Dr. Raz on the Impact of the ALCHEMIST Trial on the Treatment of Patients With Lung Cancer

Dan J. Raz, MD, MAS, co-director, Lung Cancer and Thoracic Oncology Program, assistant professor, Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, City of Hope, discusses the subsets of the ALCHEMIST trial.

The trial, though important for all patients with lung cancer, is particularly relevant for those who are being treated for earlier-stage lung cancer. Investigators are looking at the cancer’s mutational profile in patients who have undergone surgical resection. This enables patients who have earlier-stage disease, specifically IB to IIIA, to receive standard therapy. Depending on their mutational profile, doctors can determine whether they should receive additional therapies if they have specific changes.

There are 3 arms within the trial. The first arm is erlotinib (Tarceva) or observation for patients with sensitizing EGFR mutations. The second arm is for patients who have an EML4-ALK translocation randomized to receive crizotinib (Xalkori) or placebo. The third arm is for patients who don’t have any mutational changes and are eligible to receive immunotherapy for 1 year.