Luis M. Montuenga, PhD, of the University of Navarra, discusses the potential contributions of biomarkers, promising biomarker panels being tested and published, the need to standardize biospecimen collection, and how to improve the sensitivity of these biomarkers (Abstract PL05.06).
Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, of Yale University, discusses results from the LUNG-MAP Master Protocol, which support the planned use of circulating tumor DNA for enrollment onto LUNG-MAP substudies, with a positive finding meriting inclusion in study; a negative finding, while considered inconclusive, requires the use of tissue samples (Abstract MA08.10).
Bruce E. Johnson, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, offers his expert perspective on single-arm drug approvals for targeted agents between 2016 and 2020, the need for biomarker testing, and the societal costs of drug development (Abstract PL04.03).
Martin Reck, MD, PhD, of LungenClinic, discusses results from the IMpower133 study of carboplatin plus etoposide with or without atezolizumab in patients with untreated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (Abstract OA11.06).
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).
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).
