Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Whether to continue administering immunotherapy to patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have experienced tumor progression remains controversial after immunotherapy. The aims were to explore survival outcomes after further immunotherapy post-progression and to determine the optimal combination therapy in such cases. METHODS: Overall, 507 patients with NSCLC who underwent immunotherapy and experienced tumor progression were retrospectively divided into Immuno-combination and No-immuno groups according to whether additional combination therapy involving immunotherapy was administered post-progression. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. Subgroup analyses were performed according to the different treatment regimens for patients in the Immuno-combination group. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, there were 150 patients in the No-immuno group and 300 patients in the Immuno combination group. Superior PFS was observed in the Immuno-combination group compared with those in the No-immuno group (6-month PFS: 25.3 % vs. 60.6 %; 12-month PFS: 6.7 % vs. 24.4 %; P < 0.001). Similar intergroup differences were observed for OS (12-month OS: 22.3 % vs. 69.4 %; 18-month OS: 6.4 % vs. 40.4 %; P < 0.001). Superior PFS outcomes were observed in the Immuno+Antiangiogenic group compared with the Immuno+Chemo group (6-month PFS: 51.3 % vs. 71.5 %; 12-month PFS: 23.1 % vs. 25.7 %; P = 0.017). Similar differences in OS were observed between those same subgroups (12-month OS: 62.1 % vs. 77.9 %; 18-month OS: 33.3 % vs. 48.7 %; P = 0.006). CONCLUSION: Patients with NSCLC experiencing tumor progression post-immunotherapy can still benefit from further treatment, with immunotherapy combined with antiangiogenic therapy the most efficacious option.