Nivolumab versus pembrolizumab in previously-treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients: A propensity-matched real-world analysis

OBJECTIVE

Nivolumab and pembrolizumab have been the standard of care in patients with previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of nivolumab and pembrolizumab.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed data of advanced NSCLC patients with PD-L1 (Programmed death-ligand 1) [clone:22C3] positive tumors (Tumor proportion score [TPS] ≥ 1%) who had been treated with nivolumab or pembrolizumab as second- or subsequent line from 2015 to 2021.Propensity score matching was performed to reduce potential selection bias. We analyzed the clinical outcomes including objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and immune-related adverse events (irAEs).

RESULTS

Among a total of 202 eligible patients, 72 pairs of patients from each group were identified after propensity score matching. There were no significant differences in ORR, PFS, and OS between the two agents (nivolumab vs. pembrolizumab: ORR, 23.6% vs. 20.8%, median PFS, 3.7 months vs. 4.6 months, hazard ratio [HR] 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71 to 1.46; p = 0.92, and median OS, 27.4 months vs. 19.6 months, HR 0.78; 95% CI, 0.51 to 1.20; p = 0.24). Additionally, PFS was similar between the treatments in the PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50% subgroup (median PFS, 3.7 months vs. 4.6 months, HR 0.94; 95% CI, 0.56 to 1.59; p = 0.82) and PD-L1 TPS 1-49% subgroup (median PFS, 3.7 months vs.4.6 months, HR 1.13; 95% CI, 0.69 to 1.85; p = 0.61). There was also no significant difference in the frequency of grade ≥ 3 irAEs (9.7% vs. 11.1%; p = 1.0).

CONCLUSION

There is no significant difference in the efficacy and safety between nivolumab and pembrolizumab in advanced NSCLC patients with PD-L1-positive tumors in the subsequent line setting.

Therapeutic options in thymomas and thymic carcinomas

INTRODUCTION

Radical surgery is the best therapeutic option for thymic malignancies. However, patients with advanced or recurrent thymic malignancies often require chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Since thymic malignancies are rare cancers, the efficacy and safety of treatments have been verified based on small Phase 2 trials or retrospective studies.

AREA COVERED

We comprehensively reviewed the treatment strategies for thymic malignancies, including surgery, radiotherapy, and pharmacotherapy, including cytotoxic chemotherapy, molecular-targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Additionally, we reviewed specific situations, such as pleural dissemination, central nervous system metastasis, and paraneoplastic syndrome.

EXPERT OPINION

Cytotoxic chemotherapy remains the standard option in pharmacotherapy. However, multikinase inhibitors, such as sunitinib and lenvatinib, and immune checkpoint inhibitors including pembrolizumab have been developed to treat thymic carcinomas. Now, a Phase 2 study is evaluating whether lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab benefits patients with type B3 thymoma or thymic carcinoma. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT/ mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors may contribute to disease control and octreotide scan is only applicable to somatostatin analogues. Although the genomic characteristics of thymic malignancies have been analyzed, few actionable mutations have been detected in general. The development of a treatment strategy using combination pharmacotherapy is anticipated.

Lorlatinib versus Pemetrexed-based chemotherapy in patients with ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer previously treated with Alectinib

Introduction

Lorlatinib (LOR) or pemetrexed-based chemotherapy (PEM) is the standard treatment after failure of a second-generation ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor, such as alectinib, in patients with ALK-positive NSCLC. Nevertheless, there have been few data on the clinical outcomes of these treatments after alectinib failure.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed patients with ALK-rearranged NSCLC who received LOR (LOR group) or PEM (PEM group) as post-treatment after alectinib failure between December 2012 and August 2020.

Results

Among 90 patients who experienced disease progression during alectinib treatment, 38 of them received either PEM (n = 22) or LOR (n = 16) as subsequent treatment. The objective response rate and the median progression-free survival were similar in the PEM and LOR groups (objective response rate: 45% versus 44%, p = 0.92; median progression-free survival: 6.9 mo versus 6.2 mo, p = 0.83, respectively). Disease progression during treatment occurred in 22 patients with PEM and 14 patients with LOR. The central nervous system (CNS) was the most common site of progression in both groups. In patients without CNS metastasis at baseline, the cumulative incidence rate of CNS progression was lower over time in the LOR group compared with the PEM group (p = 0.045), whereas in patients with CNS metastasis at baseline, there were no significant differences in cumulative incidence rate of CNS progression between both groups (p = 0.43).

