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Lung Cancer

FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Tepotinib for Patients With Metastatic NSCLC and MET Exon 14–Skipping Alterations

On February 3, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to tepotinib (Tepmetko) for adult patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) exon 14–skipping alterations. VISION Trial Efficacy was...

lung cancer
immunotherapy

Dean Fennell, FRCP, PhD, on Mesothelioma: Nivolumab vs Placebo in Relapsed Disease

Dean Fennell, FRCP, PhD, of the University of Leicester, discusses phase III results from the CONFIRM trial, which sought a standard immunotherapy treatment to improve overall survival for patients with mesothelioma who have relapsed after taking pemetrexed and cisplatin. Globally, the incidence of mesothelioma is on the rise; in the United Kingdom alone, it has gone up nearly 500% since the 1970s (Abstract PS01.11).

Lung Cancer
COVID-19

WCLC Press Briefing Focuses on the Connection Between Lung Cancer and COVID-19

On February 27, 2020, the Journal of Thoracic Oncology published a case study that described two patients from Wuhan, China, who had recently underwent lung lobectomies for adenocarcinoma and were retrospectively found to have had COVID-19 at the time of surgery. Eleven months later, the lung...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Nivolumab Monotherapy Improves Survival in Patients With Relapsed Malignant Mesothelioma

In patients with relapsed malignant mesothelioma, treatment with single-agent nivolumab led to a significant improvement in both overall and progression-free survival in the phase III CONFIRM trial. These findings were presented by Dean A. Fennell, FRCP, PhD, Professor and Chair of Thoracic Medical ...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

LCMC3 Trial: Neoadjuvant Atezolizumab for Patients With Stage IB to IIIB Resectable Lung Cancer

Neoadjuvant treatment with single-agent atezolizumab for patients with stage IB to IIIB lung cancer resulted in a major pathologic response rate of 21% and pathologic complete response rate of 7% in the primary analysis of the Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium 3 (LCMC3) study. The findings were...

lung cancer

Giorgio V. Scagliotti, MD, PhD, on Doubling the Lung Cancer Cure Rate by 2025: A Realistic Goal

Giorgio V. Scagliotti, MD, PhD, of the University of Torino, talks about why he believes that many more patients with lung cancer can be cured within the next 4 years, given decreases in mortality rates, widespread use of targeted treatments and immunotherapies, and earlier diagnoses as a result of systematic screening with low-dose CT (Abstract PL05.08).

Lung Cancer
Issues in Oncology

Featured Presentations at WCLC Focus on Disparities in Patients With Lung Cancer

At a press briefing held by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), researchers presented new data that revealed factors relating to race, gender, sexual orientation, and income continue to be significant barriers to those living with lung cancer. The press briefing is...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Negative Findings in KEYNOTE-598: Ipilimumab Adds No Benefit to Pembrolizumab as First-Line Therapy for NSCLC With High PD-L1 Expression

In the phase III KEYNOTE-598 study, the addition of ipilimumab to pembrolizumab increased toxicity without boosting efficacy as first-line therapy for metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients with high expression of PD-L1, according to research presented at International...

Lung Cancer

Phase II CodeBreak 100 Validates Early Benefit for KRAS Inhibitor in NSCLC

The phase II CodeBreak 100 trial has validated the power of KRAS inhibition with sotorasib (AMG 510) in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In a follow-up to phase I data, the phase II cohort of the study has now shown a durable response rate of 37.1%, a disease control rate...

Lung Cancer
Health-Care Policy
Legislation
COVID-19

‘State of Tobacco Control’ 2021 Report Says Ending Tobacco Use Is Critical, Especially During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, tobacco use remains a serious public health threat. In addition to tobacco-related death and disease, smoking also increases the risk of the most severe impacts of COVID-19. The American Lung Association has released its 19th annual “State of Tobacco Control”...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

CheckMate 9LA Trial: First-Line Nivolumab/Ipilimumab Plus Chemotherapy vs Chemotherapy Alone in Stage IV or Recurrent NSCLC

As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Luis Paz-Ares, MD, and colleagues, the phase III CheckMate 9LA trial has shown improved overall survival with first-line nivolumab/ipilimumab plus two cycles of chemotherapy vs four cycles of chemotherapy alone in patients with stage IV or recurrent non–small...

