Molecular classification and biomarkers of outcome with immunotherapy in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer: analyses of the CASPIAN phase 3 study.

We explored potential predictive biomarkers of immunotherapy response in patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) treated with durvalumab (D) + tremelimumab (T) + etoposide-platinum (EP), D + EP, or EP in the randomized phase 3 CASPIAN trial. 805 treatment-naïve patients with ES-SCLC were randomized (1:1:1) to receive D + T + EP, D + EP, or EP. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Patients were required to provide an archived tumor tissue block (or ≥ 15 newly cut unstained slides) at screening, if these samples existed. After assessment for programmed cell death ligand-1 expression and tissue tumor mutational burden, residual tissue was used for additional molecular profiling including by RNA sequencing and immunohistochemistry. In 182 patients with transcriptional molecular subtyping, OS with D ± T + EP was numerically highest in the SCLC-inflamed subtype (n = 10, median 24.0 months). Patients derived benefit from immunotherapy across subtypes; thus, additional biomarkers were investigated. OS benefit with D ± T + EP versus EP was greater with high versus low CD8A expression/CD8 cell density by immunohistochemistry, but with no additional benefit with D + T + EP versus D + EP. OS benefit with D + T + EP versus D + EP was associated with high expression of CD4 (median 25.9 vs. 11.4 months) and antigen-presenting and processing machinery (25.9 vs. 14.6 months) and MHC I and II (23.6 vs. 17.3 months) gene signatures, and with higher MHC I expression by immunohistochemistry. These findings demonstrate the tumor microenvironment is important in mediating better outcomes with D ± T + EP in ES-SCLC, with canonical immune markers associated with hypothesized immunotherapy mechanisms of action defining patient subsets that respond to D ± T. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03043872.

Xie M ，Vuko M ，Rodriguez-Canales J ，Zimmermann J ，Schick M ，O'Brien C ，Paz-Ares L ，Goldman JW ，Garassino MC ，Gay CM ，Heymach JV ，Jiang H ，Barrett JC ，Stewart RA ，Lai Z ，Byers LA ，Rudin CM ，Shrestha Y ... -  《Molecular Cancer》

Real-world comparison of the efficacy and safety of atezolizumab versus durvalumab in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive disease associated with high relapse rates and limited treatment options. Current standard of care treatment for extensive-stage disease includes combination chemotherapy plus immunotherapy. Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are preferred first-line treatments in combination with chemotherapy with both atezolizumab and durvalumab being equivalent options. Although both ICIs are listed as front-line options in clinical guidelines, there have been no head-to-head trials comparing durvalumab to atezolizumab. Therefore, it is unknown if either agent is superior with regards to efficacy or safety. This retrospective, single-institution study examined patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer presenting to Moffitt Cancer Center between October 1st, 2018 to May 31st, 2023 who received either atezolizumab or durvalumab in combination with a platinum-doublet in the first-line setting. To be included in this analysis patients must have received at least two cycles of induction chemotherapy and ICI and one cycle of maintenance ICI. The primary outcome of this study was overall survival. The secondary outcomes include progression-free survival, immune-related adverse events, hospitalizations due to ICIs, and progression-free survival on second-line therapy (PFS2). Of the 101 patients included, 55 received durvalumab (54.5 %) and 46 received atezolizumab (45.5 %). The median overall survival in the durvalumab and atezolizumab arms were 14.7 versus 11.6 months, respectively (HR 0.59; 95 % CI, 0.38-0.92; P = 0.020). There was not a statistically significant difference in median progression-free survival between the two arms (6.3 versus 5.9 months, P = 0.344). Atezolizumab was associated with a numerically higher incidence of immune-related adverse events (47.8 % versus 32.7 %, P = 0.157) and hospitalization rates for those with an immune-related adverse event (36.4 % versus 16.7 %, P = 0.204). PFS2 was 2.3 months in the atezolizumab arm and 3.4 months in the durvalumab arm (HR 1.24; 95 % CI, 0.69-2.23; P = 0.466). In this real-world retrospective study, durvalumab was associated with improved overall survival in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer consistent with previous findings from a similar study in a Chinese patient population. Although not statistically significant, there was a lower incidence of immune-related adverse events in the durvalumab arm as well as ICI-related hospitalizations. PFS2 was not statistically significant different between arms.

