Abstract 1310P
Background
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) or programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) have revolutionized the therapeutic landscape of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The combination of ICIs with chemotherapy is an approved first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC, resulting in improved patient survival compared with chemotherapy alone. However, the utility of a combined ICI-chemotherapy regimen as second-line treatment is still unclear. This retrospective study was conducted to determine the efficacy and safety of toripalimab combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced NSCLC patients following first-line chemotherapy.
Methods
In total, 79 patients diagnosed with advanced or metastatic NSCLC with PD-L1 expression >50% were analyzed. After first-line chemotherapy, patients received toripalimab combined with chemotherapy at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University between May 2019 and January 2020. The objective response rate (ORR) was the primary endpoint while secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR) and safety.
Results
Patient median age was 62.1 years (38-79], 25 (31.6%) were female, 8 (10.1%) were former or current smokers, 49 (62.0%) had non-squamous NSCLC and 21 (26.6%) had undergone prior surgery. As of April 2021, the median follow-up was 13.8 months (6.5-17.3) with median OS not yet reached. ORR and DCR for evaluable patients were 39.24% and 96.2%, respectively. The overall median PFS was 8.13 months (95%CI 6.38–10.62), with median PFS of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma patients being 9.6 months (95%CI 3.1-15.8) and 7.1 months (95%CI 3.5-11.6), respectively. Grade 1-2 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were most common including anemia (83.6%), decreased appetite (62.0%), fever (3.8%), neutropenia (26.6%) and pneumonia (32.9%). Only one patient developed grade 3 TRAE (pneumonia) and no grade 4/5 TRAEs occurred.
Conclusions
Toripalimab combined with chemotherapy as second-line treatment of advanced NSCLC patients demonstrates favorable therapeutic activity and safety.
Clinical trial identification
NCT03966456.
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The authors.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.