GO2 for Lung Cancer team pictured: Joelle Fathi, DNP, RN, ARNP, FAAN; Daniel Saez, MSc; Jennifer C. King, PhD
By Jennifer C. King, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer and Daniel Saez, MSc, Manager, LungMATCH Navigation Program
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting always features the best scientific advancements in cancer treatment and research. Our team was onsite to learn about lung cancer breakthroughs. Here are some of the key takeaways we wanted to share with our lung cancer community.
Promising new advancements for future treatment options
- Positive data was presented on a new drug called adagrasib for advanced non-small cell lung cancers with KRAS G12C mutation. Importantly, the drug was also able to work on some cancers that had spread to the brain.
- The Lung-MAP consortium, which involves patient advocates including GO2 for Lung Cancer, presented a positive study on a combination of drugs that may be a future option after chemotherapy and immunotherapy. This combination of Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and Cyramza (ramucirimab) will now be studied in a larger clinical trial.
- There were multiple promising studies on new targeted therapies including options for EGFR exon 20 mutation, MET mutation and EGFR progression after Tagrisso (osimertinib).
- Some clinical trials for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer confirmed that a combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy is the best option for first treatment.
- International clinical trials were conducted to confirm that immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy before surgery provides longer time with no progression, even for patients with stage 3A non-small cell lung cancer.
Breaking down barriers to equitable care
- Positive data was shared about including patients on clinical trials whose cancer spread to the brain. Historically, many clinical trials did not allow patients with cancer in the brain to participate. The exclusion of this important patient population resulted in many people missing out on the benefits of clinical trial participation. We are hopeful this data will set a trend for more equitable access to clinical trials for anyone with lung cancer.
- Studies highlighting the benefits of immunotherapy for elderly patients with lung cancer were also highlighted at ASCO. In many clinical trials, the average age of the participants is younger than the average age of the patients who might benefit from the treatment (if approved). This age disparity is concerning if clinical trial participants are not accurately representing the actual patient community the drug is meant for.
- One study showed that the quality of a surgery for early-stage lung cancer makes a significant difference in long-term survival rates. This work underscores the importance for everyone to receive high quality care.
Don’t miss our deep dive on topics covered at ASCO ’22 coming late June. Sign up to receive the Magnifying LeNS: Learning New Science Quarterly straight to your inbox!
What can one do if immunotherapy was taken off the table because of severe reaction?
I just read about monoclonal treatment for colon/rectal cancer that was very impressive. Is there anything like that for SCLC?
Hi Mary,
Many of the immunotherapies currently approved and used for lung cancer, including drugs like Keytruda, Opdivo, and others, work in similar ways and thus are also thought to have similar side effects. For instance, if you have had a severe reaction to one drug like Keytruda that doctors think was caused by the drug, there is worry that you will have a similar reaction to another immunotherapy like Opdivo. However, depending on your situation, there are other treatments that work in different ways, that may be an option for you. If you’d like to talk more in depth about your individual situation and potential questions to ask your doctors, please contact our LungMATCH team at 800-298-2436 or support@go2.org for free, one-on-one support.