People with limited-stage small cell lung cancer may benefit from adding immunotherapy to chemoradiation, but not if both treatments are given at the same time, new research finds. The results suggest that the timing of when immunotherapy is given plays a key role in its ability to extend survival. Findings of the multi-institutional phase III trial, which also found that twice-daily radiation treatments offer greater survival benefits than once-daily treatment, will be presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.
The research comes on the heels of a recent study showing immunotherapy given after radiation and chemotherapy are completed can increase overall survival for people with limited-stage small cell lung cancer. Researchers in this new study, the NRG Oncology/Alliance LU005 trial, wanted to test whether there would be a similar benefit when delivering the treatments at the same time. The introduction of immunotherapy marked the first significant breakthrough in treating small cell lung cancer treatment in decades.
Now, we see that if you give immunotherapy concurrently with chemoradiation, it does not yield the same survival benefit as it does when we add it after standard treatment." Kristin Higgins, MD, principal investigator of the trial and radiation oncologist, professor and chief clinical officer, City of Hope Cancer Center, Atlanta "This seemingly small difference in the timing of when the drug is delivered has a very si.