Large Cell Lung Cancer

[andrewc]

Just wondered whether apart from chemo, does any other treatment such as the new targeted therapies work with Large Cell lung cancer?

eg Nivolumab, Kertruda or anything else? Or is chemo the only option assuming that surgery is not possible?

Has anybody been treated for large cell lung cancer?

Thanks

Andrew

[BridgetO]

Hi Andrew and welcome. I just want to say hello.  I dont know the answer to your quesion about new treatments for large cell LC. But   I bet you'll get a reply from someone who does, and probably from somwon who has LCLC.

Bridget O

[Tom Galli]

Andrew,

Welcome here.

First, here is some information about large cell lung cancer.  Large cell lung cancer is rare and is a form of non-small cell lung cancer.  When I first learned that years ago, it was confusing but non-small cell means everything but small cell so large cell fits the non-small category.  

Your question is about new targeted therapies and do they work with large cell.  Targeted therapies are used to treat non-small cell (including large cell) lung cancer if the tumors display certain biomarkers that show about 20 "driver mutations" (identified thus far), and precision medicines have been developed to attack some of these driver mutations. Research, however, has here-to-fore revealed driver mutations in a form of non-small cell lung cancer called adenocarcinoma.  Here is more information on targeted therapy. Read in particular information in the "What is a driver mutation" section.  So, if the tumor displays one of the driver mutations that a developed precision medicine can attack, a targeted therapy drug may work.

My type of non-small cell lung cancer -- squamous cell -- does not display driver mutations and therefore is not suitable for targeted therapy.  I can't find information about large cell and driver mutations so I suspect large cell does not respond to targeted therapy.  Most important, however, is to have any lung cancer tumor biopsied and tested for biomarkers and immunotherapy markers.  Squamous cell, adenocarcinoma, and I suspect large cell lung cancer do respond to immunotherapy.  Here is information on immunotherapy.  Read in particular "What is immunotherapy." If the large cell tumor displays immune checkpoint inhibitors, it may respond to new forms of immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy alone or in combination with conventional chemotherapy and or radiation are prime research topics.  Many trials using these combination therapies are underway and new discoveries are being identified and approved as FDA therapies.  In the immunotherapy link, read the material under "Therapeutic cancer vaccines and Adoptive T cell transfers." Also note the information on clinical trials in this section.

I hope this information helps.  Questions?  This is the place.

Stay the course.

Tom