FDA Approval Summary: Nivolumab for the Treatment of Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer With Progression On or After Platinum-Based Chemotherapy

Increased SNX20 and PD-L1 Levels Can Predict the Clinical Response to PD-1 Inhibitors in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Purpose

Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is widely used for predicting immune checkpoint inhibitors but has a limited effect on predicting clinical response. The aim of this study was to examine the prognostic value and PD-1 inhibitor therapeutic efficiency of SNX20 in lung adenocarcinoma.

Methods

We evaluated the mRNA and protein expression levels of SNX20 and PD-L1 and confirmed their predictive role in clinical response to anti-PD-1 therapy in 56 patients with advanced, refractory lung adenocarcinoma treated with PD-1 inhibitors. The expression of SNX family in different cancer types and the relationship between SNX20 and immune cells were evaluated in TCGA. The protein expression levels of SNX20, PD-L1 in 56 lung adenocarcinoma tissues were evaluated by immunohistochemistry.

Results

SNX20 mRNA expression has the strongest relationship with CD8a of the sorting nexin (SNX) family in lung adenocarcinoma and is strongly correlated with immune infiltration levels in 30 cancer types, especially in lung adenocarcinoma. A positive correlation between SNX20 and PD-L1 was found based on immunohistochemical data (Pearson’s r=0.3731 and p=0.0466). SNX20 and PD-L1 were also observed to have a significant positive correlation at the mRNA level. According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the best expression differentiation score of SNX20 and PD-L1 between responder versus non-responders in patients with lung adenocarcinoma using PD-1 inhibitors is 5. In univariate logistic regression analysis, both SNX20 (odds ratio [OR]=3.778, p=0.019) and PD-L1 (OR=5.727, p=0.004) expression levels are significant predictors of clinical response in the PD-1 inhibitor responder group, and SNX20 (OR=3.575, p=0.038) and PD-L1 (OR=5.484, p=0.007) are also predictors of the response to PD-1 inhibitors in the multivariate analysis. High SNX20/high PD-L1 expression group had longer overall survival than patients with high SNX20/low PD-L1 expression group or low SNX20/high PD-L1 expression group (p=0.013) and patients with low SNX20/low PD-L1 expression group (p=0.01).

Conclusion

SNX20 expression can be a promising predictor for therapeutic decision-making and treatment response assessment regarding PD-1 inhibitors, and special attention is required for the subgroup of patients with lung adenocarcinoma whose tumors express both high SNX20 and PD-L1.

Pulmonary Delivery of Biological Drugs

In the last decade, biological drugs have rapidly proliferated and have now become an important therapeutic modality. This is because of their high potency, high specificity and desirable safety profile. The majority of biological drugs are peptide- and protein-based therapeutics with poor oral bioavailability. They are normally administered by parenteral injection (with a very few exceptions). Pulmonary delivery is an attractive non-invasive alternative route of administration for local and systemic delivery of biologics with immense potential to treat various diseases, including diabetes, cystic fibrosis, respiratory viral infection and asthma, etc. The massive surface area and extensive vascularisation in the lungs enable rapid absorption and fast onset of action. Despite the benefits of pulmonary delivery, development of inhalable biological drug is a challenging task. There are various anatomical, physiological and immunological barriers that affect the therapeutic efficacy of inhaled formulations. This review assesses the characteristics of biological drugs and the barriers to pulmonary drug delivery. The main challenges in the formulation and inhalation devices are discussed, together with the possible strategies that can be applied to address these challenges. Current clinical developments in inhaled biological drugs for both local and systemic applications are also discussed to provide an insight for further research.

Clinical Characteristics Correlate With Outcomes of Immunotherapy in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Considering the existing indicators are not sufficient to predict the patient's response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), we conducted this study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ICIs in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, and to determine prognostic factors of ICIs. In this study, 61 patients diagnosed with advanced NSCLC who underwent ICIs were recruited. The univariate analysis revealed the number of metastatic sites, immune-related adverse events (irAEs) (≥ G2) and best response were significantly associated with both progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Peripheral blood biomarkers, including post-treatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and CEA levels were also associated with PFS, but not OS. The irAEs (≥ G2), best response and age were confirmed as independent predictors of a prolonged survival by multivariate analysis. The development of irAEs ≥ G2 correlated with a survival benefit in patients with advanced NSCLC (median PFS: 7.1 months vs. 4.6 months, P = 0.013). Thus, we concluded that identifying predictors of benefit from ICIs treatment will help to further extend patient survival in advanced NSCLC.

Principles of Immunotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Immunotherapy has transformed the treatment of many tumors. Robust data demonstrating improved overall survival and progression-free survival in patients treated with monoclonal antibodies have established immune checkpoint inhibitors as standard of care in stages III and IV non-small cell lung cancer. Nivolumab is effective in previously treated patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Pembrolizumab and atezolizumab are approved as monotherapy and in combination with other therapies. Ongoing trials investigate the potential role of immunotherapy in earlier disease settings. Identifying predictive biomarkers of response will further amplify the impact of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

Safety, Antitumor Activity, and Pharmacokinetics of Toripalimab, a Programmed Cell Death 1 Inhibitor, in Patients With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase 1 Trial

IMPORTANCE

Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) antibodies have shown substantial survival benefit in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Toripalimab is a promising and practicable PD-1 antibody; however, its performance in NSCLC has not been established.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the safety, antitumor activity, and pharmacokinetics of toripalimab in patients with advanced NSCLC and to evaluate the utility of JS311, a novel PD ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This single-arm open-label phase 1 trial enrolled 41 patients with advanced NSCLC that had progressed after at least 3 lines of therapy between September 21, 2017, and June 5, 2018, with a median (interquartile range) follow-up of 14.9 (3.2-22.5) months and included a cohort study comparing JS311 with other PD-L1 IHC assays that included 280 NSCLC specimens collected from January 1, 2016, to May 21, 2018. Data collection was conducted from September 21, 2017, to September 27, 2019, and analysis was conducted from September 27, 2019, to December 30, 2019.

EXPOSURE

Enrolled patients were administered a single dose of toripalimab, under 2 manufacturing processes and scales (200 L and 500 L), for safety and pharmacokinetic analysis within 28 days, followed by subsequent multidose infusions every 2 weeks. PD-L1 expression was determined by IHC with JS311, comparing its results with results from 22C3, 28-8, and SP263 simultaneously.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), estimated by Kaplan-Meier curves, and continuous variables compared by t test or Mann-Whitney test. Correlations between PD-L1 IHC antibodies were evaluated by Spearman correlation test.

