Immunotherapy targets cancer by boosting the immune system’s response to malignant cells. Credit: Garo/Phanie/Science Photo Library Improving survival with immunotherapy Even after a lung tumour has been surgically removed, many patients relapse. Immunotherapy is being explored as a way to reduce the risk of relapse. Previous trials have shown that immunotherapy given before surgery can drastically shrink tumours, but long-term studies are needed to determine whether this strategy also results in fewer cases of relapse. Nature Outlook: Lung cancer A phase III trial led by Patrick Forde at Trinity College Dublin begins to fill that gap. The team recruited 358 people with non-small cell lung cancer — the most common form of the disease — whose tumours were surgically removable. Each person was randomly assigned to receive chemotherapy alone or in combination with the immunotherapy nivolumab. After treatment, all patients underwent surgery.…