Conclusions

Clinical outcomes of PEM and LOR after failure of alectinib were similar in patients with ALK-positive NSCLC.

Comparison of time to failure of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy versus pembrolizumab monotherapy: a consecutive analysis of patients having NSCLC with high PD-L1 expression

INTRODUCTION

There are two treatment strategies for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) exhibiting a high expression level of programmed death-ligand 1 (tumor proportion score ≥ 50%): pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy and monotherapy. We retrospectively compared their efficacy and safety.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We reviewed the efficacy and safety of first-line pembrolizumab-containing regimens administered between 2017 and 2020 to consecutive patients. The patients were divided into a pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy group (Combo group) or monotherapy group (Mono group). To compare the efficacy, we monitored the time to failure of strategy (TFS) defined as the time from the start of treatment to the occurrence of one of the following events: the addition of any drug not included in the primary strategy, progression of cancer after complete therapy, progression and no subsequent therapy, or death, whichever occurred first. We used the propensity score matching (PSM) to reduce the bias.

RESULTS

A total of 126 patients were identified (89 in the Mono group and 37 in the Combo group). PSM matched 36 individuals from each of the two groups. The overall response rate and median progression-free survival of the Combo group were better than those of the Mono group. However, the median TFS was almost the same (11.3 months vs. 14.9 months; hazard ratio 1.40 [95% confidence interval 0.62-3.15]). The frequency of all serious adverse effects was higher in the Combo group than in the Mono group.

DISCUSSION

Due to similar efficacy in TFS, both pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy and monotherapy are valid options for NSCLC.

Cisplatin and Irinotecan as First-Line Chemotherapy for Previously Untreated Metastatic Thymic Carcinoma: Updated Analysis

Platinum-based chemotherapy is the de facto standard treatment for metastatic or unresectable thymic carcinoma. The optimal chemotherapy regimen has not yet been determined, including whether this should be combined with a second- or third-generation anti-cancer agent. We retrospectively evaluated the data of patients with metastatic or unresectable thymic carcinoma who were treated with a combination of cisplatin and irinotecan as first-line chemotherapy between 2002 and 2021 (trial registration UMIN000012175). The primary endpoint was response rate according to the RECIST criteria version 1.1. Secondary endpoints were disease control rate, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity (adverse events). Some patients analyzed in this study were also included in the previous trial, which was terminated early. For this analysis, we included 18 patients with a median age of 56 years and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1. All patients had clinical stage IVa or IVb thymic carcinoma according to the Masaoka-Koga staging system. The response rate was 44% and the disease control rate was 89%. The median PFS was 8.4 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.7–11.6 months) and the median OS was 45.6 months (95% CI: 15.7–69.1 months). Grade 3 or worse hematological toxicity was observed in 5 patients and grade 3 or worse non-hematological toxicity was observed in 3 patients. None of the patients developed febrile neutropenia, and no treatment-related deaths occurred. Thus, the combination of cisplatin and irinotecan as first-line chemotherapy for metastatic thymic carcinoma showed efficacy and acceptable toxicity.

Uncommon EGFR mutations conducted with osimertinib in patients with NSCLC: a study protocol of phase 2 study (UNICORN/TCOG1901)

Patients with uncommon EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) demonstrated lower clinical efficacy of first-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors compared with patients harboring common EGFR-mutated NSCLC. The US FDA has approved afatinib for uncommon EGFR mutation positive NSCLC based on the pooled analysis in the first- or second-line setting. Osimertinib has limited evidence in the small sample sizes of phase 2 studies in any-line settings. The aim of the present single-arm, multicenter, phase 2 study is to evaluate the efficacy of osimertinib for previously untreated NSCLC. The primary end point is to assess the overall response to osimertinib. The secondary end points include disease control rate, progression-free survival, duration of time-to-treatment failure, overall survival and safety. Clinical trial registration: jRCTs071200002.

