Combined radioimmunotherapy of solid tumors in the clinical setting: Can the treatment sequence make the difference? Kombinierte Radioimmuntherapie solider Tumoren in der Klinik: Macht die Therapiesequenz den Unterschied?
Schnellhardt S, Gaipl U, Hecht M (2025)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2025
Journal
DOI: 10.1007/s00761-025-01793-2
Abstract
Background: The combination of radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibition (“radioimmunotherapy”) is a promising concept for the treatment of locally advanced cancer. Radioimmunotherapy is already part of everyday clinical practice in the treatment of esophageal carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in curative settings. The range of cancers that can be treated using radioimmunotherapy has substantially increased in recent years. Results: While the introduction of immunotherapy in the definitive radiochemotherapy of head and neck tumors has not yet been successful, in the adjuvant situation, both perioperative pembrolizumab (KEYNOTE-689 trial) and adjuvant nivolumab (NIVOPOSTOP trial) combined with chemoradiotherapy have recently been shown to improve outcomes. In the treatment of localized small cell lung cancer (SCLC), durvalumab was approved after radiochemotherapy and pembrolizumab was approved simultaneously with radiochemotherapy in cervical cancer. Cemiplimab has also recently been found to improve the prognosis after adjuvant radiotherapy of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (C-POST trial). Conclusion: Important factors for the successful use of immunotherapies in combination with radiotherapy could be the use of biomarkers, a reduction in tumor burden before the start of therapy, and the correct therapy sequence. The sequential administration of immunotherapy after completion of radiotherapy has proven to be a successful concept in several tumor entities and could be the preferred approach due to radiogenic temporary local immunosuppression. Overall, there is still a substantial need for research into the interactions between radiotherapy and immunotherapy.
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APA:
Schnellhardt, S., Gaipl, U., & Hecht, M. (2025). Combined radioimmunotherapy of solid tumors in the clinical setting: Can the treatment sequence make the difference? Kombinierte Radioimmuntherapie solider Tumoren in der Klinik: Macht die Therapiesequenz den Unterschied? Die Onkologie. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00761-025-01793-2
MLA:
Schnellhardt, Sören, Udo Gaipl, and Markus Hecht. "Combined radioimmunotherapy of solid tumors in the clinical setting: Can the treatment sequence make the difference? Kombinierte Radioimmuntherapie solider Tumoren in der Klinik: Macht die Therapiesequenz den Unterschied?" Die Onkologie (2025).
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