Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a challenging type of lung cancer that can grow and spread quickly. Immunotherapy drugs called PD-L1 inhibitors, specifically atezolizumab (Tecentriq) or durvalumab (Imfinzi), are typically given in combination with chemotherapy as the first treatment for extensive-stage SCLC and durvalumab was recently approved for the treatment of patients with limited-stage SCLC.
In a recent real-world comparison study, researchers retrospectively analyzed data from patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer to evaluate efficacy and safety of atezolizumab versus durvalumab. A real-world comparison study is a type of research that looks at how cancer treatments work in everyday medical practice, outside of the controlled environment of clinical trials.
Key Findings
Patients who received durvalumab lived longer on average. Those on durvalumab lived about 14.7 months, while those on atezolizumab lived about 11.6 months. Fewer patients on durvalumab experienced immune-related side effects compared to those on atezolizumab (about 33% vs 48%); however this finding was not statistically significant. Also, fewer durvalumab patients needed to be hospitalized due to these side effects (about 17% vs 36%).
When patients needed another treatment after the first one stopped working, both groups had similar results.
The researchers concluded that the real world data analysis indicated that durvalumab seemed to help patients live longer and might have fewer side effects. Atezolizumab and durvalumab have not been directly compared in a head to head clinical trial.
Every patient is unique, and your doctor will help you choose the best treatment for your specific situation.
More Reading
Overview of Small Cell Lung Cancer
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References:
Vince M, Naqvi SMH, Pellini B, Verbosky M, Melzer D. Real-world comparison of the efficacy and safety of atezolizumab versus durvalumab in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. Lung Cancer. 2024 Dec;198:107999.
Cheng Y, et al. Durvalumab after Chemoradiotherapy in Limited-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2024;391(14):1313-1327.
