Immunotherapies for Lung Cancer.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunotherapy
• Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Background:

• Immunotherapy has become a standard treatment for NSCLC.
• Treatment decisions are influenced by programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression and mutation status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the current standard of care for NSCLC treatment using immunotherapy in 2017.
• To detail first- and second-line immunotherapy options based on PD-L1 expression.

Main Methods:

• Review of current clinical guidelines and treatment protocols for NSCLC in 2017.
• Analysis of PD-L1 expression levels and mutation status for treatment selection.

Main Results:

• Pembrolizumab is the first-line standard for NSCLC with PD-L1 expression >50%.
• Nivolumab and atezolizumab are approved for second-line therapy regardless of PD-L1 status after platinum-doublet failure.
• Pembrolizumab is also approved for second-line therapy in patients with PD-L1 expression >1%.

Conclusions:

• PD-L1 testing is crucial before initiating pembrolizumab treatment in NSCLC.
• Immunotherapy offers various treatment options for NSCLC patients in both first and second lines, tailored by PD-L1 status.