CD70 in Thymic Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Potential Diagnostic Markers and Immunotherapeutic Targets

CD70 – a ligand protein of CD27 on lymphocytes – is expressed in a large spectrum of malignancies. It is an attractive target for antibody-based therapy and several clinical trials are currently being conducted. However, there is no evidence regarding the expression of CD70 and its relationship with expression of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and CD27+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues of thymic tumors. FFPE tissues of thymic squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) (operative specimens, n = 31; biopsy specimens, n = 11), thymoma (n = 60), thymic carcinoid (n = 3), and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) (n = 30) were analyzed immunohistochemically. Immunoreactivity for CD70 was semi-quantitatively scored according to the proportion of positive tumor cells. Moreover, the densities of CD27-positive intratumoral TIL (iTIL) and stromal TIL of TSCC were assessed and survival was compared. Most TSCC cases (87%; 27/31) were CD70-positive. In contrast, all thymoma and thymic carcinoid cases were CD70-negative. In LSCC cases, CD70-positivity was significantly lower than TSCC cases (20%; 6/30). Biopsy and resected specimens obtained from the same patients demonstrated a consistent staining pattern (6/6 patients). The proportion of CD70-positive TSCC was comparable with those of CD5 (87%) and CD117 (90%). Correlation between CD70 and PD-L1 expression score was observed. There was no significant difference in survival between the CD70-high and CD70-low expression groups. Meanwhile, patients with CD27-positive iTIL-high tumors exhibited better survival than those with iTIL-low tumors. This tendency was weaker in the CD70-high subset. CD70 immunohistochemistry is useful in diagnosing TSCC. CD70 may prevent anti-tumor immunity via CD27. Immunotherapy targeting the CD70–CD27 axis may be a promising option for the treatment of TSCC.

Clinical Significance of Tumor Markers for Advanced Thymic Carcinoma: A Retrospective Analysis from the NEJ023 Study

Simple Summary

Advanced thymic carcinoma (ATC) is rare. Owing to its rarity, there is limited information on the prognostic factors, and the optimal serum tumor markers are also unknown. We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective study of patients with ATC. In this study, we collected data on patient characteristics, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and tumor marker values, and investigated the relationship between tumor marker values and PFS/OS. We found that the neuron-specific enolase (NSE) level may be a useful prognostic tumor marker for ATC, regardless of histology. The findings of the analysis limited to squamous cell carcinoma suggested that the NSE and squamous cell carcinoma antigen levels may be useful prognostic factors.

Abstract

The optimal tumor marker for predicting the prognosis of advanced thymic carcinoma (ATC) remains unclear. We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective study of patients with ATC. A total of 286 patients were treated with chemotherapy. Clinicopathological information, including serum tumor markers, was evaluated to determine the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The carcinoembryonic antigen, cytokeratin-19 fragment, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen, progastrin-releasing peptide, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and alpha-fetoprotein levels were evaluated. In the Kaplan–Meier analysis, the OS was significantly shorter in the patients with elevated NSE levels than in those with normal NSE levels (median, 20.3 vs. 36.8 months; log-rank test p = 0.029; hazard ratio (HR), 1.55; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05–2.31 (Cox proportional hazard model)); a similar tendency regarding the PFS was observed (median, 6.4 vs. 11.0 months; log-rank test p = 0.001; HR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.31–3.18). No significant differences in the OS and PFS were observed among the other tumor markers. In both univariate and multivariate analyses of the patients with SCC only, the NSE level was associated with the OS and PFS. Thus, the NSE level may be a prognostic tumor marker for thymic carcinoma, regardless of histology.

Performance of Japanese patients in registrational studies

INTRODUCTION

The accelerated development of lung cancer treatments has resulted in a single global study that is sufficient for a new agent and indication to be approved. Not all new treatments predominate globally, and differences in standards of care may influence the efficacy of treatments in the real world.

METHODS

The results from Japanese domestic trials and global trials that included a subset population of Japanese patients were evaluated for 18 genomic targeted agents and immune therapies approved after 2000. The results were collected from drug applications that were reviewed for treatment approval in Japan.

