Aihong Zhong

Importance: Programmed cell death ligand 1 inhibitors combined with chemotherapy has changed the approach to first-line treatment in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). It remained unknown whether adding a programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitor to chemotherapy provided similar or better benefits in patients with extensive-stage SCLC, which would add evidence on the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of extensive-stage SCLC. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and adverse event profile of the PD-1 inhibitor serplulimab plus chemotherapy compared with placebo plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment in patients with extensive-stage SCLC. Design, Setting, and Participants: This international, double-blind, phase 3 randomized clinical trial (ASTRUM-005) enrolled patients at 114 hospital sites in 6 countries between September 12, 2019, and April 27, 2021. Of 894 patients who were screened, 585 with extensive-stage SCLC who had not previously received systemic therapy were randomized. Patients were followed up through October 22, 2021. Interventions: Patients were randomized 2:1 to receive either 4.5 mg/kg of serplulimab (n = 389) or placebo (n = 196) intravenously every 3 weeks. All patients received intravenous carboplatin and etoposide every 3 weeks for up to 12 weeks. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was overall survival (prespecified significance threshold at the interim analysis, 2-sided P < .012). There were 13 secondary outcomes, including progression-free survival and adverse events. Results: Among the 585 patients who were randomized (mean age, 61.1 [SD, 8.67] years; 104 [17.8%] women), 246 (42.1%) completed the trial and 465 (79.5%) discontinued study treatment. All patients received study treatment and were included in the primary analyses. As of the data cutoff (October 22, 2021) for this interim analysis, the median duration of follow-up was 12.3 months (range, 0.2-24.8 months). The median overall survival was significantly longer in the serplulimab group (15.4 months [95% CI, 13.3 months-not evaluable]) than in the placebo group (10.9 months [95% CI, 10.0-14.3 months]) (hazard ratio, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.49-0.82]; P < .001). The median progression-free survival (assessed by an independent radiology review committee) also was longer in the serplulimab group (5.7 months [95% CI, 5.5-6.9 months]) than in the placebo group (4.3 months [95% CI, 4.2-4.5 months]) (hazard ratio, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.38-0.59]). Treatment-related adverse events that were grade 3 or higher occurred in 129 patients (33.2%) in the serplulimab group and in 54 patients (27.6%) in the placebo group. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with previously untreated extensive-stage SCLC, serplulimab plus chemotherapy significantly improved overall survival compared with chemotherapy alone, supporting the use of serplulimab plus chemotherapy as the first-line treatment for this patient population. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04063163.

Importance: Adjuvant and neoadjuvant immunotherapy have improved clinical outcomes for patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the optimal combination of checkpoint inhibition with chemotherapy remains unknown. Objective: To determine whether toripalimab in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy will improve event-free survival and major pathological response in patients with stage II or III resectable NSCLC compared with chemotherapy alone. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized clinical trial enrolled patients with stage II or III resectable NSCLC (without EGFR or ALK alterations for nonsquamous NSCLC) from March 12, 2020, to June 19, 2023, at 50 participating hospitals in China. The data cutoff date for this interim analysis was November 30, 2022. Interventions: Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive 240 mg of toripalimab or placebo once every 3 weeks combined with platinum-based chemotherapy for 3 cycles before surgery and 1 cycle after surgery, followed by toripalimab only (240 mg) or placebo once every 3 weeks for up to 13 cycles. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were event-free survival (assessed by the investigators) and the major pathological response rate (assessed by blinded, independent pathological review). The secondary outcomes included the pathological complete response rate (assessed by blinded, independent pathological review) and adverse events. Results: Of the 501 patients randomized, 404 had stage III NSCLC (202 in the toripalimab + chemotherapy group and 202 in the placebo + chemotherapy group) and 97 had stage II NSCLC and were excluded from this interim analysis. The median age was 62 years (IQR, 56-65 years), 92% of patients were male, and the median follow-up was 18.3 months (IQR, 12.7-22.5 months). For the primary outcome of event-free survival, the median length was not estimable (95% CI, 24.4 months-not estimable) in the toripalimab group compared with 15.1 months (95% CI, 10.6-21.9 months) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.40 [95% CI, 0.28-0.57], P < .001). The major pathological response rate (another primary outcome) was 48.5% (95% CI, 41.4%-55.6%) in the toripalimab group compared with 8.4% (95% CI, 5.0%-13.1%) in the placebo group (between-group difference, 40.2% [95% CI, 32.2%-48.1%], P < .001). The pathological complete response rate (secondary outcome) was 24.8% (95% CI, 19.0%-31.3%) in the toripalimab group compared with 1.0% (95% CI, 0.1%-3.5%) in the placebo group (between-group difference, 23.7% [95% CI, 17.6%-29.8%]). The incidence of immune-related adverse events occurred more frequently in the toripalimab group. No unexpected treatment-related toxic effects were identified. The incidence of grade 3 or higher adverse events, fatal adverse events, and adverse events leading to discontinuation of treatment were comparable between the groups. Conclusions and Relevance: The addition of toripalimab to perioperative chemotherapy led to a significant improvement in event-free survival for patients with resectable stage III NSCLC and this treatment strategy had a manageable safety profile. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04158440.

