Combination Therapy with EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and TEAD Inhibitor Increases Tumor Suppression Effects in EGFR Mutation-positive Lung Cancer.

EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) are the first-line therapies for EGFR mutation-positive lung cancer. EGFR-TKIs have favorable therapeutic effects. However, a large proportion of patients with EGFR mutation-positive lung cancer subsequently relapse. Some cancer cells survive the initial treatment with EGFR-TKIs, and this initial survival may be associated with subsequent recurrence. Therefore, we aimed to overcome the initial survival against EGFR-TKIs. We hypothesized that yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) is involved in the initial survival against EGFR-TKIs, and we confirmed the combined effect of EGFR-TKIs and a YAP1-TEAD pathway inhibitor. The KTOR27 (EGFR kinase domain duplication) lung cancer cell lines established from a patient with EGFR mutation-positive lung cancer and commercially available PC-9 and HCC827 (EGFR exon 19 deletions) lung cancer cell lines were used. These cells were used to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo effects of VT104, a TEAD inhibitor. In addition, YAP1 involvement was investigated in pathologic specimens. YAP1 was activated by short-term EGFR-TKI treatment in EGFR mutation-positive lung cancer cells. In addition, inhibiting YAP1 function using siRNA increased the sensitivity to EGFR-TKIs. Combination therapy with VT104 and EGFR-TKIs showed better tumor-suppressive effects than EGFR-TKIs alone, in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the combined effect of VT104 and EGFR-TKIs was observed regardless of the localization status of YAP1 before EGFR-TKI exposure. These results suggest that combination therapy with the TEAD inhibitor and EGFR-TKIs may improve the prognosis of patients with EGFR mutation-positive lung cancer.

CD47 polymorphism for predicting nivolumab benefit in patients with advanced non­small­cell lung cancer.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as nivolumab, play an essential role in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. Programmed death ligand-1 has been used as a predictive biomarker for the efficacy of ICI treatment in patients with NSCLC; however, its predictive value is considered insufficient. Therefore, there is an urgent need for better predictive biomarkers. The present study focused on the CD47 molecule, which is associated with macrophages and tumor immunity. The study aimed to investigate the association between CD47 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and the therapeutic effect of nivolumab in patients with NSCLC. The CD47 SNP genotypes and clinical outcomes were retrospectively analyzed in 164 patients with NSCLC treated with nivolumab at Kyoto University Hospital (Kyoto, Japan). Patients with the G/G genotype of the CD47 SNP rs3804639 had significantly longer progression-free survival than those with the G/T or T/T genotypes [2.6 months vs. 2.1 months, hazard ratio (HR), 0.70; P=0.026]. Moreover, the G/G genotype of the CD47 SNP rs3804639 was associated with a significantly longer median overall survival than the G/T or T/T genotypes of the CD47 SNP rs3804639 (24.8 months vs. 12.0 months, HR, 0.64; P=0.021). In conclusion, CD47 polymorphism may be a novel predictive biomarker of nivolumab efficacy in patients with advanced NSCLC.

Adaptive resistance to lorlatinib via EGFR signaling in ALK-rearranged lung cancer.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors rarely elicit complete responses in patients with advanced ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as a small population of tumor cells survives due to adaptive resistance. Therefore, we focused on the mechanisms underlying adaptive resistance to lorlatinib and therapeutic strategies required to overcome them. We found that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling was involved in the adaptive resistance to lorlatinib in ALK-rearranged NSCLC, activation of which was induced by heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor production via c-Jun activation. EGFR inhibition halted ALK-rearranged lung cancer cell proliferation by enhancing ALK inhibition-induced apoptosis via suppression of Bcl-xL. Xenograft models showed that the combination of EGFR inhibitor and lorlatinib considerably suppressed tumor regrowth following cessation of these treatments. This study provides new insights regarding tumor evolution due to EGFR signaling after lorlatinib treatment and the development of combined therapeutic strategies for ALK-rearranged lung cancer.

