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Introduction: Biology-guided radiotherapy (BgRT) is a novel radiation delivery approach utilizing fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) activity on positron emission tomography (PET) imaging performed in real-time to track and direct RT. Our institution recently acquired the RefleXion X1 BgRT system and sought to assess the feasibility of targeting metastatic sites in various organs, including the liver. However, in order for BgRT to function appropriate, adequate contrast in FDG activity between the tumor and the background tissue, referred to as the normalized SUV (NSUV), is necessary for optimal functioning of BgRT., Methods: We reviewed the charts of 50 lung adenocarcinoma patients with liver metastases. The following variables were collected: SUVmax and SUVmean for each liver metastasis, SUVmean and SUVmax at 5 and 10 mm radially from the lesion, and NSUV at 5 mm and 10 mm (SUVmax of the liver metastasis divided by SUV mean at 5 mm at 10 mm respectively)., Results: 82 measurable liver metastases were included in the final analysis. The average SUVbackground of liver was 2.26 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.17-2.35); average SUVmean for liver metastases was 5.31 (95% CI 4.87-5.75), and average SUVmax of liver metastases was 9.19 (95% CI 7.59-10.78). The average SUVmean at 5 mm and 10 mm radially from each lesion were 3.08 (95% CI 3.00-2.16) and 2.60 (95% CI 2.52-2.68), respectively. The mean NSUV at 5 mm and 10 mm were 3.13 (95% CI 2.53-3.73) and 3.69 (95% CI 3.00-4.41) respectively. Furthermore, 90% of lesions had NSUV greater than 1.45 at 5 mm and greater than 1.77 at 10 mm., Conclusions: This is the first study to comprehensively characterize FDG contrast between the liver tumor and background, referred to as NSUV. Due to the high background SUV normally found in the liver, this work will be valuable for guiding optimization of BgRT for treating liver metastases in the future using the RefleXion ® X1 and potentially other similar BgRT platforms., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Limited studies have described the utilization of cannabinoids among patients with cancer. This survey study aimed to characterize utilization patterns and perceptions of cannabinoid use for treatment-related side effects among patients receiving radiation treatment., Methods and Materials: This was an anonymous survey study of patients who were undergoing or recently completed radiation treatment at a comprehensive cancer center. Data on cannabinoid use during cancer treatment, reasons for the use of cannabinoids, perceived effects of cannabinoids, and formulations of usage were collected and summarized using descriptive statistics., Results: Of the 431 respondents, 111 (25.8%) patients reported cannabinoid use since their cancer diagnosis. Among the cannabinoid users, a majority (73.9%) experienced improvement in symptoms; 38.7% had better relief of cancer-treatment symptoms from cannabinoids in comparison to their prescription medications, and 16.2% lowered the amount of prescription pain medications needed after using cannabinoids. Cannabinoids appeared to be most effective in helping patients manage sleep (76.6%) and anxiety (72.1%). When asked about whether physicians should be discussing cannabinoid use, 45.1% of cannabinoid users wanted to speak with their doctors regarding its utilization. For patients who did not report cannabinoid use, a large majority (83.1%) never had discussions with their doctors regarding its utilization as part of their cancer care, and 34.8% wanted to learn more about cannabinoids from their doctors., Conclusions: About 1 in 4 patients with cancer reported cannabinoid use to assist in symptom control. A majority had subjective alleviation of treatment-related symptoms from cannabinoid use. Regardless of cannabinoid use, a sizable percentage of patients never had any discussions about cannabinoids with their oncologists, with some expressing interest in learning more. Guidelines are needed to assist radiation oncologists on how cannabinoids may play a role in caring for patients., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Durvalumab improves survival when used as consolidation therapy after chemoradiation (CRT) in patients with stage III NSCLC. The optimal consolidation therapy for patients with EGFR-mutant (EGFRmut) stage III NSCLC remains unknown., Methods: In this multi-institutional, international retrospective analysis across 24 institutions, we evaluated outcomes in patients with stage III EGFRmut NSCLC treated with concurrent CRT followed by consolidation therapy with osimertinib, durvalumab, or observation between 2015 and 2022. