P3.02c-069 Pretreatment Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) Predicts Outcomes with Nivolumab in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

The NLR, a marker of systemic inflammation, has been associated with outcomes in multiple cancers. In patients (pts) with metastatic melanoma treated with ipilimumab, pre-therapy NLR < 5 has been associated with improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). However, the utility of NLR as a marker of outcomes in pts with NSCLC treated with programmed-death 1 (PD-1) inhibitors is not known. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of pts with advanced NSCLC treated with nivolumab off clinical trials at the University of Pennsylvania between March 2015 and March 2016. NLR was calculated from complete blood counts obtained within two weeks of starting nivolumab. Pts were dichotomized based on a NLR <5 or ≥ 5. We calculated PFS and OS using the Kaplan-Meier method and used multivariate Cox proportional hazards models to adjust for sex, age, histology (squamous vs. non-squamous), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) (0-1 vs. ≥ 2), smoking history [heavy (≥10 pack-years) vs. light/never (<10 pack-years)], and number of prior systemic therapies (1 vs. ≥ 2). 175 pts received a median of 5 cycles of nivolumab (range, 1-24; IQR 3-9). Median age was 68 years (range 33-88, IQR 60-74), 46% of pts were male, 75% were white, 25% had an ECOG PS ≥ 2, and 46% had ≥ 2 prior systemic therapies. Eighty-four percent of pts had a ≥10 pack-year smoking history, and 76% had non-squamous histology. Median baseline NLR was 5.5 (IQR, 3.1 – 9.4), with NLR < 5 in 73 pts (42%) and NLR ≥ 5 in 102 patients (58%). Through the date of this analysis (June 1, 2016), disease progression had occurred in 124 pts (71%), and 92 pts (53%) had died, resulting in median PFS and OS of 2.1 and 6.5 months, respectively. After controlling for the aforementioned clinical and demographic factors, pts with baseline NLR<5 had significantly improved PFS (median 2.8 vs. 1.9 months; adjusted HR=0.70, 95% CI: 0.50-0.99; p = 0.04) and OS (median 8.4 vs. 5.5 months; adjusted HR=0.54, 95% CI: 0.34-0.84; p = 0.007) compared to pts with NLR ≥ 5. Pre-therapy NLR is independently associated with PFS and OS in advanced NSCLC pts treated with nivolumab. It is unclear whether this marker is predictive or prognostic. Prospective studies are warranted to determine the utility of NLR in predicting outcome in the context of other biomarkers of PD-1 therapy.