The association of nutritional and inflammatory biomarkers with overall survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Pretreatment biomarkers are needed to identify patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) likely to have worse survival. This ensures that only patients with a real chance of benefit receive immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. In this study, we examined the associations of baseline nutritional and inflammatory biomarkers with overall survival in a real-world cohort of NSCLC patients who received ICIs. We used prospectively collected data from the OncoLifeS data biobank. The cohort included 500 advanced-stage NSCLC patients treated with ICIs from May 2015 to June 2021. Biomarkers were evaluated within 2 weeks before ICI treatment: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein (CRP), Glasgow prognostic score, CRP/albumin ratio (CAR), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and advanced lung cancer inflammation index. For each biomarker, low- and high-risk groups were defined using literature-based cut-offs. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated using adjusted survival analysis. Most patients were male (60.8%), the mean baseline age was 65 ± 9 years, and 88% had stage IV disease. For each biomarker, low-risk patients had better overall survival (all, p < 0.001), with CAR and PNI showing the strongest associations. In multivariable analyses a combined CAR/PNI risk score had a stronger association with overall survival (aHR 3.09, 95% CI 2.36-4.06) than CAR alone (aHR 2.22, 95% CI 1.79-2.76) or PNI alone (aHR 2.09, 95% CI 1.66-2.61). These results highlight the potential value of nutritional and inflammatory biomarkers, in particular CAR and PNI, in identifying NSCLC patients with highest mortality risk before starting ICI treatment.

Horstman IM ，Vinke PC ，Suazo-Zepeda E ，Hiltermann TJN ，Heuvelmans MA ，Corpeleijn E ，de Bock GH ... -  《-》

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 ... -  《-》

Combining dynamics of serum inflammatory and nutritional indicators as novel biomarkers in immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer with bone metastases.

We aimed to investigate the association of the dynamics of serum inflammatory and nutritional indicators with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) response in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with bone metastases, and to develop a novel predictive scoring system based on these indicators. Patients with NSCLC having bone metastases treated with ICIs were categorized as: the development cohort (January 2016 to March 2021, n = 60) and the validation cohort (April 2021 to June 2023, n = 40). Serum indicators of inflammation and nutrition such as C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), albumin, prognostic nutritional index (PNI) were investigated before and six weeks after ICI initiation. The correlations of these dynamics with bone metastasis response rate (BoMRR) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. A scoring system consisting of independent predictors was developed (IMMUNO-SCORE) and correlations with clinical outcomes were validated using the validation cohort. In the development cohort, multivariable analysis showed that NLR and PNI dynamics and CRP, NLR, and PNI dynamics were independent predictors of BoMRR and OS, respectively. The IMMUNO-SCORE consisting of NLR and PNI dynamics, which were the common predictors of the clinical outcomes, was significantly correlated with BoMRR (p < 0.01) and OS (p < 0.001) in cross-validation. The area under the curve of the score (0.786) was higher than individual NLR and PNI dynamics (0.72 and 0.684). Dynamics in NLR and PNI were demonstrated as biomarkers of treatment response and prognosis in ICI treatment of NSCLC with bone metastases, and the score combining these biomarkers was significantly correlated with clinical outcomes.

Asano Y ，Hayashi K ，Takeuchi A ，Kato S ，Miwa S ，Taniguchi Y ，Okuda M ，Matsumoto I ，Yano S ，Demura S ... -  《-》

Predictive value of inflammation and nutritional index in immunotherapy for stage IV non-small cell lung cancer and model construction.