RESULTS

Japan is one of the first countries to approve and fully reimburse new agents around the world. Alectinib and nivolumab, which were first developed by Japanese pharmaceutical companies, were evaluated in an independent domestic trial, which resulted in their early approval. For most other indications, 1.1-15.8% of the patients who participated in pivotal registration studies were Japanese, and their treatment results were comparable to those of the overall population. Overall survival was less likely to be improved by four agents for which the post-protocol therapy might have been different in Japan than in other countries.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, a positive result in a global trial was emulated in Japanese patients and led to the approval of a new standard treatment in Japan. Early approvals were attained by either participating in the global registrational study or conducting a domestic phase II study. The higher efficacy of new agents may be an issue in the future, as Japanese patients had early access to the new agent and may receive better treatment after the trial.

First-line osimertinib in EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer patients with poor performance status

Background: The efficacy of osimertinib as a first-line treatment for patients with poor performance status (PS) remains unclear. Patients & methods: This multicenter retrospective study evaluated patients treated with osimertinib between 2018 and 2020, with PS 2-4. Results: Among 36 patients with PS 2, the median progression-free survival (PFS), 1-year PFS, median overall survival (OS) and 1-year OS were 14.5 months, 65.4%, 18.1 months and 72.7%, respectively. Among 20 patients with PS 3-4, the median PFS, 1-year PFS, median OS and 1-year OS were 3.0 months, 27.1%, 5.0 months and 46.1%, respectively. Conclusion: Osimertinib was not as efficacious as other EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Smoking History Predicts High Presence of TILs and Efficacy of PD-1 Blockade in PD-L1 Expression-negative Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND/AIM

Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on tumor cells is a predictive biomarker of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) blockade therapy. This study sought to clarify predictors of the efficacy of nivolumab in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with PD-L1 expression-negative tumors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the records of advanced NSCLC patients between January 2016 and April 2019, and investigated the predictive marker of nivolumab including the status of CD8⁺ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs).

RESULTS

A total of 70 NSCLC patients were included. Overall response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS) were better in patients with a heavy smoking history (smoking index: SI≥600) than in those without (SI<600) [ORR: 20.6% vs. 2.8%, (p=0.02), and PFS: 2.4 months vs. 1.8 months, (p=0.04)]. A high density of CD8⁺ TILs was significantly associated with a heavy smoking history (p=0.04). Conlusion: Heavy smoking history (SI≥600), which was correlated with a large number of CD8⁺ TILs, could be a predictor of the efficacy of nivolumab in NSCLC patients with PD-L1 expression-negative tumors.

Impact of tumor programmed death ligand-1 expression on osimertinib efficacy in untreated EGFR-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a prospective observational study

Background

Osimertinib monotherapy is currently the standard of care as a first-line treatment for patients harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations; however, some EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients exhibit primary resistance and an insufficient response to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Elevated programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in tumors was reported as a negative predictive factor for outcomes of first- or second-generation EGFR-TKIs.

Methods

We prospectively assessed advanced NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations who were treated with osimertinib at 14 institutions in Japan between September 2019 and December 2020. Relationships between outcomes of osimertinib monotherapy and patients’ characteristics were reviewed.

Results

Seventy-one patients who underwent the tumor PD-L1 test were enrolled. Multivariate analysis identified tumor PD-L1 expression as an independent predictor for progression-free survival (PFS) with osimertinib treatment (P=0.029). The objective-response and disease-control rates for osimertinib treatment were significantly lower in patients demonstrating elevated PD-L1 levels relative to those with low or negative PD-L1 level (P=0.043 and P=0.007, respectively). Furthermore, among patients treated with osimertinib, those with high PD-L1 levels exhibited shorter PFS relative to those with low plus negative PD-L1 level (median PFS: 5.0 vs. 17.4 months; P<0.001).

Conclusions

Elevated tumor PD-L1 expression is associated with poor outcomes of osimertinib monotherapy in previously untreated advanced NSCLC patients with EGFR mutation. Further clinical trials are warranted to accumulate evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of combination therapy with osimertinib for EGFR-mutated advanced NSCLC patients with elevated tumor PD-L1 expression.

Trial Registration

UMIN000043942.

