Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer: Types, How It Works & Side Effects 

Whether it's you or someone you care about facing lung cancer, every treatment decision feels big. If immunotherapy has come up during your recent appointments, you're probably sitting with a dozen questions running through your mind. That's completely normal.

Perhaps you're wondering if it's similar to chemotherapy or what the day-to-day experience might look like. Your medical team has likely explained things, but doing your own research shows just how much you care.

Immunotherapy for lung cancer​ works differently from traditional treatments, using your body's own immune system.

Here's what you need to know about how it works, the different types available, and what side effects to expect along the way.

Table of contents:

• What does immunotherapy for lung cancer mean?
• How does immunotherapy work for lung cancer?
• 3 types of Immunotherapy that are being used to treat lung cancer
• How is immune therapy different from other lung cancer treatments?
• Being prepared: Possible side effects of immunotherapy for lung cancer
• Wrapping it up on immunotherapy for lung cancer stage 3​
• FAQs on immunotherapy for lung cancer

What does immunotherapy for lung cancer mean?

immunotherapy for lung cancer is a treatment that helps your immune system do its job of protecting you from harmful cells more effectively. However, it isn't suitable for everyone with lung cancer.

Oncology doctors carefully consider several factors before recommending this treatment:

Type and stage of your cancer: Immunotherapy works best for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), particularly when it's advanced or when your tumour shows high levels of certain proteins like PD-L1.

The overall health: The patient's Kidney, liver, and heart function all need to be working well enough to handle this treatment.

Previous treatments: Whether you've had chemotherapy or radiation before can affect how immunotherapy might work for you.

Autoimmune conditions: If you have conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, immunotherapy may pose additional risks.

Biomarker results: Tests for PD-L1 expression and tumour mutation burden (TMB) help predict whether you're likely to respond to treatment.

How does immunotherapy work for lung cancer?

The immune system is your body's natural defence system, constantly looking out for anything harmful, like bacteria, viruses, or damaged cells. It recognises these threats by spotting foreign or dangerous markers (called antigens) on their surface, then targets and removes them.

Lung cancer cells, however, are particularly smart. Since they develop from your normal lung tissue, they carry many of the same markers as your healthy cells.

What's more, they've learnt to hide from your immune system by displaying proteins on their surface that make them appear harmless. This means your body's natural defences often can't recognise them as dangerous.

But, how does immunotherapy work for lung cancer?

Immunotherapy for lung cancer uses a combination of drugs to help your immune system spot and fight these hidden cancer cells. These drugs either boost immune activity or block the cancer's ability to avoid detection.

3 types of immunotherapy for lung cancer

Whether you're exploring immunotherapy for stage 4 lung cancer or early-stage disease, different types of treatments are currently available, and many are being actively researched. Now that you know how does immunotherapy work for lung cancer, let's figure out the types:

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Checkpoint inhibitors use drugs to block the proteins cancer cells use to hide from your immune system. The FDA has approved three main types of lung cancer treatment, each named after the protein they target:

PD-1 inhibitors (Opdivo, Keytruda, Libtayo): These block a protein called PD-1 on your immune cells. Cancer cells trick this protein into switching off your body's attack response. By blocking PD-1, these medicines allow your immune cells to stay active and fight the cancer.

PD-L1 inhibitors (Tecentriq, Imfinzi): These target PD-L1, a protein that cancer cells use to send "don't attack me" signals to your immune system. When blocked, your immune cells can spot and destroy the cancer.

CTLA-4 inhibitors (Yervoy): These block CTLA-4, another protein that slows down your immune response. By blocking CTLA-4 early in the immune process, these drugs empower your immune system to become more active in fighting cancer cells throughout your body.

Therapeutic vaccines

Another emerging treatment option is cancer vaccines. Unlike traditional vaccines that prevent lung cancer, these are known as therapeutic vaccines. They're designed to train the immune system to identify and respond to cancer-specific markers. Some are personalised to match the unique changes in your tumour, while others target proteins commonly found in cancer cells.

However, none are currently FDA-approved for lung cancer treatment, and most are still being studied in clinical trials.

