Survival is the result of lung cancer screening

During Lung Cancer Awareness Month (LCAM) in November, memo inOncology spoke with Dr. Fred Hirsch, who is CEO of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, USA. The Lung Cancer Awareness Month Coali-tion (LCAMC) is a group of more than 20 global non-profit organisations focused on improving outcomes for patients with thoracic cancers, led by the IASLC.

Chemotherapy: new approaches, new settings

Current guidelines recommend postoperative platinum-based chemotherapy in completely resected NSCLC with nodal involvement (stage II-IIIA). However, survival outcomes remain limited, and compliance is lower than for adjuvant therapy in other neoplasms. There are no direct comparisons between different chemotherapy regimens.

Approaching squamous-cell carcinoma in a targeted manner

The EGFR mutation status is not routinely examined in NSCLC patients with squamous cell cancer (SCC) histology due to the low incidence of EGFR mutations in these tumours and poor clinical response to first-generation EGFR TKI treatment. Taniguchi et al. retrospectively reviewed 441 consecutive patients in 23 of whom the EGFR mutation status was assessed, in order to explore the clinical features of SCC with sensitive EGFR mutation, and to select the optimal indications for afatinib treatment.

Immunotherapy: novel biomarkers on the horizon & news from pivotal trials

Only limited treatment options are available for patients with recurrent small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). The CheckMate 032 trial evaluated the anti-PD-1 antibody nivolumab with or without the anti-CTLA-4 antibody ipilimumab in a PD-L1–unselected cohort of SCLC patients who had received at least one prior platinum-based chemotherapy regimen.

Taking anti-EGFR drug treatment further: later lines

Acquired resistance usually follows first-line EGFR TKI therapy, with the gatekeeper T790M mutation being the most common mechanism. The third-generation irreversible EGFR TKI osimertinib has been licensed for the treatment of patients whose tumours have been shown to carry this mutation. Retrospective data presented by Tan et al. demonstrated the activity of later-line osimertinib in 52 patients who participated in an early access program in Singapore.

“We are making steady progress toward better lung cancer control”

In a way, synergy is another expression for the multidisciplinary team approach, but the term ,multidisciplinary’ is not necessarily restricted to medical doctors. It also includes nursing staff and others such as the supportive care team, including the rehabilitation team and patient advocates. At the same time, the bottom line of that concept is having the patient at the centre of the overall care plan.

EGFR TKI therapy in specific populations and settings

The first-generation EGFR TKIs erlotinib and gefitinib as well as the second-generation EGFR TKI afatinib have become the standard first-line treatment options for advanced EGFR-mutation–positive NSCLC. All three drugs improved PFS and objective response rate (ORR) compared to chemotherapy in phase III studies. Afatinib induced prolongation of OS versus chemotherapy in patients with deletion 19 in the LUX-Lung 3 and 6 phase III studies.

What is new in surgery? Redefining current options

In 2005, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Staging Committee proposed the definition of complete resection of lung cancer, which included the criteria of uncertain resection. Uncertain resection was defined by the criteria detailed in the Table. On behalf of the IA-SLC Staging and Prognostic Factors Committee, Edwards et al. conducted a retrospective analysis of the resection margin status using the data of 14,712 patients obtained from the 8th Edition Database who underwent NSCLC surgery.

Preface – WCLC 2017

Throughout the last decades, the treatment of non–small-cell lung cancer has undergone enormous advancements that make keeping up with the latest developments a challenge for physicians. For purposes of providing continual education to health care professionals involved in lung cancer care, the World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is now being held annually.

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