Seven-year follow-up results from the CROWN study, presented by Pfizer, indicate that the drug lorlatinib (brand name Lorviqua) significantly improves progression-free survival and drastically reduces brain metastases in previously untreated patients with advanced ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The trial compares lorlatinib against crizotinib.

NSCLC accounts for the majority of lung cancer cases (75-80%), with ALK-positive tumors affecting 3-5% of patients. Approximately 25-40% of these patients develop brain metastases, complicating the prognosis and quality of life.

Dr. Javier de Castro Carpeño, Head of Medical Oncology at La Paz University Hospital in Madrid and President of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology, described the results as "extraordinary," highlighting the paradigm shift in treatment expectations and the prevention of brain metastases with a daily oral therapy.

Data presented at the annual congress of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago show a 55% probability of progression-free survival after seven years. Lorlatinib durably prevented and controlled brain metastases, with a 94% reduction in the risk of intracranial progression.

Dr. Rosario García Campelo, Head of Medical Oncology at the University Hospital of A Coruña, emphasized that these findings reinforce the possibility of long-term disease control and represent a historic advancement.

José Chaves, Medical Director of Pfizer Spain, noted that estimates indicate the vast majority of patients remain without disease progression after seven years, potentially achieving the longest progression-free survival recorded to date for lung cancer.

It is estimated that by 2026, nearly 35,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer in Spain. This disease is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide and, in Spain, surpasses breast cancer as the primary cause of mortality for both men and women.