Are tumor vaccines or cellular therapies more effective at treating NSCLC?

This analysis examined whether tumor vaccines or cellular immunotherapies were more effective at treating non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). They concluded that while both improved survival rates, cellular therapy was more effective. 

Current research on the treatment of NSCLC is focused on both immunotherapy and targeted therapy. Targeted therapy are those that target specific genetic mutations (changes) that cause the cancer. Immunotheraies stimulate the immune system to kill the cancer cells. These include vaccines that cause immune cells to become active, or cellular therapy, which involves adding activated immune cells into the body. It is now thought that a combination of both immunotherapy and targeted therapy could be the best way to treat NSCLC. While a large body of research has examined the most effective targeted therapies, the best type of immunotherapy remains unknown. 

The authors combined data from 18 clinical trials, including a total of 6,756 patients with NSCLC. Of these trials, 10 examined tumor vaccines, while 8 examined cellular therapies. 

In each trial, the immunotherapy was either compared to placebo (substance with no effect on the body), or combined with chemotherapy and compared to chemotherapy alone. The authors then determined overall survival (OS – time from beginning of trial until death from any cause) and PFS (time from beginning of trial until disease progression). 

Overall, immunotherapy increased OS by 5.43 months and PFS by 3.24 months. Cellular therapies were significantly more effective at improving both OS and PFS than vaccines. 

The authors concluded that immunotherapy leads to improved OS and PFS. They also stated that cellular therapy is more effective than tumor vaccine therapy and should be considered in combination with targeted therapy.