Treatment of elderly patients or patients who are performance status 2 (PS2) with advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer without epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) translocations - Still a daily challenge

Retrospective study of cisplatin plus radiotherapy toxicities in locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck - ReCisTT study

Introduction

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is a multifactorial disease involving genetic and environmental factors representing one of the most frequent cancer-related deaths worldwide. Tobacco and alcohol use account for most SCCHN, while a growing subset of oropharyngeal cancers is causally associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Despite improvements in overall survival, patients with HPV-negative locally advanced (LA) SCCHN continue to have a poor prognosis. For these patients, the standard of care is radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy (RCT).

Methods

This retrospective, multicenter, and observational study analyzed the treatment compliance of 326 patients with LA-SCCHN who underwent RCT between January 1st, 2014, and June 30th, 2017. This study also evaluated the potential factors associated with treatment compliance, the compliance impact on clinical response, and the main toxicities experienced by patients.

Results

A total of 274 (84%) patients were compliant and received the planned dose of cisplatin. Overall, 957 adverse events were reported in 98.2% of patients during the study. The overall response rate was 80.2%, with 60.4% of patients achieving a complete response.

Discussion

Despite the high treatment compliance, 62.6% of adverse events reported were related to cisplatin. Identifying risk factors associated with non-compliance could enable physicians to identify ineligible patients for cisplatin-based RCT and prevent patients from receiving inadequate treatment leading to severe adverse events..

Combination of immunotherapy, radiotherapy and denosumab as the best approach even for NSCLC poor prognosis patients: a case report with strong response, prolonged survival and a review of literature

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) with bone metastasis and poor performance status has the worst prognosis even in strong PD-L1 expression patients. Treatment approach includes immuno- or chemo-immunotherapy, Radiotherapy (RT) and Bone-Targeted Therapy (BTT) but there is insufficient data to suggest the best time to use each of them, alone or in combination. Using an integrated and synergistic treatment strategy with immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and Denosumab as BTT is probably the best treatment planning for metastatic NSCLC for both good and poor performance status patients, although more data are needed to confirm this approach. Here we describe an interesting case report on patient with extensive bone involvement from NSCLC and PS >2 treated simultaneously with radiotherapy, immunotherapy and BTT, achieving an excellent clinical benefit, radiological and metabolic complete response, as a sort of Lazarus effect. We analyzed our result comparing with currently published data about radio-immunotherapy or immunotherapy and BTT combination even though there is no published experience about integration of all 3 treatments. Approval studies often do not represent real-world experience (RWE), so we analyzed data from both RWE and clinical trials.

The Prognostic Significance of KIAA1522 Expression in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients

The majority of lung cancers belong to the non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) category, which is linked to a high mortality rate despite significant progress in diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, there is a need for novel prognostic NSCLC biomarkers to improve prognosis which currently remains poor. Recent studies and analyses of gene expression data of NSCLC revealed that high expression of KIAA1522 was significantly associated with poor prognosis and decreased overall survival. We identified 98 patients who underwent radical curative surgical resections or metastasectomy for pulmonary adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma at our institution or the pathological diagnosis confirmed by our pathologists. Following the latest data, we utilized immunohistochemistry to assess the expression of KIAA1522 and investigated its association with various clinic-demographic parameters, pathological stages, recurrence rates, overall survival, and disease-free survival in patients who achieved complete remission. Notably, there were no significant differences in the expression profiles of KIAA1522 between adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma samples (p=0.6). Survival analysis was conducted using log-rank tests and a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model. Of the 98 samples, 54 (55.1%) exhibited high expression of KIAA1522, and patients with high KIAA1522 expression had a significantly shorter overall survival than the low-expression group (p=0.01). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models in which metastatic patients were included revealed that along with older age, higher TNM stage (tumor, node, metastasis system), and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, high expression of KIAA1522 served as an independent prognostic factor. A high expression profile was not significantly associated with relapses in those whose complete remission had been achieved. Still, those patients with high expression of KIAA1522 tended to exhibit a shorter disease-free survival rate. In conclusion, our findings suggest that KIAA1522 expression is an independent factor for predicting overall survival and may serve as a valuable prognostic indicator for relapse and disease-free survival in NSCLC patients.

