Immunotherapy for lung cancer

Immunotherapy is a conceptually attractive approach, because it is highly specific and can deal with disseminated disease with minimal impact on normal tissues. Ability to induce antigen-specific immune responses in patients with lung cancer is now well established in early-phase clinical trials using a variety of immunotherapeutic approaches. Although no immunotherapy is likely to be a panacea, randomized phase IIB studies offer promise of therapeutic activity in both early- and late-stage lung cancer. This review will cover basic concepts of immunotherapy, provide perspective on vaccine development, and update the status of ongoing clinical trials in lung cancer.