LUNG CANCER

Considering Triplet Therapy for Nondriver NSCLC

Sai-Hong Ignatius Ou, MD, PhD,&nbsp;discusses the ALK inhibitors that are currently available for the treatment of <em>ALK</em>-positive NSCLC, as well as ongoing research in this space. He also sheds light on optimal sequencing strategies with these available agents.<br /> &nbsp;

H. Jack West, MD, recently discussed the treatment options and considerations he makes when treating patients with stage III and IV non&ndash;small cell lung cancer. West, medical director of the Thoracic Oncology Program, Swedish Cancer Institute, explained the nuances that go into his treatment decisions when discussing 2 case scenarios during a&nbsp;<em>Targeted Oncology&nbsp;</em>live case-based peer perspective presentation.

Lung Cancer

In an interview with <em>Targeted Oncology</em><em>,</em> Levy discusses the agents currently being investigated for patients with <em>ROS1</em>- or <em>TRK</em>-rearranged lung cancer. He also highlights the challenges physicians will need to overcome to best treat their patients based on these new findings.

Pembrolizumab has been granted a full approval by the FDA in combination with standard chemotherapy for patients with&nbsp;metastatic nonsquamous non&ndash;small cell lung cancer. The approval is based on results from the phase III KEYNOTE-189 trial.

Lung cancer is the main cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in the United States. The disease has 2 major histological subtypes: Non&ndash;small cell lung cancer accounts for 85% of cases, with small cell lung cancer comprising the remaining 15%.¹

Mesothelin-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy has shown early evidence of efficacy in a phase I trial of patients with malignant pleural disease and mesothelioma,&nbsp;non&ndash;small cell lung cancer, or breast cancer. Additionally, significant responses were seen in patients who went on to receive subsequent PD-1 checkpoint inhibition treatment.

An accelerated approval has been granted by the FDA to single-agent nivolumab for the treatment of patients with small cell lung cancer with disease progression following a platinum-based chemotherapy and 1 other prior line of therapy.

Checkpoint inhibitors are revolutionizing the treatment of patients with both squamous and nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer, and are quickly assuming a predominant role, especially in the frontline setting, due to recent exciting results from large trials.<br /> &nbsp;