Yes-associated protein 1 mediates initial cell survival during lorlatinib treatment through AKT signaling in ROS1-rearranged lung cancer.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that target the ROS proto-oncogene 1, receptor tyrosine kinase (ROS1) gene have shown dramatic therapeutic effects in patients with ROS1-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nevertheless, advanced ROS1-rearranged NSCLC is rarely cured as a portion of the tumor cells can survive the initial stages of ROS1-TKI treatment, even after maximum tumor shrinkage. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying initial cell survival during ROS1-TKI treatment is necessary to prevent cell survival and achieve a cure for ROS1-rearranged NSCLC. In this study, we clarified the initial survival mechanisms during treatment with lorlatinib, a ROS1 TKI. First, we established a patient-derived ezrin gene-ROS1-rearranged NSCLC cell line (KTOR71). Then, following proteomic analysis, we focused on yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1), which is a major mediator of the Hippo pathway, as a candidate factor involved in cell survival during early lorlatinib treatment. Yes-associated protein 1 was activated by short-term lorlatinib treatment both in vitro and in vivo. Genetic inhibition of YAP1 using siRNA, or pharmacological inhibition of YAP1 function by the YAP1-inhibitor verteporfin, enhanced the sensitivity of KTOR71 cells to lorlatinib. In addition, the prosurvival effect of YAP1 was exerted through the reactivation of AKT. Finally, combined therapy with verteporfin and lorlatinib was found to achieve significantly sustained tumor remission compared with lorlatinib monotherapy in vivo. These results suggest that YAP1 could mediate initial cell resistance to lorlatinib in KTOR71 cells. Thus, combined therapy targeting both YAP1 and ROS1 could potentially improve the outcome of ROS1-rearranged NSCLC.

Sarcomatoid malignant pleural mesothelioma treated with nivolumab: A case series.

Immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) with nivolumab has been widely used to treat malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) since clinical trials confirmed its efficacy. However, only a few clinical trials have been conducted for the treatment of sarcomatoid MPM, which is a rare histological type of MPM. Additionally, clinical reports of sarcomatoid MPM are scarce. Therefore, the benefits and risks of nivolumab treatment for sarcomatoid MPM remain unclear. The present report describes the treatment of 3 cases of sarcomatoid MPM (all 3 were men) with nivolumab monotherapy. In all three cases, nivolumab was effective despite variations in the duration of treatment, although side effects were observed in 2 patients. Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression was positive in all 3 cases. In particular, the patient with the highest PD-L1 expression had the most rapid response of the 3 patients, and the effect lasted as long as those of the other 2, despite receiving the smallest number of doses of nivolumab. It has been reported that sarcomatoid MPM tends to respond poorly to chemotherapy and express higher levels of PD-L1 than epithelial MPM; thus, ICT may be necessary in these cases. This case series suggests that ICT with nivolumab is a promising treatment option for sarcomatoid MPM.

Classification and regression tree for estimating predictive markers to detect T790M mutations after acquired resistance to first line EGFR-TKI: HOPE-002.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Osimertinib as first-line treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring epidermal growth factor (EGFR) mutations remains controversial. Sequential EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) might be superior to the first line osimertinib in patients at risk of developing acquired T790M mutations. METHODS: We enrolled consecutive patients with EGFR-mutated (deletion 19 or L858R) advanced NSCLC treated with first-line drugs and evaluated predictive markers using classification and regression tree (CART) for the detection of T790M mutations based on patient backgrounds prior to initial treatment. RESULTS: Patients without acquired T790M mutations had worse outcomes than those with T790M mutations (median OS: 798 days vs. not reached; HR: 2.70; P < 0.001). CART identified three distinct groups based on variables associated with acquired T790M mutations (age, CYF, WBC, liver metastasis, and LDH; AUROC: 0.77). Based on certain variables, CART identified three distinct groups in deletion 19 (albumin, LDH, bone metastasis, pleural effusion, and WBC; AUROC: 0.81) and two distinct groups in L858R (age, CEA, and ALP; AUROC: 0.80). The T790M detection frequencies after TKI resistance of afatinib and first-generation EGFR-TKIs were similar (35.3% vs. 37.4%, P = 0.933). Afatinib demonstrated longer PFS (398 vs. 279 days; HR: 0.67; P = 0.004) and OS (1053 vs. 956 days; HR: 0.68; P = 0.051) than first-generation EGFR-TKIs. CONCLUSION: Identification of patients at risk of acquiring T790M mutations after EGFR-TKI failure may aid in choice of first-line EGFR-TKI. Furthermore, afatinib may be the more effective 1st-line EGFR-TKI treatment for patients at risk of developing T790M as initial EGFR-TKI resistance.

