A global study, co-led by researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), has demonstrated that a third-generation targeted therapy, lorlatinib, can significantly extend disease-free survival for patients with advanced ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer. The findings suggest a potential shift in managing the disease, moving towards treating it as a chronic condition.
The seven-year study, conducted from 2019 to 2025, involved 296 patients who had not previously received treatment for advanced ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer. These patients were recruited from multiple regions, including Hong Kong, mainland China, the United States, and Europe. Participants were divided into two groups: 149 received lorlatinib, while 147 received the first-generation agent crizotinib as a control.
Results revealed a substantial difference in outcomes. At the seven-year mark, 55% of patients treated with lorlatinib experienced no disease progression. In contrast, only 3% of patients in the crizotinib control group achieved the same outcome. Professor Tony Mok Shu-kam, chairman of CUHK’s department of clinical oncology and a lead researcher, noted that over half of the patients taking lorlatinib were still on the medication after seven years, living normal lives. He likened their condition to managing diabetes or high blood pressure, where medication allows for a normal life with the "shadow of death practically non-existent."
