Treatment considerations for patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the lung: a plain language summary

WHAT IS THIS ARTICLE ABOUT? This plain language summary reports the key points of a recent review article that discussed current treatment options for a type of cancer called squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung. WHAT IS SCC OF THE LUNG? SCC of the lung is a type of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC for short) that is usually linked with smoking. It can be difficult to treat because it is often diagnosed after it has spread to other parts of the body. WHAT FIRST-LINE TREATMENT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE WITH SCC OF THE LUNG? Most patients receive a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy as their first-line treatment (the first treatment they receive after their diagnosis). Immunotherapy drugs have improved how long people with SCC of the lung can live for. However, for most patients, they eventually stop working. At this point, other second-line treatments are considered, meaning treatments patients receive after their first-line treatment is stopped due to side effects or because it no longer works. WHAT SECOND-LINE TREATMENT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WITH SCC OF THE LUNG? Immunotherapy drugs were originally developed as second-line options after chemotherapy. However, immunotherapy drugs are now used with chemotherapies as first-line treatments. This has left a gap for second-line treatment options. There are some drugs available for second-line treatment, such as afatinib, which comes as a tablet, and docetaxel with or without ramucirumab, which is given as an infusion. Other potential treatments are being developed. WHAT EMERGING TREATMENT OPTIONS ARE BEING DEVELOPED? Some early clinical trials of potential treatments have shown promise, but more results are needed. Research into the genetic mutations linked with the development of SCC of the lung is also ongoing. It is hoped that this will help identify patients who might benefit from specific treatments. WHO SHOULD READ THIS ARTICLE? People with SCC of the lung and their caregivers, patient advocates, and healthcare professionals, including those who are helping people learn about scientific discoveries and potential new therapeutic strategies.