Lung Cancer: My Top 5 Abstracts to See in Lung Cancer at ASCO 2023
By Jack West, MD, associate professor in medical oncology, focused on thoracic oncology at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dr. Jack West, an associate professor in medical oncology specializing in thoracic oncology at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, discussed his top five abstracts from the lung cancer sessions at ASCO 2023.
The first abstract he highlighted was a late-breaking abstract (LBA3) presented by Dr. Roy Herbst on the overall survival benefit of the ADAURA trial. ADAURA tested adjuvant Osimertinib versus placebo in patients with stage 1B to 3A non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR activating mutations. While previous results showed a significant benefit in disease-free survival, Dr. West noted the need to determine if there is a sustained benefit in overall survival beyond the three-year mark.
The second abstract (LBA100) presented by Dr. Heather Wakelee and colleagues focused on KEYNOTE-671, a trial of perioperative Pembrolizumab added to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in lung cancer patients. Dr. West raised questions about the value of additional postoperative therapy and emphasized the need to assess the benefit of an extended treatment period.
Abstract LBA9000 presented by James Yang and colleagues featured KEYNOTE-789, a trial evaluating chemotherapy with or without Pembrolizumab in patients with EGFR mutation-positive lung cancer who progressed on EGFR TKI therapy, specifically Osimertinib. Although the trial did not achieve statistical significance, Dr. West highlighted the importance of exploring trends and subsets of patients who may benefit from Pembrolizumab.
The fourth abstract (9002) presented by Mengzhao Wang and colleagues investigated Sunvozertinib, a selective irreversible inhibitor of EGFR Exon 20 mutations, in a phase 2 trial. Dr. West noted the potential for Sunvozertinib to improve upon existing therapies for EGFR Exon 20 mutations, which have shown modest efficacy and challenging toxicities.
The last abstract (LBA9005) presented by Ticiana Leal examined tumor treating fields (TTFs) in the LUNAR trial as part of standard of care in second-line therapy for lung cancer. Dr. West expressed concern about the trial’s design, which allowed various treatment options in the control arm, potentially leading to substandard care. He also emphasized the practical challenges of using TTFs and questioned the clinical significance of the therapy.
Dr. West concluded by mentioning the need to wait for the detailed data presentations at ASCO 2023 to determine the impact of these abstracts on clinical practice. He encouraged discussions and looked forward to engaging with attendees at the conference.
Jack West, MD, associate professor in medical oncology, focused on thoracic oncology at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center