New Approaches in Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Lung Cancer

Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 2017:405:1-31. doi: 10.1007/82_2014_428.

Abstract

Despite the several advances in the last few years into treatment of advanced lung cancer, the 5-year survival remains extremely low. New therapeutic strategies are currently under investigation, and immunotherapy seems to offer a promising treatment alternative. In the last decade, therapeutic cancer vaccines in lung cancer have been rather disappointing, mainly due to the lack of efficient predictive biomarkers. A better refinement of the patient population that might respond to treatment might finally lead to a success story. For the first time, the immune checkpoint inhibitors are demonstrating sustained antitumor response and improved survival and they may be the first immunotherapeutics available for patients with lung cancer.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy*
  • Lung Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Lung Neoplasms / therapy*