An analysis from the phase III CheckMate 77T trial confirms that perioperative nivolumab does not compromise health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including those with stage III N2 disease. These results were presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer (Abstract MA04.05).
The study assessed HRQoL by nodal status and surgical outcomes using patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures such as the NSCLC–Symptom Assessment Questionnaire (NSCLC-SAQ) and the EQ-5D-3L visual analog scale (VAS). Patients received either neoadjuvant nivolumab plus chemotherapy or placebo plus chemotherapy, followed by surgery and adjuvant therapy.
“Maintaining quality of life during and after treatment is vital to long-term success, and these results show that perioperative nivolumab supports both survival and patient well-being,” said presenting author Jonathan Spicer, MD, PhD, of McGill University Health Centre.
He reported that more than 90% PRO completion rates across nodal status groups, except before and after surgery, and that HRQoL was generally maintained across all treatment phases. Additionally, Dr. Spicer said that among patients with stage III N2 NSCLC, nivolumab reduced the risk for HRQoL deterioration vs placebo, per results from the NSCLC-SAQ (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.28–0.88) and EQ-5D-3L VAS (HR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.27–0.82).
“These benefits extended to patients undergoing single lobectomy or complete resection,” he noted.
The analyses reinforce the role of perioperative nivolumab as a treatment that not only extends event-free survival but also protects patient quality of life in early-stage resectable NSCLC, particularly among high-risk N2 patients, Dr. Spicer stated.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit cattendee.abstractsonline.com.
