Lorlatinib for advanced ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer – first line

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is a type of cancer affecting white blood cells, which results in overproduction of faulty cells. These cells take over the bone marrow leading to anaemia, infection, bruising and bleeding. ALL is a rare condition, usually affecting more children than adults. Lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) is similar to ALL, they differ in where they often occur in the body (lymph nodes and thymus gland in LBL, and blood and bone marrow in ALL), and they are both treated in the same way.

Adjuvant pembrolizumab with or without standard adjuvant treatment is in clinical development for the treatment of early-stage operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after resection. NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer. Early-stage lung cancer is typically treated with surgery to remove either part of or the whole of the lung, with adjuvant …

Melanoma is the most common skin cancer in the UK and is characterised by changes to mole size or shape. It is when melanocytes (cells that give skin its tan or brown colour) grow uncontrollably. Stage II melanoma is where the cancer has spread locally, as opposed to other areas of the body, and can result in a larger tumour sometimes with broken skin. Patients with high-risk stage 2 melanoma cancer may have an increased chance of the cancer returning after surgical resection (removal of the tumour) because of the tumour being thicker and deeper in the skin, which makes it difficult to remove all cancerous cells. There is currently no recommended systemic treatment after surgical resection if the cancer comes back in patients with stage II melanoma.

Trastuzumab deruxtecan is in clinical development for the treatment of adults with HER2- positive, unresectable and/or metastatic breast cancer who have previously been treated with trastuzumab and taxane. HER2-positive breast cancer is when the cancer tests positive for HER2 protein, which promotes the growth of cancer cells and tend to be more aggressive than other types of breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer (stage IV) is when the cancer has spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes to other organs in the body, while unresectable means that the cancer cannot be treated by surgery. Treatment of the disease often involves the use of anti-HER2 therapies, chemotherapy, or a combination of both.