First-line Treatment Of Advanced NSCLC Research Articles

PP01.24 FURVENT: Phase 3 trial testing furmonertinib vs chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertions (FURMO-004)

PP01.24 FURVENT: Phase 3 trial testing furmonertinib vs chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertions (FURMO-004)

Comparison of efficacy and safety of PD-1/PD-L1 combination therapy in first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC: an updated systematic review and network meta-analysis.

The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors has led to an increase in randomized controlled trials exploring various first-line combination treatment regimens. With the introduction of new PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, there are now more clinical options available. For the first time, the AK105 monoclonal antibody Penpulimab, developed in China, was included. The AK105-302 Phase III trial studied the efficacy and safety of Penpulimab combined with chemotherapy in patients with advanced or metastatic squamous NSCLC. To determine the optimal treatment options, we conducted an updated network meta-analysis to compare the effectiveness and safety of these regimens. The system retrieves data from Chinese and English electronic databases, Clinical Trials, and the gov Clinical Trial Registration website up to September 6, 2023. The study indirectly compared the efficacy and safety of PD-1/PD-L1 combination regimens, including overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), all-grade adverse events, and above-grade III adverse events. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) level, histological type, ECOG score, sex, and smoking history. Nineteen RCTS were included, with a total of ten thousand eight hundred patients. Penpulimab plus chemotherapy (Pen + CT) provided the best OS (HR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.38-0.81) for PD-L1 patients with non-selective advanced NSCLC. Except Nivolumab plus Ipilimumab (Niv + Ipi), other PD-1/PD-L1 combination therapies significantly extended PFS compared with CT, and Nivolumab plus Bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy (Niv + Bev + CT) (HR = 0.43, 95% CI 0.26-0.74) provided the best PFS benefit and was comparable to Pen + CT (HR = 1.0) for PFS prolongation. For ORR, except Niv + Ipi, all the other regimens significantly improved ORR compared with CT. In terms of safety, except Tor + CT, the incidence of any-grade AEs or grade ≥ 3 adverse events may be higher than those of chemotherapy. The subgroup analysis revealed that for patients with PD-L1 levels below 1%, treatment with Tor + CT resulted in the best progression-free survival (HR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.25-0.86). For patients with PD-L1 levels of 1% or higher, Sintilimab plus chemotherapy (Sin + CT) (HR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.31-0.99) and Camrelizumab plus chemotherapy (Cam + CT) (HR = 0.43, 95% CI 0.28-0.64) were associated with the best overall survival and progression-free survival, respectively. For patients with SqNSCLC, combined immunotherapy may provide greater survival benefits. For patients with Non-sqNSCLC, Niv + Bev + CT and Tor + CT were associated with optimal PFS and OS, respectively. Cam + CT provided the best PFS in male patients with a history of smoking and an ECOG score of 0. In both female and non-smoking patient subgroups, Pem + CT was associated with the best PFS and OS benefits. For patients with advanced non-selective PD-L1 NSCLC, two effective regimens are Pen + CT and Niv + Bev + CT, which rank first in OS and PFS among all patients. Cam + CT and Tor + CT have advantages for OS in patients with SqNSCLC and Non-sqNSCLC, respectively. Niv + Ipi + CT provided the best OS benefit for patients with an ECOG score of 0, while Pem + CT may be the most effective treatment for patients with an ECOG score of 1. Pem + CT has a better effect on female patients and non-smokers. Sin + CT was found to be the most effective treatment for male patients and the smoking subgroup, while Cam + CT was found to be the most effective for PFS. In addition, Tor + CT was associated with the best PFS for patients with negative PD-L1 expression. Pem + CT was found to significantly improve both PFS and OS compared to CT alone. For patients with positive PD-L1 expression, Sin + CT and Cam + CT were found to be optimal for OS and PFS, respectively. It is important to note that, with the exception of Tor + CT, the toxicity of the other combinations was higher than that of CT alone.

