Don’t miss our deep dive on topics presented at IASLC’s 2021 World Conference on Lung Cancer, including presentations from our very own GO2 for Lung Cancer Science and Research Team. Subscribe to our Magnifying LeNS newsletter and look out for our upcoming special issue on WCLC.

By Rashmi Acharya, MS, Andrew Ciupek, PhD, and Daniel A. Saez, MSc

This month, the GO2 for Lung Cancer team virtually attended IASLC’s 2021 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC). Our team presented on hot topics in the field alongside top clinicians, researchers, and scientists from across the world. We’re here to share some of the key takeaways from the conference and what they mean for the lung cancer community.

Combination Therapy for Relapsed SCLC (Phase 3 Randomized ATLANTIS Trial)

A new drug combination of lurbinectedin plus doxorubicin was studied for extensive-stage SCLC that relapsed after first line treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy. This combination did not demonstrate a survival benefit, showing similar survival rates compared to CAV or topotecan combinations, but did show overall fewer side effects which could improve quality of life for those living with SCLC.

Combination Therapy for Advanced NSCLC without Actionable Biomarkers (Phase 3 POSEIDON Study)

Another new combination therapy of durvalumab, tremelimumab, and chemotherapy showed to improve overall survival compared to chemotherapy alone, and the durvalumab and chemotherapy combination. The study results support this combination as another option for first line treatment of advanced NSCLC without actionable biomarkers and inspire further studies to identify patient groups that would most benefit from this combination.

Type and Extent of Therapy Prior to Adjuvant Immunotherapy for Early-Stage NSCLC (Impower10)

The goal of this trial was to find out whether the type of adjuvant chemotherapy and/or surgery in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer affects how effective the drug Tecentriq (atezolizumab) is for increasing disease free survival. The results of the trial were mostly overwhelmingly positive showing that Tecentriq is more effective than basic supportive care for patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer after chemotherapy. This study had several drawbacks, so more research is needed, but is a great first step in identifying best practices for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Lung Cancer Clinical Trials

Research presented by IASLC showed a dramatic 43% decrease in clinical trials participation during the pandemic in 2020, with patients reporting a decreased willingness to visit clinics for trials due to fear of getting COVID-19 along with decreased ability to travel and access trial sites. In response, many clinics started allowing more flexibility in the times and places that patients could take part in trials, including virtually. These changes looked to be effective as clinical trial enrollment was starting to increase at the end of 2020. Many hope that these changes may last beyond the pandemic as ways to increase patient access to trials.

Air Pollution as a Cause of Lung Cancer Worldwide

Data was presented on air pollution as a cause of lung cancer and the number of lung cancer deaths directly related. Air pollution is responsible for one in seven lung cancer deaths worldwide, and one in twenty in the US. While the data shows that smoking and tobacco use is still a leading cause of lung cancer and that efforts in that space should continue, emphasis should also be placed on reducing air pollution.