Michael McCleod, DO, FACOI Co-Authors Study Evaluating Best Supportive Care (BSC) Plus Nab-Paclitaxel for Squamous Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Fort Myers, Fla., Jan. 12, 2021  — Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) medical oncologist Michael McCleod, DO, FACOI, who practices in Fort Myers and Cape Coral, is co-author of a recently published study that evaluates and compares best supportive care (BSC) alone versus BSC plus nab-paclitaxel for squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Published in the January 2021 issue of Clinical Lung Cancer, the study stated that while there have been “… significant treatment advances for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) …” in recent years, “… the number of treatment options for patients with squamous histologic features has lagged behind that for patients with non-squamous histologic features.”

Known as ABOUND.sqm, the randomized, phase III study was conducted at 120 sites in the United States and Europe. “Patients who did not experience disease progression after 4 cycles of treatment were randomly assigned 2:1 to receive 21-day cycles of maintenance nab-paclitaxel 100 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1 and 8 plus best supportive care (BSC) or BSC alone until disease progression.”

Patients in the ABOUND.sqm study were enrolled as early as January 2014, prior to the approval and adoption of immune checkpoint inhibitors as a standard of care. McCleod and his co-authors reported that, as a result, a protocol amendment was introduced because    “… the concurrent initiation of several phase III studies of platinum-doublet chemotherapy regimens plus immune checkpoint inhibitors in the same setting severely affected enrollment in the ABOUND.sqm trial.

“Although a trend in OS (overall survival) favoring nab-paclitaxel was observed, and maintenance therapy with nab-paclitaxel might be feasible for patients with advanced squamous NSCLC, the interpretations must be tempered considering the recent findings with immune checkpoint inhibitors.” It further stated that “… evaluation of maintenance therapy with nab-paclitaxel plus an immune checkpoint inhibitor might represent a reasonable area of investigation in this setting.”

Findings determined that the endpoint of the study, which was progression-free survival (PFS), was not met and there was “… no statistically significant difference between maintenance nab-paclitaxel plus BSC and BSC alone.” The study concluded, “The findings of the ABOUND.sqm trial are expected to have minimal effects on the current treatment paradigm.”

To access the full study, visit here. 

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