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Clinical and Translational Oncology

25-04-2024 | SCLC | RESEARCH ARTICLE

Peripheral NK cells identified as the predictor of response in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer patients treated with first-line immunotherapy plus chemotherapy

Authors: Yanan Cui, Yanping Chen, Peiyan Zhao, Shuang Li, Ying Cheng, Xiubao Ren

Published in: Clinical and Translational Oncology

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Abstract

Purpose

Although immunotherapy improves outcomes in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), the search for biomarkers predicting treatment success is crucial. Natural killer (NK) cells are potential indicators in various cancers, however, their precise role in ES-SCLC prognosis remains unclear.

Methods

In this retrospective study, 33 patients with ES-SCLC treated with first-line immuno-chemotherapy were enrolled. The peripheral NK cell percentage and its longitudinal dynamics were analyzed using flow cytometry. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated as hazard ratio (HR) and compared statistically.

Results

The median PFS was better in the group with normal baseline NK cell levels than the low group (7.0 vs. 4.6 months; HR = 0.17; 95% CI 0.07–0.41; P < 0.0001), but there was no association with OS (14.9 vs. 10.3 months; HR = 0.55; 95% CI 0.23–1.31; P = 0.171). Furthermore, the NK cell% for 95.0% of patients increased after immunochemotherapy in the clinical response group (P = 0.0047), which led to a better median PFS (6.3 vs. 2.1 months; HR = 0.23; 95% CI 0.05–0.98; P < 0.0001) and OS (14.9 vs. 5.9 months; HR = 0.20; 95% CI 0.04–1.02; P < 0.0001). Similar trends were observed with NK cell% changes up to disease progression, improving PFS (6.5 vs. 4.3; HR = 0.41; 95% CI 0.12–0.92; P = 0.0049) and OS (17.4 vs. 9.7; HR = 0.42; 95% CI 0.17–1.02; P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

In patients with ES-SCLC, the percentage and changes in peripheral NK cells can predict the response to combined immunotherapy and chemotherapy.
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Metadata
Title
Peripheral NK cells identified as the predictor of response in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer patients treated with first-line immunotherapy plus chemotherapy
Authors
Yanan Cui
Yanping Chen
Peiyan Zhao
Shuang Li
Ying Cheng
Xiubao Ren
Publication date
25-04-2024
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
Clinical and Translational Oncology
Print ISSN: 1699-048X
Electronic ISSN: 1699-3055
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-024-03479-4
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