Dr. Costin on Frontline Immunotherapy for Patients With NSCLC

Daniel Costin, MD, hematology and oncology, White Plains Hospital, discusses the potential with immunotherapy agents in the frontline setting as treatment for patients with non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Immunotherapy has become a standard of care in the second-line setting, Costin explains. A question among researchers now is: can immunotherapy be introduced as first-line therapy in patients with early-stage lung cancer?

Traditionally, early-stage patients are treated with surgery followed by chemotherapy; however, he adds, many of them still recur and will potentially die from their cancer. Since immunotherapy has had a significant impact in NSCLC treatment, researchers are considering moving them up in patients with early-stage diseas. This is being explored in ongoing trials.

For example, the ANVIL study is investigating standard surgery followed by chemotherapy, if appropriate, followed by randomization with nivolumab (Opdivo) or placebo in patients with early-stage lung cancer. This is a very important question to answer, he says.