Preface – WCLC 2022

© Private – Michael Thomas, MD, PhD, Head of the Department of Thoracic Oncology and Internal Medicine at Thoraxklinik-Heidelberg, Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany

Dear Colleagues,
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2022 World Conference of Lung Cancer (WCLC) was held in Vienna, Austria, and virtually from 6th to 9th August and saw leading scientists, researchers and patient advocates from around the world gather again to discuss the most exciting updates in the field of lung cancer and thoracic oncology with key updates summarized in 380 invited lectures, 60 oral and 84 mini oral ­presentations, as well as almost 1,000 posters and ePosters.

This issue of memo inOncology summarizes content presented in various fields, starting with promising findings across the highly investigated oncogenic targets EGFR, METex14 and KRAS. Here, the summaries offer a look at data from CHRYSALIS, CHRYSALIS-2, VISION, CodeBreaK 100/101, and TROPION-Lung02.

In early-stage lung cancer, sublobar resection appears to be a new standard of care for patients with NSCLC cT1a N0 sized ≤ 2 cm. In the setting of resectable stage IIIA-B NSCLC, NADIM II demonstrated superiority of neoadjuvant nivolumab plus chemotherapy. While the updated findings of the IMpower010 trial supported the favorable benefit-risk profile of adjuvant atezolizumab and thus the use as standard-of-care in PD-L1–positive, resected NSCLC, the DOLPHIN study focused on PD-L1–positive, unresectable NSCLC. In this patient population, the data obtained for durvalumab plus radiotherapy warrant phase III assessment.

The article on small-cell tumors focuses on the power of immune-based strategies. After frontline chemoimmuno­therapy, the bispecific T cell engager tarlatamab showed promising efficacy in relapsed/refractory SCLC. Also, follow-up data from KEYNOTE-604 that investigated the addition of pembrolizumab to first-line chemotherapy continued to show improved outcomes.

In the field of checkpoint inhibition, durvalumab plus tremelimumab in addition to chemotherapy was highlighted as a potential first-line option in harder-to-treat patient groups such as those with STK11, KEAP1 or KRAS mutations. Further research is required to assess the possible role of combination therapy with durvalumab and olaparib in metastatic NSCLC. According to an exploratory pooled analysis of 5 phase III trials, a second course of pembrolizumab monotherapy is feasible and clinically meaningful.

Overall, the IASLC 2022 WCLC offered an exceptional educational experience that provided a platform for sharing extraordinary progress in the field of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment to further improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

© 2022 Springer-Verlag GmbH, Impressum