Neoadjuvant Sintilimab and Chemotherapy for Resectable Stage IIIA Non-small-cell Lung Cancer

Neoadjuvant low-dose radiotherapy plus durvalumab and chemotherapy for potentially resectable stage III NSCLC: A phase Ib dose-escalation study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

This phase Ib study was designed to assess the safety/tolerability and preliminary antitumor activity of neoadjuvant low-dose radiotherapy (LDRT) plus durvalumab and chemotherapy for potentially resectable stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eligible patients received dose-escalated radiotherapy (10 Gy in 5 fractions [cohort 1], 20 Gy in 10 fractions [cohort 2], and 30 Gy in 15 fractions [cohort 3]) according to a 3 + 3 design, with concurrent durvalumab plus standard chemotherapy for two cycles. Primary objective was safety/tolerability. Secondary objectives included major pathological response (MPR), pathological complete response (pCR), event-free survival (EFS), and exploratory biomarker analysis.

RESULTS

Nine patients were enrolled and completed the planned neoadjuvant therapy. No dose-limiting toxicity was recorded. Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were observed in three (33.3 %) patients. Seven (77.8 %) patients successfully converted to resectable cases with R0 resection. No treatment-related surgical delay or death was reported. The MPR and pCR rates were both 33.3 % % (1/3) for cohort 1, 66.7 % (2/3) and 0.0 % for cohort 2, and 100.0 % (3/3), and 66.7 % (2/3) for cohort 3. At data cutoff, the 12 month-EFS rates were 33.3 %, 66.7 %, and 100 % for three cohorts, respectively. By biomarker analysis, TMB values were higher in either pathologically or radiologically responders than in others (all p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Neoadjuvant LDRT plus durvalumab and chemotherapy was well-tolerated in potentially resectable stage III NSCLC. The preliminary efficacy supports this combined regimen's potential, the optimal radiotherapy dosage was determined to be 30 Gy in 15 fractions, warranting further clinical investigation.

Integrated management of stage III in nonsmall cell lung cancer: where do perioperative chemotherapy and immunotherapy fit?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Early-stage nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 30% of the total NSCLC, being the stage III a heterogeneous disease that represents a challenge in the management of these patients. Multidisciplinary approach is essential for an adequate treatment strategy, with surgery being the only curative treatment. Neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy has been the standard of care for a long period, with modest results.

RECENT FINDINGS

Combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy has revolutionized the neoadjuvant setting of resectable NSCLC, improving pathologic complete responses and survival outcomes in this scenario. Furthermore, perioperative treatment with immunotherapy has also recently shown promising results in several phase III trials.

SUMMARY

The landscape of early-stage resectable NSCLC has evolved in recent years, with an improvement in the survival of these patients since the incorporation of immunotherapy in this scenario.

Efficacy and safety of different cycles of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in resectable non-small cell lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

There is no standard consensus on the optimal number of cycles of neoadjuvant immunotherapy prior to surgery for patients with locoregionally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We carried out a systematic review to evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant immunotherapy with different treatment cycles in order to provide valuable information for clinical decision-making.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov were systematically searched before May 2023. The included studies were categorized based on different treatment cycles of neoadjuvant immunotherapy to assess their respective efficacy and safety in patients with resectable NSCLC.

Results

Incorporating data from 29 studies with 1331 patients, we found major pathological response rates of 43 % (95%CI, 34-52 %) with two cycles and 33 % (95%CI, 22-45 %) with three cycles of neoadjuvant immunotherapy. Radiological response rates were 39 % (95%CI, 28-50 %) and 56 % (95%CI, 44-68 %) for two and three cycles, respectively, with higher incidence rates of severe adverse events (SAEs) in the three-cycle group (32 %; 95%CI, 21-50 %). Despite similar rates of R0 resection between two and three cycles, the latter showed a slightly higher surgical delay rate (1 % vs. 7 %). Neoadjuvant treatment modes significantly affected outcomes, with the combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy demonstrating superiority in improving pathological and radiological response rates, while the incidence of SAEs in patients receiving combination therapy remained within an acceptable range (23 %; 95%CI, 15-35 %). However, regardless of the treatment mode administered, an increase in the number of treatment cycles did not result in substantial improvement in pathological response rates.

Conclusion

There are clear advantages of combining immunotherapy and chemotherapy in neoadjuvant settings. Increasing the number of cycles of neoadjuvant immunotherapy from two to three primarily may not substantially improve the overall efficacy, while increasing the risk of adverse events. Further analysis of the outcomes of four cycles of neoadjuvant immunotherapy is necessary.

A current comprehensive role of immune-checkpoint inhibitors in resectable non-small cell lung cancer: A narrative review

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this article is to review the efficacy, safety, and evidence for current use and potential future uses of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in the management of resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

DATA SOURCES

A literature review was carried out through PubMed to identify completed and ongoing clinical trials evaluating the use, efficacy, and safety of ICIs in the management of resectable NSCLC.

