Advanced Squamous Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Research Articles

Current status of PD-(L)1 inhibitor usage in advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: A national survey of oncologists in China.

e20559 Background: The aim of the present study conducted by Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology Expert Committee on Immunotherapy was to obtain real-world information on the use of PD-(L)1 inhibitors for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in different regions of China via a national questionnaire survey for oncologists. Methods: This survey was distributed online to cancer-related medical departments in 202 first-tier to fourth-tier cities of China between March to April 2023. The national survey consisted of four sections regarding oncologists’ concerns about immunotherapy as follows: treatment choice, response assessment, treatment duration, and management of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Results: A total of 2,018 oncologists completed this survey. For advanced squamous (SQ) and non-squamous (NSQ) NSCLC without targetable genetic alterations, PD-(L)1 inhibitor-based regimens were the most widely used first-line treatment regimen (SQ: 52%, NSQ: 46%), followed by chemotherapy alone (SQ: 37%, NSQ: 37%) and other regimens (SQ: 11%, NSQ: 17%). The average treatment duration of 1L PD-(L)1 inhibitor-based regimens in SQ NSCLC and NSQ NSCLC were 6.4 and 6.2 cycles, respectively. 67% of oncologists may discontinue immunotherapy or change regimens when the first radiographic tumor assessment was SD per RECIST 1.1. Other reasons for early discontinuation of PD-(L)1 inhibitors before PD or unacceptable toxicity included economic reasons (78%) and patients’ low willingness to continue immunotherapy even they reached CR/PR (62%). Oncologists in the second-tier cities and below were more likely to discontinue immunotherapy when the tumors were stable, with shorter treatment duration of 5.7 cycles versus 7.1 cycles in the first-tier cities. The most common irAEs included dermatologic, endocrine, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, and hepatic toxicities. Conclusions: PD-(L)1 inhibitor-based regimens have become the priority choice for advanced NSCLC in China, however, the status of standardized continuous use of immunotherapy is obviously insufficient. There is a gap between clinical practice and clinical trials regarding PD-(L)1 inhibitor usage, which need more attention. [Table: see text]

Efficacy and safety of erdafitinib in adults with NSCLC and prespecified fibroblast growth factor receptor alterations in the phase 2 open-label, single-arm RAGNAR trial.

8515 Background: Erdafitinib is an oral selective pan-fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved in the US for treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in adults with susceptible FGFR3 alterations, as determined by FDA-approved companion diagnostic test, who have progressed during or after ≥1 line of prior systemic therapy. Primary analysis results from the RAGNAR study demonstrated tumor agnostic efficacy in patients with advanced solid tumors with predefined FGFR alterations after failure of standard therapies (Pant 2023). Here we report results on patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the RAGNAR study. Methods: Patients with advanced or metastatic squamous or non-squamous NSCLC with prespecified FGFR1-4 alterations (mutations/fusions) and with documented disease progression after exhausting standard therapies were included. Patients with other targetable alterations (eg, EGFR, ALK, ROS1) were excluded. Patients received oral erdafitinib until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. The primary end point was objective response rate by independent review committee. Secondary endpoints include duration of response, disease control rate, progression-free survival, overall survival, and safety. Results: At data cutoff (median survival follow-up of 23.7 months), 23 patients with NSCLC received erdafitinib. Median age was 63 years (range 50-79); 22 (96%) had metastases. Patients had a median of 2 prior lines of systemic therapies (range 1-7; 48% had 3+ prior lines); only 2 (9%) patients had responded to their prior line of therapy. Fourteen patients (61%) had squamous and 9 (39%) non-squamous histology; 13 patients (57%) had FGFRfusions and 10 (43%) had FGFR mutations. Three patients had CDKN2Aand 3 patients had PIK3CA co-alterations. Objective response rate by independent review committee was 26% (95% CI 10-48); disease control rate was 74% (95% CI 52-90). Median time to onset of response was 1.5 months. Responses were observed in 21% (3/14) of patients with squamous; 33% (3/9) with non-squamous histology, 29% (2/7) of patients with FGFR2, 25% (4/16) with FGFR3alterations, and in 20% (2/10) of patients with FGFR mutations and 31% (4/13) with fusions. Median duration of response, progression-free survival and overall survival were 4.6 months, 4.1 months, and 10.5 months, respectively. Most common adverse events (AEs) were diarrhea (65%), stomatitis (61%), dry mouth (44%), hyperphosphatemia (65%), dry skin (30%), and fatigue (22%); 6 (26%) had serious AEs; 2 (9%) discontinued erdafitinib due to AEs. No treatment-related deaths were observed. Conclusions: Erdafitinib demonstrated clinically meaningful activity in pre-treated patients with NSCLC and pre-specified FGFR alterations. Safety data were consistent with erdafitinib safety profile. Clinical trial information: NCT04083976 .

Cemiplimab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in non-small cell lung cancer with PD-L1 ≥ 1 %: A subgroup analysis from the EMPOWER-Lung 3 part 2 trial

ObjectivesEMPOWER-Lung 3 part 2 (NCT03409614), a double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study, assessed cemiplimab (anti-programmed cell death protein 1) plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without EGFR, ALK, or ROS1 aberrations, regardless of histology or PD-L1 expression levels. We report results from subgroup analysis of patients with PD-L1 expression ≥ 1 %. Materials and MethodsPatients were randomized to receive cemiplimab 350 mg or placebo with chemotherapy every 3 weeks for up to 108 weeks. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rates (ORRs), patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and safety were assessed. ResultsOf the 327 patients with PD-L1 ≥ 1 % (466 in the overall study), 217 received cemiplimab plus chemotherapy and 110 received chemotherapy alone. After median follow-up of 28.0 months, median OS for cemiplimab plus chemotherapy was 23.5 months (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 20.9–27.2) vs. 12.1 months (95 % CI: 10.1–15.7) for chemotherapy alone (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.51, 95 % CI: 0.38–0.69, P < 0.0001); median PFS was 8.3 months (95 % CI: 6.7–10.8) versus 5.5 months (95 % CI: 4.3–6.2; HR = 0.48; 95 % CI: 0.37–0.62, P < 0.0001), and ORR was 47.9 % versus 22.7 %, respectively. PRO results favored cemiplimab plus chemotherapy over chemotherapy alone. Improved efficacy over chemotherapy alone was observed in both squamous and non-squamous histology. Safety was consistent with previous reports. ConclusionIn this subgroup analysis from EMPOWER-Lung 3 part 2, cemiplimab plus chemotherapy demonstrated clinical benefit over chemotherapy alone in patients with advanced squamous or non-squamous NSCLC with PD-L1 ≥ 1 %.

Re-inventing a better wheel? Serplulimab for squamous cell lung cancer

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have reshaped the treatment landscape of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, chemoimmunotherapy trials dedicated to squamous NSCLC are limited. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Zhou etal. demonstrate serplulimab plus chemotherapy as an effective first-line regimen to treat patients with advanced squamous NSCLC.

A global phase 3 study of serplulimab plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (ASTRUM-004)

Combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy can provide improved survival in advanced squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients without targetable gene alterations. 537 previously untreated patients with stage IIIB/IIIC or IV squamous NSCLC without targetable gene alterations were enrolled and randomized (2:1) to receive serplulimab 4.5mg/kg or placebo, both in combination with nab-paclitaxel and carboplatin, intravenously in 3-week cycles. The primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) was met at the first interim analysis. At the second interim analysis, PFS benefit was maintained in serplulimab-chemotherapy group (hazard ratio [HR] 0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42-0.67). At the final analysis, serplulimab-chemotherapy significantly improved median OS compared to placebo-chemotherapy (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.58-0.93; p= 0.010). Grade ≥3 serplulimab or placebo-related adverse events occurred in 126 (35.2%) and 58 (32.4%) patients, respectively. Our results demonstrate that adding serplulimab to chemotherapy significantly improves survival in advanced squamous NSCLC patients, with manageable safety.

