Cancer Medicine (Apr 2020)

First‐line pembrolizumab for non–small cell lung cancer patients with PD‐L1 ≥50% in a multicenter real‐life cohort: The PEMBREIZH study

  • Karim Amrane,
  • Margaux Geier,
  • Romain Corre,
  • Hervé Léna,
  • Guillaume Léveiller,
  • Florence Gadby,
  • Régine Lamy,
  • Jean‐Louis Bizec,
  • Eric Goarant,
  • Gilles Robinet,
  • Sylvie Gouva,
  • Gilles Quere,
  • Ronan Abgral,
  • Ulrike Schick,
  • Cyril Bernier,
  • Christos Chouaid,
  • Renaud Descourt

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.2806
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 7
pp. 2309 – 2316

Abstract

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Abstract Background The KEYNOTE‐024 trial demonstrated that pembrolizumab, a PD‐1 inhibitor, significantly improves progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in selected patients with previously untreated advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a PD‐L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥50% and without EGFR/ALK aberrations. The main aim of this study was to report the efficacy and safety profile of pembrolizumab in real‐life conditions. Method This was a French retrospective multicenter longitudinal study of 108 consecutive patients with advanced NSCLC, a PD‐L1 TPS ≥50% and without EGFR/ALK aberrations who were treated by pembrolizumab, in first line. Patient data were obtained from medical files. Results The main characteristics of the cohort were: median age [range] 66.7 [37‐87] years, 64.8% male, 23.1% with a performance status (PS) of 2, and 88.9% current or former smokers. Eighty‐seven percent had stage IV NSCLC at diagnosis, 9.2% untreated brain metastases at inclusion,. With a median follow‐up of 8.2 months, the median PFS was 10.1 months (95% CI, 8.8‐11.4). The objective response rate was 57.3% (complete response 2.7%, partial response 54.6%). Disease control rate was 71.1%. At 6 months, the OS rate estimated was 86.2%. Treatment‐related adverse events (AE) of grade 3 occurred in 8% of patients. There were no grade 4 or 5 AEs. Conclusion In a real‐life cohort of advanced NSCLC patients (including PS 2 and untreated brain metastases), with PD‐L1 TPS ≥50%, pembrolizumab demonstrates similar PFS to the pivotal clinical trial.

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