Long-Term Outcomes With Nivolumab vs. Docetaxel in Advanced Lung Cancer
Posted: Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Analysis of 2-year overall survival data with nivolumab versus docetaxel in two independent phase III studies showed a continued survival benefit with nivolumab in patients with previously treated advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with a favorable tolerability profile. These research findings were published by Leora Horn, MD, of Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, and colleagues, in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The CheckMate 017 trial focused on advanced squamous lung cancer (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01642004), and the CheckMate 057 trial centered on nonsquamous lung cancer (NCT01673867).
Patients with stage IIIB/IV squamous (n=272) or nonsquamous (n=582) NSCLC whose disease had progressed during or after platinum-based chemotherapy were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive the programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitor nivolumab (3 mg/kg every 2 weeks) or docetaxel (75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks).
Two-year overall survival rates with nivolumab versus docetaxel were 23% versus 8% in squamous NSCLC and 29% versus 16% in nonsquamous NSCLC. Durable responses were observed with nivolumab: 37% and 34% of confirmed responders with squamous and nonsquamous NSCLC, respectively, had ongoing responses after a minimum of 2 years’ follow-up, the investigators revealed. No patient in either docetaxel group had an ongoing response.
