Progress of immunotherapy for elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer
10.3760/cma.j.issn.0254-9026.2025.03.005
- VernacularTitle:老年人晚期非小细胞肺癌免疫治疗的研究进展
- Author:
Xumeng JI
1
;
Yuling HE
1
;
Lingdong KONG
1
;
Ziping WANG
1
Author Information
1. 北京大学肿瘤医院暨北京市肿瘤防治研究所胸部肿瘤内一科 恶性肿瘤发病机制及转化研究教育部重点实验室，北京 100142
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Carcinoma, non-small-cell lung;
Immunotherapy;
Immune checkpoint inhibitor
- From:
Chinese Journal of Geriatrics
2025;44(3):262-268
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)has dramatically changed the treatment landscape of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and have improved the survival outcomes of advanced patients while offering better overall safety compared to chemotherapy.However, due to immune senescence, the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy in elderly patients are different from those in non-elderly patients.Moreover, most clinical trials have limited data on elderly patients, and immunotherapy in the elderly population lacks high-level evidence-based medical support.This article introduces the theoretical basis of immunotherapy in the elderly population, summarizes clinical data on the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy for advanced NSCLC in the elderly, and analyses the immunotherapy for special subgroups of elderly patients, aiming to provide a reference basis for treating this population.The results showed that single-agent immunotherapy had good efficacy and safety in elderly patients with advanced NSCLC in the age group of 65-74 years, obtaining long-term survival benefits, However, the benefits of immunotherapy in the elderly population ≥75 years old remian unclear, and the outcomes of immunotherapy in the elderly ≥80 years old were poor.In addition, the performance status (PS) score of ≥2 was a significant factor in reducing the efficacy of single-agent immunotherapy in elderly patients.In addition, a pre-treatment PS score of ≥2 was an independent risk factor for reducing the efficacy of immunotherapy alone.Immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy in the elderly has shown efficacy comparable to the overall population.However, there is an increased incidence of treatment-related adverse events(TRAEs)in patients ≥75 years of age.Dual-immunity combination therapies are not currently recommended for the treatment of advanced NSCLC in the elderly.Elderly patients with brain metastases have poor prognosis, and treatment may consider ICIs in combination with local radiotherapy.Basic research on how to improve the benefit of immunotherapy in elderly patients is also ongoing.In conclusion, the therapeutic prospect of immunotherapy in advanced NSCLC in the elderly is promising, and more exploration is needed in the future.
