Lung Cancer

Chicago, IL—When added to chemotherapy (ie, docetaxel), the new monoclonal antibody ramucirumab improved overall survival (OS) compared with chemotherapy alone in patients with stage IV non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to phase 3 trial results presented at the 2014 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting.

Chicago, IL— Necitumumab, a human immunoglobulin G1 anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody, added to standard chemotherapy significantly improved survival compared with chemotherapy alone as first-line treatment of patients with stage IV non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) of squamous histology.

Hollywood, FL—Driver mutations, most frequently KRAS and EGFR, account for approximately 50% of non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and this recognition is shifting the NSCLC treatment paradigm toward targeted therapy when possible, said Leora Horn, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology/ Oncology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, at the 2014 National Comprehensive Cancer Network Conference.

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is recommending that individuals aged >55 years who have a history of heavy smoking be screened annually for lung cancer.

Boston, MA—Patients with ALK-positive non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) continued with crizotinib therapy more than twice as long when drug-resistant lesions were managed with local ablation, as shown by the results of a small clinical trial presented at the 2012 American Society for Radiation Oncology meeting.