Define immunotherapy in the context of cancer treatment.

Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment strategy that harnesses the body's own immune system to recognize and combat cancer cells. It works by stimulating the immune system to enhance its ability to detect and destroy tumor cells or by providing components such as monoclonal antibodies that specifically target cancer cells. This approach is distinct from other treatments, as it does not directly attack cancer cells through conventional means like chemotherapy or radiation but rather empowers the immune system to do so.

In the context of cancer treatment, immunotherapy encompasses a range of modalities, including checkpoint inhibitors, therapeutic vaccines, and adoptive cell transfer, among others. Each of these methods aims to improve the immune response to cancer, leading to potentially durable responses and long-term control of the disease.

The other options focus on different treatment modalities. Targeting specific genetic mutations pertains to targeted therapy, which directly inhibits tumor growth by addressing specific genetic changes within cancer cells. Chemotherapy generally works through agents that kill rapidly dividing cells and does not amplify the immune system's function as immunotherapy does. Supplementing radiation therapy outcomes deals with enhancing the effects of radiation through various means, which is unrelated to the immunological approach of stimulating the body’s defense mechanisms.