At the World Conference on Lung Cancer, Dr. Jorge Gomez, MD from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York presented new data on how people with lung cancer respond to vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. The presentation was on behalf of a research consortium headed by Dr. Fred R Hirsch, MD, PhD and Dr. Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, PhD from Mount Sinai which also includes University of Texas Southwestern, University of Colorado, University of Maryland, Vanderbilt University, and GO2 for Lung Cancer. This work was funded by the National Cancer Institute’s SeroNet Initiative.

Dr. Gomez presented early results from the first 111 patients on a clinical trial studying response to vaccination by measuring antibodies in the blood. He showed that most people with lung cancer who were fully vaccinated (14+ days after the last vaccine shot) had a good immune response that was similar to the response in people without lung cancer. The majority of the people in the trial had received the Pfizer vaccine (67%) but the Moderna vaccine was also common (31%). This is good news for the lung cancer community as it confirms that most people who have been vaccinated should have adequate protection.

Unfortunately, there was a smaller group of people with lung cancer who had a low titer (or amount) of antibodies compared to healthy people who were vaccinated. These are people who primarily might benefit the most from a booster vaccination. However, it is still too early to report on the duration of antibody response in general for all the people with lung cancer, which is a part of this longitudinal study.

At this early timepoint, no significant difference in antibody level was found based on the person’s sex, smoking status, age, or therapy.  The study continues to enroll more patients, with new sites opening outside of New York, including at GO2 for Lung Cancer Centers of Excellence, to learn more about the characteristics of people who do not have a strong immune response.  In addition, a trial is in development to study the effect of booster shots in these people.

These results underscore the importance of vaccination for people who have been diagnosed with lung cancer. We highly encourage everyone who has been diagnosed to get vaccinated. Patients who have already been vaccinated should discuss with their doctor if a booster shot is right for them. Currently, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend a booster if the patient has received therapy for a solid tumor (such as lung cancer) within one year of receiving their initial vaccine.