Abstract C030: HARMONi-3: A randomized, controlled, multiregional Phase 3 study of ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy versus pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract BACKGROUND In the first-line metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) setting, treatment with the combination of a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor plus platinum doublet chemotherapy has become standard of care1,2. The addition of antiangiogenic agents to immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy for cancer treatment3,4,5. Therefore, a combined anti-angiogenesis and PD-1 blockade strategy with a bispecific PD-1 and VEGF antibody may improve clinical outcomes. Ivonescimab (SMT112/AK112) is a novel tetravalent bispecific antibody (2 binding sites for PD-1 and 2 binding sites for VEGF) with an engineered Fc-null region and a half-life of 6-7 days. In the presence of VEGF, binding affinity to PD-1 increases more than 10-fold6. Given the correlation between VEGF and PD-1 expression in the tumor microenvironment6,7,8, simultaneous blockade of these 2 targets by ivonescimab drives antitumor activity9,10. Additionally, the engineered Fc-null region and shorter half-life could potentially lead to reduced adverse events​, compared to co-administration of individual anti-PD-(L)1 and anti-VEGF agents7,8,10. At ASCO 2023, Zhang L, et al. (abstract# 9087) reported Phase 2 trial data, which included 63 first-line advanced or metastatic squamous NSCLC patients without EGFR/ALK alterations treated with ivonescimab plus paclitaxel and carboplatin. These patients had an objective response rate of 67%, a median duration of response of 15 months, 9-month overall survival (OS) estimate of 93% (median OS not reached). Furthermore, ivonescimab was well tolerated in combination with platinum doublet chemotherapy with a treatment emergent adverse event discontinuation rate of 11%. TRIAL DESIGN HARMONi-3 is a randomized, blinded, controlled, multiregional Phase 3 study of ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy versus pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of metastatic squamous NSCLC. Approximately 400 patients will be randomized 1:1 to receive ivonescimab (dual blockade of PD-1/VEGF) or pembrolizumab plus carboplatin-paclitaxel/nab-paclitaxel (Q3W, 4 cycles, 21 days per cycle) followed by single-agent ivonescimab or pembrolizumab maintenance therapy for up to 2 years, or until progression, or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint is overall survival. Secondary endpoints include progression-free survival, objective response rate and duration of response (RECIST v1.1), as well as incidence/severity of adverse events. Key eligibility criteria include treatment naïve metastatic squamous NSCLC, ECOG PS 0 or 1 and exclusion of patients with major blood vessel invasion or encasement by cancer or intratumor cavitation. Citation Format: Jonathan Riess, Shun Lu, Jarushka Naidoo, Sara Kuruvilla, Annie Hung, Ahmed Khaled, Deborah Doroshow. HARMONi-3: A randomized, controlled, multiregional Phase 3 study of ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy versus pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC Virtual International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2023 Oct 11-15; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2023;22(12 Suppl):Abstract nr C030.

Efficacy and outcome analysis: Combination of Endostar and chemotherapy as a neoadjuvant treatment of stageIIIA/IIIB squamous cell lung cancer.

Patients with stage IIIA/IIIB squamous non-small cell lung cancer (SqCLC) are particularly challenging to treat with a poor 5-year survival rate and new treatment strategies are needed. In the present study, a retrospective, single-center study was conducted to explore the efficacy and safety of Endostar combined with chemotherapy as the neoadjuvant treatment in patients with stage IIIA/IIIB SqCLC. A total of 27 patients with locally advanced SqCLC treated with Endostar combined with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant therapy from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019 at the Zhejiang Cancer Hospital (Hangzhou, China) were included. Short-term efficacy, rate of surgical resection, long-term outcome and adverse events were analyzed. After treatment with Endostar combined with chemotherapy, 37% of the patients underwent surgery and the radical resection rate was 90%. The objective response rate was 63% for the total population and 80% for patients who received surgery. Of note, 100% of the patients achieved disease control after treatment with Endostar combined with chemotherapy. In patients who underwent surgical resection, postoperative pathology showed that 100% of the patients achieved pathological downstaging. Furthermore, 1 (10%) patient showed a pathological complete response after surgery. The median progression-free survival was 13.5 months and overall survival was 27.9 months for the total cohort. The most common adverse events (AEs) were anemia (69.4% of patients), followed by hypertension (29.6% of patients). Most of the AEs were grade 1-2 and only 4 patients (14.8%) developed grade 3-4 AEs. Endostar combined with chemotherapy was well-tolerated and showed promising efficacy in patients with stage IIIA/IIIB SqCLC. Further prospective studies are warranted to explore its value as a neoadjuvant therapy.

