REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1554499
Synergies between radiotherapy and immunotherapy: a systematic review from mechanism to clinical application
Provisionally accepted
- 1Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
- 2Department of Endoscopy, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, China
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The combination of radiation therapy (radiotherapy) with immunotherapy is changing the landscape of cancer treatment. Radiation damage tumor cell DNA through high-energy rays directly causes cell death or growth arrest; Immunotherapy works by boosting a patient's own immune system's ability to recognize and destroy cancer cells. The combination of the two not only enhances the local control of the tumor, but may also activate the systemic anti-tumor immune response, transforming the "cold" tumor into a "hot" tumor, thereby improving the survival rate and quality of life of patients. In recent years, this combined treatment approach has shown remarkable efficacy in a variety of cancers, especially non-small cell lung cancer and melanoma, among others. However, how to optimize radiation dose, timing and combination with immunotherapy drugs remains the focus of research. This paper first discusses the effect of radiotherapy on immune system, then analyzes the killing effect of radiotherapy and its mechanism, and finally discusses the latest progress and challenges of the combined application of radiotherapy and immunotherapy. Each section aims to provide clinicians and researchers with an in-depth understanding with a view to optimizing treatment strategies and improving outcomes for cancer patients.
Keywords: Radiotherapy, Immunotherapy, PD-L1, immune checkpoint inhibitors, tumor
Received: 02 Jan 2025; Accepted: 16 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Jiang, Song, Li and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Tianlu Wang, Department of Endoscopy, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, China
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