Clinical characteristics of advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with EGFR exon 20 insertions

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertion mutations (Exon20ins) account for 4–12% of all EGFR mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Data on the differences in clinical characteristics between patients with Exon20ins and major mutations (M-mut) such as exon 19 deletion and L858R are limited. We retrospectively reviewed advanced NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations, who were treated with systemic therapy between January 2011 and December 2019. We identified 23 patients with Exon20ins and 534 patients with M-mut. In Exon20ins patients, the median age was 60 (range 27–88) years, and females and never-smokers were predominant. Clinical characteristics were similar in the two groups. In Exon20ins patients, 17 patients received platinum doublet as first-line therapy, and the overall response rate (ORR) and median progression-free survival (mPFS) were 11.8% and 8.9 months. Additionally, seven patients received conventional EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), and eight patients anti-PD-1 antibodies in any-line therapy. ORR and mPFS of EGFR-TKIs and anti-PD-1 antibodies were 0%, 2.2 months and 25%, 3.1 months, respectively. Overall survival was significantly shorter in Exon20ins patients than in M-mut patients (29.3 vs. 43.4 months, p = 0.04). The clinical outcomes in Exon20ins patients were not satisfactory compared to M-mut patients.

Differential Immune-Related Microenvironment Determines Programmed Cell Death Protein-1/Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Blockade Efficacy in Patients With Advanced NSCLC

INTRODUCTION

Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression is not a completely reliable predictive marker of the efficacy of anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 therapy in patients with advanced NSCLC. Immune-related tumor microenvironment (TME) is classified into four different types based on the tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) status and PD-L1 expression.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients with advanced NSCLC treated with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy between 2015 and 2019. We investigated the association between the efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, the types of TME based on PD-L1 (clone: 22C3) expression, the density of CD8-positive TILs assessed by immunohistochemistry, and mutational profiles by next-generation sequencing.

RESULTS

Overall, 228 patients were included in the analysis. The patients were classified into the following four groups: type I: PD-L1_High (tumor proportion score ≥ 50%)/TIL_High (≥85/mm²; n = 73); type II: PD-L1_Low (tumor proportion score < 50%)/TIL_Low (<85/mm²; n = 70); type III: PD-L1_High/TIL_Low (n = 37); and type IV: PD-L1_Low/TIL_High (n = 48). The objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS) of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy clearly differed according to the different TME types (ORR and PFS; type I: 64%, 14.5 mo; type II: 12%, 2.1 mo; type III: 24%, 3.6 mo; type IV; 41%, 10.8 mo). In patients with PD-L1_High tumors, type I tumors had significantly better ORR and PFS than type III tumors (ORR: p < 0.001 and PFS: p < 0.001). The presence of TP53 and KRAS mutation was related to the density of CD8-positive TILs and PD-L1 expression, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Differential types of TME, including PD-L1 expression and TIL status, could accurately predict the efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy.

Feasibility of next-generation sequencing (Oncomine™ DX Target Test) for the screening of oncogenic mutations in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients

BACKGROUND

The Oncomine™ Dx Target Test based on next-generation sequencing has been approved for the screening of oncogenic mutations in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

METHODS

We assessed the tissue sample factors that affect the success rate of Oncomine™ Dx Target Test companion diagnostics and the feasibility of using biopsy specimens for Oncomine™ Dx Target Test companion diagnostics in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

RESULTS

Ninety-nine biopsy samples were subjected to genetic testing using the Oncomine™ Dx Target Test companion diagnostics to detect v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homologue B1 mutations (Cohort 1), and 136 biopsy samples were examined using Oncomine™ Dx Target Test companion diagnostics for the detection of multiple oncogenic mutations (Cohort 2) between July 2018 and April 2020. We retrospectively collected clinical and pathological data, including tissue size and tumour cell content. The success rate was 77% (76/99) in Cohort 1 and 93% (127/136) in Cohort 2. In Cohort 1, the success rate was significantly associated with the tumour cell content: the success rate was 63% for samples with a tumour cell content of <20%, whereas it was 83% for samples with a tumour cell content of 20% or higher (P = 0.0446). The tissue size also affected the success rate: a success rate of 57% was obtained for tissue sizes <4 mm2, whereas a success rate of 95% was obtained for tissue sizes of 4 mm2 or larger (P < 0.0001). In Cohort 2, the success rate was 100% when tumour specimens with a tissue size of 4 mm2 or larger were used.