A Phase Ⅱ Study of Ubenimex Combined With Pembrolizumab, Nab-Paclitaxel, and Carboplatin for Previously Untreated Advanced Squamous Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: TORG2241 (UBE-Q)

BackgroundAccording to the results of the KEYNOTE-407 trial, pembrolizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy is the standard of care for patients with previously untreated advanced squamous non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Ubenimex, a potent aminopeptidase inhibitor, is an oral drug with immunostimulatory and antitumor activities. We aim to assess the safety and efficacy of ubenimex in combination with pembrolizumab, nab-paclitaxel, and carboplatin in patients with previously untreated advanced squamous NSCLC. Patients and MethodsThis prospective, single-arm, multicenter, phase II clinical trial is conducted to confirm the tolerability and efficacy of the tested drugs. Patients with previously untreated advanced squamous NSCLC will receive a predetermined daily dose of ubenimex orally plus 4 cycles of pembrolizumab, nab-paclitaxel, and carboplatin, followed by continuous administration of ubenimex and pembrolizumab for a maximum of 2 years. To confirm tolerability, the daily dose of ubenimex will begin at level 1 (30 mg), which will be increased to levels 2 (60 mg) and 3 (120 mg) according to the escalation criteria, with a standard 3 + 3 design for achieving the target dose-limiting toxicity rate of 33%. The efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ubenimex at the determined dose level will be analyzed. The primary endpoint of the efficacy evaluation will be the objective response rate assessed by an independent review committee. ConclusionsThis is the first study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ubenimex combined with pembrolizumab, nab-paclitaxel, and carboplatin in patients with previously untreated advanced squamous NSCLC. The results will help devise future treatment strategies.

PD-L1 expression as a unique negative predictive biomarker in advanced squamous NSCLC when treated with first-line chemotherapy.

e21140 Background: PD-L1 expression has been established as a positive predictive biomarker for immune checkpoint inhibition in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We hypothesize that PD-L1 serves as a negative predictive biomarker of chemotherapy in squamous NSCLC in contrast to non-squamous NSCLC. Methods: Phase III randomized trials that investigated PD-L1 expression as a biomarker in advanced squamous NSCLC at first-line were identified and included through a systematic search of Embase and PubMed from inception until 24th September, 2022. To investigate the anti-thesis, trials that reported PD-L1 stratified KM plots in non-squamous NSCLC were evaluated too. Only trials that reported PD-L1 stratified KM curves of chemotherapy arms were included. A graphical reconstructive algorithm was used to retrieve survival data from reported Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves. Pooled survival analyses for progression-free and overall survival (PFS, OS) were conducted with Cox proportional hazard models with a shared-frailty term incorporated to account for inter-study differences. Results: Five phase III randomized trials (2 squamous NSCLC and 3 non-squamous NSCLC) reporting PD-L1 stratified KM plots of patients treated with first-line chemotherapy were included. In patients with squamous histology, PD-L1 expression negatively predicted for chemotherapy benefit – patients with higher PD-L1 expression were at a higher risk of tumour progression (PD-L1 ≥50% [n = 187] vs PD-L1 &lt; 1% [n = 247]: HR = 1.474, 95%-CI: 1.171-1.855, p &lt; 0.001; PD-L1 ≥50% [n = 187] vs PD-L1 1-49% [n = 239]: HR = 1.300, 95%-CI: 1.033-1.625, p = 0.025). Conversely, in patients with non-squamous histology, no significant differences in tumour progression was shown between PD-L1 subgroups (PD-L1 ≥50% [n = 137] vs PD-L1 &lt; 1% [n = 242]: HR = 1.238, 95%-CI: 0.919-1.667, p = 0.160; PD-L1 ≥50% [n = 137] vs PD-L1 1-49% [n = 199]: HR = 0.958, 95%-CI: 0.714 -1.285, p = 0.780). No significant difference in OS was found between PD-L1 subgroups dichotomized at 1% &amp; 50% among patients with squamous histology. In contrast, in patients with non-squamous histology, PD-L1 was a positive biomarker for chemotherapy benefit – patients with higher PD-L1 were at a lower risk of mortality (PD-L1 ≥50% [n = 40] vs PD-L1 &lt; 1% [n = 150]: HR = 0.523, 95%-CI: 0.316-0.865, p = 0.012). Conclusions: These findings suggest that PD-L1 expression is uniquely a negative predictor for tumour progression in advanced squamous NSCLC treated with first-line chemotherapy.

318P EMPOWER-Lung 3: Cemiplimab in combination with platinum doublet chemotherapy for first-line (1L) treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

EMPOWER-Lung 3 is a randomised, 2-part, Phase 3 study of 1L treatment of patients (pts) with advanced (Stage III/IV) squamous (SQ) or non-squamous (NSQ) NSCLC without actionable mutations (NCT03409614). The double-blind Part 2 of the study enrolled pts irrespective of PD-L1 levels and compared clinical activity and safety of cemiplimab, an anti-PD-1, plus (+) platinum-based chemo, versus (vs) placebo (PBO)+chemo.

