ArticleClinical & experimental metastasis2025
The abscopal effect in metastatic lung cancer: a retrospective analysis of combined radiotherapy and immunotherapy.
Article in Clinical & experimental metastasis, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Ablation-immunotherapy synergy in cancer: mechanisms of the abscopal effect, emerging clinical applications, and translational roadmaps for next-generation onco-immunology.Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 2026Review
- Investigating prognostic factors of abscopal effect in combined thoracic radiation therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors for stage IV non-small cell lung cancer.Radiation oncology journal · 2026Article
- Advances in neoadjuvant immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
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Authors and funding
18 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe abscopal effect (AbE) refers to the regression of non-irradiated tumors following localized radiotherapy (RT), suggesting a systemic immune-mediated response. The combination of RT with immunotherapy (IO) has been proposed to enhance the AbE by overcoming RT-induced immunosuppressive mechanisms, but robust evidence, specifically in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is lacking. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of the AbE and its association with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in metastatic lung cancer patients receiving RT and IO. MATERIALS AND
methodsWe analyzed consecutive metastatic lung cancer patients who received IO at a certified lung cancer center in Germany between 2009 and 2021. Inclusion required RT to at least one lesion and at least one measurable non-irradiated lesion. The AbE was defined as radiological regression of a non-irradiated lesion following RT. PFS and OS were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox regression models. Factors influencing survival, such as RT site selection and IO duration, were assessed in univariable and multivariable analyses.
resultsA total of 72 patients were included. The AbE was observed in 9.3% (n = 7). While the AbE was significantly associated with prolonged PFS (HR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.19-0.92, p = 0.03), it did not significantly impact OS (HR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.30-1.64, p = 0.41). In contrast, RT to the primary tumor (HR = 0.16, p = 0.004) and longer IO duration (HR = 0.83, p = 0.001) were strong predictors of improved OS.
conclusionWhile the AbE remains an intriguing phenomenon, its occurrence was rare and not significantly associated with OS. Strategic RT site selection and optimized treatment sequencing were more strongly linked to improved survival outcomes, highlighting the need for refined radioimmunotherapy strategies.
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