Preface – WCLC 2024

© private – Professor Benjamin Solomon MBBS, PhD, FRACP | Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Professor Benjamin Solomon MBBS, PhD, FRACP | Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to present highlights from the 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer, held from September 7th to 10th in San Diego, USA. Our first chapter focuses on the evolving landscape of concurrent MET/EGFR inhibition and novel third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). The MARIPOSA trial continues to impress with long-term results, showing that the EGFR-MET bispecific antibody amivantamab in combination with lazertinib offers significant improvements in various clinically relevant endpoints. Among third-generation EGFR TKIs, lazertinib, aumolertinib and firmonertinib have demonstrated efficacy in patients with EGFR-mutant disease.

HER2 mutations, though rare, represent a challenge in NSCLC due to poor patient prognosis and limited treatment options. Findings from the Beamion LUNG-1 trial highlight the promising activity of the HER2 TKI zongertinib in patients with HER2 mutations, including those with brain metastases. Efficacy data with the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) trastuzumab deruxtecan in patients with HER2-overexpressing NSCLC from DESTINY-Lung01 was presented. Moreover, analyses are reported for the KRASG12C inhibitor olomorasib, the ROS1 inhibitor taletrectinib, the ALK inhibitor lorlatinib and the RET inhibitor selpercatinib.

In the field of non–EGFR-directed bispecific antibodies and ADCs, the HARMONi-2 trial has identified ivonescimab, a bispecific antibody targeting PD-1 and VEGF, as a potential new first-line treatment option for advanced PD-L1–positive NSCLC. For the ADC datopotamab deruxtecan, final overall survival data have been presented, along with a potential marker for the prediction of clinical response to Dato-DXd. Telisotuzumab vedotin has given rise to durable remissions in the LUMINOSITY trial, whereas the CARMEN-LC03 study testing tusamitamab ravtansine did not meet its primary endpoints. Encouraging results obtained for the MDM2-p53 antagonist brigimadlin in patients with MDM2-amplified adenocarcinoma of the lung support the continued investigation of this agent. In the setting of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer, the B7-H3 (CD276)-directed ADC ifinatamab deruxtecan has shown promising activity, which also applies to the bispecific antibody obrixtamig that was assessed in patients with large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung.

Finally, in the realm of early-stage lung cancer, novel perioperative treatment regimens assessed in the NeoCOAST-2 study showed encouraging response rates and might pave the way for more personalized strategies. Further insights were provided by the comparison between perioperative and neoadjuvant nivolumab treatment and a post-hoc analysis of the KEYNOTE-671 study exploring the association between pathologic regression and event-free survival.

Overall, WCLC 2024, which marked the 50th anniversary of the IASLC, delivered key insights and numerous innovations that will undoubtedly influence clinical practice in the years to come. We hope that this report offers valuable insights and inspires you in your continued efforts to improve patient care.

Happy reading!

© 2024 Springer-Verlag GmbH, Impressum