Immunotherapy as a treatment option for lung cancer in productive-age individuals

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Senior medical oncology consultant from Parkway Cancer Centre (PCC) Singapore, Dr. Tanujaa Rajasekaran, said that lung cancer treatment with an immunotherapy approach is becoming an option to significantly improve survival rates, especially for those in their productive years.

“Personalised treatment allows us to choose therapies that are more effective and more tolerable, especially for patients in their productive years who have to balance treatment with family and work responsibilities,” said Dr. Tanujaa in a discussion entitled “Shifting Demographics of Cancer in Indonesia: Lung Cancer in Productive Age” in Jakarta, Thursday.

Lung cancer is no longer synonymous with the elderly or heavy smokers. Currently, more and more doctors are diagnosing the disease in individuals aged 30 to 40, including those who are not smokers and consider themselves healthy and active.

Tanujaa said that treatment with immunotherapy can be applied to lung cancer patients by utilising the immune system to activate white blood cells to recognise and attack cancer cells.

In her experience, this therapy can be given to lung cancer patients aged 30-50 years, both men and women, with active smokers and those who do not smoke at all.

Immunotherapy is a therapy that can improve patient survival with treatment for about one year for early-stage 1-3 cancers, while for patients with stage 4 cancer that has metastasised or spread, immunotherapy is usually given for a long time, even for life.

“If we are talking about stage 4 or metastatic cancer, usually immunotherapy is for the long term, as long as this cancer responds. If this cancer responds, we will continue it in the long term. If it has stopped giving a response, it is usually replaced with other drugs,” said Tanujaa.

Patients with lung cancer who undergo an immunotherapy approach usually show signs of improvement in the cancer after about 6-8 weeks, weight gain, and reduced coughing, which is one of the common symptoms of lung cancer.

Even while undergoing immunotherapy, patients can still carry out their activities and continue their responsibilities in their families.