• The latest developments in lung cancer research were recently presented at the virtual World Conference on Lung Cancer 2021.
• Key studies discovered that not all U.S. citizens had equal access to lung cancer treatments, highlighted the dangers of air pollution in causing lung cancer, and found that lung cancer clinical trials have used new strategies to become flexible in the era of COVID-19.
• Researchers also presented clinical trial data that showed that therapies like Imfinzi (durvalumab), tremelimumab, Tecentriq (atezolizumab), and proton therapy could be safe and effective for people with lung cancer.

In a virtual conference, lung cancer physicians and scientists shared recent research that could help improve understanding and treatment of lung cancer. The World Conference on Lung Cancer 2021 took place Sept. 8-14 and was hosted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.

In a recent webinar, conference co-chairs Dr. David Harpole, Dr. Kristin Higgins, and Dr. Thomas Stinchcombe highlighted some of the key research presented at the conference.

Health Care Access in the Southeastern US

In one study, researchers focused on differences in access to health care for people with lung cancer. The authors found that Southeastern U.S. states had higher lung cancer death rates than states in the West and Upper Midwest. This effect was partially a result of fewer lung cancer screening programs in the Southeastern states.

Additionally, researchers found that pharmaceutical companies enrolled Black people in lung cancer clinical trials at low rates, meaning that this group often didn’t receive the newest therapies. The authors concluded that better organizational and social policies were needed to provide equal access to lung cancer treatments.

“If we allow access in areas that are underserved, we can create a situation with a more level playing field,” said Dr. Harpole.

Air Pollution and Lung Cancer

Another study helped improve knowledge surrounding the causes of lung cancer. The link between smoking and lung cancer is well-understood, but less is known about the effects of air pollution, which causes more than 14 percent of lung cancer deaths worldwide. Pollution is primarily caused by transportation, indoor cooking, and using fossil fuels like coal as a source of energy. The authors said that health experts need to focus on reducing both smoking and air pollution in order to prevent lung cancer.

COVID-19 and Clinical Trials

Dr. Higgins highlighted a study that analyzed the impact of COVID-19 on lung cancer clinical trials. Enrollment in trials decreased during the early part of the pandemic but increased in late 2020. Clinical trial sites adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic by introducing virtual visits, allowing testing to take place at local labs, and changing clinical trial schedules.

“We need a more flexible approach that removes barriers for our patients,” Dr. Higgins noted. “I think that people living with lung cancer should be very intimately involved in the creation of these study calendars, visits, schedules, etc.”

Treatment Advances

Several other studies showcased by the webinar focused on lung cancer treatments. It is important to know that some of the research presented at this conference has not yet been published in scientific journals and is not yet peer-reviewed — meaning it has not yet been formally evaluated by other researchers who were not involved with the study.

Many of these studies are ongoing, and details of the studies may change slightly once they are officially published. However, this data offers a glimpse into where the field of lung cancer research currently stands. The studies show that understanding of lung cancer and its treatments continues to improve, which will help lead to better lung cancer outcomes in the future.

One clinical trial found that when the targeted therapy drugs durvalumab (sold under the brand name Imfinzi) and tremelimumab were added to chemotherapy, people with stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) lived longer and didn’t experience relapses as quickly.

“I think chemotherapy with durvalumab and tremelimumab will likely become a first-line option,” Dr. Stinchombe concluded. First-line therapies are the first treatments a person with lung cancer receives.

Another clinical trial focused on proton therapy, a newer type of radiation therapy that uses beams of charged particles. The authors found that proton therapy did less damage to healthy cells when compared with traditional radiation therapy and led to a lower risk of death.

In several clinical trials presented at the conference, researchers studied the effects of the targeted therapy drug atezolizumab (sold under the brand name Tecentriq):

• In a phase 2 trial of people with stage 4 NSCLC that had spread to the brain, atezolizumab combined with chemotherapy was found to be a safe treatment plan.
• In a phase 3 trial of people with NSCLC, people who received atezolizumab after chemotherapy remained cancer-free for longer periods of time before experiencing a relapse.
• In a phase 2 study of people with mesothelioma, atezolizumab did not lead to any severe side effects. Researchers are still collecting data to show whether this treatment is effective.

Other researchers found that the targeted therapy drugs nivolumab (sold under the brand name Opdivo) and ipilimumab (sold under the brand name Yervoy) combined with chemotherapy improved the prognosis of people with stage 4 or relapsed NSCLC. People who had lung cancer that had spread to the brain saw the greatest benefit from this drug combination.

Not all of the clinical trials found promising results. One study analyzed lurbinectedin (sold under the brand name Zepzelca) in people with relapsed small cell lung cancer. People taking the drug had fewer side effects than those using a traditional treatment plan but didn’t have better outcomes.

According to Dr. Stinchcombe, it’s unclear whether this drug will be a useful treatment option for people with small cell lung cancer, although studies are ongoing. “I think we’re all sort of wondering, what’s the future role of lurbinectedin?” he said.