Vol 73, No 1 (2023)
Review paper
Published online: 2022-12-16

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Radiotherapy and immunotherapy

Ewa Sierko12
DOI: 10.5603/NJO.a2022.0062
Nowotwory. Journal of Oncology 2023;73(1):22-31.

Abstract

Radiation therapy is one of the standard treatment methods for cancer patients. Apart from killing cancer cells, it produces a modulation effect on local and systemic disease. Recently, immunotherapy, aiming mainly to immune checkpoint blockade, has become widely used in many clinical situations. Experimental and clinical studies indicate that the combination of both radiation therapy and immunotherapy may be beneficial in the cancer patient population in different clinical scenarios. Durvalumab maintenance therapy after radiochemotherapy in stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients was introduced to standard clinical care. The paper discusses the pathogenesis of the mutual interaction between radiation therapy and immunotherapy, as well available preclinical and clinical data concerning this promising treatment combination.

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