Early blood cell count testing can predict survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer being treated with atezolizumab, according to a study published in the Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer.
Predictive biomarkers are lacking for patients undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for non-small cell lung cancer. Routine blood cell count tests that show an overview of the various types of immune cells present can be used to predict treatment response and survival rates.
Previous data has shown that neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio both indicate a poor response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with NSCLC.
Immune cell count data was pooled from the OAK, BIRCH, POPLAR, and FIR international multi-center clinical trials. Patients in these trials had NSCLC and were undergoing treatment with atezolizumab, an anti PD-L1 agent. A total of 1,479 patients were in the atezolizumab treatment arm, and 707 patients were in the docetaxel control arm. Immune cell blood counts were collected at baseline, 6 weeks on treatment, and 12 weeks on treatment.
Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and neutrophil-to-monocyte ratio across the three collection points were identified as being a strong predictive biomarker for overall survival in patients treated with atezolizumab when compared to patients treated with docetaxel.
In conclusion, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and neutrophil-to-monocyte ratio in patients with NSCLC treated with atezolizumab were proven to be strong predictive biomarkers for overall survival.
Disclosures: No authors declared financial ties to drugmakers.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
