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• The EGFR Ex20Ins is the third most frequent EGFR mutation in NSCLC. • Understanding primary resistance to classic TKIs is the key for correct management. • New emerging therapies are showing promising results EGFR Ex20Ins population. • The standard of care for patients with EGFR Ex20Ins may change in the near future. Insertions in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 (Ex20Ins) are the third most incident mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The hypervariable nature of these driver mutations hinders their identification by traditional polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods, requiring a comprehensive sequencing approach to detect all possible insertions. The prognosis of patients with EGFR Ex20Ins is similar to those with wild-type NSCLC, since no targeted drugs are approved in the first-line setting, and platinum-based chemotherapy is currently the front-line treatment. However, the new generation of drugs currently being tested in first and post-platinum settings will likely change the management of this entity. Here, we summarize the latest data on EGFR Ex20Ins molecular characteristics, patient profile, identification challenges, and emerging therapies to help lung clinicians face a growing treatment landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La aparición en el campo de la oncología de moléculas terapéuticas en forma de anticuerpos monoclonales, cuyo objetivo consiste en estimular el propio sistema inmune del paciente para que sea este el encargado de destruir las células cancerígenas, ha revolucionado el tratamiento de diversos cánceres en los últimos años. Este tipo de terapia, denominada inmunoterapia, se caracteriza además por presentar efectos secundarios en forma de enfermedades autoinmunes que todavía estamos empezando a conocer. Desde el punto de vista de los efectos secundarios inmunomediados reumatológicos, podemos encontrar manifestaciones musculoesqueléticas mecánicas, inflamatorias o enfermedad autoinmune sistémica. El manejo terapéutico de estos efectos secundarios se mantiene variable debido a la ausencia de ensayos clínicos y de recomendaciones validadas, siendo el manejo multidisciplinar fundamental para tratar con éxito dichos casos. En este artículo presentamos nuestra serie de casos clínicos de pacientes en tratamiento con inmunoterapia y efectos secundarios inmunomediados reumatológicos en un hospital universitario. The appearance in the field of oncology of therapeutic molecules in the form of monoclonal antibodies, whose objective is to stimulate the patient's own immune system to be responsible for destroying cancer cells, has revolutionized the treatment of many cancers in recent years. This type of therapy, called immunotherapy, is also characterized by presenting side effects in the form of autoimmune diseases that we are still beginning to understand. From the point of view of the immune-mediated rheumatological side effects, we can find musculoskeletal manifestations, mechanical, inflammatory or systemic autoimmune diseases. The therapeutic approach to these side effects remains uncertain due to the absence of clinical trials and validated recommendations. The multidisciplinary management is crucial to successfully treat such cases. In the following manuscript, we will describe our case reports of rheumatologic immune-related adverse events in a university hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the phase 3 KEYNOTE-024 trial, treatment with pembrolizumab conferred longer progression-free survival than did platinum-based therapy in patients with treatment-naive, advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) tumour proportion score of 50% or greater (PD-L1-positive). Here we report the prespecified exploratory endpoint of pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy on patient-reported outcomes (PROs).Methods: In this multicentre, international, randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial, we recruited patients with treatment-naive, stage IV NSCLC in 102 sites in 16 countries. Eligible patients had measurable disease (per RECIST version 1.1) and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 or 1. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) via an interactive voice response system and integrated web response system to receive either pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks (35 cycles) or investigator-choice platinum-doublet chemotherapy (4-6 cycles or until documented disease progression or unacceptable toxicity). Randomisation was stratified according to geography, ECOG performance status, and histology. PROs were assessed at day 1 of cycles 1-3, every 9 weeks thereafter, at the treatment discontinuation visit, and at the 30-day safety assessment visit using the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 items (QLQ-C30), the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire Lung Cancer 13 items (QLQ-LC13), and the European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions-3 Level (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire. The key exploratory PRO endpoints (analysed for all patients who received at least one dose of study treatment and completed at least one PRO instrument at at least one timepoint) were baseline-to-week-15 change in the QLQ-C30 global health status (GHS)/quality-of-life (QOL) score and time to deterioration of the composite of cough, chest pain, and dyspnoea in the QLQ-LC13. