Survival outcomes of targeted and immune consolidation therapies in locally advanced unresectable lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) presents unique challenges due to its progression and tumor heterogeneity. The effectiveness of consolidation therapies, particularly in patients with gene mutations, remains an area of active investigation.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, we examined data from 3,454 patients with unresectable lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), narrowing our focus to 242 individuals with stage II/III. We gathered patient data, such as demographics, ECOG status, histology, treatment specifics, and gene expression, from patients in China. The study's primary outcome was overall survival (OS), while progression-free survival (PFS) served as the secondary outcome.

RESULTS

In this study, 50 % of the 242 patients underwent only radical chemoradiotherapy, with 45.87 % (111/242) exhibiting driver gene mutations, predominantly EGFR (58.57 %), followed by KRAS and ALK. Patients with mutations who received either targeted or immune consolidation therapy demonstrated a significantly longer median PFS (42.97 months vs. 24.87 months, p = 0.014) and improved OS (not reached vs. 24.37 months, p = 0.006), compared to those without consolidation therapy. Targeted therapy in mutant patients resulted in an extended median PFS (42.87 months) compared to immune therapy (27.03 months, p = 0.029), with no significant difference in OS. Median PFS and OS were similar between mutant and wild-type patients receiving immune therapy (p = 0.380 and p = 0.928, respectively).

CONCLUSION

This study underscores the efficacy of targeted consolidation therapy in enhancing PFS in LUAD patients with genetic mutations. It also shows that immune consolidation therapy provides similar survival benefits to mutant and wild-type patients. Future research should focus on optimizing these therapies for improved patient outcomes.

Endostar acts as a pneumonitis protectant in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy

BACKGROUND

CCRT is presently the standard treatment for LA-NSCLC. RP is one of the main obstacles to the completion of thoracic radiation therapy, resulting in limited survival benefits in NSCLC patients. This research aims to explore the role of Endostar in the occurrence of grade≥2 RP and clinical curative effect in LA-NSCLC patients.

METHODS

This study retrospectively analyzed 122 patients with stage III NSCLC who received CCRT from December 2008 to December 2017, or Endostar intravenous drip concurrently with chemoradiotherapy (Endostar + CCRT group). Standard toxicity of the pneumonitis endpoint was also collected by CTCAE V5.0. We further summarized other available studies on the role of Endostar in the prognosis of NSCLC patients and the incidence of RP.

RESULTS

There were 76 cases in the CCRT group and 46 cases in the CCRT+ Endostar group. In the CCRT+ Endostar group, the occurrence of grade ≥2 RP in patients with V20Gy ≥25% was significantly higher than that in patients with V20Gy < 25% (p = 0.001). In the cohorts with V20Gy < 25%, 0 cases of 29 patients treated with Endostar developed grade ≥2 RP was lower than in the CCRT group (p = 0.026). The re-analysis of data from other available studies indicated that Endostar plus CCRT could be more efficient and safely in the occurrence of grade≥2 RP with LA-NSCLC.

CONCLUSIONS

When receiving CCRT for LA-NSCLC patients, simultaneous combination of Endostar is recommended to enhance clinical benefit and reduce pulmonary toxicity.

Unrevealing the therapeutic benefits of radiotherapy and consolidation immunotherapy using ctDNA-defined tumor clonality in unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Progression occurs in approximately two-thirds of patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) receiving chemoradiation and consolidation immunotherapy. Molecular indicators for outcome prediction are under development. A novel metric, the ratio of mean to max variant allele frequency (mmVAF), was derived from 431 pre-treatment tissue biopsies from The Cancer Genome Atlas and evaluated in serial circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from 70 LA-NSCLC patients receiving definitive radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy (RT/CRT) with/without immunotherapy. High mmVAFs in pre-treatment tissue biopsies, indicating clonal predominant tumors (P < 0.01), were associated with inferior overall survival [OS, hazard ratio (HR): 1.48, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.11-1.98]. Similar associations of mmVAF with clonality (P < 0.01) and OS (HR: 2.24, 95 % CI: 0.71-7.08) were observed in pre-treatment ctDNA. At 1-month post-RT, ctDNA mmVAF-high patients receiving consolidation immunotherapy exhibited improved progression-free survival (PFS) compared to those who did not (HR: 0.14, 95 % CI: 0.03-0.67). From the baseline to week 4 of RT and/or 1-month post-RT, survival benefits from consolidation immunotherapy were exclusively observed in ctDNA mmVAF-increased patients (PFS, HR: 0.39, 95 % CI: 0.14-1.15), especially in terms of distant metastasis (HR: 0.11, 95 % CI: 0.01-0.95). In summary, our longitudinal data demonstrated the applicability of ctDNA-defined clonality for prognostic stratification and immunotherapy benefit prediction in LA-NSCLC.

Transitioning to Neoadjuvant Therapy for Resectable Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Trends and Surgical Outcomes in a Regionalized Pulmonary Oncology Network

BACKGROUND

Several regulatory agencies have approved the use of the neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy for resectable stage II and III of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and numerous trials investigating novel agents are underway. However, significant concerns exist around the feasibility and safety of offering curative surgery to patients treated within such pathways. The goal in this study was to evaluate the impact of a transition towards a large-scale neoadjuvant therapy program for NSCLC.

METHODS

Medical charts of patients with clinical stage II and III NSCLC who underwent resection from January 2015 to December 2020 were reviewed. The primary outcome was perioperative complication rate between neoadjuvant-treated versus upfront surgery patients. Multivariable logistic regression estimated occurrence of postoperative complications and overall survival was assessed as an exploratory secondary outcome by Kaplan-Meier and Cox-regression analyses.

RESULTS

Of the 428 patients included, 106 (24.8%) received neoadjuvant therapy and 322 (75.2%) upfront surgery. Frequency of minor and major postoperative complications was similar between groups (P = .22). Occurrence in postoperative complication was similar in both cohort (aOR = 1.31, 95% CI 0.73-2.34). Neoadjuvant therapy administration increased from 10% to 45% with a rise in targeted and immuno-therapies over time, accompanied by a reduced rate of preoperative radiation therapy use. 1-, 2-, and 5-year overall survival was higher in neoadjuvant therapy compared to upfront surgery patients (Log-Rank P = .017).

CONCLUSIONS

No significant differences in perioperative outcomes and survival were observed in resectable NSCLC patients treated by neoadjuvant therapy versus upfront surgery. Transition to neoadjuvant therapy among resectable NSCLC patients is safe and feasible from a surgical perspective.

Baseline extracellular vesicle miRNA-30c and autophagic CTCs predict chemoradiotherapy resistance and outcomes in patients with lung cancer

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) is the mainstay of treatment for patients diagnosed with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). One significant challenge in the effectiveness of this therapy is the potential development of resistance mechanisms, where autophagy up-regulation has been proposed as a key contributing factor. However, there is a lack of reliable biomarkers to predict outcomes on these patients. Interestingly, for addressing this gap, extracellular vesicles (EVs) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have emerged as potential sources of such biomarkers. In this study, we investigated EV-associated miRNAs and presence of autophagic CTCs in prospectively collected serial samples from 38 patients with stage III NSCLC undergoing cCRT. Our findings revealed that non-responders exhibited low levels of baseline EV miR-375, miR-200c, and miR-30c. In particular, EV miR-30c showed high predictive value with an area under the curve of 87.2%. Low EV miR-30c and the presence of autophagic-activated CTCs emerged as independent predictive biomarkers for shorter relapse-free survival and overall survival. Furthermore, in experimental models simulating the effects of chemo- and radiotherapy, the administration of miR-30c, either through direct transfection or encapsulation into human EVs, led to the inhibition of autophagy in these cells. This is the first report demonstrating that EV miR-30c inhibits tumor autophagy and its quantification, together with autophagic-activated CTCs, could be used as biomarkers for the stratification and monitoring of patients with NSCLC undergoing cCRT, and they may hold promising potential for guiding subsequent consolidation treatment with immunotherapy or other novel therapies based on autophagy inhibitors.

