Re-biopsy status among non-small cell lung cancer patients in Japan: A retrospective study

AbstractObjectiveDisease progression because of acquired resistance is common in advanced or metastatic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutation positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), despite initial response to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). In Japan, transbronchial tissue biopsy is the most common sampling method used for re-biopsy to identify patients eligible for treatment. We aimed to investigate the success rate of re-biopsy and re-biopsy status of patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC completing first-line EGFR-TKI therapy.Patients and methodsThis was a retrospective, multi-center, Japanese study. The target patients in the study were EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC patients. The primary endpoint was the success rate (number of cases in which tumor cells were detected/total number of re-biopsies performed×100). Secondary endpoints included differences between the status of the first biopsy and that of the re-biopsy in the same patient population, and the details of cases in which re-biopsy could not be carried out. Re-biopsy-associated complications were also assessed.ResultsOverall, 395 patients were evaluated (median age 63 years), with adenocarcinoma being the most common tumor type. Re-biopsy was successful in 314 patients (79.5%). Compared with the sampling method at first biopsy, at re-biopsy, the surgical resection rate increased from 1.8% to 7.8%, and percutaneous tissue biopsy increased from 7.6% to 29.1%, suggesting the difficulty of performing re-biopsy. Approximately half of the patients had T790M mutations, which involved a Del19 mutation in 55.6% of patients and an L858R mutation in 43.0%. Twenty-three patients (5.8%) had re-biopsy- associated complications, most commonly pneumothorax.ConclusionsSuccess rate for re-biopsy in this study was approximately 80%. Our study sheds light on the re-biopsy status after disease progression in patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC. This information is important to improve the selection of patients who may benefit from third-generation TKIs

First-line pembrolizumab vs chemotherapy in metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer: KEYNOTE-024 Japan subset

This prespecified subanalysis of the global, randomized controlled phase Ill KEYNOTE-024 study of pembrolizumab vs chemotherapy in previously untreated metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer without EGFR/ALK alterations and a programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) tumor proportion score of 50% or greater evaluated clinical outcomes among patients enrolled in Japan. Treatment consisted of pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks (35 cycles) or platinum-based chemotherapy (four to six cycles). The primary end-point was progression-free survival; secondary end-points included overall survival and safety. Of 305 patients randomized in KEYNOTE-024 overall, 40 patients were enrolled in Japan (all received treatment: pembrolizumab, n = 21; chemotherapy, n = 19). The hazard ratio (HR) for progression-free survival by independent central review (data cut-off date, 10 July 2017) was 0.25 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.10-0.64; one-sided, nominal P = .001). The HR for overall survival (data cut-off date, 15 February 2019) was 0.39 (95% CI, 0.17-0.91; one-sided, nominal P = .012). Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 21/21 (100%) pembrolizumab-treated and 18/19 (95%) chemotherapy-treated patients; eight patients (38%) and nine patients (47%), respectively, had grade 3-5 events. Immune-mediated adverse events and infusion reactions occurred in 11 patients (52%) and four patients (21%), respectively; four patients (19%) and one patient (5%), respectively, had grade 3-5 events. Consistent with results from KEYNOTE-024 overall, first-line pembrolizumab improved progression-free survival and overall survival vs chemotherapy with manageable safety among Japanese patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer without EGFRIALK alterations and a PD-L1 tumor proportion score of 50% or greater

First-line pembrolizumab vs chemotherapy in metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer: KEYNOTE-024 Japan subset

This prespecified subanalysis of the global, randomized controlled phase III KEYNOTE‐024 study of pembrolizumab vs chemotherapy in previously untreated metastatic non‐small‐cell lung cancer without EGFR/ALK alterations and a programmed death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) tumor proportion score of 50% or higher evaluated clinical outcomes among patients enrolled in Japan. Treatment consisted of pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks (35 cycles) or platinum‐based chemotherapy (four to six cycles). The primary end‐point was progression‐free survival; secondary end‐points included overall survival and safety. Of 305 patients randomized in KEYNOTE‐024 overall, 40 patients were enrolled in Japan (all received treatment: pembrolizumab, n = 21; chemotherapy, n = 19). Median progression‐free survival was 41.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.2‐42.5) months with pembrolizumab and 4.1 (95% CI, 2.8‐8.3) months with chemotherapy (hazard ratio [HR], 0.27 [95% CI, 0.11‐0.65]; one‐sided, nominal P = .001). Median overall survival was not reached (NR) (95% CI, 22.9‒NR) and 21.5 (95% CI, 5.2‐35.0) months, respectively (HR, 0.39 [95% CI, 0.17‐0.91]; one‐sided, nominal P = .012). Treatment‐related adverse events occurred in 21/21 (100%) pembrolizumab‐treated and 18/19 (95%) chemotherapy‐treated patients; eight patients (38%) and nine patients (47%), respectively, had grade 3‐5 events. Immune‐mediated adverse events and infusion reactions occurred in 11 pembrolizumab‐treated patients (52%) and four chemotherapy‐treated patients (21%), respectively; four patients (19%) and one patient (5%), respectively, had grade 3‐5 events. Consistent with results from KEYNOTE‐024 overall, first‐line pembrolizumab improved progression‐free survival and overall survival vs chemotherapy with manageable safety among Japanese patients with metastatic non‐small‐cell lung cancer without EGFR/ALK alterations and a PD‐L1 tumor proportion score of 50% or higher. The trial is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02142738

