ABSTRACT
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths across the world, of which non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 85%, and more than 50% of NSCLC patients were diagnosed with distant metastasis. The comprehensive treatment of NSCLC includes surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors. As one of the traditional treatment methods, radiotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of all stages of NSCLC, and its immunomodulatory effect has attracted much attention. The application of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has significantly improved the prognosis of patients with local-advanced and advanced NSCLC, but the benefit population was limited. At present, the treatment mode of radiotherapy combined with ICIs has become the focus of research. This paper reviews the research progress of radiotherapy combined with ICIs in the treatment of NSCLC.
ABSTRACT
Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) has become the standard first-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with EGFR-sensitive mutations. However, acquired resistance cannot be avoided during the targeted treatment of EGFR-TKI, which may lead to the progression of NSCLC. Among them, approximately 50% of patients present with primary lung lesions and/or initial metastastic lesion progression. As a major local treatment, radiation therapy plays an irreplaceable role in the management of patients with advanced cancer. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), which is implemented with the Cyberknife, is the most advanced radiation therapy technology to better meet clinical needs. In recent years, based on the abovementioned patterns of tumor recurrence, the treatment mode of pulmonary-lesion SBRT combined with EGFR-TKI can improve the tumor-free survival in advanced NSCLC patients, which has attracted widespread attention. In this article, the clinical research progresses on this combined therapeutic strategy were reviewed.