80P Efficacy and safety of tislelizumab combined with anlotinib and 2-cycles chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC (TISAL-FE-01)

80P Efficacy and safety of tislelizumab combined with anlotinib and 2-cycles chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC (TISAL-FE-01)

P2.09-18 FURVENT, Phase 3 Trial Testing Furmonertinib vs Chemotherapy as First-Line Treatment for Advanced NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 Insertions

P2.09-18 FURVENT, Phase 3 Trial Testing Furmonertinib vs Chemotherapy as First-Line Treatment for Advanced NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 Insertions

1439P Brain radiotherapy combined with camrelizumab and platinum-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC with brain metastases: A multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase II study

1439P Brain radiotherapy combined with camrelizumab and platinum-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC with brain metastases: A multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase II study

Pembrolizumab as first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC in older adults: A phase II clinical trial evaluating geriatric and quality-of-life outcomes

ObjectivesSince specific data on immunotherapy in older adults with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) are scarce, we designed this study to determine the overall survival (OS) at one year of first-line pembrolizumab in patients older than 70 years with aNSCLC expressing PD-L1. Secondary objectives included progression-free survival, disease-specific survival, response rate, tolerability, quality of life (QoL) changes, and geriatric assessments. Materials and methodsA single-arm, open-label, phase II clinical trial was carried out by the Spanish Lung Cancer Group between February 2018 and November 2019 at ten active sites in Spain. We included patients 70 years old and older with histological or cytological documented stage IIIB or IV aNSCLC and PD-L1 expression ≥ 1%. Each subject received 200 mg of intravenous pembrolizumab every three weeks for a maximum of two years. Results83 patients were recruited for the study and 74 were finally analysed. Most were male (N = 64, 86.5%) and former smokers (N = 51, 68.9%). 24 patients (32.4%) completed at least one year of treatment, 62 (83.7%) discontinued treatment, and 30 (40.5%) experienced disease progression. The median follow-up of our cohort was 18.0 months [range: 0.1–47.7] and 46 patients (62.2%) died during the period of study. The estimated OS at one year was 61.7% (95% CI: 49.6–71.8%) and the median OS of our cohort was 19.2 months (95% CI: 11.3–25.5). QoL tended to improve throughout the study, although the differences were not statistically significant. The main geriatric scores remained stable, except for a worsening in nutritional status (P = 0.004) and an improvement in frailty (P = 0.028). ConclusionOur results support treating older adults with aNSCLC expressing PD-L1 with pembrolizumab in monotherapy. The stability of most geriatric scores and the positive trend on the patients’ QoL should be highlighted, although our results did not reach statistical significance.

Final overall survival and biomarker analyses of CHOICE-01: A double-blind randomized phase 3 study of toripalimab versus placebo in combination chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC without EGFR/ALK mutations.

9003 Background: Toripalimab in combination with chemotherapy showed significant improvement over chemotherapy alone in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) as first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC at the final PFS analysis of the CHOICE-01 study (NCT03856411). Here we report the final OS analysis. Methods: Patients (n=465) with treatment-naïve, advanced NSCLC without EGFR/ALK mutations were randomized 2:1 to receive toripalimab 240 mg (n=309) or placebo (n=156) in combination with chemotherapy for 4-6 cycles, followed by maintenance toripalimab or placebo plus standard care until disease progression, intolerable toxicity, or completion of 2 years of treatment. Patients from the placebo arm were actively crossed-over to receive toripalimab upon disease progression. The primary endpoint was PFS. The secondary endpoints included OS and safety. Results: By the cutoff date of August 31, 2022, when 283 events triggered the final OS analysis, the median survival follow up was 19.4 months. A significant improvement in OS was observed for the toripalimab arm over the placebo arm: HR=0.73 (95% CI: 0.57-0.93), two-sided p=0.0108, median OS 23.8 vs 17.0 months. A consistent effect on OS, favoring the toripalimab arm, was observed all PD-L1 expression subgroups. The OS benefit is greater in non-squamous NSCLC, HR=0.50 (95% CI: 0.36-0.70), median OS 27.8 vs 15.9 months, whereas no significant difference was found in the squamous subgroup (mOS 19.6 vs 18.1 months) despite a significant PFS improvement. The squamous subgroup had a high 70% crossover rate. No new safety signal was identified since the interim report. The incidence of Grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs) (78.9% vs 82.1%) was similar between the two arms. AEs leading to discontinuation of toripalimab/placebo (14.3% vs 3.2%), fatal AEs (5.5% vs 2.6%), and immune-related (irAEs) (50.6% vs. 21.2%) were more frequent in the toripalimab arm. Whole exome sequencing results indicated patients with mutations in the FAK-PI3K-Akt pathway achieved significantly better OS from the toripalimab arm. Conclusions: The addition of toripalimab to chemotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC provided significant OS benefit than chemotherapy alone with a manageable safety profile. These results support the use of toripalimab with chemotherapy as 1st line therapy for advanced NSCLC patients without EGFR/ALK mutations. Clinical trial information: NCT03856411 .

