Oligometastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Research Articles

Is it too early to recommend local treatment in oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer: a plea for equipoise.

Oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer (OMD NSCLC) has been proposed to bridge the spectrum between non-metastatic and widely metastatic states and is perceived as an opportunity for potential cure if removed. Twelve clinical trials on local treatment have been reported, yet none are conclusive. These trials informed the development of a joint clinical practice guideline by the American & European Societies for Radiation Oncology, which endorses local treatment for OMD NSCLC. However, the heterogeneity between prognostic factors within these trials likely influenced outcomes and can only support guidance at this time. Caution against an uncritical acceptance of the guideline is discussed, as strong recommendations are offered based on expert opinion and inconclusive evidence. The guideline is also examined by a patient's caregiver, who emphasizes that uncertain evidence impedes shared decision making.

Long-Term Survival in Patients with Oligometastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by a Multimodality Treatment-Comparison with Stage III Disease.

Background: In patients with oligometastatic NSCLC, a cT3-cT4 primary tumor or an cN2/cN3 lymph node status was reported to be associated with unfavorable outcome. The aim of this study was to assess the importance of definitive or neoadjuvant thoracic radiochemotherapy for long-term outcome of these patients in order to find more appropriate treatment schedules. Methods: Analysis of the West Cancer Centre (WTZ) institutional database from 08/2016 to 08/2020 was performed. Patients with primary synchronous OMD, all without actionable driver mutations, who received definitive thoracic radiochemotherapy (RCT) or neoadjuvant RCT followed by surgery (trimodality treatment) were included. Survival outcome is compared with stage III NSCLC. Results: Altogether, 272 patients received concurrent radiochemotherapy. Of those, 220 presented with stage III (158 with definitive RCT, 62 with trimodality approach). A total of 52 patients had OMD patients with cT3/cT4 or cN2/cN3 tumors. Overall survival (OS) at five years for OMD patients was 28.3% (95%-CI: 16.4-41.5%), which was not significantly different from OS of patients with stage III NSCLC treated with definitive or neoadjuvant RCT (34.9% (95%-CI: 27.4-42.8%)). However, the PFS of OMD patients at five years or last follow-up was significantly worse than that of stage III patients (13.0% vs. 24.3%, p = 0.0048). The latter was due to a higher cumulative incidence of distant metastases in OMD patients (50.2% vs. 20.4% at 48 months, p < 0.0001) in comparison to stage III patients. A cross-validated classifier that included severe comorbidity, ECOG performance status, gender and pre-treatment serum CRP level as the most important factors in the univariable analysis, was able to divide the OMD patient group into two equally sized groups with a four-year survival rate of 49.4% in the good prognosis group and 9.9% in the poor prognosis group (p = 0.0021). Laboratory chemistry and clinical parameters, in addition to imaging and high-precision therapies, can help to predict and improve prognosis. Conclusions: A multimodality treatment approach and local metastases-directed therapy in addition to chemoimmunotherapy can lead to good long-term survival in patients with cT3/cT4 or cN2/cN3 OMD NSCLC without severe comorbidities and in good performance status and is therefore recommended.

Brief Report: Long-Term Follow-Up of Adjuvant Pembrolizumab After Locally Ablative Therapy for Oligometastatic NSCLC

IntroductionPatients with oligometastatic NSCLC benefit from locally ablative therapies (LAT); the role of adjuvant systemic therapies, however, remains less clear. In a single-arm, phase II clinical trial, we found that patients with oligometastatic NSCLC treated with a year of pembrolizumab after LAT had superior progression-free survival (PFS) compared with a historical control cohort. Herein, we present long-term follow-up on PFS and overall survival (OS). MethodsFrom February 1, 2015, to September 30, 2017, 45 patients with synchronous or metachronous oligometastatic (≤4 metastatic sites) NSCLC treated with LAT to all sites received adjuvant pembrolizumab every 21 days for up to 16 cycles. The primary efficacy end point was PFS from the start of pembrolizumab. Secondary end points included OS and safety. Median duration of follow-up was 66 months, and data cutoff was December 1, 2022. ResultsA total of 45 patients were enrolled and treated with pembrolizumab after LAT (median age, 64 y [range, 46–82]; 21 women [47%]; 31 with a solitary oligometastatic site [69%]). At the data cutoff, 32 patients had progressive disease, 19 patients had died, and 13 patients had no evidence of relapse. Median PFS was 19.7 months (95% confidence interval: 7.6–31.7 mo); median OS was not reached (95% confidence interval: 37.7 mo–not reached). OS at 5 years was 60.0% (SE, 7.4%). Metachronous oligometastatic disease was significantly associated with improved OS and PFS through Cox proportional hazard models. ConclusionsPembrolizumab after LAT for oligometastatic NSCLC results in promising PFS and OS with a tolerable safety profile.