RESULTS

A total of 41 patients (29 [70.7%] men) with a median (interquartile range) age of 59 (53 to 63) years who experienced disease progression following chemotherapy were included. The most common treatment-related adverse events were rash (6 [14.6%]), increased amylase level (5 [12.2%]), and increased aspartate aminotransferase level (5 [12.2%]). In 35 patients included in the pharmacokinetic analysis, drug exposure and area under curve after 1 dose was similar under both manufacturing processes and scales (mean [SD] for 200-L group: 12 465.28 [4128.17] hour × μg/mL; for 500-L group: 12 331.42 [2472.58] hour × μg/ml). In 28 patients included in the response and survival analysis, the median PFS and OS were 2.8 (95% CI, 2.7 to 4.6) months and 13.8 months (95% CI, 10.0 months to not reached), respectively. Stratified by PD-L1 tumor proportion score of at least 50%, 1% to 49%, and less 1%, median PFS rates were 11.2 months (95% CI, 2.3 months to not evaluable), 2.3 (95% CI, 1.7 to 2.7) months, and 2.8 (95% CI, 2.7 to 4.6) months, respectively. A total of 4 anti-PD-L1 IHC antibodies were compared during PD-L1 staining, using 280 NSCLC specimens. The consistency rates between the 4 antibodies were 80.8% to 89.5% (ρ, 0.619 to 0.790) and 93.3% to 95.5% (ρ, 0.691 to 0.773), with PD-L1 tumor proportion scores of 1% and 50% as cut points, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this study, toripalimab exhibited encouraging antitumor activity and manageable safety profiles among patients with heavily treated NSCLC. The novel PD-L1 IHC antibody JS311 was highly consistent with previously verified PD-L1 IHC assays.

Comparative efficacy and safety of PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors versus platinum-based chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a meta analysis of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE

The main aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of inhibitors of programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-1) and its ligand, programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials assessing the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors relative to platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC in PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane libraries from 2015 to 2020 were searched, along with review of studies at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and European society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). Pooled hazard ratios (HR) for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) and odds ratios (OR) for adverse events (AE) were calculated using STATA and Revman software.

RESULTS

PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors alone or combined with chemotherapy significantly improved OS (HR = 0.82, 95% CI:0.74-0.91, P = 0.01 or HR = 0.74, 95% CI:0.67-0.82, P = 0.001). PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors alone did not benefit PFS (HR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.89-1.10, P = 0.892), while combination therapy led to prolonged PFS (HR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.56-0.67, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that in NSCLC with PD-L1 ≥ 50%, treatment with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors alone significantly improved both PFS and OS. In patients subjected to the combined treatment regimen, we observed significant differences in PFS among groups stratified by PD-L1 expression (p < 0.001), immune drug type (p = 0.029), gender (p = 0.014) and liver metastasis (p = 0.035) and OS among groups stratified by immune drug type (p < 0.001), gender (P = 0.001) and smoking status (P = 0.041). Safety analysis showed that combination therapy increased chemotherapy-induced adverse events (AE), while PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors alone were associated with a lower incidence of any grade of treatment-related AEs (TRAE). A higher incidence of Grade 3-5 TRAEs and hypothyroidism was observed with PD-1 inhibitors than PD-L1 inhibitors.

CONCLUSIONS

First-line treatment of advanced NSCLC with immune monotherapy or immunochemotherapy confers a greater survival benefit than chemotherapy alone. Combination of chemotherapy with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors leads to an increase in adverse events, and PD-1 inhibitors offer enhanced survival benefits and fewer adverse events than PD-L1 inhibitors. Remarkably, female patients undergoing combination therapy had longer overall survival than male patients.

CircRNAs in anticancer drug resistance: recent advances and future potential

CircRNAs are a novel class of RNA molecules with a unique closed continuous loop structure. CircRNAs are abundant in eukaryotic cells, have unique stability and tissue specificity, and can play a biological regulatory role at various levels, such as transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Numerous studies have indicated that circRNAs serve a crucial purpose in cancer biology. CircRNAs regulate tumor behavioral phenotypes such as proliferation and migration through various molecular mechanisms, such as miRNA sponging, transcriptional regulation, and protein interaction. Recently, several reports have demonstrated that they are also deeply involved in resistance to anticancer drugs, from traditional chemotherapeutic drugs to targeted and immunotherapeutic drugs. This review is the first to summarize the latest research on circRNAs in anticancer drug resistance based on drug classification and to discuss their potential clinical applications.

Compare the efficacy and safety of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitors for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a Bayesian analysis

Background

Inhibitors of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) have represented a novel approach for the management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this study, we aimed to estimate five anti-PD-1/L1 agents (nivolumab, pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, durvalumab, and avelumab) using network meta-analyses (NMAs) and the Bayesian method to provide suggestions for advanced NSCLC treatments.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Wiley Online Library for eligible studies published up to March 2020. Both pairwise analyses and NMAs were conducted with clinical outcomes, including overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate, and the incidences of adverse events. Results were presented in several patient populations according to treatment lines and PD-L1 status.

Results

Nineteen randomized clinical trials (RCTs) involving 11,456 patients were included in our study. PD-1/L1 inhibitors showed significant benefits over chemotherapies in OS regardless of tumor PD-L1 status [first-line settings: OS =0.85, 95% CI (0.77, 0.94), I²=37%; second- or further-line settings: OS =0.77, 95% CI (0.71, 0.84), I²=37%]. The combined regimen of pembrolizumab and chemotherapy stood out to be the most effective and safest for patients in the first-line settings. Pembrolizumab monotherapy was showed to be the best especially for patients with PD-L1 ≥50%. In the subsequent-line settings, nivolumab ranked the best in improving the survival of patients, and durvalumab had the greatest effect in tumor shrinkage. Atezolizumab, followed by nivolumab, ranked the safest in reducing adverse events, whereas durvalumab was showed with the largest side effects among the five inhibitors.

Conclusions

The combination of pembrolizumab with chemotherapy is suitable for advanced NSCLC patients who have not received any systematic treatments before, and pembrolizumab monotherapy should also be considered, especially for patients with highly-expressed PD-L1 (≥50%). Nivolumab is the best option for patients with advanced NSCLC whose tumors have progressed following chemotherapies or combined modalities of treatments including chemotherapy. However, our results need to be further validated in future head-to-head clinical trials.

Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Non-small-cell Lung Cancer Patients With Different Metastatic Sites: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Organ-specific response patterns reported in previous studies indicate different response toward immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with different metastatic sites. This study aims to compare the efficacy of ICIs with conventional therapy in NSCLC patients with bone, brain or liver metastases. Materials and Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched for studies comparing ICIs with conventional therapy in NSCLC patients with bone, brain or liver metastases. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) among included studies was analyzed using the random effects model. Results: Eight studies consisting of 988 NSCLC patients were included, 259 with brain metastases and 729 with liver metastases. No available study with bone metastases information was identified. For patients with brain metastases, ICIs significantly improved their OS (HR, 0.57; P = 0.007). For patients with liver metastases, both OS (HR, 0.72; P = 0.006), and PFS (HR, 0.72; P = 0.004) improvements were observed in the ICI treatment arm. Subgroup analysis was conducted based on target of ICIs and treatment regimen. PD-1 inhibitors could benefit patients with liver or brain metastases on OS and PFS (brain metastases: OS, HR, 0.43; P < 0.001; liver metastases: PFS, HR, 0.52; P = 0.003; OS, HR, 0.66; P = 0.001), while PD-L1 inhibitors could not. Patients with brain metastases could only gain OS improvement from ICIs combined with chemotherapy (HR, 0.41; P = 0.001), but for patients with liver metastases, the benefit was detected using ICIs single agent (HR, 0.68; P = 0.012) or ICIs combined with chemotherapy plus anti-VEGF therapy (HR, 0.52; P = 0.005). Conclusion: ICIs could significantly improve OS in NSCLC patients with brain or liver metastases compared with conventional therapy. Patients with brain metastases could only gain OS benefit from ICIs combined with chemotherapy, while those with liver metastases obtained superior OS from ICIs single agent or ICIs combined with chemotherapy plus anti-VEGF therapy.

Clinical Application of Iodine-125 Seed Brachytherapy Combined with Anti-PD-1 Antibodies in the Treatment of Lung Cancer

PURPOSE

The purpose of this case report was to investigate the clinical efficacy and tolerability of anti-programmed cell death protein (PD)-1 antibody combined with iodine (I)-125 seed brachytherapy in lung cancer treatment.

METHODS

Three patients with advanced PD-L1-positive non-small-cell lung cancer were treated first with I-125 seed brachytherapy and then with anti-PD-1 antibody. Clinical efficacy was evaluated with Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors.

FINDINGS

All 3 patients had complete response or partial response. None of the 3 patients had reported obvious adverse events.

IMPLICATIONS

Encouraging preliminary results provide important support for further clinical treatment of lung cancer using anti-PD-1 antibody combined with I-125 seed brachytherapy.

Are there any ethnic differences in the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors for treatment of lung cancer?

Immunotherapy, especially immune checkpoint inhibitors, has revolutionized the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. However, data on ethnic differences in response to these treatments are still lacking. We reviewed the currently available clinical data on immune checkpoint inhibitors and analyzed the ethnic difference in terms of treatment efficacies and side effects. Despite different epidemiology, genetic susceptibility and molecular profiles, Asian lung cancer patients demonstrated comparable outcomes to Western patients in terms of response rates and survival benefits. The incidence of immune-related adverse events has been reported with a higher incidence in Japanese patients, but was not consistent across other Asian patient populations, and warrants further investigation.

Combination of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab in Cancers: From Clinical Practice to Ongoing Clinical Trials

Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) are inhibitory checkpoints that are commonly seen on activated T cells and have been offered as promising targets for the treatment of cancers. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)targeting PD-1, including pembrolizumab and nivolumab, and those targeting its ligand PD-L1, including avelumab, atezolizumab, and durvalumab, and two drugs targeting CTLA-4, including ipilimumab and tremelimumab have been approved for the treatment of several cancers and many others are under investigating in advanced trial phases. ICIs increased antitumor T cells’ responses and showed a key role in reducing the acquired immune system tolerance which is overexpressed by cancer and tumor microenvironment. However, 50% of patients could not benefit from ICIs monotherapy. To overcome this, a combination of ipilimumab and nivolumab is frequently investigated as an approach to improve oncological outcomes. Despite promising results for the combination of ipilimumab and nivolumab, safety concerns slowed down the development of such strategies. Herein, we review data concerning the clinical activity and the adverse events of ipilimumab and nivolumab combination therapy, assessing ongoing clinical trials to identify clinical outlines that may support combination therapy as an effective treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is one of the first studies to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ipilimumab and nivolumab combination therapy in several cancers.

Scientifically based combination therapies with immuno-oncology checkpoint inhibitors

The discovery of immune checkpoints and their role in modulating immune response have revolutionised cancer treatment in recent years. The immune checkpoints, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4, programmed cell death protein 1 and its ligand, programmed cell death-ligand 1, have been extensively studied. Currently 7 monoclonal antibodies targeting these immune checkpoints are approved for treatment of various cancers. Inhibiting immune checkpoints has shown some success in clinic, however, a proportion of patients do not benefit from this treatment. Several other inhibitory molecules, in addition to lymphocyte-associated protein 4 and programmed cell death protein 1, are known to be involved in regulating immune response. To further improve patient outcomes, studies have examined targeting these inhibitory molecules through combination therapies. This review discusses the current landscape of combination therapies of checkpoint inhibitors.

Nanomedicine in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: From Conventional Treatments to Immunotherapy

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains the most common cause of cancer-related mortality. The heterogeneous nature of this disease hinders its diagnosis and treatment, requiring continuous advances in research aiming to understand its intricate nature. Consequently, the retrospective analysis of conventional therapies has allowed the introduction of novel tools provided by nanotechnology, leading to considerable improvements in clinical outcomes. Furthermore, the development of novel immunotherapies based on the recently understood interaction of the immune system with the tumor highlights the real possibility of definitively treating NSCLC from its early stages. Novel engineering approaches in nanomedicine will enable to overcome the intrinsic limits of conventional and emerging therapies regarding off-site cytotoxicity, specificity, resistance mechanisms, and administration issues. The convergence point of these therapies with nanotechnology lays the foundation for achieving currently unmet needs.

Efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): a systematic literature review

Background

Therapeutic strategies with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) counteract the immunosuppressive effects of programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) and ligand-1 (PD-L1). ICI treatment has emerged in first- and second-line therapy of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As immunotherapeutic treatment with ICIs is a dynamic field where new drugs and combinations are constantly evaluated, we conducted an up-to-date systematic review on comparative efficacy and safety in patients with advanced NSCLC.

Methods

We searched PubMed up to February 2020 and Embase, CENTRAL, and clinical trial registries up to August 2018. Additionally, we checked reference lists. We dually screened titles, abstracts and, subsequently, full-texts for eligibility. Two reviewers assessed the risk of bias and graded the certainty of evidence following GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). For second-line therapy, we performed random-effects meta-analyses. Due to considerable clinical heterogeneity, we reported first-line results narratively.

