Nivolumab-induced radiation recall pneumonitis in non-small-cell lung cancer patients with thoracic radiation therapy.

The role of previous thoracic radiation therapy as a risk factor of immune-related pneumonitis is unclear. Furthermore, some patients develop radiation recall pneumonitis, which is characterized by a radiation pneumonitis-like imaging pattern with consolidation progressing within a previous radiation field. In this multicenter retrospective study, we analyzed the relationship of previous thoracic radiation therapy with immune-related pneumonitis and the characteristics of radiation recall pneumonitis. The medical records of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who had received nivolumab between December 2015 and March 2017 at five institutions were retrospectively reviewed. Incidence, imaging patterns, clinical course, and risk factors of immune-related pneumonitis and radiation recall pneumonitis were evaluated. A total of 669 patients were evaluated, and the incidences of all-grade and grade 3 or higher immune-related pneumonitis were 8.8% and 2.6%, respectively. The incidences of immune-related pneumonitis were 13.2% (34/257) and 6.1% (25/412) in patients with and those without previous thoracic radiation therapy, respectively. A history of previous thoracic radiation therapy was associated with immune-related pneumonitis (odds ratio, 2.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.21-3.69 in multivariate analysis). Among the patients with previous thoracic radiation therapy, 6.2% (16/257) showed radiation recall pattern. This study found an increased risk of nivolumab-induced immune-related pneumonitis associated with a history of thoracic radiation therapy. Radiation recall pattern was one of the major patterns of immune-related pneumonitis among the patients with previous thoracic radiation therapy. Incidence, risk factors, and clinical outcome of radiation recall pneumonitis were elucidated.

Immunohistochemical analysis of B7-H3 expression in patients with lung cancer following various anti-cancer treatments.

B7 homolog 3 protein (B7-H3), an immune checkpoint molecule belonging to the B7 family, has been studied as a target for the development of anti-cancer treatment; however, changes in B7-H3 expression during the clinical course remain unknown. This retrospective study aimed to investigate changes in B7-H3 expression of lung cancer specimens in patients with advanced lung cancer following various anti-cancer treatments. The immunohistochemistry (IHC) score was evaluated on a 0-3 scale, and B7-H3 expression was considered positive for grade ≥ 2. The difference in IHC scores before and after anti-cancer treatment was defined as the change in B7-H3 expression. Among 160 patients with lung cancer who received anti-cancer treatment, 88 (55%) and 101 (63%) had B7-H3 expression before and after anti-cancer treatment, respectively. Before treatment, B7-H3 expression was significantly more common in squamous cell carcinoma specimens than in adenocarcinoma specimens (95% vs. 49%, P < 0.001). Of the 19 patients with squamous cell carcinoma, 18 (95%) continued to have high (IHC score: 3) B7-H3 expression following treatment. In contrast, of the 130 patients with adenocarcinoma, 46 (35%) and 17 (13%) showed an increased and a decreased expression, respectively. Patients who received targeted therapy had a significant increase in B7-H3 expression compared with those who received chemotherapy alone (P = 0.015). Overall, squamous cell carcinoma specimens maintained high B7-H3 expression during the clinical course, whereas adenocarcinoma specimens showed changes in expression following anti-cancer treatments. Our results provide the basis for further studies on the development of anti-cancer treatments targeting B7-H3.

