Infosalus.- Immunotherapy or targeted therapies are associated with a lower risk of a second cancer in lung cancer survivors

Smoking after overcoming lung cancer significantly increases the risk of a second tumor

MADRID, 13 (EUROPA PRESS)

Patients with lung cancer treated with immunotherapy and targeted therapy had a significantly lower incidence of developing second primary cancers, according to a study led by the Spanish Lung Cancer Group (GECP), which also indicates that patients with a history of previous smoking had a 60% higher risk of developing a second tumor and those who continued smoking also showed a significantly elevated risk.

The study, which was published this Wednesday in 'The Lancet', is committed to strengthening oncological follow-up and promoting interventions to address modifiable risk factors, which is essential to optimize long-term results in lung cancer survivors.

This work, one of the largest carried out in Europe, is based on data from the Spanish Registry of Thoracic Tumors (RTT) of the GECP and includes an analysis of 20,574 patients diagnosed with lung cancer between August 2016 and March 2023. All participants had overcome the initial lung tumor and were under active follow-up.

As explained by Dr. Mariano Provencio, president of the GECP and lead author of the study, “thanks to advances in the treatment of lung cancer, more patients survive, but, when receiving treatment, they also face the risk of developing a second primary tumor, a rare complication but one that is becoming more relevant as survival rates increase.”

IMMUNOTHERAPY WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A 53% REDUCTION

GECP researchers followed patients for an average period of three years (41.2 months). In this period, the appearance of a second primary cancer was detected in 480 patients, which represents 2.3% of the total analyzed. The incidence was higher among those who had received chemotherapy, with 2.9% of cases, compared to 2.1% recorded in patients treated with immunotherapy and 1.5% in those who received targeted therapies.

The statistical analysis also found that immunotherapy was associated with a 53% reduction in the risk of developing a second tumor, while targeted therapies reduced it by 30%. “Without a doubt, these results point to a possible significant advantage of the most innovative treatments in terms of long-term prevention,” explains Dr. Provencio.

“WE MAKE OUR PATIENTS SURVIVE LONGER”

The study also identified other factors that influence the appearance of a second cancer. Among them, smoking stands out: patients with a history of tobacco consumption had a 60% higher risk and those who continued smoking during follow-up also showed a significant increase in risk.

For Dr. Mariano Provencio, this study reveals a paradoxical effect: "It is, perhaps, the price of success. We achieve that our patients survive longer, but we face long-term effects. This tells us that we must improve the follow-up of these patients over time and act on modifiable risk factors such as tobacco, promoting cessation."

For GECP researchers, these findings should be incorporated into future clinical strategies and follow-up programs for lung cancer survivors, an increasingly large group of patients thanks to therapeutic advances.