ESMO 2017: Continuous vs. Fixed-Duration Nivolumab in Patients With Advanced NSCLC
Posted: Wednesday, September 20, 2017
In patients with previously treated advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), continuous treatment with nivolumab resulted in superior progression-free survival over 1-year fixed-duration treatment, according to the follow-up data from the ongoing CheckMate 153 trial. The findings of this ongoing phase IIIB/IV study, which were presented by David Spigel, MD, of Sarah Cannon Research Institute, at the 2017 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress (Abstract 1297O).
Since some patients with NSCLC continue to derive a benefit from treatment even after discontinuation of nivolumab, the question remains as to whether continuous nivolumab treatment is necessary for long-term benefit.
Of the 1245 patients with advanced NSCLC enrolled in the study, 220 remained on treatment for 1 year; they were randomized 1:1 to continue receiving nivolumab until progressive disease or unacceptable toxicity (n=107) or to discontinue treatment with the possibility of restarting upon disease progression (n=113).
Median progression-free survival had not been reached in the continuous treatment arm and was 10.3 months in the 1-year treatment arm. There was also a trend toward improved overall survival with continuous nivolumab.
There was a slightly higher rate of treatment-related adverse events in the continuous treatment arm (39% vs. 25%), but no treatment-related deaths occurred in either arm. No new safety signals were identified, the investigators reported.
