Description
EORTC Lung Cancer Group has a strong track record in initiating and conducting clinical trials across thoracic cancers. The focus is not only lung cancer but also mesothelioma and thymomas. This follows EORTC strategy to challenge, re-define and develop standards of care for loco-regional as well as for systemic treatments.
Scientific projects are designed and conducted to integrate disciplines such as imaging, translational research, quality of life and quality assurance. There are multiple partnerships, especially with national groups in Europe but also with international umbrella organisations. The group places special emphasis on recruiting and mentoring junior colleagues who are interested in pursuing an academic career in the field of thoracic oncology.
Projects testing the place of immunotherapy in the treatment of lung cancer are also ongoing such as addressing the role of immunotherapy in the adjuvant setting of lung cancer.
Related News
All newsRecruiting Clinical Trials
All clinical trials in this research field-
Phase 2-3
Targeted therapy with or without dose intensified radiotherapy for oligo-progressive disease in oncogene-addicted lung tumours
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Phase 2
Activity of Lorlatinib based on ALK resistance mutations on blood in ALK positive NSCLC patients previously treated with 2nd generation ALK inhibitor
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Phase 3
PRophylactic cerebral Irradiation or active MAgnetic resonance imaging surveillance in small-cell Lung cancer patients (PRIMALung study)
Main Achievements
- Presented results at ESMO that showed nivolumab monotherapy demonstrates a manageable safety profile and objective activity (EORTC-ETOP NIVOTHYM 1). This is a phase II clinical trial for a rare and orphan thoracic disease in collaboration with the European Thoracic Oncology Platform (ETOP).
- Started recruitment of cohort two in NIVOTHYM 2 that could provide new treatment opportunities for rare and orphan diseases such as thymic epithelial tumors. The trial reported that immunotherapy is feasible in this population, however insufficient to meet the trial primary objective. The second cohort is currently ongoing to assess combination of nivolumab plus ipilimumab.
- Completed activation and now recruiting for a study in non-small cell lung cancer (ALKALINE) and developed a new study in small cell lung cancer (PRIMALung). Submitted a total of 10 proposals to the Board with contributions from both senior Group members and young investigators.
- The interim analysis of the PEARLS trial showed that adjuvant pembrolizumab results in a statistically significant improvement in disease-free survival versus placebo in patients with stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer regardless of the PD-L1 expression. Results will be published in 2022 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
1 Girard et al. LBA66 – Efficacy and safety of nivolumab for patients with pre-treated type B3 thymoma and thymic carcinoma: Results from the EORTCETOP NIVOTHYM phase II trial. ESMO 2021 (Annals of Oncology (2021) 32 (suppl_5): S1283-S1346. 10.1016/ annonc/annonc741)
2 EORTC-1525
EORTC has contributed to changing the standards of care for thoracic oncology:
Established radiotherapy as the preferred loco-regional treatment in non-small-cell lung cancer patients. &
Demonstrated the benefit of prophylactic cranial irradiation to reduce the incidence of symptomatic brain metastases in extensive small-cell lung cancer.
Confirmed a combination of Cisplatin and Raltitrexed was more effective than Cisplatin alone in improving the survival of patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM).
Related Projects
- 1459: Exploratory analysis of the pleural mesothelioma genome by next generation sequencing
- 1495: Update of OS in 08092 and CRP marker
- 1496: Survey on Thymoma / thymic malignancy
- 1549: Pharmacogenetic analysis from the double blind randomized phase III study ofmaintenance pazopanib versus placebo in NSCLC patients non progressive after first line chemotherapy. MAPPING, an EORTC Lung Group study
- 1557 Predict therapy in NSCLC: Studying changes in the expression of genes related to the metabolism and the chemotherapeutic activity in primary tumor and lymph and mediastinal lymph nodes infiltrated in resectable NSCLC
- 1638: Phase II, Parallel-Arm Study of MGCD265 in patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with Activating Genetic Alterations in Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transition Factor
IMI CANCER-ID – Cancer treatment and monitoring through identification of circulating tumor cells and tumor related nucleic acids in blood. EORTC is contributing with biological material and related data from EORTC study 1335 SPECTAlung.
European Reference Networks (ERN) for rare solid tumours (EURACAN). EURACAN is involving references centers in Europe covering ten types of rare cancers. EURACAN will improve patient cares and facilitate research in rare cancers. EORTC is providing the clinical research infrastructure. (No website available yet)
Research Group
Group documents-
Chair
Anne-Marie Dingemans
Erasmus MC
Rotterdam, Netherlands
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Secretary
Jordi Remon Masip
Institut Gustave Roussy
Villejuif, France
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Treasurer
Thierry Berghmans
Institut Jules Bordet
Brussels, Belgium
Other members
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B. Besse - Villejuif, FR
Past Chair
Gustave Roussy
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C. Faivre-Finn - Manchester, GB
Early stage NSCLC & Radiotherapy
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
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N. Girard - Paris, FR
Thymic malignancies
Institut Curie
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J. Edwards - Sheffield , GB
Early stage NSCLC & Surgery
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - Weston Park Hospital
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J. Menis - Padova, IT
Young investigator co-chair
IRCCS - Istituto Oncologico Veneto
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M. Giaj Levra - Grenoble, FR
Young investigator chair
CHU de Grenoble - La Tronche - Hopital A. Michallon
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L. Hendriks - Maastricht, NL
Metastatic NSCLC: systemic treatment
Academisch Ziekenhuis Maastricht
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J. Von Der Thusen - Rotterdam, NL
Biopathology chair
Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Josephine Nefkens Institute
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P. Bironzo - Torino, IT
Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Universita Di Torino - Ospedale S. Luigi Gonzaga
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D. De Ruysscher - Maastricht, NL
Metastatic NSCLC: oligometastatic disease and new developments
Maastro Clinic - Maastricht Radiation Oncology
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N. Reguart - Barcelona, ES
SCLC
Hospital Clinic Universitari de Barcelona
Notable Publications
All publications on this research field-
2023
Minimally important differences for interpreting EORTC QLQ-C30 change scores over time: A synthesis across 21 clinical trials involving nine different cancer types
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2023
Osimertinib treatment based on plasma T790M monitoring in patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): EORTC Lung Cancer Group 1613 APPLE phase II randomized clinical trial
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2022
Assessment of RANK/RANK-L prevalence and clinical significance in NSCLC European Thoracic Oncology Platform Lungscape cohort and SPLENDOUR randomized clinical trial
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2022
Pembrolizumab versus placebo as adjuvant therapy for completely resected stage IB–IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer (PEARLS/KEYNOTE-091): an interim analysis of a randomised, triple-blind, phase 3 trial
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2022
Results of screening in early and advanced thoracic malignancies in the EORTC pan‑European SPECTAlung platform