Dolores Isla, IP of the IIS Aragón: “Spain is a leader in participation in clinical trials for lung cancer”

On the occasion of World Lung Cancer Day, ConSalud.es interviews Dr. Dolores Isla, IP of the Medical Oncology Group at the Lozano Blesa Clinical Hospital (GIIS025) of the IIS Aragón and president of the Association for Lung Cancer Research in Women

In Spain it is diagnoses lung cancer a 30.000 people each year, one third of whom are women. In fact, the incidence in the female population has increased in recent years, a trend that is the opposite in men. 

On the occasion of its World Day, ConSalud.es has made a special news, in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson, which addresses the main challenges surrounding the lung cancer.

Su incidence It is closely linked to the snuff consumption especially in men (80-85%) and somewhat less in women (60-70%), Although there are other factors such as radon, air pollution, asbestos or hereditary factors that also influence. This is highlighted by the Dr. Dolores Isla, Head of the Medical Oncology Service and Coordinator of the Thoracic Tumor Unit of the Lozano Blesa University Clinical Hospital in Zaragoza and the Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón). 

In turn, biological and sociocultural conditions The differences between men and women, as well as the different psycho-emotional and social impact make it necessary to “optimize the approach to lung cancer. To individualize it, the gender factor must also be considered.”More research is needed on the causes of these differences and their impact on prevention, diagnosis, treatment and toxicity,” says the expert, who currently chairs the Association for Research on Lung Cancer in Women (ICAPEM), which was created precisely with the aim of optimizing the approach to lung cancer by incorporating the gender perspective.

Moreover, the biomarkers have meant a paradigm shift in the way the disease is diagnosed and treated. “It is now 20 years since the discovery of the first biomarker in lung cancer, the EGFR mutation, which was a true milestone in the approach to patients with lung cancer, the beginning of precision medicine in this tumor,” says Dr. Isla. 

Knowing the molecular affiliation of the tumor is essential to offer optimal health care.

After this progress Up to ten more biomarkers have been incorporated, which, according to the expert, “represents a challenge, since it is absolutely necessary to identify these patients who carry one of these biomarkers with the most appropriate technology in order to offer them the best targeted therapy available and, in this way, achieve the best prognosis for their disease.” She acknowledges that knowing the “surnames”, that is, their molecular affiliation, “is absolutely essential to provide optimal health care".

In terms of pharmacology, innovation has been incorporated in lung cancer, especially in the last two decades, with two groups of drugs: “Treatments directed against specific molecular alterations and immunotherapy that act on the patient's immune system, making it more active against the tumor.” Dr. Isla also indicates that very recently two new types of drugs have also been combined: antibodies combined with drugs and bispecific antibodies.

But progress has also been made in both treatment strategies and in the field of surgery. “Immunotherapy and targeted therapies have been incorporated in the case of patients with certain genomic alterations, and this same thing is raised in patients with tumors that are not resectable as complementary treatments to chemoradiotherapy," says Dr. Isla. In addition, the use of robots allows for greater precision in the surgical approach: "The radiosurgery It has also been recently developed for use in early stages in patients who are not operable for medical reasons, to treat certain metastases locally or to treat residual tumor disease after systemic therapy," he adds.

We have positive results from treatment strategies that have allowed us to change our clinical practice and the prognosis of our patients.

Lung cancer research in recent years has been intense and fruitful: “We have positive results from treatment strategies “We have made it possible to change our clinical practice and the prognosis of our patients,” says the doctor, who shows her pride, since Spain is a leader in participation in clinical trials. “Better knowledge of the biology of this tumor is essential,” says Isla, who emphasizes that “achieving an optimal diagnosis allows us to Identify the best treatment for each patient: the best individualized therapy.”

In the social field, the Impact of lung cancer on patients' daily lives It depends on how symptomatic the disease is and the toxicity of the treatments. “As a high percentage of patients are diagnosed in advanced stages, it impacts the life history of the patients and they often do not continue with their working life and frequently require psychological support,” explains Dr. Isla. 

Prevention with healthy lifestyle habits and above all the elimination of the smoking habit is essential. “The lung cancer screening "The use of low radiation spiral CT, which has been shown to reduce mortality, is not yet established in our country," regrets Dr. Isla, and recalls that the pilot feasibility initiative called the Cassandra Project is underway. "It is important to awareness in society and also in the health field that lung cancer is a disease not only of men, smokers and the elderly, so that when symptoms and warning signs appear, a diagnosis can be made as early as possible," he concludes.

Source: ConSalud.es

Main Image: Dr. Dolores Isla, head of Medical Oncology at the Lozano Blesa University Clinical Hospital and president of the Association for Lung Cancer Research in Women (Photo provided to ConSalud).