First-line atezolizumab monotherapy versus single-agent chemotherapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer ineligible for treatment with a platinum-containing regimen (IPSOS): a phase 3, global, multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled study

BACKGROUND

Despite immunotherapy advancements for patients with advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), pivotal first-line trials were limited to patients with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) 0-1 and a median age of 65 years or younger. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of first-line atezolizumab monotherapy with single-agent chemotherapy in patients ineligible for platinum-based chemotherapy.

METHODS

This trial was a phase 3, open-label, randomised controlled study conducted at 91 sites in 23 countries across Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Eligible patients had stage IIIB or IV NSCLC in whom platinum-doublet chemotherapy was deemed unsuitable by the investigator due to an ECOG PS 2 or 3, or alternatively, being 70 years or older with an ECOG PS 0-1 with substantial comorbidities or contraindications for platinum-doublet chemotherapy. Patients were randomised 2:1 by permuted-block randomisation (block size of six) to receive 1200 mg of atezolizumab given intravenously every 3 weeks or single-agent chemotherapy (vinorelbine [oral or intravenous] or gemcitabine [intravenous]; dosing per local label) at 3-weekly or 4-weekly cycles. The primary endpoint was overall survival assessed in the intention-to-treat population. Safety analyses were conducted in the safety-evaluable population, which included all randomised patients who received any amount of atezolizumab or chemotherapy. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03191786.

FINDINGS

Between Sept 11, 2017, and Sept 23, 2019, 453 patients were enrolled and randomised to receive atezolizumab (n=302) or chemotherapy (n=151). Atezolizumab improved overall survival compared with chemotherapy (median overall survival 10·3 months [95% CI 9·4-11·9] vs 9·2 months [5·9-11·2]; stratified hazard ratio 0·78 [0·63-0·97], p=0·028), with a 2-year survival rate of 24% (95% CI 19·3-29·4) with atezolizumab compared with 12% (6·7-18·0) with chemotherapy. Compared with chemotherapy, atezolizumab was associated with stabilisation or improvement of patient-reported health-related quality-of-life functioning scales and symptoms and fewer grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events (49 [16%] of 300 vs 49 [33%] of 147) and treatment-related deaths (three [1%] vs four [3%]).

INTERPRETATION

First-line treatment with atezolizumab monotherapy was associated with improved overall survival, a doubling of the 2-year survival rate, maintenance of quality of life, and a favourable safety profile compared with single-agent chemotherapy. These data support atezolizumab monotherapy as a potential first-line treatment option for patients with advanced NSCLC who are ineligible for platinum-based chemotherapy.

FUNDING

F Hoffmann-La Roche and Genentech Inc, a member of the Roche group.

Clinical Effectiveness of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer with a Poor Performance Status

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are standard treatments for patients with lung cancer. PD-1/PD-L1 or CTLA4 antibodies are chosen as the first-line therapy, contributing to the long-term survival and tolerability. Unlike molecular targeting agents, such as gefitinib, lung cancer patients with a poor performance status (PS) display unsatisfactory clinical improvements after ICI treatment. Several previous reports also demonstrated that the PS is identified as one of the most probable prognostic factors for predicting poor outcomes after ICI treatment. However, first-line pembrolizumab seemed to be effective for lung cancer patients with a PS of 2 if PD-L1 expression was greater than 50%. Currently, the induction of ICIs in patients with lung cancer with a poor PS is controversial. These problems are discussed in this review.

