The efficiency of (18)F-FDG PET-CT for predicting the major pathologic response to the neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade in resectable non-small cell lung cancer

PURPOSE: Investigate whether (18)F-FDG PET-CT has the potential to predict the major pathologic response (MPR) to neoadjuvant sintilimab in resectable NSCLC patients, and the potential of sifting patients who probably benefit from immunotherapy. METHODS: Treatment-naive patients with resectable NSCLC (stage IA–IIIB) received two cycles of sintilimab (200 mg, intravenously, day 1 and 22). Surgery was performed between day 29 and 43. PET-CT was obtained at baseline and prior to surgery. The following lean body mass–corrected metabolic parameters were calculated by PET VCAR: SUL(max), SUL(peak), MTV, TLG, ΔSUL(max)%, ΔSUL(peak)%, ΔMTV%, ΔTLG%. PET responses were classified using PERCIST. The above metabolic information on FDG-PET was correlated with the surgical pathology. (Registration Number: ChiCTR-OIC-17013726). RESULTS: Thirty-six patients received 2 doses of sintilimab, all of whom underwent PET-CT twice and had radical resection (35) or biopsy (1). MPR occurred in 13 of 36 resected tumors (36.1%, 13/36). The degree of pathological regression was positively correlated with SUL(max) (p = 0.036) of scan-1, and was negatively correlated with all metabolic parameters of scan-2, and the percentage changes of the metabolic parameters after neoadjuvant therapy (p < 0.05). According to PERCIST, 13 patients (36.1%, 13/36) showed partial metabolic response (PMR), 21 (58.3%, 21/36) had stable metabolic disease, and 2 (5.6%, 2/36) had progressive metabolic disease (PMD). There was a significant correlation between the pathological response and the PET responses which were classified using PERCIST. All (100.0%) the PMR (ΔSUL(peak)% < − 30.0%) tumors showed MPR. CONCLUSIONS: (18)F-FDG PET-CT can predict MPR to neoadjuvant sintilimab in resectable non-small cell lung cancer. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s00259-020-04711-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.