WCLC 2025: The Top 5 Takeaways Across Lung Cancer Care
“CancerNetwork® covered the newest clinical trial findings that researchers presented at the meeting. Here are the top 5 takeaways that may impact lung cancer management.”
Impact of Anticoagulant and Antiplatelet Therapy on the National Optimal Lung Cancer Pathway (NOLCP)
“Background: Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the UK, with early diagnosis critical to improving survival. The National Optimal Lung Cancer Pathway (NOLCP) aims to streamline diagnosis and treatment, recently introducing a three-day direct-to-biopsy target for select patients. However, many lung cancer patients are on medications that increase the risk of bleeding (RoB), which may delay biopsy scheduling.”
Surufatinib Combo Displays Promising Efficacy in Frontline ES-SCLC
“After a median follow-up of 13.40 months among 11 patients treated with the surufatinib-based combination, the median overall survival (OS) was 15.80 months (95% CI, 8.61-NA [not applicable]). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.95 months (95% CI, 4.70-9.03). Additionally, the overall response rate (ORR) was 100% among these patients, all of which were partial responses.”
Loss of Skeletal Muscle Mass Is Associated With Reduced Cytotoxic T Cell Abundance and Poor Survival in Advanced Lung Cancer
“Conclusion: SM loss is an independent predictor for survival in patients with advanced lung cancer and is associated with reduced peripheral and tumour-infiltrating cytotoxic T cell abundance. An inadequate antitumour immune response may contribute to metabolic tissue wasting in cancer.”
STAS Predicts Prognosis in Early NSCLC Regardless of Surgical Approach
“The presence of tumor spread through air spaces (STAS) demonstrated an association with poor prognosis in patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), whether undergoing segmentectomy or lobectomy, according to findings from an analysis of the phase III JCOG0802/WJOG4607L trial presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC; Abstract PL03.16).”
Tarlatamab Plus Anti–PD-L1 Therapy as Frontline Maintenance Shows Unprecedented OS in ES-SCLC
“The addition of tarlatamab-dlle (Imdelltra) to anti–PD-L1 therapy as frontline maintenance following chemoimmunotherapy led to unprecedented overall survival (OS) outcomes with long-term tolerability in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), according to extended follow-up findings from the phase 1b DeLLphi-303 trial (NCT05361395).”
Osimertinib Plus Chemo May Be Effective After Progression on Osimertinib
“Adding osimertinib to platinum-based chemotherapy may improve outcomes in patients with EGFR-mutant, advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had disease progression on first-line treatment with osimertinib, according to research presented at the 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer.”
Lurbinectedin Yields Responses in Various ES-SCLC Subgroups
“Lurbinectedin (Zepzelca) was efficacious across various extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) patient subgroups, including older patients, those with platinum-resistant disease, and those with central nervous system (CNS) metastases, as shown in results from the phase 4 Jazz EMERGE 402 trial (NCT04894591) shared at the IASLC 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC).”
Lung Cancer Screening May Benefit Adults Up to Age 80 Who Are Fit for Surgery
“Older individuals up to the age of 80 who are eligible for lung surgery may achieve a survival benefit from lung cancer screening comparable to that for younger patients, according to the results of a multicenter cohort study from the United Kingdom presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC; Abstract PL03.19). The findings support a push to extend the upper limit of lung cancer screening recommendations across national programs to include individuals aged 75 to 80, in line with the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s recommendations.”
Lung cancer cells in the brain form electrical connections with neurons that spur tumor growth
“Small cell lung cancer cells that metastasize to the brain cozy up to neurons and form working electrical connections, called synapses, according to an upcoming study led by Stanford Medicine researchers. The pulse of electrical signals to the cancer cells strongly promotes tumor growth, the researchers found. Although interactions between neurons and cancer cells have been shown to occur in primary brain cancers (cancers that originate in the brain rather than traveling there from elsewhere in the body), the study is the first to show a similar interaction with lung cancer cells.”