Outcomes of extracranial stereotactic body radiation therapy for induced oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer on novel systemic therapy.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is often delivered in patients with oligometastatic disease (OMD). However, the specific subset of patients with polymetastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) on novel systemic therapies who develop induced oligopersistant disease (OpersisD) or oligoprogressive disease (OprogD), as defined by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) OMD classification, has not been well described. This study explores the outcomes of patients treated with this strategy. Patients with stage IV NSCLC being treated with osimertinib or immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) who received extracranial SBRT for OpersisD or OprogD were identified in our retrospective analysis. Outcomes reported include progression-free survival (PFS), time to change of systemic treatment (TTCST), overall survival (OS), local control (LC) and treatment-related toxicity. Forty-nine patients received SBRT for OpersisD (34.7%) or OprogD (65.3%) at a median of 5.8 and 15.3 months after start of systemic therapy, respectively. 55.1% received concurrent osimertinib and 44.9% received ICI. Seventy-seven extracranial lesions were treated with various fractionation schemas. At a median of 18.8 months follow-up from first SBRT, LC was achieved in 92.2% of total lesions treated (71). The 1-year OS was 91.7% for OpersisD and 83.3% for OprogD. OpersisD compared to OprogD had a longer median PFS (18.3 vs. 6.1 months) and longer median TTCST (23.6 vs. 13.5 months), median OS was not reached for either cohort. On multivariate analysis, patients treated with osimertinib had shorter PFS (HR: 2.20; 95% CI: 1.01-4.82; P=0.048) and shorter TTCST (HR: 2.83; 95% CI: 1.09-7.33; P=0.032). One patient (2%) experienced grade 3 pneumonitis after SBRT, and no grade 4-5 toxicities were reported with SBRT treatment. This study indicates that SBRT for OpersisD or OprogD in Stage IV NSCLC patients on osimertinib or ICIs is safe, very well tolerated, and may prolong the time before needing a shift in systemic therapy. Further prospective research is needed to validate and expand upon these findings.

65P Durvalumab combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy in patients with oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer (SABRcure)

65P Durvalumab combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy in patients with oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer (SABRcure)

49P Perioperative circulating tumor DNA redefines induced oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer at the molecular level

49P Perioperative circulating tumor DNA redefines induced oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer at the molecular level

Resection of the Primary Tumor and Survival in Patients with Single-Site Synchronous Oligometastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Propensity-Matched Analysis of the National Cancer Database.

Local therapy for the primary tumor is postulated to remove resistant cancer cells as well as immunosuppressive cells from the tumor microenvironment, potentially improving response to systemic therapy (ST). We sought to determine whether resection of the primary tumor was associated with overall survival (OS) in a multicentric cohort of patients with single-site synchronous oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Using the National Cancer Database (2018 to 2020), we evaluated patients with clinical stage IVA disease who received ST and stratified the cohort based on receipt of surgery for the primary tumor (S). We used multivariable and propensity score-matched analysis to study factors associated with S (logistic regression) and OS (Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier), respectively. Among 12,215 patients identified, 2.9% (N = 349) underwent S and 97.1% (N = 11,886) ST (chemotherapy or immunotherapy) without surgery. Patients who underwent S were younger, more often White, had higher income levels, were more likely to have private insurance, and were more often treated at an academic facility. Among those who received S, 22.9% (N = 80) also underwent resection of the distant metastatic site. On multivariable analysis, metastasis to bone, N+ disease, and higher T-stages were independently associated with less S. On Cox regression, S and resection of the metastatic site were associated with improved survival (hazard ratio 0.67, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.80 and hazard ratio 0.80, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.88, respectively). After propensity matching, OS was improved in patients undergoing S (median 36.8 vs 20.8 months, log-rank p < 0.001). Advances in ST for non-small cell lung cancer may change the paradigm of eligibility for surgery. This study demonstrates that surgical resection of the primary tumor is associated with improved OS in selected patients with single-site oligometastatic disease.

