Early mortality in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) and PD-L1 ≥ 50% receiving first-line immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI): Analysis of the NOTCH collaborative REAL-SAIF study.

e20684 Background: Single-agent ICIs are approved for the first-line treatment of aNSCLC and PDL1 ≥50%. Early cross-over of survival curves raise concerns about early mortality in this group. Current controversies exist about upfront intensification with ICI-chemotherapy and the increasing use of ICIs in patients near the end-of-life. To our knowledge, this is one of the largest study to explore early mortality in patients with aNSCLC receiving single-agent ICI. Methods: 1571 patients treated between 2017-2023 from 18 UK centres were included into this retrospective real-world study. Multiple imputations were used to handle data missing at random and pooled estimates were combined. Multivariate logistic regression was used for 30- and 60-day mortality. Variables were selected through a combination of domain knowledge and LASSO regression. Results: 5.6% and 12.4% of patients experienced 30- and 60-day mortality respectively. Baseline demographics within total cohort were median age 70-years, 52% male, 76% non-squamous histology, 14% brain metastases, 11% liver metastases, 76% de-novo stage 4 disease, and 93% pembrolizumab as ICI of choice. Performance status (PS) of ≥2 (OR 2.36; p <0.001), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (OR 1.21; p =0.008), neutrophil-eosinophil ratio (NER) (OR 1.33; p <0.001), and albumin (OR 0.88; p <0.001) were associated with 30-day mortality [Table 1]. PS ≥2 (OR 1.77; p <0.001), NLR (OR 1.39; p <0.001), NER (OR 1.29; p <0.001), albumin (OR 0.89; p <0.001), brain metastasis (OR 1.99; p =0.002), and liver metastasis (OR 1.88; p =0.007) were associated with 60-day mortality. Age, sex, BMI, smoking status, histology, and deprivation indices were not associated with 30- or 60-day mortality. Most common cause of 30-day death was NSCLC (79.6%) followed by non-cancer causes (11.4%). Conclusions: Poor PS and elevated inflammatory indices (NLR, NER, albumin) were associated with 30-day mortality, reflecting systemic effects of disease and/or patient frailty. The latter emergence of brain and liver metastases as 60-day prognostic markers may indicate the need for ICI-chemotherapy combination in fit patients. Multivariate logistic regression for 30-day and 60-day mortality. 30-day mortality[OR (95%CI); p -value] 60-day mortality[OR (95%CI); p -value] Age 0.98 (0.96-1.00) 0.086 1 (0.98-1.02) 0.907 Performance status ≥2 2.36 (1.63-3.42) <0.001 1.77 (1.31-2.39) <0.001 Haemoglobin 1.02 (1.00-1.03) 0.023 1.01 (1.00-1.02) 0.064 Albumin 0.88 (0.84-0.91) <0.001 0.89 (0.86-0.91) <0.001 NLR 1.21 (1.05-1.39) 0.008 1.39 (1.18-1.65) <0.001 NER 1.33 (1.14-1.54) <0.001 1.29 (1.12-1.48) <0.001 Brain metastasis – – 1.99 (1.29-3.06) 0.002 Liver metastasis – – 1.88 (1.19-2.98) 0.007 Index of Multiple Deprivation – – 1.06 (1.00-1.12) 0.062

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Journal
Journal of Clinical Oncology
Published
2026-05-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1200/jco.2026.44.16_suppl.e20684
Primary Topic
Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
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article
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article

Early mortality in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) and PD-L1 ≥ 50% receiving first-line immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI): Analysis of the NOTCH collaborative REAL-SAIF study.

A. Januszewski, Daniah Thomas, Mary Denholm, Samira Bawany et al.
Journal of Clinical Oncology
Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
article

Early mortality in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) and PD-L1 ≥ 50% receiving first-line immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI): Analysis of the NOTCH collaborative REAL-SAIF study.