Lung Cancer
COVID-19

Single-Institution Study Examines Safety of Routine Thoracic Surgery, Examinations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

A study published by Wang et al in JTO Clinical and Research Reports compared surgeries performed at one Chinese hospital in 2019 with a similar date range during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers found that routine thoracic surgery and invasive examinations were performed safely during the...

Lung Cancer

Study Identifies Four Unique Subtypes of Small Cell Lung Cancer

Researchers have developed the first comprehensive framework to classify small cell lung cancer (SCLC) into four unique subtypes based on gene expression and have identified potential therapeutic targets for each type. These findings were published by Gay et al in Cancer Cell. SCLC is known for...

Lung Cancer

Osimertinib in Adjuvant Therapy for NSCLC With EGFR Mutations

On December 18, 2020, osimertinib was approved for adjuvant therapy after tumor resection in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with tumors with EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutations, as detected by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved test.1,2 Supporting...

Lung Cancer

IMpower133 Update: Atezolizumab Plus Carboplatin/Etoposide for Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Stephen V. Liu, MD, and colleagues, an updated overall survival analysis in the phase I/III IMpower133 trial showed continued benefit with the addition of atezolizumab to carboplatin/etoposide as first-line treatment in patients with...

Genomics/Genetics
Colorectal Cancer
Lung Cancer

Prevalence of KRAS G12C Somatic Mutations by Cancer Type, Race, and Sex

In a study reported in a letter to the editor in The New England Journal of Medicine, Nassar et al identified the prevalence of the formerly “undruggable” KRAS G12C mutation across tumor types, race, and sex. As stated by the investigators, a recently reported early-phase clinical trial has shown...

Issues in Oncology
Lung Cancer
Gynecologic Cancers

Record Drop in Cancer Mortality for Second Straight Year Due to Improved Lung Cancer Treatment Reported in ‘Cancer Statistics, 2021’

Overall cancer death rates in the United States dropped continuously from 1991 through 2018, for a total decrease of 31%, including a 2.4% decline from 2017 to 2018. These findings were reported in the American Cancer Society’s “Cancer Statistics, 2021” article, published by Rebecca L. Siegel, MPH, ...

Lung Cancer
Gynecologic Cancers
Issues in Oncology

Transmission of Maternal Cancer in Two Infants From Mothers With Cervical Cancer During Delivery

In a brief report published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Arakawa et al described the identification of lung cancer in two children that likely resulted from transmission of maternal cervical cancer tumor cells during vaginal delivery. As noted by the investigators, the transmission of...

Lung Cancer

Analysis of Cardiac Data Among Patients Treated With Osimertinib

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Michael S. Ewer, MD, JD, PhD, and colleagues, an analysis of data from clinical trials of osimertinib suggests the absence of a “causal relationship” between osimertinib and cardiac failure. Study Details The study involved a post hoc assessment of ...

Lung Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Immunotherapy
Genomics/Genetics

FDA Pipeline: Two Reviews in NSCLC, Plus Prescribing Information Update for Darolutamide

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Priority Review to lorlatinib in ALK-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and Breakthrough Therapy designation to the combination of tiragolumab plus atezolizumab in NSCLC with high PD-L1 expression. The FDA also updated the...

Lung Cancer

Invasive Diagnostic Procedure Complication Rates After Lung Cancer Screening

In a study reported in a research letter in JAMA Network Open, Zhao et al found that the rate of complications from invasive diagnostic procedures after low-dose computed tomography (CT) lung cancer screening in the community setting was lower than a prior estimate—but still higher than reported in ...

Lung Cancer

Does Anticancer Therapy Impact Unplanned Hospital Care in Patients With NSCLC?

In a single-institution study reported in JCO Oncology Practice, Shah and Neal found that only a small proportion of unplanned hospital encounters were related to anticancer therapy among patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with almost one-quarter of such encounters being considered...

Lung Cancer

Adjuvant Gefitinib vs Vinorelbine/Cisplatin in Stage II–IIIA EGFR-Mutant NSCLC: Final Overall Survival Analysis

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Zhong et al, the final overall survival results of the phase III CTONG1104 trial indicated no significant advantage of adjuvant gefitinib vs vinorelbine/cisplatin in patients with EGFR-mutant stage II–IIIA (N1–2) non–small cell lung cancer ...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Nivolumab Indication in Small Cell Lung Cancer Withdrawn in U.S. Market

On December 29, Bristol Myers Squibb issued the following statement on nivolumab’s small cell lung cancer (SCLC) indication in the United States. In 2018, nivolumab was granted accelerated approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with SCLC whose disease...