DATA SUMMARY

To date, four phase 3 trials have emerged that have changed our treatment practice concerning the utilization of ICIs during the adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings. The IMpower010 and KEYNOTE-091 trials examined the application of adjuvant atezolizumab and pembrolizumab, respectively, following surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy. In the CheckMate 816 trial, the combination of nivolumab and chemotherapy as a neoadjuvant therapy received approval for patients with resectable NSCLC. Also, for patients with resectable NSCLC, the use of a pembrolizumab and chemotherapy combination as a perioperative therapy received approval based on the results of the KEYNOTE-671 trial. Apart from these trials, there are numerous phase 2 and phase 3 trials, some of which have been published while others are still in progress.

CONCLUSION

Despite the promising outcomes from these trials there remain several unanswered questions. In this review, we will assess clinical trials involving adjuvant, neoadjuvant, and perioperative ICIs, aiming to address the unresolved questions related to these therapeutic approaches.

Association of pathological response with long-term survival outcomes after neoadjuvant immunotherapy: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Complete pathological response (pCR) and major pathological response (MPR) have been proven to have a close association with improved event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) for patients accepting chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. However, further study focusing on neoadjuvant immunotherapy is limited. Here we provided an updated and comprehensive evaluation of the association between pathological response and long-term survival outcomes at patient level and trial level for neoadjuvant immunotherapy.

METHODS

We systematically searched and assessed studies in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library and relevant conference abstracts from inception to June 1, 2023. Studies reported EFS/OS results by pCR/MPR status were eligible.

RESULTS

Forty-three studies comprising a total of 4100 patients were eligible for the analysis, which included 39 studies for the patient-level analysis and 5 randomized controlled trials for the trial-level analysis. Our results highlighted that pCR was associated with improved EFS (HR, 0.48 [95 % CI, 0.39-0.60]) and OS (HR, 0.55 [95 % CI, 0.41-0.74]). The magnitude of HRs by MPR status were similar to the results by pCR status (EFS HR, 0.31 [95 % CI, 0.18-0.53]) and OS HR, 0.43 [95 % CI, 0.19-0.96]). However, no association between pCR and EFS at trial level was found (P = 0.8, R2 = 0).

CONCLUSION

Our meta-analysis demonstrates a strong association between pathological response and long-term survival outcomes at patient level across studies applying neoadjuvant immunotherapy in most solid tumors but we fail to validate the relationship at trial level. Therefore, an accepted surrogate endpoint applied to both patient and trial levels are waited for further search.

Neoadjuvant Chemoimmunotherapy for NSCLC: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Importance

To date, no meta-analyses have comprehensively assessed the association of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy with clinical outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in randomized and nonrandomized settings. In addition, there exists controversy concerning the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for patients with NSCLC with programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) levels less than 1%.

Objective

To compare neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy with chemotherapy by adverse events and surgical, pathological, and efficacy outcomes using recently published randomized clinical trials and nonrandomized trials.

Data Sources

MEDLINE and Embase were systematically searched from January 1, 2013, to October 25, 2023, for all clinical trials of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy and chemotherapy that included at least 10 patients.

Study Selection

Observational studies and trials reporting the use of neoadjuvant radiotherapy, including chemoradiotherapy, molecular targeted therapy, or immunotherapy monotherapy, were excluded.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Surgical, pathological, and efficacy end points and adverse events were pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis.

Results

Among 43 eligible trials comprising 5431 patients (4020 males [74.0%]; median age range, 55-70 years), there were 8 randomized clinical trials with 3387 patients. For randomized clinical trials, pooled overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.54-0.79; I2 = 0%), event-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.52-0.67; I2 = 14.9%), major pathological response (risk ratio, 3.42; 95% CI, 2.83-4.15; I2 = 31.2%), and complete pathological response (risk ratio, 5.52; 95% CI, 4.25-7.15; I2 = 27.4%) favored neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy over neoadjuvant chemotherapy. For patients with baseline tumor PD-L1 levels less than 1%, there was a significant benefit in event-free survival for neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy compared with chemotherapy (hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.62-0.89; I2 = 0%).

Conclusion and Relevance

This study found that neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy was superior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy across surgical, pathological, and efficacy outcomes. These findings suggest that patients with resectable NSCLC with tumor PD-L1 levels less than 1% may have an event-free survival benefit with neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy.

