One of the fastest growing and most aggressive tumors is small cell lung cancer (SCLC), against which there are hardly any robust biomarkers that allow progress in the therapy of choice for these patients. However, in the last days, a new first-line therapy based on immunotherapy was approved in Spain. The drug is an antiPD-L1, which is offered in combination with chemotherapy as initial treatment in adult patients with this type of widespread tumor.
So far, with chemotherapy treatment, only 6% of patients exceed the mean survival (9.5 months) at two years, a percentage that with the new combined treatment increases to 22%. “A percentage that – recognizes Mariano Provencio, president of the Spanish Group of Lung Cancer (GECP) -, although it is still insufficient, is very high compared to the 6% that we achieved with the treatments available until now. Something that is a true milestone in immunotherapy: in the long term we achieve this increase in living people. An advance from which about 60% of diagnosed patients will be able to benefit”.
