Treating cancers with immunotherapy and radiotherapy at the same time could stop them from becoming resistant to treatment, according to a study published in Cancer Research.
The researchers, based at The University of Manchester and funded by Cancer Research UK and MedImmune found that combining the two treatments helped the immune system hunt down and destroy cancer cells that were not killed by the initial radiotherapy in mice with breast, skin and bowel cancers.
Sources and more information:
- Acquired Resistance to Fractionated Radiotherapy Can Be Overcome by Concurrent PD-L1 Blockade, Cancer Research, October 1, 2014 74;5458.
- Immunotherapy could stop resistance to radiotherapy, Cancer Research UK Press release, 1 October 2014.