Comparison of post-chemoradiotherapy pneumonitis between Asian and non-Asian patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Pneumonitis is a common complication for patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer undergoing definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT). It remains unclear whether there is ethnic difference in the incidence of post-CRT pneumonitis.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched for eligible studies from January 1, 2000 to April 30, 2023. The outcomes of interest were incidence rates of pneumonitis. The random-effect model was used for statistical analysis. This meta-analysis was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023416490).

Findings

A total of 248 studies involving 28,267 patients were included. Among studies of CRT without immunotherapy, the pooled rates of pneumonitis for Asian patients were significantly higher than that for non-Asian patients (all grade: 66.8%, 95% CI: 59.2%-73.9% vs. 28.1%, 95% CI: 20.4%-36.4%; P < 0.0001; grade ≥2: 25.1%, 95% CI: 22.9%-27.3% vs. 14.9%, 95% CI: 12.0%-18.0%; P < 0.0001; grade ≥3: 6.5%, 95% CI: 5.6%-7.3% vs. 4.6%, 95% CI: 3.4%-5.9%; P = 0.015; grade 5: 0.6%, 95% CI: 0.3%-0.9% vs. 0.1%, 95% CI: 0.0%-0.2%; P < 0.0001). Regarding studies of CRT plus immunotherapy, Asian patients had higher rates of all-grade (74.8%, 95% CI: 63.7%-84.5% vs. 34.3%, 95% CI: 28.7%-40.2%; P < 0.0001) and grade ≥2 (34.0%, 95% CI: 30.7%-37.3% vs. 24.6%, 95% CI: 19.9%-29.3%; P = 0.001) pneumonitis than non-Asian patients, but with no significant differences in the rates of grade ≥3 and grade 5 pneumonitis. Results from subgroup analyses were generally similar to that from the all studies. In addition, the pooled median/mean of lung volume receiving ≥20 Gy and mean lung dose were relatively low in Asian studies compared to that in non-Asian studies.

Interpretation

Asian patients are likely to have a higher incidence of pneumonitis than non-Asian patients, which appears to be due to the poor tolerance of lung to radiation. Nevertheless, these findings are based on observational studies and with significant heterogeneity, and need to be validated in future large prospective studies focusing on the subject.

Funding

None.

Clinical Outcomes With Pembrolizumab-Based Therapies in Recurrent/Refractory NSCLC After Chemoradiation and Consolidative Durvalumab

BACKGROUND

Often, patients with NSCLC experience recurrent/refractory (R/R) disease within 2 years of chemoradiation (CRT) and consolidative durvalumab. Despite prior immune checkpoint inhibitor exposure, immunotherapy with or without chemotherapy is typically initiated if a driver-oncogene is absent. However, there remains a paucity of data regarding the efficacy of immunotherapy in this patient population. Here, we present survival outcomes associated with pembrolizumab for R/R NSCLC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively assessed adults with NSCLC who received pembrolizumab for R/R disease between January 2016 to January 2023. Primary objective was to estimate OS and PFS in this cohort compared to historical outcomes. Secondary objective was to compare OS and PFS among subgroups.

RESULTS

Fifty patients were evaluated. Median follow-up time was 11.3 months (2.9-38.2). OS was 10.6 months (95% CI, 8.8-19.2); 1-year OS rate 49% (95% CI, 36 - 67%). PFS was 6.1 months (95% CI, 4.7-9.0); 1-year PFS rate 25% (95% CI, 15%-42%). Current smokers had significantly better median OS/PFS as compared to former smokers (NA vs. 10.5 and 9.9 vs. 6.0 months, respectively). The addition of chemotherapy demonstrated an OS benefit (median OS 12.9 vs. 6.0 months) but was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Patients with R/R NSCLC represent a distinct cohort with inferior survival outcomes when compared to those with de novo stage IV disease treated with pembrolizumab-based regimens. Based on our findings, we recommend oncologists exercise caution when considering checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy in the front-line setting for R/R NSCLC, regardless of PD-L1 expression.

A Case of Radiation-Associated Vertebral Compression Fracture Mimicking Solitary Bone Metastasis of Lung Cancer

Radiation therapy plays an important role in the treatment of lung cancer. Although adverse effects of radiation are well known, they are sometimes difficult to be diagnosed. We report a case of a radiation-associated vertebral compression fracture which mimicked bone metastasis of lung cancer. The patient was a 57-year-old man diagnosed with lung squamous cell carcinoma (cT1aN2M0, c-stage IIIA). He received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in combination with 6 weeks of weekly carboplatin plus paclitaxel and thoracic radiation of 60 Gy/30 fractions, followed by bi-weekly durvalumab for 12 months. On the last day of the 12-month durvalumab regimen, he complained of backache. Magnetic resonance imaging showed compression fracture of the seventh thoracic vertebra with the spinal cord compressed, and fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography demonstrated weak focal uptake only at the seventh thoracic vertebra. Although the fracture had been suspected to be bone metastasis, surgical biopsy revealed no evidence of malignancy. Since the seventh thoracic vertebra was included in the irradiation area, the patient was diagnosed with a radiation-associated fracture. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry of the lumbar vertebrae (L2 - 4) after the surgery revealed osteopenia. In conclusion, we successfully diagnosed the radiation-associated vertebral fracture caused by radical CRT. The fracture mimicked bone metastasis in preoperative imaging tests. Thus, surgical biopsy was useful for diagnosis.

Does coronary artery calcium score have an impact on overall survival for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with definitive radiotherapy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Coronary artery calcium score (CACs) is an excellent marker for survival in non-cancer patients, but its role in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) patients remains uncertain. In this study, we hypothesize that CACs is a prognostic marker for survival in a competing risk analysis in LA-NSCLC patients treated with definitive radiotherapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We included 644 patients with LA-NSCLC treated in 2014-2015 in Denmark. Baseline patient characteristics were derived from the Danish Lung Cancer Registry. Radiotherapy planning CT scans were used for manual CACs measurements, and the patients were divided into four groups, CACs 0, 1-99, 100-399, and ≥400. A multivariable Cox model utilizing bootstrapping for cross-validation modeled overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

The median follow-up time was seven years, and the median OS was 26 months (95% CI 24-29). Within each CAC group 0, 1-99, 100-399, and ≥400 were 172, 182, 143, and 147 patients, respectively. In the univariable analysis, the survival decreased with increasing CACs. However, after adjustment for age, PS, radiotherapy dose, and logarithmic GTV, CACs did not have a statistically significant impact on OS with hazard ratios of 1.04 (95% CI 0.85-1.28), 1.11 (95%CI 0.89-1.43), and 1.16 (95%CI 0.92-1.47) for CACs 1-99, CACs 100-399 and ≥400, respectively. Elevated CACs was observed in 73 % of the patients suggesting a high risk of cardiac comorbidity before radiotherapy.

CONCLUSION

CACs did not add prognostic information to our population's classical risk factors, such as tumor volume, performance status, and age; the lung cancer has the highest priority despite the risk of baseline cardiac comorbidity.