Survival impact of treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may coexist with lung cancer, but the impact on prognosis is uncertain. Moreover, it is unclear whether pharmacological treatment for COPD improves the patient's prognosis. We retrospectively investigated patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had received chemotherapy at Kyoto University Hospital. Coexisting COPD was diagnosed by spirometry, and the association between pharmacological treatment for COPD and overall survival (OS) was assessed. Of the 550 patients who underwent chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC between 2007 and 2014, 347 patients who underwent spirometry were analyzed. Coexisting COPD was revealed in 103 patients (COPD group). The median OS was shorter in the COPD group than the non-COPD group (10.6 vs. 16.8 months). Thirty-seven patients had received COPD treatment, and they had a significantly longer median OS than those without treatment (16.7 vs. 8.2 months). Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed the positive prognostic impact of COPD treatment. Additional validation analysis revealed similar results in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Coexisting COPD had a significant association with poor prognosis in advanced NSCLC patients if they did not have pharmacological treatment for COPD. Treatment for coexisting COPD has the potential to salvage the prognosis.

Pneumonia Caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 and Influenza Virus: A Multicenter Comparative Study.

BACKGROUND: Detailed differences in clinical information between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia (CP), which is the main phenotype of SARS-CoV-2 disease, and influenza pneumonia (IP) are still unclear. METHODS: A prospective, multicenter cohort study was conducted by including patients with CP who were hospitalized between January and June 2020 and a retrospective cohort of patients with IP hospitalized from 2009 to 2020. We compared the clinical presentations and studied the prognostic factors of CP and IP. RESULTS: Compared with the IP group (n = 66), in the multivariate analysis, the CP group (n = 362) had a lower percentage of patients with underlying asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P < .01), lower neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (P < .01), lower systolic blood pressure (P < .01), higher diastolic blood pressure (P < .01), lower aspartate aminotransferase level (P < .05), higher serum sodium level (P < .05), and more frequent multilobar infiltrates (P < .05). The diagnostic scoring system based on these findings showed excellent differentiation between CP and IP (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.889). Moreover, the prognostic predictors were different between CP and IP. CONCLUSIONS: Comprehensive differences between CP and IP were revealed, highlighting the need for early differentiation between these 2 pneumonias in clinical settings.

Clinical factors associated with shorter durable response, and patterns of acquired resistance to first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy in PD-L1-positive non-small-cell lung cancer patients: a retrospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the wide-spread use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in cancer chemotherapy, reports on patients developing acquired resistance (AR) to ICI therapy are scarce. Therefore, we first investigated the characteristics associated with shorter durable responses of ICI treatment and revealed the clinical patterns of AR and prognosis of the patients involved. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective multi-center cohort study that included NSCLC patients with PD-L1 tumor proportion scores of ≥50% who received first-line pembrolizumab and showed response to the therapy. Among patients showing response, progression-free survival (PFS) was investigated based on different clinically relevant factors. AR was defined as disease progression after partial or complete response based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Among patients with AR, patterns of AR and post-progression survival (PPS) were investigated. Oligoprogression was defined as disease progression in up to 5 individual progressive lesions. RESULTS: Among 174 patients who received first-line pembrolizumab, 88 showed response and were included in the study. Among these patients, 46 (52%) developed AR. Patients with old age, poor performance status (PS), at least 3 metastatic organs, or bone metastasis showed significantly shorter PFS. Among 46 patients with AR, 32 (70%) developed AR as oligoprogression and showed significantly longer PPS than those with non-oligoprogressive AR. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with old age, poor PS, at least 3 metastatic organs, or bone metastasis showed shorter durable responses to pembrolizumab monotherapy. Oligoprogressive AR was relatively common and associated with better prognosis. Further research is required to develop optimal approaches for the treatment of these patients.

