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A new drug is having a dramatic effect on shrinking lung cancer tumors, according to new research.
Testing the drug zongertinib as a first-line treatment for people with advanced lung cancer who have HER2 genetic mutations shows it can eliminate tumors in some people while reducing their size in others.
HER2 mutations occur in people with lung cancer caused by smoking and in cases of lung cancer where people have never smoked.
Professor Sanjay Popat, consultant medical oncologist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust Londonwho presented the findings at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress In berlinSaid they were “highly significant”.
The study involved patients with advanced lung cancer who had no prior treatment, who then took zongertinib as a daily pill.
The results showed that, overall, 77% of patients saw their tumors shrink, 8% saw them disappear completely, and 69% saw a partial shrinkage of their tumors.
Overall, 96% of patients in the study saw their disease controlled as a result of taking zongertinib as the first line of treatment.
Professor Popat said: “The results of this study are extremely important and mean new hope for lung cancer patients with HER2 genetic mutations.
“Previously there was no targeted therapy for these patients and they were often put on intensive treatment plans with chemotherapy with a lot of side effects.
“These preliminary findings show that by directly targeting abnormal HER2 mutant lung cancer with zongertinib, we have a new opportunity to improve patient outcomes and enable them to achieve a better quality of life.”
The study was conducted at 85 sites globally and included 74 patients aged 35 to 88 years.
Earlier research has used zongertinib in people who have undergone other treatments – this is the first study looking at it as a first-line treatment.
The final phase III trial will now take place, where the targeted drug will be tested against other forms of treatment such as chemotherapy.
Royal Marsden patient Susan Gasson, 74, of London, was diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer after suffering a persistent cough. She became eligible for the drug.
She said: “I have been under the care of the Royal Marsden for the past 40 years, having first been diagnosed and treated for breast, cervical and thyroid cancer.
‘My initial treatment for lung cancer included surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which left me with a lot of side effects.
“However, despite treatment, my cancer came back. I did not want to go through the same treatment again, so I was delighted when I was suggested to join the trial.
“I have been taking the trial drug for more than two years, my cancer has gone into remission, and the side effects are minimal, allowing me to have a better quality of life.
“Thanks to this test, I have seen my first granddaughter go to university in September and I hope to see her graduate in three years.”
More than 49,000 cases of lung cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year. Up to 4% of lung cancers are caused by HER2 mutations.