scholarly journals Tumor Response Dynamics During First-Line Pembrolizumab Therapy in Patients With Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

2021 ◽  
pp. 501-509
Author(s):  
Mizuki Nishino ◽  
Fangxin Hong ◽  
Biagio Ricciuti ◽  
Hiroto Hatabu ◽  
Mark M. Awad

PURPOSE The objectives of the study were to characterize the tumor burden dynamics on serial computed tomography scans in patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer treated with first-line pembrolizumab and to identify imaging markers for prolonged overall survival (OS). MATERIALS AND METHODS Eighty-eight patients treated with first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy were evaluated on serial computed tomography scans to characterize their quantitative tumor burden during therapy. Tumor burden dynamics were studied for the association with OS. RESULTS The overall response rate was 42% (37/88), with the median tumor burden changes at the best overall response of −18.3% (range, −100.0% to +103.6%). Response rates were higher in men than in women ( P = .05) and in patients with higher programmed cell death ligand-1 expression levels ( P = .02). Tumor burden stayed below the baseline burden throughout therapy in 55 patients (63%). In an 8-week landmark analysis, patients with tumor burden below the baseline burden during the first 8 weeks of therapy had longer OS compared with patients who had ≥ 0% increase (median OS, 30.7 v 16.2 months; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.44; P = .01). In the extended Cox models, patients whose tumor burden stayed below the baseline burden throughout therapy had significantly reduced hazards of death (HR = 0.41, P = .003, univariate; HR = 0.35, P = .02, multivariate). Only one patient (1.1%) experienced pseudoprogression with initial tumor increase and subsequent tumor regression. CONCLUSION In patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer treated with first-line single-agent pembrolizumab, tumor burden reduction below the baseline burden during therapy was an independent marker for prolonged OS, which may serve as a practical guide for treatment decisions.

2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (16) ◽  
pp. 3016-3024 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Fossella ◽  
Jose R. Pereira ◽  
Joachim von Pawel ◽  
Anna Pluzanska ◽  
Vera Gorbounova ◽  
...  

Purpose: To investigate whether docetaxel plus platinum regimens improve survival and affect quality of life (QoL) in advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared with vinorelbine plus cisplatin as first-line chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: Patients (n = 1,218) with stage IIIB to IV NSCLC were randomly assigned to receive docetaxel 75 mg/m2 and cisplatin 75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks (DC); docetaxel 75 mg/m2 and carboplatin area under the curve of 6 mg/mL • min every 3 weeks (DCb); or vinorelbine 25 mg/m2/wk and cisplatin 100 mg/m2 every 4 weeks (VC). Results: Patients treated with DC had a median survival of 11.3 v 10.1 months for VC-treated patients (P = .044; hazard ratio, 1.183 [97.2% confidence interval, 0.989 to 1.416]). The 2-year survival rate was 21% for DC-treated patients and 14% for VC-treated patients. Overall response rate was 31.6% for DC-treated patients v 24.5% for VC-treated patients (P = .029). Median survival (9.4 v 9.9 months [for VC]; P = .657; hazard ratio, 1.048 [97.2 confidence interval, 0.877 to 1.253]) and response (23.9%) with DCb were similar to those results for VC. Neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, infection, and febrile neutropenia were similar with all three regimens. Grade 3 to 4 anemia, nausea, and vomiting were more common (P < .01) with VC than with DC or DCb. Patients treated with either docetaxel regimen had consistently improved QoL compared with VC-treated patients, who experienced deterioration in QoL. Conclusion: DC resulted in a more favorable overall response and survival rate than VC. Both DC and DCb were better tolerated and provided patients with consistently improved QoL compared with VC. These findings demonstrate that a docetaxel plus platinum combination is an effective treatment option with a favorable therapeutic index for first-line treatment of advanced or metastatic NSCLC.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 3828
Author(s):  
Anello Marcello Poma ◽  
Rossella Bruno ◽  
Iacopo Pietrini ◽  
Greta Alì ◽  
Giulia Pasquini ◽  
...  

Pembrolizumab has been approved as first-line treatment for advanced Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with tumors expressing PD-L1 and in the absence of other targetable alterations. However, not all patients that meet these criteria have a durable benefit. In this monocentric study, we aimed at refining the selection of patients based on the expression of immune genes. Forty-six consecutive advanced NSCLC patients treated with pembrolizumab in first-line setting were enrolled. The expression levels of 770 genes involved in the regulation of the immune system was analysed by the nanoString system. PD-L1 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Patients with durable clinical benefit had a greater infiltration of cytotoxic cells, exhausted CD8, B-cells, CD45, T-cells, CD8 T-cells and NK cells. Immune cell scores such as CD8 T-cell and NK cell were good predictors of durable response with an AUC of 0.82. Among the immune cell markers, XCL1/2 showed the better performance in predicting durable benefit to pembrolizumab, with an AUC of 0.85. Additionally, CD8A, CD8B and EOMES showed a high specificity (>0.86) in identifying patients with a good response to treatment. In the same series, PD-L1 expression levels had an AUC of 0.61. The characterization of tumor microenvironment, even with the use of single markers, can improve patients’ selection for pembrolizumab treatment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 175883592098036
Author(s):  
Saira Farid ◽  
Stephen V. Liu

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly lethal subtype of lung cancer. Despite concerted efforts over the past several decades, there have been limited therapeutic advances. Traditional chemotherapy offers a high response rate and rapid symptomatic improvement, but its benefit is fleeting, and relapse is quick and unforgiving. Immunotherapy has delivered improved outcomes for patients with many cancers and there was compelling rationale for development in SCLC. While initial efforts with cytotoxic T-lymphocyte protein-4 inhibitors failed to improve upon chemotherapy alone, the addition of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitors to first-line chemotherapy finally provided long-awaited gains in survival. Atezolizumab, when added to carboplatin and etoposide, improved both progression-free survival and overall survival. Durvalumab, when added to platinum plus etoposide, similarly improved OS. Biomarker development has stalled as PD-L1 expression and tumor mutational burden have not been useful predictive biomarkers. However, based on the significant survival improvements, both atezolizumab and durvalumab were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to be given with first-line chemotherapy, and these regimens represent the new standards of care for SCLC.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document