Research Article: Effect of Lymphopenia on Tumor Response and Clinical Outcomes Following Chemoradiotherapy in Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Abstract: Introduction:
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States and worldwide with . million deaths globally, representing over % of all cancer deaths. Despite recent advances, -year overall-survival (OS) is less than %. Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by immunotherapy has become a standard for definitive management of unresectable Stage III NSCLC. Oncologic therapies interact with the host immune system potentially altering clinical outcomes, though the complex interplay is not fully understood. The immune system plays a role in suppression of malignancy, but can be inhibited, allowing for cancer progression. Radiotherapy can enhance cancer cell antigenicity by upregulating DNA damage and cellular stress pathways, exposing immunogenic tumor-associated antigens to the immune system., Conversely, multimodality treatment with radiation can induce lymphopenia– and dampen the immune response, because lymphocytes are key mediators of the response to cancer. Mature circulating lymphocytes are highly radiosensitive and exhibit significant DNA fragmentation at even low radiation doses (
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States and worldwide with . million deaths globally, representing over % of all cancer deaths. Despite recent advances, -year overall-survival (OS) is less than %. Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by immunotherapy has become a standard for definitive management of unresectable Stage III NSCLC. Oncologic therapies interact with the host immune system potentially altering clinical outcomes, though the complex interplay…
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