How immunotherapy changed cancer treatment – and why its impact is still growing

A growing impact for cancer patients

There has been significant impact from immunotherapy on cancer treatment, and the numbers make that clear.

A 2025 study estimates that more than 56% of patients were eligible to receive treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors in 2023, up from just 1.5% in 2011. At the same time, it’s estimated that 20% of patients overall now benefit from these therapies, up from 0.14% in 2011.

Combining immunotherapy drugs can bring even higher response rates in some cases. For example, a 2024 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that more than 50% of patients with advanced melanoma who were treated with a combination of immunotherapies survived their cancer for more than 10 years.

The American Cancer Society reports more than 2 million patients will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Based on the estimates above, hundreds of thousands of those patients will benefit from immunotherapy this year. It’s likely that more than 1 million patients have benefited from immunotherapy since 2011.

“That’s what makes this so meaningful and inspirational,” Allison says. “Many of these patients would not be here today if it were not for these treatments. That’s what keeps us working hard to advance the field.”

Building on foundational discoveries

Like most breakthroughs in cancer care, immunotherapy was built upon decades of fundamental science research. Future progress relies on this important work as well.

Allison’s career has been dedicated to gaining a better understanding of T cells. By diligent and careful research, Allison and his team discovered important functions for molecules on these cells that control their activity.

One molecule in particular – CTLA-4 – acts like a brake on immune cells to keep immune responses in check. Allison first demonstrated that blocking CTLA-4 was a powerful strategy to unleash the immune system against cancer. This work led to the development of ipilimumab.

Allison was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Tasuku Honjo, M.D., Ph.D., for these fundamental discoveries that launched the field of cancer immunotherapy.

Crucial funding for this research over the years has come from the National Institutes of Health, particularly the National Cancer Institute, the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas, and countless other organizations.

Shaping the future through the Allison Institute

Despite this tremendous progress, immunotherapy is not yet curing every patient, which means there is still work to do.

UT MD Anderson’s Allison Institute™ is committed to building on the legacy of its namesake to bring the benefits of immunotherapy to all patients, and it has recruited world-renowned scientists to advance its work. The institute now is led by Padmanee Sharma, M.D., Ph.D., vice president and head of the Allison Institute.

Sharma has led many impactful clinical studies that have advanced the field of immunotherapy and brought new drug approvals, including the first trial to evaluate pre-surgical, or neoadjuvant, immunotherapy. She continues to pioneer innovative trials and translational research to identify mechanisms that impact clinical responses to immunotherapy, using that knowledge to develop new treatment strategies to improve outcomes for patients.

With exceptional discovery science, the Allison Institute is working to bring a deeper understanding of the immune system and how it interacts with tumors. Using this knowledge, the institute aims to not only develop new treatments but also to develop more effective combinations. If immunotherapy can be combined in the right ways and at the right times with chemotherapy, targeted therapy, surgery and radiation, even more lives can be saved.

The Allison Institute™ brings together clinicians and scientists from across disciplines – experts in engineering, data science, biology, the microbiome, and more – to expand the impact of immunotherapy and bring cures to more patients.

“The strides we have made are tremendous, and it’s all because we combine a strong foundation in basic science with the unrivaled clinical resources of UT MD Anderson,” Sharma says. “We have such a promising future ahead of us, and I look forward to seeing how we can continue to build on that foundation using the immune system to bring hope to patients for years to come.”

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