Results

Of 1497 references, we identified 22 relevant publications of 16 studies. For first-line therapy, a combination of an ICI with chemotherapy improved progression-free survival and overall survival compared to chemotherapy but increased the risk of serious adverse events. Single-agent pembrolizumab increased overall and progression-free survival in patients with PD-L1 expression of ≥50% and resulted in less TRAE than chemotherapy. Compared to placebo, maintenance therapy with durvalumab increased overall and progression-free survival at the downside of higher risk of TRAE. For second-line therapy, a random-effects meta-analysis yielded a statistically significantly improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for ICIs compared to docetaxel (HR 0.69; 95% CI: 0.63-0.75 for OS; HR 0.85; 95% CI: 0.77 - 0.93 for PFS; 6 studies, 3478 patients; median OS benefit in months: 2.4 to 4.2). In meta-analysis, risk of any treatment-related adverse events of any grade was lower for ICI than docetaxel as second-line therapy (RR 0.76, 95% CI: 0.73-0.79; 6 studies, 3763 patients).

Conclusion

In first-line therapy of patients with advanced NSCLC, ICI is effective when combined with chemotherapy not depending on PD-L1 expression, or as monotherapy in high PD-L1 expressing tumors. For second-line therapy, single-agent ICI improves efficacy and safety compared to docetaxel.

Genomic and Immunologic Characterization of INI1-Deficient Pediatric Cancers

PURPOSE

Several aggressive pediatric cancers harbor alterations in SMARCB1, including rhabdoid tumors, epithelioid sarcoma, and chordoma. As tumor profiling has become more routine in clinical care, we investigated the relationship between SMARCB1 genetic variants identified by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and INI1 protein expression. Therapeutic approaches for INI1-deficient tumors are limited. Early reports suggest a potential role for immune checkpoint inhibition in these patients. Thus, we also investigated PD-L1 and CD8 expression in INI1-negative pediatric brain and solid tumors.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

We performed immunohistochemistry (IHC) for INI1 and immune markers (PD-L1, CD8, and CD163) and NGS on tumor samples from 43 pediatric patients who had tumors with INI1 loss on previous IHC or SMARCB1 genomic alterations on prior somatic sequencing.

RESULTS

SMARCB1 two-copy deletions and inactivating mutations on NGS were associated with loss of INI1 protein expression. Single-copy deletion of SMARCB1 was not predictive of INI1 loss in tumor histologies not known to be INI1-deficient. In the 27 cases with INI1 loss and successful tumor sequencing, 24 (89%) had a SMARCB1 alteration detected. In addition, 47% (14/30) of the patients with INI1-negative tumors had a tumor specimen that was PD-L1 positive and 60% (18/30) had positive or rare CD8 staining. We report on 3 patients with INI1-negative tumors with evidence of disease control on immune checkpoint inhibitors.

CONCLUSIONS

A significant proportion of the INI1-negative tumors express PD-L1, and PD-L1 positivity was associated with extracranial tumor site. These results suggest that clinical trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors are warranted in INI1-negative pediatric cancers.

Pattern-of-failure and salvage treatment analysis after chemoradiotherapy for inoperable stage III non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Loco-regional and distant failure are common in inoperable stage III non small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after chemoradiotherapy (CRT). However, there is limited real-world data on failure pattern, patient prognosis and salvage options.

METHODS

We analysed 99 consecutive patients with inoperable stage III NSCLC treated with CRT between 2011 and 2016. Follow up CT scans from date of the first-site failure were matched with the delivered radiation treatment plans. Intra-thoracic loco-regional relapse was defined as in-field (IFR) vs. out-of-field recurrence (OFR) [in- vs. outside 50Gy isodose line in the involved lung], respectively. Extracranial distant (DMs) and brain metastases (BMs) as first site of recurrence were also evaluated. Using the Kaplan-Meier method, impact of salvage surgery (sS), radiotherapy (sRT), chemotherapy (sCT) and immunotherapy (sIO) on patient survival was assessed.

RESULTS

Median follow-up was 60.0 months. Median PFS from the end of CRT for the entire cohort was 7.5 (95% CI: 6.0-9.0 months) months. Twenty-six (26%) and 25 (25%) patients developed IFR and OFR. Median time to diagnosis of IFR and OFR was 7.2 and 6.2 months. In the entire cohort, onset of IFR and OFR did not influence patient outcome. However, in 73 (74%) patients who survived longer than 12 months after initial diagnosis, IFR was a significant negative prognostic factor with a median survival of 19.3 vs 40.0 months (p < 0.001). No patients with IFR underwent sS and/or sRT. 18 (70%) and 5 (19%) patients with IFR underwent sCT and sIO. Three (12%) patients with OFR underwent sS and are still alive with 3-year survival rate of 100%. 5 (20%) patients with OFR underwent sRT with a median survival of 71.2 vs 19.1 months (p = 0.014). Four (16%) patients with OFR received sIO with a numerical survival benefit (64.6 vs. 26.4 months, p = 0.222). DMs and BMs were detected in 27 (27%) and 16 (16%) patients after median time of 5.8 and 5.13 months. Both had no impact on patient outcome in the entire cohort. However, patients with more than three BMs showed significantly poor OS (9.3 vs 26.0 months; p = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

After completion of CRT, IFR was a negative prognostic factor in those patients, who survived longer than 12 months after initial diagnosis. Patients with OFR benefit significantly from salvage local treatment. Patients with more than three BMs as first site of failure had a significantly inferior outcome.

Promising response to a PD-1 inhibitor (sintilimab) in non-small cell lung cancer: A case report

RATIONALE

Lung cancer is the cancer with the highest incidence and mortality in China and worldwide. Among them, 85% are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). No previous reports have been published to describe the clinical effect of the immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) sintilimab in NSCLC yet.

PATIENT CONCERNS

We report a case of a 64-year-old woman with a 20-day history of chest pain with computed tomography scan showing a right lower lung mass.

DIAGNOSES

Squamous NSCLC was diagnosed by bronchoscopy.

INTERVENTIONS

The patient was treated with sintilimab plus nedaplatin and paclitaxel as neoadjuvant therapy for 3 cycles, followed by right thoracotomy, right middle lobectomy, right lower lobectomy, hilar lymphadenectomy, mediastinal lymphadenectomy, and pericardiostomy.

OUTCOMES

The patient was discharged from the hospital 12 days after operation. Pathological report showed no cancer residue in the lung tissue, the bronchial stump, the anastomotic lung marginal tissue, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th lymph nodes or in the peribronchial lymph nodes after repeated sampling. The pathological stage was deemed T0N0M0. She remained disease free until the latest follow up in July 2019.

LESSONS

Sintilimab is a promising drug for patients with locally advanced NSCLC. However, its efficacy still requires further clinical investigations.

