Treatment of LC with EGFR TKI, cytotoxic chemotherapy, or WBRT in selected patients is associated with prolong survival period. These treatment options, especially EGFR TKIs, should be studied in patients with EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC and LC.
Cytotoxic platinum-doublet chemotherapy that includes antimitotic agents is a current standard of care in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Microtubule-targeting antimitotics, taxanes, and Vinca alkaloids are effective anticancer therapeutics that affect both dividing and nondividing cells. A new generation of antimitotic agents that target regulatory proteins-mitotic kinases and kinesins-has the potential to overcome the limitations related to the role of tubulin in nondividing cells that are associated with traditional antimitotics. This review concentrates on Polo-like kinase 1, a key regulator of mitosis, outlines a rationale for its development as an anticancer target, and discusses data from preclinical and clinical studies of Plk1 inhibitors with a particular focus on NSCLC. Clin Cancer Res; 17(20); 6459-66. Ó2011 AACR.
Current Treatment OptionsLung cancer is the second most common malignancy in the United States (219,440 cases) and was the leading cause of cancer-related mortality (159,390 deaths) in 2009 (1). Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents 85% of all lung cancers (2); approximately 40% are diagnosed with advanced or metastatic disease (3) with a 5-year survival rate of 14% (4).Chemotherapy with platinum-based doublets (e.g. paclitaxel/carboplatin, docetaxel/cisplatin, gemcitabine/cisplatin, and pemetrexed/cisplatin) is the standard of care in first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC with median overall survival of approximately 8 months (5) and overall response rate of 19% to 30% (5, 6
Background: Immunotherapy that targets programmed death protein-1 (PD-1) provides improved treatment efficacy and survival in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially those with high tumor expression of PD-L1. However, data on this treatment are mostly from clinical trials enrolling highly selected patients. The real-world experience of anti-PD-1 treatment and the usefulness of tumor PD-L1 expression in prediction of treatment response are largely unknown.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with stage IIIB/ IV NSCLC who received monotherapy with nivolumab or pembrolizumab, and evaluated response using RECIST 1.1 criteria. Factors associated with treatment response, progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were determined.Results: Seventy-four NSCLC patients out of 116 examined patients were included, most of whom had adenocarcinoma (48/74, 64.9%) and received immunotherapy as a third-line or subsequent treatment (51/74, 68.9%). The median PFS and OS were 1.8 and 7.9 months, respectively. The objective response rate was 32%, but only 47 of 74 patients were evaluable. Through multivariate analysis, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation was independently associated with a poor treatment response. Good performance status (ECOG≤1) and smoking were independently associated with better PFS and OS. Data on tumor PD-L1 expression were available in 43 patients (58%); higher PD-L1 expression correlated with better treatment response and longer PFS. Severe treatment-related adverse events were uncommon.Conclusion: The efficacy and safety of anti-PD-1 medications for advanced NSCLC were comparable in real-world and clinical settings, except in those with poor ECOG scores. Prediction of treatment response from tumor PD-L1 expression seemed practical.
BackgroundSpartalizumab is a humanized IgG4κ monoclonal antibody that binds programmed death-1 (PD-1) and blocks its interaction with PD-L1 and PD-L2. This phase 1/2 study was designed to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of spartalizumab in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors.MethodsIn the phase 1 part of the study, 58 patients received spartalizumab, intravenously, at doses of 1, 3, or 10 mg/kg, administered every 2 weeks (Q2W), or 3 or 5 mg/kg every 4 weeks (Q4W).ResultsPatients had a wide range of tumor types, most commonly sarcoma (28%) and metastatic renal cell carcinoma (10%); other tumor types were reported in ≤3 patients each. Most patients (93%) had received prior antineoplastic therapy (median three prior lines) and two-thirds of the population had tumor biopsies negative for PD-L1 expression at baseline. The maximum tolerated dose was not reached. The recommended phase 2 doses were selected as 400 mg Q4W or 300 mg Q3W. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed, and adverse events included those typical of other PD-1 antibodies. The most common treatment-related adverse events of any grade were fatigue (22%), diarrhea (17%), pruritus (14%), hypothyroidism (10%), and nausea (10%). Partial responses occurred in two patients (response rate 3.4%); one with atypical carcinoid tumor of the lung and one with anal cancer. Paired tumor biopsies from patients taken at baseline and on treatment suggested an on-treatment increase in CD8+ lymphocyte infiltration in patients with clinical benefit.ConclusionsSpartalizumab was well tolerated at all doses tested in patients with previously treated advanced solid tumors. On-treatment immune activation was seen in tumor biopsies; however, limited clinical activity was reported in this heavily pretreated, heterogeneous population. The phase 2 part of this study is ongoing in select tumor types.Trial registration numberNCT02404441.
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