Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of nivolumab in the second- or later-line treatment of patients with locally...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunotherapy
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide.
• Immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors like nivolumab, has revolutionized NSCLC treatment.
• Real-world data is crucial for understanding treatment effectiveness and safety beyond clinical trials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy and safety of nivolumab in the second-line (2L) or later-line (LL) treatment of locally advanced/metastatic NSCLC.
• To evaluate real-world outcomes in a Turkish patient population.
• To compare outcomes between 2L and 3L/LL nivolumab treatment groups.

Main Methods:

• A national, multi-center, retrospective study design.
• Patients were stratified into two groups: 2L nivolumab (Group 2L) and 3L or later-line nivolumab (Group 3L/LL).
• Efficacy endpoints included one-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS); safety endpoints included treatment-related adverse events (AEs) and discontinuation rates.

Main Results:

• One-year OS rates were comparable between Group 2L (60.8%) and Group 3L/LL (61.4%).
• One-year PFS rates were 31.2% in Group 2L and 21.3% in Group 3L/LL.
• Treatment-related AEs were observed in 34.9% of Group 2L and 43.5% of Group 3L/LL patients, with fatigue being the most common AE.

Conclusions:

• Nivolumab is a safe and effective treatment option for locally advanced/metastatic NSCLC in real-world settings.
• The safety profile of nivolumab is acceptable across second-line and later-line treatment settings.
• Real-world data supports the use of nivolumab in advanced NSCLC patients in Türkiye.