One nice thing about immunotherapy, beyond its several indications for prolonging survival, is that it is often a safe option even for the many patients who are not candidates for chemotherapy. A single-arm phase 2 DUART trial delivered durvalumab sequential to definitive (n=53) or palliative (n=49) radiation alone for patients with locally-advanced non-small cell lung cancer ineligible for concurrent chemo. Median overall survival was 21 months, which is hard to say much about in a single-arm trial. Perhaps more interesting is the rate of grade 3+ toxicity clocking in at 10%, notably lower than that seen with immune checkpoint inhibitors given concurrent to thoracic radiation. | Filippi, ESMO 2025
