Dr. Garon on Concerns for Immunotherapy Combinations in Lung Cancer

Edward B. Garon, MD, director, Thoracic Oncology, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, discusses his concerns for potential immunotherapy combinations for the treatment of patients with lung cancer.

With so much exciting data coming out, the enthusiasm for such combination therapies is understandable, says Garon. However, it is not completely clear that these combinations are feasible, given some of their significant toxicities.

Moreover, Garon says, lung cancer is a geriatric disease in which the health of many patients can be compromised by other comorbidities. Many patients with lung cancer, for example, often have poor lung function or limited cardiac function from a lifetime of smoking. These are all important concerns to take into account as immunotherapy expands in this setting, according to Garon.