Tumor Treating Field therapy treats cancer using low-intensity electrical fields delivered through a wearable device. (Photo: Novocure)
A phase 3 trial evaluated at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University shows promising results with Tumor Treating Fields therapy in combination with standard of care for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy.
The LUNAR trial’s primary investigator, Winship researcher and medical oncologist Ticiana Leal, MD, presented the results in Chicago on June 6 during the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. Leal is director of the Thoracic Medical Oncology Program and associate professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine.
Tumor Treating Field therapy treats cancer using low-intensity electrical fields delivered through a wearable device. The LUNAR trial evaluated the safety and effectiveness of Tumor Treating Field therapy when used together with standard of care for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who progressed during or after platinum-based therapy. The standard of care treatment included immune checkpoint inhibitors (a type of immunotherapy) or docetaxel (a type of non-platinum-based chemotherapy). Overall survival improved among patients who received Tumor Treating Field therapy and standard of care compared with those who received standard of care alone.
“The results of the LUNAR study are highly encouraging,” says Leal. “The LUNAR trial is the first study in more than seven years to show a significant improvement in overall survival in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer post-platinum chemotherapy. I am heartened by this progress and the potential of this innovative therapy to help many metastatic lung cancer patients in need of new treatment choices following platinum therapy, without added systemic toxicity.”
The LUNAR trial was sponsored by Novocure.