Learn about the latest treatments for metastatic lung cancer. We’ve got it covered, from new FDA approvals to emerging approaches in immunotherapy, targeted therapy, cancer vaccines, drug combinations, antibody-drug conjugates, and more.

  • March 9, 2021  

    Just Diagnosed with Advanced Lung Cancer: What Now?

    With: Jack West, MD

    A new cancer diagnosis is overwhelming. Patients often ask their doctors, “What would you do if you were me?” Here, our Curious Dr. George asks lung cancer expert Howard (Jack) West, MD, how he would handle his own diagnosis of advanced lung cancer. Dr. West is a Princeton- and Harvard-educated oncologist with additional training and experience in Boston and Seattle focusing on lung cancer.… Read more »

  • July 28, 2021  

    FDA Approves First Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer Mutation Previously Considered Resistant to Drug Therapy Bookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    On May 28, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Accelerated Approval for Lumakras (sotorasib), the first targeted therapy for cancer with a mutation in the KRAS gene.

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  • September 1, 2020  

    Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)—An Overview Bookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes:

    Small cell lung cancer is a common, particularly deadly form of lung cancer. If you wish to learn more, this authoritative encyclopedic discussion from Medscape should be very useful (written with a physician audience in mind).

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The team at Cancer Commons provided options above and beyond what the local care team had offered. Such a great service for patients.

Anonymous

Molecular tests help match patients to the personalized treatments that are most likely to work for them. Keep up with new developments in genetic tests, blood tests, liquid biopsies, tumor mutations, other biomarkers, precision medicine, and next-generation sequencing.

  • February 21, 2020  

    Comprehensive Molecular Testing Needed for Stage IV Lung Cancer

    With: David Spigel, MD

    A Q&A with David Spigel, MD, Chief Scientific Officer, Director of the Lung Cancer Research Program, and Principal Investigator at Sarah Cannon Research Institute. Email: dspigel@tnonc.com Q: You are an expert medical oncologist with particular interest in lung cancer. The various forms of lung cancer are serious diagnoses, all potentially lethal malignancies. There are theoretical, investigational, and clinical justifications to perform molecular testing of… Read more »

  • December 3, 2020  

    Léon C. van Kempen, PhD, on a Successful Molecular Tumor Board in NSCLC Bookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    This article from MedPage Today discusses recent study findings demonstrating that patients with complex cases of non-small cell lung cancer can benefit from the insights of a molecular tumor board.

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  • August 15, 2020  

    FDA OKs Liquid Biopsy to Identify EGFR-Positive Lung Cancer Bookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Article from MedPage Today curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a liquid biopsy test (a type of biopsy that uses a blood draw instead of surgery) for detecting whether patients have EGFR mutations in their metastatic lung tumors, which could help guide treatment options.

    Go to full article published by MedPage Today.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

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Some of the most promising new treatments for metastatic lung cancer are currently being tested in patients enrolled in clinical trials. We help you stay up to date on the latest results from these studies.

  • July 31, 2018  

    Promising Updates from Clinical Trials for Small Cell Lung Cancer

    Emma Shtivelman, PhD

    Treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has not changed much in the last 20 years. This cancer is truly one of the most difficult to treat. Even though the response rate to standard first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide is relatively high, relapses and recurrences within months of treatment completion are practically universal, and there are no second-line treatments that really work. There… Read more »

  • August 15, 2020  

    Lung cancer at ASCO20 Virtual Bookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Research highlight from Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    This year’s virtual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology featured presentations on several different targeted therapies that appear to provide improved outcomes for lung cancer patients.

    Go to full research highlight published by Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

  • June 24, 2019  

    Regional Delivery of Mesothelin-Targeted CAR T-Cell Therapy Creates a Win for Solid Tumors Bookmark

    Emma Shtivelman, PhD

    Excerpt:

    “In patients with malignant pleural disease, autologous mesothelin-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy demonstrated clinical benefit with no significant toxicity, outcomes that may be due to the regional delivery of the CAR T cells to the intrapleural cavity rather than conventional systemic delivery. The phase I trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02414269) results were presented at the 2019 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, held March 29–April 3 in Atlanta, Georgia (abstract CT036).”

    Go to full article published by Cancer Network on April 10, 2019.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

     

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This free-of-charge, high-quality information service is a wonderful resource for patients with advanced cancer.

Hope S. Rugo, MD
UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center

Cancer affects many aspects of life, whether you’re newly diagnosed, in the midst of treatment, or in follow-up care. Learn about ways to maintain quality of life, such as palliative care and managing side effects.

  • October 14, 2019  

    Pediatric Palliative Care: A Specialty Comes of Age

    Sarah Friebert, MD

    For a child with cancer, palliative care can provide much-needed relief from stress and symptoms—for the patient and their family alike. Palliative care is given alongside cancer treatment, and is not synonymous with “end-of-life” care. In fact, anyone with a serious illness can benefit from palliative care, no matter their long-term outlook. Because of its importance for children with cancer, we are honored to… Read more »

  • February 11, 2020  

    ‘Impressed With Impact’ of Ketamine in Cancer Palliative Care Bookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Article from Medscape curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    Depression is, for obvious reasons, common in patients with advanced cancer. The old, inexpensive drug ketamine—already approved for medical use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—seems rapidly effective, according to small studies.

    Go to full article published by Medscape.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

  • October 7, 2019  

    Emphasizing Oncogeriatrics

    With: Nicolò Matteo Luca Battisti, MD

    A Q&A with Nicolò Matteo Luca Battisti, MD, Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom, and Chair of the Young Interest Group of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG); nicolo.battisti@gmail.com Q: Everyone knows that the practice of pediatric oncology is very different from adult oncology. How does the growing field of oncogeriatrics differ from usual adult oncology? A:… Read more »

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You’re not alone. Read how other patients and caregivers navigated diagnosis, treatment, and life with cancer. We hope their stories provide insights and hope for your own cancer journey.

More patient stories

Learn more about what’s new in advanced cancer research and treatment, including screening and statistics, using artificial intelligence to improve treatment, and other new horizons in cancer care.

  • April 7, 2021  

    Rankings of Most Common and Deadly Cancer Types Will Shift Over Next Two Decades

    In the next two decades, rankings of incidence and death across cancer types will undergo important changes in the U.S., according to new research led by Lola Rahib, PhD, Director of Scientific and Clinical Affairs at Cancer Commons, as well as the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) in collaboration with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Published today in JAMA Network Open,… Read more »

  • May 30, 2021  

    Cancer Support for LGBTQIA Patients Is Missing Bookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    This piece from ASCO Connection outlines the need for and a path to improvement in cancer care for LGBTQIA patients.

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  • March 29, 2021  

    Can Really Big Data Inform Precise Decisions for Individual Patients?

    With: Matvey B. Palchuk, MD, MS, FAMIA

    New technologies are transforming cancer research. By optimizing research protocols and leveraging data more efficiently and intelligently, these tools hold the promise to improve personalized cancer care. Here, our Curious Dr. George asks Matvey B. Palchuk, MD, MS, FAMIA, VP of Informatics at TriNetX, LLC, about the capabilities of his company’s platform. Curious Dr. George: Translational medicine has evolved to include personalized medicine and… Read more »

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The coronavirus pandemic presents unprecedented challenges to cancer patients. We can help you understand how COVID-19 might impact your treatment and other aspects of your cancer care.