Economic evaluation of sintilimab plus chemotherapy vs. pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy for the treatment of first-line advanced or metastatic squamous NSCLC.

Background and objectiveSintilimab has superior efficacy and safety in patients with advanced or metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but its cost-effectiveness in China is unclear. This study is to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of sintilimab plus chemotherapy vs. pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy for locally advanced or metastatic squamous NSCLC in China.MethodsFrom the perspective of the Chinese health system, the partitioned survival model with three health states was established in a 3-week cycle and a lifetime time horizon. The two-stage method was used to estimate the overall survival hazard ratios to avoid the bias by crossover design in ORIENT-12 and KEYNOTE-407 studies. The anchored matching adjusted indirect comparison method (MAIC) was used for indirect comparison based on the individual patient data from ORIENT-12 and the publicly published KEYNOTE-407 study due to the lack of head-to-head clinical trials. Only direct medical costs were included, and utilities were derived from the published literature in the base case analysis. Sensitivity analysis was also performed to verify the robustness of the model results. In addition, the scenario analysis where the utilities were derived from the Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30) scale in the ORIENT-12 by mapping to the EuroQol-5-dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) was carried out to explore the uncertainty of the results.ResultsCompared with pembrolizumab + chemotherapy, sintilimab + chemotherapy incurred a lower lifetime cost ($12,321 vs. 36,371) and yielded fewer quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) (0.9902 vs. 1.0085), which resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $1,314,208/QALY. A sintilimab strategy is a cost-effectiveness option under the WTP of 1–3 times the GDP per capita in China ($11,250/QALY~$33,749/QALY). The utility value of the post-progression, the unit cost of albumin paclitaxel, and the utility value of the progression-free state were the main drivers in the deterministic sensitivity analysis (DSA). According to the probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA), sintilimab + chemotherapy was 100% cost-effective when the WTP was 1–3 times China's per capita GDP. The results of the scenario analysis showed that sintilimab + chemotherapy obtained more QALYs (1.2319 vs. 1.1815) and lower costs ($12,321 vs. 36,371), which implied that sintilimab + chemotherapy may dominate the pembrolizumab + chemotherapy.ConclusionCompared with pembrolizumab + chemotherapy, sintilimab + chemotherapy is more cost-effective for first-line treatment in Chinese patients with locally advanced or metastatic squamous NSCLC.

Survival Outcomes and Treatment Patterns in Patients With NFE2L2 and/or KEAP1 Mutation-Positive Advanced Squamous Cell NSCLC Using a Real-World Clinico-Genomic Database

BackgroundNFE2L2 and/or KEAP1 mutations are associated with worse prognosis in all non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We determined real-world survival outcomes and treatment patterns among patients with advanced squamous cell NSCLC by NFE2L2 and KEAP1 mutation status. Patients and MethodsA retrospective study (January 2011-December 2018) was conducted using a de-identified US-based clinico-genomic database. Adult patients with advanced squamous cell NSCLC with ≥ 2 in-network visits and comprehensive genomic profiling during the study period were included. Outcomes included real-world progression free survival (rwPFS) by line of therapy and overall survival (OS). The real-world effectiveness of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 first-line therapy was also evaluated in patients with a NFE2L2 and/or KEAP1 mutation. ResultsOf 703 patients included (median age: 70.0 years), 31.6% had a NFE2L2 and/or KEAP1 mutation. The most common first- and second-line treatments regardless of mutation status were platinum-based chemotherapies and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies. The most common third-line treatment was anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in patients with a NFE2L2 and/or KEAP1 mutation and single-agent chemotherapy in patients with wild-type disease. Patients with a NFE2L2 and/or KEAP1 mutation versus wild-type disease had significantly shorter rwPFS (4.54 vs. 6.25 months; P = .003) following first- but not second- or third-line therapy and shorter median OS (13.59 vs. 17.37 months; P = .4105). No survival differences were observed in patients with a NFE2L2 and/or KEAP1 mutation receiving first-line anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies versus other therapies. ConclusionsPatients with advanced squamous cell NSCLC with a NFE2L2 and/or KEAP1 mutation have poor real-world survival, highlighting the need for a genotype-directed therapeutic strategy in this population.

Efficacy and safety of camrelizumab plus apatinib as second-line treatment for advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer.