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS, primary end point) and overall survival (secondary end point). Treatment-related adverse events (trAEs) during consolidation treatment were defined using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used., Results: Of 136 patients with stage III EGFRmut NSCLC treated with definitive concurrent CRT, 56 received consolidation durvalumab, 33 received consolidation osimertinib, and 47 was on observation alone. Baseline characteristics were similar across the three cohorts. With a median follow-up of 46 months for the entire cohort, the median duration of treatment was not reached (NR) for osimertinib (interquartile range: NR-NR) and was 5.5 (interquartile range: 2.4-10.8) months with durvalumab. After adjusting for nodal status, stage III A/B/C, and age, patients treated with consolidation osimertinib had significantly longer 24-month rwPFS compared to those treated with durvalumab or in the observation cohorts (osimertinib: 86%, durvalumab: 30%, observation: 27%, p < 0.001 for both comparisons). There was no difference in rwPFS between the durvalumab and the observation cohorts. No significant difference in overall survival across the three cohorts was detected, likely due to the limited follow-up. Any-grade trAE occurred in 52% (2 [6.1%] grade ≥3) and 48% (10 [18%] grade ≥3) of patients treated with osimertinib and durvalumab, respectively. Of 45 patients who progressed on consolidation durvalumab, 37 (82%) subsequently received EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Of these, 14 (38%) patients developed trAEs including five patients with pneumonitis (14%; 2 [5.4%] grade ≥3) and five patients with diarrhea (14%; 1 [2.7%] grade ≥3)., Conclusions: This study suggests that among patients with stage III unresectable NSCLC with a sensitizing EGFR mutation, consolidation osimertinib was associated with a significantly longer rwPFS compared to durvalumab or observation. No unanticipated safety signals were observed with consolidation osimertinib., Competing Interests: Disclosure Dr. Nassar receives honoraria from OncLive, TEMPUS, and Korean Society for Medical Oncology and consulting fees from Guidepoint Global. Dr. Kim is on the advisory board for Amgen. Dr. Shepherd reports having stock and other ownership interests from Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca; receiving honoraria from AstraZeneca, Merck Serono, Takeda, and Daiichi Sankyo; having consulting/advisory role at AstraZeneca and Merck Serono; and receiving research funding from Eli Lilly (inst), Pfizer (inst), Bristol-Myers Squibb (inst), AstraZeneca/MedImmune (inst), and Roche Canada (inst). Dr. Gray reports receiving grants from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech, G1 Therapeutics, Ludwig Institute of Cancer Research, Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis, and Pfizer; receiving consulting fees from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Blueprint Medicines, EMD Serono, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Loxo Oncology Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis, OncoCyte Biotechnology, Spectrum ODAC, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and Triptych Health Partners; and having leadership role as SWOG Lung Committee Chair, IASLC Board of Director member, and ASCO Education Committee Ex-Chair. Dr. Dilling reports receiving consulting fees from AstraZeneca and support for travel from NCCN. Dr. Neal reports receiving grants from Genentech/Roche, Merck, Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, Exelixis, Nektar Therapeutics, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Adaptimmune, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, AbbVie, and Novocure; receiving consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Genentech/Roche, Exelixis, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly and Company, Amgen, Iovance Biotherapeutics, Blueprint Pharmaceuticals, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Natera, Sanofi/Regeneron, D2G Oncology, Surface Oncology, Turning Point Therapeutics, Mirati Therapeutics, Gilead Sciences, AbbVie, Summit Therapeutics, Novartis, Novocure, Janssen Oncology, and AnHeart Therapeutics; and receiving honorarium from CME Matters, Clinical