Advanced Lung Cancer Therapy Shows Equal Promise for Patients With or Without HIV

For the first time, a study has shown that a powerful immunotherapy combination works just as well against advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients with HIV as it does in those without. This offers new hope for a patient group for whom treatment data has been limited.

Researchers in a comparative trial gave the immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) tislelizumab plus chemotherapy to 18 patients with HIV and 40 without. ICIs are drugs that essentially release the brakes on the body's immune system, allowing it to better attack cancer cells. The results were striking: the objective response rate was nearly identical at around 77% for both groups. Similarly, after six months, progression-free survival rates were also comparable.

While the overall safety profile was similar, the study flagged an important caution. Patients with HIV showed a higher tendency for opportunistic infections, such as tuberculosis. This underlines the need for vigilant monitoring during treatment, but suggests this combination therapy is a highly effective option, regardless of HIV status.