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) monitoring to inform maintenance outcomes in patients (pts) with advanced NSCLC treated with induction atezolizumab+carboplatin+nab-paclitaxel (A+CnP).

9075 Background: Chemoimmunotherapy (ChemoIO) is a prevalent first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC without driver mutations, with maintenance therapy recommended after induction. However, real-world data suggests variability in maintenance therapy’s timing, intensity, and duration. Motivated by evidence that ctDNA monitoring can predict outcomes in pts receiving IO for advanced cancers, we hypothesized ctDNA monitoring could inform outcomes in advanced NSCLC prior to the start of maintenance therapy. Methods: This retrospective study included 98 pts from a completed phase III trial of A+CnP in squamous NSCLC (IMPower131; GO29437). Pts were treated with 4 or 6 cycles of induction A+CnP followed by maintenance atezolizumab. ctDNA monitoring utilized FoundationOneTracker, involving 1) comprehensive genomic profiling of pretreatment tumor tissue, 2) variant selection using an algorithm to filter out non-tumor variants, and 3) multiplex PCR of up to 16 variants to detect ctDNA and quantify plasma mean tumor molecules per mL (MTM/mL). Progression free-survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated with Kaplan-Meier analysis and hazard ratios (HR) were calculated using multivariate Cox proportional hazard models adjusting for age, smoking history, PD-L1, and performance status. PFS and OS analyses were landmarked from C4D1 unless otherwise stated; pts with progression/death before the landmark date were excluded. Results: TP53 (91%), CDKN2A (41%) and PIK3CA (32%) were frequently altered in baseline tissue; 51% had TMB ≥10 mut/Mb. A median of 10 variants (range 2-16) were tracked per pt. ctDNA was detected (ctDNA+) in 43% of C4D1 samples (median 15.2 MTM/ml, range 0.3-787.3). ctDNA+ at C4D1 was associated with a lower objective response rate (41%) compared to undetectable ctDNA (ctDNA-, 77%, p < 0.001). Pts with ctDNA- at C4D1 (56/96) had better PFS than their ctDNA+ counterparts (median PFS from C4D1 7.7 vs 2.8 months; HR: 3.07 [1.88-5.02]). Median OS from C4D1 was not reached for ctDNA- pts and was 8.3 months for ctDNA+ pts (HR: 4.31 [2.31-8.06]). In a C6D1 landmark analysis of 34 pts who were ctDNA+ at C4D1, prolonged induction (6 cycles vs 4 cycles) was not associated with any improvement in PFS (1.6 vs 2.2 months, HR 1.41 [0.58-3.39]) or OS (4.7 vs 9.8 months, HR 1.84 [0.71-4.76]). Additional analysis of plasma samples at baseline and on-treatment time points is ongoing. Conclusions: On-treatment ctDNA monitoring during induction chemoIO can inform outcome on subsequent maintenance therapy in pts with advanced NSCLC. For pts with ctDNA+, prolonged induction chemoIO was not associated with improved outcomes. ctDNA testing during induction chemoIO may offer an opportunity to identify pts at higher risk for disease progression and inform selection for novel personalized maintenance treatment strategies.

Classification of Tumor Immune Microenvironment According to Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Expression and Immune Infiltration Predicts Response to Immunotherapy Plus Chemotherapy in Advanced Patients With NSCLC

