IO = Immuno-Oncology (Immunotherapy)
It refers to cancer treatments that work by activating or modifying the patient’s immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells, rather than directly killing tumor cells like traditional chemotherapy.
Common IO Drug Classes You’ll See
1. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (most common meaning of “IO”)
These drugs block inhibitory pathways that tumors use to evade immune detection.
| Target | Drug Examples |
|---|---|
| PD-1 | Nivolumab, Pembrolizumab |
| PD-L1 | Atezolizumab, Durvalumab, Avelumab |
| CTLA-4 | Ipilimumab |
When you see regimens like “chemo-IO” or “IO-IO”, it usually means checkpoint inhibitors are included.
2. Other Immuno-Oncology Approaches (less commonly abbreviated as IO)
- CAR-T cells (e.g., tisagenlecleucel)
- Bispecific antibodies
- Cancer vaccines
- Cytokine therapy (e.g., IL-2, interferon-α)
However, in most solid tumor treatment tables, IO = checkpoint inhibitors.
Synonyms
IO