Dr. Herbst on PD-1 Inhibitors in Lung Cancer

Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine at the Yale Cancer Center and chief of medicaloncology at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven in Connecticut, discusses the sequencing possibilities of anti-PD-1 agents in treating patients with lung cancer.

Though all current studies are looking at anti-PD-1 agents in the advanced stage, Herbst says the data suggests that the agents might be able to replace chemotherapy in the frontline setting. Herbst says he is interested in the idea of using the agents as maintenance therapy.

There is also a place for these agents upfront, Herbst says, both alone and in combination with an EGFR or ALK inhibitor for the patients with those mutations.

Although resistance develops in patients who use TKIs, Herbst speculates that an anti-PD-1 agent might protect against the resistance by turning on the immune system.