Comparison of the Efficacy and Toxicity of Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy and Durvalumab and Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy Alone for Locally Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer With N3 Lymph Node Metastasis

BACKGROUND/AIM

Efficacy and toxicity of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and durvalumab for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) with N3 lymph node metastasis remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients who received CCRT and durvalumab (durvalumab cohort) and compare their outcomes with those of patients who received CCRT alone (CCRT-alone cohort).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The data of patients who had received treatment between November 2008 and February 2022 and were followed up for at least 3 months were retrospectively analyzed. Local control, progression-free survival, and overall survival were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and compared using the log-rank test. Toxicity was evaluated using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0.

RESULTS

The data of 29 patients were analyzed (median follow-up period: 22 months). Among them, 17 received CCRT alone and 12 received CCRT and durvalumab. There were 14 patients with stage IIIB and 15 with stage IIIC LA-NSCLC. The durvalumab cohort (89%) had a significantly higher 1-year local control rate than the CCRT-alone cohort (47%; p=0.035). No significant difference was observed in either progression-free or overall survival between the two cohorts. Grade ≥2 pneumonitis was observed in 6 (50%) and 7 (41%) patients in the durvalumab and CCRT-alone cohorts, respectively.

CONCLUSION

CCRT with durvalumab may be effective against LA-NSCLC with N3 lymph node metastasis. The incidence of grade 2 pneumonitis was slightly higher in the durvalumab cohort than in the CCRT-alone cohort, suggesting the need for careful patient monitoring after treatment.

(18)F-FDG-PET guided vs whole tumour radiotherapy dose escalation in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (PET-Boost): Results from a randomised clinical trial

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

We aimed to assess if radiation dose escalation to either the whole primary tumour, or to an ¹⁸F-FDG-PET defined subvolume within the primary tumour known to be at high risk of local relapse, could improve local control in patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with inoperable, stage II-III NSCLC were randomised (1:1) to receive dose-escalated radiotherapy to the whole primary tumour or a PET-defined subvolume, in 24 fractions. The primary endpoint was freedom from local failure (FFLF), assessed by central review of CT-imaging. A phase II 'pick-the-winner' design (alpha = 0.05; beta = 0.80) was applied to detect a 15 % increase in FFLF at 1-year.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov:NCT01024829.

RESULTS

150 patients were enrolled. 54 patients were randomised to the whole tumour group and 53 to the PET-subvolume group. The trial was closed early due to slow accrual. Median dose/fraction to the boosted volume was 3.30 Gy in the whole tumour group, and 3.50 Gy in the PET-subvolume group. The 1-year FFLF rate was 97 % (95 %CI 91-100) in whole tumour group, and 91 % (95 %CI 82-100) in the PET-subvolume group. Acute grade ≥ 3 adverse events occurred in 23 (43 %) and 20 (38 %) patients, and late grade ≥ 3 in 12 (22 %) and 17 (32 %), respectively. Grade 5 events occurred in 19 (18 %) patients in total, of which before disease progression in 4 (7 %) in the whole tumour group, and 5 (9 %) in the PET-subvolume group.

CONCLUSION

Both strategies met the primary objective to improve local control with 1-year rates. However, both strategies led to unexpected high rates of grade 5 toxicity. Dose differentiation, improved patient selection and better sparing of central structures are proposed to improve dose-escalation strategies.

A network meta-analysis for efficacies and toxicities of different concurrent chemoradiotherapy regimens in the treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Background

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) has become the cornerstone of treatment for patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). The aim of this study was to compare the efficacies and toxicities of different CCRT regimens in the treatment of LA-NSCLC by adopting a network meta-analysis (NMA).

Methods

An exhaustive search of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) was conducted to identify relevant studies from inception to October 1, 2020. Direct and indirect evidence was combined to calculate the odds radios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), as well as to plot the surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA) curves. Cluster analyses were adopted to compare the efficacies and toxicities of different CCRT regimens according to the similarity of 2 variables. Publication bias was detected by comparison-adjusted funnel plots.

Results

Twenty-two studies were enrolled in this NMA, including 18 regimens: CCRT (cisplatin + etoposide), CCRT (carboplatin + paclitaxel), CCRT (pemetrexed + carboplatin), CCRT (pemetrexed + cisplatin), CCRT (docetaxel + cisplatin), CCRT (S-1 + cisplatin), CCRT (mitomycin + vindesine + cisplatin), CCRT (cisplatin + vinorelbine), CCRT (cisplatin), CCRT (etoposide + cisplatin + amifostine), RT, CCRT (5-FU), CCRT (paclitaxel + cisplatin), CCRT (irinotecan + carboplatin), CCRT (nedaplatin), CCRT (carboplatin + etoposide), CCRT (paclitaxel), and CCRT (carboplatin). The results indicated that the regimens with CCRT (cisplatin + etoposide), CCRT (carboplatin + paclitaxel), CCRT (pemetrexed + cisplatin), CCRT (S-1 + cisplatin), and CCRT (cisplatin + vinorelbine) had relatively better efficacies compared with other regimens. As for toxicities of different CCRT regimens, the CCRT (carboplatin + paclitaxel), CCRT (pemetrexed + cisplatin), and CCRT (docetaxel + cisplatin) were relatively lower.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated that CCRT (pemetrexed + cisplatin) and CCRT (carboplatin + paclitaxel) might be the best options for the treatment of LA-NSCLC, and CCRT (pemetrexed + cisplatin) had the highest 3-year overall survival (OS) rate.

Predicting factors of symptomatic radiation pneumonitis induced by durvalumab following concurrent chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Background

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) followed by durvalumab is the standard of care for unresectable locally-advanced non-small cell carcinoma (LA-NSCLC). However, a major concern about administration of durvalumab after CCRT is whether the incidence of symptomatic radiation pneumonitis (RP) may increase or not. In the present analysis, we report the initial results of CCRT followed by durvalumab in patients with LA-NSCLC in a real-world setting with focus on predicting factors for symptomatic RP.

Methods

Patients who were pathologically diagnosed as NSCLC and initiated treatment with CCRT followed by durvalumab between July 2018 to December 2019 were eligible for this study. Patients were included if they completed the planned CRT course and administered at least one course of durvalumab. We retrospectively investigated the preliminary survival outcome and incidence and predicting factors for symptomatic RP.

Results

Of the 67 patients who planned CCRT, 63 patients completed the entire CCRT course. Of these, 56 patients proceeded to consolidation with durvalumab. The median time to eternal discontinuation of durvalumab was 9.7 months. The cumulative proportion of the patients who exhibited symptomatic RP was 30, 40 and 44% at 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively. In multivariate analyses, pulmonary fibrosis score and lung V40 were significant predictive factors for symptomatic RP (p < 0.001, HR: 7.83, 95% CI: 3.38–18.13, and p = 0.034, HR: 3.17, 95% CI: 1.09–9.19, respectively).

Conclusions

Pulmonary fibrosis sore and lung V40 were significant predictive factors for symptomatic RP. We should be cautious about the administration of durvalumab for patients having subclinical pulmonary fibrosis. To our best knowledge, this is one of the first report showing the predictive value of high dose volumes to the lung in patients with LA-NSCLC who received CCRT followed by durvalumab.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13014-021-01979-z.

Treatment strategies for unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer in the real-life ESME cohort

BACKGROUND

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy administered concurrently to thoracic radiation therapy is the recommended treatment for fit patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC. The aim of this study was to describe patient profiles and clinical outcomes for the different treatment strategies in a real-word setting.

