Effectiveness of Chemoimmunotherapy in Small-cell Lung Cancer Patients With a Poor Performance Status or Higher Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio.

Background/aim: Chemoimmunotherapy has improved overall survival in patients with extensive small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, the backgrounds of patients enrolled in clinical trials tend to differ from those of patients treated in clinical practice, and the effectiveness of chemoimmunotherapy may be unclear in some populations, including patients with poor performance status. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of chemoimmunotherapy for SCLC patients in clinical practice while focusing on several subgroups.

An observational study on the efficacy of targeted therapy for pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma.

Background: Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma is a rare tumor that is resistant to cytotoxic agents. This observational study aimed to evaluate the detection rate of driver gene alteration and the efficacy of targeted therapy for pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma.

Methods: We established a database of patients with pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma and their clinical information, including EGFR mutation, ALK fusion gene, ROS1 fusion gene, BRAF mutation, and MET exon 14 skipping mutation.

Comparison of the efficacy of first‑/second‑generation EGFR‑tyrosine kinase inhibitors and osimertinib for EGFR‑mutant lung cancer with negative or low PD‑L1 expression.

In epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with negative or low programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression, the acquisition rate of the T790M mutation is higher after treatment with first-/second-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and the progression-free survival (PFS) is longer in patients treated with osimertinib. The present study compared the clinical course after the initiation of each EGFR-TKI monotherapy in patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC with negative or low PD-L1 expression. Data of patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC with negative or low PD-L1 expression who were treated with EGFR-TKI monotherapy were retrieved and retrospectively analyzed.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy for Patients With Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Ineligible for Platinum Doublet Chemotherapy.

Background/aim: Combined therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors plus platinum doublet chemotherapy has a survival advantage over platinum doublet chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. However, a variety of factors make it difficult to administer treatment with platinum doublet chemotherapy in many patients in clinical practice and there are few reports on the efficacy and safety of first-line treatments with immune checkpoint inhibitors for patients who are ineligible for platinum doublet chemotherapy. This observational study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of first-line immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for this population.

Peripheral CD4 memory T cells predict the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have significantly improved the prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, compared with cytotoxic agents. However, the prediction of treatment response is often difficult, even after assessing the tumor programmed death-ligand 1 expression. We conducted this observational study to analyze the association between the differentiation of peripheral CD4 + T cells and the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

Association Between the Severity of Immune-related Adverse Events and the Prognosis in Patients With Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Receiving Treatment With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Background/aim: Among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), survival is reported to be longer in those experiencing immune-related adverse events (irAEs). We evaluated the progression-free survival (PFS) in the absence of further treatment after ICI therapy was discontinued because of the emergence of irAEs in patients with NSCLC.

Patients And Methods: Data from patients with NSCLC in whom ICI therapy was discontinued because of the development of irAEs were retrospectively analyzed.

Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma in clinical practice.

Objective: Studies have suggested the potential efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma. This multicenter observational study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of systemic ICI therapy and chemoradiation followed by durvalumab therapy for pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma.

Methods: We analyzed the data of patients with pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma who received systemic ICI therapy or chemoradiation followed by durvalumab therapy between 2016 and 2022.

Associations of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy efficacy with clinical parameters and tumor‑infiltrating CD68‑positive cell counts in patients with EGFR‑mutant non‑small cell lung cancer.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has been less effective in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations than in patients with EGFR wild-type NSCLC. This retrospective study was conducted to investigate the associations of clinical parameters with the efficacy of ICI therapy in patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Clinical information was retrieved from the medical charts, and immunohistochemical analysis was performed in some cases to determine the tumor-infiltrating CD68-positive cell count.

Real-World Data Analysis of Pembrolizumab Monotherapy for NSCLC Using Japanese Postmarketing All-Case Surveillance Data.

Introduction: Pembrolizumab is a programmed death-ligand 1 inhibitor that was initially indicated for monotherapy in patients with advanced lung cancer. The Japanese Lung Cancer Society conducted an observational study on pembrolizumab using confirmative data obtained through postmarketing all-case surveillance (PMACS), which was performed by a pharmaceutical company under the Japanese law in 2017.

Methods: This multicenter observational study was conducted by the Japanese Lung Cancer Society using PMACS data with the newly created central registration system regarding patients with NSCLC who received pembrolizumab monotherapy between February 1, 2017 and June 30, 2017; a new database was created by adding the clinical information regarding prognosis for 3 years after therapy to the existing data collected by PMACS.

Real-world outcomes of chemotherapy for lung cancer patients undergoing hemodialysis: A multicenter retrospective cohort study (NEJ-042).

