Can Previous Chemotherapy Affect the Outcome of Nivolumab Treatment in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer?

Abstract

Aim: This study compared the results of nivolumab treatment in patients with pulmonary adenocarcinomas based upon previous chemotherapeutic regimens.

Patients and methods: The data source for this retrospective study was the Czech VILP registry of patients with nivolumab-treated adenocarcinomas in second and higher lines of treatment. In relation to objective response rate, progression-free interval, and overall survival, three comparisons of patient were made: A: Those treated in first line with cisplatin and pemetrexed versus carboplatin with paclitaxel or vinorelbine; B: treatment with cisplatin and pemetrexed versus carboplatin with paclitaxel/vinorelbine and bevacizumab; and C: treatment in previous lines with pemetrexed (first-line cisplatin and pemetrexed plus those treated in second line with pemetrexed) versus treatment with taxane (first-line carboplatin and paclitaxel only plus those treated with second-line docetaxel).

Results: We observed no differences in objective response rate or progression-free survival between patients treated with the stated chemotherapeutic regimens. We observed a trend towards better overall survival for patients treated with carboplatin plus taxanes or vinorelbine with/without bevacizumab.

Conclusion: From our overall survival data, a chemotherapeutic regimen of carboplatin plus taxanes or vinorelbine with/without bevacizumab might be a better partner for immunotherapy than a cisplatin and pemetrexed-based one.

Keywords: NSCLC; chemotherapy; lung cancer; nivolumab; overall survival; pemetrexed; taxanes; vinorelbine.