Prognostic impact of pneumonitis after durvalumab therapy in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Prognostic data on Japanese patients receiving durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) are insufficient. Whether pneumonitis has prognostic implications in patients with LA-NSCLC who have received durvalumab also remains unclear. METHODS: We retrospectively assessed the data of 82 consecutive patients who had received durvalumab after CRT at our institution between May 2018 and August 2020. A multi-state model was used to establish the associations between co-variables and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: The median observation period for all the censored cases was 14.5 months (5.7-28.9 months), the median PFS was 22.7 months, and the 12-month PFS rate was 62.3% (95% CI: 50.2%-72.3%). The median percentage of the lung volume receiving a radiation dose in excess of 20 Gray (V20) was 22% (4%-35%). Thirteen patients (16%) had Grade 1 pneumonitis before receiving durvalumab, and 62 patients developed pneumonitis after durvalumab (Grades 1, 2, and 3 in 25 [30%], 32 [39%], and 4 [5%], respectively). Twenty-four patients (29%) completed the 1-year durvalumab treatment period, 16 patients (20%) were continuing to receive treatment, and 42 (51%) had discontinued treatment. In a multi-state analysis, patients with pneumonitis before durvalumab therapy had a poorer PFS than those without pneumonitis (HR: 4.29, p = 0.002). The development of Grade 2 or higher pneumonitis after durvalumab was not a significant prognostic factor for PFS (HR: 0.71, p = 0.852). CONCLUSION: Grade 2 or higher pneumonitis after durvalumab was not a prognostic factor of PFS in LA-NSCLC patients received durvalumab.

Long-term survival data of patients with limited disease small cell lung cancer: a retrospective analysis.

INTRODUCTION: In patients with limited disease small cell lung cancer (LD-SCLC) treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), long-term survival data have not been fully evaluated. Moreover, the association between long-term prognosis and prognostic factors has not been sufficiently investigated. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we evaluated the efficacy of CCRT in 120 patients with LD-SCLC with a plan for curative CRT using concurrent accelerated hyperfractionated radiotherapy. RESULTS: The patients had a median age of 65.5 years, predominantly male (73%), and had clinical stage III disease (80%). The median follow-up time for overall survival (OS) was 72.2 months, median OS was 42.5 months, and the 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 52.4% and 41.8%, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 12.5 months, and the 3-year and 5-year PFS rates were 37.6% and 33.6%, respectively. The 5-year OS rates of patients who achieved PFS at each time point were 70.9%, 83.6%, and 91.9% at 12, 24, and 36 months, respectively. The gradual increase in the 5-year OS rate following PFS extension and initial depression of the Kaplan-Meier curve showed disease progression frequently occurred in the first 2 years after initiation of CCRT. The Cox proportional hazards model showed no significant factors correlated with long-term survival through univariate and multivariate analyses. Although the prognostic factors associated with long-term prognosis in LD-SCLC were not identified, the 5-year survival rate was 41.8%, and among patients without disease progression at 2 years, the 5-year survival rate was 83.6%. CONCLUSION: These data suggested that the prognosis of patients with LD-SCLC was improving.

Association between the efficacy and immune-related adverse events of pembrolizumab and chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The combination of immune-checkpoint inhibitors with chemotherapy has become the standard of treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. However, the association between therapeutic efficacy and the development of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) remains unclear in patients treated with combination therapy. We aimed to investigate the frequency of irAEs, and the association between therapeutic efficacy and the development of irAEs in patients with NSCLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively surveyed patients with chemo-naïve advanced NSCLC who received pembrolizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy or pembrolizumab monotherapy at Juntendo University Hospital, Japan, between February 2017 and May 2021. RESULTS: Among 148 patients (median [range] age, 68 (33-85) years; 107 men [72.3%] and 41 women [27.7%]), 74 each received pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy and pembrolizumab monotherapy. IrAEs were observed in 46 (62.2%) and 41 patients (55.4%) in the combination therapy and monotherapy group, respectively. Patients with irAEs showed significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) than those without irAEs in the combination therapy group (8.9 vs. 5.7 months; Hazard Ratio [HR], 0.53; 95% CI, 0.29-0.98; P = 0.041) and monotherapy group (11.7 vs. 5.0 months; HR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.22-0.70; P = 0.001). In the multivariable analysis, development of irAEs was positively associated with PFS in both the groups (HR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.26-0.89; P = 0.019 and HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.21-0.68; P < 0.01). In the inverse probability of treatment weighting adjusted analysis, development of irAEs was significantly associated with combination therapy (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.34-0.91; P = 0.019). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that the incidence of irAEs was associated with favorable efficacy in patients treated with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy, as well as pembrolizumab monotherapy. Also, the addition of chemotherapy to pembrolizumab significantly increased the incidence of irAEs.