The efficiency of 18F-FDG PET-CT for predicting the major pathologic response to the neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade in resectable non-small cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

Investigate whether 18F-FDG PET-CT has the potential to predict the major pathologic response (MPR) to neoadjuvant sintilimab in resectable NSCLC patients, and the potential of sifting patients who probably benefit from immunotherapy.

METHODS

Treatment-naive patients with resectable NSCLC (stage IA-IIIB) received two cycles of sintilimab (200 mg, intravenously, day 1 and 22). Surgery was performed between day 29 and 43. PET-CT was obtained at baseline and prior to surgery. The following lean body mass-corrected metabolic parameters were calculated by PET VCAR: SULmax, SULpeak, MTV, TLG, ΔSULmax%, ΔSULpeak%, ΔMTV%, ΔTLG%. PET responses were classified using PERCIST. The above metabolic information on FDG-PET was correlated with the surgical pathology. (Registration Number: ChiCTR-OIC-17013726).

RESULTS

Thirty-six patients received 2 doses of sintilimab, all of whom underwent PET-CT twice and had radical resection (35) or biopsy (1). MPR occurred in 13 of 36 resected tumors (36.1%, 13/36). The degree of pathological regression was positively correlated with SULmax (p = 0.036) of scan-1, and was negatively correlated with all metabolic parameters of scan-2, and the percentage changes of the metabolic parameters after neoadjuvant therapy (p < 0.05). According to PERCIST, 13 patients (36.1%, 13/36) showed partial metabolic response (PMR), 21 (58.3%, 21/36) had stable metabolic disease, and 2 (5.6%, 2/36) had progressive metabolic disease (PMD). There was a significant correlation between the pathological response and the PET responses which were classified using PERCIST. All (100.0%) the PMR (ΔSULpeak% < - 30.0%) tumors showed MPR.

CONCLUSIONS

18F-FDG PET-CT can predict MPR to neoadjuvant sintilimab in resectable non-small cell lung cancer.

Regulation of PD-1/PD-L1 Pathway in Cancer by Noncoding RNAs

Immune checkpoint blockade has demonstrated significant anti-tumor immunity in an array of cancer types, yet the underlying regulatory mechanism of it is still obscure, and many problems remain to be solved. As an inhibitory costimulatory signal of T-cells, the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway can paralyze T-cells at the tumor site, enabling the immune escape of tumor cells. Although many antibodies targeting PD-1/PD-L1 have been developed to block their interaction for the treatment of cancer, the reduced response rate and resistance to the therapies call for further comprehension of this pathway in the tumor microenvironment. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are two main types of noncoding RNAs that play critical parts in the regulation of immune response in tumorigenesis, including the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. Here we summarize the most recent studies on the control of this pathway by noncoding RNAs in cancer and hopefully will offer new insights into immune checkpoint blockade therapies.

Immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer

Immunotherapy is a new genre of treatment for patients with advanced cancer. Initially approved for use in metastatic melanoma, immunotherapy has found a significant place in treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Clinical trials using several combinations of immunotherapy are underway to help to determine the best treatment for specific patient groups. This article reviews approved uses of immunotherapy for NSCLC, immune-related toxicities, and explores the future direction of this treatment.

Discovery of Highly Potent Benzimidazole Derivatives as Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase-1 (IDO1) Inhibitors: From Structure-Based Virtual Screening to in Vivo Pharmacodynamic Activity

In this study, a successful medicinal chemistry campaign that exploited virtual, biophysical, and biological investigations led to the identification of a novel class of IDO1 inhibitors based on a benzimidazole substructure. This family of compounds is endowed with an extensive bonding network in the protein active site, including the interaction with pocket C, a region not commonly exploited by previously reported IDO1 inhibitors. The tight packing of selected compounds within the enzyme contributes to the strong binding interaction with IDO1, to the inhibitory potency at the low nanomolar level in several tumoral settings, and to the selectivity toward IDO1 over TDO and CYPs. Notably, a significant reduction of L-Kyn levels in plasma, together with a potent effect on abrogating immunosuppressive properties of MDSC-like cells isolated from patients affected by pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, was observed, pointing to this class of molecules as a valuable template for boosting the antitumor immune system.

Encephalitis related to immunotherapy for lung cancer: Analysis of a multicenter cohort

INTRODUCTION

Using immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) to manage cancer is associated with various immune-related adverse events. Central and/or peripheral neurological disorders are rare and potentially serious. We analyzed the characteristics of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who developed immune-related encephalitis under anti-programmed-death protein-1 or its ligand (PD-1/PD-L1).

METHODS

Clinical, biological and radiological characteristics of ICI-treated NSCLC patients with immune-related encephalitis, from 6 centers, were evaluated retrospectively.

RESULTS

The 6 centers included 9 patients: all men, all smokers, median (range) age 67 (48-77) years, 78% adenocarcinomas, first- or second-line ICI for 5 and 4 patients, respectively. Two patients had non-active cerebral metastases at ICI onset. A median of 5 (1-22) ICI infusions preceded neurological symptoms, the most frequent being confusion (78%), fever (45%) and cerebellar ataxia (33%). CSF analyses revealed a median white blood cell count of 22/mm³ (1-210/mm³), with hyperlymphocytosis in 8 patients and high protein levels in all. All bacteriological and virological analyses were negative. Cerebral MRI was considered normal for 5 patients; 4 patients had FLAIR hypersignals consistent with brain parenchyma inflammation. Three patients required intensive care. All patients received corticosteroids (different doses), a median of 8.5 (6-18) days post-onset. Corticosteroids achieved rapid symptom regression without sequelae in 8 patients. The last patient, with the longest time until corticosteroid introduction, died. ICIs were never restarted in any patient.

CONCLUSION

Immune encephalitis, a rare but serious complication of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, carries a good prognosis when managed with early corticosteroids.

Pericardial tamponade during pembrolizumab treatment in a patient with advanced lung adenocarcinoma: A case report and review of the literature

Several studies have demonstrated increased pericardial effusion during anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, and treatment in patients who have developed pericardial tamponade is controversial. In this study, we describe a 63-year-old woman with stage IVA lung adenocarcinoma given pembrolizumab as a first-line therapy. After four cycles of pembrolizumab treatment, the patient suddenly developed a pericardial tamponade. Although pericardial effusion was increased, her tumor lesions were reduced. After an emergency pericardiocentesis, she continued the pembrolizumab therapy without recurrent pericardial effusions for three months until the primary tumor and lymph node metastasis progressed. Nine months after the pericardiocentesis, the patient died of progressive lung cancer, but pericardial effusion did not recur throughout the treatment course. This case study suggests that pembrolizumab therapy can be continued with a strict follow-up in some patients with pembrolizumab-induced pericardial tamponade. KEY POINTS: • Significant findings of the study Our patient developed pericardial tamponade during pembrolizumab treatment but continued pembrolizumab treatment after emergency pericardiocentesis without recurrent pericardial effusions. • What this study adds Pembrolizumab treatments may be resumed with a strict follow-up in some patients with treatment-related pericardial tamponade.

