UVA Cancer Center Pioneers New Lung Cancer Treatment in Virginia

The UVA Cancer Center has become the first healthcare provider in Virginia to offer a newly approved immunotherapy treatment for small cell lung cancer, marking a significant advancement in the state’s cancer care. This cutting-edge therapy, known as tarlatamab, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 16, 2024, and was swiftly implemented by UVA Cancer Center just 26 days later.

UVA Cancer Center is the first in Virginia to use tarlatamab, a drug that supercharges the immune system, to fight late-stage, small-cell lung cancer. (Illustration by John DiJulio)

Tarlatamab is designed for patients who have exhausted other treatment options, providing new hope for those with late-stage disease. Early studies indicate that this immunotherapy, which enhances the body’s immune system to target and destroy cancer cells, is helping extend the lives of these patients. Since the FDA’s approval, UVA Cancer Center has already treated 16 patients with this promising therapy.

Dr. Ryan Gentzler, a UVA Health lung cancer specialist, credits cooperation between nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and the information technology team for the center’s quick adoption of tarlatamab treatments. (Contributed photo)

Dr. Ryan Gentzler, a lung cancer specialist at UVA Health, highlighted the collaborative efforts that made the rapid adoption of tarlatamab possible. “This treatment requires intensive monitoring and careful coordination among a large team of care providers,” Gentzler explained. “We were able to treat our first patient so quickly after FDA approval thanks to successful collaboration and interdisciplinary efforts among our nurses, pharmacists, information technology team members, and social workers.”

A key component in delivering this new therapy to patients is UVA Cancer Center’s innovative nurse navigator program. Nurse navigators play a crucial role in guiding patients through the complex process of receiving care. They assist with scheduling appointments, managing referrals from doctors across Virginia and beyond, and coordinating other logistics necessary for beginning treatment with tarlatamab.

“Our nurse navigators are just one example of how our team comes together to bring the latest advances in cancer care to our patients,” said Dr. Richard Hall, another lung cancer specialist at UVA Health. “Our thoracic oncology team is on the cutting edge of cancer treatments, and our experienced team has the expertise required to be among the first in the nation to offer groundbreaking new therapies like tarlatamab to our patients.”

The introduction of tarlatamab at UVA Cancer Center aligns with the institution’s core mission to improve cancer care. The center is one of only 56 cancer centers in the United States to receive a “comprehensive” designation from the National Cancer Institute, recognizing its outstanding cancer care and research programs.

For more information on receiving tarlatamab at UVA Cancer Center, patients can call (434) 924-9333.