Patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer may achieve longer survival rates when receiving immunotherapy earlier in the day. A study published in the journal Cancer highlights that administering anticancer immunotherapy before 3:00 PM significantly improves both progression-free survival and overall survival in patients.
The research, conducted at the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine at Central South University in China, analyzed data from 397 patients who received immunotherapy drugs atezolizumab or durvalumab in conjunction with chemotherapy between May 2019 and October 2023. The findings suggest that the body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, influences the effectiveness of medications based on the time of administration.
The study’s results indicate that patients treated before 3:00 PM experienced a remarkable decrease in the risk of cancer progression. Specifically, those who received treatment at this earlier time had a 52% lower risk of disease progression and a 63% lower risk of death compared to those treated later in the day.
Yongchang Zhang, MD, the senior author of the study, stated, “Adjusting infusion timing is a straightforward and easily implementable intervention that can be adopted across diverse health care settings without additional cost.” He emphasized that this research has immediate clinical applicability and could significantly alter current treatment protocols for small cell lung cancer.
The implications of this study extend beyond theoretical interest; they present a practical approach to enhancing patient outcomes through simple adjustments in treatment timing. The correlation between time of day and treatment efficacy underscores the importance of considering biological rhythms in cancer care.
As healthcare providers seek optimal strategies to improve patient survival, the findings from this study could pave the way for new guidelines and protocols that incorporate circadian timing into treatment plans.
The research adds to the growing body of evidence emphasizing the role of biological timing in medicine, suggesting that what may seem like a minor adjustment in administration timing could lead to substantial benefits for patients battling cancer.
For further details, the study is published in Cancer under the title “Overall survival according to time-of-day of immunochemotherapy for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.” The findings are expected to spark discussions within the medical community regarding the integration of time-based strategies in cancer treatment.
