ESMO 2018: Dr. Ramalingam Shares Insight on Lung Cancer Studies

Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD, deputy director, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, discusses data presented on lung cancer during the 2018 ESMO Congress.

In a paired sample analysis of the phase III FLAURA trial, investigators sought to determine markers of acquired resistance to frontline osimertinib (Tagrisso) in EGFR-mutant non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Preliminary data showed that MET amplification and EGFR C797S mutations are the most commonly observed alterations associated with resistance to first-line osimertinib in this patient population.

Phase II trial findings showed that the combination of tepotinib plus gefitinib (Iressa) improved progression-free survival and overall response versus chemotherapy in patients with MET-mutated EGFR-positive NSCLC resistant to prior EGFR TKI therapy. This was the first randomized study to compare tepotinib and gefitinib with chemotherapy in relapsed patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC whose tumors have MET overexpression or amplification.

Additionally, immunotherapy remains a big area in both NSCLC and small cell lung cancer, and Ramalingam says that its role is still being understood.