2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) - ePosters-EP.11E.04 Low-Dose Nivolumab in Advanced NSCLC; Light at the End of the Tunnel

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The study conducted at the Respiratory Department of Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah, Kedah, focused on evaluating the potential of low-dose nivolumab as a cost-effective salvage therapy for advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) over a period of two years. This retrospective research analyzed the progression-free survival (PFS) of patients administered a 40mg fixed dose of nivolumab every two weeks after progression following first-line therapy, irrespective of PD-L1 status.<br /><br />The results indicated that low-dose nivolumab presents a potentially more affordable treatment alternative, especially in resource-limited settings like Malaysia, significantly reducing the financial burden of cancer treatment. While a full-dose regimen over two years would cost approximately RM510,000 ($116,438), the low-dose approach could lower costs to around RM30,000 ($6,849) for first-line therapy and RM1,600 ($370) for salvage therapy, achieving a 73% cost reduction compared to a full dose. The study noted that both low and high doses achieved the same receptor occupancy, showing no compromise in efficacy, even in patients without PD-L1 positivity.<br /><br />Patients in the study experienced a mean progression-free survival of 18.4 weeks, with minimal immune-related adverse events, suggesting that low-dose nivolumab could maintain therapeutic effectiveness while mitigating financial toxicity. Despite a small sample size, the findings highlight the potential of dose optimization to provide accessible cancer care.<br /><br />The study suggests further research to validate these findings and potentially incorporate low-dose nivolumab into clinical practice, making life-extending therapies available to more patients worldwide. This approach targets the crucial issue of financial toxicity, which limits the accessibility of advanced cancer treatments in many regions.

Asset Subtitle

Arvindran Alaga

Meta Tag

Speaker Arvindran Alaga

Topic Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer – Immunotherapy

Keywords

low-dose nivolumab

non-small cell lung carcinoma

cost-effective therapy

progression-free survival

financial toxicity

resource-limited settings

receptor occupancy

immune-related adverse events

dose optimization

accessible cancer care