Lung Cancer News Update

Imfinzi-Based Treatment Before, After Surgery May Significantly Improve Survival in Resectable NSCLC “Patients with early-stage resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with Imfinzi (durvalumab) and chemotherapy before surgery and as a standalone therapy after surgery demonstrated a significant improvement in event-free survival compared to patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery, according to high-level results from a clinical trial.” UAMS Contributes to Groundbreaking Lung Cancer Clinical Trial March 10, 2023 | “The long-awaited results of a 10-year lung cancer clinical trial that UAMS contributed to were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.” Osimertinib extends survival in early EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer “Osimertinib conferred a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in OS compared with placebo among patients with early-stage EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer, according to the agent’s manufacturer.” Depression May Be Linked to Higher Levels of Inflammation, Poorer Outcomes in Patients With Lung Cancer “Patients with lung cancer who have moderate to severe depression may be two to three times more likely to have inflammation levels that predict poor survival rates, according to a new study published by Andersen et al in PLOS One.” Burns Compares Therapies Approved for NSCLC With an EGFR Exon 20 Insertion Mutation “During a Targeted Oncology™ Case-Based Roundtable™ event, Timothy F. Burns, MD, PhD, discussed the trials supporting the use of mobocertinib and amivantamab for patients with non–small cell lung cancer and an EGFR exon 20 insertion.” Expanded lung cancer screening eligibility criteria could benefit women, Black individuals “An expansion of lung cancer screening criteria to include those who are younger and with less smoking exposure would increase eligibility for women and Black individuals who could benefit, results of a retrospective study showed.” Penn State Cancer Institute now using robot to detect lung cancer earlier “Penn State Cancer Institute is now using a robot-assisted bronchoscopy system that can diagnose lung cancer at its earliest stages. The Monarch Platform robot-assisted bronchoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that is able to reach small nodules better than traditional methods and can lead to earlier diagnosis of lung nodules.” Cancer will cost the world $25 trillion over next 30 years And five types of cancer will account for almost half of the disease’s economic burden. “The total cost of cancer to the global economy will reach 25.2 trillion international dollars between 2020 and 2050, according to an analysis of 29 cancers across 204 countries. Of that, five types of cancer will account for roughly half of that cost.” Finley Highlights His Hopes for Future SCLC Treatment Options “Gene G. Finley, MD, a medical oncologist at Allegheny Clinic Medical Oncology of Allegheny Health Network, discusses some of the treatment options that have been used in the small cell lung cancer (SCLC) space, including intensive chemotherapies and targeted agents.” Video: Overview on ALK+ Metastatic Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer “Expert panelists open their discussion on ALK+ non–small cell lung cancer and reflect on the impact of CNS metastasis in this setting.” New Drugs for Cancer, Rare Disease Can Now Cost More Than $20,000 a Month “Trend follows rising pressure on companies to rein in repeat or annual price hikes for older drugs” How Robotic Bronchoscopy Helps Diagnose Lung Cancer “When caught early, lung cancer can often be successfully treated. The problem, however, is that there typically aren’t any symptoms in its early stages. That makes the early detection of lung cancer all the more important.”