Care Options CME, Research to Practice CME, Medscape CME, Biomedical Learning Institute CME, MLI Peerview CME, Prime Oncology CME, Projects in Knowledge CME, Rockpointe CME, MJH Life Sciences CME, Medical Educator Consortium, and HMP Education. Dr. Wakelee reports receiving grants from Arrys Therapeutics Research, AstraZeneca/Medimmune, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech/Roche, Merck, Helsinn, Seagen, and Xcovery; and serving on the advisory board of Mirati (compensated)—ended November 2022, IOBiotech (compensated)—October 2023, Merck (NOT compensated), and Genentech/Roche/Bristol-Myers Squibb/AstraZeneca (NOT compensated). Dr. S.H. Lin reports receiving grants from STCube Pharmaceuticals, Beyond Spring, and Nektar Therapeutics; consulting fees from XRAD Therapeutics; serving on the advisory board of AstraZeneca; having stock/stock options from Apple, Google, Amazon, Tesla, Meta, Rivian, and CreatvMicrotech; and having other support from SEEK Diagnostics (co-founder). Dr. Patil reports receiving grants from Gilead Research Scholars and LUNGevity Foundation Award; consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bicara, Daiichi, Janssen, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Mirati Therapeutics, Pfizer, Sanofi, Regeneron, Roche/Genentech, Takeda, Gilead Research Scholars, and LUNGevity Foundation Award; and honorarium from Janssen. Dr. Bar reports receiving grants from Merck Sharp & Dohme, AstraZeneca, Roche, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Takeda, AbbVie, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Pfizer; receiving consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Takeda, AbbVie, Pfizer, Bayer, and VBL; and having leadership role from Lung Ambition Consortium, Israel Lung Cancer Group, and IASLC committee. Dr. Marron receives grants from Regeneron, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Boehringer Ingelheim, NCI, and Cancer Research Institute; and serving on the advisory board of AbbVie, Celldex, and Rockefeller University. Dr. Yu receives grants/contracts from AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Daiichi Cullinan Oncology, Janssen, Novartis, Blueprint med, Black Diamond, and Systimmune and consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Daiichi, Taiho, Takeda, Janssen, Amgen, AbbVie, Novocure, and Ipsen. Dr. Owen receives grants/contracts from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Palobiofarma, Genentech, Onc.AI, and Pfizer; and travel support from Amgen, AstraZeneca, and Genentech. Rocha receives grants/contracts from SEOM, ESMO Fellowship, and AECC; and travel support from Merck Sharp & Dohme, AstraZeneca, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Dr. Arriola receives grants/contracts from AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb; honorarium from Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, Roche, Takeda, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Pfizer, Janssen, and Bristol-Myers Squibb; and travel support from AstraZeneca, Roche, and Pfizer. Dr. Cheng receives grants/contracts from AstraZeneca and Genentech; and serving on the advisory board of Janssen, G1 Therapeutics, and AstraZeneca. Dr. Parikh receives consulting fees from Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Guardant Health, and AstraZeneca; and honorarium from MJH Life Sciences. Dr. Harris receives grants/contract from NIH P30CA062203, the UC Irvine Comprehensive Cancer Center using UCI Anti-Cancer Challenge Grant, and ACS Seed Grant 129801-IRG-16-187-13-IRG; and serving on the advisory board of UC Irvine as DSMB member. Dr. Nagasaka receives consulting fees from Caris Life Sciences; honorarium/speaker fees from AstraZeneca, Daiichi, Novartis, EMD Serono self, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Genentech, Regeneron, Takeda, Janssen, Blueprint, and Mirati; travel support from AnHeart Therapeutics; and stock/stock options from Mbrace Therapeutics. Dr. Valazquez receives grants/contracts from ASCO, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), LUNGevity, NIA P30AG015272, NCI 5U54CA242646-03 Conquer Cancer and Niarchos Foundation, UCSF Clinical Practice Group, and AAMC; consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Merus, Novocure, and Cadence Communications & Research; and having stock/stock options from Corbus Pharmaceuticals. Dr. J.J. Lin receives grants/contracts from Hengrui Therapeutics, Turning Point Therapeutics, Neon Therapeutics, Relay Therapeutics, Bayer, Elevation