Selecting the optimal immunotherapy regimen in driver-negative metastatic NSCLC

The treatment landscape of driver-negative non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is rapidly evolving. Immune-checkpoint inhibitors, specifically those targeting PD-1 or PD-L1, have demonstrated durable efficacy in a subset of patients with NSCLC, and these agents have become the cornerstone of first-line therapy. Approved immunotherapeutic strategies for treatment-naive patients now include monotherapy, immunotherapy-exclusive regimens or chemotherapy-immunotherapy combinations. Decision making in this space is complex given the absence of head-to-head prospective comparisons, although a thorough analysis of long-term efficacy and safety data from pivotal clinical trials can provide insight into the optimal management of each subset of patients. Indeed, histological subtype and the extent of tumour cell PD-L1 expression are paramount to regimen selection, although other clinicopathological factors and patient preferences might also be relevant in certain scenarios. Finally, several emerging biomarkers and novel therapeutic strategies are currently under investigation, and these might further refine the current treatment paradigm. In this Review, we discuss the current treatment landscape and detail our approach to first-line immunotherapy regimen selection for patients with advanced-stage, driver-negative NSCLC.

Prognostic value of baseline and change in neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio for survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with poor performance status receiving PD-1 inhibitors

Background

Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with poor performance status (PS) are likely to receive programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitors, despite limited evidence. The aim of the present study was to report the clinical outcomes and potential prognostic biomarkers in advanced NSCLC patients with poor PS receiving PD-1 inhibitors.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study enrolling 101 advanced NSCLC patients from our hospital. Data of patients with poor PS 2-4 receiving PD-1 inhibitors were retrieved from medical records. Patients were stratified based on dichotomized baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), change in NLR (ΔNLR; 6 weeks post-treatment NLR minus baseline NLR), and their combination. The receiver-operating characteristic curve was used to assess the best cutoff for NLR. Multivariate Cox analysis was used to evaluate the prognostic value of NLR and ΔNLR for patients' survival.

Results

The optimal cutoff for NLR was 4.5. The median follow-up was 25.7 months, baseline NLR ≥4.5, and ΔNLR ≥0, which were independently and significantly associated with shorter overall survival (both P=0.002) and progression-free survival (P=0.004 for NLR and P<0.001 for ΔNLR). Furthermore, simultaneous elevation of the 2 factors was associated with worsened prognosis; patients with both NLR ≥4.5 and ΔNLR ≥0 had significantly increased risk of death [hazards ratio (HR): 10.79, 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.30-27.10] and disease progression (HR: 10.49, 95% CI: 4.39-25.09), compared with both low NLR and ΔNLR patients. Patients with either NLR ≥4.5 or ΔNLR ≥0 showed an intermediate risk for death (HR: 3.12, 95% CI: 1.35-7.21) and progression (HR: 3.45, 95% CI: 1.62-7.36).

Conclusions

High baseline NLR and increased post-treatment NLR might aid in the stratification of high progression and death risk groups in advanced NSCLC patients with poor PS receiving PD-1 inhibitors.

The cutting-edge progress of immune-checkpoint blockade in lung cancer

Great advances in immune checkpoint blockade have resulted in a paradigm shift in patients with lung cancer. Immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment, either as monotherapy or combination therapy, has been established as the standard of care for patients with locally advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer without EGFR/ALK alterations or extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. An increasing number of clinical trials are also ongoing to further investigate the role of ICIs in patients with early-stage lung cancer as neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy. Although PD-L1 expression and tumor mutational burden have been widely studied for patient selection, both of these biomarkers are imperfect. Due to the complex cancer-immune interactions among tumor cells, the tumor microenvironment and host immunity, collaborative efforts are needed to establish a multidimensional immunogram to integrate complementary predictive biomarkers for personalized immunotherapy. Furthermore, as a result of the wide use of ICIs, managing acquired resistance to ICI treatment remains an inevitable challenge. A deeper understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms of acquired resistance to ICIs is helpful to overcome these obstacles. In this review, we describe the cutting-edge progress made in patients with lung cancer, the optimal duration of ICI treatment, ICIs in some special populations, the unique response patterns during ICI treatment, the emerging predictive biomarkers, and our understanding of primary and acquired resistance mechanisms to ICI treatment.