Lung Cancer

Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery Radiation Exposure, Cardiac Events, and Mortality in NSCLC

In a retrospective cohort analysis reported in JAMA Oncology, Atkins et al identified a volume (V, percent) of exposure of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery to a radiation dose (V15 Gy ≥10%) that is an independent risk factor for major adverse cardiac events and all-cause mortality ...

Lung Cancer
COVID-19

Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Lung Cancer Screening

Reporting on how deferred care worsened outcomes for patients with lung cancer when the COVID-19 pandemic first surged in the spring of 2020, Robert M. Van Haren, MD, MSPH, FACS, and colleagues explained that they have identified a framework that could help people with serious health conditions...

Lung Cancer

FDA Approves Adjuvant Osimertinib for EGFR-Mutated NSCLC

On December 18, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved osimertinib (Tagrisso) for adjuvant therapy after tumor resection in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutations, as...

Lung Cancer
Cost of Care

Association of Out-of-Pocket Costs for Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors With Outcomes in Patients With EGFR- and ALK-Positive Advanced NSCLC

In a single-institution study reported in JCO Oncology Practice, Bernardo H.L. Goulart, MD, and colleagues found that higher out-of-pocket costs for tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) were associated with reduced adherence to and increased discontinuation of TKI therapy—as well as poorer overall...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

ESMO Immuno-Oncology 2020: Sintilimab vs Docetaxel for Advanced Squamous NSCLC

Sintilimab provided superior clinical benefit compared to docetaxel in patients with previously treated, advanced and/or metastatic squamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to phase III study findings presented by Shi et al at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Updated Results of CASPIAN Trial: Addition of Durvalumab With or Without Tremelimumab to Chemotherapy in Extensive-Stage SCLC

As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Goldman et al, updated results from the phase III CASPIAN trial showed maintained improvement in overall survival with first-line durvalumab plus platinum/etoposide vs platinum/etoposide in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). However,...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

ESMO Immuno-Oncology 2020: Does Pleural Effusion Affect Survival in Patients Treated With Immunotherapy for NSCLC?

Patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have pleural effusion, especially those requiring pleural evacuation, experienced poorer survival when treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, according to findings presented by Epaillard et al at the European Society for Medical Oncology...

Lung Cancer

The Lung Microbiome May Affect Lung Cancer Pathogenesis and Prognosis

Enrichment of the lungs with oral commensal microbes was associated with advanced-stage disease, worse prognosis, and tumor progression in patients with lung cancer, according to results from a study published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.1 “The...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Expert Point of View: Joel W. Neal, MD, PhD

Invited discussant of the abstract, Joel W. Neal, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford University, called this real-world analysis novel,1 given the decreasing number of patients treated with single-agent immunotherapy. “I think we’re unlikely to have a larger prospective study [in...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Lung Cancer Progression-Free Survival With Immunotherapy Varies Significantly by Tumor-Mutation Subtype, Real-World Data Show

A real-world study of single-agent immune checkpoint inhibitors in driver-mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has demonstrated significant variation in progression-free survival between mutation subtypes, according to data presented during the International Association for the Study of Lung...

Lung Cancer

Early-Stage Lung Cancer: An Overview of the Clinical Trial Landscape

Although early-stage, resectable disease represents the best chance for meaningful long-term survival and cure for patients with lung cancer, there are still high rates of recurrence. According to Rajwanth Veluswamy, MD, MSCR, neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatments are needed to improve surgical...

Lung Cancer

Expert Point of View: Thomas J. Dilling, MD, MS

Formal discussant Thomas J. Dilling, MD, MS, of Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, congratulated the authors on this study. He noted that early findings from both treatment arms showed similar rates of grade 3 and higher toxicity. “However, in the [four-fraction] arm, a fatal event occurred in...

Lung Cancer

Single-Fraction SBRT May Be Equivalent to Four in Patients With Oligometastatic Lung Disease

Delivering stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT also called stereotactic ablative radiotherapy) in one or four treatment sessions led to similar outcomes in patients with up to three lung metastases (ie, oligometastatic disease) in the phase II randomized SAFRON II trial. The study, conducted...