Oncology, Roche, Linnaeus Therapeutics, Nuvalent, and Novartis; consulting fees from Genentech, C4 Therapeutics, Blueprint Medicines, Nuvalent, Bayer, Elevation Oncology, Novartis, Mirati Therapeutics, AnHeart Therapeutics, Takeda, CLaiM Therapeutics, Regeneron, Pfizer, Turning Point Therapeutics, Daiichi Sankyo, AstraZeneca, and Merus. Dr. Piotrowska receives grants/contracts from Novartis, Takeda, Spectrum, AstraZeneca, Tesaro/GlaxoSmithKline, Cullinan Oncology, Daiichi Sankyo, AbbVie, Janssen, and Blueprint; consulting fees from Taiho, Janssen, Takeda, AstraZeneca, Cullinan Oncology, C4 Therapeutics, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, and Blueprint; and honorarium from Daiichi Sankyo, Janssen, and Eli Lilly (honoraria for nonpromotional educational events). Dr. Reuss receives grants/contracts from Genentech/Roche, Verastem, Nuvalent, and LUNGevity Foundation; consulting fees from Genentech/Roche, Sanofi/Genzyme, Personalis, Guardant, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Arcus, AbbVie, Daiichi Sankyo, Catalym, Seagen, and Gilead; and honorarium from AstraZeneca and Merck. Dr. Baena Espinar receives consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Roche, and Merck Sharp & Dohme; honorarium from AstraZeneca, Roche, and Merck Sharp & Dohme; payment for expert testimony from Roche; and travel support from Roche and Janssen. Leal receives research funding to institution from Pfizer, Advaxis, and Bayer, outside the submitted work. Dr. Mak receives grants/contracts from ViewRay; consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Novartis, and Sio Capital Management; and other support from Founder of HealthAI. Dr. Naqash receives grants/contracts from SWOG Hope Foundation and FDA Broad Agency Contract; serving on the advisory board of JCO Precision Oncology; receiving travel support from SITC/American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)/Conquer Cancer Foundation/BinayTara Foundation and Foundation Med/Caris Life Sciences, and Jazz Pharmaceuticals; and funding to institution for trials from Loxo@Lilly, Surface Oncology, ADC Therapeutics, IGM Biosciences, EMD Serono, Aravive, Nikang Therapeutics, Inspirna, Exelexis, Revolution Medicine, Jacobio, Pionyr, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Immunophotonics, and Selexine. Dr. Goldberg receives grants/contracts from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Mirati; and serving on the advisory board of AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Amgen, Sanofi, Genzyme, Daiichi Sankyo, Regeneron, Takeda, Janssen, Summit, and Merck. The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Purpose: With increased adoption of next-generation sequencing, tailored therapy on the basis of molecular status is being delivered for patients with early-stage resectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The purpose of this narrative review was to focus on recent developments of targeted therapies in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant/adjuvant setting for early-stage disease., Methods: A systematic search of the MEDLINE/PubMed database was performed, focusing on studies published within the past 10 years. Our search queried "early-stage NSCLC (AND) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI; OR) epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR; OR) anaplastic lymphoma kinase ( ALK )" and was limited only to prospective and ongoing studies., Results: Most studies examining the benefit of targeted therapies in early-stage resectable NSCLC have been for EGFR-TKIs in the adjuvant setting. Currently, only one study, the ADAURA trial of adjuvant osimertinib, has demonstrated an overall survival benefit with the use of an EGFR-TKI in the adjuvant setting. Future work to build on the success of the ADAURA trial is focused on determining the optimal duration of targeted therapies and using biomarkers, such as circulating tumor DNA, to risk-stratify patients and guide maintenance targeted therapy duration., Conclusion: The results of several ongoing studies are eagerly awaited regarding the use of targeted therapies in the neoadjuvant/adjuvant setting and for more uncommon or rare mutations such as ALK , ROS proto-oncogene 1, rearranged during transfection, mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor, and B-Raf proto-oncogene V600E. The treatment landscape for early-stage NSCLC harboring actionable mutations is likely to shift dramatically in the upcoming decade.

