Research advances in radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy for cancer

Radiotherapy not only acts as an important local treatment of cancer, but also plays a key role in regulation of immune function. Radiotherapy regulates anti-tumor immune responses by promoting the generation of neoantigens, regulating the release of cytokine, and enhancing the sensitivity of tumor to cell-mediated immunity. Recently, several studies and clinical practice reported the abscopal effect in some patients undergoing radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy, which showed partial or complete response of metastases outside the irradiation field, suggesting the combination therapy as a promising strategy. However, further studies are needed for the understanding of the mechanism and influencing factors for immunity such as radiation dose and fractionation scheme. This paper reviews the research advances in the mechanism of radiotherapy-immunotherapy interaction and the combination therapy for cancer. Key words: Neoplasms/radiotherapy; Neoplasms/immunotherapy; Progress