METHODS

The epidemio-strategy and medical economics (ESME) database for advanced and metastatic lung cancer is a French, national, multicenter, observational cohort. Out of 8514 Patients, 822 patients with unresectable locally advanced NSCLC in 2015-016 were selected (mean age, 65.3 years; male gender, 69%; performance status 0-1, 77%; smokers or former smokers, 89%).

RESULTS

Treatment was initiated for 736 (90%) of patients (concurrent chemoradiotherapy, n = 283; sequential chemoradiotherapy, n = 121; chemotherapy alone, n = 194; radiotherapy alone, n = 121; targeted therapy alone, n = 8; other, n = 9). Compared to the other treatment strategy groups, patients with radiotherapy alone appeared the most fragile (e.g. higher age, lower body weight or higher frequency of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). OS rates at 12 and 24 months were 79.5% (95% CI, 73.4-84.3) and 55.3% (95% CI, 44.9-64.5) for concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and 64.3% (95% CI, 52.8-73.8) and 53.2 (95% CI, 33.2-69.6) for sequential chemoradiotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Real-world evidence shows that concurrent chemoradiotherapy is administered to the most fit patients with non resectable locally-advanced NSCLC. Clinical outcomes are actually higher than those reported in landmark clinical trials, which suggests that an optimized and individualized selection of patients allows for prolonged survival. Long-term outcomes are similar after sequential or concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Prognostic impact of pneumonitis after durvalumab therapy in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Background. Prognostic data on Japanese patients receiving durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) are insufficient. Whether pneumonitis has prognostic implications in patients with LA-NSCLC who have received durvalumab also remains unclear. Methods. We retrospectively assessed the data of 82 consecutive patients who had received durvalumab after CRT at our institution between May 2018 and August 2020. A multi-state model was used to establish the associations between co-variables and progression-free survival (PFS). Results. The median observation period for all the censored cases was 14.5 months (5.7–28.9 months), the median PFS was 22.7 months, and the 12-month PFS rate was 62.3% (95% CI: 50.2%-72.3%). The median percentage of the lung volume receiving a radiation dose in excess of 20 Gray (V20) was 22% (4%-35%). Thirteen patients (16%) had Grade 1 pneumonitis before receiving durvalumab, and 62 patients developed pneumonitis after durvalumab (Grades 1, 2, and 3 in 25 [30%], 32 [39%], and 4 [5%], respectively). Twenty-four patients (29%) completed the 1-year durvalumab treatment period, 16 patients (20%) were continuing to receive treatment, and 42 (51%) had discontinued treatment. In a multi-state analysis, patients with pneumonitis before durvalumab therapy had a poorer PFS than those without pneumonitis (HR: 4.29, p = 0.002). The development of Grade 2 or higher pneumonitis after durvalumab was not a significant prognostic factor for PFS (HR: 0.71, p = 0.852). Conclusion. Grade 2 or higher pneumonitis after durvalumab was not a prognostic factor of PFS in LA-NSCLC patients received durvalumab.

Application of a radiation pneumonitis prediction model in patients with locally advanced lung squamous cell cancer

BACKGROUND

The aim of the present study was to establish a new prediction model for radiation pneumonitis (RP) in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) patients before and after radiotherapy.

METHODS

The study involved 153 patients. Age, arterial partial oxygen pressure (PO2), forced vital capacity, pulmonary emphysema (PE), subclinical interstitial lung disease (sILD), and dosimetric parameters, such as mean lung dose and percentage of lung volume, and a dose >5/20 Gy (V5/V20), were considered candidate RP predictors.

RESULTS

Of the 153 eligible patients, 33 (21.6%) developed RP, 68 had PE (43.8%), and 24 (15.7%) had sILD. Grades 2, 3, and 5 RP were scored in 17 (11.1%), 15 (9.8%), and 1 (0.7%) patient/s, Grade 4 RP was not observed. Grades 1, 2, and 3 PE were scored in 45 (29.4%), 22 (14.4%), and 1 (0.7%) patient/s. Grades 0 and 1 sILD were observed in 129 (84.3%) and 24 (15.7%) patients. Univariate analysis found age, PE, and sILD to be significantly correlated with grade ≥2 RP. Multivariate analysis revealed age >68 years, PE grade >1, and sILD grade ≥1 as independent risk factor for grade ≥2 RP in LA-NSCLC with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Finally, a new predictive risk score (PRS) comprised of these factors was developed. The PRS score was 0, 3-5, and 6-11 when the cumulative incidence of grade ≥2 RP was 8.8% (5 patients), 13% (3 patients), and 84.6% (13 patients) (P=<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Age, PE, and sILD could independently and significantly predict RP in LA-NSCLC with SCC.

Individual patient data meta-analysis of prophylactic cranial irradiation in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) was compared to observation in several randomized trials (RCTs), and a reduction greater than 50% was shown regarding the incidence of brain metastases (BM). However, none of these studies showed an improvement of overall survival (OS), possibly related to relatively small sample sizes and short follow-up. The aim of this meta-analysis was therefore to assess the impact of PCI on long term OS for stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared to observation based on the pooled updated individual patient RCT data.

METHODS

Seven RCTs were eligible, and data from the four most recent trials (924 patients) could be retrieved. The log-rank observed minus expected number of events and its variance were used to calculate individual and overall pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) with a fixed effects model. Inter-trial heterogeneity was studied using the I² test. In addition, the 5-year absolute survival difference between arms was calculated for all endpoints. The pre-specified toxicities were reported descriptively.

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 97 months (74-108). Compared to observation, no statistically significant impact of PCI on OS was observed (HR 0.90 [0.76-1.07] p = 0.23, 5-year absolute difference 1.8% [-5.2-8.8]). PCI significantly prolonged progression-free survival (HR 0.77 [0.66-0.91] p = 0.002) and BM-free survival (HR 0.82 [0.69-0.97] p = 0.02). The number of patients with high-grade (≥3) toxicity was 6.4% (21/330) for PCI.

CONCLUSION

No OS benefit by PCI was observed, but PCI prolonged the progression-free survival and BM-free survival at an increased risk of late memory impairment and fatigue.

A validation study on the lung immune prognostic index for prognostic value in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Baseline lung immune prognostic index (LIPI) was reported as a potential predictive biomarker of immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment and a prognostic biomarker for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, it remains unclear whether LIPI is associated with outcomes in locally advanced NSCLC (LA-NSCLC).

MATERIALS/METHODS

Patients with LA-NSCLC receiving radiotherapy between 2000 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Based on pretreatment dNLR and LDH level made up LIPI per previous publications, patients were divided into good group (0 score) and intermediate-poor group (1 or 2 scores). Propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted to balance confounding variables.

RESULTS

A total of 1079 patients were eligible for analysis. Patients with intermediate-poor pretreatment LIPI had inferior overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), locoregional relapse-free survival (LRRFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) than those with good LIPI. Multivariate analysis suggested that LIPI was an independent prognostic marker for OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.02-1.40), PFS (HR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.02-1.36), and LRRFS (HR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.05-1.41) in patients with inoperable LA-NSCLC. PSM analysis further verified that intermediate-poor LIPI was an independent prognostic factor for shorter survivals (OS, PFS and LRRFS).

CONCLUSIONS

LIPI is a simple and promising prognostic marker for patients with unresectable LA-NSCLC. Further prospected studies are warranted to validated these findings.

CT-based radiomics for predicting brain metastases as the first failure in patients with curatively resected locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

Brain metastasis (BM) is the primary first failure pattern in patients with curatively resected locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). It is not yet possible to accurately predict the occurrence of BM. The purpose of the research is to develop and validate a prediction model of BM-free survival based on radiomics characterising the primary lesions combined with clinical characteristics in patients with curatively resected LA-NSCLC.

