Dr. Skoulidis on Combining Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy in NSCLC

Ferdinandos Skoulidis, MD, PhD, MRCP, assistant professor, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy in non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The KEYNOTE-021 data suggested a combination of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) with carboplatin/pemetrexed was associated with a 55% objective response rate, almost more than a chemotherapy doublet alone.

Combining chemotherapy with immunotherapy benefited PD-L1—negative tumors and has an additive effect, so it would be a valid treatment option for patients who express low levels of PD-L1, explains Skoulidis.