SCLC Breakthroughs and ASCO Takeaways for Community Oncologists
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Brian P. Mulherin, MD, shares his key takeaways from the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, highlighting significant advancements in SCLC and the challenge of information overload at large conferences.
Brian P. Mulherin, MD, hematologist/oncologist at Hematology Oncology of Indiana, which is an affiliate of the American Oncology Network, shares his key takeaways from the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, highlighting significant advancements in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and the challenge of information overload at large conferences.
Mulherin emphasizes the rarity of positive overall survival (OS) data in SCLC, stating, "Looking at IMforte [NCT05091567], I mean, it is not often we have 2 positive phase 3 trials showing an [overall survival] benefit for small cell [lung cancer]. When's the last time you saw that at ASCO?" He elaborates on these pivotal trials, noting, "So, IMforte [looked] at this kind of switch maintenance, or add maintenance of adding lurbinectedin [Zepzelca]. And then DeLLphi-304 [NCT05740566] looked at second-line tarlatamab-dlle [Imdelltra]."
In the phase 3 IMforte trial, frontline maintenance therapy with lurbinectedin and atezolizumab (Tecentriq) bettered progression-free survival (PFS) and OS vs atezolizumab alone in patients with extensive-stage SCLC.
Second-line treatment with tarlatamab showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) and OS vs chemotherapy for the treatment of SCLC. These data were from the primary analysis of the phase 3 DeLLphi-304 trial, which were presented at the ASCO and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
These results represent a significant step forward in SCLC treatment.
Beyond specific data, Mulherin also addressed the overwhelming amount of information presented at ASCO, particularly for community oncologists. He explains, "Even if you attend ASCO, unless you are focusing on 1 particular track, you cannot possibly follow everything." He suggests that "the best of ASCO" meetings and local programs, such as the "ASCO review" by Indiana University, are invaluable for distilling key information.
In addition, Mulherin stresses the importance of these resources for oncologists to effectively integrate new knowledge into their practice.
"I think getting more education on that, because you've got so much. I guarantee everyone who's been there knows so much happened in the meeting that you couldn't possibly take it all in; you need to be able to go back and reflect and look at those and see how it is relevant to your own practice?"
