Cure is defined as no detectable cancer cells at all after treatment (clinically known as “complete remission,” CR) and no recurrence of the cancer (usually assessed by 5-year survival).
The phase I study of Nivolumab showed a 5-year survival rate of 16% in patients with advanced NSCLC, and some patients did not progress long after stopping the drug. This means that this group of patients achieved clinical cure.
PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors have the potential to cure lung cancer, but the problem is that it is not clear how to screen this group of patients. In this phase I study of Nivolumab, the longest patient follow-up was more than 8 years, the longest follow-up for a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor to date.
Co-reviewed by: Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute Dr. Wang Zhen, deputy chief physician Zhang Chao