METHODS

This study consisted of 124 patients with curatively resected stage IIB-IIIB NSCLC in our institution between January 2014 and June 2018. Patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts using a 4:1 ratio. Radiomics features were selected from the chest CT images before surgery. A radiomics signature was constructed using the LASSO algorithm based on the training cohort. Clinical model was developed using the Cox proportional hazards model. The clinical, radiomics, and integrated nomograms were constructed. The prediction performance of the models was assessed based on its discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility.

RESULTS

The radiomics signature is significantly associated with BM-free survival in the overall cohort. The discrimination performance of the integrated nomogram, with the C-indexes 0.889 (0.872-0.906, 95 % CI) and 0.853 (0.788-0.918, 95 % CI) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively, is significantly better than the clinical nomogram (p < 0.0001 for the training cohort, p = 0.0008 for the validation cohort). Compared with the radiomics nomogram, the integrated nomogram is also improved to varying degrees, but not apparent in the validation cohort (p = 0.0007 for the training cohort, p = 0.0554 for the validation cohort). The calibration curve and decision curve analysis demonstrated that the integrated nomogram exceeded the clinical or radiomics nomograms in predicting BM-free survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with the clinical or radiomics nomograms, the predictive performance of the integrated nomogram is significantly improved. The integrated nomogram is most suitable for predicting BM-free survival in patients with curatively resected LA-NSCLC.

Developing and validating an integrated gross tumor volume (GTV)-TNM stratification system for supplementing unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy

Purpose

The gross tumor volume (GTV) could be an independent prognostic factor for unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LANSCLC). We aimed to develop and validate a novel integrated GTV-TNM stratification system to supplement LANSCLC sub-staging in patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of 340 patients with unresectable LANSCLC receiving definitive CCRT. All included patients were divided into two randomized cohorts. Then the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression were calculated to access the prognostic value of the integrated GTV-TNM stratification system, which was further validated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) score and F1-score.

Results

The optimal outcome-based GTV cut-off values (70 and 180 cm³) of the modeling cohort were used to determine each patient’s integrated GTV-TNM stratum in the whole cohort. Our results indicated that a lower integrated GTV-TNM stratum could had better overall survival and progression-free survival (all P < 0.001), which was recognized as an independent prognostic factor. Also, its prognostic value was robust in both the modeling and validation cohorts. Furthermore, the prognostic validity of the integrated GTV-TNM stratification system was validated by significantly improved AUC score (0.636 vs. 0.570, P = 0.027) and F1-score (0.655 vs. 0.615, P < 0.001), compared with TNM stage.

Conclusions

We proposed a novel integrated GTV-TNM stratification system to supplement unresectable LANSCLC sub-staging due to its prognostic value independent of TNM stage and other clinical characteristics, suggesting that it could be considered in individual treatment decision-making process.

Impact of chemoradiotherapy on the immune-related tumour microenvironment and efficacy of anti-PD-(L)1 therapy for recurrences after chemoradiotherapy in patients with unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

A history of radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy (CRT) reportedly increases the efficacy of the PD-1 blockade in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We investigated the efficacy of anti-PD-(L)1 therapy after CRT failure and how CRT changes the status of PD-L1 expression on tumours and on tumour-infiltrated lymphocytes (TILs).

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients with unresectable locally advanced NSCLC (LA-NSCLC) who were treated with CRT between 2007 and 2018 and evaluated the efficacy of the PD-(L)1 blockade after CRT failure. We also compared the PD-L1 (clone: 22C3) expression levels and the tumoral and stromal distributions of CD8-positive TILs using paired formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens obtained before and after CRT.

RESULTS

We identified 422 patients and 65 patients who had relapsed after CRT received anti-PD-(L)1 therapy. The objective response rate (ORR) and the progression-free survival (PFS) after anti-PD-(L)1 therapy were 48% and 8.7 months (95% CI, 4.5-13), respectively. The RR and PFS did not differ according to the pre-CRT PD-L1 expression levels. PD-L1 expression changed in 16 of the 18 patients between before and after CRT, but a specific trend was not seen (increased, 9 patients; decreased, 7 patients; no change, 2 patients). In contrast, the density of tumoral CD8-positive TILs increased after CRT treatment (pre-CRT median, 110/mm² versus post-CRT median, 470/mm²; p = 0.025).

CONCLUSIONS

Anti-PD-(L)1 therapy was effective in patients with LA-NSCLC who had progressed after CRT regardless of their pre-CRT PD-L1 expression. The efficacy of anti-PD-(L)1 therapy for patients with NSCLC with CRT failure was superior to that of standard second-line treatment for patients with advanced NSCLC.

A phase II study of daily carboplatin plus irradiation followed by durvalumab for stage III non-small cell lung cancer patients with PS 2 up to 74 years old and patients with PS 0 or 1 from 75 years: NEJ039A (trial in progress)

Background

Durvalumab is a standard drug used during maintenance therapy after chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). However, little is known about the clinical benefits of durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy in patients with LA-NSCLC with a performance status (PS) of 2 and/or aged > 75 years. As daily carboplatin plus concurrent thoracic radiotherapy is recommended for elderly patients according to guideline, the current phase II study aims to investigate the effect of daily carboplatin plus radiotherapy followed by durvalumab for patients with stage III NSCLC who have a PS of 2 and/or are older.

Methods

Daily carboplatin plus radiotherapy followed by durvalumab is performed for the patients with stage III NSCLC who have a PS of 2 and/or are older. This is a trial in progress manuscript.

Study treatment

Daily, intravenous, low-dose carboplatin (30 mg/m² in a 30-min infusion) is administered to patients 1 h before radiotherapy for the first 20 fractions. Radiotherapy for all patients consisted of 60 Gy administered as 30 fractions over 6 weeks. Durvalumab at a dose of 10 mg/kg/body is intravenously administered every 2 weeks for up to 12 months after chemoradiotherapy.

Exploratory assessment

In the future, an exploratory investigation will be performed to determine whether the combined assessment of T-cell markers, PD-L1 expression, and tumor mutation burden could predict the outcomes of the regimen.

Discussion

The results of our study will exhibit the efficacy and tolerability of durvalumab as maintenance therapy after daily carboplatin plus radiotherapy.

Trial registration

During the first registration (before induction chemoradiotherapy), 70 patients will be included; then, we include 58 patients during the second registration (before durvalumab treatment after chemoradiotherapy). https://jcrb.niph.go.jp/.

Primary endpoint

The primary endpoint of the current study is the 12-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate after the initiation of durvalumab.

Secondary endpoints

The secondary endpoints are the feasibility, objective response, PFS, overall survival, and adverse events.

Durvalumab Consolidation Treatment after Chemoradiotherapy for an HIV-Positive Patient with Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Due to antiretroviral therapy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients and non-HIV patients have a similar life expectancy. The leading cause of death among HIV patients is lung cancer. However, clinical toxicities with immune checkpoint inhibitors, including durvalumab, in HIV-positive patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain unknown. We report a 45-year-old Japanese HIV patient, who was safely treated with durvalumab consolidation therapy after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for locally advanced NSCLC without significant toxicities until his disease progressed. This case demonstrates the safety of durvalu­mab consolidation therapy for HIV-positive patients after CCRT for locally advanced NSCLC.

