Lung cancer has the highest risk of brain metastasis (BM) among all solid carcinomas. The emergence of BM has a significant impact on the selection of oncologic treatment for patients. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are the most promising treatment option for patients without druggable mutations and have been shown to improve survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) BM in clinical trials with good safety. Moreover, ICI has shown certain effects in NSCLC BM, and the overall intracranial efficacy is comparable to extracranial efficacy. However, a proportion of patients showed discordant responses in primary and metastatic lesions, suggesting that multiple mechanisms may exist underlying ICI activity in BM. According to studies pertaining to tumor immune microenvironments, ICIs may be capable of provoking immunity in situ . Meanwhile, systematic immune cells activated by ICIs can migrate into the central nervous system and exert antitumor effects. This review summarizes the present evidence for ICI treatment efficacy in NSCLC BM and proposes the possible mechanisms of ICI treatment for NSCLC BMs based on existing evidence.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy* ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Brain Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Carcinoma ; Tumor Microenvironment

BACKGROUND: Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are commonly occurred in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, evidence of irAEs derived from the Chinese population is relatively lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and outcomes of irAEs in Chinese patients with lung cancer after receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). METHODS: Clinical and follow-up data from lung cancer patients who received at least one time of ICIs from January 2018 to September 2021 at Huadong Hospital, Fudan University were included. Statistical descriptions and Kaplan-Meier method were used to analyze the overall incidence of irAEs, as well as the incidence and outcomes of each type of irAEs. RESULTS: 135 patients were included in the study. 106 patients (78.5%) presented at least one type of irAEs, and the median time to first irAEs onset was 28 d. Most irAEs occurred at early time after treatment, and most irAEs were mild-moderate and reversible. 57 patients (42.2%) died at the study cutoff. The mortality rate of severe irAEs was 12.6% (n=17), and among them 7 patients (41.2%) died of pneumonitis. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) time of the total population was 505 d (95%CI: 352-658) and 625 d (95%CI: 491-759), respectively. Patients who presented any irAEs achieved a longer PFS than those who did not (median PFS: 533 d vs 179 d, P=0.037, HR=0.57), while patients who presented skin toxicities achieved a longer OS than patients who did not (median OS: 797 d vs 469 d, P=0.006, HR=0.70). CONCLUSIONS In real-world settings, irAEs in lung cancer patients were commonly observed, with pneumonitis as the most common fatal irAEs. In addition, patients who presented any irAEs may tend to achieve a longer PFS.
Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy* ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Incidence ; Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/therapeutic use* ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies

Lung cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies in the world, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for approximately 80%-85% of all pathological types. Approximately 30%-55% of NSCLC patients develop brain metastases. It has been reported that 5%-6% of patients with brain metastases harbor anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion. ALK-positive NSCLC patients have shown significant therapeutic benefits after treatment with ALK inhibitors. Over the past decade, ALK inhibitors have rapidly evolved and now exist in three generations: first-generation drugs such as Crizotinib; second-generation drugs including Alectinib, Brigatinib, Ceritinib, and Ensartinib; and third-generation drugs like Lorlatinib. These drugs have exhibited varying efficacy in treating brain metastases in ALK-positive NSCLC patients. However, the numerous options available for ALK inhibition present a challenge for clinical decision-making. Therefore, this review aims to provide clinical guidance by summarizing the efficacy and safety of ALK inhibitors in treating NSCLC brain metastases.
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Humans ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy* ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Brain Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/adverse effects* ; Crizotinib

Humans ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy* ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use* ; Acute Kidney Injury

Immunotherapy has significantly improved clinical outcomes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), however, along with the popularization of immunotherapy, immune resistance has become an unavoidable problem. Immunotherapy can induce extensive cellular and molecular alterations in the tumor microenvironment. Considering the mechanisms of immune resistance are not yet fully understood and the efficacy of standard chemotherapy regimens is limited, more effective coping strategies based on resistance mechanisms are urgently needed. In this review, we intend to summarize the known mechanisms of immune resistance and feasible strategies, so as to provide a foundation for clinicians to develop more individualized and precise regimens and finally improve patients' prognosis.
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Humans ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy* ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Prognosis ; Immunotherapy ; Tumor Microenvironment

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) accounts for approximately 30% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases and is the second most common histological type of lung cancer. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive NSCLC accounts for only 2%-5% of all NSCLC cases, and is almost exclusively detected in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Thus, ALK testing is not routinely performed in the LSCC population, and the efficacy of such treatment for ALK-rearranged LSCC remains unknown. Echinoderm microtubule associated protein like 4 (EML4)-ALK (V1) and TP53 co-mutations were identified by next generation sequencing (NGS) in this patient with advanced LSCC. On December 3, 2020, Ensatinib was taken orally and the efficacy was evaluated as partial response (PR). The progression-free survival (PFS) was 19 months. When the disease progressed, the medication was changed to Loratinib. To our knowledge, Enshatinib created the longest PFS of ALK-mutant LSCC patients treated with targeted therapy since literature review. Herein, we described one case treated by Enshatinib involving a patient with both EML4-ALK and TP53 positive LSCC, and the relevant literatures were reviewed for discussing the treatment of this rare disease.
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Humans ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy* ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase/metabolism* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/genetics* ; Mutation ; Cytoskeletal Proteins/genetics* ; Lung/pathology* ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics* ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/genetics*

