New immunotherapy treatments are currently revolutionising the field of oncology – there are now a number of different drugs used to stimulate the immune system to attack a variety of cancer types. This review gives a basic overview of the immune response against cancer, in addition to the interaction of radiotherapy with the immune system and the different immunotherapy drugs used to treat cancer. Recently, it was noticed that radiotherapy and immunotherapy together can lead to a more effective anti-tumour response compared to when each treatment is given alone, and the interaction between radiotherapy and the immune system has become a new area of research for the treatment of cancer. This review gives an overview of the new strategy combining radiotherapy with immunotherapy, including the next steps required to bring this new approach into general clinical practice. 

Read the full review in the British Journal of Radiology here