Lung Cancer

Expert Point of View: Matthijs Oudkerk, MD

Matthijs Oudkerk, MD, Professor of Radiology at the University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands, and Principal Investigator for Radiology of the NELSON Lung Cancer Detection Study, stressed that detecting individuals who have early-stage lung cancer with more virulent biologic behavior is...

Lung Cancer

Surgical Resection of Stage I Lung Cancer: Rating the Evidence of Benefit

A recent report from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has undermined the evidentiary basis for the primary treatment of stage I non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) while rating the evidence for the benefit of screening as “high.”1 According to David F. Yankelevitz, MD, these...

Lung Cancer

Proportion of Never-Smokers Among Patients With Lung Cancer in Seven U.S. States

In a study reported in a research letter in JAMA Oncology, Siegel et al found that never-smokers accounted for 12.5% of patients diagnosed with lung cancer in seven U.S. states during a recent 6-year period, with women accounting for a higher proportion than men. Study Details The study included...

Lung Cancer
Genomics/Genetics

Native American Ancestry May Impact Somatic Alterations Among Latin American Patients With Lung Cancer

A research brief by Carrot-Zhang et al published in Cancer Discovery investigating inherited lung cancer risk—especially in nonsmokers—in Latin America has found that independent of smoking status, variation in EGFR and KRAS mutation frequency in Latin American patients with lung cancer was...

Lymphoma
Leukemia
Hepatobiliary Cancer
Symptom Management
Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

FDA Pipeline: Agents in DLBCL, SCLC, AML, and More

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued regulatory decisions for agents to treat diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), small cell lung cancer (SCLC), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), biliary tract cancer, and graft-vs-host disease. Priority Review for Loncastuximab Tesirine...

Lung Cancer

First-Line Atezolizumab Improves Overall Survival vs Chemotherapy in Certain Patients With Metastatic NSCLC

As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, of Yale School of Medicine, and colleagues, the phase III IMpower110 trial has shown significantly prolonged overall survival with first-line atezolizumab vs platinum-based chemotherapy in metastatic non–small cell lung...

Lung Cancer
Issues in Oncology

Racial Disparities in Treatment of Common Lung Cancer Persist Despite Gains

Lung cancer continues to be the most deadly solid cancer in the world, despite the fact that survival rates have been improving over the past decade. However, Black patients have worse outcomes and shorter lifespans after being diagnosed with lung cancer. A study published in the Journal of...

Lung Cancer

KRAS Inhibitor Adagrasib Shows Activity in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Another novel oral KRAS inhibitor—adagrasib (MRTX849)—has shown promise in early clinical trials, according to investigators of the KRYSTAL-1 study who reported findings at the virtual 32nd EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics.1,2 The conference is jointly provided...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Phase III GEMSTONE-302 Trial Finds CS1001 Plus Platinum Chemotherapy Prolongs Progression-Free Survival in NSCLC

The addition of CS1001, an anti–PD-L1 monoclonal antibody, to platinum-based chemotherapy significantly prolonged progression-free survival vs chemotherapy in treatment-naive patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to phase III findings presented by Zhou et al at the...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab in First-Line NSCLC: Two New Indications, Many More Questions

In May 2020, the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for two separate indications in the first-line setting of advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). One was in metastatic NSCLC with tumors that have PD-L1 expression ≥ 1% with...

Lung Cancer

First-Line Lorlatinib vs Crizotinib in Advanced ALK-Positive NSCLC

As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Alice T. Shaw, MD, PhD, and colleagues, an interim analysis of the phase III CROWN trial has shown that first-line lorlatinib significantly improved progression-free survival and intracranial response rate vs crizotinib in patients with advanced ...

Lung Cancer

State of Lung Cancer Report Finds People of Color Face Greater Burden, Worse Lung Cancer Outcomes in the United States

People of color diagnosed with lung cancer face worse outcomes compared to White Americans, according to the American Lung Association’s third annual State of Lung Cancer report. The 2020 State of Lung Cancer report tracks the toll of lung cancer by state, and for the first time, this year’s report ...

Lung Cancer

Study Finds the Lung Microbiome May Affect Tumor Progression and Prognosis in Patients With Lung Cancer

A new study by Tsay et al sheds light on the role the lung microbiome may play in lung cancer pathogenesis and prognosis. According to the study’s findings, enrichment of the lungs with oral commensal microbes was associated with advanced-stage disease, worse prognosis, and tumor progression....

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