Agreement between PDL1 immunohistochemistry assays and polymerase chain reaction in non-small cell lung cancer: CLOVER comparison study

The goal of the CLOVER study was to perform a pairwise comparison of four tests based on the same patient population with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): three validated PDL1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays (Ventana SP142, Ventana SP263, Dako 22C3) and one PCR test. Four hundred seventy-three NSCLC samples were obtained from a biobank and were stained using PDL1 IHC assays. Four trained pathologists independently evaluated the percentage of tumor cells (TC) and immune cells (IC) that stained positive at any intensity. PDL1 transcripts were quantified in 437 patients by a standard Taqman RT-PCR assay using SDHA as a reference gene. A concordance analysis was performed to assess (1) the correlation of TC and IC between different assays and (2) the predictive properties of one test for another. “High” RNA expression was detected in 187 of 437 (43%) patients. The percentage of PDL1-positive cells (≥1%) was higher among the IC than the TC in all IHC three assays. The Pearson correlation coefficients (PCC) for TC were 0.71, 0.87, and 0.75 between 22C3/SP142, 22C3/SP263, and SP263/SP142, respectively. The PCC for IC were 0.45, 0.61, and 0.68 for the same pairs. A low correlation was observed between the PCR test and each of the three IHC assays; however, if a patient tested low/negative by PCR, then they were likely to test negative by any single IHC test with a high probability (92–99%). Among patients who tested positive by PCR, only 9–45% tested positive by IHC assays. There was excellent positive and negative agreement (>91%) between 22C3 and SP263 staining using the recommended individual cutoffs for first-line treatment. PCR RNA expression analysis is not equivalent to IHC. However, this method may have some potential for the identification of PDL1-negative tumors. 22C3 could be considered as a substitute for SP263 in first-line treatment.

PD-1/PD-L1 Blockade Therapy in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Current Status and Future Directions

This article summarizes the latest clinical applications of PD‐1/PD‐L1 blockade therapy in advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) worldwide and in China, reporting the bottlenecks related to the use of this therapy in clinic. An exploration of the underlying mechanism of PD‐1/PD‐L1 blockade therapy and biomarker identification will maximize the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors in advanced NSCLC and facilitate bedside‐to‐bench studies in cancer immunotherapy.

The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has become one of the most promising approaches in the field of cancer therapy. Unlike the current therapies that target tumor cells, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or targeted therapy, ICIs directly restore the exhausted host antitumor immune responses mediated by the tumors. Among multiple immune modulators identified, the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1)/programmed cell death protein ligand 1 (PD‐L1) axis leading to the exhaustion of T‐cell immunity in chronic infections and tumors has been widely investigated. Therefore, blocking antibodies targeting PD‐1 or PD‐L1 have been developed and approved for the treatment of various advanced cancers, including non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC), making them the most successful ICIs. Compared with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, PD‐1/PD‐L1 blockade therapy significantly improves the durable response rate and prolongs long‐term survival with limited adverse effects in both monotherapy and combination therapy for advanced NSCLC. However, extensive challenges exist for further clinical applications, such as a small fraction of benefit population, primary and acquired resistance, the lack of predictive and prognostic biomarkers, and treatment‐related adverse effects. In this article, we summarize the latest clinical applications of PD‐1/PD‐L1 blockade therapy in advanced NSCLC worldwide, as well as in China, and discuss the bottlenecks related to the use of this therapy in clinical practice. An exploration of the underlying mechanism of PD‐1/PD‐L1 blockade therapy and biomarker identification will maximize the application of ICIs in advanced NSCLC and facilitate bedside‐to‐bench studies in cancer immunotherapy as well.

Implications for Practice.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) and programmed cell death protein ligand 1 (PD‐L1) display apparent benefits for the treatment of advanced non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the clinical applications of these therapies are challenged by the limited benefit population with additional high economic burden and adverse events. This review discusses the bottlenecks of ICI therapy in clinical practice and provides appropriate guidance in the development of predictive biomarkers, the establishment of the criteria for combining PD‐1/PD‐L1 blockade therapy with the existing therapies, and the management of adverse events observed both in monotherapy and combination therapy, which will help maximize the applications of ICIs in advanced NSCLC.

An observational single-center study of nivolumab in Indian patients with recurrent advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Purpose

Limited treatment options are available for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after failure of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. The treatment of recurrent advanced NSCLC progressed with the arrival of nivolumab and other immunotherapeutic agents. Our single-center prospective study aimed to present the effectiveness and safety of nivolumab in second-line setting after first-line platinum doublet in Indian patients with advanced NSCLC.

Patients and Methods

Twenty-nine adult patients with stage IV NSCLC treated with nivolumab after failure of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy at Bhagwan Mahaveer Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Jaipur, India, between October 2016 and January 2018, were included in the study. Overall survival (OS), hematological, and nonhematological toxicities were evaluated.

Results

A total of 29 patients (mean age of 59.6 years at enrollment) were evaluated. Histological evaluation revealed adenocarcinoma (44.8%) and squamous (55.2%) type of cancer. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score was II in 7 patients (24.1%) and I in 22 (75.9%) patients. Patients received an average of four cycles of nivolumab. The median survival duration was 101 days, and OS rate in the study was 51.7%. Six patients (20.7%) had stable disease response, five patients (17.2%) had partial response, and three patients (10.3%) were lost to follow-up. Asthenia and cough were the most common nonhematological toxicities. Only three patients developed hematological toxicities (anemia and thrombocytopenia).

Conclusion

Data from our study suggest nivolumab is well-tolerated and effective in Indian patients with recurrent advanced NSCLC after failure of the multiple first lines of platinum-based combination chemotherapy.

Acetylene Group, Friend or Foe in Medicinal Chemistry

The use of an acetylene (ethynyl) group in medicinal chemistry coincides with the launch of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry in 1959. Since then, the acetylene group has been broadly exploited in drug discovery and development. As a result, it has become recognized as a privileged structural feature for targeting a wide range of therapeutic target proteins, including MAO, tyrosine kinases, BACE1, steroid receptors, mGlu5 receptors, FFA1/GPR40, and HIV-1 RT. Furthermore, a terminal alkyne functionality is frequently introduced in chemical biology probes as a click handle to identify molecular targets and to assess target engagement. This Perspective is divided into three parts encompassing: (1) the physicochemical properties of the ethynyl group, (2) the advantages and disadvantages of the ethynyl group in medicinal chemistry, and (3) the impact of the ethynyl group on chemical biology approaches.