Perioperative Immunotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Practical Application of Emerging Data and New Challenges

Immune checkpoint inhibition, with or without chemotherapy, is an established standard of care for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). For locally advanced NSCLC treated with chemoradiotherapy, consolidation immunotherapy has dramatically improved outcomes. Recently, immunotherapy has also been established as a valuable component of treatment for resectable NSCLC with pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, and nivolumab all approved for use in this setting. As more results read out from ongoing perioperative clinical trials, navigating treatment options will likely become increasingly complex for the practicing oncologist. In this paper, we distill key outcomes from major perioperative trials and highlight current knowledge gaps. In addition, we provide practical considerations for incorporating perioperative immunotherapy into the clinical management of operable NSCLC.

Easily applicable predictive score for MPR based on parameters before neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in operable NSCLC: a single-center, ambispective, observational study

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (NACI) is promising for resectable nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but predictive biomarkers are still lacking. The authors aimed to develop a model based on pretreatment parameters to predict major pathological response (MPR) for such an approach.

METHODS

The authors enrolled operable NSCLC treated with NACI between March 2020 and May 2023 and then collected baseline clinical-pathology data and routine laboratory examinations before treatment. The efficacy and safety data of this cohort was reported and variables were screened by Logistic and Lasso regression and nomogram was developed. In addition, receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis were used to assess its power. Finally, internal cross-validation and external validation was performed to assess the power of the model.

RESULTS

In total, 206 eligible patients were recruited in this study and 53.4% (110/206) patients achieved MPR. Using multivariate analysis, the predictive model was constructed by seven variables, prothrombin time (PT), neutrophil percentage (NEUT%), large platelet ratio (P-LCR), eosinophil percentage (EOS%), smoking, pathological type, and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression finally. The model had good discrimination, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.775, 0.746, and 0.835 for all datasets, cross-validation, and external validation, respectively. The calibration curves showed good consistency, and decision curve analysis indicated its potential value in clinical practice.

CONCLUSION

This real world study revealed favorable efficacy in operable NSCLC treated with NACI. The proposed model based on multiple clinically accessible parameters could effectively predict MPR probability and could be a powerful tool in personalized medication.

Analysis of treatment-related adverse events and wound complications of surgical resection after neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer

Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy is becoming an increasingly important part of the management of lung cancer to facilitate surgical resection. This study aimed to summarize the treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) and wound complications of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Eligible studies of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for NSCLC were identified from PubMed, Embase and Web of Science. The endpoints mainly included TRAEs and wound complications. Stata18 software was used for statistical analysis with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Twenty studies including a total of 1072 patients were eligible for this study. Among the patients who received neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy, the pooled prevalence of any grade TRAEs was 77% (95% confidence interval [CI] [0.64-0.86]), grade 1-2 TRAEs was 77% (95% CI [0.58-0.89]) and grade ≥3 TRAEs was 26% (95% CI [0.16-0.38]). Surgery-related complications rate was 22% (95% CI [0.14-0.33]). Among the wound complications, the pooled rate of air leakage was 10% (95% CI [0.04-0.23]), pulmonary/wound infection was 8% (95% CI [0.05-0.13]), bronchopleural fistula was 8% (95% CI [0.02-0.27]), bronchopulmonary haemorrhage was 3% (95% CI [0.01-0.05]), pneumonia was 5% (95% CI [0.02-0.10]), pulmonary embolism was 1% (95% CI [0.01-0.03]), pleural effusion was 7% (95% CI [0.03-0.14]) and chylothorax was 4% (95% CI [0.02-0.09]). Overall, neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in NSCLC results a high incidence of grade 1-2 TRAEs but a low risk of increasing the incidence of ≥3 grade TRAEs and wound complications. These results need to be confirmed by more large-scale prospective randomized controlled trials and studies.

Adjuvant and neo-adjuvant therapy for non-small cell lung cancer without EGFR mutations or ALK rearrangements

Surgical resection is the most effective therapeutic option for the cure in early stage resectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, despite complete resection, up to 70% of patients die within 5 years mainly due to tumor recurrence in extra-thoracic organs. Adjuvant or neoadjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy may improve postoperative survival, but the absolute survival benefit is modest with an around 5% improvement at 5 years. Recent advance in systemic therapy has changed treatment strategy for advanced unresectable NSCLC, and also has provided a paradigm shift in treatment strategy for resectable NSCLC. For NSCLC without oncogenic driver alterations, immunotherapy using immune-checkpoint inhibitors may improve clinical outcomes in preoperative neoadjuvant setting as well as in postoperative adjuvant setting. Here, we overview recent evidence of adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy and discuss emerging clinical questions in decision-making of treatment for potentially resectable patients with NSCLC harboring no oncogenic alterations.

Efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant immunotherapy protocols and cycles for non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives

This study evaluated the use of different neoadjuvant immunotherapy cycles and regimens for non-small cell lung cancer.