Identifying individuals poised to gain from immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies is a pivotal element in the realm of tailored healthcare. The expression level of Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) has been linked to the response to ICI therapy, but its assessment typically requires substantial tumor tissue, which can be challenging to obtain. In contrast, blood samples are more feasible for clinical application. A number of promising peripheral biomarkers have been proposed to overcome this hurdle. This research aims to evaluate the prognostic utility of the albumin-to-lactate dehydrogenase ratio (LAR), the Pan-immune-inflammation Value (PIV), and the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) in predicting the response to ICI therapy in individuals with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Furthermore, the study seeks to construct a predictive nomogram that includes these markers to facilitate the selection of patients with a higher likelihood of benefiting from ICI therapy. A research initiative scrutinized the treatment records of 157 advanced NSCLC patients who received ICI therapy across two Jiangxi medical centers. The cohort from Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital (comprising 108 patients) was utilized for the training dataset, while the contingent from Jiangxi Cancer Hospital (49 patients) served for validation purposes. Stratification was based on established LAR, PIV, and PNI benchmarks to explore associations with DCR and ORR metrics. Factorial influences on ICI treatment success were discerned through univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Subsequently, a Nomogram was devised to forecast outcomes, its precision gauged by ROC and calibration curves, DCA analysis, and cross-institutional validation. In the training group, the optimal threshold values for LAR, PIV, and PNI were identified as 5.205, 297.49, and 44.6, respectively. Based on these thresholds, LAR, PIV, and PNI were categorized into high (≥ Cut-off) and low (< Cut-off) groups. Patients with low LAR (L-LAR), low PIV (L-PIV), and high PNI (H-PNI) exhibited a higher disease control rate (DCR) (P < 0.05) and longer median progression-free survival (PFS) (P < 0.05). Cox multivariate analysis indicated that PS, malignant pleural effusion, liver metastasis, high PIV (H-PIV), and low PNI (L-PNI) were risk factors adversely affecting the efficacy of immunotherapy (P < 0.05). The Nomogram model predicted a concordance index (C-index) of 0.78 (95% CI: 0.73-0.84). The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) for the training group at 6, 9, and 12 months were 0.900, 0.869, and 0.866, respectively, while the AUCs for the external validation group at the same time points were 0.800, 0.886, and 0.801, respectively. Throughout immunotherapy, PIV and PNI could act as prospective indicators for forecasting treatment success in NSCLC patients, while the devised Nomogram model exhibits strong predictive performance for patient prognoses.

