Overcoming therapeutic resistance in driver-negative NSCLC: Immunomodulatory mechanisms and clinical efficacy of Camrelizumab-chemotherapy combination in a real-world cohort.

backgroundDriver gene-negative advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) exhibits inherent resistance to conventional therapies, representing a significant treatment challenge. The limited efficacy of platinum-based chemotherapy alone underscores the need for resistance-mitigating strategies. Camrelizumab, a PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, may overcome resistance mechanisms by restoring immune surveillance and enhancing chemosensitivity through immunogenic cell death (ICD) and T-cell activation. This study investigates how this combination counters therapeutic resistance in real-world clinical settings.

methodsThis propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study evaluated 106 patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC lacking driver mutations, comparing Camrelizumab plus chemotherapy (pemetrexed + cisplatin) versus chemotherapy alone. The median follow-up duration was 15.2 months (range 6.5-24.8 months). Progression-free survival (PFS) was the primary endpoint, with objective response rate (ORR), resistance patterns, and treatment-related adverse events as secondary outcomes. PD-L1 expression levels and tumor mutational burden (TMB) data were not available for this cohort. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to adjust for potential confounders.

resultsCombination therapy significantly overcame resistance to conventional treatment, prolonging median PFS (9.8 vs. 5.7 months, HR = 0.48, P = 0.010) and improving ORR (47.1% vs. 39.6%, P = 0.007). Multivariate Cox regression confirmed the PFS benefit (adjusted HR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.29-0.89, P = 0.018). Notably, patients with early progression on prior chemotherapy regimens (resistant phenotype) demonstrated meaningful clinical benefit from the addition of immunotherapy. Immune-related adverse events were managed with corticosteroids and treatment interruptions per established guidelines. Immunotherapy-specific adverse events were observed but manageable, suggesting a favorable risk-benefit profile in overcoming treatment resistance. Overall survival data were immature at the time of analysis.

conclusionsCamrelizumab-chemotherapy combination effectively addresses resistance mechanisms in driver-negative NSCLC through immune microenvironment modulation. However, the study's limitations include small sample size (53 patients per group), retrospective design, and absence of biomarker data. These findings illuminate a promising strategy for overcoming the therapeutic plateau reached with conventional chemotherapy. This real-world evidence supports further investigation into resistance biomarkers and adaptive treatment algorithms to optimize immunotherapy integration in resistant NSCLC. Prospective studies with larger cohorts are warranted to confirm these findings. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.