The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors has resulted in a paradigm shift in the management of advanced lung cancer, resulting in longer patient lives and improved overall survival. However, one critical question remains unanswered: What is the appropriate duration of immunotherapy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who receive it as their first treatment? (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer: Current Landscape and Future Directions
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‘Discontinuing immunotherapy at two years for advanced lung cancer patients may Be reasonable for long-term survival #LungCancer #immunotherapy’
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According to a new retrospective cohort study published in JAMA Oncology and presented at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting (Abstract 9101) by researchers from Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Centre, discontinuing immunotherapy after two years is reasonable if cancer has not progressed.The study found no statistically significant differences in overall survival between patients who discontinued medication (2✔ ✔Trusted Source
Association Between Duration of Immunotherapy and Overall Survival in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
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“We hope this data provides reassurance that stopping treatment at two years is a valid treatment strategy that does not seem to compromise overall survival,” said lead author Lova Sun, MD, an assistant professor of Hematology-Oncology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
“In the absence of definitive prospective data about the duration of therapy – which will take years to accumulate – our goal was to use real-world observational data to provide guidance on this important clinical question.”
Finding the Right Duration of Immunotherapy forAdvanced Lung Cancer
The appropriate length of treatment remains an open question because pivotal clinical trials have used different treatment durations, and as therapies have been approved and become widely available, many patients have continued therapy beyond the one to two years tested in clinical trials.Advertisement
In this study, the researchers analyzed de-identified data from a national electronic health record that included patients with advanced NSCLC who were treated in both academic and community settings.
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The team analyzed the data and found similar overall survival probabilities between the two groups: 79% for a fixed duration and 81% for an indefinite duration.
“Ultimately, the field is still on the leading edge of determining the most appropriate duration for these immunotherapies that have been so effective for patients with advanced lung cancer,” said senior author Charu Aggarwal, MD, MPH, the Leslye M. Heisler Associate Professor for Lung Cancer Excellence in Hematology-Oncology at Penn.
“This study provides important data that we hope will help patients feel less worried about potential risks of coming off therapy and more confident if they decide to discontinue treatment after two years.”
Referenes:
- Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer: Current Landscape and Future Directions - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35222404/)
- Association Between Duration of Immunotherapy and Overall Survival in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37270700/)
Source-Eurekalert