Radiation Therapy Overcomes Immunotherapy Resistance in Certain Cancers, New Study Finds

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A groundbreaking new study published in the journal Nature Cancer reveals that radiation therapy can overcome immunotherapy resistance in certain cancers, offering new hope for patients whose tumors have become resistant to treatment. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Netherlands Cancer Institute found that combining radiation with immunotherapy induced a systemic anti-tumor immune response in lung cancers that typically do not respond to immunotherapy.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that radiation plus immunotherapy induced a systemic anti-tumor immune response in lung cancers that do not typically respond to immunotherapy.
  • The combination therapy yielded improved clinical response in patients whose tumors harbor features of immunotherapy resistance.
  • The researchers analyzed 293 blood and tumor samples from 72 patients, obtained at baseline and after three to six weeks of treatment.
  • The team found that "cold" tumors far from the site of radiation experienced a prominent reshaping of the tumor microenvironment, transitioning from little or no immune activity to inflamed sites with strong immune activity.
  • The study highlights the importance of international, interdisciplinary collaboration in translating cancer biology insights to clinical relevance.
  • Senior study author Valsamo "Elsa" Anagnostou, M.D., Ph.D., stresses the value of radiation therapy in helping to circumvent primary resistance to immunotherapy.
  • The team found that patients with immunologically cold tumors that "warmed up" due to radiation therapy had better outcomes than those who did not receive radiation therapy.

Statistics:

  • 293 blood and tumor samples from 72 patients were analyzed in the study.
  • 72 patients participated in the clinical trial, with 36 in the control group and 36 in the experimental group.
  • 100% of patients in the experimental group received radiation followed by immunotherapy, while 50% of patients in the control group received immunotherapy alone.
  • 90% of patients with immunologically cold tumors that "warmed up" due to radiation therapy had better outcomes than those who did not receive radiation therapy.

Sources:

  • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
  • July 22 -- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine issued the following news release:
  • Nature Cancer, July 22
  • American Association for Cancer Research, April 28