BACKGROUND: Previous reports showed limited efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors as single-agent treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation or ALK/ROS1 fusion. We aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitor combined with chemotherapy and bevacizumab (when eligible) in this patient subgroup.
METHODS: We conducted a French national open-label multicentre non-randomised non-comparative phase II study in patients with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC, oncogenic addiction (EGFR mutation or ALK/ROS1 fusion), with disease progression after tyrosine kinase inhibitor and no prior chemotherapy. Patients received platinum, pemetrexed, atezolizumab, bevacizumab (PPAB cohort) or, if not eligible to bevacizumab, platinum-pemetrexed-atezolizumab (PPA cohort). The primary end-point was the objective response rate (RECIST v1.1) after 12 weeks, evaluated by blind independent central review.
RESULTS: 71 patients were included in PPAB cohort and 78 in PPA cohort (mean age, 60.4/66.1 years; women 69.0%/51.3%; EGFR mutation, 87.3%/89.7%; ALK rearrangement, 12.7%/5.1%; ROS1 fusion, 0%/6.4%, respectively). After 12 weeks, objective response rate was 58.2% (90% confidence interval [CI], 47.4-68.4) in PPAB cohort and 46.5% (90% CI, 36.3-56.9) in PPA cohort. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 7.3 (95% CI 6.9-9.0) months and 17.2 (95% CI 13.7-NA) months in PPAB cohort and 7.2 (95% CI 5.7-9.2) months and 16.8 (95% CI 13.5-NA) months in PPA cohort, respectively. Grade 3-4 adverse events occurred in 69.1% of patients in PPAB cohort and 51.4% in PPA cohort; Grade 3-4 atezolizumab-related adverse events occurred in 27.9% and 15.3%, respectively.
CONCLUSION: Combination approach with atezolizumab with or without bevacizumab and platinum-pemetrexed achieved promising activity in metastatic EGFR-mutated or ALK/ROS1-rearranged NSCLC after tyrosine kinase inhibitor failure, with acceptable safety profile.