New trial results for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the lung

Phase III data from the LUX-Lung 8 trial, the first study to directly compare the efficacy of afatinib versus erlotinib patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung, demonstrated superior progression-free survival (PFS: length of time before the tumour starts to progress) of afatinib compared to erlotinib. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common form of lung cancer, limited treatment options currently exist for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung which represents approximately 30% of NSCLC cases. The results were presented  at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2014 Congress. Dr Charles De Wet, Medical Director Boehringer Ingelheim UK and Ireland commented: “Non-small