Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide due to limited treatment options for patients. The current and standard treatment with chemotherapy only has modest benefits.

A new study led by Leena Gandhi, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine and director of the thoracic medical oncology program at Perlmutter Cancer Center, shows that combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy in treating lung cancer is more effective than chemotherapy alone.

Physicians nationwide are stunned by the dramatic results. “I think we were all surprised at the magnitude of benefit and how clear the difference was,” Dr. Gandhi tells The New York Times. “It represents a sea change in the way we think about treating lung cancer.”

Although there are more patients that need to be helped, Dr. Gandhi is hopeful that there is much more to come. “All of it is better than what we’ve been using for years,” Dr. Gandhi adds. “Going forward, it will only get better.”

Read more from The New York Times.