Sequential Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor-Induced Radical Surgery in Oligometastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A Case Report.

Sequential regimens in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can overcome tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance and maximize clinical benefit. Patients with advanced NSCLC can achieve excellent tumor control after a period of EGFR-TKI treatment. Patients may benefit from additional local treatment, such as surgery or radiation therapy, once the tumor is under control. Here, we present a case of a patient with advanced oligometastatic NSCLC with EGFR mutations who achieved downstaging through sequential EGFR-TKI-based precision medicine allowing resection of residual disease.

Cachexia and Sarcopenia in Oligometastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Making a Potential Curable Disease Incurable?

Among patients with advanced NSCLC, there is a group of patients with synchronous oligometastatic disease (sOMD), defined as a limited number of metastases detected at the time of diagnosis. As cachexia and sarcopenia are linked to poor survival, incorporating this information could assist clinicians in determining whether a radical treatment should be administered. In a retrospective multicenter study, including all patients with adequately staged (FDG-PET, brain imaging) sOMD according to the EORTC definition, we aimed to assess the relationship between cachexia and/or sarcopenia and survival. Of the 439 patients that were identified between 2015 and 2021, 234 met the criteria for inclusion and were included. The median age of the cohort was 67, 52.6% were male, and the median number of metastasis was 1. Forty-six (19.7%) patients had cachexia, thirty-four (14.5%) had sarcopenia and twenty-one (9.0%) had both. With a median follow-up of 49.7 months, median PFS and OS were 8.6 and 17.3 months, respectively. Moreover, a trend toward longer PFS was found in patients without cachexia and sarcopenia compared to those with cachexia and/or sarcopenia. In multivariate analysis, cachexia and sarcopenia were not associated with an inferior survival, irrespective of receiving radical treatment. High CRP was associated with inferior survival and could be a prognostic factor, helping the decision of clinicians in selecting patients who may benefit from the addition of LRT. However, despite the homogeneous definition of oligometastatic disease and the adequate staging, our subgroups were small. Therefore, further studies are needed to better understand our hypothesis and generating findings.

Measured Steps: Navigating the Path of Oligoprogressive Lung Cancer with Targeted and Immunotherapies.

This review discusses the definitions, treatment modalities, management, future directions, and ongoing clinical trials of oligoprogressive disease in oncogene-driven and non-oncogene-driven NSCLC. During the last decades, diagnostic and treatment modalities for oligometastatic NSCLC have advanced significantly, leading to improved survival. Additionally, our understanding of the tumor biology of oligoprogressive disease has expanded. However, despite the efforts of organizations, such as EORTC, ESTRO, and ASTRO proposing definitions for oligometastatic and oligoprogressive disease, heterogeneity in definitions persists in (ongoing) trials. Recognizing the significance of subclassification within oligoprogressive disease in NSCLC and the varying risks associated with subsequent metastatic spread, there is a call for tailored management strategies. A consensus on standardized criteria for the definition of oligoprogressive disease is urgently needed and will not only facilitate meaningful comparisons between studies but also pave the way for the development of personalized treatment plans that take into account the heterogeneous nature of oligoprogressive disease.

Combining Dual Checkpoint Immunotherapy with Ablative Radiation to All Sites of Oligometastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Toxicity and Efficacy Results of a Phase 1b Trial

BackgroundAblative local treatment of all radiographically detected metastatic sites in patients with oligometastatic NSCLC increases progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Prior studies demonstrated safety of combining stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) with single agent immunotherapy. We investigated the safety of combining SBRT to all metastatic tumor sites with dual checkpoint, anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy for patients with oligometastatic NSCLC. MethodsWe conducted a phase Ib clinical trial in patients with oligometastatic NSCLC with up to 6 sites of extracranial metastatic disease. All sites of disease were treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to a dose of 30 – 50 Gy in 5 fractions. Dual checkpoint immunotherapy was started 7 days following completion of radiation utilizing anti-CTLA-4 (tremelimumab) and anti-PD-L1 (durvalumab) immunotherapy for a total of four cycles followed by durvalumab alone until progression or toxicity. ResultsSeventeen patients were enrolled on study, with 15 patients receiving at least one dose of combination immunotherapy per protocol. The study was closed early (17 of planned 21 patients) due to slow accrual during COVID 19 pandemic. Grade 3+ treatment related adverse events were seen in 6 patients (40%). Of these, only one was felt possibly related to the addition of SBRT to immunotherapy. Median PFS was 42 months while median OS has not yet been reached. ConclusionsDelivering ablative SBRT to all sites of metastatic disease in combination with dual checkpoint immunotherapy did not result in excessive rates of toxicity compared to historical studies of dual checkpoint immunotherapy alone. While not powered for treatment efficacy results, durable PFS and OS results suggest potential therapeutic benefit compared to immunotherapy or radiation alone in this patient population.

