Oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Does number of metastasis matter?

Surgical Survival Benefits With Different Metastatic Patterns for Stage IV Extrathoracic Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A SEER-Based Study

Background:

With the knowledge of oligometastases, primary surgery plays an increasingly vital role in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. We aimed to evaluate the survival benefit of primary surgery based on metastatic patterns.

Materials and Methods:

The selected patients with stage IV extrathoracic metastatic (m1b) non-small cell lung cancer between 2010 and 2015 were included in a retrospective cohort study from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Multiple imputation was used for the missing data. Patients were divided into 2 groups depending on whether surgery was performed. After covariate balancing propensity score (CBPS) weighting, multivariate Cox regression models and Kaplan-Meier survival curve were built to identify the survival benefit of different metastatic patterns.

Results:

Surgery can potentially increase the overall survival (OS) (adjusted HR: 0.68, P < 0.001) of non-small cell lung cancer. The weighted 3-year OS in the surgical group was 16.9%, compared with 7.8% in the nonsurgical group. For single organ metastasis, surgery could improve the survival of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Meanwhile, no significant survival improvements in surgical group were observed in patients with multiple organ metastases.

Conclusion:

The surgical survival benefits for extrathoracic metastatic non-small cell lung cancer could be divided by metastatic pattern.

Defining oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer: concept versus biology, a literature review

Objective

In this review, the concept of (synchronous) oligometastatic disease in patients with non-oncogene-driven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) will be placed in the context of tumor biology and metastatic growth patterns. We will also provide considerations for clinical practice and future perspectives, which will ultimately lead to better patient selection and oligometastatic disease outcome.

Background

The treatment landscape of metastasized NSCLC has moved from "one-size fits all" to a personalized approach. Prognosis has traditionally been poor but new treatment options, such as immunotherapy and targeted therapy, brighten future perspectives. Another emerging development is the recognition of patients with so-called "oligometastatic" state of disease. Oligometastatic disease has been recognized as a distinct clinical presentation in which the tumor is stated to be early in its evolution of metastatic potential. It is suggested that this stage of disease has an indolent course, comes with a better prognosis and therefore could be considered for radical multimodality treatment.

Methods

Narrative overview of the literature synthesizing the findings of literature retrieved from searches of computerized databases, hand searches, and authoritative texts.

Conclusions

Oligometastatic NSCLC is a broad spectrum disease, with a variable prognosis. Although the biology and behavior of "intermediate state" of metastatic disease are not fully understood, there is evidence that a subgroup of patients can benefit from local radical treatment when integrated into a multimodality regime. The consensus definition of oligometastatic NSCLC, including accurate staging, may help to uniform future trials. The preferable treatment strategy seems to sequential systemic treatment with subsequent local radical treatment in patients with a partial response or stable disease. Prognostic factors such as N-stage, number and site of distant metastases, tumor volume, performance status, age, and tumor type should be considered. The local radical treatment strategy has to be discussed in a multidisciplinary team meeting, taking into account patient characteristics and invasiveness of the procedure. However, many aspects remain to be explored and learned about the cancer biology and characteristics of intermediate state tumors.

Narrative review: molecular and genetic profiling of oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer

Objective

The objectives of this review are to discuss: the definition, clinical and biologic features of oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as well as the concept of treating oligoprogression in oligometastatic NSCLC.

Background

A substantial proportion of patients diagnosed with lung cancer present with metastatic disease, and a large portion of patients who present with localized disease later develop metastases. Oligometastatic NSCLC is defined as an intermediate state between localized and widespread metastatic disease, where there may be a role for curative localized therapy approach by treating the primary tumor and all metastases with radiotherapy or surgery. Despite the increasing application of this approach in patients with lung cancer, the identification of patients who might benefit from this approach is yet to be well characterized.

Methods

After a systematic review of the literature, a PubMed search was performed using the English language and the key terms: oligometastatic, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), localized consolidative treatment (LCT), biomarkers, biologic features, clinical features. Over 500 articles were retrieved between 1889–2021. A total of 178 papers discussing the definition, clinical and biologic factors leading to oligometastatic NSCLC were reviewed and included in the discussion of this paper.

Conclusions

Oligometastatic NSCLC is a unique entity. Identifying patients who have oligometastatic NSCLC accurately using a combination of clinical and biologic features and treating them with localized consolidative approach appropriately results in improvement of outcome. Further understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving the formation of oligometastatic NSCLC is an important area of focus for future studies.

Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) combined with immunotherapy (L19-IL2) versus standard of care in stage IV NSCLC patients, ImmunoSABR: a multicentre, randomised controlled open-label phase II trial

BACKGROUND

About 50% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients have metastatic disease at initial diagnosis, which limits their treatment options and, consequently, the 5-year survival rate (15%). Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), either alone or in combination with chemotherapy, have become standard of care (SOC) for most good performance status patients. However, most patients will not obtain long-term benefit and new treatment strategies are therefore needed. We previously demonstrated clinical safety of the tumour-selective immunocytokine L19-IL2, consisting of the anti-ED-B scFv L19 antibody coupled to IL2, combined with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR).

METHODS

This investigator-initiated, multicentric, randomised controlled open-label phase II clinical trial will test the hypothesis that the combination of SABR and L19-IL2 increases progression free survival (PFS) in patients with limited metastatic NSCLC. One hundred twenty-six patients will be stratified according to their metastatic load (oligo-metastatic: ≤5 or poly-metastatic: 6 to 10) and randomised to the experimental-arm (E-arm) or the control-arm (C-arm). The C-arm will receive SOC, according to the local protocol. E-arm oligo-metastatic patients will receive SABR to all lesions followed by L19-IL2 therapy; radiotherapy for poly-metastatic patients consists of irradiation of one (symptomatic) to a maximum of 5 lesions (including ICI in both arms if this is the SOC). The accrual period will be 2.5-years, starting after the first centre is initiated and active. Primary endpoint is PFS at 1.5-years based on blinded radiological review, and secondary endpoints are overall survival, toxicity, quality of life and abscopal response. Associative biomarker studies, immune monitoring, CT-based radiomics, stool collection, iRECIST and tumour growth rate will be performed.

DISCUSSION

The combination of SABR with or without ICI and the immunocytokine L19-IL2 will be tested as 1st, 2nd or 3rd line treatment in stage IV NSCLC patients in 14 centres located in 6 countries. This bimodal and trimodal treatment approach is based on the direct cytotoxic effect of radiotherapy, the tumour selective immunocytokine L19-IL2, the abscopal effect observed distant from the irradiated metastatic site(s) and the memory effect. The first results are expected end 2023.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ImmunoSABR Protocol Code: NL67629.068.18; EudraCT: 2018-002583-11; Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03705403; ISRCTN ID: ISRCTN49817477; Date of registration: 03-April-2019.