Clinical Trial to Evaluate Immunotherapy Drug for Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Following Surgery

OKLAHOMA CITY – Muhammad Furqan, M.D., professor of hematology-oncology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and Associate Director of Clinical Research at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, is leading a national clinical trial evaluating whether immunotherapy can improve outcomes for patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) following surgery.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death among both men and women in the United States, accounting for approximately 20% of all cancer deaths. NSCLC represents about 85% of all lung cancer diagnoses.

While overall incidence of NSCLC has declined in recent years, a growing proportion of cases are being diagnosed at earlier stages, including stage I disease, largely due to increased screening and earlier detection of smaller tumors. Surgery is the standard treatment for patients with stage I NSCLC. Following surgery, patients are monitored with routine imaging to detect recurrence. Approximately 20% to 30% of patients experience disease recurrence, which is often no longer curable. Currently, there is no postoperative therapy for patients with stage I NSCLC removed through surgery.

Over the past decade, immunotherapy has transformed the treatment of lung cancer and significantly improved outcomes for patients with stage II, III and IV disease. Researchers now hope to determine whether immunotherapy can also benefit patients with stage I NSCLC by reducing the risk of recurrence and potentially preventing the development of new lung cancers.

“The success of immunotherapy in more advanced stages of lung cancer raises an important question: Can we improve outcomes for patients with stage I disease who currently have no approved postoperative treatment options?” Furqan said. “This trial is designed to answer that question.”

This question is particularly relevant in Oklahoma, where lung cancer incidence and mortality remain high, and ongoing efforts at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center and across the state are focused on improving lung cancer screening and early detection to enhance outcomes for patients.

The phase III trial, AASI-NSCLC (A082302), is a national study conducted through the National Cancer Institute’s National Clinical Trials Network, including the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, SWOG Cancer Research Network, ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group, and NRG Oncology.

Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either one year of the immunotherapy drug atezolizumab following surgery or standard surveillance alone. Investigators will evaluate whether the addition of immunotherapy improves disease-free survival and overall survival. More details are available at https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07388524.

If successful, the trial could establish the first postoperative treatment strategy for patients with stage I NSCLC that has been surgically removed and potentially change the standard of care for thousands of patients diagnosed each year.

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About the University of Oklahoma

Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university with campuses in Norman, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. In Oklahoma City, the OU Health Campus is one of the nation’s few academic health centers with seven health profession colleges located on the same campus. The OU Health Campus serves approximately 4,000 students in more than 70 undergraduate and graduate degree programs spanning Oklahoma City and Tulsa and is the leading research institution in Oklahoma. For more information about the OU Health Campus, visit www.ouhsc.edu.