Prognostic Potential of the Prognostic Nutritional Index in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Pembrolizumab Combination Therapy with Carboplatin and Paclitaxel/Nab-Paclitaxel.

Pembrolizumab (Pemb) therapy in conjunction with carboplatin and paclitaxel (PTX)/nab-PTX has been efficacious in treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the response predictors of this combination therapy (Pemb-combination) remain undetermined. We aimed to evaluate whether Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), body mass index (BMI), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) are potential factors in prognosticating the response to Pemb-combination therapy in advanced NSCLC patients. We retrospectively recruited 144 NSCLC patients receiving first-line treatment with Pemb-combination therapy from 13 institutions between December 1, 2018, and December 31, 2020. GPS, NLR, BMI, PLR, and PNI were assessed for their efficacy as prognostic indicators. Cox proportional hazard models and the Kaplan-Meier method were used to compare the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of the patients. The treatment exhibited a response rate of 63.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 55.0-70.6%). Following Pemb-combination administration, the median PFS and OS were 7.3 (95% CI: 5.3-9.4) and 16.5 (95% CI: 13.9-22.1) months, respectively. Contrary to PNI, NLR, GPS, BMI, and PLR did not display substantially different PFS in univariate analysis. However, multivariate analysis did not identify PNI as an independent prognostic factor for PFS. Furthermore, univariate analysis revealed that GPS, BMI, and PLR exhibited similar values for OS but not NLR and PNI. Patients with PNI ≥45 were predicted to have better OS than those with PNI <45 (OS: 23.4 and 13.9 months, respectively, p = 0.0028). Multivariate analysis did not establish NLR as an independent prognostic factor for OS. The PNI evidently predicted OS in NSCLC patients treated with Pemb-combination as first-line therapy, thereby validating its efficiency as a prognostic indicator of NSCLC.

Nishihara-Kato F ，Imai H ，Tsuda T ，Wasamoto S ，Nagai Y ，Kishikawa T ，Miura Y ，Ono A ，Yamada Y ，Masubuchi K ，Osaki T ，Nakagawa J ，Umeda Y ，Minemura H ，Kozu Y ，Taniguchi H ，Ohta H ，Kaira K ，Kagamu H ... -  《-》

Pretreatment Glasgow prognostic score predicts survival among patients with high PD-L1 expression administered first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer.

There are no established biomarkers for predicting the efficacy of first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy in patients with high programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. In this study, we investigated whether the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and body mass index (BMI) can be used to evaluate the effect of first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who express high levels of PD-L1. We reviewed data from 142 patients with high PD-L1 expression who underwent first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy for NSCLC at six Japanese institutions between February 2017 and June 2019 and assessed the prognostic value of the GPS, NLR, and BMI. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine differences in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The GPS, NLR, and BMI were calculated using C-reactive protein and albumin concentrations, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, and body weight and height, respectively. The GPS independently predicted the first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy efficacy, as a good GPS (GPS 0-1) was associated with a significantly better PFS and OS compared to a poor GPS (GPS 2) (PFS: 11.8 vs. 2.9 months, p < 0.0001; OS: not reached vs. 8.3 months, p < 0.0001). Furthermore, BMI independently predicted efficacy, as patients with high BMI (BMI ≥21.4) exhibited significantly better OS compared to those with low BMI (BMI <21.4) (OS: not reached vs. 14.1 months, p = 0.006). Among patients with high PD-L1 expression undergoing first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy for NSCLC, the GPS is significantly correlated with both PFS and OS, and BMI with OS, indicating that they could be used to predict treatment outcome in these patients. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the relationship among the GPS, NLR, and BMI and survival among patients with high PD-L1 expression undergoing first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy for NSCLC.

Imai H ，Kishikawa T ，Minemura H ，Yamada Y ，Ibe T ，Yamaguchi O ，Mouri A ，Hamamoto Y ，Kanazawa K ，Kasai T ，Kaira K ，Kaburagi T ，Minato K ，Kobayashi K ，Kagamu H ... -  《Cancer Medicine》

Using the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio to predict the outcome of individuals with nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer receiving pembrolizumab plus platinum and pemetrexed.

