A new study identified a set of 140 genes that may help predict enhanced disease-free survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with a combination of immunotherapy and low-dose radiation. The results, published in Cell Medicine Reports on Feb. 23, suggested that this “gene signature” could be used to identify a subclass of lung tumors that is more likely to be eradicated by immunotherapies.
Immunotherapy has saved countless lives but only 20 to 25 percent of patients respond to this treatment that activates a person’s own immune system to attack their cancer. Predicting who would benefit from this approach and why could help patients who have exhausted other options such as chemotherapy.