Perioperative Pembrolizumab for Early-Stage NSCLC

Neoadjuvant pembrolizumab and chemotherapy followed by resection and adjuvant pembrolizumab improved event-free survival compared with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and resection alone.

The use of neoadjuvant and adjuvant immunotherapy has been approved to treat patients with early-stage non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but the optimal regimen is unclear.

To test the use of neoadjuvant and adjuvant immune checkpoint inhibition with pembrolizumab in this setting, investigators conducted an industry-funded, international, randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial (KEYNOTE-671) involving 796 patients (median age, 63; 70% men; 63% white; 31% Asian; 14% never smokers) with stage II, IIIA, or IIIB NSCLC. Half of the patients received neoadjuvant pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy followed by surgery and adjuvant pembrolizumab (pembrolizumab group). The other half received neoadjuvant placebo plus chemotherapy followed by surgery an…

Reviewing Author

Jyoti D. Patel, MD, FASCO

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardTakeda; AstraZeneca; AnHeart; Lilly; AbbVie; Blueprint; Gilead; Sanofi; Daiichi Sankyo; Genentech

Jyoti D. Patel, MD, FASCO

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardTakeda; AstraZeneca; AnHeart; Lilly; AbbVie; Blueprint; Gilead; Sanofi; Daiichi Sankyo; Genentech

Perioperative Pembrolizumab for Early-Stage NSCLC

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Reviewing Author