Front-Line Therapy for Extensive-Stage, Small Cell Lung Cancer: A New Standard

Limited progress has been made in front-line therapy for extensive-stage, small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), despite prior phase III trials of multiple strategies. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of combining a checkpoint inhibitor with chemotherapy, investigators conducted an industry-funded, international, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, phase III trial (IMpower133) involving 403 treatment-naive patients with ES-SCLC.

Patients received carboplatin and etoposide chemotherapy with either the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab or placebo for four 21-day cycles followed by maintenance therapy with atezolizumab or placebo, according to the previous randomization. Prophylactic cranial irradiation was allowed during the maintenance pha…