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Giulia Zago,1,2,* Mirte Muller,1,* Michel van den Heuvel,1 Paul Baas1 1Department of Thoracic Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek (NKI-AvL), Amsterdam, the Netherlands; 2Medical Oncology 2, Istituto Oncologico Veneto (IOV), Padova, Italy *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is often diagnosed at an advanced stage of disease, where it is no longer amenable to curative treatment. During the last decades, the survival has only improved significantly for lung cancer patients who have tumors harboring a driver mutation. Therefore, there is a clear unmet need for effective therapies for patients with no mutation. Immunotherapy has emerged as an effective treatment for different cancer types. Nivolumab, a monoclonal inhibitory antibody against PD-1 receptor, can prolong survival of NSCLC patients, with a manageable toxicity profile. In two Phase III trials, nivolumab was compared to docetaxel in patients with, respectively, squamous (CheckMate 017) and non-squamous NSCLC (CheckMate 057). In both trials, nivolumab significantly reduced the risk of death compared to docetaxel (41% and 27% lower risk of death for squamous and non-squamous NSCLC, respectively). Therefore, nivolumab has been approved in the US and in Europe as second-line treatment for advanced NSCLC. Unfortunately, accurate predictive factors for patient selection are lacking, making it difficult to decide who will benefit and who will not. Currently, there are many ongoing trials that evaluate the efficacy of nivolumab in different settings and in combination with other agents. This paper reviews the present literature about the role of nivolumab in the treatment of NSCLC. Particular attention has been given to efficacy studies, toxicity profile, and current and emerging predictive factors. Keywords: nivolumab, advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, immunotherapy, anti-PD-1

Laura Bonanno,1 Giulia Zago,1 Giuseppe Marulli,2 Paola Del Bianco,3 Marco Schiavon,2 Giulia Pasello,1 Valentina Polo,1,4 Fabio Canova,1 Fabrizio Tonetto,5 Lucio Loreggian,5 Federico Rea,2 PierFranco Conte,1,4 Adolfo Favaretto1 1Medical Oncology Unit 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, 2Thoracic Surgery Department, University of Padova, 3Clinical Trials and Biostatistics Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, 4Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 5Radiotherapy Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy Objectives: If concurrent chemoradiotherapy cannot be performed, induction chemotherapy followed by radical-intent surgical treatment is an acceptable option for non primarily resectable non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). No markers are available to predict which patients may benefit from local treatment after induction. This exploratory study aims to assess the feasibility and the activity of multimodality treatment, including triple-agent chemotherapy followed by radical surgery and/or radiotherapy in locally advanced NSCLCs. Methods: We retrospectively collected data from locally advanced NSCLCs treated with induction chemotherapy with carboplatin (area under the curve 6, d [day]1), paclitaxel (200 mg/m2, d1), and gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m2 d1, 8) for three to four courses, followed by radical surgery and/or radiotherapy. We analyzed radiological response and toxicity. Estimated progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were correlated to response, surgery, and clinical features. Results: In all, 58 NSCLCs were included in the study: 40 staged as IIIA, 18 as IIIB (according to TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors–7th edition staging system). A total of 36 (62%) patients achieved partial response (PR), and six (10%) progressions were recorded. Grade 3–4 hematological toxicity was observed in 36 (62%) cases. After chemotherapy, 37 (64%) patients underwent surge