Posted on 10/25/2023 7:43:11 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
A regimen of pre-surgical immunotherapy and chemotherapy followed by post-surgical immunotherapy significantly improved event-free survival (EFS) and pathologic complete response (pCR) rates compared to chemotherapy alone for patients with operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to results of a Phase III trial.
The AEGEAN trial evaluated durvalumab given perioperatively, meaning therapy is given both before and after surgery. Participants on the trial received either pre-surgical (neoadjuvant) durvalumab and platinum-based chemotherapy followed by post-surgical (adjuvant) durvalumab or neoadjuvant placebo and chemotherapy followed by adjuvant placebo.
Of the patients receiving perioperative durvalumab, 17.2% had a pCR compared to just 4.3% of those receiving chemotherapy alone. At the first interim analysis of EFS, with a median follow-up of 11.7 months, the median EFS was 25.9 months in the placebo arm, but it had not yet been reached in the durvalumab arm.
These data correspond to a 32% lower chance of patients experiencing disease recurrence, progression events or death with the immunotherapy-based treatment when compared to chemotherapy alone. Approximately four times as many patients treated with perioperative durvalumab plus chemotherapy achieved a pCR when compared to those treated with chemotherapy alone.
Durvalumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor targeting PD-L1, has previously been approved for treating specific patients with biliary tract cancer, liver cancer, small cell lung cancer and NSCLC.
For resectable NSCLC, previous studies have shown some benefit from using adjuvant or neoadjuvant immunotherapy, but Heymach explained the benefits have been modest so far. MD Anderson is engaged in longstanding multidisciplinary efforts to use neoadjuvant treatments to improve outcomes for patients.
Overall, the treatments were well tolerated, and side effects were consistent with previous studies. The researchers observed maximum grade 3-4 any cause adverse events in 42.4% and 43.2% of patients on the durvalumab and placebo arms, respectively.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
There is still a long way to go, but this is a start.
If you have cancer, especially a difficult one to treat, M.D. Anderson is the place to go. #1 Cancer Center in the World.
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