In the last ten years, a kind of medicine called immunotherapy has changed how doctors treat serious lung cancer.
This treatment helps the body’s own immune system fight cancer. Many people with lung cancer are living longer because of this medicine.
One of the main kinds of lung cancer is called non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC for short.
Sometimes doctors give this medicine to these patients at the start of their treatment. But how long should they continue with it? That’s been a big question.
The New Study’s Findings
A group of scientists did a study. It’s a kind of look-back study. That means they collected information about patients from the past and then studied it.
They found out that if a patient’s cancer isn’t getting worse, it’s okay to stop the medicine after two years.
The study was published in a big medical journal and was presented at a big medical meeting in 2023. The scientists are from Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center.
In their study, they found that people who stopped the medicine at two years lived just as long as those who continued the medicine for more years.
What This Means for Patients
Lova Sun, MD, one of the leaders of the study, said this is good news. Patients can feel okay about stopping the medicine at two years if their cancer isn’t growing.
This study helps guide doctors and patients on how long to use the medicine.
The best time to stop treatment isn’t a sure thing yet. That’s because different medical tests used different amounts of treatment time.
Also, the longer a patient takes the medicine, the more it costs. Plus, the medicine can have side effects.
How the Scientists Did the Study
In the study, the scientists looked at health records of patients with NSCLC. All these patients got the medicine as part of their first treatment. But their cancer didn’t get worse.
Of over 1,000 patients, only about one out of five stopped the medicine at two years. This group is called the “fixed duration” group.
Most patients took the medicine for more than two years. This group is called the “indefinite duration” group.
The scientists found that both groups lived about the same length of time: 79% for the fixed group and 81% for the indefinite group.
The Future of Immunotherapy Treatment
Charu Aggarwal, MD, MPH, the senior author of the study, said we’re still figuring out the best length of time for the medicine.
This study gives important information that can help patients feel less worried about stopping the medicine after two years. It gives them confidence that it’s okay to stop.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about the cause of lung cancer in never smokers, and aspirin could cut cancer death by 20%.
For more information about cancer prevention, please see recent studies about antibiotics linked to higher colon cancer risk, and results showing what you need to know about supplements and cancer.
The study was published in JAMA Oncology.
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