Japanese Lung Cancer Society Guidelines for Stage IV NSCLC With EGFR Mutations

Patients with NSCLC in East Asia, including Japan, frequently contain EGFR mutations. In 2018, we published the latest full clinical practice guidelines on the basis of those provided by the Japanese Lung Cancer Society Guidelines Committee. The purpose of this study was to update those recommendations, especially for the treatment of metastatic or recurrent EGFR-mutated NSCLC. We conducted a literature search of systematic reviews of randomized controlled and nonrandomized trials published between 2018 and 2019 that multiple physicians had reviewed independently. On the basis of those studies and the advice from the Japanese Society of Lung Cancer Expert Panel, we developed updated guidelines according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system. We also evaluated the benefits of overall and progression-free survival, end points, toxicities, and patients’ reported outcomes. For patients with NSCLC harboring EGFR-activating mutations, the use of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR TKIs), especially osimertinib, had the best recommendation as to first-line treatment. We also recommended the combination of EGFR TKI with other agents (platinum-based chemotherapy or antiangiogenic agents); however, it can lead to toxicity. In the presence of EGFR uncommon mutations, except for an exon 20 insertion, we also recommended the EGFR TKI treatment. However, we could not provide recommendations for the treatment of EGFR mutations with immune checkpoint inhibitors, including monotherapy, and its combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy, because of the limited evidence present in the literature. The 2020 Japanese Lung Cancer Society Guidelines can help community-based physicians to determine the most appropriate treatments and adequately provide medical care to their patients

A typical carcinoid tumor of the lung presenting with pure persistent ground-glass opacity on high-resolution computed tomography: a case report

Abstract Pure ground-glass opacity nodules (p-GGN) on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) generally have been considering typically associated with adenocarcinoma with less invasive nature. We herein reported a patient presenting focal p-GGN on middle lobe of the right lung who underwent surgical resection with its pathological diagnosis turned out to be typical carcinoid tumor

Safety and efficacy of pembrolizumab monotherapy in elderly patients with PD-L1–positive advanced non–small-cell lung cancer: Pooled analysis from the KEYNOTE-010, KEYNOTE-024, and KEYNOTE-042 studies

•Pooled analysis of elderly patients (≥75 y) from KEYNOTE-010, -024, and -042.•Pembrolizumab improved survival vs chemotherapy for PD-L1‒positive advanced NSCLC.•No unexpected toxicity with pembrolizumab was observed in elderly patients.•Pembrolizumab outcomes in the elderly were consistent with overall study population. Most lung cancer diagnoses occur in elderly patients, who are underrepresented in clinical trials. We present a pooled analysis of safety and efficacy in elderly patients (≥75 years) who received pembrolizumab (a programmed death 1 inhibitor) for advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)‒positive tumors. The pooled analysis included patients aged ≥18 years with advanced NSCLC with PD-L1–positive tumors from the KEYNOTE-010 (NCT01905657), KEYNOTE-024 (NCT02142738), and KEYNOTE-042 (NCT02220894) studies. In KEYNOTE-010, patients were randomized to pembrolizumab 2 or 10 mg/kg every 3 weeks (Q3W) or docetaxel, as second- or later-line therapy. In KEYNOTE-024 and KEYNOTE-042, patients were randomized to first-line pembrolizumab 200 mg Q3W or platinum-based chemotherapy. Overall survival (OS) was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and safety data were summarized in elderly patients (≥75 years). The analysis included 264 elderly patients with PD-L1–positive tumors (PD-L1 tumor proportion score [TPS] ≥1%); among these, 132 had PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50%. Pembrolizumab improved OS among elderly patients with PD-L1 TPS ≥ 1% (hazard ratio [HR], 0.76 [95% CI, 0.56–1.02]) and PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50% (HR, 0.40 [95% CI, 0.25–0.64]). Pembrolizumab as first-line therapy also improved OS among elderly patients with PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50% (from KEYNOTE-024 and KEYNOTE-042) compared with chemotherapy (HR, 0.41 [95% CI, 0.23‒0.73]). Pembrolizumab was associated with fewer treatment-related adverse events (AEs) in elderly patients (overall, 68.5% vs 94.3%; grade ≥3, 24.2% vs 61.0%) versus chemotherapy. Immune-mediated AEs and infusion reactions were more common with pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy (overall, 24.8% vs 6.7%; grade 3‒4: 9.4% vs 0%; no grade 5 events). In this pooled analysis of elderly patients with advanced NSCLC with PD-L1‒positive tumors, pembrolizumab improved OS versus chemotherapy, with a more favorable safety profile. Outcomes with pembrolizumab in patients ≥75 years were comparable to those in the overall populations in the individual studies