Ramesh Rengan

Radiotherapy as An Immune Modulator in Lung Cancer

Abstract
An area of intense scientific interest is in the exploration of the relationship between the immune system and tumor progression. Multiple studies have demonstrated the importance of the immune system in cancer surveillance and treatment response and the aggressive clinical phenotype of malignancy in an immunocompromised host. This presentation will focus on the utilization of radiation an immune modulator that can augment other cancer immunotherapies in immunocompetent patients with locally advanced, oligometastatic and metastatic lung cancer. We will further discuss the current standard of care in cancer immunotherapy and the strengths and limitations of current approaches. Finally, we will discuss future initiatives aimed at trying to optimize radiation as a tool to generate a durable anti-tumor immune response.