Introduction: Malignant tumors are the major cause of death in hemodialysis patients. Management of these patients remains challenging as there is no evidence that chemotherapy is beneficial, and a lack of information about actual clinical practice.

Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included hemodialysis patients who were diagnosed with lung cancer from January 2002 to June 2018.

Association of Tumor PD-L1 Expression With Time on Treatment Using EGFR-TKIs in Patients With EGFR-Mutant Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background/aim: The association between tumor PD-L1 expression and the rate of acquisition of the T790M mutation during treatment with first-/second-generation epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) is a matter of study. This retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the association of tumor PD-L1 expression with the time on treatment under EGFR-TKIs in patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), treated with first-/second-generation EGFR-TKIs.

Patients And Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of the medical charts of patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC treated with first- /second-generation EGFR-TKIs.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer With Negative or Low Tumor PD-L1 Expression.

Background/aim: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the survival durations of 25 patients diagnosed as having non-squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer with negative or low tumor programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) monotherapy.

Patients And Methods: The progression-free (PFS) and overall (OS) survival were calculated from the initiation of ICI monotherapy. The association between the patient characteristics and the PFS was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards model.

Small cell lung cancer; recent advances of its biology and therapeutic perspective.

Lung cancer is historically divided into two major categories: small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). While the therapeutic efficacy of NSCLC has improved due to the development of molecular targeted therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) treatment, there has been very slow progress in the therapeutic advances of SCLC. Since SCLC is a deadly disease with rapid progression and early metastasis and comprises approximately 10% of lung cancer cases, more attention should be given to the therapeutic strategy for SCLC.

Irinotecan monotherapy as third- or further-line treatment for patients with small cell lung cancer.

Background: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a very aggressive cancer and recurrence is inevitable. Treatment of recurrent disease is important for improving the prognosis of patients with SCLC.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study to investigate the efficacy and safety of irinotecan monotherapy as third- or further-line treatment in patients with SCLC.

Case Series of Pleomorphic Carcinoma of the Lung Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Aim: We report, herein, three cases of pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Case 1: A 73-year-old man was diagnosed as having pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung and treated with pembrolizumab alone. However, he showed no response and died 4 months after the initiation of the treatment.

Association of Tumor PD-L1 Expression with the T790M Mutation and Progression-Free Survival in Patients with EGFR-Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Receiving EGFR-TKI Therapy.

Background: Among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we compared the progression-free survival (PFS) and proportion of acquisition of T790M mutation of the epidermal growth receptor gene (EGFR) after first-line treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in patient groups with and without tumor expression of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1).

Methods: Data of patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC were retrospectively analyzed. Tumor PD-L1 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using the 22C3 antibody.

Relationship between Patient Characteristics and the Timing of Provision of Explanation about DNAR to Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer.

Objective The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between the patient characteristics and the timing of provision of an explanation about "Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR)" by attending physicians to advanced lung cancer patients. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with advanced or postoperative recurrent lung cancer in whom systemic therapy was initiated between 2015 and 2016. Results The data of a total of 74 patients with lung cancer, including 59 patients with non-small cell lung cancer and 15 with small cell lung cancer were analyzed.

Peripheral PD1-positive CD4 T-Lymphocyte Count Can Predict Progression-free Survival in Patients With Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor.

Background/aim: Little information is available about the association between peripheral T-lymphocyte expression of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) and the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We analyzed the PD1 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA4) expression in peripheral blood T-lymphocytes of patients with NSCLC receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

Patients And Methods: Patients with NSCLC who were scheduled to receive treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors were prospectively enrolled in this study between November 2017 and November 2018.

Clinical Parameters for Predicting the Survival in Patients with Squamous and Non-squamous-cell NSCLC Receiving PD-1 Inhibitor Therapy.

We explored the associations between progression-free survival (PFS) after the initiation of PD-1 inhibitor therapy and the clinical parameters in patients with NSCLC. We reviewed the clinical data of patients with NSCLC treated with PD-1 inhibitor. Data of a total of 36 patients, including 16 patients with squamous cell NSCLC and 20 patients with non-squamous cell NSCLC were reviewed.

SIRT1 and FOXO1 mRNA expression in PBMC correlates to physical activity in COPD patients.

Background: Physical activity (PA) is considered as one of the most important prognostic predictors in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Longevity gene, , is reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of COPD by regulating the signaling pathways of oxidative stress, inflammation, and aging. We hypothesize that SIRT1 and related genes are also associated with the benefits of PA in COPD patients.