Lei W ，Wang W ，Qin S ，Yao W ... -  《Scientific Reports》

Single or combined immune checkpoint inhibitors compared to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab for people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis have changed the first-line treatment of people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Single-agent pembrolizumab (a PD-1 inhibitor) is currently the standard of care as monotherapy in patients with PD-L1 expression ≥ 50%, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy when PD-L1 expression is less than 50%. Atezolizumab (PD-L1 inhibitor) has also been approved in combination with chemotherapy and bevacizumab (an anti-angiogenic antibody) in first-line NSCLC regardless of PD-L1 expression. The combination of first-line PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors with anti-CTLA-4 antibodies has also been shown to improve survival compared to platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC, particularly in people with high tumour mutational burden (TMB). The association of ipilimumab (an anti CTLA4) and nivolumab (PD-1 inhibitor) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in all patients with PD-L1 expression ≥1%. Although these antibodies are currently used in clinical practice, some questions remain unanswered, such as the best-treatment strategy, the role of different biomarkers for treatment selection and the effectiveness of immunotherapy according to specific clinical characteristics. To determine the effectiveness and safety of first-line immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), as monotherapy or in combination, compared to platinum-based chemotherapy, with or without bevacizumab for people with advanced NSCLC, according to the level of PD-L1 expression. We performed an electronic search of the main databases (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, Embase) from inception until 31 December 2020 and conferences meetings from 2015 onwards. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) reporting on the efficacy or safety of first-line ICI treatment for adults with advanced NSCLC who had not previously received any anticancer treatment. We included trials comparing single- or double-ICI treatment to standard first-line therapy (platinum-based chemotherapy +/- bevacizumab). All data come from 'international multicentre studies involving adults, age 18 or over, with histologically-confirmed stage IV NSCLC. Three review authors independently assessed the search results and a fourth review author resolved any disagreements. Primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS); secondary outcomes were overall objective response rate (ORR) by RECIST v 1.1, grade 3 to 5 treatment-related adverse events (AEs) (CTCAE v 5.0) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We performed meta-analyses where appropriate using the random-effects model for hazard ratios (HRs) or risk ratios (RRs), with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), and used the I² statistic to investigate heterogeneity. Main results We identified 15 trials for inclusion, seven completed and eight ongoing trials. We obtained data for 5893 participants from seven trials comparing first-line single- (six trials) or double- (two trials) agent ICI with platinum-based chemotherapy, one trial comparing both first-line single- and double-agent ICsI with platinum-based chemotherapy. All trials were at low risk of selection and detection bias, some were classified at high risk of performance, attrition or other source of bias. The overall certainty of evidence according to GRADE ranged from moderate-to-low because of risk of bias, inconsistency, or imprecision. The majority of the included trials reported their outcomes by PD-L1 expressions, with PD-L1 ≥ 50 being considered the most clinically useful cut-off level for decision makers. Also, iIn order to avoid overlaps between various PDL-1 expressions we prioritised the review outcomes according to PD-L1 ≥ 50. Single-agent ICI In the PD-L1 expression ≥ 50% group single-agent ICI probably improved OS compared to platinum-based chemotherapy (hazard ratio (HR) 0.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.60 to 0.76, 6 RCTs, 2111 participants, moderate-certainty evidence). In this group, single-agent ICI also may improve PFS (HR: 0.68, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.88, 5 RCTs, 1886 participants, low-certainty evidence) and ORR (risk ratio (RR):1.40, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.75, 4 RCTs, 1672 participants, low-certainty evidence). HRQoL data were available for only one study including only people with PD-L1 expression ≥ 50%, which suggested that single-agent ICI may improve HRQoL at 15 weeks compared to platinum-based chemotherapy (RR: 1.51, 95% CI 1.08 to 2.10, 1 RCT, 297 participants, low-certainty evidence). In the included studies, treatment-related AEs were not reported according to PD-L1 expression levels. Grade 3-4 AEs may be less frequent with single-agent ICI compared to platinum-based chemotherapy (RR: 0.41, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.50, I² = 62%, 5 RCTs, 3346 participants, low-certainty evidence). More information about efficacy of single-agent ICI compared to platinum-based chemotherapy according to the level of PD-L1 expression and to TMB status or specific clinical characteristics is available in the full text. Double-agent ICI Double-ICI treatment probably prolonged OS compared to platinum-based chemotherapy in people with PD-L1 expression ≥50% (HR: 0.72, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.89 2 RCTs, 612 participants, moderate-certainty evidence). Trials did not report data on HRQoL, PFS and ORR according to PD-L1 groups. Treatment related AEs were not reported according to PD-L1 expression levels. The frequency of grade 3-4 AEs may not differ between double-ICI treatment and platinum-based chemotherapy (RR: 0.78, 95% CI 0.55 to 1.09, I² = 81%, 2 RCTs, 1869 participants, low-certainty evidence). More information about efficacy of double-agent ICI according to the level of PD-L1 expression and to TMB status is available in the full text. Authors' conclusions The evidence in this review suggests that single-agent ICI in people with NSCLC and PD-L1 ≥50% probably leads to a higher overall survival rate and may lead to a higher progression-free survival and overall response rate when compared to platinum-based chemotherapy and may also lead to a lower rate of adverse events and higher HRQoL. Combined ICI in people with NSCLC and PD-L1 ≥50% also probably leads to a higher overall survival rate when compared to platinum-based chemotherapy, but its effect on progression-free survival, overall response rate and HRQoL is unknown due to a lack of data. The rate of adverse events may not differ between groups. This review used to be a living review. It is transitioned out of living mode because current research is exploring ICI in association with chemotherapy or other immunotherapeutic drugs versus ICI as single agent rather than platinum based chemotherapy.

Ferrara R ，Imbimbo M ，Malouf R ，Paget-Bailly S ，Calais F ，Marchal C ，Westeel V ... -  《Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews》