ESMO 2017: Nivolumab vs Docetaxel in Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Posted: Monday, September 18, 2017
Two phase III, open-label, randomized clinical trials—CheckMate 017 and CheckMate 057—showed an ongoing benefit with the anti–programmed cell death protein 1 antibody nivolumab, versus docetaxel for patients with previously treated advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Enriqueta Felip, MD, of Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, led the study and presented the 3-year follow-up data at the 2017 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress (Abstract 1301PD) in Madrid.
“Data from CheckMate 017 and CheckMate 057 continue to reinforce the compelling and sustained survival benefit demonstrated with [nivolumab] for these patients, even after 3 years,” commented Dr. Felip in a recent ESMO press release.
Both trials enrolled patients across a spectrum of programmed cell death ligand 1 expression levels. Checkmate 017 evaluated 272 patients with squamous NSCLC; the results showed almost three times as many patients treated with nivolumab were alive at 3 years (16% vs. 6%). Checkmate 057 enrolled 578 patients with nonsquamous NSCLC and reported similar results: 18% of nivolumab patients were alive at 3 years versus 9% of those treated with docetaxel. In the combined 427 patients in both nivolumab arms, the overall survival over 3 years was 17%.
