Lung Cancer

Clarke A. Low, MD, discusses the role of osimertinib in EGFR-mutated non–small cell lung cancer and emerging research efforts in the paradigm.

Katie Kerrigan, MD, discusses novel agents emerging in both ROS1- and ALK-mutated non–small cell lung cancer and the sequencing challenges for these patients.

Wallace L. Akerley, MD, discusses targeted approaches for patients with non-small cell lung cancer who harbor alterations in MET, RET, and HER2, as well as the importance of broad molecular profiling.

Investigators are starting to make headway in their quest to develop therapies that counteract oncogenic mutations in the KRAS gene, a high-priority target in precision medicine that has long been deemed “undruggable.”

The combination of ramucirumab and erlotinib demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival versus erlotinib alone in treatment-naïve patients with EGFR-mutant non–small cell lung cancer, according to results of the phase III RELAY trial that have now been published in The Lancet Oncology.

Evidence is increasing that blood-based biomarkers have predictive utility in advanced non–small cell lung cancer. Going further, blood-based next-generation sequencing appears to have clinical utility in selecting targeted treatment in this setting.

For nearly a decade, immunotherapy and molecularly targeted agents have been the focus of intense development. Now emerging evidence suggests that both modalities can deliver long-term benefits for patients, but the findings may prompt additional questions of how best to fit these transformative therapies into treatment landscapes.

Patients with ROS1-positive and NTRK-positive non–small cell lung cancer had frequent and durable responses, which appeared to deepen over time in some cases, with the multikinase inhibitor entrectinib.

Raja Mudad, MD, FACP, discusses the RELAY trial and using doublet therapy to treat EGFR-mutant non–small cell lung cancer.

Edgardo S. Santos, MD, FACP, FCCP, discusses data from the PACIFIC trial and how it has changed the standard of care for stage III non–small cell lung cancer patients whose disease has not progressed following concurrent platinum-based chemoradiation.

Alberto Chiappori, MD, discusses emerging biomarkers in non–small cell lung cancer and the different ways to test for them.

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) did not show an improvement in progression-free survival compared with chemotherapy in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

With follow-up of nearly 2 years, the addition of atezolizumab to first-line carboplatin plus etoposide for the treatment of extensive stage small cell lung cancer continues to demonstrate improved overall survival compared with placebo plus CP/ET.