PEHE is a rare low-grade lung tumor with no specific clinical manifestations. It can be diagnosed with chest imaging and pathological immunohistochemistry. Moreover, there is currently no standard treatment for PEHE, and most patients have a good prognosis.

<h3>Background</h3> Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment for resectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The preliminary results from some pilot trials have shown that neoadjuvant immunotherapy in NSCLC is safe and tolerable.^{1 2}Hypothesizing that neoadjuvant toripalimab (a humanized anti-PD-1 antibody) plus chemotherapy can improve the outcome in resectable NSCLC, we are conducting a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of toripalimab plus platinum-based doublet chemotherapy as neoadjuvant/adjuvant therapy for patients with resectable stage III NSCLC. <h3>Methods</h3> This ongoing study enrolls patients aged 18–70 years with treatment-naïve, histopathologically confirmed resectable stage III NSCLC without EGFR mutation or ALK translocation, ECOG PS 0–1, and adequate organ function. Eligible subjects are randomized (1:1) into experimental or control group, to receive perioperative toripalimab 240 mg or placebo combined with chemotherapy for 4 cycle in total (Docetaxel 60–75 mg/m² or Paclitaxel 175 mg/m² with platinum [squamous histology] or Pemetrexed 500 mg/m² with platinum [non-squamous histology]) every 3 weeks for three cycles followed by surgery, and one more cycle after surgery, then monotherapy of toripalimab 240 mg or placebo every 3 weeks up to 13 cycles is delivered. Adjuvant radiotherapy is allowed. Randomization is stratified by tumor stage(IIIA vs IIIB), pathological type (squamous vs non-squamous), PD-L1 expression (PD-L1≥1% vs &lt;1% or not evaluable) and planned surgical procedure (pneumonectomy vs lobectomy). Radiographic response is assessed within 4–6 weeks after last dose of neoadjuvant therapy, at 30 days after surgery and every 12 weeks thereafter. Primary endpoints are major pathologic response (MPR) rate evaluated by blind independent central pathology review (BIPR-MPR) and event-free survival evaluated by investigator (INV-EFS). Secondary endpoints include pathologic complete response (pCR) rate evaluated by BIPR and investigators (BIPR-pCR and INV-pCR), disease-free survival (DFS), 2–3 years OS rate, OS, safety, and feasibility of surgery. Exploratory endpoints are potential correlations between biomarkers and efficacy. A stratified Cochran Mantel Haenszel method will be used to assess binary endpoints. A Kaplan-Meier method, a stratified log-rank test and a stratified Cox proportional hazards model will be used to assess survival endpoints.Planned enrollment is 406 patients. The study is actively enrolling at 52 Chinese sites. <h3>Results</h3> N/A <h3>Conclusions</h3> N/A <h3>Acknowledgements</h3> N/A <h3>Trial Registration</h3> The Clinical trials. gov no NCT04158440 <h3>Ethics Approval</h3> This study was approved by the Ethics Board of all the involved sites; Approval number of Shanghai Chest Hospital: LS1936 <h3>Consent</h3> N/A <h3>References</h3> Forde PM, Chaft JE, Smith KN, et al. Neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade in resectable lung cancer <i>N Engl J Med</i> 2018;<b>378</b>:1976–1986 Hellmann MD, Chaft JE, William WN Jr, et al. Pathological response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in resectable non-small-cell lung cancers: proposal for the use of major pathological response as a surrogate endpoint. <i>Lancet oncol</i> 2014;15:e42–50.