International Lung Cancer Congress

Karen Kelly, MD, associate director for Clinical Research, Jennifer Rene Harmon Tegley and Elizabeth Erica Harmon Endowed Chair in Cancer Clinical Research, professor of Medicine, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, UC Davis Health System, discusses the potential of immunotherapy combinations as treatment for patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Biomarkers, such as immune cell PD-L1 expression, mutational burden, and immune system activation should be investigated further to clarify the mechanisms behind response and nonresponse to immunotherapy in patients with lung cancer.

Biomarker-driven trials that include multiple substudies represent a new approach for investigating which patients with lung cancer are more likely to respond to different targeted therapies and are helping to set the pace throughout the oncology field.

The past few years have seen rapid evolution in the treatment and handling of advanced non–small cell lung cancer, prompting questions on how to optimize immunotherapies and targeted agents as well as incorporate biomarker testing.

The optimal use of emerging assays that characterize molecular abnormalities from plasma in late-stage non–small cell lung cancer will be to augment tissue biopsies at initial diagnosis and to evaluate patients for second- and third-line therapies.

Paul A. Bunn Jr, MD, discussed how combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy, molecular therapy, or anti-angiogenic therapy has shown promising results in recent randomized trials of patients with lung cancer, although the combinations have yet to demonstrate clear superiority.

The value of PD-L1 expression when using checkpoint inhibitors in non–small cell lung cancer is underscored by the just-announced disappointing progression-free survival findings from the phase III CheckMate-026 study of frontline nivolumab (Opdivo) versus physician's choice of combination chemotherapy.

Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, Ensign Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology), professor of Pharmacology, chief of Medical Oncology, Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital, associate director for Translational Research, Disease Alligned Research Team Leader, Thoracic Oncology Program, Yale Cancer Center, discusses the next generation of agents coming down the pipeline in non–small cell lung cancer.

David R. Gandara, MD, director, Thoracic Oncology Program, professor, senior advisor to director, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, UC Davis Health System, discusses the most recent—and significant—advancements in the field of lung cancer.

Tony Mok, MD, discussed translational advances on the horizon in non-small cell lung cancer during a presentation at the 2016 International Lung Cancer Congress.

Paul A. Bunn Jr, MD, Distinguished Professor, Division of Medical Oncology/University of Colorado, James Dudley Chair in Lung Cancer Research, University of Colorado Denver, 2014 Giant of Cancer Care in Lung Cancer, discusses the phase III results from CheckMate-026, which explored nivolumab (Opdivo) monotherapy in treatment-naïve patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer.

Tony Mok, MD, professor of Medicine, Department of Clinical Oncology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, discusses breakthrough therapies and ongoing trials for patients with ALK-positive non–small cell lung cancer.

Edward B Garon, MD, director, Thoracic Oncology, Jonnson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, discusses the evolution of immunotherapy for the treatment of patients with non–small cell lung cancer.

Fred R. Hirsch, MD, PhD, professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, CEO, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, discusses the importance of molecular testing for patients with lung cancer.

New classes of immunotherapies emerging in lung cancer are building on previous success with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.

New generations of potent ALK inhibitors have been designed with extensive CNS activity and the ability to overcome acquired resistance mutations.

Everett E. Vokes, MD, Giant of Cancer Care: Lung Cancer, John E. Ultmann Professor Chair, Department of Medicine, Physician-in-Chief, University of Chicago Medicine and Biological Sciences, discusses PARP inhibitors as treatments for patients with lung cancer.

Emerging agents and pressing research questions in immunotherapy were reviewed in depth during the 15th Annual International Lung Cancer Congress, with Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, of the Yale Cancer Center, leading the way.

Vassiliki Papadimitrakopoulou, MD, Professor, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the Lung-MAP trial, which uses next-generation sequencing as a screening test rather than screening for one mutation.

Third generation EGFR TKIs have demonstrated dramatic benefits for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and should be considered as a standard second-line option following resistance to frontline therapy

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are effective as single agents in EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but investigators continue to ask questions about how to improve the results of these agents.

Curative strategies for patients with advanced lung cancer remain elusive despite several exciting advancements, according to Paul A. Bunn Jr, MD, and Primo N. Lara Jr, MD, who delivered keynote lectures during the 15th Annual International Lung Cancer Congress.

Fred R. Hirsch, MD, PhD Professor of Medicine and Pathology, Associate Director for International Programs, University of Colorado Cancer Center, discusses the role of next-generation EGFR inhibitors.

The KRAS mutation in lung cancer is an especially thorny problem, as it is an indicator of a poor prognosis and has not, in the past, been targeted specifically by any medications.

Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD, a professor of medical oncology at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, discusses the utility of the vaccine tecemotide as treatment for non-small cell lung cancer.

Paul A. Bunn, Jr., MD, professor of medicine in medical oncology, head of the division of medical oncology, University of Colorado, discusses the pros and cons of having companion diagnostic tests in lung cancer.

When the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended last year that asymptomatic, high-risk individuals should receive annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), it made a healthy decision for the American population

James L. Mulshine, MD, professor, Associate Provost for Research, Vice President, Rush University Medical Center discusses new USPSTF recommendations for lung cancer screening.