Immunotherapy progress and clinical strategy of unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract

Non-small cell lung cancer negative for actionable molecular markers entered the splendid era of immunotherapy. This review aims to provide an evidence-based summary for immunotherapy for unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer, and references for clinical strategies of immunotherapy. Through literature review, the standard treatment for unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer should be radical concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy followed by consolidation immunotherapy. However, the efficacy of concurrent radiotherapy, chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy has not been improved, and its safety should be further validated. It is believed that induction immunotherapy plus concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy plus consolidation immunotherapy is promising. In clinical practice, the delineation of radiotherapy target should be relatively small. Pemetrexed combined with PD-1 inhibitor induces the strongest immunogenicity in chemotherapy, which is suggested by preclinical pathway study. Although there is no significant difference between PD1 and PD1 for effect, PD-L1 inhibitor is better in the combination treatment of radiotherapy which presents significantly less adverse events.

Keywords: clinical strategy; immunotherapy; immunotherapy progress; radiotherapy; unresectable locally advanced NSCLC.