Impact of weight loss on treatment with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors plus chemotherapy have become the standard first line of treatment in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, few studies have explicitly focused on the impact of weight loss on the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy. Thus, we evaluated the clinical implications of weight loss on the survival outcomes in patients who received this treatment. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of medical records of patients with advanced NSCLC who were treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy from December 2018 to December 2020. Significant weight loss was defined as an unintentional weight loss of 5% or more over 6 months. We evaluated the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with or without weight loss. RESULTS: Among the 80 included patients, 37 (46%) had weight loss, and were associated with a lower objective response rate (30 vs 51%, P < 0.05), poorer PFS (2.3 vs 12.0 months, P < 0.05), and poorer OS (10.8 vs 23.9 months, P < 0.05) than those without weight loss. The Cox proportional-hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) of weight loss were 1.77 (1.01-3.10) for PFS and 2.90 (1.40-6.00) for OS, with adjustments for Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, PD-L1 tumour proportion score, histology, and central nervous system metastases. CONCLUSION: Pre-treatment weight loss may reduce treatment efficacy and shorten survival time in patients receiving PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy. Early evaluation and intervention for weight loss might improve oncological outcomes in patients with advanced NSCLC.

Proposing synchronous oligometastatic non-small-cell lung cancer based on progression after first-line systemic therapy.

Despite the importance of accurate disease definitions for effective management and treatment decisions, there is currently no consensus on what constitutes oligometastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Predominant patterns of initial progressive disease (PD) after first-line systemic therapy have been shown to be a substantial basis for local ablative therapy (LAT) for all disease sites in patients with oligometastatic NSCLC, suggesting that these patterns could be helpful in defining synchronous oligometastatic NSCLC. Therefore, this retrospective study aimed to propose a threshold number of metastases for synchronous oligometastatic NSCLC, based on the pattern of initial PD after first-line systemic therapy. The cut-off threshold number of metastases compatible with synchronous oligometastatic NSCLC was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses of PD at the initially involved sites alone. ROC analysis of 175 patients revealed that the presence of 1-3 metastases before first-line treatment (sensitivity, 85.9%; specificity, 97.3%; area under the curve, 0.91) was compatible with oligometastatic NSCLC, therefore we divided patients into oligometastatic NSCLC and non-oligometastatic NSCLC groups. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed oligometastatic NSCLC to be the only independent predictor of PD at initially involved sites alone (odds ratio 165.7; P < .001). The median survival times in patients with oligometastatic or non-oligometastatic NSCLC were 23.0 and 10.9 mo (hazard ratio, 0.51; P = .002), respectively. Based on these findings, we propose synchronous oligometastatic NSCLC as 1-3 metastases in accordance with patterns of initial progression. The result of our study might be contributory to provide a common definition of synchronous oligometastatic NSCLC.

Retrospective analysis of osimertinib re-challenge after osimertinib-induced interstitial lung disease in patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung carcinoma.

Osimertinib is a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that has exhibited efficacy in patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a fatal adverse event of osimertinib treatment, and it requires treatment discontinuation. There are few reports regarding the safety and efficacy of osimertinib re-challenge in patients who experienced osimertinib-induced ILD. This retrospective study assessed this treatment option. We retrospectively collected data for patients treated with osimertinib who developed ILD at Shizuoka Cancer Center from April 2016 to March 2020. ILD was diagnosed by two doctors based on imaging tests and blood tests to exclude other causes. Among 215 patients treated with osimertinib, 28 developed ILD. The median age of patients with ILD was 69.5 years (range, 39.0-80.0). In addition, 29% of patients were men, and 46% had a history of smoking. Eleven patients were re-administered EGFR TKIs, including eight patients treated with osimertinib and three patients treated with alternative EGFR TKIs. Among patients re-challenged with osimertinib, none who previously experienced grade 1 ILD exhibited ILD relapse, even with the same osimertinib dose and without the concurrent administration of systemic steroids. Meanwhile, one of the four patients who previously exhibited grade 2 ILD experienced despite a dose reduction for osimertinib and systemic steroid administration. For patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC who experience grade 1 ILD during osimertinib therapy, osimertinib re-challenge may be suitable when no other treatments are available.

