Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Thoracic Malignant Tumors
A special issue of Medicina (ISSN 1648-9144). This special issue belongs to the section "Oncology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026
Special Issue Editor
Interests: thoracic oncology; lung cancer; immunotherapy; chemotherapy; medical oncology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the therapeutic landscape for thoracic malignancies, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and pleural mesothelioma (PM). Since the approval of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies, these agents have become central to treatment strategies across multiple lines of therapy, reshaping clinical practice and improving long-term survival in select patient populations. Despite this progress, numerous challenges remain, including primary and acquired resistance, predictive biomarkers, optimal treatment duration, and efficacy in rare thoracic tumors.
This special issue aims to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the role of ICIs in thoracic cancers, highlighting advances in clinical trials, translational research, biomarker development, and combination strategies with chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or radiation. We also welcome studies addressing real-world data, toxicity management, histological and molecular subtypes, and regional practice patterns.
We invite original research articles, reviews, and brief communications covering basic, translational, and clinical aspects of ICI therapy in thoracic oncology. Innovative perspectives and interdisciplinary approaches are highly encouraged. Through this issue, we hope to stimulate further discussion and collaboration in this rapidly evolving field.
Dr. Hisao Imai
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Medicina is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- immune checkpoint inhibitors
- thoracic malignancies
- non-small cell lung cancer
- small cell lung cancer
- malignant pleural mesothelioma
- PD-1/PD-L1 blockade
- combination immunotherapy
- biomarkers
- tumor microenvironment
- resistance mechanisms
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
