Second-line avelumab in platinum-treated non-small cell lung cancer patients: comment on the JAVELIN Lung 200 clinical trial

Since the approval of nivolumab for the second line treatment of unresectable locally advanced (IIIB stage according to the current TNM staging system) or metastatic (IV stage according to the current TNM staging system) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (1) with progression on or after a platinum based chemotherapy in early 2015 (2), immunotherapy and specifically immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized pulmonary oncology diagnostic and treatment algorithms and have become one of the most common drugs employed to treat this type of cancer