Vince M ，Naqvi SMH ，Pellini B ，Verbosky M ，Melzer D ... -  《-》

Real-world comparison of chemo-immunotherapy and chemotherapy alone in the treatment of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma responsible for 200,000 deaths per year worldwide. Platinum-etoposide-based chemotherapy has been the standard of treatment for the past 40 years, with an overall survival of 10 months. Since 2019, the addition of immunotherapy (atezolizumab or durvalumab) to chemotherapy has become the standard of care for first-line treatment of extensive-stage SCLC following the demonstration of an improvement in overall survival in phase 3 studies. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of chemo-immunotherapy compared with chemotherapy alone in a "real-world" setting. Retrospective observational study including patients undergoing first-line treatment for extensive-stage SCLC between 2014 and 2022. We separated the study population into two arms (chemo-immunotherapy/chemotherapy). For each arm, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and serious side effects were collected. Associations between treatments and survival outcomes were adjusted for potential confounders. Consolidative palliative thoracic radiotherapy was introduced in the models as a time-dependent variable. A total of 118 patients with a median age of 63 years were included. 65.2 % of patients were performance status 0 or 1. In univariate analysis, PFS and OS were not significantly different between the chemo-immunotherapy and chemotherapy alone groups (p = 0.70 and 0.24 respectively). In multivariate analysis, the addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy was not significantly associated with better PFS (HR 0.76, IC (0.49 - 1.19), p = 0.23), but it was significantly associated with better OS (HR 0.61, IC (0.38 - 0.98), p = 0.04). Consolidative palliative thoracic radiotherapy (time-dependent variable), when applied (almost only in the chemotherapy alone group), was significantly associated with better PFS and OS. In this real-world study, chemo-immunotherapy was associated with slightly better OS compared to chemotherapy alone as a first-line treatment in ES-SCLC patients in multivariate analysis, which is not explained by a benefit in PFS. However, consolidative palliative thoracic radiotherapy seems to be significantly associated with better OS and PFS, suggesting that we should also consider using it in patients receiving chemo-immunotherapy.

Lamy D ，Mouillot P ，Mariet A ，Barnestein R ，Quilot F ，Fraisse C ，Ghiringhelli F ，Bonniaud P ，Zouak A ，Foucher P ... -  《Respiratory Medicine and Research》

Recent treatment patterns and real-world survival following first-line anti-PD-L1 treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.

The landscape of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has changed since the 2019 and 2020 approvals of anti-PD-L1 atezolizumab and durvalumab for first-line (1L) treatment in combination with chemotherapy. We studied treatment patterns and real-world overall survival (rwOS) following 1L-3L therapy. A nationwide electronic health record (EHR)-derived de-identified database was used to describe treatment patterns, characteristics, and survival of patients with extensive-stage (ES)-SCLC by 1L anti-PD-L1 treatment. Patients with ES-SCLC who initiated ≥1 line of systemic therapy from 2013 to 2021, with potential follow-up through 2022, were included. Among 9952 patients with SCLC, there were 4308 patients with ES-SCLC treated during the study period who met eligibility criteria. Etoposide + platinum (EP) chemotherapy was most common in the 1L, with addition of anti-PD-L1 therapy to most regimens by 2019. Second-line regimens varied by platinum sensitivity status and shifted from topotecan to lurbinectedin over time. Median rwOS following 1L therapy was 8.3 months (95% CI, 7.9-8.8) in those treated with 1L anti-PD-L1 and 8.0 months (95% CI, 7.8-8.2) in those who were not. Following 2L and 3L, median rwOS was 5.6 (95% CI, 4.9-6.3) and 4.9 months (95% CI, 3.4-6.0), respectively, among 1L anti-PD-L1-treated, and 4.5 (95% CI, 4.2-4.9) and 4.0 months (95% CI, 3.7-4.5), respectively, among those who were not. Despite the introduction of frontline anti-PD-L1 therapy, survival remains dismal among patients with ES-SCLC treated in the real-world setting.

Shaw J ，Pundole X ，Balasubramanian A ，Anderson ES ，Pastel M ，Bebb DG ，Jiang T ，Martinez P ，Ramalingam SS ，Borghaei H ... -  《-》

Primary lung tumour stereotactic body radiotherapy followed by concurrent mediastinal chemoradiotherapy and adjuvant immunotherapy for locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial.

Patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who undergo concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy often experience synergistic toxicity, and local regional control rates remain poor. We assessed the activity and safety outcomes of primary tumour stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) followed by conventional chemoradiotherapy to the lymph nodes and consolidation immunotherapy in patients with unresectable locally advanced NSCLC. In this multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial, patients aged 18 years and older were enrolled at eight regional cancer centres in North Carolina and South Carolina, USA. Patients were eligible if they had stage II-III, unresectable, locally advanced NSCLC (any histology), with peripheral or central primary tumours that were 7 cm or smaller, excluding central tumours within 2 cm of involved nodal disease, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2. Patients who had previously received systemic therapy or radiotherapy were excluded. Participants received SBRT to the primary tumour (50-54 Gy in three to five fractions) followed by standard radiotherapy (planned up to 60 Gy in 30 2 Gy fractions) to the involved lymph nodes with concurrent platinum doublet chemotherapy (either paclitaxel 50 mg/m2 intravenously plus carboplatin area under the curve 2 mg/mL per min every 7 days for a total of six 1-week cycles or etoposide 50 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1-5 and days 29-33 plus cisplatin 50 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1, 8, 29, and 36 for two cycles of 4 weeks). An amendment to the protocol (Dec 11, 2017) permitted the administration of consolidation durvalumab at the discretion of the treating investigator. An additional protocol amendment on Jan 13, 2021, directed patients without disease progression after chemoradiotherapy to receive consolidation durvalumab (10 mg/kg intravenously on day 1 and day 15 of a 4-week cycle for up to 12 cycles or 1500 mg intravenously on day 1 of a 4-week cycle for up to 12 cycles). The primary endpoint was 1-year progression-free survival (per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours version 1.1), assessed in all participants who received at least one fraction of SBRT and had radiological follow-up data up to 1 year. A 1-year progression-free survival rate of greater than 60% was required to reject the null hypothesis and show significant improvement in 1-year progression-free survival. One-sided exact binomial tests were used to compare the primary endpoint versus the historical control 1-year progression-free survival rate used to determine the sample size. Safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one fraction of SBRT. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03141359, and is closed to accrual. Between May 11, 2017, and June 27, 2022, 61 patients were enrolled and received at least one dose of fractionated SBRT, of whom 59 were evaluable for the primary endpoint. Median age was 67 years (IQR 61-72), 28 (46%) of 61 were female, 33 (54%) were male, 51 (84%) were White, seven (11%) were Black, and three (5%) were of other or unknown race. Of the 61 patients enrolled, 47 received at least one dose of consolidation durvalumab. As of data cutoff (July 12, 2023), median follow-up was 29·5 months (IQR 14·9-47·1). 1-year progression-free survival was 62·7% (90% CI 51·2-73·2; one-sided p=0·39, compared with the historical control rate), with 37 of 59 evaluable participants progression free and alive 1 year after enrolment (n=14 progressed, n=8 died). The most common grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were decreased neutrophil count (nine [15%] of 61 patients), decreased white blood cell count (five [8%]), and anaemia (four [7%]). Treatment-related serious adverse events occurred in 11 (18%) of 61 patients, which included lung infection (three [5%]), pneumonitis (two [3%]), decreased neutrophil count (two [3%]), febrile neutropenia (two [3%]), and dyspnoea, hypoxia, respiratory failure, sinus tachycardia, bronchial infection, and acute kidney injury (each in one [2%] patient). Treatment-related deaths occurred in four (7%) of 61 patients (one each of respiratory failure, respiratory failure and dyspnoea, lung infection, and pneumonitis). Although this study did not meet the primary endpoint, activity and safety profiles of primary lung tumour SBRT followed by concurrent mediastinal chemoradiotherapy were favourable compared with other modern trials treating locally advanced NSCLC with chemoradiotherapy. These findings serve as the basis for the ongoing randomised phase 3 study NRG Oncology LU008 (NCT05624996). AstraZeneca and Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute.

Heinzerling JH ，Mileham KF ，Robinson MM ，Symanowski JT ，Induru RR ，Brouse GM ，Corso CD ，Prabhu RS ，Haggstrom DE ，Moeller BJ ，Bobo WE ，Fasola CE ，Thakkar VV ，Pal SE ，Gregory JM ，Norek SL ，Begic XJ ，Kesarwala AH ，Burri SH ，Simone CB 2nd ... -  《-》