Immunotherapy: A new tool for treating early-stage lung cancer

Q: What are the current treatment options and approaches for early-stage lung cancer?

The main treatment for early-stage lung cancer is surgery to remove part or all of the lung that contains cancer cells. After surgery, patients may receive additional treatment to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back (adjuvant therapy). In some circumstances, treatment may be given before surgery to reduce the risk of cancer spreading (neoadjuvant treatment).

Radiation therapy can be considered for patients who are not suitable for surgery.

Q: What is immunotherapy and how does it work against early stage lung cancer?

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that aims to boost the immune system’s ability to fight disease. Immune cells are activated, recognize cancer cells as foreign cells, and destroy them. Adjuvant immunotherapy for early-stage lung cancer is being studied in two large clinical trials.

One year of treatment with atezolizumab, which targets a protein expressed on tumor cells (PD-L1), has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence or death by 34% in stage 2 and 3A lung cancer patients with PD. increase. – L1 score ≥1% after surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. A recent update showed improved overall survival in patients with PD-L1 scores higher than 50%. As a result, the adjuvant atezolizumab was recently approved for this group of patients in Singapore.

Pembrolizumab, which targets a protein expressed on immune cells (PD-1), was demonstrated to improve disease-free survival after surgery in patients with stage 1B, 2, and 3A lung cancer after one year. Long-term survival data from this trial are pending.

Q: What other systemic therapies are available for early-stage lung cancer?

Systemic treatments, or treatments that affect the whole body, include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies.

Some patients may need more than one treatment, depending on factors such as the stage of the cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage lung cancer, generally, after surgery, he will receive two intravenous drugs for four cycles over three months.