Immunotherapy: Lighting up hope of cure in early-stage lung cancer treatment and reducing recurrence rates

Immunotherapy has shown promising results in reducing recurrence rates for individuals with non-small cell lung cancer, ultimately improving their quality of life. This was shared by experts during a scientific seminar titled “Immunotherapy – Lighting up hope of cure in early-stage lung cancer treatment” on April 13. The program brought together 150 leading oncology experts from Vietnam and abroad to exchange knowledge, experiences, and advanced treatment methods for lung cancer.

Prof. Dr. Le Van Quang, Director of Hospital K, highlighted the issue of recurrence after treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer, even with early diagnosis and treatment. Immunotherapy has shown to be one of the methods used in multimodality treatment for these patients due to its ability to reduce recurrence rates significantly.

Lung cancer is a malignant disease characterized by abnormal changes in alveolar and bronchial epithelial cells. It ranks among the top three cancers with high incidence and mortality rates alongside liver and breast cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for 85% of cases while small cell lung cancer accounts for 15%. Nearly 30% of patients are diagnosed with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, and curative treatment involves tumor resection surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. However, even with standard therapy, relapse rates remain high.

The introduction of immunotherapy has provided hope for lung cancer patients as studies have shown significant improvements in disease-free survival rates. A Lancet study revealed that immunotherapy reduces the risk of disease recurrence or death by 34% in individuals with non-small cell lung cancer, rising to 57% for those with a high rate of PD-L1 receptor expression. In June 2023, Vietnam approved the use of immunotherapy after surgery and chemotherapy for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients which marks a significant step forward in providing advanced treatment options for lung cancer patients in Vietnam.

During the conference, oncologists shared their experiences treating non-small cell lung