Month: November 2024

The "Expert Consensus on Radiotherapy Combined with Immunotherapy for Unresectable Lung Cancer (2024 Edition)" was recently released under the guidance of Academician Jinming Yu from Shandong Cancer Hospital, Professor Ying Cheng from Jilin Cancer Hospital, and Professor Liang’an Chen from the Chinese PLA General Hospital. This consensus provides evidence and guidance for the application of radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy in clinical practice. In an exclusive interview with Oncology Frontier, Dr. Zhiyong Ma from Henan Cancer Hospital discussed the optimal duration of immunotherapy as consolidation therapy, individualized treatment in radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy, and future research directions.

The Phase III EMERALD-1 study has shown that for patients with unresectable intermediate to advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the combination of durvalumab, bevacizumab, and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) significantly improves progression-free survival (PFS) compared to TACE alone. At the 2024 International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) conference, Dr. Stephen L. Chan from the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong presented a safety and efficacy analysis from the EMERALD-1 study, considering treatment timing and baseline liver function. In an interview with Oncology Frontier , he shared the latest insights from this analysis.

For advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), treatment strategies typically include platinum-based doublet chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy, with specific methods determined by molecular biomarker testing. Current unmet medical needs for advanced NSCLC patients include a lack of new treatment options following the failure of immunotherapy combinations, resistance to targeted therapies, and strategies to improve efficacy.

Recently, several immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) regimens have gained regulatory approval for neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and perioperative treatment, transforming the treatment landscape for patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Based on the KEYNOTE-671 study, the perioperative pembrolizumab regimen has been approved for resectable NSCLC in stages II, IIIA, or IIIB (T3-4N2). Is this now the standard treatment for resectable stage II/III NSCLC, regardless of PD-L1/EGFR/ALK status? Dr. Sheena Bhalla, Dr. David Nelson, and Dr. David Gerber from the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center share their insights on this topic.

The 27th National Clinical Oncology Conference and 2024 CSCO Annual Meeting, co-hosted by the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology and the Beijing Health Management Development Foundation, took place in Xiamen from September 25-29, 2024. During the conference, several lung cancer-focused forums highlighted cutting-edge research and progress in the field both domestically and internationally. During the event, Oncology Frontier had the opportunity to interview Dr. Tony Mok from the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He shared his insights on the current role and future outlook of biomarker testing in clinical practice for lung cancer.

Anti-PD-(L)1 therapies have been approved for treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, due to limited options, most patients experience disease progression while on anti-PD-(L)1 therapy. At the 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meeting, Dr. Pascale Tomasini from the Multidisciplinary Oncology and Therapeutic Innovations department in Marseille, France, presented findings from the PIONeeR trial—a Phase Ib/IIa study targeting specific resistance pathways in PD-(L)1-resistant advanced NSCLC patients. Oncology Frontier interviewed Dr. Pascale Tomasini on the trial’s main findings, the current treatment strategies for advanced NSCLC patients resistant to PD-(L)1 inhibitors, and future directions.