Frederik Krefting1, Nadezda Basara2, Wolfgang Schütte3, Ernst Späth-Schwalbe4, Jürgen Alt5, Sebastian Thiel6, Martin Kimmich7, Jürgen R Fischer8, Sylke Kurz9, Frank Griesinger10, Daniel C Christoph11. 1. Department of Medical Oncology, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany, Frederik.krefting@online.de. 2. Department of Hematology and Oncology, Malteser Clinic St. Franziskus-Hospital, Flensburg, Germany. 3. Department of Internal Medicine II, Martha-Maria Hospital Halle-Dölau, Halle, Germany. 4. Department of Hematology and Oncology, Vivantes Clinic Spandau, Berlin, Germany. 5. Department of Internal Medicine III, Universitätsmedizin Mainz, Mainz, Germany. 6. Department of Pneumology, Helios Clinic Emil von Behring, Berlin, Germany. 7. Department of Pneumology, Clinic Schillerhoehe, Gerlingen, Germany. 8. Department of Internal Medicine II, Lungenklinik Löwenstein GmbH, Löwenstein, Germany. 9. Department of Pneumology, Protestant Lung Hospital, Berlin, Germany. 10. Department of Hematology and Oncology, Pius Hospital Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany. 11. Department of Medical Oncology, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Anti-PD1 monoclonal antibody nivolumab is an approved therapy option for the treatment of advanced squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer (SQ-NSCLC) patients. Data outside clinical trials about therapy efficacy and safety in later therapy line treatments have rarely been described until now. METHODS: We performed a retrospective data analysis of patients who were enrolled into the nivolu-mab Compassionate Use Program (CUP) in Germany. Sufficient clinical data of 40 patients were available for efficacy and safety analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 47.5% of all treated patients were not affected by any adverse events (AEs); 17.5% of patients suffered from severe AEs. The 1-year survival rate was 61.3%. Estimated median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.3 months. Patients who received nivolumab as third or later therapy line treatment (77.5%) achieved similar median PFS and 12-month overall survival rate of 52%. CONCLUSION: Our findings of immunotherapy treatment outside clinical trials support the results of studies in the past and confirm the efficacy and favorable toxicity profile of nivolumab treatment in advanced SQ-NSCLC patients. In addition, we can present some rarely described information about nivolumab treatment of heavily pretreated patients, which provides some evidence that immunotherapy could also be useful in later therapy lines.
BACKGROUND: Anti-PD1 monoclonal antibody nivolumab is an approved therapy option for the treatment of advanced squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer (SQ-NSCLC) patients. Data outside clinical trials about therapy efficacy and safety in later therapy line treatments have rarely been described until now. METHODS: We performed a retrospective data analysis of patients who were enrolled into the nivolu-mab Compassionate Use Program (CUP) in Germany. Sufficient clinical data of 40 patients were available for efficacy and safety analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 47.5% of all treated patients were not affected by any adverse events (AEs); 17.5% of patients suffered from severe AEs. The 1-year survival rate was 61.3%. Estimated median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.3 months. Patients who received nivolumab as third or later therapy line treatment (77.5%) achieved similar median PFS and 12-month overall survival rate of 52%. CONCLUSION: Our findings of immunotherapy treatment outside clinical trials support the results of studies in the past and confirm the efficacy and favorable toxicity profile of nivolumab treatment in advanced SQ-NSCLCpatients. In addition, we can present some rarely described information about nivolumab treatment of heavily pretreated patients, which provides some evidence that immunotherapy could also be useful in later therapy lines.