Weekly News

Lung Cancer News
Week Ending January 11, 2021

Chemoimmunotherapy Continues to Display Survival Benefits in Small Cell Lung Cancer
“Atezolizumab (Tecentriq), durvalumab (Imfinzi), pembrolizumab (Keytruda), and nivolumab (Opdivo) have demonstrated improved survival in combination with etoposide and platinum (EP) in untreated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), cementing checkpoint inhibition plus chemotherapy as a frontline standard, explained Yanyan Lou, MD, PhD.”

More Targets Discovered, More Molecular Testing Needed in Lung Cancer
“Molecular testing is a critical component of the treatment selection process in lung cancer, as a host of effective drugs have since been developed to target alterations such as ALK, ROS1, and RET, according to Yujie Zhao, MD, PhD, who added that the integration of RNA-based sequencing into these strategies could potentially provide further benefit to patients.”

Trials Conducted in Unresectable Locally Advanced Lung Adenocarcinoma Show Path for Treatment
“Multiple treatment options exist for patients with unresectable locally advanced lung adenocarcinoma. Zofia Piotrowska, MD, assistant professor, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, examined the options during a Targeted Oncology Case-Based Peer Perspectives event.”

Need for Molecular Testing in Lung Cancer Is Underscored as Additional Targets Emerge
“Molecular testing is a critical component of the treatment selection process in lung cancer, as a host of effective drugs have since been developed to target alterations such as ALK, ROS1, and RET, according to Yujie Zhao, MD, PhD, who added that the integration of RNA-based sequencing into these strategies could potentially provide further benefit to patients.”

Navigating Nuances in Early and Metastatic Lung Cancer Treatment
“The treatment paradigms of early-stage and metastatic lung cancer have expanded significantly in recent years with the addition of immunotherapy and targeted therapy options, said Brendon Stiles, MD, who added that challenges regarding screening, molecular testing, and localized therapy remain areas of ongoing research.”

Pandemic Has Disrupted Lung Cancer Screenings
“Once operations resumed, decrease seen in new patients screened, proportion of suspicious nodules increased”

Video
NCCN Guidelines Pave Way for Improving Lung Cancer Survival