Emerging evidence for adapting radiotherapy to immunotherapy

Immunotherapy has greatly improved the treatment of various cancers but has shown limited effectiveness when used alone, prompting the need for combination therapies with better outcomes. Radiotherapy, a commonly used cancer treatment, has gained attention as a potential partner for immunotherapy due to its safety, availability, and potential immune-boosting effects. However, previous clinical trials combining radiotherapy and immunotherapy have not demonstrated significant benefits compared to either treatment alone. This could be due to study design, endpoint selection, or the use of standard radiotherapy schedules and targets. To achieve successful radiotherapy-immunotherapy combinations, it is proposed that modifications to standard radiotherapy regimens and targets are necessary to optimize the immune response and achieve meaningful clinical results.