Are Immune-Related Adverse Events With Nivolumab Linked to Efficacy in NSCLC?
Posted: Tuesday, November 7, 2017
The presence of immune-related adverse events is associated with improved survival outcome in patients with advanced or recurrent non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with nivolumab, according to a retrospective study by Koji Haratani, MD, of Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Japan, and colleagues reported in JAMA Oncology. The authors concluded that, “Early recognition and proper management of immune-related adverse events are important to maximize the therapeutic benefit of immune-checkpoint inhibitors in patients with NSCLC.”
The authors performed a multiple-institution study of 134 patients with advanced or recurrent NSCLC who were treated with the programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitor nivolumab in a second-line or later setting. Immune-related adverse events were reported in approximately half of these patients.
The study’s 6-week landmark analysis suggested an association between immune-related adverse events and both progression-free and overall survival. In those with immune-related adverse events, progression-free and overall survival were 9.2 months and not reached, compared with 4.8 months and 11.1 months, respectively, in those without immune-related adverse events.
The authors noted additional studies with more patients and longer follow-up are needed to validate their findings.