Impact of Age on Inflammation-Based Scores among Patients Diagnosed with Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory and nutritional indexes are prognostic factors in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Furthermore, a low grade of chronic inflammation has been described in the older population (inflammaging). We aimed to evaluate the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), the advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI), the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) in young and older patients diagnosed with locally advanced NSCLC to determine if significant differences between these groups exist.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study analyzing the impact of age on the NLR, PNI, ALI, PLR, and GPS among patients diagnosed with stage III NSCLC at Hospital Universitario Doctor Peset between 2010 and 2015.

RESULTS

We included 124 patients (84 young, 40 older patients). The median hemoglobin level and leukocyte count were lower in the older patients (p = 0.0158 and p = 0.001, respectively). A higher median C-reactive protein level was also found in this group (p = 0.0095). Regarding specific inflammatory indexes, the PNI, comprising inflammatory and nutritional parameters, was lower among the older patients (p = 0.0463). The median NLR, ALI, and PLR were similar in both age groups. Moreover, no differences between the age groups were found in the percentage of patients showing high versus low NLR (cutoff point, 5) or ALI (cutoff point, 18) or in the different GPS groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The baseline PNI, hemoglobin level, and lymphocyte count were lower among the older patients; furthermore, CRP was higher, possibly, because of a more prominent inflammatory status in older patients with lung cancer. No other immunological or nutritional analytical variables were different between the age groups.

Clinical and radiation dose-volume factors related to pneumonitis after treatment with radiation and durvalumab in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Introduction Durvalumab has been shown to confer a survival benefit after definitive chemoradiotherapy in the patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer, but no studies have attempted to identify risk factors for pneumonitis after durvalumab therapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between clinical and radiation dose-volume factors, and the severity of pneumonitis. Methods We retrospectively assessed the cases of 30 patients who had been started on durvalumab therapy between July 2018 and February 2019. In this study we evaluated the percentage of lung volume receiving radiation dose in excess of 20 Gy (V20) as radiation dose-volume factor. We compared V20 and some baseline factors between a grade 0 or 1 (Gr 0/1) pneumonitis group and a grade 2 or more (≥Gr 2) pneumonitis group, and we performed a logistic regression analysis to establish the associations between variables and ≥ Gr 2 pneumonitis. Results Pneumonitis had developed in 22 patients (73.3%): Gr 1/2/3–5 in 8 (26.7%)/14 (46.7%) /0 (0%), respectively. The difference in V20 between the Gr 0/1 group and Gr 2 group (median: 20.5% vs. 23.5%, p = 0.505) was not statistically significant, and thus V20 was not a risk factor for Gr 2 pneumonitis (odds ratio: 1.047, p = 0.303). None of the clinical factors, including sex, age, smoking history, presence of baseline pneumonitis, type of radiation therapy, location of lesion and facility, were risk factors. Conclusions Our study suggest that the severity of pneumonitis after durvalumab is unrelated to V20 or any of the clinical factors assessed in this study.

Predictive model of the first failure pattern in patients receiving definitive chemoradiotherapy for inoperable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC)

Purpose

To analyze patterns of failure in patients with LA-NSCLC who received definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and to build a nomogram for predicting the failure patterns in this population of patients.

Materials and methods

Clinicopathological data of patients with LA-NSCLC who received definitive chemoradiotherapy and follow-up between 2013 and 2016 in our hospital were collected. The endpoint was the first failure after definitive chemoradiotherapy. With using elastic net regression and 5-fold nested cross-validation, the optimal model with better generalization ability was selected. Based on the selected model and corresponding features, a nomogram prediction model was built. This model was also validated by ROC curves, calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results

With a median follow-up of 28 months, 100 patients experienced failure. There were 46 and 54 patients who experience local failure and distant failure, respectively. Predictive model including 9 factors (smoking, pathology, location, EGFR mutation, age, tumor diameter, clinical N stage, consolidation chemotherapy and radiation dose) was finally built with the best performance. The average area under the ROC curve (AUC) with 5-fold nested cross-validation was 0.719, which was better than any factors alone. The calibration curve revealed a satisfactory consistency between the predicted distant failure rates and the actual observations. DCA showed most of the threshold probabilities in this model were with good net benefits.

Conclusion

Clinicopathological factors could collaboratively predict failure patterns in patients with LA-NSCLC who are receiving definitive chemoradiotherapy. A nomogram was built and validated based on these factors, showing a potential predictive value in clinical practice.

Incorporation of the SUVmax Measured From FDG PET and Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte Ratio Improves Prediction of Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Locally Advanced Non-small-cell Lung Cancer

INTRODUCTION

The aim of the present study was to investigate the value of incorporation 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for improving prediction of clinical outcomes of patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (LA NSCLC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively enrolled 138 patients with unresectable LA NSCLC at our institution from July 2010 to August 2017. Spearman correlation analyses were used to estimate the correlations between SUVmax and NLR level. The univariate and multivariate Cox survival analyses were used to evaluate the prognostic indicators, including the incorporation of SUVmax and NLR. We defined the SUVmax and NLR grade (SNG = 0, 1, or 2) score as the number of risk factors among (1) SUVmax > 11.95 and (2) NLR > 3.82. The SNG score prognostic value was evaluated for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

Univariate analysis showed that tumor stage, SUVmax, SUVmean, NLR, and SNG score were significantly associated with OS and PFS in patients with LA NSCLC. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test demonstrated significant differences in both OS and PFS among patients in SNG score (OS, P < .001; PFS, P < .001). Spearman correlation analyses showed that SUVmax had a correlation with the NLR (r = 0.237; P = .005). In subgroup analyses for patients with tumor pathologic stage IIIA/IIIB, we found that the SNG score was significantly associated with OS and PFS in each subgroup (P < .001, P < .001 for OS and P = .027, P < .001 for PFS, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that the SNG score was a significantly independent prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio, 1.612; 95% confidence interval, 1.157-2.246; P = .005) and PFS (hazard ratio, 2.241; 95% confidence interval, 1.486-3.379; P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Incorporation of the SUVmax and NLR improves prediction of clinical outcomes in patients with LA NSCLC.

Prognostic value of delta inflammatory biomarker-based nomograms in patients with inoperable locally advanced NSCLC

OBJECTIVE

Inflammation plays critical roles in tumor growth and progression, and can be adversely affected by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, there have been few studies on the prognostic value of delta (Δ) inflammatory biomarkers before and after chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC).

METHODS

In this study, pre/post-treatment and Δ inflammatory biomarkers of 370 patients who were diagnosed as having inoperable LA-NSCLC in Shandong Cancer Hospital between January 2005 and January 2016 were analyzed. Nomograms were then established for predicting prognosis.

RESULTS

Median overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) for all patients were 28.1 (range 1.9-129.0) months and 11.1 (range 1.7-58.7) months, respectively. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) significantly increased and the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) significantly decreased during the concurrent chemoradiotherapy course (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that pre-LMR, ΔNLR, and minimum absolute lymphocyte counts were independent predictors of OS (P = 0.027, P = 0.012, and P = 0.015, respectively) and post-LMR, post-NLR, and ΔNLR were independent predictors of PFS (P = 0.014, P = 0.001, and P = 0.036, respectively). Nomograms for OS and PFS were established by combining all significant inflammatory markers and clinicopathological characteristics. The concordance indexes for OS and PFS were 0.709 and 0.688, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Post-treatment and Δ inflammatory biomarkers may have more prognostic significance than baseline measurements of inflammatory biomarkers in LA-NSCLC patients. The proposed nomograms based on the dynamic inflammatory biomarkers and clinicopathological factors may be practical and widely available for evaluating the prognosis of patients with inoperable LA-NSCLC.