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02142738, and is ongoing but no longer enrolling patients.Findings: Between Sept 19, 2014, and Oct 29, 2015, 305 patients were randomly assigned to pembrolizumab (n=154) or chemotherapy (n=151). Three patients in each group did not complete any PRO instruments at any timepoints, and so 299 patients were included in the full analysis set. Of these patients, one in each group did not complete any PRO instruments before week 15, and so were not included in analyses of change from baseline to week 15. PRO compliance was greater than 90% at baseline and approximately 80% at week 15 for both groups. Least-squares mean baseline-to-week-15 change in QLQ-C30 GHS/QOL score was 6·9 (95% CI 3·3 to 10·6) for pembrolizumab and -0·9 (-4·8 to 3·0) for chemotherapy, for a difference of 7·8 (2·9 to 12·8; two-sided nominal p=0·0020). Fewer pembrolizumab-treated patients had deterioration in the QLQ-LC13 composite endpoint than did chemotherapy-treated patients (46 [31%] of 151 patients vs 58 [39%] of 148 patients). Time to deterioration was longer with pembrolizumab than with chemotherapy (median not reached [95% CI 8·5 to not reached] vs 5·0 months [3·6 to not reached]; hazard ratio 0·66, 95% CI 0·44-0·97; two-sided nominal p=0·029).Interpretation: Pembrolizumab improves or maintains health-related QOL compared with that for chemotherapy, and might represent a new first-line standard of care for PD-L1-expressing, advanced NSCLC.Funding: Merck & Co. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perioperative immunotherapy improves short-term outcomes in resectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We now report 5-year survival from the NADIM trial to assess its long-term benefit. NADIM was a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial conducted across 18 hospitals in Spain. Patients were aged 18 years or older, had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1, and had histologically or cytologically confirmed, treatment-naive, resectable stage IIIA NSCLC (American Joint Committee on Cancer, 7th edition criteria). The neoadjuvant treatment consisted of three cycles of intravenous paclitaxel (200 mg/m2) and carboplatin (area under the curve 6 mg/mL per min) with nivolumab (360 mg). After surgery, 1 year of adjuvant treatment with intravenous nivolumab monotherapy was administered (240 mg every 2 weeks for 4 months, followed by 480 mg every 4 weeks for 8 months). The primary endpoint was 24-month progression-free survival, with 5-year progression-free survival and overall survival as secondary endpoints, assessed in the intention-to-treat population (ie, all patients who received neoadjuvant treatment). Toxicity profile was also assessed as a secondary endpoint. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03081689) and is complete; this is the final report of the trial. Between April 26, 2017, and Aug 25, 2018, 51 patients were assessed for eligibility, of whom 46 comprised the intention-to-treat population (34 [74%] male and 12 [26%] female, median age 63 years [IQR 58–70]). Follow-up was concluded at 60 months (data cutoff July 11, 2023; median follow-up 60·0 months [IQR 60·0–60·0]). 5-year progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population was 65·0% (95% CI 49·4–76·9), and overall survival was 69·3% (53·7–80·6). Disease progression occurred in 11 (24%) patients; 14 (30%) patients died, including nine (20%) from disease relapse and five (11%) from non-tumour-related causes. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) of grade 3 or worse occurred in 14 (30%) of 46 patients during neoadjuvant treatment and in seven (19%) of 37 during adjuvant treatment. The most common grade 3 or worse TRAEs were increased lipase and febrile neutropenia (three [7%] each) during neoadjuvant treatment, and elevated serum lipase (four [7%]) and elevated serum amylase (three [8%]) during adjuvant treatment. Serious TRAEs included elevated serum lipase and neutropenia (one [2%] each) during neoadjuvant treatment, and elevated serum lipase (one [3%]) during adjuvant treatment. No treatment-related surgery delays, deaths, or unexpected long-term toxicities were reported. Perioperative chemoimmunotherapy showed a promising long-term benefit with no concerning safety data, reinforcing its use in resectable stage IIIA NSCLC. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Spanish Ministry of Science, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, European Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is terminal in most patients with locally advanced stage disease. We aimed to assess the antitumour activity and safety of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for resectable stage IIIA NSCLC.Methods: This was an open-label, multicentre, single-arm phase 2 trial done at 18 hospitals in Spain. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older with histologically or cytologically documented treatment-naive American Joint Committee on Cancer-defined stage IIIA NSCLC that was deemed locally to be surgically resectable by a multidisciplinary clinical team, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1. Patients received neoadjuvant treatment with intravenous paclitaxel (200 mg/m2) and carboplatin (area under curve 6; 6 mg/mL per min) plus nivolumab (360 mg) on day 1 of each 21-day cycle, for three cycles before surgical resection, followed by adjuvant intravenous nivolumab monotherapy for 1 year (240 mg every 2 weeks for 4 months, followed by 480 mg every 4 weeks for 8 months). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival at 24 months, assessed in the modified intention-to-treat population, which included all patients who received neoadjuvant treatment, and in the per-protocol population, which included all patients who had tumour resection and received at least one cycle of adjuvant treatment. Safety was assessed in the modified intention-to-treat population. