Tumor metabolic volume by F-FDG-PET as a prognostic predictor of first-line pembrolizumab for NSCLC patients with PD-L1 ≥ 50.

There is a lack of markers for predicting favorable outcomes after pembrolizumab therapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression ≥ 50%. This retrospective study examined the prognostic significance of 2-deoxy-2-[18F] fluoro-D-glucose (F-FDG) uptake as a predictive marker of first-line pembrolizumab. Forty-eight patients with previously untreated NSCLC and PD-L1 expression levels ≥ 50% who underwent F-FDG-positron emission tomography (PET) just before administration of pembrolizumab monotherapy were eligible and underwent assessment of metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and maximum of standardized uptake value (SUV) on F-FDG uptake.

[Therapy-related acute promyelocytic leukemia developing during chemotherapy for thymic carcinoma].

A 74-year-old man was admitted to hospital due to suspected acute leukemia. He had a history of thymic carcinoma, which had been treated with carboplatin in combination with either paclitaxel or amrubicin. However, the tumor remained unresponsive to these treatments.

Chemoradiotherapy followed by durvalumab in patients with unresectable advanced non-small cell lung cancer: Management of adverse events.

Background: Chemoradiotherapy followed by durvalumab is the standard treatment for the patients with local advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). There is a real-world data about the management of adverse events, such as pneumonitis, according to the different institutions. Here, we present the experience regarding the management of adverse events after the initiation of durvalumab as daily practice.

Potential of FDG-PET as Prognostic Significance after anti-PD-1 Antibody against Patients with Previously Treated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

It remains unclear whether the accumulation of 2-deoxy-2-[F]fluoro-d-glucose (F-FDG) before the initiation of anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) antibody can predict the outcome after its treatment. The aim of this study is to retrospectively examine the prognostic significance of F-FDG uptake as a predictive marker of anti-PD-1 antibody. Eighty-five patients with previously treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent F-FDG-positron emission tomography (PET) just before administration of nivolumab or pembrolizumab monotherapy were eligible in our study, and metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG) and the maximum of standardized under value (SUV) on F-FDG uptake were assessed.

Severe hepatotoxicity due to osimertinib after nivolumab therapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer harboring EGFR mutation.

Background: Osimertinib is the most promising treatment option for patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with acquired T790M resistance. However, recent studies have suggested that osimertinib could increase the frequency of serious adverse events (AEs) if administered immediately after immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment.

Methods: In this single-institution retrospective study conducted from May 2016 to January 2019, osimertinib was administered to 47 patients with pretreated advanced NSCLC harboring the EGFR mutation.

CD4 T-cell Immunity in the Peripheral Blood Correlates with Response to Anti-PD-1 Therapy.

Accumulating evidence indicates that CD8 T cells in the tumor microenvironment and systemic CD4 T-cell immunity play an important role in mediating durable antitumor responses. We longitudinally examined T-cell immunity in the peripheral blood of patients with non-small lung cancer and found that responders had significantly ( < 0.0001) higher percentages of effector, CD62L CD4 T cells prior to PD-1 blockade.

Correction to: Re-challenge of afatinib after 1st generation EGFR-TKI failure in patients with previously treated non-small cell lung cancer harboring EGFR mutation.

In the original publication of the article, the authors found few errors and the corrections are given below.

Clinical difference between discontinuation and retreatment with nivolumab after immune-related adverse events in patients with lung cancer.

Background: After the cessation of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy due to an immune-related adverse event (irAE), it remains unclear whether retreatment with ICI is more effective than its discontinuation. To explore the clinical significance of its retreatment, patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had treatment interruption of nivolumab due to irAEs were identified and the clinical differences between discontinuation and retreatment with nivolumab were retrospectively reviewed.

Methods: 49 (26%) of 187 patients treated with nivolumab experienced the cessation of treatment due to a serious irAE.

Radiotherapy is an independent prognostic marker of favorable prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer patients after treatment with the immune checkpoint inhibitor, nivolumab.

Background: It remains unclear why radiation clinically provides a synergistic effect when combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors such as nivolumab. The purpose of our study was to retrospectively evaluate whether the therapeutic efficacy of nivolumab is improved as a result of a history of radiotherapy (RT) in patients with previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: From February 2016 to December 2017, 124 consecutive patients were administered nivolumab for pretreated advanced NSCLC.

