Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the Netherlands. For years chemotherapy was the only (palliative) treatment, with a short survival of only months. Since the introduction of... Show moreLung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the Netherlands. For years chemotherapy was the only (palliative) treatment, with a short survival of only months. Since the introduction of immunotherapy in 2015, this survival has increased significantly, with the first results showing a survival of even a few years. However, the response rate is relatively low, the treatment is expensive and the (low percentage of) side effects are severe. Therefore a biomarker is needed to predict which patients would benefit of immunotherapy.This thesis is about the search for a new biomarker. With the use of the RNA of platelets, proteins, tumor markers in blood and a an electronic nose for exhaled breath, we tried to find a non-invasive biomarker for the prediction of response on immunotherapy and for the (future) use in clinical practice, some of which are promising. Show less