Materials and methods

Databases were searched for articles published up until December 2023. Data on the major pathologic response (MPR), complete pathologic response (pCR), radiological response, treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), serious adverse events (SAEs), surgical resection, surgical complications, R0 resection, and conversion to thoracotomy were collected. A subgroup analysis was performed according to the treatment regimens and cycles. Stata/MP software was used for statistical analyses.

Results

In total, 2430 individuals were assessed from 44 studies. Compared with those following neoadjuvant immunotherapy alone (MPR/pCR/TRAEs/SAEs: ES=0.26/0.07/0.43/0.08, 95% CI: 0.18-0.34/0.04-0.10/0.28-0.58/0.04-0.14), the MPR and pCR rates, incidence of TRAEs and SAEs following neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy increased significantly (MPR/pCR/TRAEs/SAEs: ES=0.55/0.34/0.81/0.22, 95% CI: 0.48-0.63/0.28-0.41/0.69-0.90/0.13-0.33, P=0.001/0.002/0.009/0.034). No significant differences were found in the surgical resection, surgical complications, R0 resection, or conversion to thoracotomy. In the chemoimmunotherapy group, no statistically significant differences were found in the MPR and pCR rates, incidence of TRAEs and SAEs in the two-cycle, three-cycle and four-cycle groups (MPR/pCR/TRAEs/SAEs: ES=0.50;0.70;0.36/0.32;0.49;0.18/0.95;0.85;0.95/0.34;0.27;0.37, P=0.255/0.215/0.253/0.848). In the ICIs group, there was little change in the MPR and pCR rates, incidence of TRAEs and SAEs in the two-cycle group compared to the three-cycle group. (MPR/pCR/TRAEs/SAEs: ES=0.28;0.20/0.06;0.08/0.45;0.35/0.10;0.02, P=0.696/0.993/0.436/0.638). The neoadjuvant treatment cycle had no significant effect on surgical resection, surgical complications, R0 resection, or conversion to thoracotomy in both regimens.

Conclusion

Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy significantly increased the rate of tumor pathological remission compared to neoadjuvant immunotherapy alone but also increased the incidence of TRAEs and SAEs. The efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy are found to be favorable when administered for a duration of three cycles, in comparison to both two and four cycles.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#recordDetails, identifier CRD42023407415.

The impact of oncogenic driver mutations on neoadjuvant immunotherapy outcomes in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy has been demonstrated to be effective and safe in resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. However, the presence of different oncogenic driver mutations may affect the tumor microenvironment and consequently influence the clinical benefit from immunotherapy.

METHODS

This retrospective study included consecutive NSCLC patients (stage IIA to IIIB) who underwent radical surgery after receiving neoadjuvant immunotherapy at a single high-volume center between December 2019 and August 2022. Pathological response and long-term outcomes were compared based on the driver oncogene status, and RNA sequencing analysis was conducted to investigate the transcriptomic characteristics before and after treatment.

RESULTS

Of the 167 patients included in this study, 47 had oncogenic driver mutations. KRAS driver mutations were identified in 28 patients, representing 59.6% of oncogenic driver mutations. Of these, 17 patients had a major pathological response, which was significantly higher than in the non-KRAS driver mutation group (60.7% vs. 31.6%, P = 0.049). Multivariate Cox regression analysis further revealed that the KRAS driver mutation group was an independent prognostic factor for prolonged disease-free survival (hazard ratio: 0.10, P = 0.032). The median proportion of CD8+ T cells was significantly higher in the KRAS driver mutation NSCLCs than in the non-driver mutation group (18% vs. 13%, P = 0.030). Furthermore, immune-related pathways were enriched in the KRAS driver mutation NSCLCs and activated after immunotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that NSCLC patients with KRAS driver mutations have a superior response to neoadjuvant immunotherapy, possibly due to their higher immunogenicity. The findings highlight the importance of considering oncogenic driver mutations in selecting neoadjuvant treatment strategies for NSCLC patients.

Multiparametric MRI for evaluation of pathological response to the neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy in resectable non-small-cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the predictive value of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) quantitative parameters for the response to neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy (NCIT) in resectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, so as to provide a basis for clinical individualized precision treatment.

METHODS

Treatment naive locally advanced NSCLC patients who enrolled in 3 prospective, open-label, and single-arm clinical trials and received NCIT were retrospectively analyzed in this study. Functional MRI imaging was performed at baseline and following 3 weeks of treatment as an exploratory endpoint to evaluate treatment efficacy. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify independent predictive parameters for NCIT response. Prediction models were built with statistically significant quantitative parameters and their combinations.

RESULTS

In total of 32 patients, 13 were classified as complete pathological response (pCR) and 19 were non-pCR. Post-NCIT ADC, ΔADC, and ΔD values in the pCR group were significantly higher than those in the non-pCR group, while the pre-NCIT D, post-NCIT Kapp, and ΔKapp were significantly lower than those in non-pCR group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that pre-NCIT D and post-NCIT Kapp values were independent predictors for NCIT response. The combined predictive model, which consisted of IVIM-DWI and DKI, showed the best prediction performance with AUC of 0.889.

