Cancer Lung Cancer Treatment Maintenance Therapy for Lung Cancer By Lynne Eldridge, MD facebook Lynne Eldrige, MD, is a lung cancer physician, patient advocate, and award-winning author of "Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time." Learn about our editorial process Lynne Eldridge, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Douglas A. Nelson, MD on October 25, 2020 linkedin Douglas A. Nelson, MD, is a board-certified oncologist and hematologist who previously served for 13 years as a physician in the US Air Force. Learn about our Medical Review Board Douglas A. Nelson, MD Updated on January 04, 2021 Print Table of Contents View All How It Works Goals Medications Who Benefits Most Side Effects Maintenance therapy is ongoing therapy for a disease that is administered after the acute phase of treatment has been completed. In the case of lung cancer, you would undergo first-line chemotherapy for a limited period of time, and then you might receive maintenance therapy to keep the cancer in check. The goal is to improve quality of life while offering a chance for longer survival. RoBeDeRo / Getty Images How Maintenance Therapy Works Maintenance therapy is often part of the treatment strategy for advanced lung cancer that's not fully curable with surgery or radiation. Maintenance therapy is used for disease management, not to cure disease. The goal is to achieve longer progression-free survival (the amount of time you can live without cancer growing). But it's important to know that maintenance therapy does more than palliative treatment (which focuses only on easing symptoms). Supporting Chemotherapy Treatment Maintenance therapy has become increasingly utilized in managing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Stage 3A, stage 3B, or stage 4 NSCLC is treated with chemotherapy. A combination of drugs can often stop metastatic lung cancer from spreading. Standard treatment for NSCLC includes several cycles of chemotherapy that may include platinum drugs, like carboplatin, combined with targeted therapy and/or immunotherapy. Beyond that, most patients would experience unacceptable levels of toxicity and side effects that would severely impact their health. Once the course of chemotherapy is completed, cancer could begin growing again. To limit cancer growth after the standard course of chemotherapy, your doctor may recommend maintenance therapy. Some of the drugs that were used during initial treatment cycles may be continued and certain drugs might not be used during maintenance therapy to avoid toxicity. Maintenance therapy is focused on maintaining a state in which cancer is under control. You are likely to stay on this treatment unless you develop side effects or if there's evidence that the tumors are growing and spreading again. Goals of Maintenance Therapy There are several ways that maintenance therapy can help NSCLC patients: Identify a more effective treatment: It's not always possible to predict which drugs will be most effective against your cancer. A new drug introduced during maintenance therapy may work better than something you've tried before.Protect against chemotherapy resistance: Sometimes chemotherapy drugs that work well at first stop being effective, and cancer starts growing again. This happens when cancer develops resistance (mutates) after prolonged exposure. Switching the medications may help avoid this problem.Optimize chemotherapy: When a new drug is incorporated or part of a combination of drugs is stopped, it can improve effectiveness due to the way the drugs interact with each other.Create antiangiogenic effects: Certain drugs can stop tumor blood vessels from forming, which prevents the tumors from growing.Improve antitumor immunity: Some maintenance therapies help your own immune system destroy cancer cells. Understanding Lung Cancer Survival Rates Medications Used Your doctors will consider several factors when choosing which type of medications to prescribe for maintenance therapy. The combination can include a non-platinum-based chemotherapy drug; an immunotherapy drug that boosts your immune system; and/or a targeted therapy drug. When maintenance therapy includes a drug that was part of the initial treatment, it may be called continuation maintenance. When a different drug is introduced, it may be called switch maintenance. Chemotherapy approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for maintenance therapy in treating NSCLC includes: Alimta (pemetrexed): This drug can improve survival when used after chemotherapy. Immunotherapy drugs approved for maintenance therapy include: PembrolizumabAtezolizumabImfinzi (durvalumab): Like other immunotherapy medications, this helps your own immune system fight cancer. Unlike other maintenance therapies, durvalumab is also used with the intention of curing lung cancer. Targeted therapy drugs that have been approved for maintenance therapy include: Avastin (bevacizumab): A man-made therapy that stops the growth of blood vessels, Avastin is an example of continuation maintenance. An Overview of Genetic