Radiotherapy, immunotherapy, abscopal effect. A new way?

01/2020 Special Edition

MUDr. Lukáš Chlachula

Komplexní onkologické centrum, Nemocnice Nový Jičín

SUMMARY

Radiotherapy is one of the methods of therapeutic armamentarium used in all stages of cancer. In the vast majority of cases, the indication of radiotherapy is local treatment of the tumor. The use of modern techniques can increase the effect while reducing the side effects. Numerous literature sources also describe the so-called abscopal effect - an immune-mediated response of non-irradiated tumor cells. The combination with immunotherapy, the so-called checkpoint inhibitors (anti-CTL, anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-LI), brings new possibilities in enhancing the complex tumor effect while using the abscopal effect.

Key words

radiotherapy, immunotherapy, checkpoint inhibitors, abscopal effect