2025 ASTRO-AstraZeneca Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Therapy Challenge

Purpose

To advance collaborative research in the treatment of limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC), fostering leadership in radiation oncology through multimodality combination therapies, with a special focus on integrating immunotherapy and innovative radiation techniques. AstraZeneca awarded up to $750,000 across three projects.

Grantor

AstraZeneca

Awardees

• Arya Amini, MD
  • Institution: City of Hope Beckman Research Institute
  • Proposal: Phase II Trial of Stereotactic Ablative Radiation Therapy (SABR) in Patients with Oligoprogressive Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (SCLC)”

• Nitin Ohri, MD
  • Institution: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  • Proposal: Chemoradiotherapy Optimized for Immunotherapy for Limited Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer (COILSS)
• Michael Waters, MD, PhD
  • Institution: Washington University in St. Louis
  • Proposal: Precision Oncology in LS-SCLC: AI-Driven Dosimetric and Genomic Biomarkers for Outcome Prediction

Award Information

• Challenge Statement/Research Areas of Interest
  • How can treatment and outcomes for LS-SCLC be improved through the combination of immunotherapy (IO) and advanced radiation therapies?
    • Encouraged topics:
      • Analyzing care patterns for multimodality concurrent chemo-radiation (cCRT) combined with IO
      • Exploring optimal workflows for administering cCRT + IO in clinical settings
      • Identifying prognostic biomarkers for predicting patient response to treatment
      • Investigating disease relapse patterns and treatment efficacy (cCRT + IO vs. cCRT alone)
      • Managing toxicities associated with combined treatments
      • Pilot studies using novel radiation methods (e.g., SBRT, hypofractionation) alongside cCRT + IO
      • Leveraging AI for SCLC detection and predicting complications like pneumonitis
      • Evaluating the role of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) in the era of combined therapies
    • Evaluation may include:
      • Clinical outcomes (i.e., PFS, MFS, local control, etc.)
      • Biomarker identification
      • Safety/Adverse Events (AEs)
      • Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs)
      • Translational research such as exploratory biomarkers and mechanistic studies
    • Out-of-scope topics:
      • Research outside the U.S.
      • Extensive-stage SCLC
      • Studies involving other tumor sites
• Geographic Scope: United States
• Eligible Organizations:
  • Higher Education Institutions
  • Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
  • Community Cancer Centers
• Due: 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on April 30, 2025.
• Resources: 
  • Challenge Program Announcement (PA)
  • SCLC Therapy Challenge Kick-Off Webinar recording, which was led by Percy Lee, MD, FASTRO, on January 31, 2025.
  • Frequently Asked Questions

For additional information or to indicate interest in future Challenge partnerships, contact the Department of Scientific Affairs.