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The Effect of Combined Cryotherapy and Immunotherapy on Systemic T Cell Changes and Clinical Outcomes in Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Lung Cancer Stage IV
Interventions
Procedure: Bronchoscopic cryotherapy
Registration Number
NCT06000358
Lead Sponsor
Lithuanian University of Health Sciences
Brief Summary

Lung cancer remains one of the most commonly diagnosed oncological diseases worldwide and the first in terms of mortality. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors form the backbone of current metastatic non-small cell lung cancer treatments, there is still no ideal predictive marker for its efficacy and patients still achieve suboptimal results in overall response and survival. While immune checkpoint inhibitors are known to shift systemic anti-tumor immune response from suppression to stimulation in some patients, the investigators hypothesize that this effect can be further enhanced by cryotherapy, especially in "cold" tumors. If proven successful, cryotherapy in combination with immunotherapy, could potentiate a more powerful immune response compared to systemic therapy alone, improve overall response rate, patients' survival without disease progression, and overall survival. The investigators, therefore, aim to use combined local tumor cryotherapy, combined with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy to induce and evaluate systemic anti-tumor T lymphocyte response and achieve improved non-small cell lung cancer patient outcomes than with immunotherapy alone.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
120
Inclusion Criteria
  • Patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score 0 - 1;
  • Patients with histologically confirmed metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and PD-L1 expression on tumor cells was evaluated;
  • CT examination shows measurable tumor formations according to the RECIST 1.1 criteria;
  • Primary lung tumor or metastasis accessible to flexible bronchoscopy;
  • Patients may have received surgery, adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to the study if it was completed at least 12 months before relapse;
  • Patients informed about the purpose and course of the study and provided a written consent to participate.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Patients who refused to participate in the clinical trial and did not sign the informed consent form;
  • Men and women under the age of 18, pregnant women;
  • Patients belonging to a vulnerable social group;
  • High risk of general anesthesia, defined as American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class 4 - 6;
  • Documented allergy to medications used during general and local anesthesia, systemic cancer treatment;
  • Patients previously treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors;
  • EGFR mutations or ALK translocations have been identified in patients;
  • Patients with previously diagnosed autoimmune diseases, active viral hepatitis, uncontrolled human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or untreated tuberculosis;
  • Patients treated with immunosuppressive drugs, systemic corticosteroids, with equivalent doses of prednisolone exceeding 10 mg/day;
  • Patients with an increased risk of bleeding during an interventional procedure;
  • Acute untreated conditions that would make it impossible to perform an interventional lung procedure.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Cryotherapy and Pembrolizumab monotherapy;Bronchoscopic cryotherapyPatients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, who are eligible for first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy (PD-L1 expression equal to or greater than 50%, no EGFR mutations or ALK translocations). Bronchoscopic cryotherapy procedure is performed before the start of systemic treatment.
Cryotherapy and Pembrolizumab with platinum-based chemotherapy;Bronchoscopic cryotherapyPatients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, who are eligible for first-line pembrolizumab and platinum-based chemotherapy (PD-L1 expression less than 50%, no EGFR mutations or ALK translocations). Bronchoscopic cryotherapy procedure is performed before the start of systemic treatment.
Cryotherapy and Pembrolizumab with platinum-based chemotherapy;Platinum based chemotherapyPatients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, who are eligible for first-line pembrolizumab and platinum-based chemotherapy (PD-L1 expression less than 50%, no EGFR mutations or ALK translocations). Bronchoscopic cryotherapy procedure is performed before the start of systemic treatment.
Pembrolizumab with platinum-based chemotherapy;Platinum based chemotherapyPatients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, who are eligible for first-line pembrolizumab and platinum-based chemotherapy (PD-L1 expression less than 50%, no EGFR mutations or ALK translocations).
Cryotherapy and Pembrolizumab monotherapy;PembrolizumabPatients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, who are eligible for first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy (PD-L1 expression equal to or greater than 50%, no EGFR mutations or ALK translocations). Bronchoscopic cryotherapy procedure is performed before the start of systemic treatment.
Pembrolizumab monotherapy;PembrolizumabPatients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, who are eligible for first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy (PD-L1 expression equal to or greater than 50%, no EGFR mutations or ALK translocations).
Cryotherapy and Pembrolizumab with platinum-based chemotherapy;PembrolizumabPatients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, who are eligible for first-line pembrolizumab and platinum-based chemotherapy (PD-L1 expression less than 50%, no EGFR mutations or ALK translocations). Bronchoscopic cryotherapy procedure is performed before the start of systemic treatment.
Pembrolizumab with platinum-based chemotherapy;PembrolizumabPatients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, who are eligible for first-line pembrolizumab and platinum-based chemotherapy (PD-L1 expression less than 50%, no EGFR mutations or ALK translocations).
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Changes in T Lymphocyte Count and Function in Response to Cryotherapy and Immunotherapy6 weeks

Changes in T lymphocyte counts and function in peripheral venous blood assessed via flow cytometry

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Objective response rate1 year

Assessed according to RECIST and iRECIST criteria

Necrotic cancer cell death6 weeks

A change in the concentration of High mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB-1) in venous blood

The influence of immune cell infiltration in tumor tissue on subsequent cryotherapy and immunotherapy treatment1 day

Number of tumor-infiltrating CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes in non-small cell lung cancer biopsy material by immunohistochemistry.

Progression-free survival1 year

The time from the first cycle of systemic treatment to radiologically confirmed disease progression

Overall survival1 year

The time from the first cycle of systemic treatment to death from any cause

Changes in T Lymphocyte Effector Function in Response to Cryotherapy and Immunotherapy6 weeks

Changes in T lymphocyte effector function in peripheral venous blood evaluated via cytokine panels

Safety of bronchoscopic cryotherapy and immunotherapy1 year

Documentation and assessment of adverse treatment events according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.

Changes in T Lymphocyte Function in Response to Cryotherapy and Immunotherapy6 weeks

Changes in T lymphocyte function in peripheral venous blood assessed via RNA expression

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Lithuanian University of Health Sciences

🇱🇹

Kaunas, Lithuania

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