Rechallenge with previously administered epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer with leptomeningeal metastasis.

Objectives In EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, approximately 80-90% of leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) develops after failed initial treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI). However, the efficacy of rechallenging with previously administered EGFR-TKIs in patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC and the LM that develops following EGFR-TKI treatment failure remains unknown. Materials and methods We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC and LM, from November 2011 to August 2019. The patients were classified according to the LM treatment type: switched to previously unadministered EGFR-TKIs (Switch-TKI) or rechallenge with previously administered EGFR-TKIs (Rechallenge-TKI). Results In total, 50 patients treated with EGFR-TKI after LM diagnosis were included; 35 were treated with Switch-TKI and 15 with Rechallenge-TKI. The median overall survival (OS) from the time of LM diagnosis was 6.2 months in all study patients. According to the treatment type, the median OS from the time of LM diagnosis was 6.9 months in Switch-TKI patients and 4.9 months in Rechallenge-TKI patients. There was no significant difference in the OS between the Switch-TKI and Rechallenge-TKI groups (P = 0.864). Thirty-five patients were treated with erlotinib and 15 with osimertinib; Regardless of the type for EGFR-TKI, there was no significant difference in OS between patients treated with Switch-TKI and those treated with Rechallenge-TKI. Conclusion Rechallenge of previously administered EGFR-TKIs may be a therapeutic option for LM development after EGFR-TKI treatment failure in patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC, not only switching to previously unadministered EGFR-TKIs.

Phase II study of multidisciplinary therapy combined with pembrolizumab for patients with synchronous oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer TRAP OLIGO study (WJOG11118L).

BACKGROUND: Synchronous oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is generally characterised by the limited number of metastases at the time of diagnosis. Several clinical trials have shown that local ablative therapy (LAT) at all sites of the disease might be beneficial for patients with oligometastatic NSCLC. In recent years, the combination of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitors or programmed cell death ligand 1 with cytotoxic chemotherapy has become a new standard treatment for patients with metastatic NSCLC. Furthermore, multisite LAT would inherently reduce the overall tumour burden, and this could promote T cell reinvigoration to enhance the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors. Few studies have evaluated the efficacy of the combination of PD-1 inhibitors with LAT at all sites of disease. The aim of the present multicentre single-arm phase II study is to evaluate the efficacy of LAT at all sites of disease following standard platinum doublet chemotherapy with pembrolizumab in patients with oligometastatic NSCLC. METHODS: Thirty patients with synchronous oligometastatic NSCLC will be enrolled in the trial. All patients will receive 2-4 cycles of a systemic treatment including pembrolizumab and chemotherapy as induction therapy. Patients who will receive LAT will be determined by a multidisciplinary tumour board, including medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and thoracic surgeons. LAT will be administered at all sites of disease within 21-56 days of the last dose of induction therapy and will be followed by maintenance therapy within 42 days of the last day of LAT. The primary endpoint is the progression-free survival (PFS) rate of 24 months from the date of initiation of LAT. The secondary endpoints are toxicity, response to induction therapy, PFS, overall survival, and the frequency of LAT. DISCUSSION: This study will provide novel data on the efficacy and safety profile of the combination of LAT and chemotherapy plus immune-checkpoint inhibitors in patients with synchronous oligometastatic NSCLC. If the primary endpoint of this study is met, extensive phase III studies further assessing this strategy will be recommended. TRIAL REGISTRATION: jRCT identifier: jRCTs041200046 (date of initial registration: 28 October 2020).

