Immunotherapy makes lung cancer less scary? The latest consensus of Chinese experts tells you the truth 

Did you know? In China, lung cancer is the malignant tumor with the highest morbidity and mortality. But in recent years, a new therapy called “immunotherapy” is changing the treatment landscape of lung cancer. Recently, a team of top Chinese experts released the latest guidelines for lung cancer immunotherapy. Let’s learn about this treatment method that brings hope to lung cancer patients.

1. What is immunotherapy?

To understand immunotherapy, let’s first get to know the human immune system. Imagine that our immune system is like a “police force” in the body, responsible for patrolling and removing invaders. But cancer cells are cunning, they release a substance called “PD-L1”, which is like putting blinders on the police, making immune cells invisible to them.

The principle of immunotherapy is to use special drugs to help “take off” this blindfold, allowing the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells again. These drugs mainly include PD-1 inhibitors, PD-L1 inhibitors, etc.

Ms. Wang (pseudonym), 56 years old, was diagnosed with advanced lung adenocarcinoma in 2023. Genetic testing revealed that her PD-L1 expression rate was very high, and the doctor used immunotherapy for her. One year later, her tumor was significantly reduced and her quality of life was greatly improved. “I used to think that having cancer was a death sentence, but now I feel that as long as I actively treat it, life is still full of hope,” said Ms. Wang.

Who is immunotherapy suitable for?

According to the latest guidelines, immunotherapy has been widely used in the treatment of lung cancer:

Early stage lung cancer: can be used before or after surgery . Mid- to late stage lung cancer: can be used alone or in combination with chemotherapy. Small cell lung cancer: mainly used in combination with chemotherapy . However, not all patients are suitable for immunotherapy. Doctors will judge based on the following indicators:

PD-L1 expression level Tumor mutation burden (TMB) Specific gene mutation status Mr. Zhang (pseudonym), 65 years old, was diagnosed with advanced squamous cell lung cancer. The test found that his PD-L1 expression was very low, but the doctor still recommended that he try immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy. “Three months after the start of treatment, I checked again and found that the tumor had shrunk significantly, which made me more confident in the treatment,” said Mr. Zhang.

How many options are there for immunotherapy?

At present, a variety of immunotherapy drugs have been approved in China, mainly including:

International brand drugs: pembrolizumab, nivolumab, etc. Domestic innovative drugs: tislelizumab, sintilimab, etc. These drugs can be used according to different conditions:

Used alone or in combination with chemotherapy or other immune drugs. IV. How effective is immunotherapy?

Research data show that immunotherapy can significantly improve the survival of lung cancer patients. Take advanced non-small cell lung cancer as an example:

Traditional chemotherapy: median survival is about 10-12 months Immunotherapy: some patients can survive for more than 2 years Immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy: survival is further extended V. Precautions

Although immunotherapy brings hope, it should be used with caution:

Adverse reactions need to be monitored regularly. Treatment costs are high and not everyone can benefit. Immunotherapy should be used under the guidance of professional doctors. It has brought new hope for lung cancer treatment. With the deepening of research and the development of more new drugs, I believe that more lung cancer patients will benefit from it in the future. However, it should be emphasized that early detection and early treatment are still the most critical. It is recommended that everyone have regular physical examinations and maintain a healthy lifestyle.