Targeting the immune system to treat lung cancer: rationale and clinical experience

The use of immunotherapy that harnesses and enhances the innate powers of the immune system to fight cancer cells represents the most promising new cancer treatment approach since the development of the first chemotherapies and, more recently, targeted therapies. Unexpectedly, lung cancer has recently emerged as an exciting new target for immune-based therapies. Several approaches to immunotherapy for lung cancer have shown promise in early clinical trials and in late-phase development. The most advanced strategies can be split into two main categories: therapeutic vaccines and checkpoint inhibitors. At this time of great expectations, this review provides the reader with an update on the immunotherapies used to treat lung cancer with a focus on the rationale of targeting the immune system. It reports the results from recent major clinical trials, describes new toxicity profiles associated with such drugs, and particularly the role of the pulmonologists in their management. This review provides an overview of the main perspectives within this field.