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Immunotherapy is the use of medicines to help a person’s own immune system recognize and destroy cancer cells. These drugs have different side effects from those of chemotherapy.

Immunotherapy is used to treat some adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC) and neuroblastomas. For more information on the use of immunotherapy in neuroblastoma, see Immunotherapy for Neuroblastoma.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors for adrenocortical carcinoma

Just as it’s important that immune cells are activated to fight infections and cancer, it’s also important that they turn off when they are no longer needed.

Checkpoint proteins on immune cells act as brakes to slow down immune system responses. Cancer cells sometimes use these checkpoints to keep from being attacked by the immune system.

Drugs that target these checkpoint proteins are called immune checkpoint inhibitors. They can help the immune system fight off cancer cells.

Possible side effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors

Side effects of these drugs can include fatigue, cough, skin rash, poor appetite, constipation, diarrhea, and joint pain.

Other, more serious side effects occur less often.

Infusion reactions

Infusion reactions are like allergic reactions and can include:

• Fever, chills, flushing of the face
• Rash, itchy skin
• Feeling dizzy
• Wheezing and trouble breathing

It’s important to tell your doctor or nurse right away if you have any of these symptoms while getting these drugs.

Autoimmune reactions

These drugs can also cause immune cells to attack normal healthy cells throughout your body. This can lead to problems with your lungs, gut, and hormone-making glands like the thyroid, kidneys, or other organs.

It’s very important to report any new side effects to your healthcare team right away. If serious side effects do occur, treatment might need to be stopped. You might need other treatment to stop these side effects.

To learn more about the side effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors, see Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Their Side Effects.