"MEDIA CONTACT Ashley Yum  ashley.yumasco.org mailtoashley.yumasco.org PATIENT AND CAREGIVER INQUIRIES Contact Cancer.Net https   ASCO Perspective This is one more example of how immunotherapy is making steady gains against a number of cancers. Immunotherapy has been shown to be effective in other types of lung cancer and now were seeing encouraging improvements in advanced squamous lung cancer which historically has been very difficult to treat said ASCO Expert David Graham MD FASCO. CHICAGO  Initial findings from a randomized phase III clinical trial show that patients with advanced squamous nonsmallcell lung cancer NSCLC benefit more from initial treatment with PDL targeted immunotherapy atezolizumab Tecentriq and chemotherapy than from chemotherapy alone   had a reduced risk of disease worsening or death compared with those who received chemotherapy alone. At  months cancer had not worsened in twice as many patients who received atezolizumab plus chemotherapy compared to those who only received chemotherapy. This benefit was observed across all PDL expressing subgroups. The findings will be featured in a press briefing today and presented at the  American Society of Clinical Oncology ASCO Annual Meeting http Until now there have been few treatment advances for squamous nonsmallcell lung cancer. Our findings may provide a new potential treatment option for this type of cancer said lead study author Robert M. Jotte MD PhD Medical Director and CoChair USON Thoracic Committee Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers in Denver CO. We used to think that chemotherapy just knocked down the patients immune system and that it would be irrational to combine it with immunotherapy but growing research including this study shows that chemotherapy can help trigger the immune response to the tumor helping the immunotherapy treatment work better. Squamous NSCLC which accounts for  of NSCLCs is very difficult to treat. Fewer than  of people with advanced squamous NSCLC survive a year after diagnosis and less than  survive five years. Recent studies have also found a benefit of combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy in nonsquamous lung cancer. Given those findings along with the results from this trial a rapid change in clinical practice is expected noted Dr. Jotte. About the Study The IMpower trial enrolled  patients with stage IV squamous NSCLC. Tumors were tested for PDL expression but patients were included in the trial regardless of tumor PDL expression level. Patients with EGFR or ALK gene changes in the tumor received targeted treatments before starting therapy on this trial. The study participants were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. Outcomes for only two of the groups however are being reported in this presentation  Atezolizumab plus chemotherapy carboplatin and nabpaclitaxel  patients  Chemotherapy carboplatin and nabpaclitaxel  patients Outcome data for the third treatment group which received atezolizumab with a slightly different chemotherapy regimen carboplatin and paclitaxel are not yet available. Key Findings  In this study  of all patients regardless of PDL expression had a reduced risk of disease worsening or death compared with those who received chemotherapy alone. Importantly there was a doubling of progressionfree survival PFS benefit with this combination at  months cancer had not worsened in . patients receiving immunotherapy and chemotherapy compared to  of those receiving chemotherapy alone.   Improved progressionfree survival was observed in all groups of patients who received immunotherapy and chemotherapy including those with PDLnegative tumors and liver metastases. Overall survival data are not yet mature. This is the first phase III trial of an immunotherapybased combined modality treatment to show a significant improvement in progressionfree survival in advanced squamous NSCLC according to the authors. Although the difference between treatment groups is modest a statistically significant improvement shows that overall people with advanced squamous lung cancer can benefit when immunotherapy is added to standard treatment according to the authors. Although the rate of severe side effects was higher with the combined modality treatment than with chemotherapy alone  vs.  it had a manageable safety profile consistent with known safety risks of the individual therapies. The most common side effects of atezolizumab included skin rash colitis and low thyroid hormone. At this interim analysis a statistically significant overall survival OS benefit was not observed median OS was  months for atezolizumab plus chemotherapy vs. . months for chemotherapy alone. Researchers are continuing to follow patients and anticipate a subsequent analysis later this year. Next Steps More research is needed to determine which patients benefit the most from the addition of immunotherapy to standard chemotherapy. The researchers will explore tumor PDL expression and other molecular markers such as tumor mutational burden TMB that may predict whether a patient will benefit from this treatment regimen. This study received funding from F. HoffmannLa Roche Ltd. Study at a Glance  Disease Squamous NSCLC  Trial Phase Type  Phase III Randomized Global  countries Multicenter   Patients on Trial  allcomer PDL unselected chemotherapynave patients with stage IV squamous NSCLC  Intervention Tested Atezolizumab plus chemotherapy vs. chemotherapy alone  Primary Finding mPFS . months with atezolizumab plus chemotherapy vs. . months with chemotherapy alone  Secondary Findings month PFS . with atezolizumab plus chemotherapy vs.  with chemotherapy alone    View the full abstract httpsmeetinglibrary.asco.orgrecordabstract. For your readers  Guide to NonSmall Cell Lung Cancer https Cncer de pulmn  clulas no pequeas https  Understanding Immunotherapy https Qu es la inmunoterapia https View the disclosures httpsam.asco.orgsitesam.asco.orgfilesAMCCCDisclosureReport.pdf for the  ASCO Annual Meeting News Planning Team. ATTRIBUTION TO THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY ANNUAL MEETING IS REQUESTED IN ALL COVERAGE.  About ASCO  Founded in  the American Society of Clinical Oncology Inc. ASCO is committed to making a world of difference in cancer care. As the worlds leading organization of its kind ASCO represents nearly  oncology professionals who care for people living with cancer. Through research education and promotion of the highestquality patient care ASCO works to conquer cancer and create a world where cancer is prevented or cured and every survivor is healthy. ASCO is supported by its affiliate organization the Conquer Cancer Foundation. Learn more at  http explore patient education resources at  http and follow us on Facebook Twitter LinkedIn and YouTube."