Association between oligo-residual disease and patterns of failure during EGFR-TKI treatment in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Local ablative therapy (LAT) may be beneficial for patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with oligo-residual disease after treatment with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI). However, this has not been fully established. This study aimed to evaluate the predominant progressive disease (PD) pattern limited to residual sites of disease after treatment with EGFR-TKI. METHODS: Patients with advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC treated with EGFR-TKIs as first-line therapy were retrospectively analysed during a 7-year period. Oligo-residual disease was defined as the presence of 1 - 4 lesions (including the primary site) at 3 months from the start of EGFR-TKI treatment. The predictive factors of PD patterns after EGFR-TKI treatment were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 207 patients were included. Three months after the start of EGFR-TKI treatment, 66 patients (32%) had oligo-residual disease. A total of 191 patients had PD, 60 with oligo-residual disease and 131 with non-oligo-residual disease. Regarding the pattern, 44 patients (73%) with oligo-residual disease and 37 patients (28%) with non-oligo-residual disease had PD limited to the residual sites. Multivariate logistic regression analysis at 3 months from the start of EGFR-TKI treatment revealed that oligo-residual disease (P < 0.001), the lack of residual central nervous system metastases (P = 0.032), and initial treatment with osimertinib (P = 0.028) were independent predictors of PD limited to residual disease sites. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided a rationale for LAT to all sites of residual disease in patients with oligo-residual disease during EGFR-TKI treatment.

Long-term outcomes in extensive disease small cell lung cancer patients treated without immune checkpoint inhibitors.

OBJECTIVE: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with chemotherapy have been approved as first-line treatment for patients with untreated extensive disease-small cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC). However, there are few reports about the long-term outcomes in patients with ED-SCLC treated without ICIs. Thus, we analyzed the long-term outcomes in patients with ED-SCLC. METHODS: We retrospectively examined the medical records of patients with SCLC who were treated at our hospital between September 2002 and September 2019. The main inclusion criteria were as follows: (i) histological or cytological confirmation of SCLC, (ii) diagnosed with ED-SCLC and (iii) received chemotherapy, not including ICIs, as the first-line treatment. To assess the trends of treatment outcomes, we compared the survival outcomes between 2002-2010 (early) and 2011-2019 (late) groups. RESULTS: A total of 314 patients were included in this study. Patient characteristics at the time of first-line treatment were as follows: median age was 69 years; 82% of the patients were male and 70% had a performance status of 0 or 1. The median follow-up time of overall survival (OS) was 7.4 years, and 89% of the patients died. The median progression-free survival and survival time were 4.9 and 12.1 months, respectively. Five-year survival rate was 2%. There was no significant difference in survival between the early and late groups. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the long-term outcomes in ED-SCLC patients treated without ICIs were poor. Prior to the approval of ICI treatment for ED-SCLC, there was no improvement in the OS for ~20 years.

Detection of programmed cell death-ligand 1 using 22C3 antibody in patients with unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer receiving chemoradiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: The expression of programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is a biomarker for administering immune check point inhibitors in patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer. Although the consolidation therapy of durvalumab after definitive chemoradiotherapy has become the new standard of care for patients with unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer, the prevalence and prognostic role of PD-L1 expression in this population remain unclear. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data from patients with unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer who received definitive chemoradiotherapy at our institution between 2012 and 2017. Levels of PD-L1 were assessed using 22C3 antibody, and associations of progression-free and overall survival rates with PD-L1 statuses at a tumor proportion score cutoff of 1% were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 104 patients enrolled, PD-L1 statuses were as follows: tumor proportion score < 1%, 73 (70.2%); 1-49%, 21 (20.2%); and ≥ 50%, 10 (9.6%). The number of patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer with pretreatment PD-L1 tumor proportion score ≥ 1% was less than the number with advanced stage disease. There was no association between patient characteristics and PD-L1 status, and no significant differences were observed in progression-free and overall survival rates relative to PD-L1 status. CONCLUSION: Expression of PD-L1 in patients with stage III non-small cell cancer before chemoradiotherapy should be assessed because of the low prevalence of tumors with tumor proportion scores ≥ 1%. Further studies are needed to clarify whether durvalumab improves survival after definitive chemoradiotherapy, irrespective of tumor PD-L1 expression.