Initial Experience after Transition to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Treated in a Rural Healthcare Region

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the patterns of palliative care, terminal care, and hospital deaths in deceased patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI).

Methods

This study involves a retrospective analysis of a group of 32 patients treated with first- or second-line ICI regimens. The group was compared with a matched contemporary cohort of patients who received systemic treatment that did not include an ICI. The 1:1 matching was based on sex, age, stage of cancer (IV versus lower), and initial treatment after diagnosis (locoregional versus systemic).

Results

The median overall survival from diagnosis was 9.8 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 7.4-12.2 months] in the non-ICI patients and 11.6 months (95% CI: 5.9-17.3 months) in the ICI group (p: 0.09). Death resulting from toxicity was recorded in two patients (non-ICI) and one patient (ICI), respectively (p: 0.8). Hospital death was more common after ICI (19 versus 11 patients, p: 0.08). During the last three months of life, non-ICI patients spent a median of 11 days (range: 0-28) in the hospital, compared with 20 days (range: 0-45) for ICI patients (p: 0.005). More ICI patients (21 versus 14) received systemic therapy during the last three months of life (p: 0.13). However, treatment rates during the last four weeks were comparable (eight non-ICI and six ICI patients, respectively; p: 0.8).

Conclusion

We did not identify any concerns regarding the fatal toxicity of ICI treatment. Due to several different baseline parameters, there are reasons to believe that hospitalization and hospital death in the ICI group were mainly related to unevenly distributed disease characteristics and not to ICI administration itself. Since real-world data from rural patient cohorts might differ from those obtained in clinical trials, it is necessary to conduct additional and larger studies about ICI-associated patterns of terminal care.

Very high-dose methylprednisolone for treatment of nivolumab-induced limbic encephalitis: A case report

Introduction

Nivolumab is a programmed death 1 (PD-1) inhibitor approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of eight different cancers including metastatic melanoma. Immune checkpoint blockade may lead to a range of neurologic immune-related adverse events (irAEs) with severity varying from mild to life-threatening, including encephalitis.

Case report

We describe a case of a 68-year-old man who developed alteration in mental status, physical weakness and fatigue after nine cycles of nivolumab 3 mg/kg every two weeks. These symptoms were compatible with a clinical diagnosis of autoimmune limbic encephalitis, although no specific antibodies were detected and the initial MRI was normal.

Management and outcome

The patient received intravenous methylprednisolone 1 g daily for 5 days, which was then converted to a maintenance dose of oral prednisone. The patient made a full clinical recovery but relapsed clinically upon steroid tapering, while hypersignal in the left mesial temporal suggestive of limbic encephalitis was observed on repeated MRI.

Discussion

Because of the prevailing usage of nivolumab in many cancer protocols, this case highlights the importance of rapidly recognising neurological impairment in patients treated with nivolumab and of initiating very high doses of corticosteroids.

The emerging development of tumor mutational burden in patients with NSCLC

Immunocheckpoint inhibitors (ICIs) which target PD-1 and CTLA-4 have dramatically changed the history of non-small-cell lung cancer treatment. Multiple biomarkers especially tumor mutational burden (TMB) have been raised to be potential predictors of response to ICIs. However, great value of TMB has been observed in patients who receive ICIs monotherapy instead of ICIs combination therapy from latest exploratory studies. Thus, the innovative concept of TMB needs to be identified. This study uncovers specific aspects of TMB including signatures of TMB, factors related with variation, racial differences, heterogeneity between tissue TMB and blood-based TMB. Additionally, more and more factors are found valuable in clinical trials, suggesting that more markers should be further investigated as interesting candidates for response prediction beyond TMB.

Worsening of anti-Hu paraneoplastic neurological syndrome related to anti-PD-1 treatment: Case report and review of literature

We present an illustrative case of a 62-year-old woman with small cell lung cancer who developed progressive worsening of pre-existing anti-Hu antibody associated sensory neuronopathy after treatment with programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor, nivolumab. We review the literature and identify 6 reported cases to understand the clinical outcomes of patients with anti-Hu paraneoplastic neurologic syndrome (PNS) treated with anti-PD-1 treatment. The PNS clinical spectrum comprised of encephalitis, a combination of sensory neuronopathy and anti-NMDAR encephalitis, isolated sensory neuronopathy, and encephalomyelitis. Immune checkpoint inhibitor have the potential to worsen pre-existing anti-Hu PNS and may promote the development of anti-Hu PNS.

Pharmacodynamics of current and emerging PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer

Introduction: As of today, one of the cornerstones of NSCLC treatment is represented by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICI) treatment in the form of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies. However, apart from currently approved, recommended and employed agents (nivolumab, pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, durvalumab), several new agents are currently under development and investigation both in monotherapy and in combinational settings.Areas covered: This paper aims to discuss both the current state of the art and the most interesting emerging PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors and their present and future role in metastatic NSCLC treatment.Expert opinion: Great scientific interest lies in combinational settings, involving both already developed FDA and EMA approved and not approved agents and anti-PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors, that will certainly provide data about pharmacodynamic and clinical properties of these associations, enhancing our understanding of ICIs and cancer immunotherapy. Moreover, new potential predictive biomarkers are much needed, especially considering the less decisive role of PD-L1 in treatment algorithms involving chemo-immune combinations and the current lack of other validated predictive biomarkers.

Cost and Utilization of Lung Cancer End-of-Life Care Among Racial-Ethnic Minority Groups in the United States

BACKGROUND

The end-of-life period is a crucial time in lung cancer care. To have a better understanding of the racial-ethnic disparities in health care expenditures, access, and quality, we evaluated these disparities specifically in the end-of-life period for patients with lung cancer in the U.S.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database to analyze characteristics of lung cancer care among those diagnosed between the years 2000 and 2011. Linear and logistic regression models were constructed to measure racial-ethnic disparities in end-of-life care cost and utilization among non-Hispanic (NH) Asian, NH black, Hispanic, and NH white patients while controlling for other risk factors such as age, sex, and SEER geographic region.

RESULTS

Total costs and hospital utilization were, on average, greater among racial-ethnic minorities compared with NH white patients in the last month of life. Among patients with NSCLC, the relative total costs were 1.27 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-1.33) for NH black patients, 1.36 (95% CI, 1.25-1.49) for NH Asian patients, and 1.21 (95% CI, 1.07-1.38) for Hispanic patients. Additionally, the odds of being admitted to a hospital for NH black, NH Asian, and Hispanic patients were 1.22 (95% CI, 1.15-1.30), 1.47 (95% CI, 1.32-1.63), and 1.18 (95% CI, 1.01-1.38) times that of NH white patients, respectively. Similar results were found for patients with SCLC.

