Article and Video CATEGORIES

Cancer Journey

Search By

Dr. Jack West is a medical oncologist and thoracic oncology specialist who is the Founder and previously served as President & CEO, currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Global Resource for Advancing Cancer Education (GRACE)

 

Real Advances for KRAS Mutation-Positive NSCLC: Dr. Neal Reviews MEK Inhibitor Selumetinib
Author
Howard (Jack) West, MD

Dr. Neal continues his summary of ASCO 2012 highlights with a discussion of KRAS mutation-positive advanced NSCLC, a group that actually represents the largest group of NSCLC patients with a defined molecular marker, but also a group for whom we haven't had enough good answers.  Here, Dr. Neal summarizes the very promising work with the MEK inhibitor selumetinib combined with Taxotere (docetaxel), compared with Taxotere alone, for patients with advanced NSCLC and a KRAS mutation.  While the efficacy looks very favorable, it appears to come with a price of increased side effects that may prove to be prohibitively challenging.  Nevertheless, it qualifies as a potential breakthrough for a very significant subpopulation of patients with advanced NSCLC for whom we haven't had prior breakthroughs.

Below you'll find the video and audio versions of the podcast, along with the transcript and figures for this program. 

Dr. Neal ASCO 2012 LC Highlights Selumetinib KRAS mutn pos Adv NSCLC Audio Podcast

Dr. Neal ASCO 2012 LC Highlights Selumetinib KRAS mutn pos Adv NSCLC Transcript

Dr. Neal ASCO 2012 LC Highlights Selumetinib KRAS mutn pos Adv NSCLC Figs

Dr. Neal will continue with the controversial question of how best to manage a patient with a known EGFR mutation after they have completed potentially curative surgery for early stage lung cancer, describing a study he led.

But for now, the question centers around how much of a problem are side effects.  Here, a potentially useful advance in treatment was associated with a nearly 50% chance of being hospitalized from side effects.  To most oncologists, that's more damage than we can readily accept causing in someone we're treating with a goal of balancing life prolongation with quality of life.  Would most of you favor accepting a promising treatment with a threatening side effect profile, or would you favor waiting until we learn more, optimize how we use the drug, or perhaps find a related drug that might provide the benefit with fewer side effects?

Next Previous link

Previous PostNext Post

Related Content

Article
Las biopsias líquidas están revolucionando la forma en que combatimos el cáncer, ofreciendo un futuro donde la detección y el tratamiento son más rápidos, precisos y menos invasivos.
Image
Videoteca de Cáncer de Pulmon - 2025
Video
Como parte de la Videoteca de Cáncer de Pulmón en Español 2025, oncólogos expertos discuten las opciones de tratamiento y la información más emergente en cáncer de pulmón. El Dr. Raez aborda la terapia para cánceres de pulmón EGFR y ALK, además de analizar otros tres temas de actualidad. La Dra. Viola y la Dra. Riaño también contribuyen a esta videoteca, cada una presentando tres temas relevantes sobre el cáncer de pulmón.
Article
The journey to conquer lung cancer is paved with scientific discovery, and the identification of the EGFR and ALK genes as crucial players marks a significant milestone. Unraveling how mutations in these seemingly small segments of our DNA can unleash the destructive force of cancer has opened up exciting new therapeutic avenues. This exploration delves into the cutting-edge world of EGFR and ALK-targeted therapies, highlighting the progress made and the ongoing quest for even more effective and personalized strategies to combat this formidable disease.