Last year, Dr. Ticiana Leal, Director of the Thoracic Medical Oncology Program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, recorded a continuing medical education (CME)/nursing continuing professional development (NCPD)–accredited activity titled Harnessing Immunotherapy-Based Strategies for Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). With numerous developments in the field occurring since recording the activity, including new FDA approvals and clinical trial results, Dr. Leal sat down wit...

Oncology Data Advisor™ · Harnessing Immunotherapy-Based Strategies for Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer An estimated 236,740 new cases of lung cancer are reported in the United States annually, and 130,180 people die of the disease. Approximately 84% of cases are classified as non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (ACS, 2022). Though new screening procedures have identified more lung cancers at an earlier stage, most patients are still diagnosed at a locally advanced or metast...

The FDA has approved a new indication for pafolacianine (Cytalux®, On Target Laboratories), a diagnostic agent, for the identification of lung cancer lesions in adult patients with known or suspected lung cancer who are undergoing surgery. Administered intravenously prior to surgery, pafolacianine is designed to locate additional hard-to-detect lung cancerous tissue. The safety and efficacy of pafolacianine were evaluated in the randomized, multicenter, open-label, phase 3 ELUCIDATE trial (NCT04...

An educational activity offered by i3 Health has provided significant knowledge gains regarding strategies to enhance the clinical outcomes of patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) Among the 238,340 new cases of lung cancer reported in the United States each year, approximately 14% of cases are classified as small cell, a more aggressive subtype compared with its non–small cell counterpart. Most patients present with advanced or metastatic disease, making systemic therapy t...

With the advent of targeted therapies in lung cancer, patients are experiencing improved outcomes through personalized medicine. However, education regarding potential toxicity is crucial. In this interview, Blanca Ledezma, MSN, NP, shares the importance of setting up expectations for the side effects of targeted therapies for lung cancer and emphasizing communication with the health care team throughout the course of treatment.   Oncology Data Advisor: Welcome to Oncology Data Advisor. Tod...

Oncology Data Advisor™ · Optimizing Treatment Selection, Sequencing, and Tolerability in Small Cell Lung Cancer An estimated 236,740 new cases of lung cancer are reported in the United States annually, and 130,180 people die of the disease. Approximately 14% of cases are classified as small cell lung cancer (SCLC). While SCLC is usually treated with systemic therapy with or without radiation, the 5-year relative survival rate is a dismal 7%, indicating a need for continued research ...

The FDA has granted approval of cemiplimab-rwlc (Libtayo®, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy for treatment of advanced non–small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) with no epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), or ROS proto-oncogene 1 (ROS1) aberrations, and no prior systemic treatment. Cemiplimab-rwlc is a fully human immune checkpoint inhibitor targeting the programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1). "Pembrolizumab and ate...

Oncology Data Advisor™ · Harnessing Immunotherapy-Based Strategies for Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer An estimated 236,740 new cases of lung cancer are reported in the United States annually, and 130,180 people die of the disease. Approximately 84% of cases are classified as non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (ACS, 2022). Though new screening procedures have identified more lung cancers at an earlier stage, most patients are still diagnosed at a locally advanced or metast...

Oncology Data Advisor™ · Optimizing Management of Metastatic Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Squamous cell lung carcinoma is a distinct histologic subtype of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that accounts for approximately 25% to 30% of all NSCLC cases and is associated with approximately 30% shorter survival compared with other subtypes of the disease. Because alterations and mutations for which targeted therapies are approved are uncommon in squamous cell NSCLC, treatment re...

For patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC), cytotoxic chemotherapy remains a mainstay of treatment. However, myelosuppressive hematologic adverse events such as anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia pose a significant challenge to care. In a study recently presented at the 63rd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, a team of researchers led by Dr. Jerome Goldschmidt, medical oncologist at Blue Ridge Cancer Care and the ...

 The FDA has approved nivolumab (Opdivo®, Bristol-Myers Squibb) in combination with platinum doublet chemotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with early-stage, resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nivolumab is a fully human programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1)–targeted antibody, and its use is approved without regard for PD-L1 expression level. "In patients with nonmetastatic NSCLC, surgery has curative potential, but 30% to 80% who undergo resection experience recurrenc...