BackgroundLimited data are available for the combination regimen of anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor and anti-angiogenic agents as second-line therapy for the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially in patients with squamous NSCLC. This study assessed the efficacy and safety of camrelizumab plus apatinib (a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 inhibitor) as second-line treatment in patients with advanced squamous NSCLC.MethodsIn the Cohort 3 from a phase II dose-expansion trial, patients with advanced non-central squamous NSCLC who were immunotherapy naïve and had failed prior first-line platinum-based chemotherapy received 200 mg of camrelizumab intravenously every 2 weeks plus oral apatinib at the recommended dose of 250 mg once daily. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) assessed by the investigators as per the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v 1.1.ResultsCohort 3 was prematurely terminated because of slow accrual after 25 patients with advanced squamous NSCLC had been enrolled between 10 October 2018, and 3 March 2019. At the data cutoff date of 12 June 2020, the median follow-up was 13.3 (range, 1.6 to 19.2) months. Among all 25 participants, the ORR was 32.0% (95% CI: 14.9% to 53.5%), the clinical benefit rate was 44.0% (95% CI: 24.4% to 65.1%), and the disease control rate (DCR) was 84.0% (95% CI: 63.9% to 95.5%). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.0 (95% CI: 3.5 to 8.1) months, and median overall survival (OS) was 13.3 (95% CI: 6.4 to 18.8) months. Furthermore, clinical benefits from this combination regimen were evident across all tumor PD ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression subgroups. The most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) of grade 3 or higher were hypertension (44.0%) and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (16.0%). As reported by the investigators, 3 participants (12.0%) died due to TRAEs (interstitial pneumonia, hemorrhage, and unknown reason; n=1 each, 4%).ConclusionsCamrelizumab plus apatinib as second-line therapy showed satisfactory antitumor activity in patients with non-central squamous NSCLC, regardless of tumor PD-L1 expression. Camrelizumab plus apatinib had a manageable safety profile in this patient population, and the toxic reactions observed were generally consistent with those in previously reported studies. Interstitial pneumonia and hemorrhage are important risks requiring careful monitoring and prompt intervention.

3MO First-line camrelizumab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel for advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer: Updated overall survival results from the phase III CameL-sq trial

The phase 3 CameL-sq trial previously demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival with camrelizumab+chemotherapy (chemo) vs placebo+chemo as first-line treatment for advanced squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here we present an updated analysis of the overall survival (OS). Patients without prior systemic treatment for advanced squamous NSCLC were randomized 1:1 to receive 4–6 cycles of carboplatin (AUC 5) plus paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) with camrelizumab (200 mg) or placebo every 3 weeks, followed by maintenance therapy with camrelizumab or placebo. Cross-over to second-line camelizumab after disease progression was allowed for patients in the placebo arm. As data cutoff of Dec 29, 2021, median follow-up was 23.7 mo in the camrelizumab+chemo group (n=193) and 15.2 mo in the placebo+chemo group (n=196). Camrelizumab+chemo improved OS vs placebo+chemo (median, 27.4 mo [95% CI 22.1-not reached (NR)] vs 15.5 mo [95% CI 13.4-18.4]; HR 0.57 [95% CI 0.44-0.75]; 1-sided log-rank P <0.0001); survival rate was 53.9% (95% CI 46.5-60.8) vs 35.0% (95% CI 28.3-41.7) at 24 mo and 42.8% (95% CI 34.0-51.4) vs 25.7% (95% CI 18.6-33.4) at 36 mo. The OS benefit was persistent when the cross-over effect was adjusted using the Rank Preserving Structural Failure Time model (HR 0.42, 95% CI 0.31-0.58). Further analysis showed generally consistent OS improvement with camrelizumab+chemo vs placebo+chemo across demographic and clinical subgroups; median OS was 19.8 mo (95% CI 14.0-26.3) vs 14.4 mo (95% CI 11.7-16.8) in patients with PD-L1 TPS <1% (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.52-1.03) and NR (95% CI 29.1-NR) vs 20.1 mo (95% CI 14.5-24.5) in those with TPS ≥1% (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.31-0.72), respectively. No new safety signals were observed. The addition of camrelizumab to chemotherapy continued to demonstrate OS benefits after prolonged follow-up, further supporting this regimen as a new first-line treatment option for advanced squamous NSCLC.