Testing for Lung Cancer Who Benefits Most From Maintenance Therapy? As with most treatments for lung cancer, there are certain people who respond much better than others to therapy. Studies of Alimta have shown that it seems to be more effective for people with lung adenocarcinoma. In fact, it seems to extend the survival rate significantly in patients with that type of NSCLC who use Alimta for maintenance therapy. Side Effects There are risks of complications with maintenance therapy that can range from mild to severe. Chemotherapy-Related Those who are highly sensitive may still suffer some of the common side effects of chemotherapy while on Alimta alone. These include: FatigueNauseaLoss of appetite Other serious side effects may include male infertility, low blood cell count, kidney problems, skin irritation, and pneumonitis. Targeted Therapy-Related Avastin, like other targeted therapy drugs, offers the chance for good outcomes without the more inconvenient or serious side effects associated with chemotherapy. There are still some drawbacks to these drugs, though. The most common is skin rash. Approximately 90% of patients on targeted therapy drugs that act on EGFR mutations develop an acne-like skin rash within two weeks of starting treatment. For the most part, though, the skin rash can be managed with over-the-counter creams or prescription treatments. Managing Skin Rashes Due to Targeted Therapy in Cancer Immunotherapy-Related Immunotherapy drugs boost the immune system to help you fight cancer, but once the immune system is revved up, it may also attack healthy tissue. This can affect the pulmonary, intestinal, and renal systems, among others. That said, the most common side effects of the immunotherapy drug are: CoughFatigueLung inflammationUpper respiratory infectionsShortness of breathRash Other Considerations While maintenance therapy offers those with inoperable lung cancer some hope, the benefits need to be weighed against some negative factors.Cost: Medications designed for maintenance can be very expensive. Your insurance may not cover the full cost.Family burden: In addition to managing expenses, family members may need to bring you to appointments, oversee medication, help you with side effects from treatment, and take on responsibilities that may overwhelm them or be beyond their abilities.Small increase in survival rate: The increase in survival is often a few weeks or months.Treatment fatigue: Some people feel that continuous interventions prevent them from experiencing any sense of relief that treatment is over or feeling like they are "survivors." A Word From Verywell Maintenance treatments may allow you to manage your illness as you would a chronic disease, offering you a good chance to enjoy a longer, more fulfilling life. But you will need to have frequent check-ins with your doctor, and you should be ready for changes in your treatment plan if you develop signs that your current maintenance therapy is no longer working. Before you begin maintenance therapy, be sure you are prepared to be flexible and to handle possible setbacks. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Limiting processed foods and red meats can help ward off cancer risk. These recipes focus on antioxidant-rich foods to better protect you and your loved ones. Sign up and get your guide! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Gerber DE, Schiller JH. Maintenance chemotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: new life for an old idea. J Clin Oncol. 2013;31(8):1009-20. doi:10.1200%2FJCO.2012.43.7459 American Cancer Society. Immunotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Updated May 27, 2020. American Cancer Society. Targeted Drug Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Updated June 10, 2020. Tomasini P, Barlesi F, Mascaux C, Greillier L. Pemetrexed for advanced stage nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer: latest evidence about its extended use and outcomes. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2016;8(3):198-208. doi:10.1177%2F1758834016644155 Barton-burke M, Ciccolini K, Mekas M, Burke S. Dermatologic Reactions to Targeted Therapy: A Focus on Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors and Nursing Care. Nurs Clin North Am. 2017;52(1):83-113. doi:10.1016%2Fj.cnur.2016.11.005 Imfinzi. What should I know before taking Imfinzi?. Updated May 2020. Additional Reading Cohen M, Cortazar P, Justice R, Pazdur R. Approval summary: pemetrexed maintenance therapy of advanced/metastatic nonsquamous, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The Oncologist. 2010;(12)15:1352-8. doi:10.1634/theoncologist.2010-0224 Klein R, Klein R, Wielage R, et al. Cost-effectiveness of pemetrexed as first-line maintenance therapy for advanced nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer. Journal of Thoracic Oncology. 2010;5(8):1263-72. doi:10.1097/jto.0b013e3181e15d16 Pinquie F, de Chabot G, Urban T, Hureaux J. Maintanance Treatment by Eroltinib an Toxic Cardiomyopathy: A Case Report. Oncology. 2016; (3)90:176-7. doi:10.1159/000444186