Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 Expression and Clinical Outcomes Among Patients with Resected, Early-Stage Non-Small...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunotherapy
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Treatment options for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are rapidly evolving.
• Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting programmed cell death-(ligand) 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) are increasingly important in NSCLC management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate outcomes in patients with resected stage IB-IIIA NSCLC tumors expressing PD-L1.
• To analyze PD-L1 expression rates, treatment patterns, recurrence, and survival in PD-L1 positive NSCLC patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of the Pan-Canadian Lung cancer Observational Study (PALEOS) data from 2016-2019.
• Inclusion of patients with resected stage IB-IIIA NSCLC who were tested for PD-L1 expression.

Main Results:

• Of 539 PD-L1 tested patients, 58.8% were PD-L1 positive (≥1%).
• 31.9% of patients experienced disease recurrence, primarily at metastatic sites.
• Median disease-free survival (mDFS) was 40.0 months; 4-year DFS probability was 44%.

Conclusions:

• Patients with early-stage, resected, PD-L1+ NSCLC often have poor outcomes post-adjuvant therapy.
• Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) regimens are the most frequent first systemic therapy after metastatic recurrence.
• Findings provide context for ongoing and future trials of novel treatment strategies in NSCLC.