Complete Response and Survival Outcomes in Patients with Advanced Cancer on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate overall survival in advanced cancer patients who achieved complete response (CR) with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Methods: This retrospective study included patients with advanced unresectable or metastatic cancer who received at least one cycle of palliative-intent ICI. Best overall response was used to define response groups. Results: 21 (7%) of 322 patients achieved CR. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that CR was independently associated with better overall survival compared with disease progression (hazard ratio: 0.012; 95% CI: 0.002–0.090) and stable disease (hazard ratio: 0.063; 95% CI: 0.009–0.464) as well as a nonsignificant trend toward better overall survival compared with partial response (hazard ratio: 0.169; 95% CI: 0.023–1.252) regardless of cancer type, ICI regimen or ICI line. Conclusion: Patients who achieved CR had longer survival compared with patients who did not achieve CR.

Keywords::

• complete response
• immune checkpoint inhibitors
• overall survival
• predictive factors
• prognostic factors

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants, or patents received or pending or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

Research ethics board approval was obtained at the authors’ local institution prior to study commencement.