Comparative efficacy and safety for different chemotherapy regimens used concurrently with thoracic radiation for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background

It remains unknown which is the most preferable regimen used concurrently with thoracic radiation for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We performed a network meta-analysis to address this important issue.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and major international scientific meetings were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Overall survival (OS) data was the primary outcome of interest, and progression-free survival (PFS), and serious adverse events (SAEs) were the secondary outcomes of interests, reported as hazard ratio (HR) or odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

14 RCTs with a total of 2975 patients randomized to receive twelve categories of treatments were included in the meta-analysis. Direct comparison meta-analysis showed that etoposide-cisplatin (EP) was more effective than paclitaxel-cisplatin/carboplatin (PC) in terms of OS (HR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.77–0.94) and PFS (HR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.47–0.95). In network meta-analysis, all regimen comparisons did not produce statistically significant differences in survival. Based on treatment ranking of OS and the benefit-risk ratio, S-1-cisplatin (SP) was likely to be the most preferable regimen for its best efficacy and low risk of causing SAEs. Uracil/tegafur-cisplatin (UP) and pemetrexed-cisplatin/carboplatin (PP) were ranked the second and third respectively. Gemcitabine-cisplatin (GP) and PC + Cetuximab (PC-Cet) appeared to be the worst and second-worst regimens for their poor efficacy and poor tolerability.

Conclusions

Based on efficacy and tolerability, SP is likely to be the most preferable regimen used concurrently with thoracic radiation for locally advanced NSCLC, followed by UP and PP. Further direct head-to-head studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13014-019-1239-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Pneumonectomy after induction chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: should curative intent pulmonary resection be avoided?

PURPOSE

We conducted a retrospective analysis to assess the practicality of pneumonectomy, especially after concurrent induction chemoradiotherapy (i-CRT), for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). The operative risks vs. the survival benefit of this procedure for such patients is a subject of controversy.

METHODS

The subjects of this retrospective study were 71 consecutive LA-NSCLC patients with cStage IIIA-C NSCLC, who underwent i-CRT followed by curative intent pulmonary resection between February, 2001 and March, 2013.

RESULTS

Thirty-two patients underwent pneumonectomy (group P) and 39 patients underwent lobectomy (group L). In group P, 17 (54.8%) patients underwent right pneumonectomy. There was no 30-day postoperative mortality in either group and no significant difference in 90-day postoperative mortality between the groups (3.1% vs. 2.6% in groups P and L, respectively). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 58.7% (95% CI: 41.5-75.9%) in group P and 57.3% (95% CI 41.2-73.4%) in group L, without a significant difference between the groups.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that i-CRT followed by pneumonectomy is feasible, with a similar survival benefit to lobectomy. Thus, pneumonectomy after i-CRT should not be avoided as it is a potentially curative intent strategy for carefully selected patients.

Pathologic complete response after induction therapy-the role of surgery in stage IIIA/B locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Background

Pathologic complete response (pCR) is dominant prognostic factor determining favorable outcome in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after induction therapy (IT). There is no non-operative diagnostics that adequately estimates the pCR. Aim of this retrospective study was to assess the correlation between clinical and pathological factors in patients with pCR.

Methods

Twenty-five patients with pCR after curative lung resection following IT were assessed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression and descriptive analysis. The survival rate was estimated by Kaplan-Meier method.

Results

The IT included chemoradiation with median doses of 50.4 Gy (range, 45-59.4 Gy) combined with platinum-based chemotherapy in 23 patients (92%) and induction platinum-based chemotherapy in 2 patients (8%). Clinical tumor stage before IT was IIIA in 21, IIIB in 4 patients. Mean interval between IT and surgery was 8.1±3.0 weeks. Perioperative morbidity and 30-day mortality was 32% and 4%, respectively. There was no significant correlation of pCR and different clinical and pathological factors. The estimated 5-year long-term survival (LTS) and progressive-free survival (PFS) was 57% and 54%, respectively. The median LTS and PFS was not reached.

Conclusions

pCR in patients with locally advanced NSCLC following IT is an independent prognostic factor, without correlation with pathological and clinical factors. Non-operative accurate assessment of pCR is currently impossible. Surgical resection enables secure identification of pCR and might improve the patient stratification for additive therapy.

Exploring Radiotherapy Targeting Strategy and Dose: A Pooled Analysis of Cooperative Group Trials of Combined Modality Therapy for Stage III NSCLC

INTRODUCTION

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is standard therapy for locally advanced NSCLC (LA-NSCLC) patients. This study was performed to examine thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) parameters and their impact on patient survival.

METHODS

We collected individual patient data from 3600 LA-NSCLC patients participating in 16 cooperative group trials of concurrent CRT. The primary TRT parameters examined included field design strategy (elective nodal irradiation [ENI] compared to involved-field TRT (IF-TRT)), total dose, and biologically effective dose (BED). Hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival were calculated with univariable and multivariable Cox models.

RESULTS

TRT doses ranged from 60 Gy to 74 Gy with most treatments administered once-daily. ENI was associated with poorer survival than IF-TRT (univariable HR = 1.37, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24-1.51, p < 0.0001; multivariable HR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.08-1.59, p = 0.002). The median survival times of the IF and ENI patients were 24 months and 16 months, respectively. Patients were divided into three dose groups: low total dose (60 Gy), medium total dose (>60 Gy to 66 Gy), and high total dose (>66 Gy to 74 Gy). With reference to the low-dose group, the multivariable HRs were 1.08 for the medium-dose group (95% CI: 0.93-1.25) and 1.12 for the high-dose group (95% CI: 0.97-1.30).The univariate p = 0.054 and multivariable p = 0.17. BED was grouped as follows: low (<55.5 Gy₁₀), medium (55.5 Gy₁₀), or high (>55.5 Gy₁₀). With reference to the low-BED group, the HR was 1.00 (95% CI: 0.85-1.18) for the medium-BED group and 1.10 (95% CI: 0.93-1.31) for the high-BED group. The univariable p = 0.076 and multivariable p = 0.16.

CONCLUSIONS

For LA-NSCLC patients treated with concurrent CRT, IF-TRT was associated with significantly better survival than ENI-TRT. TRT total and BED dose levels were not significantly associated with patient survival. Future progress will require research focusing on better systemic therapy and TRT.

Heart dose associated with overall survival in locally advanced NSCLC patients treated with hypofractionated chemoradiotherapy

Association of heart dose and overall survival was investigated in a cohort including 469 locally-advanced NSCLC patients receiving daily low-dose hypofractionated chemo-radiotherapy. Significant associations were found over a range of dose parameters. Multivariate analysis showed significant associations of heart_V_2Gy:HR=1.007%^-1 (95% CI:1.002-1.013; p=0.006), age:HR=1.026year^-1 (1.011-1.042; p=0.001) and GTV volume:HR=1.001cc^-1 (1.000-1.002; p=0.006) with overall survival.

Case report of two patients having successful surgery for lung cancer after treatment for Grade 2 radiation pneumonitis

Introduction

Surgery for locally advanced lung cancer is carried out following chemoradiotherapy. However, there are no reports clarifying what the effects on the subsequent prognosis are when surgery is carried out in cases with radiation pneumonitis. In this paper, we report on 2 cases of non-small cell lung cancer with Grade 2 radiation pneumonitis after induction chemoradiotherapy, in which we were able to safely perform radical surgery subsequent to the treatment for pneumonia.

