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Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Durvalumab Takes a Giant Leap Into Stage III NSCLC

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have had a dramatic impact on survival for patients with stage IV non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with whispers that a cure might be achieved in a subset of patients. In typical fashion, active new agents are evaluated in earlier stages of disease. Stage III NSCLC...

Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer

ASCO Endorsement of ASTRO Guideline on Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for NSCLC Highlights Shared Patient Decision-Making

As reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post, a recent ASCO panel, chaired by Bryan Schneider, MD, and Brendon Stiles, MD, has provided an endorsement of a recently published guideline on the use of stereotactic body radiotherapy for non–small cell lung cancer.1 The original guideline,2 developed and ...

Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer

ASCO Endorses ASTRO Guideline on Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Early-Stage NSCLC

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Bryan J. Schneider, MD, of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and colleagues, ASCO has endorsed the recently released American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) evidence-based guideline on stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in early...

Lung Cancer

Ceritinib in ALK-Positive Metastatic Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

 On May 26, 2017, ceritinib (Zykadia) was granted regular approval for treatment of patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors are anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive as detected by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved test.1,2 In 2014, the drug received ...

lung cancer
issues in oncology

Barriers to Treatment in Limited-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Pezzi et al found that lack of health insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid, was associated with not receiving combined-modality therapy in limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). They also found that lack of insurance was associated with poorer...

lung cancer
immunotherapy

Improved Overall and Progression-Free Survival With First-Line Pembrolizumab in Combination With Pemetrexed and Cisplatin or Carboplatin in NSCLC

The phase III KEYNOTE-189 trial—investigating pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in combination with pemetrexed (Alimta) and cisplatin or carboplatin for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)—met its dual primary endpoints of...

lung cancer

FDA Approves Afatinib for Previously Untreated, Metastatic NSCLC With Other Nonresistant EGFR Mutations

On January 12, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval to afatinib (Gilotrif) for a broadened indication in first-line treatment of patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have nonresistant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)...

lung cancer
issues in oncology

Study Finds Adolescents Using Alternative Tobacco Products Are More Likely to Smoke 1 Year Later

Nonsmoking adolescents who use e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, or tobacco water pipes are more likely to start smoking conventional cigarettes within a year, according to new research by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Findings were published by Watkins et al in JAMA...

lung cancer

Passive Scattering Proton Therapy vs Intensity-Modulated Photon Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced NSCLC

In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Liao et al found that passive scattering proton radiotherapy (PSPT) improved heart—but not lung—radiation dose-volume indices vs intensity-modulated photon radiotherapy (IMRT) in patients with advanced non–small cell lung...

lung cancer

Chemoradiation in Elderly Patients With Stage III NSCLC Improves Overall Survival

Elderly patients with stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) showed improved overall survival when treated with chemoradiation compared to definitive radiation alone, according to findings published by Miller et al in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. NSCLC constitutes between...

breast cancer
colorectal cancer
lung cancer
skin cancer
issues in oncology

Growing Socioeconomic and Racial Disparities in Management of Brain Metastases

Increasing use of a potentially life-saving treatment for metastatic cancer is leaving too many vulnerable patients behind, according to a new study from Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital published by Kann et al in JNCCN – Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. The...

lung cancer

Patients With SCLC Face Barriers to Receiving Standard-of-Care Treatment

Despite decades of clinical research establishing chemotherapy with thoracic radiation as the standard of care for the initial management of nonmetastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a large percentage of U.S. patients do not receive these treatments, and in turn have lower overall survival,...

lung cancer

Sequence of Postoperative Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced or Incompletely Resected NSCLC

In a study of National Cancer Database data reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Francis et al found that receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy before vs concurrently with radiotherapy was associated with improved survival in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) found to have...

Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer

Durvalumab Consolidation After Chemoradiotherapy Improves Progression-Free Survival in Stage III Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

As reported by Scott J. Antonia, MD, PhD, of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, and colleagues in The New England Journal of Medicine, an interim analysis of the phase III -PACIFIC trial showed improved progression-free survival with the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) ...

Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer

Durvalumab Consolidation After Chemoradiotherapy Improves Progression-Free Survival in Stage III Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

As reported by Scott J. Antonia, MD, PhD, of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, and colleagues in The New England Journal of Medicine, an interim analysis of the phase III -PACIFIC trial showed improved progression-free survival with the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)...

Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer

Dyadic Yoga Program for Patients With Lung Cancer and Their Caregivers May Optimize Treatment Response

Yoga therapy delivered to patients with lung cancer and their caregivers together appears to be a feasible and beneficial supportive care strategy. According to data presented at the 2017 Palliative and Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium,1 the dyadic intervention resulted in a clinically and...

Supportive Care
Lung Cancer

Providing a Safe Haven for Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer

In 1996, Jimmie C. Holland, MD, the Wayne E. Chapman Chair in Psychiatric Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York, decided to launch the cancer center’s Lung Cancer Survivorship Program after she had a startling encounter with a patient. “The woman said to me, ‘Would...

