Dr. Gerber on the Rationale to Combine Immunotherapy With Radiation in Lung Cancer

David Gerber, MD, professor of internal medicine, Hematology/Oncology Division, co-director, Experimental Therapeutics Program, UT Southwestern Medical Center, discusses the rationale to combine immunotherapy with radiation therapy in lung cancer.

According to Gerber, there has always been clinical interest in combining these treatment modalities.

It appears that the efficacy of radiation therapy is dependent on aspects of the immune system, Gerber explains. Moreover, concurrent immunotherapy and radiation therapy can lead to synergistic effects. The radiation may result in the release of more antigens, which will make the cancer more recognizable by the immune system, concludes Gerber.