Clinical trials frequently include multiple end points that mature at different times. The initial report, typically based on the primary end point, may be published when key planned co-primary or secondary analyses are not yet available. Clinical Trial Updates provide an opportunity to disseminate additional results from studies, published in JCO or elsewhere, for which the primary end point has already been reported. We report 5-year efficacy and safety outcomes from the phase III KEYNOTE-407 study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02775435 ). Eligible patients with previously untreated, metastatic squamous non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were randomly assigned 1:1 to pembrolizumab 200 mg or placebo plus carboplatin and paclitaxel/nab-paclitaxel once every 3 weeks for four cycles, followed by pembrolizumab or placebo for up to 35 cycles. Primary end points were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) per RECIST version 1.1 by blinded independent central review (BICR). Five hundred fifty-nine patients were randomly assigned in the intention-to-treat population (pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy, n = 278; placebo plus chemotherapy, n = 281). The median time from random assignment to data cutoff was 56.9 (range, 49.9-66.2) months. OS and PFS were improved with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy versus placebo plus chemotherapy (hazard ratio [95% CI], 0.71 [0.59 to 0.85] and 0.62 [0.52 to 0.74]), with 5-year OS rates of 18.4% versus 9.7%, respectively. Toxicity was manageable. Among 55 patients who completed 35 cycles of pembrolizumab, the objective response rate was 90.9% and the 3-year OS rate after completion of 35 cycles (approximately 5 years after random assignment) was 69.5%. Pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy maintained an OS and PFS benefit versus placebo plus chemotherapy in previously untreated, metastatic squamous NSCLC and is a standard-of-care first-line treatment option for metastatic squamous NSCLC regardless of programmed death ligand 1 expression.

Therapies targeting the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) pathway have improved outcomes for a variety of malignant neoplasms.^1,2 An inhibitory coreceptor primarily expressed at the activated T-cell surface, PD-1 modulates T-cell effector activities, including proliferation,³ cytokine production,⁴ and survival⁵ on PD–ligand 1 (PD-L1) or PD-L2–mediated activation. Accordingly, PD-1 and PD-L1 signaling disruption by monoclonal antibodies regenerates T-cell–mediated antitumor immunity, producing durable anticancer effects in a subset of patients.

Background: Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are frequently observed with nivolumab monotherapy. This study aimed to evaluate whether the development of irAEs correlates with treatment response in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients who received nivolumab monotherapy at Sendai Kousei Hospital (n = 70). The patients were categorized into two groups based on the incidence of irAEs: those with irAEs (irAE group) or those without (non-irAE group). Treatment efficacy was evaluated in each group. The patients were further categorized into responders and nonresponders, and predictive factors of treatment response were determined. Results: The objective response rate was 57% in the irAE group versus 12% in the non-irAE group. Median progression-free survival was 12.0 months in the irAE versus 3.6 months in the non-irAE group. The incidence of both irAEs and pre-existing antithyroid antibody was significantly higher in responders than in nonresponders. Multivariate analysis identified incidence of irAEs and pre-existing antithyroid antibody as an independent predictor of treatment response. Conclusion: Objective response rate and progression-free survival were significantly better in the irAE than in the non-irAE group in patients with advanced NSCLC treated with nivolumab monotherapy. The development of irAEs was associated with clinical efficacy, and the presence of pre-existing antithyroid antibody might be correlated with treatment response to nivolumab monotherapy. Implications for Practice: Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are frequently observed with nivolumab monotherapy. This study evaluted whether the development of irAEs correlates with treatment response in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Results showed that the objective response rate and progression-free survival were significantly better in the patients who developed irAEs than in the patients who did not develop irAEs, and the incidence of irAEs and positivity for antithyroid antibody at pretreatment were independent predictors of treatment response of nivolumab monotherapy. Therefore, the development of irAEs predicts clinical benefit and suggests that cautious management of irAEs can lead to achieving maximum clinical benefit from nivolumab monotherapy.

