Onkológia 3/2020

Current possibilities of immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer

There is a continuous development of lung cancer immunotherapies in the four main areas: monoclonal antibodies, checkpoint inhibitors (CPI), therapeutic vaccines, and adoptive cell therapy. CPI in the form of monoclonal antibodies against PD-1 (programmed death protein

1. nivolumab, pembrolizumab, and PD-L1 (PD-ligand 1) atezolizumab, pembrolizumab, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy, are at present most often used immunotherapies in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In advanced NSCLC they should be used preferentially in the first-line treatment if this is not possible then in the second line. Durvalumab is used at present as maintenance therapy after chemo-radiotherapy in patients with stage III NSCLC. The results of phase 3 trials with the CPI either alone or in combination with chemotherapy with emphasis on the registration trials are given in this overview. The results of these trials show another major advance in the treatment of NSCLC and improvement prospects of patients with this feared cancer disease.

Keywords: non-small cell lung cancer, immunotherapy, phase 3 trials