[New perspectives in second-line treatment in non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer]

The treatment options for patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in second-line have been limited for a long time. Docetaxel, pemetrexed and erlotinib are the standard second-line treatment. Docetaxel is frequently used although it is associated with an unfavorable safety profile. Recently, the results from the trial CheckMate 057 with nivolumab, an anti-PD-1 inhibitor, has increased the therapeutic options for patients with non-squamous NSCLC in the second-line setting. The results of this randomized phase III trial comparing nivolumab vs docetaxel have deeply changed our current clinical practice. This review explores the recent findings about nivolumab in this setting by analyzing the results of CheckMate 057 trial findings and discussing their implications in clinical practice. Particular attention has been given to efficacy, patients selection, toxicity profile, and quality of life.