CONCLUSIONS

The pre-NCIT D, post-NCIT parameters (ADC and Kapp) and Δ parameters (ΔADC, ΔD, and ΔKapp) were effective biomarkers for predicting pathologic response, and pre-NCIT D and post-NCIT Kapp values were independent predictors of NCIT response for NSCLC patients.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT

This exploratory study indicated that IVIM-DWI and DKI MRI imaging would predict pathologic response of neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy in locally advanced NSCLC patients at initial state and early treatment, which could help make clinical individualized treatment strategies.

KEY POINTS

• Effective NCIT treatment resulted in increased ADC and D values for NSCLC patients. • The residual tumors in non-pCR group tend to have higher microstructural complexity and heterogeneity, as measured by Kapp. • Pre-NCIT D and post-NCIT Kapp values were independent predictors of NCIT response.

Efficacy, safety, and survival of neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy in operable non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy may benefit patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but its impact requires further investigation.

Methods

A meta-analysis was conducted. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched. The study was registered in PROSPERO (registration no. CRD42022360893).

Results

60 studies of 3,632 patients were included. Comparing with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy showed higher pCR (RR: 4.71, 95% CI: 3.69, 6.02), MPR (RR, 3.20, 95% CI: 2.75, 3.74), and ORR (RR, 1.46, 95% CI: 1.21, 1.77), fewer surgical complications (RR: 0.67, 95%CI: 0.48, 0.94), higher R0 resection rate (RR: 1.06, 95%CI: 1.03, 1.10, I2 = 52%), and longer 1-year and 2-year OS, without affecting TRAEs. For neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy in NSCLC, the pooled pCR rate was 0.35 (95% CI: 0.31, 0.39), MPR was 0.59 (95% CI: 0.54, 0.63), and ORR was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.66, 0.76). The pooled incidence of all grade TRAEs was 0.70 (95% CI: 0.60, 0.81), and that of >= grade 3 TRAEs was 0.24 (95% CI: 0.16, 0.32). The surgical complications rate was 0.13 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.18) and R0 resection rate was 0.98 (95% CI: 0.96, 0.99). The pooled 1-year OS was 0.97 (95%CI: 0.96, 0.99), and 2-year OS was 0.89 (95%CI: 0.83, 0.94). Patients with squamous cell carcinoma, stage III or higher PD-L1 performed better. Notably, no significant differences were observed in pCR, MPR, and ORR between 2 or more treatment cycles. Pembrolizumab-, or toripalimab-based neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy demonstrated superior efficacy and tolerable toxicity.

Conclusion

According to our analysis, reliable efficacy, safety, and survival of neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy for operable NSCLC were demonstrated.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022360893, identifier CRD42022360893.

Impact of Neoadjuvant Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors on Surgery and Perioperative Complications in Patients With Non-small-cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review

Several clinical trials are currently underway to evaluate immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) as neoadjuvant treatment for patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and their use in clinical practice is expected to increase in the future. Therefore, a proper assessment of surgical outcomes and perioperative complications after neoadjuvant ICIs is essential to establish recommendations and guidelines. We performed a systematic literature review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines (PRISMA), searching the PubMed and Scopus databases from the January 1, 2017, to the July 27, 2023, to identify potentially relevant published trials of neoadjuvant ICIs in patients with reseactable NSCLC with available information on surgical outcomes and perioperative complications. A total of 18 studies were included in the review. The rates of surgery cancellation ranged from 0% to 45.8%. Importantly, adverse events (AEs) were the least reported underlying cause, while disease progression caused from 0% to 75% of cancellations. Surgery delays ranged from 0% to 31.3% with AEs as the most frequently reported underlying cause. However, 6 out of 13 trials (46.2%) reported no surgery delays. Conversion rates from minimally invasive to open chest surgery were available for 7 trials and ranged from 0% to 53.8%. Thirty-day mortality rates ranged from 0% to 5.4%, with 11 out of 16 trials reporting 0%. A few reports described perioperative complications in detail. Considering the limited evidence available, we can preliminarily confirm that preoperative ICIs are safe and well tolerated even from the surgical perspective. Additional details on intraoperative findings from prospective controlled trials are needed to establish and disseminate guidelines and recommendations for thoracic surgeons.

