Does the number of cycles of neoadjuvant therapy affect the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer in locally advanced stage? Retrospective experience based on a single center

BACKGROUND

The number of cycles of neoadjuvant therapy programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitor for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial.

METHODS

From October 2019 to March 2022, neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy followed by radical surgery for NSCLC patients with stage II-III were retrospectively reviewed in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital. The radiologic response was assessed according to the Response Evaluation Criteria for Solid Tumors version 1.1. The major pathological response was defined as no more than 10% residual tumor. Student's t-test, chi-square test, and Mann-Whitney test were used for univariate analysis, logistic regression analysis was used for multivariate analysis. All statistical analyses were calculated by SPSS software (version 26).

RESULTS

Among 108 patients, the number of patients who received 2-cycle (2-cycle group) and more than 2-cycle (>2-cycle group) neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy were 75 (69.4%) and 33 (30.6%), respectively. Compared with patients in the >2-cycle group, patients in the 2-cycle group had significantly smaller diagnostic radiological tumor size (37.0 mm vs. 49.6 mm, p = 0.022) and radiological tumor regression rate (36% vs. 49%, p = 0.007). However, no significant difference in pathological tumor regression rate was observed between patients in the 2-cycle group and >2-cycle group. Further logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy cycle could independently affect the radiographic response (odds ratio [OR]: 0.173, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.051-0.584, p = 0.005) but not for pathological response (OR: 0.450, 95% CI: 0.161-1.257, p = 0.127).

CONCLUSIONS

For patients diagnosed with stage II-III NSCLC, the number of neoadjuvant cycles administered can significantly influence the radiographic efficacy of chemoimmunotherapy.

Preoperative immunochemotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: an analysis of the clinical outcomes, optimal number of cycles, and peripheral immune markers

Background

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the real-world efficacy of neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy in locally advanced stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with a particular focus on analyzing the optimal treatment cycle and peripheral immune markers.

Methods

Eligible patients with biopsy-confirmed stage III NSCLC who underwent neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy between January 1st, 2018 and March 30th, 2021 were identified, and their oncological outcomes were collected.

Results

A total of 115 patients were identified, among whom 61, 51, and three cases were classified as clinical stage IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC at presentation, respectively. The objective response rate was 61.7% (71/115) after immunochemotherapy. The most frequent surgical procedure was lobectomy, performed in 91 (79.1%) cases, and all patients had microscopic-free margins. Major pathological response (MPR) was observed in 64 (55.7%) patients, among whom 44 (38.3%) achieved a complete pathological response; pathological-confirmed lymph node downstage (cN2-3 to ypN0-1) was described in 73.6% (67/91) of patients with cN2-3 diseases. The median disease-free survival (DFS) of all enrolled patients was 23.6 [95% confidence interval (CI): 15.9-31.3] months, while for patients with residual tumors of more than 10%, the median DFS was 18.1 (95% CI: 12.5-23.8) months. The post-hoc multivariable analysis showed that three [odds ratio (OR), 4.78; 95% CI: 1.17-19.55] and four (OR: 6.50; 95% CI: 1.12-37.54) cycles of neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy were prone to higher MPR rates compared to two cycles in patients that were classified as complete/partial response (CR/PR). However, adding over five cycles was not associated with a higher MPR rate (OR, 0.91; 95% CI: 0.15-5.47). The pretreatment lymphocyte count level (1.89±0.68 vs. 1.59±0.63, P=0.019) and monocyte count level (0.71±0.32 vs. 0.59, P=0.020) were significantly higher in MPR patients compared to non-MPR patients.

Conclusions

The present study confirmed a favorable real-world tumor downstage efficacy of neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy in locally advanced NSCLC. Even though CR/PR was achieved, it is still beneficial when extended into 3-4 cycles of neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy.

