Radiotherapy could increase the efficacy of immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer

Year 2022, , 71 - 80, 01.04.2022

Birol Ocak , Süreyya Sarıhan , Ahmet Bilgehan Şahin , Bahar Dakiki , Burcu Caner , Kemal Gülşen , Özgür Tanrıverdi , Adem Deligönül , Erdem Çubukçu , Türkkan Evrensel

https://doi.org/10.46310/tjim.1076459

Cited By: 2

Abstract

Background: In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), immunotherapy is a treatment option in patients without targetable mutations in second and later lines. Nevertheless, there is no validated test that can predict immunotherapy response.
Material and Methods: Our study aimed to investigate the effect of radiotherapy (RT) on survival in patients with NSCLC receiving immunotherapy after first-line chemotherapy. Twenty-five patients diagnosed with NSCLC and received immunotherapy after at least one previous chemotherapy line were included in our study.
Results: The median age of the patients was 61.7 (26.6-81.2) years. 19 (76%) patients were male. 11 (44%) of the patients had received immunotherapy in the second-line and 14 (66%) in ≥3 lines. Patients had received a median of 5 cycles (1-27) of immunotherapy. RT to immunotherapy interval was 6.4 months (1.0-11.8). Partial response was observed in 12 patients, stable disease in 8 patients, progression in 1 patient, and hyperprogression in 4 patients. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.4 months (95% CI; 3.2-5.6), and median overall survival (OS) was 16.4 months (95% CI; 5.6-27.3). 14 (56%) of the patients had received RT. RT was administered to 12 patients before immunotherapy, and two patients received RT to bones during immunotherapy. The patients who received RT had statistically longer PFS (4.9 vs 3.9 months, p=0.012) and OS (18.7 vs 7.3 months, p=0.023) comparing those without RT.
Conclusions: Our findings showed that RT significantly improved the survival in patients who received immunotherapy, pointing that RT may have an influential role in immunotherapy response.

Keywords

Immunotherapy, radiotherapy, efficacy, non-small cell lung cancer.

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