A study shows that advanced lung cancer patients receiving immunochemotherapy earlier in the day survive longer. A Hong Kong medical expert says the discovery opens possibilities for optimal treatment times, though more research is needed. The research was led by academics from Hunan Cancer Hospital in mainland China and supported by the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s faculty of medicine.
Patients with advanced lung cancer who receive immunochemotherapy earlier in the day survive longer, a study has found. The research, targeting non-small cell lung cancer, compared treatments at different times and showed that administration before 3pm nearly doubled the progression-free survival—from the start of treatment until the disease worsens—and increased median overall survival by almost 70 per cent.
This first randomised study demonstrating the difference between morning and afternoon infusions was led by academics from Hunan Cancer Hospital in mainland China, supported by the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s faculty of medicine, and published in Nature Medicine. Professor Tony Mok Shu-kam, chairman of the department of clinical oncology at the Chinese University and co-corresponding author, said on Friday: “The findings are highly encouraging as a simple adjustment to the timing of treatment may enhance therapeutic efficacy and improve survival at no additional cost to the patient or healthcare system.”
Professor Mok emphasised that while the results are promising, more research is needed to confirm and implement this timing optimisation. The discovery offers new hope for lung cancer treatment, particularly as immunotherapy gains prominence.
