Ablative radiation alone in stage I lung cancer produces an adaptive systemic immune response: insights from a prospective study

This study found that patients with lung cancer develop an immune response sometime between 1 week to 6 months following radiation therapy. This finding is important because it helps researchers and clinicians determine the best time for each patient to deploy immunotherapy to maximize the treatment effect of destroying tumor cells, improving treatment outcomes. Senior author Kellie N. Smith received honors by the Pierre Massion Lung Cancer Discovery Award.