Abscopal effect in a patient with metastatic NSCLC following a course of radiation therapy to the brain

Abstract

The abscopal effect was described more than 50 years ago and is a phenomenon in which radiation therapy promotes the regression of metastatic foci remote from the site of radiation. For decades, this effect has been described as a rare, unexplained phenomenon in patients receiving radiation therapy. Today, the abscopal effect is still an exceptional phenomenon: the mechanism underlying it is still not fully understood. It is believed that the abscopal effect is most likely associated with systemic immune responses that occur under the influence of radiation therapy.We present the case of a 63-year-old patient with advanced peripheral cancer of the upper lobe of the left lung, disease progression in the form of metastatic brain lesions and regression of tumor foci in the lungs after radiation therapy to the brain, while the patient did not receive additional treatment in the form of immunotherapy.The article examines the history of the abscopal effect, an attempt is made to understand the mechanisms of its occurrence, which can help to further improve the results of treatment of patients with NSCLC using radiation therapy and modern approaches to complex cancer treatment.