In patients affected by the most common form of lung cancer, non-small cell, immunotherapy associated with limited courses of chemotherapy, ie two instead of the "classic" four, reduces the risk of death by 28% and the risk of death by 33%. risk of disease progression. Not only that, 38% of patients who received dual immuno-oncology therapy, consisting of nivolumab plus ipilimumab, in combination with 2 courses of chemotherapy, were alive at two years compared to 26% of those treated with chemo alone. These are the main data of the phase 3 study CheckMate -9LA, presented today at the Congress of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), in progress until 8/6 in virtual form.
"In 2020, almost 41,000 new diagnoses of lung cancer were estimated in Italy - says Cesare Gridelli, Director of the Onco-Hematology Department of the 'Moscati' Hospital of Avellino -. It is a particularly difficult neoplasm to treat, because about 70 % of cases are discovered at an advanced stage. And the 5-year survival for people with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer does not exceed 6%. Hence the importance of new treatment options. The CheckMate -9LA study involved more of 700 patients and has an innovative design.First of all, the combination of two immuno-oncological molecules, nivolumab and ipilimumab, allows to obtain a complete and synergistic mechanism of action, because it is directed towards two different checkpoints.
The further advantage of this therapeutic scheme is represented by the use of limited cycles of chemotherapy, which allows to reduce the side effects ". It is, underlines the expert, a" great benefit for patients, also from a point of psychological view, because chemotherapy is still scary. The patient, in less than a month, finishes chemotherapy and continues treatment with immunotherapy ".
(ANSA).