New Treatments & Clinical Trials for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for about 85% of lung cancers. Treatment depends on stage at diagnosis and tumor characteristics like EGFR mutations, ALK rearrangements, or PD-L1 expression. Many people now receive targeted pills or immunotherapy rather than chemotherapy alone, and scans can detect cancer earlier when surgery is still possible.

What's actually going on in research

Trials are testing targeted drugs for newly identified mutations, earlier use of immunotherapy including before surgery, combinations that overcome drug resistance, antibody-drug conjugates that deliver chemotherapy directly to cancer cells, and cell therapies adapted from blood cancer treatment. Liquid biopsies that detect circulating tumor DNA are helping doctors tailor treatment and catch recurrence sooner.

What to know before you search

Eligibility typically depends on cancer stage, specific mutations in the tumor, PD-L1 expression level, prior treatments, and overall health including lung function.

What types of trials are currently open

• Targeted therapy trials — Testing pills that block specific mutations like EGFR, ALK, ROS1, KRAS, or MET. Often compared to chemotherapy or current standard targeted drugs.
• Immunotherapy trials — Testing checkpoint inhibitors like pembrolizumab or nivolumab alone or combined with chemotherapy, often in people whose tumors express PD-L1.
• Combination trials — Testing two or more drugs together to see if they work better than single treatments, particularly when cancer develops resistance.
• Surgical trials — Studies of treatment given before or after surgery for early-stage cancer, aiming to prevent recurrence.
• Screening studies — Testing low-dose CT scans or blood tests to find lung cancer earlier in people at high risk from smoking history.