Dr Henick on the Use of Neoadjuvant Atezolizumab Plus Chemotherapy in NSCLC

Brian Henick, MD, associate director, Experimental Therapeutics, director, Translational Research in Aerodigestive Cancers in Medical Oncology, Columbia University Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the 3-year updated data from a phase 2 trial (NCT02716038) investigating treatment with neoadjuvant atezolizumab (Tecentriq) plus chemotherapy in patients with resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Key findings presented at the 2023 AACR Annual Meeting focused on the 3-year updated survival data, Henick begins, adding that the pathological end points had already been reported in Lancet Oncology in May 2020. Data showed neoadjuvant atezolizumab plus chemotherapy elicited a 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate of 49% and a 3-year overall survival (OS) rate of 77% in the 30 patients treated on the study, Henick explains. These outcomes compare similarly, if not favorably, to some of the previous findings from other studies that investigated the early administration of immunotherapy before or after the surgery for patients with NSCLC, Henick says.

Additional findings showed that there was a correlation between radiographic response and pathologic response, which was expected Henick continues. Although investigators observed major pathologic responses (MPRs) in 17 patients, there was not a statistically significant correlation between MPR and DFS and OS, Henick says. However, there was a significant association for pathologic complete response and survival, Henick adds.

Notably, of the 6 patients who developed brain metastases, 5 of these patients ultimately died with a median time to recurrence of 12.4 months and a median time to death of 45.3 months, Henick concludes.