Adoptive immunotherapy for nonsmall cell lung carcinoma: A fourth treatment modality, complicated radiation sensitizer, or none of the above

Abstract

The treatment of Stage III nonsmall cell lung carcinoma has improved considerably over the past decade with the advent of various combination modality treatment approaches. In a randomized study published in this issue of Cancer, Ratto et. al. report improvement in overall survival, particularly in patients with Stage IIIB disease, related to adjuvant adoptive immunotherapy with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and interleukin-2 followed by involved field radiation therapy. This observation needs validation as well as investigation of the potential mechanisms involved.