Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39998635›Full record

ArticleCancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII2025

Continuous immunotherapy beyond disease progression in patients with advanced non-small cell and small cell lung cancer.

Jing Cheng, Wenwen Kang, Yueying Chen, Luyun Pan, Hedong Han, Tangfeng Lv

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Observational
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  3. Review
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  5. Review
  6. 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

6 authors.

Jing Cheng *Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Wenwen Kang *Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Yueying Chen *Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Luyun PanDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Hedong HanDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. he_dong1102@126.com.
Tangfeng LvDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. TangfengLv7210@nju.edu.cn.

Funding

Clinical Research Project of Jinling Hospital 22LCYY-LH3Clinical Research Project of Jinling Hospital 22LCYY-QH7Natural Science Foundation of China 82370096Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province BK20210146
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe benefits of continuing immunotherapy beyond disease progression in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) remain uncertain, along with the specific patient subgroups that may gain the most from this approach. This retrospective study aims to evaluate the efficacy of this approach and identify target patient populations likely to benefit.

methodsWe collected data from patients with NSCLC and SCLC who experienced disease progression following initial immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment from January 2020 to December 2023. Patients were categorized based on second-line treatment: those receiving immunotherapy beyond progression (IBP) and those receiving non-immunotherapy beyond progression (NIBP). Survival outcomes and treatment safety were compared between these two groups.

resultsA total of 150 patients were included, with 111 NSCLC patients (IBP: n = 78, NIBP: n = 33) and 39 SCLC patients (IBP: n = 31, NIBP: n = 8). Significant differences in median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were found in patients with driver gene-negative NSCLC (mPFS: 4.7 vs 1.3 months, HR = 0.29, P < 0.01; mOS: 11.03 vs 2.63 months, HR = 0.13, P < 0.001) and SCLC (mPFS: 3.9 vs 2.1 months, HR = 0.38, P = 0.02; mOS: 9.28 vs 2.27 months, HR = 0.23, P < 0.01). Additionally, among driver gene-negative NSCLC patients, achieving a partial response (PR) or stable disease (SD) during initial immunotherapy was associated with improved effectiveness of continued immunotherapy beyond progression.

conclusionsContinued immunotherapy as a second-line treatment may benefit patients with driver gene-negative NSCLC and SCLC who have progressed after initial immunotherapy.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsImmunotherapyLung NeoplasmsSmall Cell Lung CarcinomaAdultAgedAged, 80 and overDisease ProgressionFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsEfficacyImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)Immunotherapy beyond progression (IBP)Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)Small cell lung cancer (SCLC)

Identifiers

PMID39998635
PMCPMC11861770

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Registered trials

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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.