ArticleThoracic cancer2026
Blood Based Biomarkers for Predicting Treatment Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors After EGFR-TKI Resistance in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.
Article in Thoracic cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Peripheral blood biomarkers in PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy: distinguishing predictive from prognostic biomarkers.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
16 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have limited benefit in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, they are often tried after tumors develop resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Because EGFR-TKI treatment alters the tumor microenvironment, biomarkers predictive of ICI response are ideally identified post-EGFR-TKI resistance, but obtaining repeat biopsies at this time can be challenging. The purpose of this study was to explore predictive biomarkers for ICI response using plasma samples collected after EGFR-TKI therapy.
methodsThis retrospective analysis included 28 patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC treated with an ICI after developing resistance to EGFR-TKI. Plasma samples collected at TKI progression were profiled using an Olink Target 96 immune protein panel to identify differential protein expression. Candidate protein biomarkers were validated by immunohistochemistry in tumor tissue. Durable clinical response (DCB) was defined as patients achieving progression-free survival (PFS) ≥ 6 months during ICI therapy.
resultsOf the 28 patients, 6 (21.4%) achieved durable clinical benefit, with PFS ≥ 6 months. Proteomic analysis identified four plasma proteins that differed significantly between DCB and NCB. Gal-9 and GZMH levels were elevated in NCB, whereas IL-4 and IL-6 were elevated in DCB. Notably, PFS was significantly longer in patients with lower Gal-9 and higher IL-4 levels.
conclusionsPlasma-based immune markers measured at the time of TKI resistance may help predict which patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC will respond to subsequent ICI therapy. Such biomarkers could guide immunotherapy decision-making in this clinically challenging population.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.