Immunotherapy: Viable First-Line Treatment for Some Lung Cancers

Certain patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer may soon find their doctors recommending immunotherapy instead of chemotherapy at the onset of treatment. The results of a recent clinical trial showed such promise for this potentially side-effect sparing alternative, that doctors in some parts of the world are touting its use as a first-line treatment for some patients in place of traditional chemotherapy.

The study in question was part of a phase three trial into the effectiveness of a particular immunotherapy drug to treat non-small cell lung cancer. About 300 patients who had not yet undergone treatment were given the drug. The overall results found that immunotherapy worked better with less toxicity than chemotherapy. For those who were given the drug, survival was 80 percent at six months versus 72 percent with chemotherapy and 70 percent at one year versus 54 percent for chemo patients. The reduction in risk of death was 40 percent, which some doctors are calling remarkable.

Studies have shown that the immunotherapy drug does have better results for patients who display a certain biomarker in their tumors. Patients without this biomarker did have less positive results, researchers noted. Giving that finding, some are recommending biomarker screening before setting a treatment path for patients to identify those who might be best served by immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy is seen by many as a major breakthrough in the treatment of cancer. This form of treatment entices the body’s own immune system to fight off cancer cells. Unlike chemo that kills cells without discriminating healthy from diseased, immunotherapy targets cancer cells specifically. The end result is a way to lessen side effect risks while effectively killing off cancer. While side effects still exist with immunotherapy drugs, many say they are much easier for patients to tolerate than those strongly associated with chemotherapy.

Just how soon immunotherapy might be offered as a first-line treatment in America remains unknown. The recent studies, however, have shown the new drug to fight lung cancer can produce positive outcomes at a rate higher than chemo in a particular patient population.

People who are diagnosed with lung cancer and other forms of the disease are urged to work with their doctors to explore all treatment options, their benefits and potential risks. As immunotherapy becomes the focus of more intense study, this alternative may become more widely available. Studies are showing it can offer a great deal of hope in some cases.

a href=http://lewisvilleflowermoundoncology.com/about-usLewisville/Flower Mound Oncology Group, a division of Choice Cancer Care – is an independently owned and operated oncology practice.