Evaluating the Efficacy of Durvalumab with or without Tremelimumab in Treating Small-Cell Lung Cancer
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Reviewed by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM.
Translated by Nhi Phuong Quynh Le, B.A |
Posted on November 25th, 2024
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Small-cell lung cancer accounts for 15% of all lung cancer cases and is currently treated with thoracic radiotherapy and platinum–etoposide chemotherapy. Despite these treatments, the majority of patients experience relapse within two years, with around 30% dying within five years. Durvalumab and tremelimumab are two immunotherapy antibodies that counteract the immune-suppressing effects of PD-L1 and CTLA-4 on cancer cells. These antibodies have shown effectiveness in treating various cancers, including non–small-cell lung cancer. As a result, AstraZeneca sponsored a study to evaluate their potential in treating small-cell lung cancer.
The phase 3 clinical trial involved 530 participants diagnosed with unresectable stage I or II small-cell lung cancer, or advanced stage III disease. These patients had undergone two rounds of chemoradiotherapy and showed no signs of disease progression. They were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo, 1500 mg of durvalumab, or 1500 mg of durvalumab combined with 75 mg of tremelimumab. The treatments and placebo were administered intravenously every four weeks, with tremelimumab limited to a maximum of four doses. After 24 months of treatment, the results showed that patients receiving durvalumab, with and without tremelimumab, had a longer median survival of 55.9 months, compared to 33.4 months in the placebo group. Furthermore, durvalumab significantly reduced the risk of disease progression and death by 24%. There was no significant difference in the rate of adverse events between the groups, with pneumonitis being the most commonly reported. The researchers suggested that the adverse events could be related to the residual effects of prior chemotherapy or existing underlying conditions.
The phase 3 clinical trial involved 530 participants diagnosed with unresectable stage I or II small-cell lung cancer, or advanced stage III disease. These patients had undergone two rounds of chemoradiotherapy and showed no signs of disease progression. They were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo, 1500 mg of durvalumab, or 1500 mg of durvalumab combined with 75 mg of tremelimumab. The treatments and placebo were administered intravenously every four weeks, with tremelimumab limited to a maximum of four doses. After 24 months of treatment, the results showed that patients receiving durvalumab, with and without tremelimumab, had a longer median survival of 55.9 months, compared to 33.4 months in the placebo group. Furthermore, durvalumab significantly reduced the risk of disease progression and death by 24%. There was no significant difference in the rate of adverse events between the groups, with pneumonitis being the most commonly reported. The researchers suggested that the adverse events could be related to the residual effects of prior chemotherapy or existing underlying conditions.