OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITY
Lung cancer is a devastating disease with broad-reaching impact on public health, as it accounts for 14% of all new cancer cases in the United States and the most cancer-related deaths among both men and women. In 2015, it is estimated that 221,200 new cases will be diagnosed and 158,040 deaths will occur from the disease. In addition, only 16% of all patients with lung cancer are alive 5 years or more after diagnosis, despite currently available therapies.

The development of new therapeutic strategies beyond cytotoxic chemotherapy has been the focus of extensive recent research and has led to an explosion in lung cancer genetic and biologic knowledge. The result has been the availability of several molecular-targeted therapies demonstrating some degree of activity in subsets of lung cancer with unique tolerability profiles that are distinct from those of traditional chemotherapeutic agents. These novel agents inhibit specific cell growth pathways and prolong survival in large, randomized clinical trials for patients with lung cancer. Other agents aiming to block multiple cellular pathways or multiple components of a single biologic pathway are still under active investigation. The advent of these next-generation targeted treatments presents new promise of both efficacy and enhanced safety for patients with lung cancer but also challenges practicing oncologists to appropriately select individuals who may benefit from these agents and to determine how to integrate such therapies, as they become available, into standard lung cancer treatment algorithms.

To bridge the gap between research and patient care, this CME activity uses the input of cancer experts to frame a relevant discussion of recent research advances in lung cancer that can be applied to routine clinical practice. This information will help medical oncologists formulate up-to-date clinical management strategies.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Explore the role of adjuvant systemic therapy for patients with localized non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
• Develop an evidence-based strategy for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC.
• Consider the prognostic and predictive utility of mutational testing for patients with NSCLC.
• Employ an understanding of personalized medicine to individualize the use of available EGFR inhibitors in the treatment of NSCLC.
• Identify investigational therapeutic opportunities to circumvent acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in advanced NSCLC.
• Communicate the efficacy and safety of alectinib and ceritinib against central nervous system metastases in patients with ALK-rearranged NSCLC.
• Describe emerging data on the benefits and risks of immune checkpoint inhibitors directed at the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway in NSCLC and small cell lung cancer.
• Recognize the results of recently completed Phase III trials examining the efficacy and safety of the novel monoclonal antibodies necitumumab and ramucirumab for patients with advanced NSCLC.
• Apply the results of existing and emerging clinical trial research to the multimodality treatment of advanced NSCLC.
• Assess the effectiveness and tolerability of immune-directed therapeutic agents for patients with small cell lung cancer.
• Consider the benefits and safety of adding bevacizumab to platinum-based doublet chemotherapy for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

ACCREDITATION STATEMENT
Research To Practice is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

CME credit is no longer available for this issue

CREDIT DESIGNATION STATEMENT

CME credit is no longer available for this issue

HOW TO USE THIS CME ACTIVITY
This CME activity contains text, slide and video components.

CME credit is no longer available for this issue

CONTENT VALIDATION AND DISCLOSURES
Research To Practice (RTP) is committed to providing its participants with high-quality, unbiased and state-of-the-art education. We assess potential conflicts of interest with faculty, planners and managers of CME activities. Real or apparent conflicts of interest are identified and resolved through a conflict of interest resolution process. In addition, all activity content is reviewed by both a member of the RTP scientific staff and an external independent physician reviewer for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies referenced and patient care recommendations.

FACULTY — The following faculty (and their spouses/partners) reported real or apparent conflicts of interest, which have been resolved through a conflict of interest resolution process:

David R Spigel, MD
Program Director, Lung Cancer Research
Sarah Cannon Research Institute
Nashville, Tennessee

Advisory Committee: Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Celgene Corporation, Genentech BioOncology, Lilly, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Pfizer Inc, Roche Laboratories Inc; Consulting Agreements: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP.

EDITOR — Dr Love is president and CEO of Research To Practice, which receives funds in the form of educational grants to develop CME activities from the following commercial interests: AbbVie Inc, Amgen Inc, Astellas Scientific and Medical Affairs Inc, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Biodesix Inc, bioTheranostics Inc, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc, Boston Biomedical Pharma Inc, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Celgene Corporation, Clovis Oncology, Daiichi Sankyo Inc, Dendreon Corporation, Eisai Inc, Exelixis Inc, Foundation Medicine, Genentech BioOncology, Genomic Health Inc, Gilead Sciences Inc, ImmunoGen Inc, Incyte Corporation, Janssen Biotech Inc, Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc, Lilly, Medivation Inc, Merck, Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc, Myriad Genetic Laboratories Inc, NanoString Technologies, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Novocure, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, an Amgen subsidiary, Pharmacyclics Inc, Prometheus Laboratories Inc, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi, Seattle Genetics, Sigma- Tau Pharmaceuticals Inc, Sirtex Medical Ltd, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc, Taiho Oncology Inc, Takeda Oncology, Teva Oncology, Tokai Pharmaceuticals Inc and VisionGate Inc.

RESEARCH TO PRACTICE STAFF AND EXTERNAL REVIEWERS
— The scientific staff and reviewers for Research To Practice have no real or apparent conflicts of interest to disclose.

This educational activity contains discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research To Practice does not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications and warnings. The opinions expressed are those of the presenters and are not to be construed as those of the publisher or grantors.

This activity is supported by educational grants from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc, Celgene Corporation and Lilly.

Hardware/Software Requirements:
A high-speed Internet connection  
A monitor set to 1280 x 1024 pixels or more
Internet Explorer 7 or later, Firefox 3.0 or later, Chrome, Safari 3.0 or later
Adobe Flash Player 10.2 plug-in or later
Adobe Acrobat Reader
(Optional) Sound card and speakers for audio

Last review date: October 2015
Expiration date: October 2016