Diego A. Díaz García, Medical Oncologist, CEO and Founder at CánCare – Advanced Specialty in Oncology, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Radiotherapy exerts direct cytotoxic effects while reshaping the tumour immune microenvironment. The integration of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) provided strong biological rationale for combination strategies aimed at enhancing systemic control.
Clinical benefit has been demonstrated in selected settings, including cervical cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. However, most radioimmunotherapy trials have failed to show consistent survival advantage, and predictive biomarkers remain undefined.
Mechanistic data indicate that radiation dose, fractionation and treatment volume critically determine the balance between immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive effects. Regimens optimized for tumour cytotoxicity may not be optimal for immune priming or synergy with ICB. Technological advances now allow precise modulation of these parameters, highlighting the need to move from empirical combinations toward immunologically informed protocols.
Key question: should radiation be designed primarily as a cytotoxic modality or as an immune adjuvant in combination strategies?”
Title: Radiation as an immune modulator: mechanisms and implications for combination with immunotherapy
Authors: Laurel Darragh, Sana Karam
Read the Full Article.
Other articles featuring Diego A. Díaz García on OncoDaily.