Progress on neoadjuvant immunotherapy in resectable non-small cell lung cancer and potential biomarkers

Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are highly concerned in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), represented by inhibitors of programmed death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1), and inhibitors of cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4). The introduction of immunotherapy in the treatment of perioperative NSCLC has improved the prognosis to a great extent, as demonstrated by several phase II and III clinical trials. The target population for immunotherapy in early-stage NSCLC is still under discussion, and the biomarkers for neoadjuvant immunotherapy population selection are the next pending problem. The predictive efficacy of many potential makers is still being explored, including PD-L1 expression levels, tumor mutation burden, circulating tumor DNA, components of the tumor microenvironment, and several clinical factors. We summarize key findings on the utility of ICIs in clinical trials of preoperative NSCLC patients and conclude analyses of relevant biomarkers to provide a better understanding of potentially predictive biomarkers in neoadjuvant immunotherapy.