Dissociated response and clinical benefit in patients treated with nivolumab monotherapy.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are effective for previously treated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, an unconventional response pattern is sometimes encountered. A dissociated response (DR), characterized by some lesions shrinking and others growing, has been recognized with ICI treatment. In this study, we examined the characteristics and treatment outcomes of DR in previously treated NSCLC patients, receiving nivolumab monotherapy. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of previously treated patients with advanced NSCLC who received nivolumab. We assessed the tumor response of each organ using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria at the first radiologic evaluation. We investigated treatment outcome and compared overall survival using the Kaplan-Meier Method and log-rank tests. Further, we conducted the same analysis in patients who had previously received chemotherapy or tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in our hospital. Between April 2016 and September 2018, 107 patients who received nivolumab fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of them, 5 (5%) patients showed a DR. There were no specific differences in characteristics between DR and non-DR cases. Patients showing DR had significantly longer overall survival than those showing concordant progressive disease (46.9 vs. 8.2 months, p = 0.038). The frequencies of DR in the ICI, chemotherapy, and tyrosine kinase inhibitor-treated cohorts were 5%, 1%, and 4%, respectively. DR was uncommon, but this presented a distinctive pattern of nivolumab response. Some patients might benefit from continuing nivolumab therapy and may achieve a longer overall survival.

PD-L1 polymorphisms predict survival outcomes in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with PD-1 blockade.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that PD-L1 polymorphisms are associated with the efficacy and immune-related adverse events of PD-1 blockade with nivolumab. However, the association between PD-L1 polymorphisms and survival outcomes under PD-1/PD-L1 blockade is still uncertain. Here, we aimed to investigate whether PD-L1 polymorphisms are associated with survival outcomes in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with nivolumab. METHODS: PD-1/PD-L1 polymorphisms and survival outcomes were retrospectively analysed in two independent cohorts (133 patients treated with nivolumab and 96 patients with no treatment history of an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) (the non-ICI cohort)) with advanced NSCLC. RESULTS: Among the 7 studied single-nucleotide polymorphisms, PD-L1 rs822339 and rs1411262 were associated with overall survival (OS) in patients treated with nivolumab. Patients with the A/A genotype of rs822339 had a significantly longer OS than those with A/G or G/G genotypes (not reached versus 12.0 months; hazard ratio (HR), 0.35; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.18-0.64; p = 0.0008). A similar survival benefit with the A/A genotype was observed regardless of driver mutation status. In multivariate analysis, performance status (PS) and PD-L1 rs822339 genotype were independent prognostic factors for OS. In the non-ICI cohort, the PD-L1 rs822339 genotype did not correlate with OS (HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.31-1.70; p = 0.55). The T/T genotype of rs1411262 also showed a significant prolongation of OS compared to that with the C/T or C/C genotypes in patients treated with nivolumab. CONCLUSIONS: PD-L1 polymorphisms are associated with favourable OS in nivolumab-treated NSCLC patients and may be useful predictive biomarkers, regardless of driver mutation status.

Association Between Early Immune-related Adverse Events and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have described an association between immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and better outcomes in patients administered nivolumab for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. However, the patients in previous studies were not stratified by potential predictive factors, such as programmed cell death ligand 1 status and treatment lines. Additionally, little is known of whether the timing and type of irAEs can inform the prediction of outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively investigated the association between irAEs and outcomes in the single-center cohort that included patients administered nivolumab in the second or later line of therapy. Subsequently, we confirmed these findings in a retrospective multicenter cohort that included patients with programmed cell death ligand 1 tumor proportion score of ≥ 50% who had received first-line pembrolizumab. The primary outcome was progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: In the prospective cohort (n = 76), the median PFS was significantly longer for the patients experiencing irAEs within 2 weeks of beginning nivolumab compared with the PFS for those who did not (median, 5.0 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.1-8.6 months] vs. median, 2.0 months [95% CI, 1.9-2.5 months]; P = .046). The association was stronger with earlier (within 2 weeks) than with later (within 6 weeks) irAEs. In the retrospective cohort (n = 148), the median PFS was significantly longer for the patients with early irAEs (within 3 weeks) than for those without (median, not reached [95% CI, 5.9 months to not reached] vs. median, 6.9 months [95% CI, 4.2-9.7 months]; P = .04). Rash was common and a better predictor of outcomes in both cohorts. CONCLUSION: Our results have provided firmer evidence of the association between the occurrence of irAEs and outcomes and suggest that early irAEs (especially rash) might better predict outcomes.

