Durvalumab for stage III non-small-cell lung cancer patients: clinical evidence and real-world experience

Abstract

Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has a dismal prognosis, with only 15–20% of patients alive at 5 years after concomitant chemo–radiotherapy, which represents the standard treatment. Targeting immune-checkpoint inhibitors represents a standard option for advanced NSCLC. Improvements in understanding of the immune profile of NSCLC has led to the development of immunotherapeutic strategies, including inhibitory molecules responsible for abrogating an anticancer immune response such as programmed cell-death 1 and programmed cell-death ligand 1. A recently published phase III trial (PACIFIC) showed for the first time an improved overall survival in stage III NSCLC patients with consolidative durvalumab. The aim of this review is to summarize and discuss the clinical evidence for the use of durvalumab in stage III NSCLC, with a brief overview on future perspectives in this setting.