The Usage of Immunotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.3719Keywords:
Cancer, Immunotherapy, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Combination TherapyAbstract
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer(NSCLC) accounts for approximately 85% of all lung cancer cases and remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. While traditional treatment approaches such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy have improved outcomes for early-stage disease, advanced-stage NSCLC continues to present significant treatment challenges. This is where immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy, by using a variety of methods to enhance the body's immune response against tumor cells, patients are given a better chance to fight off NSCLC. This review examines the biological mechanisms underlying NSCLC, like common driver mutations like EFGR and ALK, and discusses how cancer cells are able to evade immune detection through checkpoint pathways like PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4. The paper further analyzes the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICI's) like pembrolizumab, nivolumab, and atezolizumab in preventing these evasions by restroring T-cell activity and improving anti-tumor response. This review also looks into clinical trial evidence that demonstrates that combining ICIs and other forms of immunotherapy with chemotherapy significantly increases treatment effectiveness, with objective response rates skyrocketing in advanced stages of NSCLC. Current research is also exploring neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy strategies and determining optimal treatment duration in order to balance therapeutic benefit and adverse effects. Additionally, this paper examines the future directions of immunotherapy and cancer treatment. Emerging approaches such as biomarker-guided therapy and neoantigen-based immunotherapy aim to improve patient selection and make treatment strategies more personalized. Overall, immunotherapy represents a transformative advancement in NSCLC treatment, offering improved survival outcomes and guiding future developments in precision oncology.
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