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Updated: Aug 31, 2025

Author Spotlight: Radiotherapy and Clonogenic Assays for Advancing Cancer Research and Personalized Medicine
Published on: April 5, 2024
Radiotherapy and CDK inhibitors: Opportunities and risks
1Institut Gustave-Roussy, département d'oncologie radiothérapie, 114, rue Edouard-Vaillant, Villejuif, France.
Abstract:
CDK4/6 inhibitors are nowadays commonly used in metastatic HR+/HER2- breast cancer. Herein, we report a literature review regarding the benefits and risks of their combination with radiotherapy. Numerous pre-clinical studies have indeed shown a potential synergistic effect of these treatments in combination with radiotherapy in various types of cancers. On the other hand, some retrospective clinical studies have reported increased acute toxicity in case of digestive or pulmonary irradiation; therefore, it is advisable to discontinue CDK4/6 inhibitors before starting irradiation. Several prospective clinical trials are currently ongoing to assess the feasibility of this combination.
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