Special Issue "Immunotherapy in Thoracic Malignancies"

A special issue of Current Oncology (ISSN 1718-7729). This special issue belongs to the section "Thoracic Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2023 | Viewed by 728

Special Issue Editors

British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Interests: thoracic oncology; head and neck cancers; real-world data; health technology assessment
Dr. Randeep Sangha
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Cross Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Interests: thoracic oncology; molecular therapeutics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Immunotherapy has become a mainstay in the management of thoracic malignancies over the past decade. Moving from the initial phase III studies in last-line metastatic NSCLC to the adjuvant setting, immune checkpoint inhibitors and CTLA4 inhibitors have revolutionized the treatment of disease. Not only has immunotherapy integrated into all stages of management of NSCLC, its benefits are also seen across other thoracic pathologies, including SCLC and mesothelioma. While immunotherapy has been a welcome addition to the therapeutic tool kit for thoracic malignancies, challenges remain in understanding which patients are most likely or least likely to benefit from treatment. Furthermore, there are toxicities to consider with this therapeutic option, both clinically and financially.

For this Special Issue of Current Oncology, submissions that advance the literature on the use of immunotherapy in thoracic malignancies are sought. Although all manuscripts will be considered, priority will be given to manuscripts focusing on:

  • Optimizing patient selection for different therapeutic options;
  • Understanding risk factors for toxicity;
  • Evaluating the cost and resource implications of immunotherapy;
  • Understanding mechanisms of immunotherapy resistance and novel therapies to overcome resistance.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Cheryl Ho
Dr. Randeep Sangha
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Current Oncology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • immunotherapy
  • immune checkpoint inhibitors
  • CTLA4 inhibitors
  • predictive factors
  • financial implications
  • toxicity
  • resistance

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

Article
Descriptive Analysis of First-Line Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment with Pembrolizumab in Tumors Expressing PD-L1 ≥ 50% in Patients Treated in Quebec’s University Teaching Hospitals (DALP-First Study)
Curr. Oncol. 2023, 30(3), 3251-3262; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30030247 - 11 Mar 2023
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Abstract
Since July 2017, pembrolizumab has been approved as a first-line treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients with a PD-L1 score ≥ 50% in Quebec. Study objectives were to describe and assess the real-world use of pembrolizumab; report progression-free survival [...] Read more.
Since July 2017, pembrolizumab has been approved as a first-line treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients with a PD-L1 score ≥ 50% in Quebec. Study objectives were to describe and assess the real-world use of pembrolizumab; report progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and immune-related adverse events (IRAEs); and compare outcomes between a fixed dose (FD) and a weight-based capped dose (WCD). Medical records of patients treated in one of Quebec’s four adult university teaching hospitals who received pembrolizumab between 1 November 2017 and 31 October 2019 were reviewed and followed until 29 February 2020. Two hundred and seventy-nine patients were included. The median real-world PFS and OS were 9.4 (95% CI, 6.6 to 11.2) and 17.3 months (95% CI, 12.9 to not reached), respectively. IRAEs causing delays or treatment interruptions were seen in 34.4% of patients. Initiating treatment with a FD (49 patients) or using a WCD (230 patients) does not appear to affect PFS, OS, or the occurrence of IRAEs. The use of a WCD strategy allowed approximately CAD 5.8 million in savings during the course of our study. These findings support the effectiveness and safety of pembrolizumab in a real-world setting. The use of a WCD does not appear to have a negative impact on patient outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immunotherapy in Thoracic Malignancies)
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