Pembrolizumab Monotherapy Survival Benefits in Metastatic Non-small-cell Lung Cancer: a Systematic Review of Real-world Data

Overview

Journal Discov Oncol

Publisher Springer

Specialty Oncology

Date 2024 Jul 24

PMID 39048812

Authors

Tomasz Macioch

Maciej Krzakowski

Klaudia Golebiewska

Malgorzata Dobek

Natalia Warchalowska

Maciej Niewada

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The efficacy of pembrolizumab in the treatment-naïve non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients was proved in the KEYNOTE-024 randomized trial. The aim of this systematic literature review was to identify and summarize the real world evidence (RWE) of overall survival (OS) in previously untreated patients with NSCLC receiving pembrolizumab monotherapy. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed (MEDLINE®) and EMBASE databases. Analyses were focused on survival data (median OS and survival rates at specific time points). To explore the population comparable with the KEYNOTE-024 study, we focused on studies enrolling at least 50% of patients at stage IV of cancer and ECOG performance status 0-2. A total of 41 RWE studies covering over 7600 advanced NSCLC patients naïve to systemic treatment were identified. Overall, survival outcomes reported in those studies vary considerably (median OS range: 3.0-34.6 months). Most RWE studies reported median OS shorter to that reported in KEYNOTE-024 (26.3 months), but about half of reported OS medians were in range of 95% confidence interval for OS as reported in KEYNOTE-024 trial (18.3-40.4 months). Patients with similar characteristics of stage and performance status to those of KEYNOTE-024 trial benefited the same with pembrolizumab monotherapy as their survival outcomes (18.9-22.8 months) were consistent with those reported in the clinical trial. RWE data showed substantially worse outcomes in patients with ECOG-PS 2+ compared to ECOG-PS 0-1 patients.

Citing Articles

Soluble PD-L1 and Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-B May Independently Predict Prognosis in Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Pembrolizumab.

Kokkotou E, Grapsa D, Papadopoulou A, Gaitanakis S, Bakakos P, Poulakou G Cancers (Basel). 2025; 17(3).

PMID: 39941790 PMC: 11816055. DOI: 10.3390/cancers17030421.

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