Disparities in Delivery of Local-Consolidative Surgery for Patients with Single-Site Oligometastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Disparities in Delivery of Local-Consolidative Surgery for Patients with Single-Site Oligometastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

SiCARIO: A Phase I/II Study of Split-Course Adaptive Radioimmunotherapy for the Treatment of Oligometastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Using Adaptive Radiotherapy

SiCARIO: A Phase I/II Study of Split-Course Adaptive Radioimmunotherapy for the Treatment of Oligometastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Using Adaptive Radiotherapy

P2.03-05 Clinical Impact of Genomic Characterization in Induced Oligometastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

P2.03-05 Clinical Impact of Genomic Characterization in Induced Oligometastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

OA18.05 Tumor Immune Microenvironment Profiling in Oligometastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with Brain Metastases

OA18.05 Tumor Immune Microenvironment Profiling in Oligometastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with Brain Metastases

Pre-radiotherapy ctDNA liquid biopsy for risk stratification of oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer

The optimal treatment paradigm for patients with oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. Some patients with oligometastatic disease experience prolonged remission after locally consolidative radiation therapy (RT), while others harbor micrometastatic disease (below limits of detection by imaging) and benefit from systemic therapy. To risk-stratify and identify the patients most likely to benefit from locally consolidative RT, we performed a multi-institutional cohort study of 1487 patients with oligometastatic NSCLC undergoing liquid biopsy analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). In total, 1880 liquid biopsies were performed and approximately 20% of patients (n = 309) had ctDNA measured prior to RT and after their diagnosis of oligometastatic disease. Patients with undetectable ctDNA (pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in plasma using the Tempus xF assay) before RT had significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) (P = 0.004) and overall survival (OS) (P = 0.030). ctDNA maximum variant allele frequency (VAF) pre-RT and ctDNA mutational burden pre-RT were both significantly inversely correlated with PFS (maximum VAF P = 0.008, mutational burden P = 0.003) and OS (maximum VAF P = 0.007, mutational burden P = 0.045). These findings were corroborated by multivariate Cox proportional hazards models that included eight additional clinical and genomic parameters. Overall, these data suggest that in patients with oligometastatic NSCLC, pre-RT ctDNA can potentially identify the patients most likely to benefit from locally consolidative RT and experience prolonged PFS and OS. Similarly, ctDNA may be useful to identify undiagnosed micrometastatic disease where it may be appropriate to prioritize systemic therapies.

1457P Oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer: Impact of local and systemic treatment approaches on clinical outcome

1457P Oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer: Impact of local and systemic treatment approaches on clinical outcome

1295P Prospective trial of immuno-(chemo)therapy prior to resection, definitive chemo-radiotherapy, or palliative therapy in patients with borderline resectable or oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer (KOMPASSneo)

1295P Prospective trial of immuno-(chemo)therapy prior to resection, definitive chemo-radiotherapy, or palliative therapy in patients with borderline resectable or oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer (KOMPASSneo)

Circulating Tumor DNA for Early Risk Stratification of Oligometastatic Lung Cancer

