Immunotherapy Plus Chemotherapy Prolongs Life and Improves Its Quality in Advanced Lung Cancer Patients

The drug combination of cemiplimab plus platinum chemotherapy not only prolongs survival in patients with advanced lung cancer compared to placebo plus platinum chemotherapy, but also improves quality of life compared to chemotherapy alone. The analysis, based on a recent clinical trial, was published in CANCER.

In addition to the positive survival outcomes, the researchers also analyzed the impact of the cemiplimab plus platinum chemotherapy combination on patients' quality of life using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13 questionnaires. These questionnaires were used to assess symptoms and side effects related to lung cancer and its treatment. The analysis aimed to evaluate whether the addition of cemiplimab to platinum-based chemotherapy had an impact on patients' quality of life compared to chemotherapy alone.

According to the analysis published in the journal CANCER, patients who were treated with cemiplimab in combination with chemotherapy reported significant improvements in several symptoms, such as pain, dyspnea, constipation, nausea, and vomiting, when compared to those who received only chemotherapy. Additionally, patients in the cemiplimab group had a longer delay in the clinically meaningful deterioration of symptoms, including cough, hemoptysis, and dysphagia.

The corresponding author Tamta Makharadze, MD, of LTD High Technology Hospital Med Center in Batumi, Georgia, said that the study results suggest that the superior efficacy and favorable safety profile of cemiplimab plus chemotherapy may lead to better patient-reported outcomes in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer compared to chemotherapy alone.