Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 7, 2025
07:42
Patient-Derived Tumor Explants As a "Live" Preclinical Platform for Predicting Drug Resistance in Patients
Published on: February 7, 2021
5.2K
Comprehensive Statistical Exploration of Prognostic (Bio-)Markers for Responses to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor in
Stefanie Hiltbrunner1,2, Meta-Lina Spohn3, Ramona Wechsler3
1Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland.
Cancers
|January 11, 2022
Summary
This study identified potential biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Increased basophil counts may predict tumor reduction and side effects, while lymphocyte counts and adenocarcinoma histology may predict survival.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) offer new treatment avenues for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
- However, not all patients respond to ICIs, and treatments can cause significant side effects.
- Identifying predictive biomarkers is crucial for optimizing ICI therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a comprehensive statistical analysis identifying potential biomarkers for treatment response in NSCLC patients receiving ICIs.
- To investigate associations between various prognostic markers and overall survival, tumor size reduction, and immune-related adverse events (irAEs).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of data from NSCLC patients treated with ICIs at the University Hospital Zurich.
- Investigation of 16 potential prognostic markers in first- and further-line therapy settings.
- Assessment of marker robustness concerning overall survival, tumor size reduction, and irAE development.
Main Results:
- In the further-line group, increased basophil counts correlated with higher odds of tumor size reduction and irAE development.
- In the first-line group, increased lymphocyte counts, adenocarcinoma histology, and non-steroidal anti-rheumatic drug (NSAR) use were linked to reduced mortality risk.
- These findings suggest novel hypotheses for predictive biomarkers in NSCLC ICI treatment.
Conclusions:
- Increased basophil counts may serve as a predictive biomarker for tumor response and irAEs in NSCLC patients undergoing ICI therapy.
- Lymphocyte counts, adenocarcinoma histology, and NSAR use show potential as prognostic markers for survival in first-line treatment.
- Further prospective validation of these findings on independent datasets is warranted.
