Why Dr. Heymach believes immunotherapy is the future of lung cancer treatment.
Lung Cancer Research
As one of the world's largest cancer research centers, MD Anderson is leading the investigation into new methods of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment. Each patient benefits from the most advanced research, delivered as rapidly as possible.
Our current lung cancer research efforts include:
- Using stereotactic radiosurgery to treat brain metastases of small cell lung cancer.
- Integrating new targeted therapies and immunotherapies into early-stage lung cancer treatment.
- Studying whether to replace chemotherapy with targeted therapy and immunotherapy as the standard of care for stage III lung cancer.
- Developing radiation treatments that may stop small cell lung cancer from spreading to the brain while limiting long-term neurocognitive side effects of treatment.
- Using each patient’s molecular profile to optimize treatment plans.
In some cases, lung cancer can be passed down from one generation to the next. Genetic counseling may be right for you. Visit our family history site to learn more about genetic counseling and testing.
Through these programs and other lung cancer research, MD Anderson has:
- Completed a Phase II trial demonstrating the effectiveness of local consolidative therapy (surgery, radiation or both) following traditional chemotherapy for NSCLC patients with three or fewer metastatic lesions
- Collaborated with GlaxoSmithKline to identify and develop therapeutic antibodies that help the immune system fight cancer, which is now being tested in a Phase I clinical trial for its effectiveness in treating NSCLC
- Developed the Genomic Marker-guided Therapy Initiative (GEMINI) database, which contains the complete molecular, clinical and long term demographic data of more than 4,000 lung cancer patients
- Demonstrated that SCLC cells express high levels of PARP1, prompting the initiation of several clinical trials to test PARP inhibitors as treatment options
- Initiated the first-in-human study (currently ongoing) of BMN673 to treat advanced or recurrent SCLC solid tumors
- Initiated a Phase II trial (currently ongoing) examining the ability of a combination of veliparib and temozolomide to extend progression-free survival of SCLC
- Identified three subtypes of KRAS-driven NSCLC, KL, KP and KC, and demonstrated that each subtype has unique therapeutic susceptibilities
- Contributed to practice-changing medicine by demonstrating the effectiveness of paclitaxel (Taxol) and chemotherapy prior to surgery for certain types of lung cancer
- Developed four-dimensional simulation techniques to target lung cancer during radiation therapy
- Pioneered ways to reduce damage to normal tissue during proton therapy and IMRT
- Discovered a way to combine chemotherapy and radiotherapy to treat lung cancer