Adoptive T cell therapy

Adoptive T cell lung cancer therapy, often called CAR-T cell therapy, reprograms your body's own defence cells to better respond to cancer. In this process, T cells (a type of white blood cell that protects your body) are collected from your bloodstream. They are then modified in the laboratory to target proteins found in lung cancer.

Once that's done, they're infused back into your body, where they can deliver a more targeted and effective immune response against the cancer. The collection happens through apheresis, a process that separates your white blood cells from the rest of your blood.

Currently, this therapy is being studied in clinical trials, and no CAR-T treatments are FDA-approved for lung cancer yet.

How is immune therapy different from other lung cancer treatments?

While radiation and chemotherapy for lung cancer directly kill cancer cells, immunotherapy works by activating your body's own immune system to fight the cancer.

Chemotherapy uses drugs that target rapidly dividing cells, which can also affect healthy cells, leading to side effects like hair loss, nausea, and fatigue. Radiation uses high-energy beams to destroy cancer in a specific area, but may also damage nearby healthy tissue.

Immunotherapy for lung cancer, on the other hand, doesn't destroy cancer directly; it simply removes the barriers that stop your immune system from targeting those tumour cells.

You might be wondering, "how successful is immunotherapy for lung cancer?" This approach is often used alongside other treatments like chemotherapy and have shown promising results.

In one major study, patients who received a combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy before surgery had encouraging long-term outcomes, with a majority still alive at the five-year mark.

Being prepared: Possible side effects of immunotherapy for lung cancer

Like most cancer treatments, side effects of immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer may last for a short time or longer. However, everyone responds differently, with some experiencing very mild effects, while others may have more significant reactions.

Here are the most common side effects of immunotherapy for lung cancer​:​

• Fatigue
• Cough
• Nausea
• Itching
• Skin rash
• Loss of appetite
• Stomach pain
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Joint, muscle or bone pain

Moreover, some people also notice an infusion reaction during treatment, which feels similar to an allergic response with symptoms like fever, chills, coughing, wheezing, rash, or itchy skin.

There are times when your immune system can also become overactive and mistakenly affect healthy parts of your body alongside the cancer cells. This autoimmune reaction most commonly affects organs like your liver, lungs, or kidneys.

What's important to remember is that your care team is there for you. Please tell them straightaway if you notice any unusual symptoms during immunotherapy for lung cancer. They can help manage whatever you're experiencing and ensure your treatment goes as smoothly as possible with minimal discomfort.

Wrapping it up on immunotherapy for lung cancer stage 3​

Whether immunotherapy for lung cancer is right for you depends on your biomarker results, overall health, and cancer type.

What matters most is staying informed and keeping open communication with your healthcare team. Ask questions about how the treatment will work, which medicines you'll receive, and what side effects you might experience beforehand.

With that understanding and knowing how successful is immunotherapy for lung cancer, you'll be better prepared for your treatment journey or that of someone you care about. You'll know how to balance your daily life with appointments and handle any challenges that arise.

With a reliable cancer care centre, you get more than just treatment support. In a place that feels like home, it makes your healing more personal and comforting.

FAQs on immunotherapy for lung cancer

1. How long does immunotherapy work for lung cancer?

The duration varies from person to person. Some patients respond for a few months, while others see benefits lasting two years or more, especially if the cancer is responsive and side effects are minimal. Treatment for immunotherapy for lung cancer may continue as long as it's effective and well-tolerated.

2. How successful is immunotherapy for lung cancer​?

Yes, clinical trials have shown that immunotherapy can significantly extend survival in certain patients with lung cancer. When diagnosed early and treated with the immunotherapy drug nivolumab, 80% of patients achieved five-year survival rates.

3. What are the side effects of immunotherapy for lung cancer?

Common side effects include fatigue, cough, skin rashes, and joint pain. In some cases, lung cancer patients may develop pneumonitis (lung inflammation), which can cause shortness of breath or chest discomfort and needs close monitoring. If you notice side effects of immunotherapy for lung cancer, consult your healthcare professional.

4. Do lung cancer patients live longer with immunotherapy?

You might have wondered, "how successful is immunotherapy for lung cancer?" Well, many patients respond well to immunotherapy, especially those with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It can significantly extend survival in eligible patients, with some living several years longer than with chemotherapy alone.