CONCLUSIONS

Tissue size and tumour cell content were significantly associated with the success rate of Oncomine™ Dx Target Test companion diagnostics.

A phase 1b, open-label, single-arm study of cofetuzumab pelidotin (a PTK7-targeting antibody-drug conjugate) in patients with PTK7-expressing, recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

TPS3142

Background: Protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7) is a highly conserved receptor tyrosine kinase involved in the Wnt signaling pathway and is overexpressed in multiple cancer types, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Cofetuzumab pelidotin (ABBV-647) is an anti-PTK7 antibody-drug conjugate comprising the hu6MO24 monoclonal antibody, a cleavable cysteine-reactive linker, and Aur0101 (an auristatin microtubule inhibitor). It has shown promising preclinical anti-tumor effects (Damelin et al. Sci Transl Med 2017;9[372]:eaag2611) and clinical activity with a manageable safety profile in a Phase 1 study in patients with advanced solid tumors, with promising anti-tumor activity noted in NSCLC (Sachdev et al. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2018.36.15_suppl.5565). Methods: This open-label, single-arm, multicenter Phase 1b study (NCT04189614) will assess the anti-tumor activity and safety of cofetuzumab pelidotin in approximately 40 patients with PTK7-expressing, recurrent NSCLC. The primary objective is to assess the objective response rate of cofetuzumab pelidotin according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. Secondary objectives include the duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival, and safety and tolerability. Pharmacokinetic and biomarker samples will also be collected throughout for analysis. Patients must be aged ≥18 years with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–1 and have recurrent histologically confirmed NSCLC with PTK7-expressing tumor (using a validated immunohistochemistry assay). Patients must have progressed after treatment with a platinum-based chemotherapy doublet and an immune checkpoint inhibitor (for tumors without targetable genetic alterations), or a platinum-based chemotherapy doublet and targeted agent(s) (for tumors with targetable genetic alterations). Patients must also have received ≤2 prior lines of systemic therapy (≤3 prior lines for tumors treated with targeted agent[s] for genetic alterations), including no more than 1 line of systemic chemotherapy. Cofetuzumab pelidotin (2.8 mg/kg) is administered intravenously every 3 weeks until the patient experiences disease progression, intolerable toxicity, or other study treatment discontinuation criteria are met. The study commenced on February 13, 2020 and enrollment is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT04189614.

Differential immune-related microenvironment determines PD-1/PD-L1 blockade efficacy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients

9044

Background: Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression is not a completely reliable predictive marker of the efficacy of anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1)/anti-PD-L1 therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients (NSCLC). Immune-related tumor microenvironment (TME) is classified into four different types based on the status of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and PD-L1 expression. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed advanced NSCLC patients treated with anti-PD-1/anti-PD-L1 therapy between 2015 and 2019, and investigated the association between the efficacy of anti-PD-1/anti-PD-L1 therapy, the types of TME based on PD-L1 (clone: 22C3) expression, and the density of CD8-positive TILs by immunohistochemistry (/mm2), and mutational profiles assessed by next-generation sequencing. Results: Overall, 228 patients without driver mutation ( EGFR, ALK, ROS1, and RET) were included in the analysis. The patients were classified into four following groups: Type I: PD-L1High (tumor proportion score [TPS]≥50%)/TILHigh (≥85/mm2; n = 73), Type II: PD-L1Low (TPS < 50%)/TILLow ( < 85/mm2; n = 70), Type III: PD-L1High/TILLow (n = 37), and Type IV: PD-L1Low/TILHigh (n = 48). The progression-free survival (PFS) and objective response rate (ORR) of anti-PD-1/anti-PD-L1 therapy clearly differed according to the different tumor microenvironment (TME) types (ORR and median PFS; Type I: 64%, 14.5 months, Type II: 12%, 2.1 months, Type III: 24%, 3.6 months, Type IV: 41%, 10.8 months). In patients with PD-L1High tumors, Type I tumors had significantly better ORR and PFS than Type III(ORR: p < 0.001, and PFS: p < 0.001) tumors. Regarding the association between mutational profiles, histology and the TME types, the presence of TP53 mutation and KRAS mutation significantly related to TILHigh (Type I and IV) and PD-L1High tumors (Type I and III), respectively. Pleomorphic and NSCLC- not otherwise specified histology were associated with Type I tumors, while LCNEC was associated with PD-L1 low tumors (Type II and IV). Conclusions: Various factors (mutational profile and histology) are related to TME classification based on the status of TILs and PD-L1 expression. Differential types of TME, including PD-L1 expression and TILs status, can accurately predict the efficacy of anti-PD-1/anti-PD-L1 therapy.[Table: see text]

