Dr. Chaft on the Emergence of Immunotherapy in Stage IV Lung Cancer

Jamie E. Chaft, MD, medical oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the emergence of immunotherapy in stage IV lung cancer.

The introduction of immunotherapy to the lung cancer armamentarium was initially met with some skepticism, says Chaft. However, immunotherapy has found its role in the frontline setting.

Studies have demonstrated that the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy is superior to chemotherapy alone in selected patient populations with small cell lung cancer and non­—small cell lung cancer, (NSCLC), explains Chaft. However, the magnitude of benefit for the general lung cancer population is not as significant.

Although most patients with stage IV disease will receive frontline immunotherapy, it may not be the optimal treatment for patients with actionable oncogenic drivers.

The utility of single-agent immunotherapy versus chemoimmunotherapy, as well as optimal sequencing strategies remain are under active investigation, as is the field of biomarker development, concludes Chaft.