IntroductionAccording to mechanisms of adaptive immune resistance, tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is classified into four types: (1) programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)–negative and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL)–negative (type I); (2) PD-L1–positive and TIL-positive (type II); (3) PD-L1–negative and TIL-positive (type III); and (4) PD-L1–positive and TIL-negative (type IV). However, the relationship between the TIME classification model and immunotherapy efficacy has not been validated by any large-scale randomized controlled clinical trial among patients with advanced NSCLC. MethodsOn the basis of RNA-sequencing and immunohistochemistry data from the ORIENT-11 study, we optimized the TIME classification model and evaluated its predictive value for the efficacy of immunotherapy plus chemotherapy. ResultsPD-L1 mRNA expression and immune score calculated by the ESTIMATE method were the strongest predictors for the efficacy of immunotherapy plus chemotherapy. Therefore, they were determined as the optimized definition of the TIME classification system. When compared between combination therapy and chemotherapy alone, only the type II subpopulation with high immune score and high PD-L1 mRNA expression was significantly associated with improved progression-free survival (PFS) (hazard ratio = 0.12, 95% confidence interval: 0.06–0.25, p < 0.001) and overall survival (hazard ratio = 0.27, 95% confidence interval: 0.13–0.55, p < 0.001). In the combination group, the type II subpopulation had a much longer survival time, not even reaching the median PFS or overall survival, but the other three subpopulations were susceptible to having similar PFS. In the chemotherapy group, there was no marked association between survival outcomes and TIME subtypes. ConclusionsOnly patients with both high PD-L1 expression and high immune infiltration could benefit from chemotherapy plus immunotherapy in first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC. For patients lacking either PD-L1 expression or immune infiltration, chemotherapy alone might be a better treatment option to avoid unnecessary toxicities and financial burdens.

Clinicopathologic and Genomic Factors Impacting Efficacy of First-Line Chemoimmunotherapy in Advanced NSCLC

IntroductionAlthough programmed cell death protein 1 and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blockade in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy has become a mainstay of first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC, factors associated with efficacy of chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) are not well characterized. MethodsIn this multicenter retrospective analysis, clinicopathologic and genomic data were collected from patients with advanced NSCLC (lacking sensitizing genomic alterations in EGFR and ALK) and evaluated with clinical outcomes to first-line CIT. ResultsAmong 1285 patients treated with CIT, a worsening performance status and increasing derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in the blood were associated with a significantly reduced objective response rate (ORR), median progression-free survival (mPFS), and median overall survival (mOS). With increasing PD-L1 tumor proportion scores of less than 1%, 1% to 49%, 50% to 89%, and greater than or equal to 90%, there was a progressive improvement in ORR (32.7% versus 37.5% versus 51.6% versus 61.7%, p < 0.001), mPFS (5.0 versus 6.1 versus 6.8 versus 13.0 mo, p < 0.001), and generally mOS (12.9 versus 14.6 versus 34.7 versus 23.1 mo, p = 0.009), respectively. Of 789 NSCLCs with comprehensive genomic data, NSCLCs with a tumor mutational burden (TMB) greater than or equal to the 90th percentile had an improved ORR (53.5% versus 36.4%, p = 0.004), mPFS (10.8 versus 5.5 mo, p < 0.001), and mOS (29.2 versus 13.1 mo, p < 0.001), compared with those with a TMB less than the 90th percentile. In all-comers with nonsquamous NSCLC, the presence of an STK11, KEAP1, or SMARCA4 mutation was associated with significantly worse ORR, mPFS, and mOS to CIT (all p < 0.05); this was also observed in the KRAS-mutant subgroup of NSCLCs with co-occurring mutations in STK11, KEAP1, or SMARCA4 (all p < 0.05). In KRAS wild-type NSCLC, KEAP1 and SMARCA4 mutations were associated with a significantly shorter mPFS and mOS to CIT (all p < 0.05), but STK11 mutation status had no significant impact on mPFS (p = 0.16) or mOS (p = 0.38). ConclusionsIn advanced NSCLC, better patient performance status, low derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, increasing PD-L1 expression, a very high TMB, and STK11/KEAP1/SMARCA4 wild-type status are associated with improved clinical outcomes to first-line CIT.

EP08.01-080 Tislelizumab Plus Chemotherapy as First-Line Treatment for Advanced NSCLC in Patients aged ≥ 70

Although ICIs combined with platinum-based chemotherapy have become the standard first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC, elderly pts especially aged ≥ 75 years were generally excluded of clinical trials, leading to a lack of safety data in these pts. Optimization of chemotherapy regimens is also important given the specificity of elderly pts (such as organ function, immune function, comorbidities, etc.). We aim to prospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of tislelizumab (TIS) plus albumin-bound paclitaxel with or without platinum as first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC pts aged ≥70 (ChiCTR2000032509).