Impact of performance status on non-small-cell lung cancer patients with a PD-L1 tumour proportion score ≥50% treated with front-line pembrolizumab

Objectives: We retrospectively analysed patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harbouring high PD-L1 expression (>50%) and treated with front-line pembrolizumab, comparing outcomes of patients with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) 2 to those with PS 0-1.Methods: Data were collected by 16 participating centres. All patients with NSCLC and high PD-L1, treated with first-line pembrolizumab were included. We collected medical data from patient files, pathology and laboratory reports. Patient characteristics, comorbidities, PS, and tumour characteristics were reported. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and response rate (RR) were calculated.Results: 302 patients were included, 246 with PS 0-1, 56 with PS 2. RR was 72% among patients with PS 0-1 compared to 45% with PS2 (odds ratio (OR) 0.31 (95% CI: 0.17-0.57), p < .001). Median PFS was 2.6 months (95% CI: 1.9-5.1) among patients with PS2 and 11.3 months (95% CI: 8.5-14.4) among those with PS 0-1. Median OS was 7.8 months (95% CI: 2.5-10.7) in the PS2 group, not reached in the PS 0-1 group. PS 2 remained predictive of poor outcomes in multivariate analysis.Conclusion: PS 2 is a strong independent predictor of poor response and survival in NSCLC patients with high PD-L1, treated with front-line pembrolizumab. Prospective randomised trials comparing immunotherapy to chemotherapy in this population would be welcome.

Folate receptor-positive circulating tumor cells as a predictive biomarker for the efficacy of first-line pemetrexed-based chemotherapy in patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer

Background

There is a lack of well-established biomarkers to predict the efficacy of pemetrexed-based chemotherapy. In this prospective phase II study, we investigated the correlation of folate receptor (FR)-positive circulating tumor cell (CTC) level with the clinical outcomes of patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (nsNSCLC) when treated with pemetrexed-based chemotherapy.

Methods

A total of 98 nsNSCLC patients were enrolled. Peripheral blood was collected from each patient prior to initiation of treatment. FR-positive CTCs were enriched by immunomagnetic leukocyte depletion and quantified using ligand-targeted polymerase chain reaction (LT-PCR) method.

Results

Patients with relatively low CTC level (11–16 FU/3 mL, n=32) showed a significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with those in the “high CTC level group” (>16 FU/3mL, n=28; median PFS, 133 versus 320 days, P<0.001; median OS, 632 days versus “not reached”, P=0.003). Patients in the “high CTC level group” also achieved superior objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) over those in the “low CTC level group” (ORR, 40.9% versus 9.5%, P=0.0339; DCR, 100% versus 81.0%, P=0.0485). The clinical outcomes of pemetrexed in the “negative-CTC group” (<11 FU/3mL, n=38) fell between the “high CTC level group” and the “low CTC level group” (median PFS, 290 days; median OS, 1,122 days; ORR: 21.2%, DCR: 93.9%). Further multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis demonstrated that “high CTC level” was an independent factor that was significantly associated with better PFS [hazard ratio (HR) =0.26, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.12–0.58, P=0.001] and OS (HR =0.23, 95% CI, 0.06–0.92, P=0.037).

Conclusions

Our results implied that FR-positive CTC is a promising biomarker to predict the clinical outcome of pemetrexed-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced nsNSCLC.

CD44 inhibition attenuates EGFR signaling and enhances cisplatin sensitivity in human EGFR wild‑type non‑small‑cell lung cancer cells

Cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) as a transmembrane glycoprotein is found to be expressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is significantly associated with NSLC progression, metastasis and drug resistance. This study aimed to explore whether CD44 inhibition improves the sensitivity of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) wild-type NSCLC cells to cisplatin and how it affects wild-type EGFR in NSCLC cells. Small interfering RNA was used to knockdown CD44 expression in EGFR wild-type NSCLC cell line H460. Results suggested that CD44 downregulation reduced cell growth, promoted G₀/G₁ cell cycle arrest and induced cell apoptosis in H460 cells and these effects were evidently enhanced when in combination with cisplatin. Deactivation of EGFR signaling pathway including EGFR phosphorylation and its downstream molecules, targets ERK, AKT1 and SRC which were also observed in CD44-silenced H460 cells with or without EGF stimulation. Furthermore, the CD44 expression level was positively correlated with wild-type EGFR level in human lung adenocarcinoma tissues and CD44 inhibition significantly accelerated the degradation of EGFR, indicating that enhanced sensitivity of H460 cells to cisplatin by downregulation of CD44 might be due to EGFR degradation. This study demonstrated that suppression of CD44 deactivated EGFR signals in NSCLC cells with wild-type EGFR, thereby contributing to the inhibition of cell proliferation and the reinforcement of cisplatin sensitivity. It is suggested that downregulation of CD44 could be a novel potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of EGFR wild-type NSCLC.

