Open AccessVascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 expression and immunotherapy efficacy in non–small cell lung cancer
Author(s) -
Nakahama Kenji,
Kaneda Hiroyasu,
Osawa Masahiko,
Fukui Mitsuru,
Izumi Motohiro,
Yoshimoto Naoki,
Sugimoto Akira,
Nagamine Hiroaki,
Ogawa Koichi,
Matsumoto Yoshiya,
Sawa Kenji,
Tani Yoko,
Mitsuoka Shigeki,
Watanabe Tetsuya,
Asai Kazuhisa,
Kawaguchi Tomoya
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
cancer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 1347-9032
DOI - 10.1111/cas.15464
Subject(s) - vascular endothelial growth factor , medicine , kinase insert domain receptor , immune system , immune checkpoint , immunotherapy , vascular endothelial growth inhibitor , lung cancer , vascular endothelial growth factor c , endothelial stem cell , cancer research , vascular endothelial growth factor a , oncology , immunology , biology , in vitro , biochemistry , vegf receptors
It is unclear whether tumor vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 expression affects the therapeutic efficacy of immune‐checkpoint inhibitors and antiangiogenic agents. This retrospective, multicenter study included patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer who were treated with immune‐checkpoint inhibitors. We constructed tissue microarrays and performed immunohistochemistry with an anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 antibody. We analyzed immune and tumor cell staining separately in order to determine their correlation with the objective response rate, progression‐free survival, and overall survival in patients receiving immune‐checkpoint inhibitors. Of 364 patients, 37 (10%) expressed vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 in immune cells and 165 (45%) in tumor cells. The objective response rate, progression‐free survival, and overall survival were significantly worse in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy who expressed vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 in immune cells than those who did not (10% vs 30%, p = 0.028; median = 2.2 vs 3.6 months, p = 0.012; median = 7.9 vs 17.0 months, p = 0.049, respectively), while there was no significant difference based on tumor cell expression (24% vs 30%, p = 0.33; median = 3.1 vs 3.5 months, p = 0.55; median = 13.6 vs 16.8 months, p = 0.31). There was no significant difference in overall survival between patients treated with and without antiangiogenic agents in any treatment period based on vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 expression. Immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy was limited in patients expressing vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 in immune cells.