Meeting News

The results of two studies presented at the 2021 World Conference on Lung Cancer—LIBRETTO-321 and ARROW—indicate that the selective RET inhibitors selpercatinib and pralsetinib are promising treatment options for patients in China with RET-fusion positive NSCLC. According to the studies’ discussant Shengxiang (Henry) Ren, MD, PhD, of Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China, both…

Use of platinum-doublet chemotherapy regimen as second-line treatment for patients with relapsed small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) was a reasonable option compared with nonplatinum-based regimens, according to data from a meta-analysis presented at the WCLC Congress 2021.  “Optimal second-line chemotherapy for patients with relapsed SCLC remains unclear,” according to study presenter Takashi Sato, MD, PhD, of…

Amid growing interest in validating relapse-prediction models, team links high-grade histology, even if not predominant, with worse outcomes in EGFR-mutated stage 1 NSCLC.

There is a critical need for psychosocial services in the lung cancer care pathway, according to a presentation by Anne-Marie Baird, BS, PhD, on behalf of Lung Cancer Europe (LUCE), at the WCLC Congress 2021.  “We are all aware that person-centered care must focus on the needs of the person including their psychosocial needs,” Dr.…

Two studies presented at the WCLC Congress 2021 include data that suggest the potential need to update the current TNM classification of lung cancers by implementing additional pathological elements to the evaluation of the specimen. Commenting on these two studies, Jorge Alatorre-Alexander, MD, of Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Mexico City, Mexico, admitted that reclassifying…

In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) revised its 2004 classification of lung tumors to reflect the impact of genetic, clinical, and radiologic advances in the field.1 Among the revisions in 2015 was the inclusion of NUT carcinoma. “NUT carcinoma is a very rare and highly lethal cancer. It often presents in the midline and…

Although low-dose CT scans enable the detection of very small lung nodules in individuals who face a high risk of developing lung cancer, it is often impossible to quickly determine whether the lesions are malignant due to their size or location. Technology designed to enhance the depth of information available when reading a CT scan…

Surgical resection remains the gold standard for patients diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer, and since the early 1990s, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy has been acknowledged as an effective – and preferred — minimally invasive approach for lung cancer surgery.  However, VATS requires specialized training and equipment meaning adoption of this technique has not been…

Patients treated with neoadjuvant combination nivolumab plus chemotherapy who had resectable NSCLC underwent surgical resection at similar rates and timeframes to those undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy, according to a presentation of surgical outcomes data from the CheckMate 816 trial (Abstract 8503).  Data previously presented at the AACR 2021 Annual Meeting showed that nivolumab plus chemotherapy resulted…

A presentation of updated results from the VIOLET study comparing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) with open lobectomy showed that improvements in pain, in-hospital complications, and shorter hospital stay previously reported after VATS were achieved without any compromise to oncologic outcomes at 1 year. In addition, patients who underwent VATS had significantly improved physical function at…