https://doi.org/10.4081/monaldi.2024.2967
The role of immunotherapy in patients with lung cancer and brain metastases: a narrative review of the literature
Submitted: February 25, 2024
Accepted: July 15, 2024
Published: July 26, 2024
Accepted: July 15, 2024
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Authors
Worldwide, approximately half of the patients diagnosed with lung cancer (LC) will develop, simultaneously or asynchronously, brain metastases (BMs). The existence of BMs negatively affects the quality of life and constitutes a poor prognostic factor, linked with high mortality. Locoregional therapy with surgery or radiation is, until now, the treatment of choice, especially for symptomatic patients; however, both options are linked to a high complication rate. The question arising here is whether, in asymptomatic patients, the benefit outweighs the risk and whether an alternative method can be used to treat this special category of patients. Over the last decade, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have represented a major breakthrough in the field of oncology, and several molecules have been approved as a treatment option for LC. This review tried to analyze the tumor microenvironment of both the primary lung tumor and the BMs in order to evaluate the intracranial activity of ICIs, outline the main challenges of including these agents in the treatment of LC with BMs, highlight the available information from the main clinical trials, and mark the potential positive effect of choosing a combination therapy. In conclusion, it appears that immunotherapy has a positive effect, inhibiting the progression of BMs, but more data should be published specifically for this category of patients.
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How to Cite
Eleftheriadou, Eleni D., Maria Saroglou, Nikolaos Syrigos, Ellias Kotteas, and Marousa Kouvela. 2024. “The Role of Immunotherapy in Patients With Lung Cancer and Brain Metastases: A Narrative Review of the Literature”. Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease, July. https://doi.org/10.4081/monaldi.2024.2967.
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