Dr. Suresh S. Ramalingam on Optimizing Immunotherapies in Lung Cancer

Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD, professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology, assistant dean for Cancer Research, Emory University School of Medicine, deputy director, Winship Cancer Institute, discusses ways to improve upon immunotherapies in lung cancer.

Finding more effective biomarkers that will help oncologists understand which patients will benefit from checkpoint inhibition is one way to further optimize the use of immunotherapies in lung cancer. There is a lot of work being done in this area, says Ramalingam.

Looking beyond biomarkers, combination approaches offer another way to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapies in lung cancer. There are multiple approaches that could be taken, including combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy, radiation, and other immune-active agents, Ramalingam says.