Nimotuzumab combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of nimotuzumab combined with chemotherapy as first-line therapy in advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), and to explore predictive biomarkers of the efficacy of nimotuzumab.

A retrospective study was conducted of patients with advanced LSCC administered nimotuzumab combined with chemotherapy as first-line therapy from June 2012 to December 2016 at the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The associations between EGFR expression, EGFR gene copy numbers, and clinical efficacy were detected by immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

Twenty-six patients were enrolled, including 22 men and 4 women. The objective response rate was 50% and the disease control rate was 100%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival were 6.7 and 16.3 months, respectively. Patients whose samples were tested via FISH and showed positive EGFR expression had a trend of longer median PFS (10.0 months; P = 0.10). Adverse effects included 15 cases (57.7%) of bone marrow suppression, 15 (57.7%) of sensory neuropathy, 14 (53.8%) of alopecia, nine (34.6%) of nausea/vomiting and one case (3.8%) of elevated creatinine level. All adverse effects were attributed to chemotherapy.

Nimotuzumab combined with chemotherapy might be a possible option as first-line therapy in patients with advanced LSCC. EGFR gene copy number examined by FISH might be a possible predictive biomarker.