Tumour content ratio matters for detecting epidermal growth factor receptor mutation by cobas test in small biopsies; a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies indicate the benefit of treatment with osimertinib over that with conventional epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) for untreated EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Cobas ver2 is the only companion diagnostic method for detecting EGFR mutations with osimertinib treatment. We clinically experience false negative cases with this test, but its actual sensitivity is unknown. Moreover, no study has suggested the importance of tumour dissection, and most facilities do not routinely perform them on small biopsies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of cobas in clinical practice and clarify the role of dissection as a component of the cobas testing. METHODS: We examined 132 patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC diagnosed by bronchoscopy and confirmed with PCR clamp. Patients were tested with cobas and the EGFR-positive rate was calculated. Samples with undetected EGFR mutations were retested after tumour dissection and the rate of samples whose EGFR mutation was corrected to positive was assessed. To evaluate tumour cellularity, the tumour content ratio was assessed by calculating tumour cell count over the total cell count on the slide. RESULTS: The positive rate of EGFR mutation identification was 76% with cobas, although EGFR mutation-negative patients retained responses to TKI therapy equivalent to positive patients did; however, the tumour content ratio of negative samples was significantly lower than that of positive samples. Twenty-nine negative samples underwent dissection and 24% were corrected to positive. Moreover, 53% of the samples with a tumour content ratio below 10% was negative for cobas, but 33% of these turned positive after dissection. CONCLUSIONS: Cobas had a high false negative rate in clinical practice, and tumour content ratio might be associated with this rate. Dissection could improve the sensitivity of cobas, especially in samples with low tumour cellularity.

Osimertinib in a patient with non-small cell lung cancer and renal failure undergoing hemodialysis: a case report.

Osimertinib is a key drug for cancer patients with EGFR mutations. However, there is little information about its safety in cancer patients who require hemodialysis (HD) for chronic renal failure, despite notable increases in their numbers. Herein, we examined osimertinib safety in such a patient via pharmacokinetics analysis. A 66-year-old man was diagnosed with relapsed stage IV non-small cell lung cancer with an EGFR mutation in exon 21 (L858R) 2 years after stereotactic body radiotherapy. He was undergoing HD three times a week owing to worsening diabetic nephropathy. We administered osimertinib (80 mg/day) as the first-line therapy. We measured osimertinib concentrations on multiple days, either before, after, or in the absence of HD. Maximum concentrations and areas under the curve were determined. We found that HD did not affect the pharmacokinetics of osimertinib. We conclude that osimertinib can be safely administered to cancer patients undergoing HD.

Association between metastatic sites and first-line pembrolizumab treatment outcome for advanced non-small cell lung cancer with high PD-L1 expression: a retrospective multicenter cohort study.

Associations between treatment outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitors and metastatic sites in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are not well known. Therefore, this multicenter retrospective study aimed to investigate the predictive factors of metastatic sites after first-line pembrolizumab treatment for advanced NSCLC with a PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥50%. We retrospectively analyzed advanced NSCLC patients with a PD-L1 TPS ≥50% who underwent first-line pembrolizumab therapy at 11 institutions between February 2017 and April 2018. Clinical data collected from medical records included metastatic sites at the time of pembrolizumab treatment. Treatment outcomes of pembrolizumab were assessed according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1. In total, 213 patients were included in the study. The median age was 71 years (range 39-91 years). Of the 213 patients, 176 (83%) were men and 172 (81%) had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS) score of 0-1. The most common metastases were thoracic lymph node metastasis (77%), intrapulmonary metastasis (31%), bone metastasis (28%), and malignant pleural effusion (26%). On multivariate analysis, a poor ECOG-PS score (hazard ratio: 1.95, 95.0% confidence interval: 1.25-3.04; P = 0.003) and malignant pleural effusion (hazard ratio: 1.52, 95.0% confidence interval: 1.01-2.29; P = 0.043) were independent predictors of shorter progression-free survival in patients treated with pembrolizumab. For NSCLC patients with malignant pleural effusion, pembrolizumab monotherapy is not a suitable first-line treatment because of its insufficient effectiveness, even though their PD-L1 TPS was high.

Efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab as first-line therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer with at least 50% PD-L1 positivity: a multicenter retrospective cohort study (HOPE-001).