Efficacy of second-line chemotherapy in patients with pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma.

The efficacy of second-line chemotherapy in patients with pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of second-line chemotherapy in patients with pulmonary LCNEC. We retrospectively reviewed patients with pulmonary LCNEC or possible LCNEC (pLCNEC) who received platinum-based chemotherapy as the first-line treatment. Among these patients, we evaluated the efficacy of second-line treatment by comparing patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC group). Of the 61 patients with LCNEC or pLCNEC (LCNEC group) who received first-line chemotherapy, 39 patients were treated with second-line chemotherapy. Among the 39 patients, 61.5% received amrubicin monotherapy. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in the LCNEC groups were 3.3 and 8.3 months, respectively. No significant differences in the PFS (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.924, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.647-1.320; P = 0.664) and OS (HR: 0.926; 95% CI 0.648-1.321; P = 0.670) were observed between the LCNEC and SCLC groups. In patients treated with amrubicin, the PFS (P = 0.964) and OS (P = 0.544) were not different between both the groups. Second-line chemotherapy, including amrubicin, may be considered as a treatment option for patients with pulmonary LCNEC.

Early Detection of Therapeutic Benefit from PD-1/PD-L1 Blockade in Advanced Lung Cancer by Monitoring Cachexia-Related Circulating Cytokines.

Cancer cachexia is associated with poor immunotherapeutic outcomes. This prospective observational study longitudinally evaluated the role of cachexia-related circulating cytokines in predicting the risk and benefit of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade in advanced lung cancer. Forty-one circulating cytokines at baseline and after one cycle of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade treatment were measured in patients with advanced lung cancer between 2019 and 2020. The cachexia-related cytokines were identified by comparing the levels of circulating cytokines between cachectic and non-cachectic patients. Among 55 patients, 49.1% were diagnosed with cachexia at the beginning of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy. Baseline levels of the circulating cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-15, and IP-10 were significantly higher in cachectic patients. In contrast, the level of eotaxin-1 was lower in cachectic patients than in those without cachexia. Higher IL-6 at baseline and during treatment was associated with a greater risk of immune-related adverse events, while higher IL-10 at baseline was linked to worse overall survival. More importantly, increased eotaxin-1 after one cycle of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade treatment was associated with higher objective response and better overall survival. A blood-based, cachexia-related cytokine assay may yield potential biomarkers for the early prediction of clinical response to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade and provide clues for improving the outcomes of cachectic patients.

Clinical impact of tumour burden on the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy in non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand (PD-L1) inhibitors plus chemotherapy (ICI + Chemo) is the standard treatment for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the impact of tumour burden on the efficacy of ICI + Chemo remains unknown. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 92 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with ICI + Chemo. Tumour burden was assessed as the sum of the longest diameter of the target lesion (BSLD) and number of metastatic lesions (BNMLs). We categorised the patients into three groups based on the combined BSLD and BNML values. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients (74%) had progressive disease or died. Forty-four patients (48%) in the low-BSLD group had a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 9.5 months, whereas patients in the high-BSLD group had a median PFS of 4.6 months (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.54, p = 0012). Twenty-five patients (27%) in the low-BNML group had a median PFS of 9.6 months, whereas patients in the high-BNML group had a median PFS of 6.5 months (HR = 0.51, p = 0.029). Low-BSLD and low-BNML were associated independently with improved PFS in multivariate analysis. Analysis of the tumour burden combined with BSLD and BNML revealed a trend towards improved PFS as the tumour burden decreased, with median PFS of 22.3, 8.7, and 3.9 months in the low- (N = 13), medium- (N = 42) and high-burden (N = 37) groups respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated that a high tumour burden negatively impacts the efficacy of ICI + Chemo in patients with advanced NSCLC.

Significance of micro-EGFR T790M mutations on EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor efficacy in non-small cell lung cancer.