CONCLUSION

Minority patients with lung cancer have significantly higher end-of-life medical expenditures than NH white patients, which may be explained by a greater intensity of care in the end-of-life period.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This study investigated racial-ethnic disparities in the cost and utilization of medical care among lung cancer patients during the end-of-life period. Compared with non-Hispanic white patients, racial-ethnic minority patients were more likely to receive intensive care in their final month of life and had statistically significantly higher end-of-life care costs. The findings of this study may lead to a better understanding of the racial-ethnic disparities in end-of-life care, which can better inform future end-of-life interventions and help health care providers develop less intensive and more equitable care, such as culturally competent advanced care planning programs, for all patients.

The efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer patients of different age groups: a meta-analysis

Background

Age is closely related to the efficacy of treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Latest clinical trials have proved the better overall survival (OS) for the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors verse chemotherapy in NSCLC patients. However, we had no clear idea of the efficacy of them in elderly patients. So we conducted a meta-analysis to compare the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors for NSCLC patients of different age groups and summarized overall treatment-related adverse events.

Materials and methods

PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library were searched for all clinical trials in NSCLC until 30th of April 2019. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing immune checkpoint inhibitors with chemotherapy in NSCLC patients. The hazard ratio (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of OS, progression-free survival or adverse events (AEs) were used.

Results

A total of 4994 patients from 8 RCTs were included. Immune checkpoint inhibitors significantly prolonged the OS (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.61–0.89) versus chemotherapy in NSCLC patients who were less than 65 years old. Also, they prolonged the OS (HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.59–0.93) in NSCLC patients who were more than 65 years old. However, there was no statistical significance of OS (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.57–1.30) among NSCLC patients who were more than 75 years old. It also showed that the single use of immune checkpoint inhibitors had fewer all-grade AEs.

Conclusion

Regardless of the NSCLC patients who were less or more than 65 years, immune checkpoint inhibitors could achieve better OS than chemotherapy. But there was no significant difference when NSCLC patients who were more than 75 years old. Older patient should be offered immune therapies if it is possible and the mechanism in old age treatment should be further studied.

Immunogenicity of Del19 EGFR mutations in Chinese patients affected by lung adenocarcinoma

Background

Mutant peptides presented by cancer cells are superior vaccine candidates than self peptides. The efficacy of mutant K-Ras, P53 and EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) peptides have been tested as cancer vaccines in pancreatic, colorectal, and lung cancers. The immunogenicity of EGFR Del19 mutations, frequent in Chinese lung adenocarcinoma patients, remains unclear.

Results

We predicted the HLA binding epitopes of Del19 mutations of EGFR in Chinese lung adenocarcinoma patients with NetMHC software. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect the EGFR-reactive IgG in lung cancer patients. Del19 mutations may be presented by multiple HLA Class I molecules, with delE746_A750 presented by 37.5% of Chinese population. For HLA Class II molecules, Del19 mutations of EGFR may be presented by multiple HLA-DRB1 molecules, with delE746_A750 presented by 58.1% of Chinese population. Serum reactivity to wild type EGFR protein was significantly higher in patients with Del19 EGFR mutations than those with EGFR L858R point mutation or with EGFR wild type genotype.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that Del19 mutations of EGFR, with an estimated frequency of 40% in Chinese lung adenocarcinoma patients, may serve as unique targets for immunotherapy in Chinese lung cancer patients.

Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer patients of different ages: a meta-analysis

Aim: We conducted an up-to-date meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to compare the immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in different age groups. Methods: The relevant RCTs in cancer patients receiving ICIs were searched and the systematic evaluation was performed. PubMed, MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for studies published till January 2019. Results: A total of 27 RCTs included 17,546 patients were available for this meta-analysis. ICIs significantly improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in both of the younger (<65 years) and the older cancer patients (≥65 years). No significantly prolonged OS and PFS was observed among patients older than 75 years. Conclusion: ICIs could not significantly improve OS and PFS compared with controls in cancer patients aged over 75 years.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Basics and Challenges

Cancer is one of the most deadly diseases in the modern world. The last decade has witnessed dramatic advances in cancer treatment through immunotherapy. One extremely promising means to achieve anti-cancer immunity is to block the immune checkpoint pathways - mechanisms adopted by cancer cells to disguise themselves as regular components of the human body. Many review articles have described a variety of agents that are currently under extensive clinical evaluation. However, while checkpoint blockade is universally effective against a broad spectrum of cancer types and is mostly unrestricted by the mutation status of certain genes, only a minority of patients achieve a complete response. In this review, we summarize the basic principles of immune checkpoint inhibitors in both antibody and smallmolecule forms and also discuss potential mechanisms of resistance, which may shed light on further investigation to achieve higher clinical efficacy for these inhibitors.

Comparative Safety of PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors for Cancer Patients: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Background: Comprehensive evidence comparing treatment-related adverse events (trAEs) among PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors is unavailable.

Methods: A systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted. Randomized controlled trials in cancer patients treated with PD1/PD-L1 inhibitors or their combinations with chemotherapy/placebo and compared with PD1/PD-L1 inhibitors/chemotherapy/placebo were identified through comprehensive searches of multiple databases. Bayesian NMA was performed using random-effects model. Relative ranking of treatments was assessed with surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA) probabilities. Incidences and odds ratios of trAEs and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) of all-grade (Grade 1–5) and high-grade (Grade 3–5) were estimated.

Results: Twenty-three RCTs (14,204 patients) comparing six different strategies were included. The incidence of trAEs was lowest for PD-L1 inhibitors (all-grade: pooled incidence = 60.4%, SUCRA = 77.2%; high-grade: 6.4, 73.8%). PD-L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy had the highest incidence of all-grade trAEs (88.6, 10.1%), while PD-1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy had the highest incidence of high-grade trAEs (8.2, 9.3%). The use of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors alone was associated with significant reductions on high-grade trAEs, compared with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy. PD-1 inhibitors had the highest incidence of irAEs (all-grade: 15.1, 9.5%; high-grade: 3.5, 16.8%). Compared with PD-L1 inhibitors, PD-1 inhibitors neither increased trAEs nor irAEs significantly. Results from sensitivity analyses were consistent.

Conclusions: Current data showed that PD-L1 inhibitors had the best safety on both trAEs and irAEs. Awareness of the comparative safety could promote further appropriate utilization of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in clinical practice.