Treating cancer patients in the morning rather than the afternoon could see them survive for twice as long, new research suggests. Patients with skin or lung cancer, as well as some kidney cancers, were among those found to benefit the most from having immunotherapy at the start of the day rather than after lunch.
Immunotherapy works by helping the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. Those who had most of their treatments in the morning survived for more than twice as long as those mainly seen in the afternoon, the study found. The findings by researchers at The Christie, a cancer hospital in Manchester, were based on the analysis of 2,631 patients with advanced cancer.
The study’s senior author said the research shows there “appears to be a signal worth investigating further”, although it could not prove the improved survival figures were down to morning treatment.
Professor Paul Lorigan, who is also a consultant medical oncologist at The Christie, told The Telegraph: “Our findings suggest that patients receiving immunotherapy earlier in the day may have better outcomes than those receiving treatment later in the day. But this was a retrospective study, so we cannot conclude that timing alone is responsible.”
The scientists were investigating whether circadian rhythms can affect how the immune system functions and responds to treatment.
The NHS describes circadian rhythm as people’s internal body clock.
Patients with melanoma — the deadliest form of skin cancer — responded particularly well to morning treatment, the study found.
Those receiving their infusions early in the day survived for a median of 43.1 months, compared to 21.1 months among those mainly treated in the afternoon, The Telegraph reports.
While among lung cancer patients receiving atezolizumab or pembrolizumab, the median survival for those treated in the morning was 24.2 months.
For the afternoon group, the median survival was 11.8 months.
The study was based on patients being treated for different types of cancer between 2018 and 2023.
Scientists said there could be other explanations for the study’s findings.
For example, more unwell patients may need additional clinical checks prior to treatment, potentially leading to more afternoon appointments.
The researchers at The Christie are now seeking funding for prospective, randomised research with scientists at the University of Southampton and University of Cardiff.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
