Abstract
Extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) is a devastating malignancy. The five-year survival rate is only 1-2% and the median overall survival is around 8-10 months.
Over past 30 years, there has been no progress in the first-line treatment of ES-SCLC and for a long time, the standard-of-care first-line treatment was systemic platinum- (carboplatin or cisplatin) and etoposide-based chemotherapy. The combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy has made a major change.
The article below describes the IMpower133 trial, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of adding atezolizumab or placebo to first-line treatment with carboplatin and etoposide in patients with ES-SCLC. It is a breakthrough trial.