Overview
- The peer-reviewed analysis tracked nearly 1,000 patients on checkpoint inhibitors and found longer survival when a Pfizer or Moderna shot was given within 100 days of treatment initiation.
- Vaccinated patients had a median overall survival of 37.3 months versus 20.6 months, with three-year survival rates of 55.7% versus 30.8%.
- Benefits were observed in advanced lung cancer and melanoma, with many melanoma patients still alive at analysis cut-off, preventing calculation of a median.
- Non‑mRNA vaccines such as standard flu and pneumonia shots did not show a similar survival association.
- Investigators from the University of Florida and MD Anderson emphasized the observational design, disclosed some industry ties, and outlined plans for larger, more rigorous trials.