Factors predicting the response to pembrolizumab plus platinum and pemetrexed combination therapy (Pemb-Plt-PEM) in nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (non-sq NSCLC) are unclear. We investigated the Glasgow Prognostic (GP) score, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and body mass index (BMI) as predictors of response to initial treatment with combination therapy in individuals with advanced non-sq NSCLC. We retrospectively reviewed 236 patients who received initial treatment with combination therapy for non-sq NSCLC at 13 institutions between December 2018 and December 2020. The usefulness of the GP score, NLR, and BMI as prognostic indicators was assessed. Cox proportional hazard models and the Kaplan-Meier method were used to compare progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The response rate was 51.2% (95% CI: 44.9-57.5%). The median PFS and OS after beginning Pemb-Plt-PEM were 8.8 (95% CI: 7.0-11.9) months and 23.6 (95% CI: 18.7-28.6) months, respectively. The NLR independently predicted the efficacy of Pemb-Plt-PEM-the PFS and OS were more prolonged in individuals with NLR <5 than in those with NLR ≥5 (PFS: 12.8 vs. 5.3 months, p = 0.0002; OS: 29.4 vs. 12.0 months, p < 0.0001). BMI predicted the treatment response-individuals with BMI ≥22.0 kg/m2 had longer OS than did those with BMI < 22.0 kg/m2 (OS: 28.4 vs. 18.4 months, p = 0.0086). The NLR significantly predicted PFS and OS, whereas BMI predicted OS, in individuals who initially received Pemb-Plt-PEM for non-sq NSCLC. These factors might be prognosis predictors in non-sq NSCLC.

Imai H ，Wasamoto S ，Tsuda T ，Nagai Y ，Kishikawa T ，Masubuchi K ，Osaki T ，Miura Y ，Umeda Y ，Ono A ，Minemura H ，Yamada Y ，Nakagawa J ，Kozu Y ，Taniguchi H ，Ohta H ，Kasai T ，Kaira K ，Kagamu H ... -  《-》

The prognostic value of prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with platinum-based chemotherapeutics.

Wang J ，Liu Y ，Mi X ，Shao M ，Liu L ... -  《-》

Pretreatment prognostic nutritional index as a novel biomarker in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been established as a novel strategy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) therapy. However, a definitive biomarker that can predict response to ICI therapy remains unestablished. The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is used to assess immune-nutritional conditions and is a prognostic factor in patients with various malignancies; however, its usefulness as a biomarker of response to ICI therapy and survival outcomes in NSCLC patients is unknown. Thus, we retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological features of advanced-stage or recurrent NSCLC patients treated with ICI therapy to identify predictors of response to ICI therapy and investigate the effects of pretreatment PNI levels on survival after ICI therapy. We selected 102 consecutive NSCLC patients who were treated with ICI therapy from November 2015 to February 2019. We measured their pretreatment PNI levels and performed univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses of progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS) after ICI therapy. Pretreatment PNI levels were significantly associated with response to ICI therapy (objective response rate:P = 0.0131; disease control rate: P = 0.0002), PFS (P = 0.0013), and OS (P = 0.0053). In univariate and multivariate analyses of the associations between PNI, C-reactive protein (CRP) or neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and PFS or OS, NLR and PNI, but not CRP, are independent prognostic factors for PFS (NLR: relative risk [RR]=1.655, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.012-2.743, P = 0.0449, PNI: RR=1.704, 95% CI: 1.039-2.828, P = 0.0346). Only PNI showed a trend towards being an independent prognostic factor for OS (RR=1.606, 95% CI: 0.952-2.745, P = 0.0761). The pretreatment PNI has the potential to be a simple and novel predictive biomarker of ICI response in NSCLC patients and might help to identify patients who will obtain a survival benefit from ICI therapy.

Shoji F ，Takeoka H ，Kozuma Y ，Toyokawa G ，Yamazaki K ，Ichiki M ，Takeo S ... -  《-》