Dr. Borghaei on the Efficacy of Nivolumab/Ipilimumab in STK11/KEAP1-Mutated NSCLC

Hossein Borghaei, DO, MS, chief, Division of Thoracic Medical Oncology, professor, Department of Hematology/Oncology, co-director, Immune Monitoring Facility, Gloria and Edmund M. Dunn chair, Thoracic Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center at Temple Health, discusses the investigation of nivolumab (Opdivo) plus ipilimumab (Yervoy) and chemotherapy in patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The phase 3 CheckMate-9LA trial (NCT03215706) evaluated the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab with chemotherapy vs chemotherapy alone as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic NSCLC.

Investigators of the CheckMate-9LA study examined the outcomes of patients with STK11 and KEAP1 alterations because they have been associated with lower efficacy of treatment with immunotherapy, Borghaei explains. Since more patients are undergoing next-generation sequencing at the time of initial diagnosis, investigators have been able to look more closely at how patients with specific alterations respond to treatment, Borghaei adds.

Despite retrospective studies suggesting that the addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy did not provide a significant advantage over chemotherapy alone in patients with STK11 and KEAP1 alterations, results from CheckMate-9LA showed there was an efficacy benefit associated with the nivolumab and ipilimumab combination in this subgroup of patients, Borghaei concludes.