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Why choose immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer?

With cancer, cells of the immune system are inactive (asleep), allowing the tumor to grow. Immunotherapy activates these cells to destroy cancer.

One type uses cells of the immune system, which are taken out of the patient's blood and manipulated in the laboratory. Once the cells have obtained cancer-killing ability, they are given back to the patient to destroy their cancer.

Immunotherapy has been effective against two types of cancer that were previously unresponsive to other treatments - melanoma (skin cancer) and renal cell (kidney) cancer. Today, immunotherapy is being used together with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy to treat many types of cancer.

Why choose immunotherapy at St. Luke's Medical Center?

• The program, founded in Milwaukee in 1987, is one of only a few in the U.S. offering cellular therapy for patients with cancer
• The program's research and patient treatment components operate side-by-side, so technology is transferred from the laboratory to the bedside in an efficient manner
• In the last 15 years, the program has treated approximately 500 patients with cancer
• The program has dedicated nurse coordinators for personal patient care
• All clinical trials in the program are approved by an internal Investigational Review Board and the FDA
• All cellular therapy is produced in the Wm. Schuett Cell Laboratory, a state-of-the-art cell-production facility which is accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks
• The program maintains a strong collaboration with pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries to bring the latest technology to our patients