before starting immunotherapy, patients receive a personalized treatment plan developed by their care team. This includes details about the medications, treatment schedule, and how the therapy will be delivered – such as through a vein (IV), a port, or a pill.
We often require bloodwork before each session to check the body’s readiness for treatment, measuring key markers such as white and red blood cell counts, platelets, liver function, and electrolytes.
Patients are typically advised to:
- Continue taking prescribed medications, unless told otherwise
- Eat a small, bland meal before treatment, as recommended by the care team
- Bring comfort items such as books, snacks, or headphones to help pass the time
- Arrive early to check in and prepare for the infusion process
During Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy treatments may take place in an infusion center, clinic, or hospital outpatient unit. Patients are usually seated in a shared treatment space, often referred to as an infusion room. The treatment may last several hours, depending on the medication and type of infusion.
During treatment, patients can expect:
- To receive medications through an IV, a port, or in other forms (such as pills or creams)
- Monitoring by nurses who are specially trained in administering immunotherapy
- To stay in a comfortable chair, possibly alongside other patients receiving similar treatments
- To have access to snacks, entertainment, and support staff during the session
Patients may feel tired during or after treatment. The care team monitors for side effects and is available to answer questions or provide support throughout the session.
What Are the Side Effects of Immunotherapy?
After treatment, we continue to monitor patients through regular exams and lab tests to see how well the therapy is working.
Patients may experience side effects, especially if the immune system affects healthy cells. The care team will provide guidance on how to manage any symptoms, when to call the doctor, and how to stay safe at home. Each person responds differently, and not all patients experience the same side effects.
Common post-treatment side effects include:
- Fatigue, which may last for days or weeks
- Chills
- Shortness of breath
- Changes in appetite or digestion
- Diarrhea
- Skin rash or itching
- Joint pain
- Possible flu-like symptoms or mild inflammation
Patients experiencing side effects should reach out to their care team via the Simmons Cancer Center HOPE Line at 214-645-4673. Connecting with the care team at the onset of symptoms allows us to manage side effects early and prevent complications.
Patients who have a reaction to immunotherapy may be referred to our Allergy and Immunology at Cancer Care Outpatient Building. The goal of the clinic is to keep patients on the treatment their oncologist believes is best for them. In many cases, we can confirm that a reaction was mild and manageable and help patients continue without significant delay. In others, we use desensitization – in which the drug is given in a carefully monitored setting, starting at very low doses and gradually increasing to the full therapeutic dose – to continue treatment safely.
If a patient is experiencing chest pain or having trouble breathing, call 911 or visit an emergency department.
Locations for Immunotherapy
Patients can receive immunotherapy at any of our four infusion centers, each staffed with supportive oncology specialists who treat patients like family.
Patients can choose the location that is most convenient for them. Please contact our care team to see whether treatment can be administered at a different location.
Articles from Our Experts on Immunotherapy
Supportive Care Services for Immunotherapy
At Simmons Cancer Center, patients have access to dedicated classes, group sessions, and one-on-one appointments to help address specific concerns and create a care plan that aligns with their needs and goals.
Learn more about supportive care.
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Results: 4 Locations
Cancer Care Outpatient Building
6202 Harry Hines Blvd.Dallas, Texas 75235 214-645-4673 Directions to Cancer Care Outpatient Building, Dallas Parking Info for Cancer Care Outpatient Building
UT Southwestern Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at Moncrief Cancer Institute
400 W. Magnolia AvenueFort Worth, Texas 76104 817-288-9800 Directions to UT Southwestern Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at Moncrief Cancer Institute, Fort Worth Parking Info for UT Southwestern Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at Moncrief Cancer Institute
UT Southwestern Medical Center at RedBird
3450 W. Camp Wisdom RoadDallas, Texas 75237 214-645-8300 Directions to UT Southwestern Medical Center at RedBird, Dallas Parking Info for UT Southwestern Medical Center at RedBird
Simmons Cancer Center
at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Richardson/Plano 3030 Waterview Parkway, 2nd FloorRichardson, Texas 75080 214-645-4673 Directions to Simmons Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Richardson/Plano, Richardson