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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It's been a big week for immunotherapy for lung cancer. Right on the heels of a press release that the PD-1 inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab) significantly improved survival for patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC, my friend Dr. Garon from UCLA presented results at the American Association for Cancer Research conference with another PD-1 inhibitor, Keytruda (pembrolizumab).

In January, 2015, the CheckMate 017 trial of the immune checkpoint inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab) versus the standard chemo agent Taxotere (docetaxel) as second line therapy for patients with advanced squamous NSCLC was reported in a press release to be positive for a significant improvement in overall survival.

Immunotherapy Forum Video #25: In Part 2 of 2 videos, Dr.

Immunotherapy Forum Video #24: In Part 1 of 2 videos, Dr.

Immunotherapy Forum Video #23: Dr. Jared Weiss highlights what doctors know about immunotherapy treatments for lung cancer.

It was a big day for the lung cancer world. After seeing the tantalizing promise of immunotherapy for lung cancer over the past 3 years, but outside of the range of routine clinical practice, the anti-PD1 antibody,  immune checkpoint inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab) was approved by the FDA today for previously treated patients with advanced squamous NSCLC. This was just days after it was formally available for consideration and was based on the clear benefit demonstrated in the pivotal CHECKMATE 017 trial.

Dr. Jack West, Dr. Julie Brahmer, and Dr. Ben Creelan discuss the excitement the medical community is feeling about immunotherapy for the treatment of lung cancer. February 2014

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Research into small cell lung cancer may soon pay off in new treatments. Dr. Taofeek Owonikoko of Emory University School of Medicine and the Winship Cancer Institute discusses new approaches that hold great promise. February 2014

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Just last week, I ranked the development of immunotherapies as the leading development in lung cancer in 2013. I don't consider 2013 to be the clear turning point for immunotherapies in lung cancer: they have been the subject of interest and research for many years, and ASCO 2012 really marks their breakout from niche idea to more widespread credibility. But if 2012 was the real launchpad, 2013 saw the rocket really take off. The question is where is it really going?