Non-small cell lung cancer continues to remain one of the main reasons behind cancer related deaths all across the world. Continuous studies and research works are going on that could help in its early detection and better cure. The researchers at Yale Cancer Center have recently reported in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology that the targeted therapy Osimertinib is associated with significantly improved progression free survival.
In this retrospective study, they utilize data from 2015 through 2022 involving 136 stage III NSCLC patients with EGFR mutation. The team compared the survival outcomes achieved after taking Osimertinib, Durvalumab or neither treatment after chemo and radiation. In the study, they found that 86% patients treated with Osimertinib lived at least two years without getting their condition worsened. This was higher than patients who were treated with Durvalumab (30%) and who took neither treatment (27%). Thus, NSCLC with EGFR mutations responded poorly to immunotherapy treatments, including Durvalumab.
Talking about the associated side effects, only 6% of patients treated with Osimertinib in comparison to 18% of patients treated with Durvalumab. Also, no unexpected safety risks were found during the study.
Amin Nassar, co-first author on the study and member of YCC said, “Osimertinib is a drug that is actually very specific for the EGFR mutation itself.” “It has proven to be very efficacious in the stage IV setting and also, more recently with the ADAURA trial, in the stage III setting. We wanted to find out in the unresectable [tumor not removable with surgery] stage III population, are we going to see similar benefits? And is this targeted therapy actually better than immunotherapy for these specific patients?”
He also said that there need to be larger studies to determine the overall survival benefit of Osimertinib as a post remission therapy for this unresectable, NSCLC EGFR-mutant patient population.
The information shared in this blog is for educational purposes only. You should always consult with your healthcare provider for any medical issues.
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