Efficacy and safety of carboplatin with nab-paclitaxel versus docetaxel in older patients with squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (CAPITAL): a randomised, multicentre, open-label, phase 3 trial

In Japan, docetaxel, a cytotoxic monotherapy, is the standard drug administered to older patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel has shown a high objective response rate in patients with squamous histology and was suggested to improve overall survival in patients aged 70 years and older. The CAPITAL trial aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel versus docetaxel as first-line therapy for patients aged 70 years and older with advanced squamous NSCLC. This multicentre, open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial was carried out at 92 medical institutions in Japan. Eligible patients were aged 70 years and older, had advanced squamous NSCLC with no previous systemic chemotherapy, and had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1. Using an electronic data capture system, patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to intravenous carboplatin (area under the concentration-time curve of 6 mg/mL per min for 30 min) on day 1 of a 21-day cycle and intravenous nab-paclitaxel (100 mg/m2 for 60 min) on days 1, 8, and 15 every 3 weeks or intravenous docetaxel (60 mg/m2 for 60 min) on day 1 every 3 weeks. Randomisation was computer-generated per participant and stratified by ECOG performance status, clinical stage, sex, age, and institution. The primary endpoint was overall survival, measured in the full analysis set and defined as the time from registration to the date of death due to any cause. Safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of the trial treatment. This trial is registered with the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry, UMIN000019843, and the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials, jRCTs041180110. After the planned interim analysis in Aug 3, 2020, the independent data monitoring committee recommended that the trial be stopped early. This report represents the final analysis. Between Feb 24, 2016, and Aug 11, 2020, 196 patients were enrolled and were randomly assigned to the carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel group (n=98) or the docetaxel group (n=98). Of these patients, four (carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel group, n=3; docetaxel group, n=1) did not receive any treatment and two patients in the docetaxel group were excluded from the full analysis set. Median overall survival in the full analysis set was 16·9 months (95% CI 12·6-25·4) in the carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel group and 10·9 months (8·5-12·4) in the docetaxel group (hazard ratio 0·52 [90% CI 0·38-0·70]; p=0·0003). Grade 3-4 adverse events occurred in 79 (83%) patients in the carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel group and 77 (79%) patients in the docetaxel group (p=0·63). The most common grade 3-4 adverse events in the carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel group and the docetaxel group were leukopenia (44 [46%] vs 55 [57%]; p=0·20), neutropenia (60 [63%] vs 75 [77%]; p=0·046), febrile neutropenia (nine [10%] vs 19 [20%]; p=0·073), and anaemia (37 [39%] vs two [2%]; p<0·0001). Serious treatment-related adverse events of all grades occurred in 13 (14%) patients in the carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel group and 11 (11%) patients in the docetaxel group. Treatment-related deaths occurred in two (2%; respiratory failure n=1, visceral arterial ischaemia n=1) patients in the carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel group and one (1%; sepsis) patient in the docetaxel group. Our study showed that overall survival was longer with carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel than with docetaxel, suggesting that carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel can be used as standard first-line treatment for patients aged 70 years and older with advanced squamous NSCLC. Taiho Pharmaceutical.

LBA51 EMPOWER-Lung 3: Cemiplimab in combination with platinum doublet chemotherapy for first-line (1L) treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

EMPOWER-Lung 3 is a randomised, 2-part, Phase 3 study of 1L treatment of patients (pts) with advanced (Stage III/IV) squamous (SQ) or non-squamous (NSQ) NSCLC without actionable mutations (NCT03409614). The double-blind Part 2 of the study enrolled pts irrespective of PD-L1 levels and compared clinical activity and safety of cemiplimab, an anti -PD-1, plus (+) platinum-based chemo, versus (vs) placebo (PBO)+chemo.

Case Report: Abscopal Effect of Microwave Ablation in a Patient With Advanced Squamous NSCLC and Resistance to Immunotherapy

Currently, immunotherapy has been a backbone in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without driver gene mutations. However, only a small proportion of NSCLC patients respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors, and majority of patients with initial response will develop acquired resistance at 5 years, which usually manifests as oligo-progression or oligo-metastases. Evidence from multiple clinical trials indicates that local consolidative therapies could improve the prognosis of oligometastatic NSCLC patients. Herein, we reported a case of advanced squamous lung cancer which showed a durable abscopal effect from microwave ablation after acquired resistance of immunotherapy.

A randomized phase III study comparing carboplatin with nab-paclitaxel versus docetaxel for elderly patients with squamous-cell lung cancer: Capital study.

