On October 15, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of electronic tumor treating fields (TTFields) in combination with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors or docetaxel to treat metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) for patients who have progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy.1 The approved device is portable and battery-powered and produces alternating electrical fields within a patient’s body through electrodes that are placed on the surface area of the tumor location.1
The decision was reached based on the findings from the phase III LUNAR trial, which found TTFields therapy significantly extended the overall survival (OS) in patients with mNSCLC following progression on platinum-based chemotherapy without exacerbating systemic toxicities, and with few high-grade device-related adverse events (AEs).2 Patients were randomized to two groups that either received standard of care (SOC [ICI or docetaxel]) therapy without TTFields or SOC therapy in combination with TTFields.
Overall, the OS was higher for patients who received TTFields in combination with SOC versus SOC alone.2 Additionally, after a minimum follow-up of 12 months, the median OS (95% CI) was 13.2 months with TTFields in combination with SOC versus 10 months with SOC alone (HR 0.74; 95% CI 0.56–0.98; P = 0.037).2
For more information, refer to Tumor Treating Fields May Provide Additional Treatment Option for mNSCLC Following Progression.
Resources
- 1. FDA Roundup: October 18, 2024
- 2. Ticiana Leal et al., Tumor Treating Field (TTFields) therapy with standard of care (SOC) in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) following platinum failure: Randomized, phase 3 LUNAR study.. JCO 41, LBA9005-LBA9005(2023). DOI:10.1200/JCO.2023.41.17_suppl.LBA9005