A. Januszewski, Daniah Thomas, Mary Denholm, Samira Bawany, A Aujayeb, Pablo Martinez Perez, Iakov Bolnykh, Stephanie Eeckelaers, Stephen David Robinson, Rabia Gul, Andrew Kidd, Philippa Smith, Kaneez Fathima, Aya Alsayed, Alisha Sattar, Mohamed Abdelaziz, Salina Lalwani, Alfred Chung Pui So, David Whithey, Federico Monaca
article en

Abstract

e20684 Background: Single-agent ICIs are approved for the first-line treatment of aNSCLC and PDL1 ≥50%. Early cross-over of survival curves raise concerns about early mortality in this group. Current controversies exist about upfront intensification with ICI-chemotherapy and the increasing use of ICIs in patients near the end-of-life. To our knowledge, this is one of the largest study to explore early mortality in patients with aNSCLC receiving single-agent ICI. Methods: 1571 patients treated between 2017-2023 from 18 UK centres were included into this retrospective real-world study. Multiple imputations were used to handle data missing at random and pooled estimates were combined. Multivariate logistic regression was used for 30- and 60-day mortality. Variables were selected through a combination of domain knowledge and LASSO regression. Results: 5.6% and 12.4% of patients experienced 30- and 60-day mortality respectively. Baseline demographics within total cohort were median age 70-years, 52% male, 76% non-squamous histology, 14% brain metastases, 11% liver metastases, 76% de-novo stage 4 disease, and 93% pembrolizumab as ICI of choice. Performance status (PS) of ≥2 (OR 2.36; p <0.001), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (OR 1.21; p =0.008), neutrophil-eosinophil ratio (NER) (OR 1.33; p <0.001), and albumin (OR 0.88; p <0.001) were associated with 30-day mortality [Table 1]. PS ≥2 (OR 1.77; p <0.001), NLR (OR 1.39; p <0.001), NER (OR 1.29; p <0.001), albumin (OR 0.89; p <0.001), brain metastasis (OR 1.99; p =0.002), and liver metastasis (OR 1.88; p =0.007) were associated with 60-day mortality. Age, sex, BMI, smoking status, histology, and deprivation indices were not associated with 30- or 60-day mortality. Most common cause of 30-day death was NSCLC (79.6%) followed by non-cancer causes (11.4%). Conclusions: Poor PS and elevated inflammatory indices (NLR, NER, albumin) were associated with 30-day mortality, reflecting systemic effects of disease and/or patient frailty. The latter emergence of brain and liver metastases as 60-day prognostic markers may indicate the need for ICI-chemotherapy combination in fit patients. Multivariate logistic regression for 30-day and 60-day mortality. 30-day mortality[OR (95%CI); p -value] 60-day mortality[OR (95%CI); p -value] Age 0.98 (0.96-1.00) 0.086 1 (0.98-1.02) 0.907 Performance status ≥2 2.36 (1.63-3.42) <0.001 1.77 (1.31-2.39) <0.001 Haemoglobin 1.02 (1.00-1.03) 0.023 1.01 (1.00-1.02) 0.064 Albumin 0.88 (0.84-0.91) <0.001 0.89 (0.86-0.91) <0.001 NLR 1.21 (1.05-1.39) 0.008 1.39 (1.18-1.65) <0.001 NER 1.33 (1.14-1.54) <0.001 1.29 (1.12-1.48) <0.001 Brain metastasis – – 1.99 (1.29-3.06) 0.002 Liver metastasis – – 1.88 (1.19-2.98) 0.007 Index of Multiple Deprivation – – 1.06 (1.00-1.12) 0.062

Journal of Clinical OncologyVol. 44(16_suppl)
St Bartholomew's Hospital (GB), Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (GB), Barts Health NHS Trust (GB), Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (GB), Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (GB), Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (GB), West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (GB), Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre (GB), Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (GB), James Cook University Hospital (GB), University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (GB), Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GB), University of Manchester (GB), South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GB), The Christie NHS Foundation Trust (GB), National Health Service Wales (GB), University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (GB), Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust (GB), Addenbrooke's Hospital (GB), University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (GB)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 7%
Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
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