Open AccessExtracranial abscopal effect induced by combining immunotherapy with brain radiotherapy in a patient with lung adenocarcinoma: A case report and literature review
Author(s) -
Lin Xinqing,
Lu Tingting,
Xie Zhanhong,
Qin Yinyin,
Liu Ming,
Xie Xiaohong,
Li Shiyue,
Zhou Chengzhi
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
thoracic cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1759-7714
pISSN - 1759-7706
DOI - 10.1111/1759-7714.13048
Subject(s) - abscopal effect , medicine , radiation therapy , immunotherapy , brain metastasis , atezolizumab , immunogenicity , adenocarcinoma , lung cancer , lesion , lung , oncology , radiology , immune system , metastasis , pathology , cancer , immunology , nivolumab
An extracranial abscopal effect induced by brain radiotherapy is particularly unusual because of the brain's distinctive immune microenvironment. We report a case of an extracranial abscopal effect in a 71‐year‐old male patient with lung adenocarcinoma treated with atezolizumab and later combined with brain radiation for brain metastasis. The subsequent abscopal effect first manifested as pseudoprogression of the primary lesion in the lung before remission was confirmed. This case suggests that immunotherapy increases the chance of an abscopal effect occurring after radiation therapy for brain metastases in patients with primary tumors with low immunogenicity.