Durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer: analysis from the patients’ perspective

This study evaluated the patient-reported outcomes after treatment with durvalumab (Imfinzi) for stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that cannot be surgically removed. This study concluded that durvalumab did not affect the quality of life of these patients.

NSCLC is the most common form of lung cancer worldwide. The previous treatment for surgically non-removable stage III NSCLC was chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Targeted therapies are now given to improve the outcomes of these patients.

Durvalumab targets a protein that allows the immune system to detect and attack cancer cells. It has been approved for the treatment of non-removable NSCLC after CRT. However, it is important to know how patients report their health and quality of life after durvalumab treatment. 

This study included 713 patients with NSCLC whose cancer could not be surgically removed. They had previously received CRT. After CRT patients received either durvalumab (476 patients) or a placebo (237 patients). The patients were asked to report how they felt about different aspects of their health during treatment. These were called patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Patients were followed up for an average of 25.2 months.

There was no significant difference between the PROs from each group after 12 months. PROs evaluated included cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, tiredness, and appetite loss. All these PROs and global health and quality of life remained stable in both groups during treatment.  

The main finding of this study was that durvalumab treatment did not worsen the patients’ symptoms, general health, and quality of life, compared with placebo.

This was a report from an ongoing study. Further data is needed.