Key Studies in Lung Cancer: Independent Conference Coverage of the ASCO 2020 Scientific Meeting

Stephen V. Liu, MD
We saw exciting advances in NSCLC for many molecularly defined patient subgroups at ASCO 2020, but as Dr. Piotrowska mentioned, these studies will only have an impact if we successfully identify the patients who will benefit from these targeted agents. So, I would say an important take-home lesson is that we need to embrace broad molecular profiling by next-generation sequencing to get the right drugs to the right patients, potentially as early as the resectable setting (per ADAURA).

Zofia Piotrowska, MD, MHS
I agree. It is so exciting to see new and effective targeted therapy options for patients with NSCLC coupled with a broader use of existing targeted therapies, such as in the ADAURA and ADJUVANT-CTONG 1104 trials that evaluated EGFR TKIs as adjuvant therapy in the early-stage setting. But again, testing will be critical to get these new and exciting therapies to the patients who will benefit from them. There were also intriguing results in the immunotherapy space, including promising data on the novel TIGIT antibody tiragolumab. After years of improvements with known drugs and regimens, it’s hopeful to see new agents being developed, because there is still room for improvement in the treatment of lung cancer.