Multimodality Treatment with Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy in Older Adults: Rationale, Evolving Data, and Current Recommendations

Abstract

The combination of immunotherapy and radiotherapy/chemoradiation has demonstrated promising results in some disease sites for cancer patients. However, translation to real-world practice is complicated by limited representation in clinical trials of older adults with comorbidities who comprise a significant percentage of patients treated in the clinic. The purpose of this review is to outline the current evidence for multimodality treatment in the older adult population including extrapolation from single modality therapies and the rationale for combinatorial treatment. Although few in number, ongoing trials specifically targeting older cancer patients are highlighted. Looking toward the future, current gaps in the field are identified with recommendations to consider both in the preclinical setting and when designing clinical trials in order to better inform the use of multimodality therapy in the clinic as this data evolves.