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03081689, and is ongoing but no longer recruiting patients.Findings: Between April 26, 2017, and Aug 25, 2018, we screened 51 patients for eligibility, of whom 46 patients were enrolled and received neoadjuvant treatment. At the time of data cutoff (Jan 31, 2020), the median duration of follow-up was 24·0 months (IQR 21·4-28·1) and 35 of 41 patients who had tumour resection were progression free. At 24 months, progression-free survival was 77·1% (95% CI 59·9-87·7). 43 (93%) of 46 patients had treatment-related adverse events during neoadjuvant treatment, and 14 (30%) had treatment-related adverse events of grade 3 or worse; however, none of the adverse events were associated with surgery delays or deaths. The most common grade 3 or worse treatment-related adverse events were increased lipase (three [7%]) and febrile neutropenia (three [7%]).Interpretation: Our results support the addition of neoadjuvant nivolumab to platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with resectable stage IIIA NSCLC. Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy could change the perception of locally advanced lung cancer as a potentially lethal disease to one that is curable.Funding: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pembrolizumab plus pemetrexed-platinum led to superior overall survival and progression-free survival, and a higher proportion of patients with a confirmed complete or partial response over placebo plus pemetrexed-platinum in the KEYNOTE-189 study. We aimed to evaluate prespecified exploratory patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients in KEYNOTE-189.Methods: In the multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 KEYNOTE-189 study done at 126 cancer centres in 16 countries, eligible patients aged 18 years or older with histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer without sensitising EGFR or ALK alterations, measurable disease as per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (version 1.1), and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1 were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive intravenous pembrolizumab (200 mg) or saline placebo every 3 weeks for up to 2 years (35 cycles); all patients received four cycles of intravenous pemetrexed (500 mg/m2) with carboplatin (5 mg/mL per min) or cisplatin (75 mg/m2; investigator's choice) every 3 weeks for four cycles, followed by pemetrexed maintenance therapy every 3 weeks. Permuted block randomisation (block size six) was done with an interactive voice-response system and stratified by PD-L1 expression, choice of platinum, and smoking status. Patients, investigators, and other study personnel were unaware of treatment assignment. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30) and Lung Cancer 13 (QLQ-LC13) were administered at cycles 1-5, every three cycles thereafter during year 1, and every four cycles during years 2-3. The primary endpoints (overall survival and progression-free survival) have been published previously. Key PRO endpoints were change from baseline to week 12 (during chemotherapy) and week 21 (following chemotherapy) in QLQ-C30 global health status/quality of life (GHS/QOL) score, and time to deterioration in cough, chest pain, or dyspnoea. PROs were analysed in all randomly assigned patients who received at least one dose of study medication and who completed at least one PRO assessment, and the results are provided with two-sided, nominal p values. This ongoing study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02578680.Findings: Between Feb 26, 2016, and March 6, 2017, 616 patients were enrolled; median follow-up was 10·5 months (range 0·2-20·4) as of data cutoff on Nov 8, 2017. 402 (99%) of 405 patients in the pembrolizumab plus pemetrexed-platinum group and 200 (99%) of 202 patients in the placebo plus pemetrexed-platinum-treated group completed at least one PRO assessment. At baseline, 359 (89%) of 402 patients in the pembrolizumab plus pemetrexed-platinum group and 180 (90%) of 200 in the placebo plus pemetrexed-platinum group were compliant with QLQ-C30; at week 12, 319 (90%) of 354 and 149 (89%) of 167 patients were compliant, respectively; and at week 21, 249 (76%) of 326 and 91 (64%) of 143 patients were compliant, respectively. From baseline to week 12, GHS/QOL scores were maintained with both pembrolizumab plus pemetrexed-platinum (least-squares mean change: 1·0 point [95% CI -1·3 to 3·2] increase) and placebo plus pemetrexed-platinum (-2·6 points [-5·8 to 0·5] decrease; between-group difference: 3·6 points [-0·1 to 7·2]; p=0·053). From baseline to week 21, GHS/QOL scores were better maintained with pembrolizumab plus pemetrexed-platinum (least-squares mean change: 1·3 points [95% CI -1·2 to 3·6] increase) than with placebo plus pemetrexed-platinum (-4·0 points [-7·7 to -0·3] decrease; between-group difference: 5·3 points [1·1 to 9·5]; p=0·014). Median time to deterioration in cough, chest pain, or dyspnoea was not reached (95% CI 10·2 months to not reached) with pembrolizumab plus pemetrexed-platinum, and was 7·0 months (4·8 months to not reached) with placebo plus pemetrexed-platinum (hazard ratio 0·81 [95% CI 0·60-1·09], p=0·16).Interpretation: The addition of pembrolizumab to standard chemotherapy maintained GHS/QOL, with improved GHS/QOL scores at week 21 in the pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy group compared with the placebo plus chemotherapy group. These data further support use of pembrolizumab plus pemetrexed-platinum as first-line therapy for patients with metastatic non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer.Funding: Merck Sharp & Dohme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]