Comparison of time to failure of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy versus pembrolizumab monotherapy: A consecutive analysis of NSCLC patients with high PD-L1 expression

9061

Background: There are two types of pembrolizumab-containing strategies for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) exhibiting a high expression level of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) (tumor proportion score [TPS] ≥50%): the early combination of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy, and chemotherapy after pembrolizumab failure. Which strategy is superior, however, remains unclear. Comparing progression-free survival (PFS) or progression after the next therapy line (PFS2) in previous clinical trials has not allowed any conclusions regarding superiority to be made. Instead, the time to failure of strategy (TFS), which represents the time until disease exacerbation when the same number of drugs has been used, should be used to compare the two strategies. Methods: We consecutively reviewed the efficacy and safety of first-line, pembrolizumab-containing regimens administered between December 2017 and November 2020. We divided the patients who received pembrolizumab as a first-line treatment into two groups according to whether they received chemotherapy: a pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy group (combo group), and a pembrolizumab monotherapy group (mono group). TFS was defined as the PFS in the combo group and the PFS2 in the mono group. We used the propensity score matching (PSM) method to reduce the bias. Results: Of the 964 patients with advanced NSCLC who underwent first-line treatment, 126 with a PD-L1 TPS ≥50% were eligible for inclusion in this analysis (89 in mono group, 37 in combo group). PSM matched 36 people from each of the two groups. The median follow-up period was 16.2 months (range, 0.1-34.3 months). The patient backgrounds were similar. The overall response rate (ORR) of the combo group was higher than that of the mono group (69.4% vs. 50.0%). The median PFS (mPFS) in the combo group was longer (11.4 months vs. 6.0 months). However, the median TFS (mTFS) of the two groups was almost the same (11.4 months vs. 11.7 months). At the time of the analysis, the median overall survival had not been reached. The frequency of all immune-related serious adverse events (irSAE) was similar, however, that of all SAE and AE leading to treatment discontinuation were larger in the combo group. Conclusions: The ORR of the combo group was higher than that of the mono group; however, the TFS was similar. We suggest that pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy, which can increase toxicity, might be of value in patients, producing a clinically meaningful increase in the ORR.[Table: see text]

Alectinib for Miliary Lung Metastasis in ALK-Positive Lung Adenocarcinoma

Background

Miliary pulmonary metastasis characterized by tiny nodules is a rare metastatic pattern in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is usually seen in patients harboring an EGFR mutation, and amylase-producing lung cancer is highly uncommon and rarely reported in NSCLC patients who have an EGFR mutation.

Case

A 32-year-old Japanese female was found to have miliary pulmonary nodules throughout both lung fields on a chest x-ray examination during an annual health check-up. Further examination by computed tomography (CT) revealed diffuse, bilateral, miliary nodules. Blood tests showed no increased tumor marker levels, but there was a significantly increased serum amylase level. A diagnosis of ALK-rearranged adenocarcinoma was made based on the results of a mediastinal lymph node biopsy obtained by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA). Treatment with alectinib resulted in rapid regression of the CT shadows and a reduction in the patient’s serum amylase level.

Conclusion

We have reported a case of ALK-rearranged NSCLC with a miliary pulmonary metastasis pattern that was sensitive to alectinib and in which the serum amylase level decreased in response to treatment with alectinib. Young patients with miliary pulmonary metastasis should be checked for all driver mutations.