In the last 10 years, remarkable advances have been made in how we fight cancer, work that was made possible by our nation’s support of biomedical research, largely through the National Institutes of Health. One of the most powerful new tools in our arsenal is cancer immunotherapy, which reawakens the body’s own immune system. Immunotherapy drugs have produced stunning results for many people suffering from advanced cancer.

Immunotherapy saved President Jimmy Carter’s life. After being diagnosed with advanced melanoma that had spread to his brain, he underwent a combination of immunotherapy and radiation treatment. What could have been a sad story of death within months has turned into a compelling story of survival with no signs of cancer.