9031 Background: Cytotoxic monotherapy is one of the standard treatments for elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel demonstrated significantly higher objective response rate (ORR) than carboplatin plus paclitaxel in patients with squamous histology and could improve overall survival (OS) in patients aged ≥70 years. Here, we compared carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel with docetaxel in elderly patients with squamous NSCLC. Methods: The CAPITAL study is a multicenter, open-label, phase 3, randomized trial at 92 institutions in Japan. Eligible patients had advanced squamous NSCLC with no prior systemic chemotherapy, aged ≥70 years, and had an ECOG performance status of 0 or 1. Patients were randomized 1:1 to docetaxel 60 mg/m2 (D arm) or carboplatin AUC 6 mg/mL/min plus nab-paclitaxel 100 mg/m2 weekly (nab-PC arm) for each 21-day cycle. The primary endpoint was OS. This trial is registered with the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000019843) and the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCTs041180110). Results: Between December 2015 and August 2020, 196 patients were randomly assigned to the two treatment arms (D arm, n=98; nab-PC arm, n=98). The median follow-up and age were 11.5 months and 76 years (range: 70–88 years), respectively, and 87% of the patients were male. After the planned interim analysis, the independent data monitoring committee confirmed that the study met the primary endpoint of improved OS in August 2020, and this report represents the final analysis. The nab-PC arm showed significant superiority in OS versus the D arm (hazard ratio [HR], 0.52; 90% CI, 0.38-0.70; median, 16.9 vs. 10.9 months; p&lt;0.001). There were also significant improvements in progression-free survival (median, 5.8 vs. 4.0 months; HR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.30-0.58; p&lt;0.001) and objective response rate (66.3 vs. 28.0 %; p&lt;0.001) in the nab-PC arm versus the D arm. The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events were leukopenia (46.3 %), neutropenia (63.2 %), and anemia (38.9 %) in the nab-PC arm, and leukopenia (56.7 %), neutropenia (77.3 %), and febrile neutropenia (17.5 %) in the D arm. As notable adverse events, grade ≥2 sensory peripheral neuropathy was observed in 15 (15.8%) and 1 (1.0%) patient in the nab-PC and D arms, respectively. Moreover, serious treatment-related adverse events and treatment-related deaths occurred in 14 (14.7%) and 12 (12.4%) patients and in two and one patient in the nab-PC and D arms, respectively. Conclusions: The nab-PC arm had a significantly improved OS than the D arm among elderly patients with squamous NSCLC. Carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel became a new standard treatment for these patients. Clinical trial information: UMIN000019843.

Efficacy and Safety of Carboplatin With Nab-Paclitaxel Versus Docetaxel in Elderly Patients with Squamous-Cell Lung Cancer (CAPITAL): A Randomized, Multicenter, Open-Label, Phase III Trial

Efficacy and Safety of Carboplatin With Nab-Paclitaxel Versus Docetaxel in Elderly Patients with Squamous-Cell Lung Cancer (CAPITAL): A Randomized, Multicenter, Open-Label, Phase III Trial

Real-World Safety and Efficacy of Nivolumab in Advanced Squamous and Nonsquamous Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Croatia, Hungary, and Malta.

Background There is a lack of real-world data on the safety and efficacy of nivolumab in patients with previously treated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) especially in South East Europe, a region with particularly high incidence and an unfavorable mortality-to-incidence ratio for lung cancer. Objectives To evaluate the real-world safety and efficacy of nivolumab in patients with previously treated advanced squamous and nonsquamous NSCLC in South East Europe. Methods This is a multicenter, retrospective cohort study on patients with stage IIIB or IV disease with at least one previous systemic treatment who received nivolumab through an expanded-access program between 2015 and 2017 in Croatia, Malta, and Hungary. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients whose therapy was discontinued because of toxicity. Secondary endpoints were the incidence of adverse events (AEs), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), time to response (TTR), duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Results We analyzed data on 239 patients with a median (IQR) age of 62 (57–68), and 33% of them were women. Treatment was discontinued because of toxicity in 11.6% (95% CI 7.8% to 16.5%) of patients. The PFS was 6.4 (95% CI 5.2 to 8.6) months, and the median OS was 14.1 (10.6 to 18.0) months. Conclusions The safety and efficacy of nivolumab in previously treated patients with advanced NSCLC in the real-world South East Europe clinical settings were consistent with the results of randomized clinical trials and comparable to the results from other countries.