Immune-checkpoint inhibition for resectable non-small-cell lung cancer - opportunities and challenges

Therapeutic strategies harnessing the immune system to eliminate tumour cells have been successfully used for several cancer types, including in patients with advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In these patients, immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can provide durable responses and improve overall survival either as monotherapy, or combined with chemotherapy or other immunotherapeutic agents. However, the implementation of ICIs in early stage NSCLC has been hampered by the continuous struggle to develop robust end points to assess their efficacy in this setting, especially those enabling a fast and reproducible evaluation of the clinical activity of neoadjuvant strategies. Several trials are testing ICIs, alone or in combination with chemotherapy, in early stage NSCLC as an adjuvant, neoadjuvant or perioperative approach. As a novelty, most trials in the neoadjuvant setting have adopted pathological response as a primary end point. ICIs have been approved for use in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings on the basis of event-free survival and disease-free survival benefit, respectively; however, the correlation of these end points with overall survival remains unclear in these settings. Unresolved challenges for the optimal use of ICIs with curative intent include concerns about their applicability in daily clinical practice and about improving patient selection based on predictive biomarkers or assessment of pathological response and minimal residual disease. In this Review, we discuss the rationale, available strategies and current trial landscape for the implementation of ICIs in patients with resectable NSCLC, and we further elaborate on future approaches to optimize their clinical benefit.

Does major pathological response after neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in resectable nonsmall-cell lung cancers predict prognosis? A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Overall survival is the gold-standard outcome measure for phase 3 trials, but the need for a long follow-up period can delay the translation of potentially effective treatment to clinical practice. The validity of major pathological response (MPR) as a surrogate of survival for non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after neoadjuvant immunotherapy remains unclear.

METHODS

Eligibility was resectable stage I-III NSCLC and delivery of PD-1/PD-L1/CTLA-4 inhibitors prior to resection; other forms/modalities of neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant therapies were allowed. Statistics utilized the Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effect or random-effect model depending on the heterogeneity ( I2 ).

RESULTS

Fifty-three trials (seven randomized, 29 prospective nonrandomized, 17 retrospective) were identified. The pooled rate of MPR was 53.8%. Compared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy achieved higher MPR (OR 6.19, 4.39-8.74, P <0.00001). MPR was associated with improved disease-free survival/progression-free survival/event-free survival (HR 0.28, 0.10-0.79, P =0.02) and overall survival (HR 0.80, 0.72-0.88, P <0.0001). Patients with stage III (vs I/II) and PD-L1 ≥1% (vs <1%) more likely achieved MPR (OR 1.66,1.02-2.70, P =0.04; OR 2.21,1.28-3.82, P =0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this meta-analysis suggest that neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy achieved higher MPR in NSCLC patients, and increased MPR might be associated with survival benefits treated with neoadjuvant immunotherapy. It appears that the MPR may serve as a surrogate endpoint of survival to evaluate neoadjuvant immunotherapy.

An open, observational clinical study of neoadjuvant therapy in resectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer

Background

This open, observational clinical study aimed to investigate the efficacy, safety and survival outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, neoadjuvant immunotherapy with(out) chemotherapy and neoadjuvant targeted therapy among resectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients (NCT04197076) in real world. 48 of the 57 evaluable patients were included in this interim analysis.

Methods

This study was conducted at Shanghai Chest Hospital and included eligible NSCLC patients who were 18 years or older and had resectable clinical stage III disease. Surgical resection was conducted after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (13 patients), immunotherapy with(out) chemotherapy (26 patients), and targeted therapy (9 patients). Disease-free survival (DFS) was evaluated as the primary endpoint. The secondary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR) rate. Clinical response rate (cRR), related adverse events (AEs), surgical feasibility and pathological features were also discussed in this study.

Results

Significant differences in DFS were noted between chemotherapy and immunotherapy [7.7 months (range, 3.1 to 23.2 months) vs. 9.6 months (range, 4.0 to 47.9 months); P=0.032], and between chemotherapy and targeted therapy [7.7 months (range, 3.1 to 23.2 months) vs. 13.2 months (range, 7.5 to 32.2 months); P=0.015], but not between immunotherapy and targeted therapy (P=0.500). Subgroup analysis also favored neoadjuvant immunotherapy and targeted therapy. 5 patients achieved pathological complete response (pCR), all of whom were in the neoadjuvant immunotherapy arm, leading to a pCR rate of 19.2% in this arm. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) of over grade 3 occurred in 11 patients (19.3%), with 5 (29.4%) in the chemotherapy arm, 5 (16.7%) in the immunotherapy arm and 1 (10.0%) in the targeted therapy arm. One grade 4 and one grade 2 surgery-related serious adverse event occurred in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy and immunotherapy arm, respectively.

Conclusion

In patients diagnosed with resectable stage III NSCLC, neoadjuvant immunotherapy and neoadjuvant targeted therapy were associated with significantly longer disease-free survival compared with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Clinical and pathological response rates were also higher in the immunotherapy and targeted therapy arm. Adverse events were found to be manageable and similar across all three groups, and surgical feasibility favored immunotherapy or targeted therapy rather than chemotherapy.

