Promising immunotherapy for ‘difficult to treat’ lung cancer patients

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An immunotherapy for a difficult to treat lung cancer has shown promise after it improved overall survival, British researchers reported today.

A global study, led by University College London and its associated hospital group, found that compared to single-agent chemotherapy, atezolizumab significantly improved the overall survival of advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who were not able to be treated with platinum-containing chemotherapy.

The study, published in The Lancet, is the first reported randomised phase III trial of first-line immunotherapy treatment with atezolizumab in an advanced NSCLC population deemed unfit for standard platinum-chemotherapy.

It sought to establish the efficacy, safety and overall survival rate of first-line immunotherapy treatment with atezolizumab compared with single-agent chemotherapy in advanced stage NSCLC.

For the fittest patients with advanced stage NSCLC, first-line immunotherapy with or without platinum-based doublet chemotherapy (PDC) is now established as the standard of care treatment.

However, more than 40% of advanced stage NSCLC patients are in poor health and are often elderly with significant medical co-morbidities, which means PDC is often unsuitable. They are frequently treated with less effective single-agent chemotherapy or offered best supportive care.