Abstract CT557: Phase 1/2 study of quavonlimab (Qmab) + pembrolizumab (pembro) in patients (pts) with advanced melanoma that progressed on a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor

Abstract Background: Safe, effective treatment options for advanced melanoma that progressed on a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor is an unmet medical need. Results of the phase 1b KEYNOTE-029 trial showed promising antitumor activity in advanced melanoma with pembro combined with a CTLA-4 inhibitor. This ongoing, open-label, multiarm phase 1/2 study (NCT03179436) evaluating the CTLA-4 inhibitor Qmab + pembro showed antitumor activity as first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC and for previously treated extensive-stage SCLC. Data from the efficacy expansion phase in pts with advanced melanoma that progressed on a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor are presented. Methods: Pts with unresectable stage III-IV melanoma and confirmed progressive disease (PD) per iRECIST within 12 wk of the last dose of a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor given alone or in combination for ≥2 doses (combinations with CTLA-4 inhibitors were not allowed) were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive Qmab 25 mg IV Q6W with or without pembro 400 mg IV Q6W; 100 pts in the Qmab + pembro arm and 40 pts in the Qmab monotherapy arm were planned for enrollment. Treatment in both arms was given for up to 18 cycles (~2 y) or until PD, toxicity, or pt withdrawal. Pts who had PD after ≥2 Qmab monotherapy cycles could crossover to Qmab + pembro. Tumor imaging was assessed Q9W to wk 54 and Q12W thereafter. Primary end points were safety and ORR by BICR per RECIST v1.1. Secondary and exploratory end points included DOR and PFS by BICR per RECIST v1.1 and OS. Results: 151 pts were enrolled (n = 111, Qmab + pembro; n = 40, Qmab monotherapy); median time from first dose to database cutoff was 7.7 mo. In all pts, median age was 64 y; 66% of pts were male, 33% had BRAF-mutant tumors, and 50% had elevated LDH. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were reported in 87 pts (78%) in the Qmab + pembro arm and 24 pts (60%) in the Qmab monotherapy arm; grade 3/4 TRAEs were reported in 16 pts (14%) and 3 pts (8%), respectively. The most common TRAEs were pruritus (26%), fatigue (14%), diarrhea (14%), and rash (13%). No treatment-related deaths occurred in either arm; 5% of pts discontinued because of TRAEs. Confirmed ORR was 9% (95% CI, 4.4-15.9) with Qmab + pembro (1 CR, 9 PRs) and 3% (95% CI, 0.1-13.2) with Qmab monotherapy (1 PR). Median DOR was not reached (NR; range, 2.0+ to 13.8+ mo) with Qmab + pembro. DOR was 1.9+ with Qmab monotherapy. Median PFS was 2.1 mo (95% CI, 2.1-3.2) with Qmab + pembro and 2.1 mo (95% CI, 2.1-2.5) with Qmab monotherapy; 6-mo PFS rates were 21% and 13%, respectively. Median OS was NR (95% CI, 11.2 mo to NR) with Qmab + pembro and 7.8 mo (95% CI, 6.3 to NR) with Qmab monotherapy; 6-mo OS rates were 74% and 73%, respectively. Conclusions: Qmab + pembro was generally well tolerated and provided modest antitumor activity in pts with advanced melanoma that progressed on a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor. This combination and a coformulation of Qmab + pembro will be further investigated in the KEYMAKER-U02 study. Citation Format: Sanjeev Deva, Jacek Mackiewicz, Stephane Dalle, Helen Gogas, Iwona Lugowska, Alfonso Berrocal, Alexander M. Menzies, Michele Maio, Adnan Nagrial, Karmele Mujika Eizmendi, Jean-Jacques Grob, Christian Caglevic, Megan Lyle, Juan Martin-Liberal, Rachel Altura, Yixin Ren, Anuradha Khilnani, Jobin Cyrus, Shabana Siddiqi, Michal Lotem. Phase 1/2 study of quavonlimab (Qmab) + pembrolizumab (pembro) in patients (pts) with advanced melanoma that progressed on a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr CT557.

Final progression-free survival, interim overall survival, and biomarker analyses of CHOICE-01: A phase 3 study of toripalimab versus placebo in combination with first-line chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC without EGFR/ALK mutations.

