Immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment in patients with oncogene-addicted non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): summary of a multidisciplinary roundtable discussion

The introduction of targeted treatments and more recently immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) to the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has dramatically changed the prognosis of selected patients. For patients with oncogene-addicted metastatic NSCLC harbouring an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or v-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homologue B1 (BRAF) mutation or an anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) or ROS proto-oncogene 1, receptor tyrosine kinase (ROS1) gene alteration (translocation, fusion, amplification) mutation-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) are already first-line standard treatment, while targeted treatment for other driver mutations affecting MET, RET, human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) 2, tropomyosin receptor kinases (TRK) 1-3 and others are currently under investigation. The role of ICI in these patient subgroups is currently under debate. This article summarises a round-table discussion organised by ESMO Open in Vienna in July 2018. It reviews current clinical data on ICI treatment in patients with metastatic oncogene-addicted NSCLC and discusses molecular diagnostic assessment, potential biomarkers and radiological methods for response evaluation of ICI treatment. The round-table panel concluded ICI should only be considered in patients with oncogene-addicted NSCLC after exhaustion of effective targeted therapies and in some cases possibly after all other therapies including chemotherapies. More clinical trials on combination therapies and biomarkers for ICI therapy based on the specific differing characteristics of oncogene-addicted NSCLC need to be conducted.