Adjuvant Alectinib Improves Disease-Free Survival in Lung Cancer
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, April 12, 2024 -- Adjuvant alectinib improves disease-free survival compared with platinum-based chemotherapy among patients with resected ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a study published in the April 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Yi-Long Wu, M.D., from the Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues conducted a global, phase 3, open-label, randomized trial involving patients with completely resected, ALK-positive NSCLC of stage IB, II, or IIIA. Participants were randomly assigned to receive oral alectinib (600 mg twice daily) for 24 months or intravenous platinum-based chemotherapy in four 21-day cycles (130 and 127 patients, respectively).
The researchers found that the percentage of patients alive and disease-free was 93.8 and 63.0 percent in the alectinib and chemotherapy groups, respectively, at two years, among patients with stage II or IIIA disease (hazard ratio for disease recurrence or death, 0.24), and 93.6 and 63.7 percent, respectively, in the intention-to-treat population (hazard ratio, 0.24). A clinically meaningful benefit with respect to central nervous system disease-free survival was seen in association with alectinib versus chemotherapy (hazard ratio, 0.22). The overall survival data were immature. There were no unexpected safety findings.
"The disease-free survival benefit was seen consistently across prespecified subgroups, including those defined according to disease stage, race, sex, and smoking status," the authors write.
The study was funded by F. Hoffmann-La Roche, the manufacturer of alectinib.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted April 2024
Read this next
Perioperative Nivolumab Tops Chemo for Survival in Resectable Lung Cancer
FRIDAY, May 17, 2024 -- For patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), perioperative treatment with nivolumab results in significantly longer event-free...
AACR Delivers Report on Disparities in Cancer Progress
WEDNESDAY, May 15, 2024 -- In its biennial Cancer Disparities Progress Report published today, the American Association for Cancer Research presents the latest statistics on...
Alecensa Approved as First and Only ALK Inhibitor for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
MONDAY, April 22, 2024 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Alecensa (alectinib) as adjuvant treatment following tumor resection in patients with anaplastic...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.