ASCO 2013 Video: Can we harness our immune system to fight NSCLC? - 1257420

JimC
Posts:2753

More developments from ASCO 2013, as Drs. Mary Pinder, Nate Pennell, and Jack West discuss promising work on immune checkpoint inhibitors such as MPPL-3280A, an anti-PDL1 immune-based therapy, and anti-PD1 therapy nivolumab, in advanced NSCLC.

You can view the video here: http://cancergrace.org/lung/2013/06/21/mpdl3280a-spigel-asco-2013-nsclc/

We welcome your questions and comments here.

JimC
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catdander
Posts:

Thanks Jim,
While I'm always interested in what's going on in lung cancer research on the whole; I'm thrilled for D and me that there are such high hopes with these new long lasting treatments that include efficacy on squamous, spindle cell too.

Thank you Drs Pennell, Pinder and West. These are very hopeful moments when I read something so encouraging about my husband's future possibilities. BTW, all 3 of you have been helpful from the very beginning of our journey.

I hold you all close. Happy Solstice,
Janine

Dr West
Posts: 4735

Actually, spindle cell/sarcomatoid NSCLC, a rare and generally feared subtype felt to have particularly weak options among our current therapies, has been noted to do extremely well with these therapies, albeit still in small numbers of patients. In addition to knowing of a patient or two with sarcomatoid NSCLC in the online community doing extremely well on an immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy trial, there was a recent publication in Journal of Thoracic Oncology that noted the high levels of anti-PLDL1 protein expression on such proteins, if I recall correctly -- suggesting a mechanism by which we might well see very strong results with these treatments in patients with this rare subtype of lung cancer.

-Dr. West

tikicat
Posts: 28

I am one of the spindle cell sarcomatoid anti-PD-1 responders, still responding! I have been on lambrolizumab (Merck 3475) for over a year now. It's exciting to see all the news coming out about these drugs. I just saw my daughter graduate from college, and next month I am off to the Galapagos! A few years ago, who could have imagined someone with Stage IV lung cancer doing such things? Next year, Machu Picchu!