Immunotherapy plus chemotherapy combination for advanced lung cancer not only prolongs life but also improves its quality

According to an analysis published in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the drug combination of cemiplimab plus platinum chemotherapy not only prolongs survival in patients with advanced lung cancer compared to placebo plus platinum chemotherapy, but also improves quality of life compared to chemotherapy alone. The analysis was based on a recent clinical trial.

In addition to the positive survival outcomes, the researchers also analyzed the impact of the cemiplimab plus platinum chemotherapy combination on patients’ quality of life using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13 questionnaires. These questionnaires were used to assess symptoms and side effects related to lung cancer and its treatment. The analysis aimed to evaluate whether the addition of cemiplimab to platinum-based chemotherapy had an impact on patients’ quality of life compared to chemotherapy alone.

According to the analysis published in the journal CANCER, patients who were treated with cemiplimab in combination with chemotherapy reported significant improvements in several symptoms, such as pain, dyspnea, constipation, nausea, and vomiting, when compared to those who received only chemotherapy. Additionally, patients in the cemiplimab group had a longer delay in the clinically meaningful deterioration of symptoms, including cough, hemoptysis, and dysphagia.

The corresponding author Tamta Makharadze, MD, of LTD High Technology Hospital Med Center in Batumi, Georgia, said that the study results suggest that the superior efficacy and favorable safety profile of cemiplimab plus chemotherapy may lead to better patient-reported outcomes in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer compared to chemotherapy alone.

Additional information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. A free abstract of this article will be available via the CANCER Newsroom upon online publication.

Full Citation:
“Quality of Life With Cemiplimab Plus Chemotherapy for First-Line Treatment of Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Patient-Reported Outcomes From Phase 3 EMPOWER-Lung 3.” Tamta Makharadze, Ruben G. W. Quek, Tamar Melkadze, Miranda Gogishvili, Cristina Ivanescu, Davit Giorgadze, Mikhail Dvorkin, Konstantin Penkov, Konstantin Laktionov, Gia Nemsadze, Marina Nechaeva, Irina Rozhkova, Ewa Kalinka, Christina Gessner, Brizio Moreno-Jaime, Rodolfo Passalacqua, Gerasimos Konidaris, Petra Rietschel, and Giuseppe Gullo. CANCER; Published Online: May 8, 2023 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.34687). 

URL Upon Publication: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/cncr.34687

About the Journal     
CANCER is a peer-reviewed publication of the American Cancer Society integrating scientific information from worldwide sources for all oncologic specialties. The objective of CANCER is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of information among oncologic disciplines concerned with the etiology, course, and treatment of human cancer. CANCER is published on behalf of the American Cancer Society by Wiley and can be accessed online. Follow us on Twitter @JournalCancer.

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