The founder and lead surgeon of Lewisville Flower Mound Oncology talks immunotherapy.

Lewisville, TX, — Some patients who are diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer may find a new option available to them. Researchers have found that immunotherapy is a viable first-line treatment instead of chemotherapy in some cases. Although still under study, the most recent findings are creating quite a positive buzz in the medical community.

“The most recent clinical trial into the use of immunotherapy drugs has shown tremendously promising results,” says Dr. Gregory Echt, founder and lead surgeon at Lewisville Flower Mound Oncology. “For some patients, in fact, the use of immunotherapy drugs produced better outcomes with lower toxicity than standard chemotherapy treatments.”

The study in question was a phase three trial into the use of a particular immunotherapy drug intended to treat non-small cell lung cancer. About 300 patients who had not yet undergone treatment were given the drug. Overall, researchers found immunotherapy produced more positive results than chemotherapy. The survival at six months was 80 percent in the immunotherapy group versus 72 percent in the chemotherapy group. At the one-year mark, survival was 70 percent in the immunotherapy group versus 54 percent for patients who underwent chemotherapy. The reduction in risk of death was estimated at 40 percent.

Immunotherapy drugs are intended to get the body’s own immune system to fight cancer more effectively. Unlike chemotherapy that cannot discriminate between diseased and healthy cells, immunotherapy does. The result is a way to potentially treat cancer more directly while cutting down the risk of side effects.

“How soon this option might be available on a widespread basis remains unclear,” says Dr. Echt. “The results so far are tremendously encouraging.”

People who are diagnosed with lung cancer are urged to talk to their doctors about all treatment options. Chemotherapy and surgical procedures are often very effective in treating this form of cancer when it is detected in its earliest stages. Someday soon, immunotherapy may become a viable option in some cases.

About Lewisville/Flower Mound Oncology Group
The Lewisville/Flower Mound Oncology Group has state-of-the-art facilities that offer individualized care to patients throughout North Texas. With a team of expert oncologists and other specialists on staff, the Lewisville/Flower Mound Oncology Group treats a variety of cancers and blood disorders with an eye towards the newest advancements available in diagnostic technology and treatments.