FDA Approves Generic Pemetrexed for Nonsquamous NSCLC
August 26th 2020The FDA has approved a generic form of pemetrexed for intravenous administration as a single-agent in patients with locally advanced or metastatic nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has not progressed following 4 cycles of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy.
Lung Cancer Treatment Continues to Improve
July 26th 2020Histological subtyping of lung cancer is still clinically important, said Ignacio I. Wistuba, MD. However, additional parameters such as driver alterations, alternative methods for molecular testing, and immunotherapy-related biomarkers have strengthened the diagnostic and treatment paradigms in lung cancer.
NCCN Recommends Lurbinectedin for Second-Line Treatment of Relapsed SCLC
July 18th 2020Lurbinectedin (Zepzelca) was added to the Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) on July 7, 2020 for the treatment of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), according to a press release from Jazz Pharmaceuticals.
2020 Brings Exciting Advancements for NSCLC Treatment
July 6th 2020Fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu) could provide patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who harbor HER2 exon 20 insertion mutations and high HER2 expression a more specific and less toxic treatment compared with platinum doublet chemotherapy. However, the jury is still out on whether the agent will be pursued as an alternative frontline therapy and in both patient subsets.
Immunotherapy/Chemotherapy Regimen Improves Lung Cancer Outcomes, Regardless of Biomarker Status
June 23rd 2020The combination of atezolizumab (Tecentriq) plus carboplatin/etoposide continued to demonstrate an improvement in overall survival (OS) versus chemotherapy alone as a frontline treatment for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), regardless of PD-L1 and blood tumor mutational burden (bTMB) status.
FDA Approves Pembrolizumab for TMB-High Solid Tumors
June 17th 2020The FDA has approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to treat adult and pediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic solid tumors that are tissue tumor mutational burden–high (≥10 mutations/megabase) and have progressed following prior therapy and who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options.
Upfront 4-Drug Regimen Is Tolerable in Lung Cancer Treatment
June 11th 2020The 4-drug combination of atezolizumab (Tecentriq), bevacizumab (Avastin), carboplatin, and paclitaxel (ABCP) improved survival while maintaining good health-related quality of life (QOL) in patients with nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer .
FDA Approves Ramucirumab + Erlotinib for Firstline EGFR+ NSCLC
May 30th 2020The FDA has approved the combination of ramucirumab (Cyramza) and erlotinib (Tarceva) as a frontline treatment for patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors harbor EGFR exon 19 deletions (Ex19del) or exon 21 (L858R) substitution mutations.
When to Stop Immunotherapy in Metastatic Lung Cancer: Expert Weighs In
May 27th 2020Immunotherapy should be continued for up to 2 years in patients with metastatic lung cancer who are responding to the treatment, unless they experience disease progression or excessive toxicity, according to Gilberto de Lima Lopes, MD.
Smoking Cessation Before a Lung Cancer Diagnosis Improves Outcomes
May 17th 2020People who quit smoking at any time, even up to 2 years before a lung cancer diagnosis, have increased chances of survival after their diagnosis, according to data during a 2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program press briefing.
FDA Approves Capmatinib for METex14 NSCLC
May 6th 2020The FDA granted an accelerated approval to capmatinib (Tabrecta) for the treatment of adults with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a mutation that leads to MET exon 14 skipping (METex14), as detected by an FDA-approved test, according to Novartis, the manufacturer of the oral MET inhibitor.
ctDNA Identifies Adjuvant MRD Positivity, Relapse in Lung Cancer
May 2nd 2020Results from the Lung TRACERx study, in which the biomarker was found, has the potential to set the stage for future clinical trials that are structured to increase the standard-of-care dosage in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who become MRD-positive after surgery.
FDA Grants Mobocertinib Breakthrough Designation for NSCLC Subset
April 28th 2020The FDA has granted a breakthrough therapy designation to mobocertinib (TAK-788) for the treatment of patients with EGFR exon 20–mutant non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with disease progression following platinum-based chemotherapy, according to Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, the manufacturer of the small-molecule TKI.
FDA Grants Priority Review to Pembrolizumab Monotherapy for TMB-High Tumors
April 7th 2020The FDA granted priority review to pembrolizumab monotherapy for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic TMB-high solid tumors who have progressed following prior treatment and who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options.
FDA Approves Durvalumab Plus Standard of Care for SCLC
March 30th 2020The FDA approved durvalumab (Imfinzi) plus standard-of-care (SoC) chemotherapies etoposide with either carboplatin or cisplatin (platinum-etoposide) for the treatment of adults with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC).
Immunotherapy in SCLC: Results Are Promising, But Biomarkers Are Needed
March 16th 2020After nearly 4 decades of stagnation, the advent of immunotherapy has transformed the frontline treatment paradigm for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). However, biomarkers are needed to better inform which patients are most likely to respond to checkpoint inhibitors, said Jason Niu, MD, PhD.
FDA ODAC Votes on Safety and Efficacy of Ramucirumab Plus Erlotinib for EGFR+ NSCLC
February 27th 2020The FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 6 to 5 that ramucirumab plus erlotinib demonstrated a favorable benefit and risk profile for patients with untreated metastatic EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer.