Onkológia 1/2023

News in the immunotherapy of nonmetastatic non-small-cell lung cancer

Current check point inhibitors (CPI) treatment is the main treatment area in the immunotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Monoclonal antibodies against PD-1 (programmed death protein-1) nivolumab, pembrolizumab, inhibitors of PDL-1( PD-1ligand) atezolizumab and durvalumab and finally, inhibitors of CTLA-1 (A4 cytotoxic T lymfocyte antigen) ipilimumab are frequently used in clinical practice. The unprecedent benefit of CPI in the treatment of metastatic NSCLC confirmed by the results of the registration trials has been already published in Onkologia. To talk about the news of immunotherapy in NSCLC, it is extremely encouraging that imunotherapy has heralded a new era for the stagnant treatment area of early resectable stages and non-metastatic NSCLC. Data shows that adjuvant immunotherapy with CPIs may play a critical role in reducing disease recurrence. Emerging evidence in the neoadjuvant settings has confirmed susbtantial rate of pathologic complete response and R0 resection. Recently reported and ongoing clinical trials representing the most important news and defining a novel treatment approach in non-metastatic NSCLC are presented in this article.

Keywords: immunotherapy, checkpoint inhibitors, adjuvant treatment, neoadjuvant treatment, nonmetastatic non-small-cell lung cancer