Dr. Ready on the Role of Frontline Chemoimmunotherapy in Lung Cancer

Neal E. Ready, MD, PhD, head and neck oncologist, medical oncologist, Duke Health, professor of medicine, member of the Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, discusses the role of frontline chemoimmunotherapy in lung cancer.

Prior to pivotal phase 3 trials in lung cancer, patients were treated with up-front chemotherapy, Ready says. Upon progression, patients were treated with immunotherapy in the second-line setting and other chemotherapeutics, such as topotecan, in the third-line setting, Ready says. Currently, most patients with lung cancer receive immunotherapy as a part of first-linetreatment, Ready explains. Moreover, immunotherapy is being administered much less in the second-line setting and should be reserved for patients who received chemoradiation for early-stage non–small cell lung cancer where immunotherapy is not currently indicated, Ready explains.

Additionally, second-line immunotherapy could be considered for patients who had a borderline contraindication for up-front immunotherapy because of an autoimmune condition, for example, Ready says. In those cases, immunotherapy could be held until no other effective options were available, Ready concludes.