Immunotherapy for Metastatic Cancer on the Rise, Even Near End of Life
Source: Yale School Of Medicine, January 2024
More and more people living with cancer are being prescribed immunotherapy as an effective treatment option. But can it be administered too late? A new study led by Yale Cancer Center researchers at Yale School of Medicine found that while the initiation of immunotherapy near the end of life has increased over time, a closer look at the benefit and value of these therapies in patients with advanced-stage disease is needed.
The findings were published in JAMA Oncology on Jan.
“Immunotherapy has revolutionized the field of oncology over the last decade,” said Dr. Sajid Khan, senior author of the study and section chief of hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) and mixed tumors at Yale School of Medicine. “Because survival is substantially improved for many patients treated with these drugs, its overall application has increased across the United States.” Still, Kahn says, the data suggest that providers should be more discerning between cases where immunotherapy can extend life and those where it can’t.