In Europa Press Salud Infosalus, we interviewed Dr. Mariano Provencio, Head of the Medical Oncology Service at Puerta de Hierro University Hospital in Madrid and President of the Spanish Lung Cancer Group, as lung cancer is set to be a major focus of this congress.
According to data from the Spanish Lung Cancer Group, there are around 20,000 new cases diagnosed annually in Spain, making it one of the tumors with the highest incidence and mortality rates. Lung cancer is known for having poor survival outcomes, but thanks to advances in identifying genetic alterations that allow for more efficient treatment, significant progress has been made in curing and surviving the disease.
Dr. Provencio discussed the CheckMate -816 study, which showed an increase in overall survival compared to a placebo in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer treated with immunotherapy (nivolumab) in combination with chemotherapy before surgery. This study has shown promising results over a period of more than 5 years, supporting the use of neoadjuvant therapy in potentially resectable patients.
Additionally, the CheckMate -77T study highlights the importance of perioperative treatment in early-stage lung cancer. The study includes adjuvant therapy after surgery, showing very satisfactory results in terms of progression-free survival and avoiding recurrence or death in 40% of cases.
At the ASCO conference, results of a Spanish drug, lurbinectedin in combination with atezolizumab, for advanced small cell lung cancer were presented. This aggressive form of lung cancer often has a poor prognosis due to its advanced stage at diagnosis. The combination therapy has shown to increase progression-free survival by 3 to 5 months in patients.
Regarding advances in small cell lung cancer, Provencio mentioned the ‘tarlatamab’ results, a new type of targeted immunotherapy drug that shows promising activity in this aggressive form of lung cancer. Patients have been reported to live much longer than before with this second-line treatment.
Dr. Provencio also highlighted the revolution in targeted therapies, with an increasing number of drugs targeting specific mutations in tumors, leading to improved survival rates and longer life expectancy for patients.
In terms of clinical challenges, Dr. Provencio emphasized the need for effective second-line treatments for patients who develop resistance to initial therapies. Finding suitable treatment options for these cases remains a challenge in lung cancer care.
FUENTE