Rapid subcutaneous progression after immunotherapy in pretreated patients with metastatic carcinoma: two case reports

There is heterogeneity in cancer patients' responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including hyperprogression, which is very rapid tumor progression following immunotherapy, and pseudoprogression, which is an initial increase followed by a decrease in tumor burden or in the number of tumor lesions. This heterogeneity complicates clinical decisions because either premature withdrawal of the treatment or prolonged ineffective treatment harms patients. We presented two patients treated with ICIs with heterogeneous responses. One patient had Merkel cell carcinoma in the right thigh, and the other had nasopharyngeal squamous carcinoma. The first patient was treated with sintilimab and the second with sintilimab combined with abraxane. In the first patient, subcutaneous lesions grew substantially after the first cycle of treatment with sintilimab. In the second patient, subcutaneous lesions grew gradually after the second cycle of treatment with sintilimab combined with abraxane. In both cases, biopsy examination confirmed that newly emerged lesions were metastases of the primary tumor. These two cases remind clinicians that when subcutaneous nodules appear after treatment with ICIs, pathological biopsy is needed to determine the nature-pseudoprogression or rapid progression-of the disease course.

Wear-Off of OnabotulinumtoxinA Effect Over the Treatment Interval in Chronic Migraine: A Retrospective Chart Review With Analysis of Headache Diaries

OBJECTIVE

To quantify wear-off of the response to OnabotulinumtoxinA (OnabotA) treatment over the treatment cycle in chronic migraine at group and individual level.

BACKGROUND

OnabotA administered quarterly is an effective treatment for chronic migraine. However, some patients report that headache recurs before the scheduled follow-up injection.

METHODS

In this retrospective chart review performed in 6 university outpatient centers or private practices specialized in headache treatment, 112 patients with a ≥30% response to OnabotA who completed headache diaries over 13 weeks after OnabotA treatment were included (age [mean ± SD] 45 ± 12 years, 82% female, headache days/month at baseline 24 ± 6).

RESULTS

Compared to weeks 5 to 8 after injection, headache days/week increased significantly in weeks 12 (+0.52 ± 1.96, 95% CI [0.15, 0.88], P < .009) and 13 (+1.15 ± 1.95, CI[0.79, 1.52], P < .001), demonstrating significant wear-off of the OnabotA effect. Similarly, acute medication days/week significantly increased in weeks 12 (0.38±1.67, CI [0.06, 0.69], P ≤ .027) and 13 (+0.83 ± 1.76, CI [0.49, 1.16], P < .001). At an individual level, 57 patients (51%) showed ≥30% wear-off by weeks 12 and 13, and 28 patients (25%) showed ≥30% wear-off already by weeks 10 and 11. Age, gender, OnabotA dose or cycle number, or headache center did not predict individual wear-off.

CONCLUSIONS

These data show that in clinical practice, on average the response of chronic migraine patients to OnabotA injection shows a clinically significant wear-off from week 12 after treatment. About 25% of the patients experience wear-off even by weeks 10 and 11. It must be noted that wear-off detected in a real-world study on OnabotA responders can be due to wear-off of a pharmacological OnabotA effect or a placebo effect, or to regression to the mean effects. This wear-off phenomenon may negatively affect quality of life of chronic migraine patients under OnabotA treatment. The best way to counteract wear-off remains to be determined.

Synergistic antitumor activity of cyclophosphamide and ABPP in the treatment of established and advanced tumors in murine tumor models

We have previously shown that the in vivo administration of ABPP, an interferon inducing pyrimidinone, generates activated killer cells that can lyse fresh tumor cells in vitro in 4-h 51chromium release assays. The administration of this agent however has no effect on established tumor. In this communication we show that ABPP, when used in combination with low or moderate doses of cyclophosphamide, can be quite effective against early established (day 3) tumor as well as against advanced, grossly visible (day 8-10) tumor in both the i.p. and pulmonary metastasis model. The synergistic antitumor activity of this chemoimmunotherapeutic regimen was very strong against immunogenic tumors but rather weak against nonimmunogenic tumors. Two treatment cycles were significantly more effective than one and multiple cycles even cured the majority of mice with established i.p. tumor. These experiments demonstrate the potential of chemoimmunotherapeutic regimens and highlight the efficacy of multiple treatment cycles.