A 54-year-old, non-smoking woman was diagnosed as stage ⅣB adenocarcinoma with widespread bone metastasis (cT4N2M1c) in the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Immunohistochemistry result showed the presence of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement; next-generation sequencing (NGS) indicated EML4-ALK fusion (E6:A20) with concurrent CCDC148-ALK (C1:A20), PKDCC-ALK (Pintergenic:A20)and VIT-ALK (V15:A20) fusions. After 32 weeks of alectinib treatment, the patient complained cough and exertional chest distress but had no sign of infection. Computed tomography (CT) showed bilateral diffuse ground glass opacities, suggesting a diagnosis of alectinib-related interstitial lung disease (ILD). Following corticosteroid treatment and discontinuation of alectinib, clinical presentations and CT scan gradually improved, but the primary lung lesions enlarged during the regular follow-up. The administration of crizotinib was then initiated and the disease was stable for 25 months without recurrence of primary lung lesions and ILD.
Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy* ; Crizotinib/therapeutic use* ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase/therapeutic use* ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial/diagnosis*

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy lacks viable biomarkers for response and prognosis prediction. This study aimed to investigate the correlation of peripheral blood laboratory test results combined with lymphocyte subset ratios to the response and prognosis of immunotherapy in advanced lung cancer. METHODS: Advanced lung cancer patients admitted to West China Hospital, Sichuan University from May 2021 to July 2023 were prospectively enrolled in this study. Clinical data and peripheral blood were collected before and after treatment and lymphocyte subset ratios were analyzed by flow cytometry. Logistic regression was used to identify factors correlated to ICIs treatment efficacy. Cox modeling was applied to explore the prognostic factors. RESULTS: Logistic regression showed that the baseline level of transcription factor T cell factor 1 (TCF1)+CD8+ T cell ratio and peripheral white blood cell (WBC) count, lymphocyte percentage, cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21-1) after 1 cycle of ICIs treatment were the potential predictors for ICIs response (P<0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that the baseline level of TCF1+CD8+ T cell ratio (P=0.020) and peripheral WBC count after 1 cycle of ICIs treatment (P<0.001) were prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS Patients with high baseline TCF1+CD8+ T cell ratio combined with low WBC counts and low CYFRA21-1 level after 1 cycle of ICIs treatment are more likely to benefit from ICIs therapy.
Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy* ; T Cell Transcription Factor 1/genetics* ; Prognosis ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; Immunotherapy

RNA-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been recommended as a method for detecting fusion genes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) according to clinical practice guidelines and expert consensus. The primary targetable alterations in NSCLC consist of gene mutations and fusions, making the detection of gene mutations and fusions indispensable for assessing the feasibility of targeted therapies. Currently, the integration of DNA-based NGS and RNA-based NGS allows for simultaneous detection of gene mutations and fusions and has been partially implemented in clinical practice. However, standardized guidelines and criteria for the significance, application scenarios, and quality control of RNA-based NGS in fusion gene detection are still lacking in China. This consensus aims to provide further clarity on the practical significance, application scenarios, and quality control measures of RNA-based NGS in fusion gene detection. Additionally, it offers guiding recommendations to facilitate the clinical implementation of RNA-based NGS in the diagnosis and treatment of NSCLC, ultimately maximizing the benefits for patients from fusion gene detection.
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Humans ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy* ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; RNA ; Consensus ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods*

BACKGROUND: In recent years, immunotherapy represented by programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunosuppressants has greatly changed the status of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. PD-L1 has become an important biomarker for screening NSCLC immunotherapy beneficiaries, but how to easily and accurately detect whether PD-L1 is expressed in NSCLC patients is a difficult problem for clinicians. The aim of this study was to construct a Nomogram prediction model of PD-L1 expression in NSCLC patients based on 18F-fluorodeoxy glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/conputed tomography (PET/CT) metabolic parameters and to evaluate its predictive value. METHODS: Retrospective collection of 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters, clinicopathological information and PD-L1 test results of 155 NSCLC patients from Inner Mongolia People's Hospital between September 2016 and July 2021. The patients were divided into the training group (n=117) and the internal validation group (n=38), and another 51 cases of NSCLC patients in our hospital between August 2021 and July 2022 were collected as the external validation group according to the same criteria. Then all of them were categorized according to the results of PD-L1 assay into PD-L1+ group and PD-L1- group. The metabolic parameters and clinicopathological information of patients in the training group were analyzed by univariate and binary Logistic regression, and a Nomogram prediction model was constructed based on the screened independent influencing factors. The effect of the model was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) in both the training group and the internal and external validation groups. RESULTS: Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that metabolic tumor volume (MTV), gender and tumor diameter were independent influences on PD-L1 expression. Then a Nomogram prediction model was constructed based on the above independent influences. The ROC curve for the model in the training group shows an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.769 (95%CI: 0.683-0.856) with an optimal cutoff value of 0.538. The AUC was 0.775 (95%CI: 0.614-0.936) in the internal validation group and 0.752 (95%CI: 0.612-0.893) in the external validation group. The calibration curves were tested by the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and showed that the training group (χ2=0.040, P=0.979), the internal validation group (χ2=2.605, P=0.271), and the external validation group (χ2=0.396, P=0.820) were well calibrated. The DCA curves show that the model provides clinical benefit to patients over a wide range of thresholds (training group: 0.00-0.72, internal validation group: 0.00-0.87, external validation group: 0.00-0.66). CONCLUSIONS The Nomogram prediction model constructed on the basis of 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters has greater application value in predicting PD-L1 expression in NSCLC patients.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy* ; Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18/therapeutic use* ; Nomograms ; Retrospective Studies ; B7-H1 Antigen/metabolism* ; Glucose/therapeutic use* ; Positron-Emission Tomography/methods*