Immunotherapy Before and After Surgery Boosts Lung Cancer Survival [Video]

Key Takeaways

Immunotherapy can help lung cancer patients live longer following surgery, a new clinical trial findsNivolumab given before and after surgery boosted survival when combined with pre-surgical chemoAbout 25% saw their cancer go away completely

THURSDAY, May 16, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Immunotherapy can boost the survival of early-stage lung cancer patients eligible for surgery when it’s combined with chemotherapy, a new clinical trial reports.

Those who got immunotherapy before and after surgery — along with pre-surgical chemo — had a 42% lower risk of cancer progression, recurrence or death than those who only received chemo, according to findings published May 15 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Further, about 25% of those who got immunotherapy and chemo had no cancer at all remaining after their surgery, compared with about 5% of those who got chemo alone.

“These findings add to evidence that the … immunotherapy path gives patients with operable lung …