Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy increases survival rates in kidney cancer, but does not work for everyone. A Leuven research team developed a new method to predict which patients will benefit from it. Their study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, also opens new avenues to even more effective treatments.

A remarkable study describes the first known case of a baby that developed serious side effects after the mother received immunotherapy during pregnancy. Doctors stress that the choice for immunotherapy in pregnant women needs to be carefully considered and that babies need close and long-term follow-up after birth.

By investigating the immunological environment of various cancers and comparing these with patient data, researchers were able to identify a number of crucial T-cell markers that can predict the response on to immunotherapy.