Immunotherapy vs Chemotherapy: Why PD-1 Therapy Is Transforming Cancer Treatment?

It can form “immune memory”, continuously monitoring tumor recurrence

Essence: Precisely mobilizing the body’s immune system for long-term combat

This approach does not directly damage normal cells, but instead reactivates the body’s own “anti-cancer defenders,” enabling specific and durable tumor elimination.

II. Efficacy Differences: Short-term Control vs Long-term Survival

Efficacy is the core standard for evaluating treatment value. Chemotherapy and PD-1 therapy show a clear contrast between “short-term control” and “long-term benefit.”

Chemotherapy focuses on short-term tumor shrinkage. For most advanced cancer patients, it can:

●  Inhibit tumor growth

●  Reduce tumor size

●  Relieve symptoms such as pain and obstruction

●  Prolong survival

However, these effects are often temporary. Many patients develop resistance within months, leading to tumor progression. In addition, chemotherapy has limited effectiveness in certain cancers (such as renal cell carcinoma and melanoma) and struggles to overcome the treatment bottleneck of advanced disease, where 5-year survival rates remain low.

PD-1 therapy, on the other hand, has brought a revolutionary breakthrough in long-term survival.

First, it has a broader application scope. As an “immune-targeted therapy,” PD-1 treatment is not restricted by tumor type and has been approved for dozens of cancers, including lung cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer, melanoma, and lymphoma.

Second, its efficacy is more durable. The “immune memory” formed by activated immune cells is key to long-term benefit. Clinical data show that in advanced non-small cell lung cancer, the 5-year survival rate has increased from about 5% with chemotherapy to over 20% with PD-1 therapy. In melanoma, the 5-year survival rate exceeds 50%, with some patients achieving “clinical cure.”

Third, its efficacy is more predictable. Biomarkers such as PD-L1 expression, MSI-H/dMMR, and TMB can help identify patients more likely to respond, avoiding ineffective treatment and improving efficiency.

III. Trend: From “Opposition” to “Combination”

With deeper clinical research, it has become clear that chemotherapy and PD-1 immunotherapy are not mutually exclusive, but rather complementary, forming a “1+1 > 2” synergistic effect. Combination therapy has become the mainstream trend in cancer treatment.

The synergy works as follows:

●  On one hand, chemotherapy kills part of the tumor cells, releases tumor antigens, and modifies the tumor microenvironment, converting “cold tumors” into “hot tumors,” thereby enhancing sensitivity to PD-1 therapy.

●  On the other hand, PD-1 therapy activates the immune system, compensates for chemotherapy-induced immune suppression, and may help reverse resistance.

Currently, PD-1 combined with chemotherapy has become a first-line standard for multiple advanced cancers. Clinical data show significantly improved outcomes compared to monotherapy.

For example, in advanced non-small cell lung cancer, gastric cancer, and esophageal cancer, PD-1 plus chemotherapy can:

●  Extend median survival by 30%–50%

●  Increase objective response rates to 50%–70%

Beyond chemotherapy, PD-1 therapy is also being combined with targeted therapies, ADC drugs, and bispecific antibodies to create more precise treatment strategies. For instance:

●  PD-1 + PARP inhibitors for BRCA-mutated pancreatic cancer

●  PD-1 + TROP2-ADC for improved first-line lung cancer treatment

This “precision combination” approach overcomes the limitations of single therapies and expands treatment boundaries, driving cancer care toward personalization and precision.

IV. Conclusion

The significance of PD-1 therapy goes far beyond the emergence of a new drug; it represents a fundamental transformation in cancer treatment paradigms.

It shifts the focus from a “tumor-centered” approach to an “immune system-centered” strategy; from short-term tumor shrinkage to long-term survival benefits; and from single-modality treatment to multi-modal combination therapy.

In this process, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors have become first-line standards across multiple cancers and continue to expand into early-stage and adjuvant settings.

At the same time, as global demand for immunotherapy continues to grow, ensuring stable, efficient, and compliant drug supply has become a key concern for healthcare providers and procurement stakeholders.

DengYueMed, leveraging its global channel resources and professional service capabilities, provides access to a wide range of innovative oncology therapies, including PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, helping bridge advanced treatments with clinical needs.