This therapy prolongs life and improves the quality of life in lung cancer

2023-05-08 17:16:44

Clinical trial reveals multiple benefits of cemiplimab plus platinum-based chemotherapy

It is known that the combination of an immunotherapy drug, cemiplimab, plus platinum-based chemotherapy may prolong survival in patients with advanced lung cancer compared with placebo plus platinum-based chemotherapy.

Now, a published analysis «Cancer»indicates that cemiplimab plus platinum-containing chemotherapy also affects quality of life compared with chemotherapy alone.

The multinational phase 3 EMPOWER-Lung 3 trial had shown that the addition of cemiplimab to platinum-containing chemotherapy was associated with improved survival in patients with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer compared with chemotherapy alone. Since quality of life is also an important parameter of treatment benefit, the investigators examined how cemiplimab plus platinum affected symptoms compared with chemotherapy alone in patients enrolled in this trial using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ- LC13.

Patients who received cemiplimab plus chemotherapy experienced significant improvements in pain, dyspnoea, constipation, nausea, and vomiting compared to those who received placebo plus chemotherapy. Patients in the cemiplimab group also experienced a significant delay in clinically significant deterioration of symptoms such as cough, hemoptysis, and dysphagia.

“The findings support the concept that the superior efficacy and favorable safety profile of cemiplimab plus chemotherapy translate into better patient-reported outcomes compared with chemotherapy alone in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer,” the author notes. corresponding Tamta Makharadze, of the High Technology Hospital Medical Center in BatumiGeorgia.

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