Afshin Dowlati, MD

Panelists discuss how the landscape of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) treatment is rapidly evolving, highlighting key advances in immunotherapy, targeted treatments like tarlatamab, and ongoing research efforts, while emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis, appropriate staging, and personalized treatment approaches to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

Panelists discuss how treatment options for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) extend beyond first-line therapies and the recently approved tarlatamab, exploring existing treatments in the second-line and beyond while also highlighting promising ongoing clinical trials and emerging therapies that show potential for improving outcomes in SCLC patients.

Panelists discuss how to determine the optimal timing for initiating immunotherapy in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), considering the pros and cons of inpatient vs outpatient administration, while also addressing the unique barriers to diagnosing and treating SCLC compared with non–small cell lung cancer and exploring strategies to overcome these challenges.

Panelists discuss how to effectively collaborate with payers to ensure access to necessary medications for patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), while also exploring best practices for patient education and identifying valuable resources to share with those diagnosed with SCLC.

Panelists discuss how biomarker testing is currently utilized in the management of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), including its timing within the treatment journey, while also exploring the existing unmet needs in biomarker testing for SCLC and potential strategies to address and overcome these challenges in the future.

Panelists discuss how the ADRIATIC trial investigating durvalumab in limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has shown promising results, potentially addressing unmet needs in this patient population, and consider its potential impact on treatment algorithms and its possible emergence as a new standard of care if approved for this indication.

Panelists discuss how atezolizumab is being investigated in the NRG-LU005 trial for limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC), comparing its trial design with that of the ADRIATIC study, while also exploring the potential benefits of using a single immunotherapy across all SCLC stages and considering treatment strategies for patients who progress from limited-stage to extensive-stage disease while on immunotherapy.

Panelists discuss how immunotherapies like durvalumab and atezolizumab have emerged as promising treatments for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC), complementing traditional chemotherapy, and explore the results of key trials such as CASPIAN and IMpower133 while considering patient selection, treatment algorithms, and management of adverse events associated with these novel therapies.

Panelists discuss how tarlatamab, a bispecific T-cell engager therapy, received accelerated approval for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in May 2024, examining its mechanism of action, pivotal clinical data, management of adverse events, practical considerations for administration, and its position within the SCLC treatment algorithm.

Panelists discuss how conventional therapies for extensive-stage and limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) have evolved, including the role of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and its various schedules, while exploring unmet needs in extensive-stage settings and the potential for combining immunotherapies with CRT to improve treatment outcomes.

Panelists discuss how small cell lung cancer (SCLC) differs from non–small cell lung cancer in terms of staging, epidemiology, risk factors, prevention strategies, and prognosis, while also exploring the distinctions between limited-stage and extensive-stage SCLC and considering potential improvements in staging practices.