Clinical trial registration

https://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier NCT04197076.

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy for advanced, resectable non-small cell lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy (nIT) is a rapidly emerging paradigm for advanced resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The objectives of this PRISMA/MOOSE/PICOD-guided systematic review and meta-analysis were (1) to assess the safety and efficacy of nIT, (2) to compare the safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (nCIT) versus chemotherapy alone (nCT), and (3) to explore predictors of pathologic response with nIT and their association with outcomes.

METHODS

Eligibility was resectable stage I-III NSCLC and the receipt of programmed death-1/programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1)/cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 inhibitors before resection; other forms and modalities of neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant therapies were allowed. For statistical analysis, the Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effect or random-effect model was used, depending on the heterogeneity (I2 ).

RESULTS

Sixty-six articles met the criteria (eight randomized studies, 39 prospective nonrandomized studies, and 19 retrospective studies). The pooled pathologic complete response (pCR) rate was 28.1%. The estimated grade ≥3 toxicity rate was 18.0%. Compared with nCT, nCIT achieved higher rates of pCR (odds ratio [OR], 7.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.49-12.97; p < .001), progression-free survival (PFS) (hazard ratio [HR] 0.51; 95% CI, 0.38-0.67; p < .001), and overall survival (OS) (HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.36-0.74; p = .0003) but yielded similar toxicity rates (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.67-1.52; p = .97). The results remained robust on sensitivity analysis when all retrospective publications were removed. pCR was associated with improved PFS (HR, 0.25; 0.15-0.43; p < .001) and OS (HR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.10-0.67; p = .005). PD-L1 expressors (≥1%) were more likely to achieve a pCR (OR, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.22-7.03; p = .02).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with advanced resectable NSCLC, neoadjuvant immunotherapy was safe and efficacious. nCIT improved pathologic response rates and PFS/OS over nCT, particularly in patients who had tumors that expressed PD-L1, without increasing toxicities.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

This meta-analysis of 66 studies showed that neoadjuvant immunotherapy for advanced resectable non-small cell lung cancer is safe and efficacious. Compared with chemotherapy alone, chemoimmunotherapy improved pathologic response rates and survival, particularly for patients who had tumors that expressed programmed cell death ligand-1, without increasing toxicities.

Predictive value of radiological response, pathological response and relapse-free survival for overall survival in neoadjuvant immunotherapy trials: pooled analysis of 29 clinical trials

BACKGROUND

An increasing number of clinical trials are being conducted exploring the efficacy of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors. Surrogate end-points for overall survival (OS) are urgently needed.

METHODS

Phase II or III trials of neoadjuvant immunotherapy that reported data on OS and surrogate end-points were identified from January 1, 2000, to November 25, 2022. Individual patient data, and trial-level data were requested from corresponding authors or extracted from eligible trials. At the individual level, correlations between radiological and pathological response and OS were measured by the Cox model and quantified by hazard ratio (HR). C-statistic was used to quantify the predictive performance of radiological and pathological response for OS. The coefficient of determination (R²) between RFS and OS was evaluated by a bivariate survival model.

RESULTS

A total of 29 trials reporting 2901 patients were included. ORR correlated with improved OS (3-year OS: 87.0% versus 70.4% for ORR versus non-ORR, respectively; HR, 0.34, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.17-0.68). The HRs for OS in patients achieving MPR and pCR were 0.24 (95% CI, 0.12-0.46) and 0.13 (95% CI, 0.05-0.36). The survival benefit maintained after adjusting tumour type. C-statistics of ORR, MPR and pCR were 0.63, 0.63 and 0.65, respectively. The strength of association between RFS and OS was strong (R² = 0.88, 95% CI, 0.79-0.94).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that ORR, MPR, pCR and RFS are valid predictors for OS when using neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors. Moreover, MPR, pCR and RFS may be the most optimal surrogates for OS.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in stage III non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a heterogeneous disease with different subtypes, multidisciplinary teams-led management, and a poor prognosis. Currently, the clinical benefits of stage III NSCLC in the neoadjuvant setting are still unclear. We performed a meta-analysis of published data on neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in stage III NSCLC to systematically evaluate its efficacy and safety.

METHODS

We searched the databases to identify eligible studies of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for stage III NSCLC. The primary outcomes mainly included pathological and radiological response outcomes, the feasibility of surgery, and the safety of the regimen. The pathological and radiological response included the rate of major pathologic response (MPR), complete pathologic response (pCR), radiological response outcomes, and R0 resection; The feasibility included the rate of surgical resection, conversion to thoracotomy, surgical complications, pathological downstaging of clinical disease stage. The safety included the incidence of treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) and severe adverse events (SAEs). R 4.1.3 software was conducted for data analysis, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Nine trials containing a total of 382 populations were eligible for the meta-analysis, with the pooled surgical resection rate of 90%. Owing to the large heterogeneity of the single-rate meta-analysis, the random effect model was adopted. The estimated pooled prevalence of MPR was 56% (95%CI 0.39-0.72) and of pCR was 39% (95%CI 0.28-0.51). The pooled rate of TRAEs was 65% (95%CI 0.17-0.99) and SAEs was 24% (95%CI 0.05-0.49).