First-line pembrolizumab in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with poor performance status

BACKGROUND

Pembrolizumab is the first-line standard of care for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a PD-L1 tumour proportion score (TPS) ≥ 50%. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (PS) 2 patients may receive pembrolizumab, despite the absence of sustaining evidence.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

GOIRC-2018-01 is a multicentre, retrospective, observational study. PS 2 NSCLC patients with a PD-L1 TPS ≥50% receiving first-line pembrolizumab from June 2017 to December 2018 at 21 Italian institutions were included. Clinical-pathological characteristics were correlated with disease response and survival outcomes; adverse events were recorded. The primary objective was 6-months progression-free rate (6-months PFR).

RESULTS

One hundred fifty-three patients (median age 70 years) were enrolled. At a median follow-up of 18.2 months, median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 2.4 (95% confidence interval, 95% CI, 1.6-2.5) and 3.0 months (95% CI 2.4-3.5), respectively. 6-months PFR was 27% (95% CI 21-35%). Patients with a PS 2 determined by comorbidities (n = 41) had significantly better outcomes compared with disease burden-induced PS 2 (n = 112). Indeed, 6-months PFR was 49% versus 19%, median PFS 5.6 versus 1.8 months and OS 11.8 versus 2.8 months, respectively. Additional potential prognostic factors (radiotherapy, antibiotics, steroids received before pembrolizumab) correlated with clinical outcomes. The determinant of PS 2 resulted the only factor independently impacting on both PFS and OS. No toxicity issues emerged.

CONCLUSIONS

Outcomes of PS 2 NSCLC patients with PD-L1 TPS ≥50% receiving first-line pembrolizumab were globally dismal but strongly dependent on the reason conditioning the poor PS itself.

Poor-Performance Status Assessment of Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Remains Vague and Blurred in the Immunotherapy Era

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

In the latest decade, the introduction of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has dramatically improved the prognosis of patients with NSCLC. First-line ICIs or chemo-ICI trials have demonstrated OS advantages but the accrual was limited to Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS)0-1 patients. ICI studies have for the vast majority excluded patients with poor performance status. PS 2 particularly is known as a negative prognostic factor for survival and a predictive factor of adverse events and poor response to treatments. Data on the activity of ICIs in PS2 patients are limited and come from heterogeneous meta-analyses and small phase II or expanded access trials. Often, terms such as "unfit" or "frail" ascertain the eligibility of patients to undergo cytotoxic chemotherapy, without specifying PS.

RECENT FINDINGS

Other tools exist to aid in decision-making, and one simple, rapid, and validated screening test for frailty is the FRAIL scale consisting of 5 straightforward questions that can be self-administered and may represent an efficient and cost-effective way to screen large groups of patients for frailty. The Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is a widely used method to determine the medical, psychological, and functional capabilities of older patients. However, CGA is time-consuming and this could represent a real barrier to its adoption in clinical practice. For this reason, a quick screening tool, the G8 questionnaire, has been developed and demonstrated validity also in a younger population. A complementary tool to assess patients' frailty is Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) which has become the most widely used clinical index for a variety of disorders and cancers. Yet, none of these tools has been validated as predictive in ICI. In conclusion, solid data regarding the benefit of ICIs in ECOG PS2 NSCLC patients are currently lacking and the role of immunotherapy remains uncertain for PS2 patients. Prospective randomized trials addressing this question are warranted or ongoing. However, we are concerned that without a more extensive and objective assessment of patients' fitness and frailty by using and validating appropriate tools a clear answer may not come to light.

