Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer

Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2017 Feb;31(1):131-141. doi: 10.1016/j.hoc.2016.08.004.

Abstract

The treatment of patients with good performance status and advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer has been based on the use of first-line platinum-based doublet and second-line docetaxel. Immunotherapy represents a new therapeutic approach with the potential for prolonged benefit. Although the vaccines studied have not shown benefit in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, immune checkpoint inhibitors against the PD-1/PD-L1 axis showed increased overall survival compared with docetaxel in randomized clinical trials, which led to the approval of nivolumab and pembrolizumab. Because only a minority of patients benefit from this class of drugs, there has been an intense search for biomarkers.

Keywords: Immune checkpoint inhibitors; Non–small cell lung cancer; PD-L1; Vaccines.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / therapeutic use
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • B7-H1 Antigen / antagonists & inhibitors
  • B7-H1 Antigen / metabolism
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Docetaxel
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy / methods*
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Lung Neoplasms / mortality
  • Lung Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / therapeutic use
  • Nivolumab
  • Platinum Compounds / therapeutic use
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / metabolism
  • Survival Rate
  • Taxoids / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • B7-H1 Antigen
  • CD274 protein, human
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • PDCD1 protein, human
  • Platinum Compounds
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
  • Taxoids
  • Docetaxel
  • Nivolumab
  • pembrolizumab