The efficiency and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors for advanced biliary tract cancers based on gene profiles: A retrospectively controlled study

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are potential agents to improve the survival of advanced biliary tract cancers (ABTCs). The current results are controversial because the predictors are imprecise. We present our primary experience with ABTCs based on gene landscape with exciting outcomes. ABTCs who were admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology from October 2019 to March 2021 were enrolled. They were divided into chemotherapy group or immunotherapy group according to the treatment. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary endpoints were response and toxicities. SSPS 16.0 was used for statistical analysis. A total of 33 patients were enrolled, including 25 in the chemotherapy group and 8 in the immunotherapy group. The median OS and PFS of the chemotherapy group were 2 and 4 months, respectively. The estimated median OS and PFS of immunotherapy were 10 + and 10 + months, respectively. The differences of OS and PFS between the 2 groups were significant (P = .000; P = .003). Stratified analysis showed that these differences were mainly from those patients with high expression of PD-L1 > 10%. The difference in the overall response was significant between 2 groups (χ(2) = 9.275; P = .026). The difference in adverse events between the 2 groups was not significant. Immune checkpoint inhibitors were effective and safe for ABTCs with high expression of PD-L1. The threshold should be precise.