Some patients with oligometastatic disease experience prolonged progression-free survival when treated with local consolidative radiotherapy (RT). Precisely identifying these patients remains challenging, however. We hypothesized that pre-RT liquid biopsy circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis could risk-stratify oligometastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and enable earlier personalized selection for consolidative RT. A real-world multi-institutional cohort of 1,487 patients who were diagnosed with oligometastatic NSCLC was analyzed. Each patient underwent liquid biopsy ctDNA analysis using the Tempus xF assay (v2) at least once, for a total of 1,880 ctDNA assays. 20% of the cohort (n = 309) underwent RT after liquid biopsy was obtained and oligometastatic NSCLC was diagnosed by the treating physician. Each patient in the sub-cohort of 309 patients had oligometastatic disease, defined as metastatic disease present in 1-5 organ systems. Outcomes for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were defined with respect to the initiation time of RT to minimize the risk of guarantee-time bias. ctDNA results were analyzed for variants using VarDict and characterized as pathogenic or likely pathogenic following ACMG/AMP guidelines for variant classification, as determined by SnpEff. Variants considered benign, likely benign, or having conflicting evidence were excluded from consideration. Overall survival was significantly worse in oligometastatic NSCLC patients with detectable ctDNA pre-RT, as compared to those without detectable ctDNA pre-RT, with a median OS of 16.8 months versus 25 months (p = 0.030, HR = 1.65, CI = 1.05-2.61). Similar findings were also observed for PFS, which was worse in patents with detectable ctDNA pre-RT, with a median PFS of 5.4 months versus 8.8 months (p = 0.004, HR = 1.57, CI = 1.15-2.13). ctDNA variant allele frequency (VAF) levels demonstrated significant risk correlations, with the maximum pre-RT ctDNA VAF associated with increased risk of both disease progression (p = 0.0084) and death (p = 0.0073). These findings were corroborated by multivariate Cox proportional hazards modeling for PFS (p = 0.02, PFS HR = 4.69, CI = 1.42-13.30) and OS (p = 0.004, HR = 5.66, CI = 1.64-16.85). Notably, multivariate Cox modeling did not show significant impacts of other clinical parameters, including gender, age at diagnosis, smoking status, and squamous histology. Additionally, the ctDNA mutational burden (the number of detectable pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants) was significantly associated with risk for both PFS (p = 0.003, HR = 1.16, CI = 1.06-1.26) and OS (p = 0.003, HR = 1.15, CI = 1.04-1.25) in a multivariate Cox regression model. These data suggest that liquid biopsy ctDNA detection represents a powerful pre-RT biomarker to risk-stratify oligometastatic NSCLC patients and potentially enable personalized decision-making for local consolidative RT.

Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRT) in Combination with Aumolertinib to Treat Intracranial Oligometastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): An Update of a Phase II, Prospective Study

Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) is highly effective and less toxic for limited intracranial metastases. Aumolertinib is a tolerable third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has CNS efficacy in patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC. We aim to investigate the efficacy and safety of aumolertinib followed by SRT in patients with intracranial oligometastatic NSCLC. Intracranial oligometastatic Patients with EGFR sensitive mutations (EGFR-TKIs naive) were enrolled and received aumolertinib 110mg daily until intracranial disease progression. Then SRT (32-40 Gy total, 8 Gy/f) was given to intracranial oligo-progression disease if possible. The primary endpoint was intracranial objective response rate (iORR). Secondary endpoints included intracranial progression-free survival (iPFS), intracranial duration of response (iDOR)according to RECIST 1.1, cerebral radiation necrosis rate (CRNR) and overall survival (OS). Safety was evaluated according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0 (CTCAE v5.0). This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04519983. To February 10, 2023, a total of 38 patients were enrolled and 35 patients were assessable followed for 3 months to 18 months. All patients received 110mg aumolertinib daily and received at least one independent imaging evaluation by a radiologist. After oral administration of aumolertinib, the best response of 94% patients in intracranial and extracranial lesions was partial response (PR). Two patients had stable intracranial disease. At data cut-off, one patient developed intracranial primary lesion progression at 12 months after oral administration of aumolertinib but stable in extracranial lesions. SRT treatment was given to this patient. No grade ≥3 adverse events occurred after continued oral administration of aumolertinib. The most common adverse reactions were rash and abnormal liver enzymes, 1 patient had grade 2 CK elevation. This report showed pronounced intracranial objective response benefit in patients with intracranial oligometastatic disease followed by SRT after intracranial oligo-progression and no new safety signals. Aumolertinib has promising efficacy and good tolerability in intracranial oligometastatic EGFR mutated NSCLC. [Keywords] Non-small cell lung cancer; epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor; Aumolertinib; Stereotactic radiotherapy.