Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39294304›Full record

ArticleEuropean radiology2025

Real-world response assessment of immune checkpoint inhibition: comparing iRECIST and RECIST 1.1 in melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Christian Nelles, Moritz Gräf, Pascale Bernard, Thorsten Persigehl, Nils Große Hokamp, David Zopfs, David Maintz, Nicole Kreuzberg, Jürgen Wolf, Paul J Bröckelmann and 1 more

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in European radiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. [iRECIST: assessment of immunotherapy response].Radiologie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2026
    Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Christian NellesInstitute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Moritz GräfDepartment I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf (CIO ABCD), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Pascale BernardInstitute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Thorsten PersigehlInstitute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Nils Große HokampInstitute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
David ZopfsInstitute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
David MaintzInstitute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Nicole KreuzbergDepartment of Dermatology and Venereology, Skin Cancer Center, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf (CIO ABCD), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Jürgen WolfDepartment I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf (CIO ABCD), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Paul J BröckelmannDepartment I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf (CIO ABCD), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Simon LennartzInstitute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. simon.lennartz@uk-koeln.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3254-4809

Funding

Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung EKEA-66
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo compare immune response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (iRECIST) and response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) 1.1 for response assessment of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in a real-world setting in patients with melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

methodsTwo-hundred fifty-two patients with melanoma and NSCLC who received CTLA-4 inhibitor ipilimumab or PD-1 inhibitors nivolumab or pembrolizumab and who underwent staging CT of the chest and abdomen were retrospectively included. Treatment response evaluation according to the RECIST 1.1 and iRECIST guidelines was performed for all patients. Response patterns, as well as overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and time to progression (TTP), were compared between RECIST 1.1 and iRECIST.

resultsOut of 143 patients with progressive disease (PD) according to RECIST 1.1, 48 (33.6%) did not attain confirmation of progression (iCPD) as per iRECIST and six patients who were treated beyond RECIST 1.1 progression reached PD at a later point in time in iRECIST, resulting in a significant difference in TTP between iRECIST and RECIST 1.1 (618.3 ± 626.9 days vs. 538.1 ± 617.9 days, respectively (p < 0.05)). The number of non-responders as per RECIST 1.1 was 79, whereas it was 60 when using iRECIST. ORR was 28.5% for RECIST 1.1 and 34.1% for iRECIST, and corresponding DCR of 67.4% for RECIST 1.1 and 74.6% for iRECIST.

conclusioniRECIST was more suitable than RECIST 1.1 for capturing atypical response patterns to ICI therapy in patients with melanoma and NSCLC, resulting in differences in the assessment of treatment response. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Compared to RECIST 1.1, iRECIST may improve patient care and treatment decisions for patients with NSCLC or melanoma who are treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors in clinical routine. KEY POINTS: RECIST 1.1 may incorrectly assess atypical treatment patterns to immune checkpoint inhibitors. iRECIST better captured atypical response patterns compared to RECIST 1.1. iRECIST was more suitable for assessing response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-small cell lung carcinoma and melanoma.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsLung NeoplasmsMelanomaResponse Evaluation Criteria in Solid TumorsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedFemaleHumansIpilimumabMaleMiddle AgedNivolumabRetrospective StudiesAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsIpilimumabNivolumabpembrolizumabCarcinoma (non-small-cell lung)Immune checkpoint inhibitorsMelanomaResponse evaluation criteria in solid tumors

Identifiers

PMID39294304
PMCPMC11914328

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.