Immunotherapy in Lucknow, UP

Treatment that does not attack the cancer directly — it releases your own immune system to do it. For several cancers it has turned situations that had no good options into long-term control.

How immunotherapy works

Cancers survive partly by showing the immune system a false "do not attack" signal. The main immunotherapy drugs — checkpoint inhibitors — block that signal, taking the brakes off immune cells so they recognise and destroy tumour cells again. It is given as a drip, typically every two to six weeks, usually as daycare.

Because it works through the immune system rather than on dividing cells, both its benefits and its side effects look different from chemotherapy — responses can be unusually durable, and side effects are inflammations rather than nausea and hair loss.

Who it helps

Immunotherapy has proven roles in lung cancer, head and neck cancer, kidney and bladder cancer, some breast and GI cancers, melanoma and others — sometimes alone, often combined with chemotherapy. Whether it will help a particular patient depends on the cancer type, its stage, and biomarker tests done on the biopsy. It is powerful where it fits and useless where it does not, which is why testing comes before promising.

Side effects — different, not absent

01Fatigue and skin rashThe most common, usually manageable without stopping treatment
02Thyroid and hormone changesChecked with routine blood tests; treatable when they occur
03Inflammation of lung, bowel or liverUncommon but important — new cough, diarrhoea or jaundice during treatment must be reported the same day
04No chemotherapy patternTypically no hair loss, and nausea is unusual

The honest expectations

Immunotherapy is not a universal cure and not "the injection that beats cancer" of social-media forwards. A meaningful share of eligible patients respond, and some responses last years — but a share do not respond, and the drugs are costly where schemes and access programmes do not cover them. We test first, state the realistic chance for your specific case, and put the cost in writing before the first dose.

Common questions

Is immunotherapy better than chemotherapy?

Neither is "better" — they do different jobs. For some cancers immunotherapy alone outperforms chemotherapy; for many the strongest evidence is for both together; for others immunotherapy has no role at all. The biopsy's biomarkers, not preference, make the call.

How long does treatment continue?

Commonly up to two years in responding patients, with scans at regular intervals to confirm it is earning its place. It stops earlier if it is not working or if side effects demand it.

Is immunotherapy covered under Ayushman Bharat?

Coverage is narrower than for chemotherapy and changes as schemes evolve; some drugs also run patient-access programmes that cut costs substantially. Our counsellor checks every route for your specific drug before treatment starts — and tells you the real number in writing.

Can immunotherapy cure advanced cancer?

In a minority of patients, responses are so durable they resemble cure — this is real, and it is why the drugs matter. It is not the typical outcome, and anyone promising it as such is selling, not treating.

Cancers we treat with immunotherapy

01Chest & Lung Cancer →Lung, mediastinum and chest wall tumours
02Head & Neck Cancer →Throat, larynx, thyroid, salivary glands, jaw reconstruction
03Urological Cancer →Kidney, bladder, prostate
04Gastrointestinal Cancer →Stomach, colon, rectum, oesophagus, liver and pancreas
05Breast Cancer →Screening, breast-conserving surgery, reconstruction