Dr. Morris on Lymphopenia as a Predictor of Survival in CRT-Treated NSCLC

John Morris, MD, professor of Medicine, co-director, Comprehensive Lung Cancer Center, associate director, UCCI Translational Research and Director, Experimental Therapeutics, University of Cincinnati, discusses lymphopenia as a predictor of survival in chemoradiation (CRT)-treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Previous data suggest that patients receiving high-dose radiation therapy in unresectable NSCLC have worse outcomes compared with standard dose. Researchers hypothesized that lymphopenia related to treatment and degree of lymphopenia from radiation dose could affect patient outcomes.

Morris discusses a study that examined this in patients with locoregionally advanced stage III NSCLC who were treated with chemotherapy and radiation. Results showed that patients with a depressed lymphocyte count that was maintained after treatment had poorer outcomes versus those with high lymphocyte counts. This suggests that suppression of the immune system is a marker of poorer outcomes, Morris says.