Presentation of cases

Case 1 was a 68-year-old male with a diagnosis of squamous cell lung cancer cT2aN2M0, Stage IIIA. Sixty days after completion of the radiotherapy, Grade 2 radiation pneumonitis was diagnosed. After administration of predonine, and upon checking that the radiation pneumonitis had improved, radical surgery was performed. Case 2 was a 63-year-old male. He was diagnosed with squamous cell lung cancer cT2bN1M0, Stage IIB. One hundred and twenty days after completion of the radiotherapy, he was diagnosed with Grade 2 radiation pneumonitis. After administration of predonine, the symptoms disappeared, and radical surgery was performed. In both cases, the postoperative course was favorable, without complications, and the patients were discharged.

Conclusion

Surgery for lung cancer on patients with Grade 2 radiation pneumonitis should be deferred until the patients complete steroid therapy, and the clinical pneumonitis is cured. Moreover, it is believed that it is important to remove the resolved radiation pneumonitis without leaving any residual areas and not to cut into any areas of active radiation pneumonitis as much as possible.

•

We report on two safely operation of the lung cancer with Grade 2 radiation pneumonitis.

•

Surgery should defer during having symptoms with radiation pneumonitis.

•

It should not cut into areas of radiation pneumonitis in operation.

Serum human epididymis protein 4 is associated with the treatment response of concurrent chemoradiotherapy and prognosis in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

AIM

To investigate the role of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

METHODS

A total of 218 patients with LA-NSCLC were enrolled. All patients underwent CRT. The treatment response to CRT was evaluated. The prognosis analysis was performed using relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival [1].

RESULTS

Our data show that the serum HE4 can discriminate patients who respond well to CRT from those who respond poorly. Higher serum HE4 had dramatically increased risk of being non-responders to CRT. Serum HE4 level is also associated with prognosis of patients after CRT. Patients with high HE4 level had shorter RFS and OS compared to those with low HE4 level.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that serum HE4 may be a useful prognostic biomarker for LA-NSCLC patients who underwent CRT.

Neoadjuvant radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) consists of a heterogeneous group of patients, and the optimal treatment is still controversial. The current standard of care is concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The prognosis is still poor, with high rates of local and distant failure despite multimodality treatment. One of the efforts to improve outcomes in these patients is to use neoadjuvant treatment to improve resectability, and downstaging the nodal disease, which has a clear impact on prognosis. Radiotherapy as the sole neoadjuvant modality has been used historically without any survival benefit, but with increased toxicity. After the demonstrating a survival benefit by combining radiotherapy and chemotherapy, phase II studies were started to determine the neoadjuvant administration of these two modalities together. Although the results of these studies revealed a heterogeneous postinduction pathologic complete response, tumor and nodal down-staging can be achieved at the cost of a slightly higher morbidity and mortality. Subsequent phase III trials also failed to show a survival benefit to surgery, but indicated that there may be a subset of patients with locally advanced disease who can benefit from resection unless pneumonectomy is not provided. In order to increase the efficacy of radiotherapy, hyperfractionated-accelerated schedules have been used with promising complete pathologic response rates, which might improve prognosis. Recently, studies applying high radiotherapy doses in the neoadjuvant setting demonstrated the safety of resection after radiotherapy, with high nodal clearance rates and encouraging long-term survival results. In conclusion, neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced NSCLC is one of the most challenging issues in the treatment of this disease, but it can be offered to appropriately selected patients, and should be done by a multidisciplinary team. Individual risk profiles, definite role of radiotherapy with optimal timing, and dose need to be clarified by carefully designed clinical trials.

The long-term outcomes of induction chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Background

Although the concept of induction therapy followed by surgical resection for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) has found general acceptance, the appropriate indications and the strategy for this treatment are still controversial.

Methods

From 2000 through 2008, 36 patients received concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery. We retrospectively reviewed these cases, analyzed the outcomes and examined the prognosis.

Results

The median radiation dose given was 60 Gy. Chemotherapy included a platinum agent in all cases; cisplatin-based chemotherapy was administered to 9 cases, and a carboplatin-based chemotherapy regimen was administered to 27. A complete resection was performed in 94% of the patients. Seventeen (47.2%) patients exhibited a complete pathological response, and downstaging was induced in 26 (72%) cases. The morbidity and 30-day mortality rates were 11.1 and 0%, respectively. The 5-year overall survival rate in the patients with complete resection (n = 33) was 83.3%.

Conclusions

Induction chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery for LA-NSCLC provided a favorable prognosis for selected patients. A complete pathological response was found in about half of cases. This strategy is feasible and was associated with low morbidity and high resectability rates, suggesting that it contributed to improving the treatment results.

Comparison of risk and predictors for early radiation pneumonitis in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with radiotherapy with or without surgery

OBJECTIVES

To investigate risk and predictors for radiation pneumonitis (RP) and tolerance of lung to radiation in patients treated with thoracic radiotherapy (RT) with or without surgery.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

A total of 433 consecutive patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer were followed after three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy. Among them 284 received RT without surgical intervention and 149 received postoperative radiotherapy (PORT). RP was graded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0.

RESULTS

The rate of grade ≥ 2 and grade ≥ 3 RP was 50 and 16% in the PORT group compared with 38 and 9% in the non-surgical group (p < 0.05 for each comparison). The lung volume was significantly smaller in PORT group than in no-surgical group (3181 ± 915 cm(3) vs. 4010 ± 1120 cm(3), p<0.05). Age, chemotherapy, mean lung dose (MLD) and planning target volume (PTV) were predictors of RP for both non-surgical group and PORT group. Mean heart dose (MHD) predicted RP in PORT group only (OR = 1.28, p = 0.003). Among patients who developed RP, V20, MLD, and MHD were significantly lower in PORT group than in no-surgical group (p < 0.05 for each comparison).

CONCLUSIONS

Except MHD predicting RP in PORT group only, most of predictors for RP were consistent in patients treated with RT with or without surgery. Patients receiving PORT had a higher risk of RP than patients receiving RT without surgery did, possibly due to decreased lung volume and lower tolerance of lung to chemoradiotherapy.

Prognostic parameters for acute esophagus toxicity in intensity modulated radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to correlate clinical and dosimetric variables with acute esophageal toxicity (AET) following Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) with concurrent chemotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In addition, timeline of AET was reported.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

153 patients with locally advanced NSCLC treated with 66 Gy/2.75 Gy/24 fractions of radiotherapy and concurrent daily low dose cisplatin were selected. Medical records and treatments of these patients were retrospectively reviewed. Maximum AET grade ≥2 and maximum grade 3 were the endpoints of this study. Dates for onset, maximum and recovery (to baseline) of AET were reported. Univariate and multivariate analysis were applied to correlate clinical, tumor, dosimetric and chemotherapy dose variables to AET grade ≥2 and grade 3.

RESULTS

AET grade 2 occurred in 37% and grade 3 in 20% of the patients. The median onset of AET was around day 15 for all grades. The median onset of the maximum grade was day 30 for both grades 2 and 3. The median duration was 43 days for grade 1, 50 days for grade 2 and >80 days for grade 3. Of the grade 3 AET patients, 48% recovered within 3 months. Esophagus V50, ethnic background, and the number of cisplatin administrations were significantly correlated with grade 3 AET.

CONCLUSIONS

For NSCLC patients treated with concurrent chemotherapy and IMRT A higher number of cisplatin administrations, non-Caucasian background and higher V50oes were associated with grade 3 AET. The median onset of AET grade 3 is 15 days after the start of treatment, maximized at day 30, with a median duration of >80 days.