9028 Background: Toripalimab (anti-PD-1) in combination with chemotherapy showed significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in the first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC regardless of tumor PD-L1 expression. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed to identify correlative biomarkers for survival. Methods: Patients (n = 465) with treatment-naïve, advanced NSCLC without EGFR/ALK mutations were randomized 2:1 to receive toripalimab 240 mg (n = 309) or placebo (n = 156) in combination with chemotherapy for 4-6 cycles, followed by maintenance of toripalimab or placebo plus standard care until disease progression, intolerable toxicity, or completion of 2 years of treatment. Stratification factors included PD-L1 expression status, histology, and smoking status. The primary endpoint was PFS by investigator per RECIST v1.1. Secondary endpoints included PFS by a blinded independent review committee (BIRC), OS and safety. Results: At the prespecified final PFS analysis (cutoff date Oct 31, 2021), a significant improvement in PFS as assessed by investigator was observed for the toripalimab arm over the placebo arm: HR = 0.49 (95% CI: 0.39-0.61), two-sided p &lt; 0.0001, median PFS 8.4 vs 5.6 months. The 1-year PFS rates were 36.7% vs 17.2%. PFS as assessed by BIRC was also significantly longer in the toripalimab arm. The improvements of PFS were observed across key subgroups, including histology and PD-L1 expression. At the interim OS analysis, the toripalimab arm had a significantly longer OS than the placebo arm: HR = 0.69 (95% CI: 0.52-0.92), two-sided p = 0.0099, median OS not reached vs 17.1 months. The incidence of Grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs) (78.6% vs 82.1%) was similar between the two arms. AEs leading to discontinuation of toripalimab/placebo (14.3% vs 3.2%) and fatal AEs (5.5% vs 2.6%) were more frequent in the toripalimab arm. WES results from 394 available patients revealed that patients with high tumor mutational burden (TMB) (≥10 mutations per million base pairs) were associated with significantly better PFS in the toripalimab arm over the placebo arm (median PFS 13.1 vs 5.5 months) (interaction P = 0.026). In addition, patients with mutations in the FAK-PI3K-Akt pathway or IL-7 signaling pathways achieved significantly better PFS and OS from the toripalimab chemotherapy combination (interaction P values ≤ 0.01). Conclusions: The addition of toripalimab to chemotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC provided superior PFS and OS when compared to chemotherapy alone with a manageable safety profile. These results support the use of toripalimab with chemotherapy as 1st line therapy for advanced NSCLC patients without EGFR/ALK mutations. Clinical trial information: NCT03856411.

Optimization of treatment options for EGFR-mutant, stage III, unresectable NSCLC: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

8548 Background: The PACIFIC study established a new treatment standard for Stage III unresectable NSCLC, but CRT followed by durvalumab failed to bring survival benefit to patients with EGFR mutations. EGFR-TKIs have been successful in the setting of first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC and postoperative adjuvant treatment of NSCLC. We explored whether locally advanced inoperable patients with EGFR mutations can benefit from EGFR-TKIs and the possibly best treatment regimen through meta-analysis. Methods: Studies involving unresectable stage III NSCLC with EGFR mutations published in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, ClinicalTrials.gov, and abstracts of important international conferences (ASCO, ESMO, WCLC) from January 1, 2000 to September 30, 2021 were screened. An integrative analysis was performed using STATA (version 16.0), and a network meta-analysis based on a Bayesian framework was performed using R (version 3.6.1) for the studies with a control group. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: A total of 3291 patients were identified in 17 studies, including 5 treatment measures including concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT), CRT followed by durvalumab (CRT+Durva), TKI monotherapy, radiotherapy combined with TKI (RT+TKI), and CRT combined with TKI (CRT+TKI). PFS with TKI-free treatments (CRT, CRT+Durva) was significantly shorter than TKI-containing ones (TKI, RT+TKI, CRT+TKI) (HR 2.17, 95%CI 1.47-3.19), but its advantage only translated into borderline OS benefit (1.27, 0.99-1.63). In detail, the PFS with TKI-containing measures, including TKI monotherapy (0.66, 0.50-0.87), RT+TKI (0.37, 0.28-0.50), or CRT+TKI (0.14, 0.03-0.75) were all significantly longer than CRT. Furthermore, the PFS with both RT+TKI (0.40, 0.21-0.76) and CRT+TKI (0.15, 0.03-0.74) were significantly longer than CRT+Durva, while no statistical difference existed in PFS between RT+TKI and CRT+TKI. However, TKI alone had significantly shorter PFS than RT+TKI (1.78, 1.17-2.67). There was no statistical difference in OS among all the treatments, with RT+TKI ranking first in the Bayesian ranking. The integrated analysis found that RT+TKI had the longest OS (65.7 months, 55.5-76.0 months) and PFS (21.8 months, 18.0-25.7 months) and the highest response rate (77.7%, 68.8%-86.6%). Severe neutropenia was the most common with CRT+TKI, while RT+TKI brought the highest incidences of radiation pneumonitis and esophagitis. Conclusions: For EGFR mutant Stage III unresectable NSCLC, RT and TKI are both essential. RT+TKI and CRT+TKI have significantly longer PFS than CRT±immunotherapy, and RT+TKI has OS benefit trends. Due to the lack of sufficient studies on CRT+TKI, it is urgent to conduct large randomized clinical trials to explore the optimal treatment for these patients.

