Table 2. Characteristics of patients.
| Characteristic | Total patients (n=60) (%) | Salvage chemotherapy (n=42) (%) | Pembrolizumab beyond progression (n=18) (%) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median age, years [range] | 66 [19–86] | 64 [19–84] | 71 [49–86] | 0.09 |
| Gender | 0.81 | |||
| Male | 38 (63.3) | 27 (64.3) | 11 (61.1) | |
| Female | 22 (36.7) | 15 (35.7) | 7 (38.9) | |
| Performance status | 0.47 | |||
| 0–1 | 36 (60.0) | 24 (57.1) | 12 (66.7) | |
| 2 | 24 (40.0) | 18 (42.9) | 6 (33.3) | |
| Smoking history | 0.57 | |||
| Never smokers* | 7 (11.7) | 4 (9.5) | 3 (16.7) | |
| Ever smokers | 53 (88.3) | 38 (90.5) | 15 (8.3) | |
| Histology | 0.07 | |||
| Adenocarcinoma | 37 (61.7) | 29 (69.0) | 8 (44.5) | |
| Squamous | 14 (23.3) | 8 (19.0) | 6 (33.3) | |
| Other | 9 (15.0) | 5 (11.9)** | 4 (22.2)*** | |
| Brain metastases | 0.16 | |||
| Yes | 16 (26.7) | 9 (21.4) | 7 (38.9) | |
| No | 44 (73.3)∞ | 33 (78.6) | 11 (61.1) | |
| PD-L1 TPS§ | 0.43 | |||
| ≥50–74% | 41 (68.3) | 30 (71.4) | 11 (61.1) | |
| ≥75–100% | 19 (31.7) | 12 (28.6) | 7 (38.9) | |
| Response to prior pembrolizumab | <0.05 | |||
| PR or SD | 34 (56.7) | 20 (47.6) | 14 (77.8) | |
| PD | 26 (43.3) | 22 (52.4) | 4 (22.2) | |
| Median duration of prior pembrolizumab, months (range) | 3.7 (0.4–18.2) | 3.6 (0.7–14.6) | 5.9 (0.4–18.1) | <0.05 |
*, less than 100 cigarettes in the lifetime; **, 3 non-small cell lung cancers not otherwise specified, 1 large cell carcinoma, 1 adenosquamous; ***, 2 non-small cell lung cancers not otherwise specified, 2 sarcomatoid carcinomas; ∞, includes 6 patients not staged for brain metastases, 3 in each group; §, as assessed by immunohistochemistry (Dako 22C3 PharmDx). PD, progressive disease; PR, partial response; SD, stable disease; TPS, tumor proportion score.