Lung Cancer

European Union Expert Group Releases Position Statement on Lung Cancer Screening in Europe

AS REPORTED in The Lancet Oncology by Matthijs Oudkerk, MD, of the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, and colleagues, a European Union (EU) expert group has issued a position statement on low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening for lung cancer, proposing a near-term phased implementation ...

Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer

Lung Cancer in Never Smokers: A Complex Clinical Phenomenon

Despite advances in prevention, early detection, and treatments, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Although cigarette smoking is the main cause of lung cancer, about 10% of these patients are lifelong never smokers for whom the molecular...

lung cancer

FDA Accepts sNDA for Osimertinib in First-Line Treatment of EGFR-Mutated NSCLC

On December 18, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for the use of osimertinib (Tagrisso)—a third-generation, irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor with clinical activity against central...

lung cancer

Study Suggests Racial Differences in Lung Tumor Biology

According to research by the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in men and women in the United States and is the leading cause of cancer-related death. In addition, among all populations, African Americans tend to have the highest lung cancer incidence and...

Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer

Living a Full Life With Stage IV Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

The discovery of my non–small cell lung cancer (NCSLC) in 2005 was serendipitous and completely unexpected. A never smoker and physically active my whole life, the only hint something might be amiss was a slight tickle in my throat, which I’m not even sure was related to my cancer diagnosis. In...

Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer

Immunotherapy Plus Chemotherapy in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Despite the Failure of Ipilimumab, Guarded Optimism Persists

Ipilimumab (Yervoy) is a fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits cytotoxic T-lymphocyte–associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and was the first checkpoint inhibitor approved after showing survival benefit in metastatic melanoma.1 Indeed, in the first-line setting for metastatic melanoma, ipilimumab ...

Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer

Managing Low-Dose CT Screening for Lung Cancer

As low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening for lung cancer has moved from clinical trials to clinical practice, management issues are growing more urgent for screening centers around the country: for instance, how to support referrals from and to other providers; how to ensure the quality of...

Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer

Durvalumab Therapy Improves Outcomes in Patients With Unresectable Stage III NSCLC

The PACIFIC study showed that the addition of the programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor durvalumab (Imfinzi) following chemoradiotherapy for patients with unresectable stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) dramatically improved progression-free survival compared with placebo....

lung cancer

Combination Therapy for Previously Untreated Stage IV NSCLC

As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Herbst et al, the phase III SWOG S0819 trial showed no overall benefit of adding cetuximab (Erbitux) to carboplatin/paclitaxel both with and without bevacizumab (Avastin) in patients with previously untreated stage IV non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A ...

lung cancer

EU Expert Group Releases Position Statement on Lung Cancer Screening in Europe

As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Oudkerk et al, a European Union (EU) expert group has issued a position statement on low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening for lung cancer, proposing a near-term phased implementation of screening in high-risk regions within 18 months and extension to all ...

lung cancer

Comparison of EGFR Inhibitors in Untreated Advanced EGFR-Mutant NSCLC

As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Soria et al, the phase III FLAURA trial has shown a significant progression-free survival benefit with the third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) osimertinib (Tagrisso) vs standard EGFR TKIs in...

lung cancer

Global Lung Cancer Awareness Month Coalition Announces Goals

The Lung Cancer Awareness Month Coalition (LCAMC), a group of more than 20 research and advocacy organizations from around the world focused on thoracic cancers, announced the launch of the 2017 Lung Cancer Awareness Month in early November with a panel event at the National Press Club in...

lung cancer

Adjuvant Chemotherapy With or Without Monoclonal Antibody in Resected NSCLC

The phase III E1505 trial has shown no benefit of adding bevacizumab (Avastin) to adjuvant therapy in early-stage resected non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These results were reported by Wakelee et al in The Lancet Oncology. Study Details In the open-label trial, 1,501 patients from...

Hematologic Malignancies
Breast Cancer
Lung Cancer
Lymphoma

FDA Approvals in November 2017: Novel Drugs, New Indications

THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) approved a number of novel drugs and new indications in November 2017. Several of them are listed here.  Fulvestrant/Abemaciclib Combination in Breast Cancer  ON NOVEMBER 15 , the FDA approved fulvestrant (Faslodex) in combination with abemaciclib...

Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer

New Interdisciplinary Lung Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health

The Perlmutter Cancer Center at New York University (NYU) Langone Health, a National Cancer Institute–designated center, has announced the creation of a new interdisciplinary center bringing together new and existing programs to study, diagnose, treat, and prevent the nation’s leading cancer: lung ...

Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer

Addressing Disparities in Use of Lung Cancer Screening With Community Outreach

African Americans and members of other communities of lower socioeconomic status have higher burdens of lung cancer mortality. Therefore, targeting underserved patient populations with lung cancer screening is of the utmost importance, according to Christopher Lathan, MD, MS, MPH, a medical...

lung cancer

Patient-Reported Outcomes With Immunotherapy vs Chemotherapy in Advanced NSCLC

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) treatment was associated with improved or maintained health-related quality of life vs platinum-based chemotherapy in the phase III KEYNOTE-024 trial in advanced programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1)–positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These findings...

lung cancer

ESMO Asia 2017: FLAURA Trial: Osimertinib Improves Progression-Free Survival in Asian Patients With EGFR-Mutated NSCLC

Osimertinib (Tagrisso) improves progression-free survival compared to standard first-line therapy in Asian patients with EGFR-mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to the Asian subset analysis of the FLAURA trial presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)...

Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer

Brigatinib in Crizotinib-Pretreated Metastatic ALK-Positive Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

On April 28, 2017, brigatinib (Alunbrig) was granted accelerated approval for the treatment of patients with metastatic anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have had disease progression on or are intolerant to crizotinib (Xalkori).1,2 Supporting Efficacy...

Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer

Dabrafenib and Trametinib in BRAF V600E–Mutant Metastatic NSCLC

On June 22, 2017, regular approvals were granted to dabrafenib (Tafinlar) and trametinib (Mekinist) given in combination for the treatment of patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with BRAF V600E mutation as detected by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved...

Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer

Unraveling PD-L1 Assays in NSCLC: Are They Interchangeable?

With the availability of at least five checkpoint inhibitors to treat non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and other solid tumors, appropriate patient selection for these expensive treatments remains key. The hope is that testing the level of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in tumor ...

lung cancer

ESMO Asia 2017: Analysis of Mutations in Cerebrospinal Fluid in Lung Cancer With Brain Metastases

In a study presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Asia 2017 Congress (Abstract 35P_PR), researchers analyzed the presence of mutations in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with lung cancer and brain metastases. Tumor tissue from brain metastasis is difficult to obtain,...

lung cancer

ESMO Asia 2017: Alectinib More Effective Than Crizotinib in Asian Patients With ALK-Positive NSCLC

A subanalysis of the phase III ALEX study has shown that alectinib (Alecensa) is more effective than the standard of care, crizotinib, in Asian patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), researchers reported at the European Society for Medical...

lung cancer

ASCO Endorses ASTRO Guideline on Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Early-Stage NSCLC

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncologyby Bryan J. Schneider, MD, of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and colleagues, ASCO has endorsed the recently released American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) evidence-based guideline on stereotactic body radiotherapy in early-stage...

lung cancer

Chronic Stress Hormones May Promote Resistance to EGFR Inhibitors in Patients With Lung Cancer

Elevated levels of chronic stress hormones, such as those produced by psychological distress, may promote resistance to drugs commonly used to treat lung cancer patients with EGFR mutations, according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Retrospective analysis of...

Lung Cancer

Clinical Trials Actively Recruiting Patients With Lung Cancer

THE INFORMATION contained in this Clinical Trials Resource Guide includes actively recruiting clinical studies focused on patients with lung cancer. These studies highlight combinations of chemotherapy, mutation-specific treatments, stereotactic body radiation therapy, metastatic control, cancer...

Lung Cancer

Long-Term Survival Rates More Than Double Previous Estimates for Locally Advanced Lung Cancer

THE LONG-TERM RESULTS of a phase III clinical trial indicate that survival rates for patients receiving chemoradiation for unresectable, locally advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may be more than twice as high as previous estimates, setting a new benchmark of survival for patients with...

Lung Cancer

Study Finds More Patients Treated for and Surviving Early-Stage NSCLC

WITH THE ADVANCEMENT of surgical and radiation therapy strategies for stage I non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), more patients are being treated, resulting in higher survival rates, according to a study published online in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.1  “More and more patients are being cured...

Lung Cancer

Dacomitinib vs Gefitinib in Advanced NSCLC: Improving Upon Established First-Line Targeted Therapy

THE RESULTS FROM the ARCHER 1050 study—reported by Wu et al1 and reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post—highlight the recent optimism about improved outcomes in metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene. This trial...

Lung Cancer

Dacomitinib Prolongs Progression-Free Survival vs Gefitinib in First-Line Treatment of EGFR-Mutant NSCLC

THE PHASE III ARCHER 1050 trial has shown superior progression-free survival with the second-generation irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor dacomitinib vs gefitinib (Iressa) in the first-line treatment of advanced EGFR-mutant non–small-cell lung cancer...

lung cancer

FDA Approves Alectinib for ALK-Positive Metastatic NSCLC

On November 6, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted regular approval to alectinib (Alecensa) for treatment of patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as detected by an FDA-approved test. In December 2015,...

Solid Tumors
Lung Cancer

ASCO’s Patient Resources for Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Visit ASCO’s patient information website, Cancer.Net, for comprehensive guides to non–small cell lung cancer at www.cancer.net/nsclc and small cell lung cancer at www.cancer.net/sclc. A shorter, one-page fact sheet on lung cancer is also available, as well as specialized resources for caregiving,...

Lung Cancer

In Patients With Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer, Tumor Mutation Load Emerging as Biomarker for Immunotherapy

Tumor mutation burden is emerging as a biomarker for selecting non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients for immunotherapy, according to Naiyer Rizvi, MD, the Price Family Chair of Clinical Translational Medicine, Professor of Medicine, and Director of Thoracic Oncology at Columbia University,...

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