Studies find new ways to use immune-boosting lung cancer drugs

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Doctors have found new ways to use some immune-boosting drugs to fight lung cancer.

It's called immunotherapy. Doctors have been using Keytruda and Opdivo for several years treating lung cancer. Many times, they give it after chemotherapy has failed. But now, they're finding if you change the timing, you can get better results.

In one study, adding Keytruda to standard chemotherapy cut the risk of death in half for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. That combo could soon become a routine treatment.

In a second study, doctors found that giving Opdivo to advanced lung cancer patients before surgery helped shrink tumors and kill cancer cells.

The two drugs help jump-start the immune system to attack cancer.

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