Inpatient palliative chemotherapy is associated with high mortality and aggressive end-of-life care in patients with advanced solid tumors and poor performance status

Background

The benefit of palliative chemotherapy (PC) in patients with advanced solid tumors and poor performance status (ECOG-PS) has not been prospectively validated, which makes treatment decision challenging. We aimed to evaluate the overall survival, factors associated with early mortality, and adoption of additional procedures in hospitalized patients with advanced cancer and poor ECOG-PS treated with PC.

Methods

We analyzed a retrospective cohort of patients with advanced cancer treated with PC during hospitalization at an academic cancer center in Brazil from 2014 to 2016. Eligibility criteria included: ECOG-PS 3–4 and start of first-line PC; or ECOG-PS ≥ 2 and start of second or subsequent lines. Primary endpoint was 30-day survival from start of PC. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival estimates and Cox regression for factors associated with 30-day mortality.

Results

Two hundred twenty-eight patients were eligible. 21.9, 66.7 and 11.4% of patients had ECOG-PS 2, 3 and 4, respectively. 49.6% had gastrointestinal tumors. Median follow-up was 49 days (range 1–507). 98.2% of patients had died, 32% during the index hospitalization. The 30-day and 60-day survival rates were 55.7 and 38.5%, respectively. 30% of patients were admitted to the intensive care unit. In a multivariable analysis, ECOG-PS 3/4 (HR 2.01; P = 0.016), hypercalcemia (HR 2.19; P = 0.005), and elevated bilirubin (HR 3.17; P <  0.001) were significantly associated with 30-day mortality.

Conclusions

Patients with advanced cancer and poor ECOG-PS had short survival after treatment with inpatient PC. Inpatient PC was associated with aggressive end-of-life care. Prognostic markers such as ECOG-PS, hypercalcemia and elevated bilirubin can contribute to the decision-making process for these patients.

The Association Between Imaging Features of TSCT and the Expression of PD-L1 in Patients With Surgical Resection of Lung Adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVES

Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression might serve as a predictive biomarker for immune checkpoint inhibitors in lung cancer. However, the relationship between PD-L1 expression and imaging features of lung cancer has not been fully understood.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 350 patients with pathologically confirmed adenocarcinoma who received surgical treatment and had preoperative thin section computed tomography (CT) examination were included. Quantitative CT features including the mean CT value and tumor mass were measured on multiplanar reconstructed images. PD-L1-positive tumor was defined as the tumor proportion score > 5%.

RESULTS

Seventy-four of 350 (21.1%) specimens were detected as PD-L1-positive tumors. PD-L1 expression was adversely associated with epidermal growth factor receptor mutation status (P < .001) and was significantly associated with invasive adenocarcinomas rather than preinvasive lesions and minimally invasive adenocarcinomas (P < .001). Multivariate analysis identified absence of surrounding ground glass opacity (P = .022), shape (P = .008), pleural indentation (P = .007), tumor mean CT value (P = .004), and the ratio of consolidation mass to tumor mass (P = .003) as being significantly associated with the expression of PD-L1. To improve the diagnostic accuracy, a joint model that combined 5 imaging traits was conducted. The area under the curve of the joint model was 0.783, with a sensitivity of 81.1% and specificity of 64.1%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

PD-L1 expression was associated with pathologic invasiveness of adenocarcinomas and CT features, which suggested the possibility of predicting PD-L1 expression status via imaging features.

A Review of Recent Advances in the Treatment of Elderly and Poor Performance NSCLC

Until recently, chemotherapy has remained the mainstay of treatment for the majority of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Excellent responses have been observed with immune-checkpoint inhibitors, and targeted treatments for those tumours with actionable mutations, resulting in a paradigm shift in the treatment approach for these patients. Elderly patients and those with poor performance status (PS), such as Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 2, have historically been excluded from clinical trials due to poor outcomes. There is therefore a lack of data to define the optimal treatment strategy for these patients. Due to improved tolerability of novel therapies, inclusion of these patients in clinical trials has increased, and sub-group analyses have identified many treatments demonstrating potential activity. Here, we summarise key recent advances in the treatment of NSCLC, specifically evaluating their efficacy and tolerability in these patient cohorts.