About

Lyudmila Bazhenova is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSD, with a focus on lung cancer, particularly in females and non-smokers. She actively participates in cooperative group trials and plays a key role in designing and implementing clinical investigations, including phase II studies and correlative science projects with several UCSD investigators. She advocates for a multidisciplinary approach to lung cancer treatment, integrating radiation and surgery when appropriate, and leads a weekly lung tumor board to facilitate input from various sub-specialists. Her educational background includes an MD from Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy in Russia, with further training at UCLA VA Medical Center and a fellowship in Hematology-Oncology at Scripps-Green Hospital in La Jolla, CA.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Cancer research
• Oncology
• Biology
• Gastroenterology
• Genetics
• Immunology

Selected publications

• 1986P TRUST-II global study: Efficacy and safety of taletrectinib after prior entrectinib exposure in patients with advanced ROS1+ non-small cell lung cancer

  Annals of Oncology · 2025-09-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Therapy for Stage IV NSCLC Without Driver Alterations: ASCO Living Guideline Update 2025.1 Part 1

  2025-07-17

  datasetSenior author

  Dr. Lyudmila Bazhenova is back on the podcast to discuss the latest update of the living guideline on therapy for stage IV NSCLC without driver alterations. She shares the studies the Expert Panel reviewed in the first- and second-line settings, including NIPPON, HARMONi-2, and DUBLIN-3. Although these studies do not impact the existing guideline recommendations, Dr. Bazhenova provides context and comments on ongoing trials that will influence the next iteration of the living guideline. Read the full living guideline update “Therapy for Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Without Driver Alterations: ASCO Living Guideline, Version 2025.1” at www.asco.org/thoracic-cancer-guidelines

  PublisherDOI

• Therapy for Stage IV Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Without Driver Alterations: ASCO Living Guideline, Version 2025.1

  Journal of Clinical Oncology · 2025-07-17 · 6 citations

  articleSenior author

  Living guidelines are developed for selected topic areas with rapidly evolving evidence that drives frequent change in recommended clinical practice. Living guidelines are updated on a regular schedule by a standing expert panel that systematically reviews the health literature on a continuous basis, as described in the ASCO Guidelines Methodology Manual . ASCO Living Guidelines follow the ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy Implementation for Clinical Practice Guidelines . Living Guidelines and updates are not intended to substitute for independent professional judgment of the treating clinician and do not account for individual variation among patients. See appendix for disclaimers and other important information ( Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 ). Updates are published regularly and can be found at https://ascopubs.org/nsclc-non-da-living-guideline .

  PublisherDOI

• LBA2: Taletrectinib vs crizotinib in ROS1-positive (ROS1+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): A matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC)

  Journal of Thoracic Oncology · 2025-03-01 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Comparable efficacy and safety of taletrectinib for advanced ROS1+ non–small cell lung cancer across pivotal studies and between races and world regions.

  Journal of Clinical Oncology · 2025-05-28 · 2 citations

  article

  8643 Background: Taletrectinib is a highly potent, next-generation, central nervous system–active, selective ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that was evaluated in 2 pivotal ROS1+ non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) phase 2 trials: the regional TRUST-I (NCT04395677) and global TRUST-II (NCT04919811) studies. While earlier trials suggest its safety and efficacy data are consistent across racial and geographic factors, further analysis is required to confirm the consistency of outcomes and applicability of results across regions. Here, we compare the efficacy and safety of taletrectinib within and between the pivotal regional TRUST-I and global TRUST-II studies through predefined subgroup analyses. Methods: The pivotal cohorts of TRUST-I (N=173) and TRUST-II (N=159) had similar study designs, which included the same primary endpoint (confirmed objective response rate [cORR] by independent review committee per RECIST v1.1) and secondary endpoints, as well as similar inclusion/exclusion criteria and safety evaluation methods. Key efficacy and safety profiles were compared in 3 ways: (a) between TRUST-I and TRUST-II, (b) across Western (North America and Europe) and Asian regions, and racial subgroups, in the pooled study population of TRUST-I and TRUST-II, and (c) between Western and Asian regions and other subgroups in the global TRUST-II study. Relative risk (RR) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) via the Wald method were used to compare data (data cutoff June 2024). Results: When comparing TRUST-I and TRUST-II, cORRs were consistent for TKI-naive (91% vs 85%; RR: 0.94 [95% CI: 0.83, 1.07]) and TKI-pretreated pts (52% vs 62%; RR: 1.20 [95% CI: 0.87, 1.66]). Rates of grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were consistent across both studies (51% vs 51%, RR: 1.0 [95% CI: 0.81, 1.24]). TEAEs leading to dose interruptions (41% vs 40%) and discontinuations (6% vs 8%) were similar. In subgroup analyses of the pooled patient population by race, Asian and non-Asian patients had similar cORRs in both TKI-naive (89% vs 84%; RR: 0.94 [95% CI: 0.77, 1.15]) and TKI-pretreated (52% vs 68%; RR: 1.30 [95% CI: 0.93, 1.82]) groups. Comparison of different efficacy and safety profiles among subgroups in the pooled data set also showed consistency among races and regions. Within the multiregional TRUST-II study, cORRs were high in TKI-naive patients regardless of region (Western: 81%; Asia: 88%), prior chemotherapy (yes: 90%; no: 84%), and race (White: 83%; Asian: 86%; other: 86%). Similarly, major safety profiles were comparable between Asian and Western patients and between races within TRUST-II. Conclusions: Taletrectinib showed comparable efficacy and safety that were not impacted by geographic and racial factors. Therefore, the clinical benefit of taletrectinib is broadly applicable to ROS1+ NSCLC patients globally. Clinical trial information: NCT04395677 , NCT04919811 .

