Is immunotherapy treatment of last resort?

Immunotherapy is still proving itself. It’s often used as a last resort, once other therapies have reached the end of their effectiveness.

Is immunotherapy a last resort for lung cancer?

Today’s immunotherapy is not a cure for late-stage lung cancer. However, it can give certain patients more precious time with family and friends. To provide that, we must carefully select patients who will benefit most and determine the most appropriate available treatment.

Is immunotherapy worth the risk?

While the available treatments are diverse, they do offer a few common benefits. Immunotherapy may provide more effective treatment for certain types of cancer, and it can be used alongside other forms of treatment to enhance performance. Some individuals also experience fewer side effects with this type of care.

How long can you live with immunotherapy?

How often and how long you have the treatment depends on the type of cancer and how advanced it is, the type of checkpoint inhibitor, how the cancer responds to the treatment and what side effects you experience. Many people stay on immunotherapy for up to two years.

Why is immunotherapy stopped after 2 years?

Long-term treatment with immunotherapy may not be financially sustainable for patients. Data suggest that stopping immunotherapy after 1 year of treatment could lead to inferior progression-free survival and overall survival, says Lopes.

What is the success rate of immunotherapy?

15-20\% of patients achieve durable results with immunotherapy.

What is the success rate for immunotherapy?

Who is the ideal patient for immunotherapy?

Who is a good candidate for immunotherapy? The best candidates are patients with non–small cell lung cancer, which is diagnosed about 80 to 85\% of the time. This type of lung cancer usually occurs in former or current smokers, although it can be found in nonsmokers. It is also more common in women and younger patients.

Can you stay on immunotherapy longer than 2 years?

Like most lung cancer treatments, immunotherapy is only given for a set period of time. Immunotherapy is given for a maximum of two years. After then, it will be stopped.

What percentage of patients respond to immunotherapy?

In general, it’s about 20-30 percent of patients who will respond to immunotherapy — depends on what type of disease it is or what type of cancer.

When should immunotherapy be stopped?

What happens when you stop immunotherapy?

Data suggest that stopping immunotherapy after 1 year of treatment could lead to inferior progression-free survival and overall survival, says Lopes. However, stopping after 2 years does not appear to negatively impact survival.