P62/SQSTM1 is a selective substrate of autophagy, and aberrant accumulation of p62 has been observed in various pathological conditions. To understand the roles p62 plays in non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we carried out immunohistochemical analyses of p62 expression in a cohort of patients with annotated clinicopathological data. As analyses of murine and human hepatocellular carcinomas suggested a correlation between p62 and Nrf2 accumulations, we also examined NRF2 expression in the same cohort. The expression of NRF2 and p62 was examined by immunohistochemical methods in 109 NSCLC cases, which included patients with adenocarcinoma (n = 72), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 31), and large cell carcinoma (n = 6). Accumulation of NRF2 and p62 was detected in 34% and 37% of NSCLC patients, respectively. The accumulations of p62 and NRF2 did not correlate with each other, but both were associated with worse lung cancer‐specific survival (P = 0.0003 for NRF2; P = 0.0130 for p62). NRF2 status had an impact on NSCLC prognosis irrespective of histology types, but p62 status did so particularly in adenocarcinoma (P = 0.037). Multivariate analysis indicated that positive immunoreactivities of NRF2 and p62 were both independent factors predicting worse lung cancer‐specific survival (P < 0.0001 for NRF2 and P = 0.04 for p62). This study revealed that both NRF2 and p62 are independent prognostic factors for NSCLC. The prognostic impact of p62 status was pronounced in adenocarcinoma patients, suggesting that molecular mechanisms underlying cancer evolution differ between adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. (Cancer Sci 2012; 103: 760–766)

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy of gefitinib as an adjuvant therapy for non–small-cell lung cancer patients with EGFR mutation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: IMPACT (WJOG6410L; University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry: UMIN000006252 ), a randomized, open-label, phase III study, included patients with completely resected pathologic stage II-III non–small-cell lung cancer harboring EGFR mutations (exon 19 deletion or L858R) during September 2011 to December 2015. Patients were randomly assigned to receive gefitinib (250 mg once daily) for 24 months or cisplatin (80 mg/m² on day 1) plus vinorelbine (25 mg/m² on days 1 and 8; cis/vin) once every 3 weeks for four cycles. The primary end point was disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: Overall, 234 patients were randomly assigned. Among 232 eligible patients (116 each; excluding two who withdrew consent), the median DFS was 35.9 and 25.1 months in the gefitinib and cis/vin groups, respectively. However, Kaplan-Meier curves crossed around 4 years after surgery with no statistically significant difference (stratified log-rank P = .63; hazard ratio by stratified Cox proportional hazards model = 0.92; 95% CI, 0.67 to 1.28). Overall survival (OS) was also not different (stratified log-rank P = .89; hazard ratio = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.65 to 1.65), with the 5-year OS rates being 78.0% and 74.6% in the gefitinib and cis/vin groups, respectively. Treatment-related deaths occurred in 0 and three patients in the gefitinib and cis/vin groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Although adjuvant gefitinib appeared to prevent early relapse, it did not prolong DFS or OS. However, similar DFS and OS may justify adjuvant gefitinib in the selected patient subsets, especially those deemed ineligible for platinum-doublet adjuvant therapy; however, this was not a noninferiority trial.

PURPOSE: Immunotherapy targeting PD-L1 improves outcomes in patients with unresectable stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and no progression after definitive, concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT). Earlier administration of immunotherapy, simultaneously with cCRT, may improve outcomes further. METHODS: Eligible patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive either durvalumab or placebo administered from the start of cCRT. Patients without progression after completing cCRT received consolidation durvalumab or placebo (per initial random assignment) until progression. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) by blinded independent central review. Key secondary end points included objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), the proportion of patients alive at 24 months (OS24), and safety. RESULTS: In total, 328 patients were randomly assigned to receive durvalumab (n = 219) or placebo (n = 109). There was no statistically significant difference with durvalumab versus placebo in PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.85 [95% CI, 0.65 to 1.12]; P = .247) or OS (HR, 1.03 [95% CI, 0.78 to 1.39]; P = .823); OS24 was 58.4% versus 59.5%, respectively. Confirmed ORR was 60.7% with durvalumab versus 60.6% with placebo (difference, 0.2% [95% CI, −15.2 to 16.3%]; P = .976). With durvalumab versus placebo, respectively, maximum grade 3 or 4 adverse events (AEs) occurred in 53.4% versus 59.3% of patients, pneumonitis or radiation pneumonitis (group term) in 28.8% (grade ≥3: 4.6%) versus 28.7% (grade ≥3: 5.6%), AEs leading to discontinuation of durvalumab or placebo in 25.6% versus 12.0%, and fatal AEs in 13.7% versus 10.2%. CONCLUSION: Among patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC, durvalumab administered from the start of cCRT failed to demonstrate additional benefit compared with cCRT plus placebo. Consolidation durvalumab following definitive cCRT remains the standard of care in this setting.