According to findings published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, real-world data reveal that the use of lurbinectedin for patients with SCLC suggested that it is a feasible treatment option, despite the challenging prognosis associated with this form of cancer.

The authors wrote, “Before the advent of lurbinectedin in 2020, only a few options existed for treating patients with SCLC that had progressed after first-line therapy. Although lurbinectedin has been added to the arsenal against metastatic SCLC, real-world data on its efficacy has been scarce due to its recent implementation. In this study, we investigated the demographics and clinical outcomes of metastatic SCLC patients treated with lurbinectedin in Korea.”

This real-world study included 51 patients (average age 68 years) diagnosed with metastatic SCLC who failed first-line therapy. A total of 34 patients were eligible for assessment. Patients were treated with lurbinectedin at a single center and administered lurbinectedin at an initial dose of 3.2 mg/kg.

The results revealed that the overall objective response rate (ORR) was 20% and the disease control rate (DCR) was 47%. Specifically, for second-line therapy, the ORR was 12% and the DCR was 15%, while for treatments beyond the third line, the ORR was 18% and the DCR was 29%.

The median progression-free survival was noted as 1.8 months, and the median overall survival was 2.8 months. The researchers also indicated that a group of patients with a history of smoking experienced longer overall survival and a better rate of disease control.

Among the study cohort, the most commonly observed adverse effects included anemia (55%), leukopenia (53%), nausea (35%), loss of appetite (25%), general weakness (19%), neutropenia (12%), dizziness (6%), alopecia (6%), phlebitis (3%), thrombocytopenia (3%), and pneumonia (3%).

Based on their findings, the authors concluded, “The real-world data of lurbinectedin in SCLC patients suggests that it is still a viable option in this disease area with dismal prognosis.”

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