A randomized controlled study of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer administered Ramucirumab with Docetaxel complying with combination of chemotherapy

Background: It has been noted that positive results from ramucirumab (RAM) plusdocetaxel (DOC) combination therapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC) are linked to a history of immune checkpoint inhibitor pre-administration.Nevertheless, nothing is now known about the therapeutic importance of RAM andDOC after combined chemoimmunotherapy. Thus, following combinationchemoimmunotherapy, we assessed the safety and effectiveness of RAM + DOCtherapy and tried to determine the factors that might influence its results.Patients and Methods: Following combination chemotherapy and immunotherapy,this multi-center prospective trial examined the safety and effectiveness of RAM plusDOC. PFS, or progression-free survival, was the main outcome. The objective responserate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), and adverse eventincidence were secondary objectives. Serum cytokine levels were assessed at thebeginning of treatment in an exploratory investigation.Results: Between April 2020 and June 2022, a total of 44 patients from 10 Japaneseinstitutions were enrolled. The median OS was 22.6 months, whereas the median PFSwas 6.3 months. Additionally, the DCR was 72.7% and the ORR was 36.4%. The PFSand OS were noticeably worse in the group with elevated vascular endothelial growthfactor D (VEGF-D). A prolonged PFS was linked to both low and high levels ofVEGF-D and VEGF-A.Conclusion: our findings suggested that RAM with DOC following combinationchemoimmunotherapy could be a practical and successful second-line treatment forpatients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer in the real world.