Summary
Adding atezolizumab and tiragolumab to chemotherapy may improve survival in extensive stage small cell lung cancer, with further research needed.
A study looked at adding two immunotherapy drugs (atezolizumab and tiragolumab) to standard chemotherapy for patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer. Extensive stage means the cancer has spread widely in the body.
The study included over 200 patients from many countries. Patients who got the triplet combo with the two added immunotherapy drugs lived longer without their disease getting worse compared to those getting only chemotherapy. The combo group lived about 5 months without worsening versus 3 months for chemotherapy alone. Overall survival was also better with 12.6 months for the triplet versus 10.2 months for chemo alone. This means adding these two immunotherapy drugs to standard chemo may be more effective as the first treatment after diagnosis for extensive stage small cell lung cancer. More benefits were seen in patients with high levels of a protein tied to immune function.
More studies are still needed to confirm the results.
