Immunotherapy has changed the way we treat cancer, but not all patients show responses. Dr. Simon Bernatz from Mass General Brigham highlights that existing biomarkers usually focus on tumor traits, often ignoring the patient’s immune function.
A recent study examined the potential role of thymic health in immunotherapy responses. By analyzing CT scans from nearly 3,500 patients, researchers used an AI tool to evaluate the size and structure of the thymus, a gland crucial for T-cell development. They aimed to see how thymic health correlated with patient outcomes.
The findings were promising. Patients with better thymic health had a 35% lower risk of cancer progression and a 44% lower risk of death, particularly among those with non-small cell lung cancer. Similar trends were observed in patients with melanoma, renal, and breast cancers.
Researchers also sequenced T-cell receptors in a subgroup of 464 patients. This analysis showed that T-cell function aligned with thymic health scores derived from the AI tool, reinforcing its validity.
Dr. Bernatz notes that since immunotherapy works by activating T cells, thymic health is vital for successful treatment. He believes it could serve as a non-invasive biomarker to enhance patient selection in precision oncology.
However, Dr. Alessandra Curioni-Fontecedro from the University of Fribourg, who wasn’t involved in the study, cautioned about needing further validation. She emphasized the importance of new biomarkers in lung cancer, pointing out the need for better tools to guide treatment decisions.
The study opens up exciting avenues. As cancer treatments evolve, understanding the immune system could be key to improving outcomes for patients. For more insights, you can check the news release published by the European Society for Medical Oncology on October 16, 2025.