Efficacy and Safety of Different Doses of Bevacizumab Combined With Pemetrexed and Platinum in First-Line Treatment of Advanced NSCLC: A Retrospective-Real World Study.

Background: Bevacizumab was demonstrated to have efficacy in patients with NSCLC. However, application of different doses of bevacizumab in different clinical trials was overlooked. This study aims to investigate the effects and safety of different doses of bevacizumab in the treatment. Methods: From January 2016 to March 2020, 79 patients with NSCLC received first-line combination treatment with chemotherapy (pemetrexed + platinum) and bevacizumab for four cycles; patients without progression after four cycles were randomly assigned to maintenance therapy with bevacizumab combined with pemetrexed, of which 57 patients received bevacizumab at a dose of 7.5 mg/kg and 22 patients at a dose of 15 mg/kg. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival, and secondary endpoints were overall response rate, disease control rate, and adverse events. Results: There was no significant difference between two groups in effectiveness; Median PFS in 7.5 mg/kg group and in 15 mg/kg group were 8.0 and 8.7 months, respectively (p = 0.663), reaching the primary endpoint. The ORR and DCR in the bevacizumab 7.5 and 15 mg/kg group were 45.46 and 86.0% vs. 50 and 90.9% showing no statistical significance (p = 0.804 and 0.717). Most of side effects were tolerable. The incidences of overall toxicities were higher in 15 mg/kg group (p = 0.001). No new safety signals were observed. Conclusion: We did not detect significant difference of efficacy and safety between 7.5 mg/kg group and 15 mg/kg group for bevacizumab administration, the cost-effectiveness of the 7.5 mg/kg group was significantly better than that of the 15 mg/kg group.

The prospect of immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a narrative review.

ObjectiveBased on a thorough analysis of monotherapy (pembrolizumab) and chemoimmunotherapy, the immunomodulatory effects of chemotherapy agents are emphasized.BackgroundThe combination of chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors should and is already being regarded as a new standard strategy for the first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC. As some scientists hold, chemoimmunotherapy is the beginning of a new era of lung cancer therapy. Scientists of this field are trying to make the perfect blend, that is, to explore the perfect condition for combination therapy. However, first, we should fully understand the specific role of chemotherapy agents in combination therapy and its specific mechanism. However, our current consideration of this aspect is not comprehensive enough. Based on a full understanding of the mechanisms and roles of these partner treatments, can the perfect blend or a more appropriate combination strategy of cancer immunotherapy be established?MethodsSearch and discuss the literature of pembrolizumab in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, as well as previous studies on the immune regulatory function of chemotherapeutic agents, to analyze the mechanism of chemotherapeutic agents in combination immunotherapy.ConclusionHere, we carefully analyzed the details of clinical trials of pembrolizumab in the treatment of NSCLC, and reviewed literature in this field. Therefore, we aim to put forward that chemoimmunotherapy is not a simple model of one plus another. Accordingly, we believe that the more likely role of chemotherapeutics in combination therapy with pembrolizumab is an immunomodulator. Based on this perspective, we propose that more attention and efforts should be devoted to understanding and exploring the immunomodulatory function of chemotherapy agents.

