OncoTargets and Therapy (Feb 2021)

Pulmonary Lymphoepithelioma-Like Carcinoma Treated with Immunotherapy or Chemotherapy: A Single Institute Experience

  • Fu Y,
  • Zheng Y,
  • Wang PP,
  • Chen YY,
  • Ding ZY

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 14
pp. 1073 – 1081

Abstract

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Yang Fu,* Yue Zheng,* Pei-Pei Wang, Yue-Yun Chen, Zhen-Yu Ding Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Zhen-Yu DingDepartment of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 028 8542 2562Fax +86 028 8516 4059Email [email protected]: Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is a rare malignant tumor of the lung. It is related to EB virus infection. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) are rarely found in this disease, while high level programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression is observed. Here a series of patients with advanced LELC treated with immunotherapy were summarized.Methods: This retrospective, observational study was conducted in patients who were pathologically confirmed, metastatic or recurrent LELC patients. Patients were prescribed with either chemotherapy or immunotherapy, according to treating physicians’ discretion.Results: A total of 27 patients were included in our study, 10 with immunotherapy (ICI group) and 17 with chemotherapy (Chemo group). The objective response rates (ORR) of the two groups were 80.0% and 70.5% (p=0.678), and disease control rates (DCR) were 100% and 88.2% (p=0.516). However, the response depth was better in the ICI group. Although the cohort of patients in the ICI group was in a disadvantageous state (both up-front and salvage), the progression-free survival (PFS) was much longer (15.0 and 7.9 m, p=0.005). The 1-year PFS rate in the ICI group was also much higher (40% and 5.9%, p=0.047).Conclusion: This study implicated the high efficiency of ICI therapy in this disease.Keywords: lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma, ICIs, PD-L1, immunotherapy

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