Clinical outcome in recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck cancer patients after discontinuation of nivolumab monotherapy due to immune-related adverse events

Abstract

Background

Significant immune-related adverse events (irAEs) requiring therapy discontinuation sometimes occur. The influence of discontinuation on disease control after an irAE is unclear.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not patients continued to show a response or durable disease control even after stopping therapy following an irAE.

Material and Methods

The response after nivolumab monotherapy discontinuation was examined for 14 patients in whom therapy was stopped without progression.

Results

The best response was CR in 5 (36%) patients, PR in 8 (57%) patients and SD in 1 (7%) patient. The estimated 1-year overall and progression-free survival rates were 92.9% and 78.6%, respectively. The best response during nivolumab therapy in patients who developed PD was CR in 0 of 5 patients (0%), PR in 3 of 8 patients (38%) and SD in 1 patient (100%). Patients obtaining CR tended to have a lower risk of PD than those with PR or SD.

Conclusions and Significance

Patients with CR status may continue to show a response or durable disease control even after stopping therapy due to an irAE.

Chinese abstract

背景：需要停止治疗的重大免疫相关不良事件（irAE）有时会发生。 irAE后停药对疾病控制的影响尚不清楚。

目的：调查患者是否在irAE后停止治疗还会继续有所反应或表现出较久的疾病控制。

材料和方法：检查了14例患者在尼古拉单抗停药后的反应, 他们在停止治疗后病情无进展。

结果：最好的反应是五例患者（36％）的CR、八例患者（57％）的PR和一例患者（7％）的SD。所估1年整体生存率和无进展生存率分别为92.9％和78.6％。发生PD患者在尼古拉治疗期间的最佳反应为5位患者中无CR（0％）, 8位患者中的3位（38％）的PR和1位患者（100％）的SD。获得CR的患者与具有PR或SD的人相比, PD的患病风险往往较低。

结论和意义：CR状态患者可能继续有所反应或表现出较久的疾病控制, 即使由于irAE而停止治疗。

Keywords:

• Nivolumab
• head and neck
• squamous cell carcinoma
• complete response
• immune-related adverse event

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).