Tumor dynamics in patients with solid tumors treated with pembrolizumab beyond disease progression

Cancer Cell. 2023 Sep 11;41(9):1680-1688.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.08.004.

Abstract

While many patients are treated beyond progression (TBP), the magnitude and duration of clinical benefit in these patients have not been fully quantified. Data from 799 patients with melanoma (n = 176), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC; n = 146), gastric cancer (GC; n = 87), head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC; n = 112), clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC; n = 51), and urothelial carcinoma (UC; n = 227) TBP were included. Patients had received pembrolizumab beyond confirmed progressive disease (PD) per RECIST v1.1. A subset of patients displays a 30% reduction in the sum of lesion diameters in the post-progression period (melanoma 24.4%, NSCLC 11.6%, 12.6% GC, 8.9% HNSCC, 15.7% ccRCC, and 13.2% UC). Most patients show stable target lesion dynamics in the post-progression period (melanoma, 64.8%; NSCLC, 72.6%; GC, 69.0%, 75.9% HNSCC, 72.5% ccRCC, 75.3% UC). Pembrolizumab generates meaningful efficacy in a subset of patients treated beyond RECIST v1.1 progression.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01295827 NCT02335411 NCT02358031 NCT02853344 NCT02335424 NCT02853305.

Keywords: clear-cell renal cell carcinoma; gastric cancer; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; melanoma; non-small cell lung cancer; pembrolizumab; postprogression response; urothelial carcinoma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell* / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Transitional Cell*
  • Disease Progression
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms*
  • Humans
  • Kidney Neoplasms*
  • Lung Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Melanoma*
  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms*

Substances

  • pembrolizumab

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01295827
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02335411
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02358031
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02853344
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02335424
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02853305