  PublisherDOI

• MA02.02 Updated Efficacy and Safety of Taletrectinib in Patients With ROS1+ Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: The Global TRUST-II Study

  Journal of Thoracic Oncology · 2025-10-01 · 3 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Treatment of Pleural Mesothelioma: ASCO Guideline Update

  Journal of Clinical Oncology · 2025-01-08 · 45 citations

  article

  ASCO Guidelines provide recommendations with comprehensive review and analyses of the relevant literature for each recommendation, following the guideline development process as outlined in the ASCO Guidelines Methodology Manual . ASCO Guidelines follow the ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy for Clinical Practice Guidelines . Clinical Practice Guidelines and other guidance (“Guidance”) provided by ASCO is not a comprehensive or definitive guide to treatment options. It is intended for voluntary use by clinicians and should be used in conjunction with independent professional judgment. Guidance may not be applicable to all patients, interventions, diseases or stages of diseases. Guidance is based on review and analysis of relevant literature and is not intended as a statement of the standard of care. ASCO does not endorse third-party drugs, devices, services, or therapies and assumes no responsibility for any harm arising from or related to the use of this information. See complete disclaimer in Appendix 1 and 2 (online only) for more . PURPOSE To provide evidence-based recommendations to practicing physicians and others on the management of pleural mesothelioma (PM). METHODS ASCO convened an Expert Panel of medical oncology, thoracic surgery, radiation oncology, pathology, cancer genetics, and advocacy experts to conduct an updated literature search, which included systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, and prospective and retrospective comparative observational studies published from 2016 through 2024. Outcomes of interest included survival, disease-free or recurrence-free survival, and quality of life. Expert Panel members used available evidence and informal consensus to develop evidence-based guideline recommendations. RESULTS The literature search identified 110 additional relevant studies to inform the evidence base for this guideline. RECOMMENDATIONS Evidence-based recommendations were developed for surgical cytoreduction, immunotherapy, chemotherapy, pathology, and germline testing in patients with PM. Additional information is available at www.asco.org/thoracic-cancer-guidelines .

  PublisherDOI

• Efficacy and CNS results from a randomized subset of the phase 2 SAVANNAH study comparing savolitinib (savo) + osimertinib (osi) combination with savo + placebo (PBO).

