Dr. Brahmer on the 5-Year Data for Nivolumab/Ipilimumab in NSCLC

Julie R. Brahmer, MD, MSc, director, Thoracic Oncology Program, professor of Oncology, Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the significance of the long-term survival data of nivolumab (Opdivo) plus ipilimumab (Yervoy) seen in the phase 3 CheckMate-227 trial (NCT02477826) in patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The open-label, randomized trial examined single-agent nivolumab, nivolumab plus ipilimumab, and nivolumab plus platinum-doublet chemotherapy vs platinum-doublet chemotherapy alone to evaluate progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced NSCLC. At 5 years of follow-up, nivolumab plus ipilimumab achieved OS rates of 24% in patients with PD-L1–positive NSCLC and 19% in patients with PD-L1–negative NSCLC. In those populations, the 5-year OS rates with platinum-doublet chemotherapy were 14% and 7%, respectively.

The 5-year follow-up data of the CheckMate-227 trial affect how clinicians approach patients with NSCLC, Brahmer says. Considering long-term survival and creating programs to provide patients with the best supportive care following therapy is important in the NSCLC space, Brahmer explains. Oncologists are beginning to see patients with metastatic NSCLC live longer without long-term relapse of their disease, and strategies need to keep being developed to monitor these patients, Brahmer adds.

This is a vast change from just 5 years ago, and improved outcomes have changed the disease landscape and the outlook for patients, Brahmer continues. If patients can maintain responses—even while off therapy—and have a good quality of life, there is renewed hope for patients with metastatic NSCLC, Brahmer concludes.