Nodal immune flare mimics nodal disease progression following neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer.

ABSTRACT: Radiographic imaging is the standard approach for evaluating the disease involvement of lymph nodes in patients with operable NSCLC although the impact of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) on lymph nodes has not yet been characterized. Herein, we present an ad hoc analysis of the NEOSTAR trial (NCT03158129) where we observed a phenomenon we refer to as "nodal immune flare" (NIF) in which patients treated with neoadjuvant ICIs demonstrate radiologically abnormal nodes post-therapy that upon pathological evaluation are devoid of cancer and demonstrate de novo non-caseating granulomas. Abnormal lymph nodes are analyzed by computed tomography and ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computer tomography to evaluate the size and the maximum standard uptake

SUBMITTER: Cascone T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8376947 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature