US FDA approves durvalumab for Stage III non-small cell lung cancer
Peoria, IL February 22, 2018 – On February 16, 2018, the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of durvalumab (Imfinzi) for use in the treatment of patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that could not be completely removed through surgery. Durvalumab received accelerated approval from the FDA as the study results showed the drug may provide substantial improvement over the current therapies. In such cases, the FDA expedites the delivery of the drug to reduce the number of patients receiving potentially less effective treatments.
Illinois CancerCare sees over 500 new lung cancer cases in their region every year. Of those, nearly one-third of NSCLC patients are in stage III. The majority of Stage III NSCLC patients are diagnosed with tumors that cannot be removed completely through surgery. Until now, the current standard of care has been chemotherapy and radiation therapy, followed by active surveillance to monitor for progression. Durvalumab is the first treatment approved for stage III unresectable non-small cell lung cancer that has not progressed after treatment with chemoradiation.
Illinois CancerCare participated in early clinical trials of durvalumab. “This is the future for immunotherapy,” states Jamie Harper, Director of Clinical Research at Illinois CancerCare. “We know current therapies work, but by combining immunotherapy with other drugs or treatment modalities we will find how they work better.”
About Illinois CancerCare
Illinois CancerCare is one of the largest practices in the state of Illinois that treats patients with cancer and blood diseases. It provides state of the art treatments to its patients against these complex diseases by staying at the leading edge of clinical research. As we strive to offer our patients personalized treatment plans, we are excited to offer durvalumab (Imfinzi) as a new treatment for our stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.
Illinois CancerCare is central Illinois’ largest network of cancer care specialists with approximately 100 open clinical cancer research trials being conducted at any given time. The group has been recognized by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) Certification Program for outpatient hematology-oncology practices that meet the highest national standards for quality cancer care. Illinois CancerCare serves patients with 12 clinic locations throughout central and western Illinois including Bloomington/Normal, Canton, Carthage, Eureka, Galesburg, Kewanee, Macomb, Ottawa, Pekin, Peoria, Peru and Princeton. For further information please visit www.illinoiscancercare.com.
