Nicolas Guibert, MD, PhD, of Toulouse University Hospital, discusses a simple algorithm built to predict durable outcomes of patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer that has been treated with immunotherapy. He notes that early changes in circulating tumor DNA burden may also predict...
Researchers hypothesized that targeting some genetic alterations in plasma cell–free DNA—along with early monitoring—could be an effective, noninvasive method for predicting response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Findings...
Researchers reported similar efficacy and safety with an every-4-week regimen of nivolumab in the second-line setting compared to an every-2-week schedule in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Edward B. Garon, MD, and colleagues presented the results of an interim analysis of...
The proportion of early-stage drug trials tackling the most common tumor types has declined sharply since the early 1990s, as less common cancers receive increasing attention in trials, according to new research presented by Sato et al at the TAT 2019–International Congress on Targeted...
Over the past week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted multiple Priority Reviews and accepted a supplemental new drug application: Priority Review for Entrectinib in NTRK Fusion–Positive Solid Tumors and Metastatic, ROS1-Positive NSCLC This week, the FDA accepted new drug...
Results from a study published by Cykert et al in Cancer Medicine showed that a pragmatic system-based intervention within cancer treatment centers may eliminate existing disparities in treatment and outcomes for black patients with early-stage lung cancer. “These results show ...
Squamous cell carcinoma of the lung represents approximately one-quarter (26.4%) of all lung cancers diagnosed in Appalachian Kentucky, where death from lung cancer is higher than the national average. Researchers sought to characterize genetic alterations specifically found in lung squamous cell...
The Lung Cancer Master Protocol (Lung-MAP), the first precision medicine trial in lung cancer supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), is undergoing a major expansion to include patients with all non–small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). The trial previously tested treatments for people ...
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval for a new indication for pemetrexed (Alimta) for injection in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and platinum chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic nonsquamous non–small cell...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted the following application, designations, and clearance: sBLA for Atezolizumab Plus Chemotherapy for First-Line Treatment of Metastatic, Nonsquamous NSCLC On January 17, the FDA accepted a supplemental biologics license application...
Treatment with nivolumab (Opdivo) did not improve response rates or survival over standard chemotherapy in patients with metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC) who relapsed following first-line treatment, according to findings presented by Reck et al at the European Society for Medical...
Overall survival (OS) was improved across all subgroups of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received atezolizumab (Tecentriq) compared with chemotherapy, including poor prognostic factors that were evaluated in an analysis of data from the OAK trial. Additionally, this...
First-line immunotherapy with durvalumab (Imfinzi) or the combination of durvalumab and tremelimumab does not improve overall survival in unselected patients with lung cancer, according to late-breaking results from the MYSTIC trial presented by Rizvi et al at the European Society for Medical...
Patients with previously treated, advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received pembrolizumab (Keytruda) showed significantly longer overall survival (OS) compared to those treated with docetaxel, Herbst et al reported at the ESMO Immuno-Oncology Congress 2018 in Geneva,...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued the following new approvals and designations: Priority Review for Atezolizumab in Combination With Chemotherapy for the Initial Treatment of Extensive-Stage SCLC The FDA accepted a supplemental biologics license application...
On December 6, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in combination with bevacizumab (Avastin), paclitaxel, and carboplatin for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic, nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with no EGFR or...
Elderly patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) showed similar survival and toxicity compared to younger patients when treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. These study findings were published by Christodoulou et al in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. SCLC constitutes ...
Patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving treatment at academic centers have an increased 2-year survival compared to patients treated at community-based centers, according to findings published by Ramalingam et al in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. An...
On November 2, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to lorlatinib (Lorbrena) for patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)–positive metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease has progressed on crizotinib (Xalkori) and at least...
Neoadjuvant erlotinib (Tarceva) benefits selected patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who undergo complete resection of stage IIIA-N2 disease, according to a randomized study comparing erlotinib with gemcitabine plus cisplatin as...
On October 30, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in combination with carboplatin and either paclitaxel or nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab)-paclitaxel (Abraxane) as first-line treatment of metastatic squamous non–small cell lung...
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) recently issued a statement on lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (CT) based on the results of the Dutch-Belgian NELSON lung cancer screening trial presented at the IASLC 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer...
Adding radiation therapy or surgery to systemic therapy for patients with stage IV lung cancer whose cancer has spread to a limited number of sites can significantly extend overall survival, according to new results from a multicenter, randomized, controlled phase II study. The findings were...
David Raben, MD, of the University of Colorado, discusses overall survival with durvalumab vs placebo after chemoradiotherapy in stage III non–small cell lung cancer (Abstract LBA10).
Daniel R. Gomez, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the final results of a phase II study on local consolidative therapy, which improved overall survival compared with maintenance therapy and observation in oligometastatic non–small cell lung cancer (Abstract LBA3).
Tony Mok, MD, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, discusses two important studies in non–small cell lung cancer: FLAURA, which looked at the first-line activity of osimertinib and the mechanisms of resistance; and ALESIA, which examined crizotinib dosing.
Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD, of the Emory University School of Medicine, summarizes the top-line lung cancer results reported at this year’s ESMO Congress, including the role of targeted treatment for early stage NSCLC, combining immunotherapy for surgically resectable disease, and immunotherapy for...
Johan F. Vansteenkiste, MD, PhD, of Catholic University Leuven, summarizes a session he co-chaired that included discussion of translating advances in stage IV disease to nonmetastatic lung cancer, TKI approaches in early-stage disease, and integrating immunotherapy and TKIs in stage III disease...
Martin Reck, MD, PhD, of the LungenClinic, discusses recent updates on biomarkers beyond PD-L1 expression; mechanisms and management of resistance; as well as combinations and novel approaches in lung cancer.
In a study reported in the Journal of Oncology Practice, Mrad et al found an increase in the proportion of patients with stage IV lung cancer admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) during terminal hospitalization between 1998 and 2014. A large increase in palliative care contacts also occurred,...
A study from the Thoracic Oncology Research Group (TORG), Division of Pulmonary Critical Care, Medical University of South Carolina, aimed to examine the adherence to annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening after baseline LDCT within the Veteran Health Administration Lung Cancer...
Patients treated with more invasive surgical techniques for early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are more likely to become chronic opioid users than patients treated with minimally invasive surgery, highlighting the need for additional research into how pain management after surgery ...
Thermal ablation is a safe, effective treatment for early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with comparable results to traditional stereotactic radiotherapy, according to a study published by Uhlig et al in the journal Radiology. The results show that ablation may be an effective ...
A recent review of patient-caregiver communities focused on non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with genomic alterations showed that these groups are improving outcomes by supporting patients and caregivers, increasing awareness and education, and accelerating research. Patient advocate Janet...
A study has demonstrated that using involved-field radiotherapy (IFRT) and irradiating postchemotherapy residual primary tumor volume for limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) did not result in increased recurrence of the cancer. Xiao Hu, MD, PhD, of the Department of Thoracic Radiotherapy,...
Women diagnosed with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) live longer than their male counterparts, according to the results of a SWOG study presented by Kathy Albain, MD, the Huizenga Family Endowed Chair in Oncology Research at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, at the...
Study findings demonstrated that comprehensive genetic profiling is a useful tool in directing patient care, identifying targeted therapies, and enrolling patients in clinical trials. Kimberly Rohan, MS, APN, AOCNP®, a nurse practitioner at the Edward Cancer Center in Naperville, Illinois,...
Findings presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) showed poziotinib demonstrates clinical activity among patients with stage IV NSCLC with genetic mutations that have previously not responded to treatment....
On September 27, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved dacomitinib tablets (Vizimpro) for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletion or exon 21 L858R substitution...
A recent study found that smoking cessation services offered at the time of lung cancer screening had a high acceptance rate by current smokers. William Evans, MD, FRCPC, Professor Emeritus, McMaster University Department of Oncology, and clinical advisor, Smoking Cessation, Cancer Care Ontario,...
Findings from a recent study demonstrate that female patients with lung cancer who have never smoked have significantly greater exposure rates to outdoor air pollution than female patients with lung cancer who have a history of smoking. Renelle L. Myers, MD, FRCPC, of the British Columbia Cancer...
Findings from the IMpower132 trial demonstrate that the use of the programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor atezolizumab in combination with carboplatin plus pemetrexed as first-line therapy and pemetrexed as maintenance therapy improved progression-free survival in patients with stage IV...
Findings from the NELSON study demonstrate that the use of computed tomography (CT) screening among asymptomatic men at high risk for lung cancer led to a 26% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 9%–41%) reduction in lung cancer deaths at 10 years of study follow-up (at 86% compliance). In the...
Findings from a recent study demonstrate that the triple angiokinase inhibitor nintedanib combined with standard-of-care pemetrexed (Alimta)/cisplatin does not impact progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma with...
Findings from the IMpower 133 trial demonstrate that adding the anti–programmed cell death ligand 1 antibody atezolizumab (Tecentriq) to standard first-line therapy with carboplatin and etoposide prolonged overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Priority Review to a new supplemental biologics license application (sBLA) seeking approval for pembrolizumab (Keytruda) as monotherapy for first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic nonsquamous or squamous non–small cell lung...
Survey results released by the Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) show that general awareness about lung cancer has improved significantly over the past decade, with 94% of the public reporting familiarity with lung cancer. Despite this change in overall perspective, findings also indicate that lung cancer ...
A new study suggests chemotherapy may cause acute amenorrhea, leading to early menopause in women with lung cancer. The study is the first to comment on amenorrhea rates in women younger than 50, concluding that women with lung cancer who desire future fertility should be educated about risks and...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to LOXO-292, a selective RET inhibitor, for: the treatment of patients with metastatic RET fusion–positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who require systemic therapy and have had...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2 as a companion diagnostic test with gefitinib (Iressa) for the first-line treatment of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A companion diagnostic test provides information that is...