The preliminary findings from the phase 3b LUMINANCE trial (NCT04774380) show that first-line treatment with durvalumab (Imfinzi) plus up to 6 cycles of platinum and etoposide is safe and well-tolerated in patients with treatment-naïve extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), with indications of clinical efficacy consistent with those seen in previous studies. Presented at the 2023 European Lung Cancer Congress, the study enrolled a more inclusive patient population than previous trials, and allowed patients with a World Health Organization performance status of 0 to 2, whereas previous trials only allowed patients with a score of 0 or 1. The combination of durvalumab plus chemotherapy demonstrated a median overall survival of 13.0 months vs 10.3 months with chemotherapy alone in patients with ES-SCLC, and supported FDA approval of the combination in this population. The study authors conclude that these preliminary findings further support using durvalumab plus chemotherapy as a first treatment for patients with ES-SCLC.
