Progress of PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

• Published in: Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer
• Main Authors: Zhansheng JIANG, Zhanyu PAN, Xiubao REN
• Format: Article
• Language: Chinese
• Published: Chinese Anti-Cancer Association; Chinese Antituberculosis Association 2017-02-01
• Subjects: Lung neoplasms; Programmed death 1
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.3779/j.issn.1009-3419.2017.02.09
• ISSN: 1009-3419; 1999-6187

Pembrolizumab, an inhibitor target programmed death 1 (PD-1), was approved into the first line therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It was a milestone that immune checkpoints drugs have played an important role in the treatment system of NSCLC. The results of clinical trials revealed the superiority of PD-1/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors compared with chemotherapy in first-line, second-line and multidrug resistance phase therapy. Objective response rate (ORR) was up to 80% with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy, and progression-free survival (PFS) with single pembrolizumab in first line was nearly 1 year (10.3 months), the hazard ratio for death fell by 40%. Overall survival (OS) was more or less 1 year with single drug pembrolizumab, nivolumab and atezolizumab for second line therapy. PD-L1 expression was a predictor of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. The positive rate of PD-L1 (more than 1%) in advanced NSCLC was about 60% with little difference between the tissue types. However, there was no gold standard test of PD-L1 expression.