Summary
Osimertinib significantly extends progression-free survival in stage III EGFR-mutant lung cancer patients. The drug shows promise as a new standard treatment after chemo and radiation, with manageable side effects.
A new study shows that a drug called osimertinib helps people with a certain type of lung cancer live longer without their cancer getting worse. This type of lung cancer is called stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has a specific genetic change called an EGFR mutation.
The study, called LAURA, looked at patients who couldn’t have surgery to remove their cancer. These patients had already received chemotherapy and radiation therapy. After that, some patients got osimertinib, while others got a placebo (a fake pill with no medicine).
The results were very good for the patients who took osimertinib. On average, they lived for about 3 years without their cancer getting worse. This was much better than the patients who got the placebo, who only lived for about 1 year without their cancer getting worse.
Osimertinib also helped in other ways. It lowered the chance of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body, especially the brain. It also seemed to help patients live longer overall, although the researchers need more time to be sure about this.
The drug was generally safe for patients to take. Some people had side effects, but they weren’t too serious. The most common problems were skin rashes and diarrhea.
This study is important because it gives doctors a new way to treat this specific type of lung cancer. Before this, there weren’t many good options for these patients after they finished chemotherapy and radiation. Now, osimertinib offers a way to keep the cancer under control for a longer time.
The researchers think this treatment could become the new standard way to care for patients with this type of lung cancer.
