South Korean medical advancements in cancer immunotherapy prediction

Researchers at Ajou University Hospital have developed a new AI-based imaging biomarker to predict the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy. By analyzing pre-treatment CT scans, the team created a ‘Vascular Risk Score’ (VRS) that quantifies the deformation of blood vessels around a tumor compared to normal lung vessels. A study of 321 patients showed that those with lower VRS values—indicating less vascular deformation—experienced longer periods without cancer progression and significantly longer survival rates.

Separately, South Korea's Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service has expanded the scope of health insurance coverage for tests used to predict immunotherapy responses in gastric cancer patients. The revised criteria now include tests for patients with inoperable HER2-negative locally advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma when using pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy. This expansion follows existing coverage for certain lung and head and neck cancers.