Retrospective study of nab-paclitaxel plus PD-1 inhibitor for advanced squamous cell lung cancer in elderly patients

A retrospective study at the affiliated Zhangjiagang Hospital of Soochow University (China) evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of nab-paclitaxel combined with a PD-1 inhibitor for advanced squamous cell lung cancer in elderly patients. Between March 2020 and July 2024, 18 patients received nab-paclitaxel monotherapy, while 22 patients received nab-paclitaxel plus a PD-1 inhibitor. Compared with the nab-paclitaxel monotherapy group, patients in the combination group demonstrated improved clinical outcomes, including higher objective response rate (31.8% versus 22.2%) and disease control rate (86.4% versus 66.7%) als well as longer median overall survival (19 versus 9 months. The most observed adverse events were leukopenia, anemia, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, myalgia, cough, and interstitial pneumonia, all of which were generally manageable. The authors conclude that nab-paclitaxel combined with PD-1 inhibitors demonstrated superior short-term efficacy and acceptable safety compared with nab-paclitaxel alone in elderly patients with advanced squamous cell lung cancer.