In Treatment

GRACE is happy to present the 2nd in our series ASCO 2016 Lung Cancer Roundtable, Highlights and New Approaches in Lung Cancer.  Featuring Jack West, MD, Janet Freeman-Daily, Everett Vokes, MD, and Suresh Ramalingam, MD, this roundtable discussion, moderated by Dr. West, highlights the newest and most intriguing discussions from ASCO 2016.

GRACE is happy to present our ASCO 2016 Lung Cancer Roundtable series, Highlights and New Approaches in Lung Cancer.  Featuring Jack West, MD, Janet Freeman-Daily, Everett Vokes, MD, and Suresh Ramalingam, MD, this roundtable discussion, moderated by Dr. West, highlights the newest and most intriguing studies presented at ASCO 2016.

Probably the most immediate potentially practice-changing presentation from ASCO was the Japanese J-ALEX study in the subset of about 4-5% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have the molecular driver known as an anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement, which we now routinely test for from the tumor tissue of patients with a non-squamous metastatic NSCLC.

It seemed inevitable, I think.  Several immuntherapy agents known as PD-1 or PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors have been shown to lead to better survival, higher response rates, and a better side effect profile than second line chemotherapy with Taxotere (docetaxel) in broad populations or subsets with tumors positive for the marker PD-L1 that correlates with a higher probability of a good response.

After completing my unpacking from ASCO and beginning to see a path of light as I dig out from under the backup of work that accumulated, I wanted to begin covering a few of the most relevant content from ASCO. Though covering only preliminary work, an abstract presented by radiation oncologist Daniel Gomez from MD Anderson Cancer Center was among those that I think could have sweeping implications.

Dr. Jack West, Swedish Cancer Institute, discusses current trials seeking to determine the efficacy of combining immunotherapy agents in lung cancer.

Dr. Jack West, Swedish Cancer Institute, raises the question of whether to use immune checkpoint inhibitors as first-line treatment of lung cancer, alone or in combination with chemotherapy.

Dr. Jed Gorden, Swedish Cancer Institute, reviews the lung cancer screening process, including low-dose CT scanning, smoking cessation, follow-up testing and counseling, and describes the potential benefits.