Association of familial burden of cancer with outcomes of immunotherapy for NSCLC

Family history of cancer (FHC) is a hallmark of cancer risk and an independent predictor of outcome, albeit with uncertain biologic foundations. Analysis of two multicenter cohorts of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer found that among patients treated with first-line pembrolizumab, but not among patients receiving first-line chemotherapy, high FHC compared to low/no FHC was associated with longer overall survival, longer progression-free survival, and higher disease control rates. Between the groups with high versus low/no FHC, there were no significant differences in prevalence of ≥ 1 somatic DDR gene mutation or tumor mutational burden. The authors conclude that FCH-high status identified mNSCLC patients with improved outcomes with pembrolizumab but not chemotherapy, independent of somatic DDR gene status.