Different incidence of interstitial lung disease according to different kinds of EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors administered immediately before and/or after anti-PD-1 antibodies in lung cancer.

Background: The aim of our study was to retrospectively assess the incidence of interstitial lung disease (ILD) related to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment immediately before and/or after the administration of a PD-1 antibody.

Methods: We analyzed the data of 26 patients who underwent treatment with EGFR-TKIs immediately before and/or after the administration of an anti-PD-1 antibody.

Results: Four out of the 26 patients developed ILD during EGFR-TKI treatment: three patients during the administration of osimertinib immediately after, and one during afatinib immediately before treatment with an anti-PD-1 antibody.

Clinical significance of primary prophylactic pegylated-granulocyte-colony stimulating factor after the administration of ramucirumab plus docetaxel in patients with previously treated non-small cell lung cancer.

Whether primary prophylactic pegylated-granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (PEG-G-CSF) should be administered immediately after the initiation of ramucirumab plus docetaxel (DR) to prevent the occurrence of febrile neutropenia (FN) is unclear. Our retrospective study aimed to elucidate whether PEG-G-CSF could control the occurrence of FN as a result of DR in patients with previously treated non-small-cell lung cancer. Thirty-three patients with previously treated non-small-cell lung cancer who had received DR were eligible for our analysis.

Improved efficacy of ramucirumab plus docetaxel after nivolumab failure in previously treated non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Background: It is unclear whether the chemotherapy response improves after exposure to immunotherapy. Antiangiogenic agents have been shown to stimulate the immune system and cause synergistic effects that stimulate tumor shrinkage. We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate improvement of the efficacy of ramucirumab plus docetaxel after the failure of nivolumab as a PD-1 inhibitor.

Spontaneous aspiration of a long tree twig as foreign body.

Spontaneous aspiration of a long tree twig as foreign body is an extremely rare condition. The presence of a permanent tracheal stoma in a laryngectomized patient should be considered as a predisposing factor for foreign body aspiration.

Re-challenge of afatinib after 1st generation EGFR-TKI failure in patients with previously treated non-small cell lung cancer harboring EGFR mutation.

Background: Re-challenge of erlotinib after gefitinib failure is reported to yield some benefit in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation. However, little is known about the re-challenge of afatinib after 1st generate on EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) failure.

Methods: From May 2015 to August 2018, 62 patients with advanced NSCLC harboring sensitive EGFR mutation received afatinib after gefitinib and/or erlotinib failure at our institution was included in our retrospective study.

Combination therapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel for small cell lung cancer.

Background: Although small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive cancer, few useful treatment options exist after relapse. Information concerning the efficacy and safety of carboplatin plus paclitaxel in patients with SCLC is limited.

Methods: From April 2007 to October 2016, 318 patients with SCLC received chemotherapy at our institution.

Wernicke encephalopathy in a lung cancer patient during treatment with nivolumab.

Objective: Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) is a neuropsychiatric disorder caused by thiamine deficiency. It is recognized in various stages of the cancer trajectory but has not previously been recognized during nivolumab treatment.

Method: From a series of WE patients with cancer, we report a lung cancer patient who developed WE during treatment with nivolumab.

[Hange-Shashin-to for preventing diarrhea during afatinib therapy].

Afatinib is an epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor(EGFR-TKI). In a randomized phase III study(Lux- Lung 3 study)employing patients harboring EGFR mutations, patients administered afatinib show a significantly longer progression free survival time(PFS)than those administeredcombination chemotherapy comprising cisplatin andpemetrexed . However, most of the patients(95.

Peptide nucleic acid-locked nucleic acid polymerase chain reaction clamp-based detection test for gefitinib-refractory T790M epidermal growth factor receptor mutation.

Mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are observed in a fraction of non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLS). EGFR mutation-positive NSCLS responds to gefitinib. Secondary T790M mutation confers gefitinib resistance to NSCLS.

Reliability of the peptide nucleic acid-locked nucleic acid polymerase chain reaction clamp-based test for epidermal growth factor receptor mutations integrated into the clinical practice for non-small cell lung cancers.

Gefitinib is an inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase activity of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Accumulating evidence suggests that gefitinib may provide a survival benefit to EGFR mutation-positive non-small lung cancer patients. We have established a clinical test that can detect EGFR mutations from cytological specimens or paraffin-embedded tissue specimens that are contaminated by normal cells.