Preliminary study of efficacy and safety of Pembrolizumab and Nivolumab in treatment of advanced malignant tumors

Abstract

Objective To preliminarily compare the efficacy and safety of Pembrolizumab and Nivolumab in the treatment of advanced malignant tumors. Methods Clinical data of 50 patients diagnosed with advanced malignant tumors treated with Pembrolizumab and Nivolumab from January 2017 to August 2018 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were divided into the Pembrolizumab (n=26) and Nivolumab groups (n=24). The incidence of adverse reactions was statistically compared between two groups by using χ2 test. The survival analysis was performed by using Kaplan-Meier method. Results The median progression-free survival in the Pembrolizumab group was 213 d, and 146 d in the Nivolumab group (P>0.05). The incidence of aminotransferase elevation and hypothyroidism in the Nivolumab group was significantly higher than that in the Pembrolizumab group (63% vs. 23%, 12% vs. 0%, both P 0.05). Conclusion Clinical efficacy does not significantly differ, whereas the incidence of adverse reactions slightly differs between the Pembrolizumab and Nivolumab groups. Key words: Malignant neoplasm/Immunotherapy; Treatment outcome; Adverse reaction