New trial results show that Merck & Co's Keytruda improves survival as a stand-alone treatment for newly diagnosed lung cancer and in combination with chemotherapy for hard-to-treat squamous cell lung cancer. The results, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology in Chicago, add to the argument that Keytruda has "set the floor against which other therapies will need to be compared," Roy Baynes, head of clinical development at Merck, told Reuters. Keytruda, along with drugs like Roche's Tecentriq and Bristol-Myers Squibb's Opdivo, is designed to unleash the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells. One trial involved 1,274 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who tested positive for the PDL1 protein targeted by Keytruda. It showed that Keytruda patients lived for a median of 16.7 months, compared with 12.1 percent for patients given chemotherapy. Patient outcomes were linked to the biomarker. Keytruda patients with PDL1 … [Read more...] about Merck’s Keytruda Shown to Extend Lung Cancer Survival in Two Trials
Non small cell stage 4 lung cancer
Roche, chasing Merck, notches another lung cancer win
ZURICH (Reuters) - Roche’s bid to keep Merck’s cancer blockbuster Keytruda within striking distance got a lift on Tuesday when the Swiss drugmaker said its immunotherapy Tecentriq mixed with chemotherapy boosted lung cancer patients’ survival. FILE PHOTO: Swiss drugmaker Roche's logo is seen at their headquarters in Basel, Switzerland January 28, 2016. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo Its phase III IMpower130 study, one of eight trials it has going against lung cancer that rely on Tecentriq, met goals of boosting overall survival and progression-free survival in the initial treatment of advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared to chemotherapy alone, Roche said. This is the third late-stage study of Tecentriq alone or in a cocktail to show an overall survival benefit for people with NSCLC, Roche said. Roche’s third-to-market drug after Keytruda and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Opdivo has just a fraction of their sales. Roche is … [Read more...] about Roche, chasing Merck, notches another lung cancer win
Lung Cancer Patients Live Longer With Immune Therapy
Supported by Health By DENISE GRADYAPRIL 16, 2018 Continue reading the main story Share This Page Continue reading the main story Odds of survival can greatly improve for people with the most common type of lung cancer if they are given a new drug that activates the immune system along with chemotherapy, a major new study has shown.The findings, medical experts say, should change the way doctors treat lung cancer: Patients with this form of the disease should receive immunotherapy as early as possible.“What it suggests is that chemotherapy alone is no longer a standard of care,” said Dr. Leena Gandhi, a leader of the study and director of the Thoracic Medical Oncology Program at the Perlmutter Cancer Center at New York University Langone Health.Immunotherapy has been making steady gains against a number of cancers. Four such drugs, called checkpoint inhibitors, which unleash the patient’s own immune system to kill malignant cells, have been approved so … [Read more...] about Lung Cancer Patients Live Longer With Immune Therapy
Increasing hope for some patients with a common type of lung cancer
Published 8:50 am, Tuesday, August 8, 2017 Image 1of/1 CaptionClose Image 1 of 1 Increasing hope for some patients with a common type of lung cancer 1 / 1 Back to Gallery (BPT) - Numbers touch nearly every aspect of our life, from social security number assigned at birth, to the ever-growing list of passwords, addresses, telephone numbers and miles traveled. You never know at what point one previously insignificant number might suddenly become fundamental. Take 14 and 25. Alone, these numbers could mean nothing, anything. But to some, they are a statistic that needs to be changed. Because currently in the U.S., 14 percent of all new cancers are lung cancers, and 25 percent of all cancer deaths are attributed to this disease. Lung cancer causes more deaths than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents 80-85 percent of all lung cancers, and is often diagnosed in its later stages, once … [Read more...] about Increasing hope for some patients with a common type of lung cancer
Lung cancer link to smoking confirmed
A new study carried out by Florian Kocher of the Innsbruck Medical University together with the Tyrol Cancer Registry shows that smoking is one of the most important reasons for lung cancer, it was revealed on Tuesday. The study found that smoking is associated with around 90 percent of lung cancer cases. In Austria, only 15 percent of people with this form of cancer fully recover. For the majority, life expectancy is around 16.4 months, despite the best efforts of modern medicine. Data was examined from 2,293 patients who suffered from the most common variation between 1989 and 2009, known as non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). The median age for people with the disease is 64 years of age. In addition to cancer, patients often present with other serious diseases, including cardiovascular problems (62 percent) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 45 percent of cases. Around 55 percent experience chronic coughing, while 62 percent … [Read more...] about Lung cancer link to smoking confirmed