CONCLUSION

Compared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy or immunotherapy, neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy achieved more pathological and radiological relief, and has a high surgical resection rate and low risk of conversion to thoracotomy and surgical complications, with poor tolerance of toxicity but rarely developing life-threatening adverse events. In conclusion, neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy is suggested to be beneficial for stage III NSCLC.

An open, observational, three-arm clinical study of 2–3 cycles of treatment as neoadjuvant therapy in operable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: An interim analysis

Background

An open, observational, three-arm clinical study aimed at investigating the efficacy of different neoadjuvant therapies (neoadjuvant immunotherapy with(out) chemotherapy, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and neoadjuvant targeted therapy) in operable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was conducted (NCT04197076). We report an interim analysis of 49 of 53 evaluable patients.

Methods

This study was conducted at Shanghai Chest Hospital and included eligible NSCLC patients who were 18 years old and had clinical stage IIB–IIIB disease. All 49 patients had surgical resection within 4–6 weeks after 2–3 cycles of neoadjuvant treatment consisting of immunotherapy (24 patients), chemotherapy (16 patients), and a targeted therapy (9 patients) regimen starting on the first day of each 21-day cycle. Pathologic complete response (pCR) was evaluated as the primary endpoint. Major pathological response (MPR) and tumor regression rate (TRR) were also evaluated.

Results

An improved pathologic complete response was achieved in the neoadjuvant immunotherapy arm compared with the neoadjuvant chemotherapy arm and neoadjuvant targeted therapy arm [20.8% (5/24) vs. 6.3% (1/16) vs. 0.0% (0/9); P = 0.089, 95% CI 0.138–0.151]. More importantly, we found that the curative effect of the neoadjuvant immunotherapy arm in pCR+MPR was better than that of the neoadjuvant chemotherapy arm and neoadjuvant targeted therapy arm [45.8% (11/24) vs. 18.8% (3/16) vs. 0.0% (0/9); P = 0.006, 95% confidence interval, 0.008–0.012]. Different neoadjuvant therapies had a statistically significant effect on postoperative pathological tumor downstaging (P = 0.017).

Conclusions

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy was associated with a trend toward better pCR than the neoadjuvant chemotherapy arm and neoadjuvant targeted therapy. Curative effect (pCR + MPR) was significantly better with neoadjuvant immunotherapy (P = 0.006, 95% confidence interval, 0.008–0.012).

Clinical Trial Registration

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04197076?recrs=a&cond=NCT04197076&draw=2&rank=1.

[Progress of Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer]

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy, including neoadjuvant single- or dual-drug immunotherapy or combined immunotherapy with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, has witnessed a rapid development in non-small cell lung cancer. Clinical trials exhibited the encouraging pathological responses and certain clinical benefits in selected patients, with tolerable toxicity. Nivolumab with chemotherapy has been approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first immunotherapy-based treatment for non-small cell lung cancer in the neoadjuvant treatment setting. There is the need for further evaluation of long-term efficacy, side effects or surgical issues for neoadjuvant immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer.
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Sintilimab for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer

Anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunotherapy has dramatically changed the therapeutic landscape of inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and has been included in first-line treatments. Sintilimab is a domestic anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody in China that has received approvals from the National Medical Products Administration to treat classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and squamous and non-squamous NSCLC. In a prospective clinical study we led, neoadjuvant sintilimab has led to major and complete pathologic responses, which are recommended as surrogate endpoints for neoadjuvant immunotherapy; however, its effect remains inconclusive in pulmonary ground glass nodules. Meanwhile, combination plans seem more likely to be satisfying therapeutic options. Specifically, sintilimab plus platinum-based chemotherapy plans conferred better anti-tumor efficacy and clinical benefits compared to chemotherapy alone, which led to their approval in China and the acceptance of a biological license application in the US. Besides, the combination with other plans, such as docetaxel, cytokine-induced killer cell immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and anlotinib have also shown promising anti-tumor efficacy, with acceptable toxicities, and are therefore worth further exploration. In addition, several clinical trials on NSCLC at our center are ongoing. In general, sintilimab and its combinatorial plans were effective and well tolerated, but the treatment requires appropriate timing; pathologic responses can be surrogate endpoints for neoadjuvant immunotherapy, while more effective biomarkers are warranted. This study provides an overview of sintilimab-based clinical trials on NSCLC, and may support further investigation of sintilimab in future clinical trials.