Dr. Mita on Emergence of Checkpoint Inhibitors SCLC

Alain C. Mita, MD, associate professor of medicine, co-director of the Experimental Therapeutics Program at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, discusses the impact of checkpoint inhibitors on the small cell lung cancer (SCLC) treatment paradigm.

The emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors, particularly PD-L1 inhibitors, is a big step forward in the treatment of patients with SCLC, says Mita. These are the first treatment options to demonstrate any improvement in survival of those with SCLC in the past 20 years, adds Mita.

Although, the improvement observed with these agents has been relatively modest, this does open the door to further explore immunotherapy in those with limited stage disease and to evaluate combinations in those with extensive-stage disease, concludes Mita.