Objectives As first line therapy, pembrolizumab provides longer progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) than platinum doublets in programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with tumor propensity scores (TPS) ≥50%. However, clinical trials do not represent real-world patients. Materials and Methods This multicenter retrospective study conducted across 11 medical centers in Japan analyzed clinical data from patients receiving first-line pembrolizumab for NSCLC between February 1, 2017 and April 30, 2018. The efficacy, safety, and suitability of pembrolizumab monotherapy were evaluated. Results The median age of the 213 enrolled patients was 71 (range: 39-91) years. Among them, 176 (82.6%) were male, 20 (9.4%) were never smokers (median Brinkman index: 900), 172 (80.8%) had an ECOG PS of 0-1, 55 (25.8%) had squamous-cell carcinoma (SQ). PD-L1 TPS were 50-74%, 75-89%, and 90-100% in 97 (45.5%), 47 (22.1%), and 69 (32.4%) patients, respectively. Adverse events (AEs) of grades ≥3 were observed in 39 (18.3%) patients. Pneumonitis was the most common severe AE, occurring in 10 patients (4.7%) including 1 with grade 4 toxicity; no severe AE-related deaths occurred. The overall response rate, median PFS, and median OS was 51.2%, 8.3 months, and 17.8 months, respectively. On multivariate analysis, ECOG PS (0-1 vs. ≥2: HR: 1.69, 95.0% CI: 1.05-2.72; p = 0.03138), CRP/Alb (<0.3 vs. ≥0.3: HR: 1.92, 95.0% CI: 1.28-2.87; p = 0.00153), steroid usage (not usage vs. usage: HR: 2.94, 95.0% CI: 1.45-5.95; p = 0.00267), and PD-L1 TPS (50-89% vs. 90-100%: HR: 0.65, 95.0% CI: 0.43-1.00; p = 0.04984) were significantly and independently correlated with PFS of pembrolizumab. Conclusion The results confirm the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab in real-world patients. Poor PS and steroid usage at the time of commencing pembrolizumab treatment indicate poor outcomes. First-line pembrolizumab particularly benefits patients with PD-L1 TPS ≥90% or low inflammatory states (CRP/ALB<0.3).

Ineligibility for the PACIFIC trial in unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Recently, based on results of the PACIFIC trial, durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy (CRT) became the standard therapy for unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, in the PACIFIC trial, patients were recruited and randomized after CRT, and certain patients were considered ineligible after CRT in the real world. No study has been conducted on the patients who were ineligible for the PACIFIC trial, and hence, we conducted a retrospective study on them. METHODS: We identified 82 patients with stage III NSCLC who received definitive platinum-based concurrent CRT and had World Health Organization performance status of 0-1. We investigated the proportion, clinical characteristics, and prognoses of patients who became ineligible for the PACIFIC trial after CRT. RESULTS: After CRT, 19 of 82 patients (23%) became ineligible for the PACIFIC trial. Comparison between eligible and ineligible patients revealed that old age (p = 0.042), male gender (p = 0.031), and radiation therapy with V20 ≥ 35% (p = 0.032) were associated with ineligibility after CRT. Moreover, ineligible patients showed shorter PFS (6.6 vs. 15.7 months, hazard ratio [HR] 2.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-5.89, p = 0.016) and shorter OS (18.6 vs. 44.3 months, HR 3.03, 95% CI 1.29-7.10, p = 0.007) than eligible patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed the clinical characteristics and prognoses of patients who became ineligible for the PACIFIC trial after CRT. Physicians should be careful while prescribing CRT for patients with characteristics such as old age, male gender, and radiation therapy with V20 ≥ 35%.

Association Between Formalin Fixation Time and Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 Expression in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The expression of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) may be associated with tissue formalin fixation time in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) samples. We investigated the association between the PD-L1 expression and formalin fixation time, and clarified the optimal duration of fixation for accurate PD-L1 evaluation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected 55 tumor specimens from resected NSCLC patients. The samples were halved and immediately fixed in 10% buffered formalin for 12-24 h (normal fixation), or 96-120 h (prolonged fixation). Each specimen was stained using two assay systems (22C3 and SP263) for PD-L1. RESULTS: The mean PD-L1 tumor proportion score was not significantly different between normal and prolonged fixation groups for either 22C3 or SP263 (normal fixation: 18.8%; prolonged fixation: 16.3%, p=0.277; normal fixation: 16.2%; prolonged fixation: 17.6%, p=0.560, respectively). CONCLUSION: Formalin fixation duration for up to 120 h does not affect PD-L1 IHC expression. PD-L1 tumor proportion score of tumor specimens can be evaluated by IHC even if these have been fixed in formalin outside the recommended duration in clinical practice.