Small amounts of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790M mutation (micro-T790M), which is detected using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) but not conventional PCR, in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples have been investigated as a predictive factor for the efficacy of EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). However, the predictive value of micro-T790M remains controversial, possibly owing to the failure to examine artificial T790M in FFPE specimens. Therefore, we examined the predictive value of micro-T790M in first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), and third-generation (3G) EGFR-TKI efficacy using a new method to exclude FFPE-derived artificial mutations in our retrospective cohort. The primary objective was time to treatment failure (TTF) of 1G, 2G, and 3G EGFR-TKIs according to micro-T790M status. In total, 315 patients with EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer treated with 1G, 2G, and 3G EGFR-TKIs were included in this study. The proportion of patients positive for micro-T790M in the 1G, 2G, and 3G EGFR-TKI groups was 48.2%, 47.1%, and 47.6%, respectively. In the micro-T790M-positive group, the TTF was significantly longer in the 2G and 3G EGFR-TKI groups than in the 1G TKI group. No differences in the micro-T790M-negative group were observed. Micro-T790M status detected using ddPCR, eliminating false positives, may be a valuable predictor of EGFR-TKI efficacy.

Heterogeneous Outcomes of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Rechallenge in Patients With NSCLC: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) rechallenge in NSCLC remain uncertain. This study estimated the safety and efficacy of ICI rechallenge and compared rechallenge benefit among different reasons of initial ICI discontinuation in NSCLC. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched for studies on NSCLC retreated with ICI. Immune-related adverse events (irAEs), overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and progression-free survival (PFS) at initial ICI and rechallenge were analyzed. Results: A total of 15 studies including 442 patients between 2018 and 2022 were eligible for meta-analysis. The incidence of grade 3 or 4 irAE was lower in rechallenge than initial ICI (8.6% versus 17.8%, p < 0.001). Patients rechallenged with ICI had lower ORR and DCR than initial ICI (13.2% versus 42.4%, p < 0.001; 51.1% versus 74.0%, p < 0.001). The ORR and DCR to ICI rechallenge were both higher in patients who experienced disease progression after stopping ICI or irAE than patients with disease progression during ICI treatment (ORR: 46.2% versus 20% versus 11.4%, p = 0.003; DCR: 84.6% versus 90.0% versus 55.0%, p = 0.002). In addition, 34.7% of 69 patients with individual response to ICI and PFS experienced the same or better response to ICI rechallenge in comparison with initial ICI, although PFS in initial ICI was longer than that in ICI rechallenge (median: 8.90 versus 3.67 mo, hazard ratio = 0.44, 95% confidence interval: 0.33-0.59). Conclusions: ICI rechallenge had less severe toxicity than initial ICI treatment. Patients undergoing disease progression after ICI cessation or ICI discontinuation owing to irAE are more likely to benefit from ICI rechallenge in NSCLC.

Impact of losing adipose tissue on outcomes from PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor monotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Adipose tissue induces inflammation, which desensitizes the efficacy of immunotherapy. However, several reports show that the therapeutic effect of programed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor(s) monotherapy is significantly better in obese patients. Therefore, the effect of adipose tissue on immunotherapy is unclear. METHODS: In this study, we retrospectively reviewed patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor monotherapy between May 2016 and December 2018. We classified patients into total adipose tissue maintenance or loss groups according to adipose tissue change during the 6 months before treatment and compared the therapeutic effect of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors between these groups along with the presence or absence of cachexia, a poor prognostic factor. RESULTS: Of the 74 patients, 40 (54.1%) were cachexic. Among cachexic patients, we found no clear difference in the overall response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS) between the total adipose tissue maintenance and loss group. However, among noncachexic patients, the total adipose tissue loss group had a higher ORR (64.7% vs. 23.5%, p < 0.05) and longer PFS (18.5 months vs. 2.86 months, p = 0.037) than the maintenance group. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that decreasing adipose tissue without cachexia might favor the therapeutic effects of immunotherapy.