A new study shows promise for a rare, aggressive lung cancer treatment, but it does not offer a cure for all patients.
New treatment shows promise
An essay published on the association of tarlatamab with durvalumab has raised hope for patients with an aggressive form of lung cancer. However, the patients concerned are very specific, and the results do not mean a cure.Focus on a specific cancer type
The advance concerns mainly the extensive stage small cell lung cancer, a particular and aggressive form, not all lung cancers. Not all lung cancers are the same, and the National Cancer Institute distinguishes, in particular, the non-small cell lung cancers, which are the majority, and the small cell lung cancers, which represent nearly 15% of cases.Characteristics of small cell lung cancer
Small cell lung cancer is described as a rapidly progressing disease, with a high risk of progression after initial treatment. Professor Laurent Greillier, a pulmonologist at the Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille, highlights its aggressiveness and the fact that it is often treated without surgery.Surgery in rare cases
Important nuance: in rare very localized forms, surgery may be considered, but this is not the situation targeted by the results reported here. Until now, the management relied in particular on chemotherapy, often combined with immunotherapy depending on the situation. The problem with this form of cancer is that the disease can quickly return after an initial response. The treatment that has generated interest is called tarlatamab.
