Effectiveness and safety of camrelizumab combined with chemotherapy in nonsquamous nonsmall cell lung cancer as the second-line therapy: A retrospective analysis.

Background: The role of camrelizumab combined with chemotherapy as the second-line therapy in nonsquamous nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unverified. The retrospective study investigated efficacy and safety of camrelizumab combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of nonsquamous NSCLC as the second-line therapy.

Subjects And Methods: Patients of nonsquamous NSCLC who were already discharged or died of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between August 2019 and September 2020. According to the treatment method, the patients who received chemotherapy were denoted as the C group and those who received camrelizumab plus chemotherapy were denoted as the C&C group.

Statistical Analysis Used: Patients responses were statistically analyzed. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used in the assessment of the prognostic value of factors. Furthermore, adverse event evaluation was estimated.

Results: Of the 60 patients with nonsquamous NSCLC included in the research, 29 patients received chemotherapy, and 31 patients received camrelizumab plus chemotherapy. The objective response rate was 13.79% and 32.26% for chemotherapy and camrelizumab plus chemotherapy groups, and the disease control rate was 72.41% and 80.65%. The median progression-free survival (mPFS) in camrelizumab plus chemotherapy group was obviously higher than that in the chemotherapy group (9.67 vs. 6.87 months, P = 0.01). The median overall survival of the camrelizumab plus chemotherapy was longer than the chemotherapy (10.89 vs. 7.95 months, P < 0.01). In the current treatment, radiotherapy and smoking were independent risk factors for the mPFS of patients with nonsquamous NSCLC. The occurrence of adverse events was similar between chemotherapy and camrelizumab plus chemotherapy groups.

Conclusions: Camrelizumab combined with chemotherapy was an effective regimen with manageable toxicity in treating nonsquamous NSCLC as the second-line therapy.