Table 1.
Patient and tumour characteristics at baseline in the chemotherapy group and the pembrolizumab group according to the BTS. (a) Categorical variables
| Chemotherapy group n (%) |
Pembrolizumab group n (%) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BTS ≤ 86 mm | BTS > 86 mm | p-value | BTS ≤ 86 mm | BTS > 86 mm | p-value | |
| Number of patients | 47 | 45 | 50 | 46 | ||
| Age in years (median, range) | 65 (34–83) | 61 (35–76) | 0.18 | 63 (38–89) | 63 (46–88) | 0.61 |
| Male gender | 28 (59.6) | 28 (62.2) | 0.96 | 28 (56.0) | 37 (80.4) | 0.02 |
| Female gender | 19 (40.4) | 17 (37.8) | 22 (44.0) | 9 (19.6) | ||
| Smoking status | ||||||
| Never | 1 (2.1) | 2 (4.4) | 0.57 (a) | 3 (6.2) | 1 (2.3) | 0.62 (a) |
| Former | 33 (70.2) | 27 (60.0) | 32 (66.7) | 27 (62.8) | ||
| Current | 13 (27.7) | 16 (35.6) | 13 (27.1) | 15 (34.9) | ||
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | ||
| PS | ||||||
| 0—1 | 31 (77.5) | 21 (58.3) | 0.12 | 36 (80) | 31 (75.6) | 0.82 |
| ≥ 2 | 9 (22.5) | 15 (41.7) | 9 (20) | 10 (24.4) | ||
| Missing | 7 | 9 | 5 | 5 | ||
| Histology | ||||||
| Non-squamous | 39 (83.0) | 38 (84.4) | 1.00 | 44 (88.0) | 33 (71.7) | 0.08 |
| Squamous | 8 (17.0) | 7 (15.6) | 6 (12.0) | 13 (28.3) | ||
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| PDL1 ≥ 50% | ||||||
| No | 24 (77.4) | 28 (77.8) | 1 (a) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | NA |
| Yes | 7 (22.6) | 8 (22.2) | 50 (100) | 46 (100) | ||
| Missing | 16 | 9 | 0 | 0 | ||
| PDL1 | ||||||
| 50–89% | NA | NA | NA | 35 (70) | 30 (65) | 0.72 |
| ≥ 90% | 15 (30) | 16 (35) | ||||
| Missing | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Corticosteroid therapy | ||||||
| None | 27 (57.4) | 26(57.8) | 0.93 (a) | 40 (80.0) | 40 (87.0) | 0.58 (a) |
| ≤ 20 mg | 1 (2.1) | 2 (4.4) | 9 (18.0) | 6 (13.0) | ||
| > 20 mg | 19 (40.4) | 17 (37.8) | 1 (2.0) | 0 (0.0) | ||
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Stage | ||||||
| III | 4 (8.5) | 2 (4.4) | 0.68 (a) | 13 (26.0) | 10 (21.7) | 0.8 |
| IV | 43 (91.5) | 43 (95.6) | 37 (74.0) | 36 (78.3) | ||
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Brain metastases | ||||||
| No | 36 (76.6) | 24 (53.3) | 0.03 | 34 (68.0) | 36 (78.3) | 0.37 |
| Yes | 11 (23.4) | 21 (46.7) | 16 (32.0) | 10 (21.7) | ||
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Lung metastases | ||||||
| No | 32 (68.1) | 24 (53.3) | 0.21 | 35 (70.0) | 27 (58.7) | 0.35 |
| Yes | 15 (31.9) | 21 (46.7) | 15 (30.0) | 19 (41.3) | ||
| Missing | ||||||
| Effusion metastases (pleural, pericardial, or peritoneal) | ||||||
| No | 37 (78.7) | 37 (82.2) | 0.87 | 44 (88.0) | 34 (73.9) | 0.13 |
| Yes | 10 (21.3) | 8 (17.8) | 6 (12.0) | 12 (26.1) | ||
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Liver metastases | ||||||
| No | 42 (89.4) | 25 (55.6) | < 0.01 | 44 (88.0) | 33 (71.7) | 0.08 |
| Yes | 5 (10.6) | 20 (44.4) | 6 (12.0) | 13 (28.3) | ||
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Adrenal metastases | ||||||
| No | 37 (78.7) | 27 (60.0) | 0.08 | 39 (78.0) | 37 (80.4) | 0.63 |
| Yes | 10 (21.3) | 18 (40.0) | 10 (20.0) | 9 (19.6) | ||
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Bone metastases | ||||||
| No | 21 (44.7) | 26 (57.8) | 0.29 | 40 (80.0) | 33 (71.7) | 0.48 |
| Yes | 26 (55.3) | 19 (42.2) | 10 (20.0) | 13 (28.3) | ||
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Brain metastases treatment | ||||||
| Observation | 1 (9.0) | 3 (14.3) | 0.58 (a) | 5 (31.2) | 1 (10.0) | 0.29 (a) |
| Stereotactic radiotherapy | 4 (36.3) | 4 (19.0) | 6 (37.5) | 3 (30.0) | ||
| Whole-brain radiotherapy | 6 (54.5) | 14(66.7) | 5 (31.2) | 6 (60.0) | ||