Programmed Cell Death Protein-1 Inhibitors Versus Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Inhibitors in Addition to Chemotherapy for the First-Line Treatment of Advanced NSCLC: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

IntroductionThe addition of programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) or programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors to first-line chemotherapy (CT) improved the outcomes of advanced NSCLC. Nonetheless, no direct comparison exists between these combination treatments. MethodsWe performed a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials to evaluate and compare the efficacy and safety of PD-(L)1 inhibitors in combination with first-line CT for advanced NSCLC. ResultsA total of eight randomized clinical trials were included. The addition of a PD-(L)1 inhibitor to CT improved progression-free survival, overall survival, and objective response rate compared with CT alone. The risk of grade greater than or equal to 3 treatment-related adverse events was slightly higher with the addition of a PD-(L)1 inhibitor to CT as compared with CT alone. A subgroup analysis according to the targeted receptor (PD-1 versus PD-L1) revealed that the addition of a PD-1 inhibitor to CT led to better objective response rate (p = 0.0001), progression-free survival (p = 0.006), and overall survival (p = 0.002) compared with that of a PD-L1 inhibitor. The risk of grade greater than or equal to 3 treatment-related adverse events was significantly increased with the addition of a PD-L1 inhibitor to CT, but not with the addition of a PD-1 inhibitor. A direct comparison using the meta-regression analysis confirmed the statistical significance of all previous findings. ConclusionsOn the basis of this meta-analysis, the addition of a PD-1 inhibitor to first-line CT revealed statistically significant better outcomes and less additional toxicity compared with that of a PD-L1 inhibitor, as compared with CT alone, in advanced NSCLC, regardless of PD-L1 status.

Patient-reported symptoms, functioning, and quality of life (QoL) in patients treated with cemiplimab monotherapy for first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC with PD-L1 ≥ 50%: Results from EMPOWER-Lung 1 study.

9078 Background: Cemiplimab, a PD-1 inhibitor, improved survival and progression-free survival vs platinum doublet chemotherapy (chemo) in patients (pts) with advanced NSCLC and PD-ligand(L)1 expression ≥50% in the EMPOWER-Lung 1 Phase 3 study (NCT03088540). Since pts with advanced NSCLC have a high symptom burden that adversely impacts QoL and functioning, these outcomes were evaluated as secondary endpoints in the clinical trial. Methods: Pts with advanced NSCLC with PD-L1 expression ≥50% and ECOG performance status ≤1 were randomized to IV cemiplimab 350 mg Q3W (n=356) or platinum doublet chemo (n=354). At baseline (BL) and day 1 of each treatment cycle (C) to C15, pts were administered the EORTC core questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and its lung cancer specific module (QLQ-LC13) to assess symptoms, functioning, and Global Health Status (GHS)/QoL. In the intent-to-treat population, mixed-effects repeated measures models were used to estimate least squares (LS) mean change from BL on all scales. Kaplan–Meier analysis estimated time to definitive deterioration, defined as worsening ≥10 points from BL observed at all subsequent time points or patient withdrawal after worsening; hazard ratios (HR) with 95% CIs estimated the likelihood of definitive deterioration. Results: BL scores showed moderate to high levels of functioning and low symptom burden. Cemiplimab-treated pts had lower likelihood of definitive deterioration vs chemo on key symptoms of dyspnea, cough, pain in chest, pain in other body parts, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, appetite loss, constipation, and diarrhea vs chemo (all P&lt;.05). Treatment-related symptoms of peripheral neuropathy and alopecia had a lower likelihood of definitive deterioration with cemiplimab vs chemo (both P&lt;.05). Cemiplimab resulted in significantly greater improvements vs chemo on all functioning scales and reduced the likelihood of definitive deterioration as indicated by HR &lt;1 (Table). GHS/QoL improvements with cemiplimab at C2 were maintained to C15; LS mean change (SE) from BL across all timepoints was 7.1 (1.0) for cemiplimab vs 1.7 (1.2) for chemo ( P&lt;.0001). Conclusions: In pts with advanced NSCLC and PD-L1 expression ≥50%, cemiplimab significantly improved GHS/QoL, functioning, and most symptoms vs chemo. Over 1 year of treatment, cemiplimab delayed worsening of key lung cancer symptoms and functioning. Clinical trial information: NCT03088540. [Table: see text]

151P Osimertinib versus standard-of-care EGFR-TKI as first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC with EGFR-positive mutation patients: A systematic review

151P Osimertinib versus standard-of-care EGFR-TKI as first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC with EGFR-positive mutation patients: A systematic review

Nivolumab in the first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC

Nivolumab in the first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC