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Updated: Mar 27, 2026
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Intramucosal Inoculation of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells in Mice for Tumor Immune Profiling and Treatment Response Assessment
Published on: April 22, 2019
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Combination of Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Han Zhou1,2, Si-Chao Wang1,3,4, Teddy Tai Loy Lee5
1Department of Clinical Oncology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Cancer Metastasis and Personalized Therapy, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
JAMA Oncology
|March 26, 2026
Summary
Sequential immunotherapy combined with radiotherapy (iRT) improved survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Chemotherapy also showed survival benefits in newly diagnosed NSCLC patients.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunotherapy
- Radiotherapy
Background:
- Optimal sequencing of radiotherapy (RT) and immunotherapy (iRT) is undefined for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
- Limited randomized data exist for advanced NSCLC treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- Compare real-world overall survival (OS) between sequential and concurrent iRT in advanced NSCLC.
- Assess immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) maintenance after RT in refractory NSCLC.
- Evaluate chemotherapy's association with survival in advanced NSCLC.
Main Methods:
- Territory-wide cohort study (OCEANUS) using Hong Kong Hospital Authority data (2010-2021).
- Included NSCLC patients receiving iRT for advanced or refractory disease.
- Used overlap weighting and inverse probability of treatment weighting for analysis.
Main Results:
- Sequential iRT showed significantly longer OS than concurrent iRT in newly diagnosed advanced NSCLC (20.3 vs 16.0 months).
- Chemotherapy was associated with longer survival in newly diagnosed advanced NSCLC.
- RT with ICI maintenance showed numerically longer OS in refractory NSCLC (11.2 vs 6.7 months), but not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- Sequential iRT is associated with improved survival compared to concurrent iRT in advanced NSCLC.
- Chemotherapy use is linked to better survival outcomes in this patient population.
- Findings support further randomized trials to optimize iRT sequencing and systemic treatment combinations.
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