A retrospective analysis of non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with nivolumab

Abstract

Objective: Nivolumab, anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, was approved for progressive recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in December, 2015 in Japan. However, its clinical experience is still limited.We performed a retrospective study of non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with nivolumab from perspective of patient background, efficacy and adverse events. Methods: Candidates were NSCLC patients treated with nivolumab from January, 2016 to November, 2016 in Nagasaki Thoracic Oncology Group. Results: 62 NSCLC patients were registered. Background was as follows: median age: 67.5 years old (31-89 years old), male/female: 46/16, smoking history +/-: 47/15, performance status 0/1/2/3: 14/33/13/2, stage III/IV/post ope recurrence: 9/50/3, histological type squamous/non-squamous: 20/42, nivolumab line 2nd/after 3rd: 12/50. Response rate was 24.0%(CR/PR/SD/PD: 0/12/17/21) in 50 possibly judged patients. The median progression free survival was 104 days. Adverse events were below Grade 2 in most cases. Over Grade 3 immune-related adverse events (irAEs) were interstitial pneumonia (IP): 5 cases, hyperglycemia: 2 cases and isolated ACTH deficiency: 1 case. Conclusion: Nivolumab was proved to be effective in the clinical setting compared with previous reports. However, we need to be careful with irAEs like IPs and further experiences are expected in the future.