Dr. Levy on Treatments for Oncogenic-Driven NSCLC

Benjamin P. Levy, MD, assistant professor of oncology, clinical director of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center and Johns Hopkins Medicine, discusses treatment options for patients with oncogenic-driven non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Within oncogenic drivers such as EGFR, there are more therapies available, even within the molecular niche, explains Levy. Within each genotype, there are expanded therapies. Around 5 years ago, gefitinib (Iressa) or erlotinib (Tarceva) were available for patients with EGFR mutations; now, the field has moved forward to offer other drugs, such as afatinib (Gilotrif), dacomitinib (Vizimpro), and osimertinib (Tagrisso). These next-generation therapies are more efficacious and better tolerated, says Levy.

Similarly, patients with ALK-mutated NSCLC were being treated with crizotinib (Xalkori) 5 years ago, but now there is alectinib (Alecensa), brigatinib (Alunbrig), and lorlatinib (Lorbrena). The list continues to expand and it gives patients with oncogenic drivers more options to extend their survival, concludes Levy.