Hope and Innovation in the Lung Cancer Space

The lung cancer space is continuing to evolve. Check out the 2024 Lung Cancer Special Issue for more.

Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, poses significant challenges to patients, caregivers and health care professionals alike. This special issue of CURE provides information on recent treatment developments, as well as insight into some of the issues currently faced by patients.

We look at news from the Food and Drug Administration, which recently approved both Tagrisso (osimertinib) in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy for adults with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutations and Tepmetko (tepotinib) for adults with metastatic NSCLC with mesenchymal-epithelial transition exon 14 skipping alterations. These developments underscore the importance of molecular profiling and precision medicine in optimizing patient outcomes.

Elsewhere in this issue, we shine a spotlight on treatment advancements for ALK-positive NSCLC. Although it is a relatively rare diagnosis, one patient recalls that his doctors told him it was “like hitting the lottery,” due to the targeted therapy treatment options that are available for this disease subtype. Treatments for ALK-positive NSCLC continue to make waves as targeted therapies are explored for patients earlier in their cancer journeys and advancements are made in postsurgical treatment options.

This issue also reports on some of the latest efforts in treating small cell lung cancer, a type of cancer that is relatively less common, making up approximately 15% of lung cancer diagnoses, but is also more aggressive and diagnosed at later stages when compared with NSCLC.

“For decades, we didn’t have a lot of options to offer patients with lung cancer. Chemotherapy was kind of the standard approach to managing that diagnosis. But we’ve seen a lot of recent progress that offers hope for patients who are diagnosed with small cell lung cancer,” Amy C. Moore, vice president of global engagement and patient partnerships for the LUNGevity Foundation, told CURE as part of our “Speaking Out” series.

In breaking down the science behind these innovative therapies and looking at the practical aspects of treatment decision-making, we hope to empower patients and their loved ones with the knowledge and resources needed to make informed choices and advocate for optimal care.

As always, we hope you find our stories inspirational and informative. Thank you for reading.

MIKE HENNESSY JR.

PRESIDENT & CEO

MJH LIFE SCIENCES®

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