The immune checkpoint inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab) shows better efficacy than Taxotere (docetaxel) for advanced non-squamous NSCLC, but this was seen only in patients with PD-L1 protein expression on their tumor. Should we be using this as a biomarker?

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Research released at the 2015 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting showed great promise for squamous cell lung cancer patients taking the immunotherapy drug Opdivo (nivolumab). But can we predict which patients will do well on it?

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An annual tradition is a reflection on the key developments in the field over the past year. This year saw some major advances, with several of the biggest changes bubbling just below the surface and about to really break out in 2015.  So without further adieu, here's my list.

For those who wish to access the pdf, it's here: Top 5 Highlights in Lung Cancer 2014

Agree? Disagree? What's highest on your wish list for 2015?

It may not be the biggest present lung cancer patients could get for the holiday season, but the FDA just yesterday approved Cyramza (ramucirimab), an anti-angiogenic antibody with a mechanism similar to Avastin (bevacizumab) that is already approved for gastric cancer, as a new agent to treat previously treated advanced NSCLC, any histology. This was based on the phase III randomized trial called REVEL that was presented at ASCO 2014, so let's review the evidence that led to this approval. 

The REVEL trial studied 1,200 non-small cell lung cancer patients to see if the drug Cyramza (ramucirumab) improved overall surival. The doctors had mixed feelings about the results.

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