Background: Number of metastatic sites can identify patient populations with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that benefit from aggressive therapy. Total volume of disease is also relevant. We evaluated the prognostic impact of biologically active volume of disease (BaVD) on patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma., Materials and Methods: Positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (PET/CT) scans from patients with newly diagnosed lung adenocarcinoma prior to starting any therapy were identified. SUV thresholds of 3 and 4 were used to auto-contour all FDG avid areas. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression were performed to examine influence on OS., Results: One hundred forty-eight patients were included in the analysis. The median BaVD when using an SUV threshold of 3 was 122.8 mL. The median BaVD when using an SUV threshold of 4 was 46.2 mL When stratified by median BaVD using an SUV of 3, median OS was higher for patients with <=122.8 mL (2.12 years) compared to patients with >122.8 mL (1.46 years) (log-rank P = .001). Similarly, when stratified by median BaVD using an SUV of 4, median OS was higher for patients with <=46.2 mL (1.91 years; 95% CI: 1.65-3.22 years) compared to patients with >46.2 mL (1.48 years; 95% CI: 1.07-1.80 years) (log-rank P = .007). On multivariable analysis, BaVD was significantly associated with OS when using an SUV threshold of 3 (HR: 20.169, P < .001) and 4 (HR: 4.117, P < .001)., Conclusion: BaVD is an important prognostic factor in metastatic lung adenocarcinoma and may aid identification of patients with limited disease who may be candidates for more aggressive therapies., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Management of lung cancer has transformed over the past decade and is no longer considered a singular disease as it now has multiple sub-classifications based on molecular markers. The current treatment paradigm requires a multidisciplinary approach. One of the most important facets of lung cancer outcomes however relies on early detection. Early detection has become crucial, and recent effects have shown success in lung cancer screening programs and early detection. In this narrative review, we evaluate low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening and how this screening modality may be underutilized. The barriers to broader implementation of LDCT screening is also explored as well as approaches to address these barriers. Current developments in diagnosis, biomarkers, and molecular testing in early-stage lung cancer are evaluated as well. Improving approaches to screening and early detection can ultimately lead to improved outcomes for patients with lung cancer.

Introduction: Cancer patients are increasingly incorporating medical marijuana into the management of treatment-related side effects. Currently however, data is limited regarding the risks and benefits of therapeutic cannabis for cancer patients. We sought to characterize radiation oncologists' practices and opinions regarding therapeutic cannabis via a nationwide survey., Materials and Methods: An anonymous survey was distributed via email to 873 radiation oncologists in the American Society for Radiation Oncology member database. Radiation oncologists were asked their opinions and practices regarding the use of therapeutic cannabis for their patients. Bivariate analyses of potential predictors for responses were conducted using standard statistical techniques., Results: One hundred seven radiation oncologists completed the survey. According to the survey, 36% of respondents would recommend therapeutic cannabis to their patients to mitigate treatment toxicity. Physicians practicing in states where medical marijuana is legal were more likely to recommend it compared to physicians working in states that have not legalized medical marijuana (OR = 3.79, 1.19-12.1, p = 0.01). Seventy-one percent of respondents reported therapeutic cannabis as being effective at least some of the time for managing treatment-related toxicities. Fifty-eight percent of physicians reported lacking sufficient knowledge to advise patients regarding therapeutic cannabis, while 86% of respondents were interested in learning more about therapeutic cannabis for cancer patients., Conclusions: Although a majority of radiation oncologists believe there are benefits to therapeutic cannabis, many are hesitant to recommend for or against its use. Radiation oncologists appear to be interested in learning more about how therapeutic cannabis may play a role in their patients' care., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: In 2018, durvalumab was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as consolidation immunotherapy for patients with stage III NSCLC after definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT). However, whether durvalumab benefits patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC remains unknown., Methods: We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective analysis of patients with unresectable stage III EGFR-mutated NSCLC who completed concurrent CRT. Kaplan-Meier analyses evaluated progression-free survival (PFS) between patients who completed CRT with or without durvalumab., Results: Among 37 patients, 13 initiated durvalumab a median of 20 days after CRT completion. Two patients completed 12 months of treatment, with five patients discontinuing durvalumab owing to progression and five owing to immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Of 24 patients who completed CRT without durvalumab, 16 completed CRT alone and eight completed CRT with induction or consolidation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Median PFS was 10.3 months in patients who received CRT and durvalumab versus 6.9 months with CRT alone (log-rank p = 0.993). CRT and EGFR TKI was associated with a significantly longer median PFS (26.1 mo) compared with CRT and durvalumab or CRT alone (log-rank p = 0.023). Six patients treated with durvalumab initiated EGFR TKIs after recurrence, with one developing grade 4 pneumonitis on osimertinib., Conclusions: In this study, patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC did not benefit with consolidation durvalumab and experienced a high frequency of irAEs. Patients who initiate osimertinib after durvalumab may be susceptible to incident irAEs. Consolidation durvalumab should be approached with caution in this setting and concurrent CRT with induction or consolidation EGFR TKIs further investigated as definitive treatment., (Copyright © 2021 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)