EGFR+ Lung Cancer

According to the phase III KEYNOTE-407 trial, when pembrolizumab was added to frontline carboplatin/paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel, the combination reduced the risk of death by 36% compared with chemotherapy alone for patients with metastatic squamous non–small cell lung cancer. These results were presented at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting.

According to findings from the phase III KEYNOTE-042 trial, patients with non–small cell lung cancer demonstrated improved survival of 4 to 8 extra months with upfront pembrolizumab therapy compared with chemotherapy, the current standard of care. Patients treated with pembrolizumab also experienced fewer adverse events.

According to findings of the IMPACT study discussed at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting, overall survival was improved with personalized therapy based on tumor molecular profiling in patients with advanced, hard-to-treat cancers.

According to initial results reported at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting from the Circulating Cell-Free Genome Atlas study, 3 cell-free DNA tests showed high degrees of specificity in identifying signs of early stage lung cancer.

Julie Brahmer, MD, recently shared the treatment considerations and decisions she makes when treating patients with non&ndash;small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Brahmer, co-director of the Upper Aerodigestive Department, Johns Hopkins Hospital, in Baltimore, Maryland, discussed her treatment considerations based on case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology </em>live case-based peer perspectives presentation.

Benjamin G. Neel, MD, PhD, director of the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone, discusses how his institution has changed vastly over the last few years, with an increasing number of clinical trials available for patients with lung cancer and other cancers. Clinical trials are often the best option for cancers where the outcomes with conventional treatments may be uncertain, Neel says.

Crizotinib has been granted a breakthrough therapy designation by the FDA&nbsp;for the treatment of patients with metastatic non&ndash;small cell lung cancer with MET exon 14 alterations who progress after receiving platinum-based chemotherapy. Additionally,&nbsp;the kinase inhibitor was granted a designation for use&nbsp;patients with relapsed/refractory ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

Following a planned interim analysis, 2 early-phase clinical trials&nbsp;exploring daratumumab in combination with either a PD-1 inhibitor for multiple myeloma or a PD-L1 inhibitor for non&ndash;small cell lung cancer have been terminated, according to a statement from Genmab, the company codeveloping daratumumab with Janssen.

Treatment Considerations for Unresectable Locally Advanced NSCLC

Despite recommendations from the United States Preventative Services Task Force, 1.9% of the 7.6 million current and former heavy smokers underwent cancer screening in 2016, suggesting screening is still inadequate. These results were presented ahead of the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting being held in Chicago, Illinois on June 1-5, 2018.

According to findings&nbsp;released ahead of the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting, the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) for patients with&nbsp;metastatic non&ndash;small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can save&nbsp;Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) payers $1.4 million to $2.1 million. The findings additionally showed that NGS saved commercial insurance providers more than $250,000.<br /> &nbsp;