Radiation-induced lymphopenia during chemoradiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer is linked with age, lung V5, and XRCC1 rs25487 genotype in lymphocytes

Radiation-induced lymphopenia during chemoradiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer is linked with age, lung V5, and XRCC1 rs25487 genotype in lymphocytes: Low absolute lymphocyte counts (ALCs) during therapy have been linked not only with the risk of opportunistic infections (e.g. radiation-induced pneumonia) [1,2] but also with worse survival in patients receiving radiation therapy [3–9]. Moreover, the emergence of immunotherapy has greatly improved outcomes in some patients with lung cancer and has become a treatment option in major guidelines. Lymphocytes have crucial roles in cancer immunity, and severe lymphopenia resulting from current standard chemoradiation therapy regimens could undermine the antitumor effects of checkpoint inhibitors and other immune-modulating agents [10].