  Journal of Clinical Oncology · 2025-05-28 · 4 citations

  article

  8513 Background: The MET pathway is a known mediator of EGFR-TKI resistance and represents a therapeutic vulnerability to select MET-TKIs. Savo is an oral, highly selective MET-TKI that, when combined with osi, has the potential to overcome MET-driven resistance after progressive disease (PD) on osi. The Phase 2 SAVANNAH study has demonstrated clinically meaningful activity with the combination of savo + osi in patients (pts) with EGFR-mutated (EGFRm) advanced NSCLC and MET overexpression/amplification (NCT03778229). Isolating the efficacy of savo in the use of savo + osi is a key question for this combination. Methods: A subset of SAVANNAH included eligible pts who had EGFRm advanced NSCLC with MET overexpression (IHC 3+ intensity in ≥90% of tumor cells [IHC3+/≥90%]) and/or amplification (≥10 MET gene copies by FISH [FISH10+]) after PD on first-line (1L) osi; asymptomatic stable brain metastases (treated/untreated) were allowed. Pts were randomized 2:1 (double-blind) to savo 300 mg BID + osi 80 mg QD, or savo 300 mg BID + PBO (stratified by investigator [INV] assessed baseline [BL] brain metastases [yes/no]), until INV-assessed PD per RECIST 1.1. Brain imaging occurred at BL and PD; pts with brain metastases were re-imaged at each tumor assessment to PD. Endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), duration of response (DoR), and progression-free survival (PFS) by BICR and INV; CNS PFS, and presence/absence of CNS lesions at PD by BICR. Results: Overall, 73 pts were randomized (savo + osi n=48; savo + PBO n=25). At BL, median age: 67 vs 65 years, female: 73% vs 64%, White: 73% vs 52% in the savo + osi and savo + PBO arms, respectively. Efficacy outcomes (ORR, DoR, and PFS) were higher with savo + osi than savo + PBO (Table). CNS PFS events by CNS BICR occurred in 5/14 (36% savo + osi) and 2/4 pts (50% savo + PBO). In pts without BL brain metastases, none of the 13 pts (savo + osi) with RECIST PD by BICR had a new CNS lesion; 6/11 pts in the savo + PBO arm developed a new CNS lesion. Conclusions: In EGFRm advanced NSCLC with MET IHC3+/≥90% and/or FISH10+ status after PD on 1L osi, efficacy of savo 300 mg BID + osi was numerically greater than savo + PBO and showed promising CNS activity. To date, this is one of the largest randomized data sets presented evaluating an oral MET-TKI in EGFRm NSCLC. Efficacy findings from SAVANNAH suggest that targeting both EGFR and MET is key and support further investigation of savo + osi and CNS activity in the Phase 3 SAFFRON study. Clinical trial information: NCT03778229 . Assessment Savo + osi (n=48) Savo + placebo (n=25) ORR, % (95% CI) BICR 58 (43, 72) 16 (5, 36) INV 54 (39, 69) 24 (9, 45) DoR, mo, median (95% CI) BICR 11.8 (6.0, NC) 4.5 (2.6, NC) INV 8.0 (4.9, 11.7) 4.2 (2.6, NC) PFS, mo, median (95% CI) BICR 8.3 (5.8, 15.1) 3.6 (1.4, 5.7) INV 7.6 (5.6, 11.0) 2.7 (1.4, 4.1) BICR, blinded independent central review; CI, confidence interval; mo, months; NC, not calculable.

  PublisherDOI

• Taletrectinib in <i>ROS1</i> + Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: TRUST

  Journal of Clinical Oncology · 2025-04-03 · 41 citations

  articleOpen access

  PURPOSE: + non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: TRUST-I and TRUST-II were phase II, single-arm, open-label, nonrandomized, multicenter trials. Efficacy outcomes were pooled from TRUST-I and TRUST-II pivotal cohorts. The safety population comprised all patients treated with once-daily oral taletrectinib 600 mg pooled across the taletrectinib clinical program. The primary end point was independent review committee-assessed confirmed objective response rate (cORR). Secondary outcomes included intracranial (IC)-ORR, progression-free survival (PFS), duration of response (DOR), and safety. RESULTS: As of June 7, 2024, the efficacy-evaluable population included 273 patients in TRUST-I and TRUST-II. Among TKI-naïve patients (n = 160), the cORR was 88.8% and the IC-cORR was 76.5%; in TKI-pretreated patients (n = 113), the cORR was 55.8% and the IC-cORR was 65.6%. In TKI-naïve patients, the median DOR and median PFS were 44.2 and 45.6 months, respectively. In TKI-pretreated patients, the median DOR and median PFS were 16.6 and 9.7 months. The cORR in patients with G2032R mutation was 61.5% (8 of 13). Among 352 patients treated with taletrectinib 600 mg once daily, the most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were GI events (88%) and elevated AST (72%) and ALT (68%); most were grade 1. Neurologic TEAEs were infrequent (dizziness, 21%; dysgeusia, 15%) and mostly grade 1. TEAEs leading to discontinuations (6.5%) were low. CONCLUSION: Taletrectinib showed a high response rate with durable responses, robust IC activity, prolonged PFS, favorable safety, and low rates of neurologic adverse events in TKI-naïve and pretreated patients.

  PublisherDOI

• Clinical factors and molecular co-alterations impact outcomes in patients receiving first-line osimertinib for EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer

  Lung Cancer · 2025-09-07 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Cancer Control Program

  NIH · $40.3M · 1996–2031

Frequent coauthors

• Jorge J. Nieva

  94 shared

• Kelly Bethel

  89 shared

• D. Ross Camidge

  78 shared

• Peter Kühn

  University of Southern California

  78 shared

• Shirish M. Gadgeel

  Henry Ford Health System

  74 shared

• Vincent A. Miller

  Foundation Medicine (United States)

  73 shared

• Keith D. Wilner

  60 shared

• Razelle Kurzrock

  Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center

  57 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Molecular and Computational Biology

  University of California, San Diego

  2005

• M.S., Molecular and Computational Biology

  University of California, San Diego

  2001

• B.S., Biology

  University of California, San Diego

  1998