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What is the biggest barrier to using perioperative immunotherapy in your practice?

Submit your answer to see the results

Patient factors or quality of life concerns
   
Access to PD-L1 testing
   
Lack of data to support use
   
Inexperience with this approach
   

What is your view on the role of PD-L1 testing in guiding therapy choice for NSCLC?

Submit your answer to see the results

Essential for guiding treatment decisions
   
Useful but not definitive for therapy choice
   
Limited value; many benefit regardless of PD-L1
   
Needs improvement with new biomarkers soon
   
 
Focus Questions
How has the integration of immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant and perioperative settings impacted outcomes for patients with early-stage NSCLC?
How do the latest data inform the practical use of immunotherapy in this setting, including optimal timing and sequencing?
What are the key considerations when selecting patients with early-stage NSCLC for immunotherapy, and how do these factors influence treatment decisions?
How do pre- and post-surgical management strategies differ when incorporating immunotherapy in early-stage NSCLC?
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Lung Cancer, Immunotherapy CE/CME accredited

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Single expert faculty answers questions on a specific theme offering practical insights drawn directly from daily practice. Close

Applying immunotherapy in clinical practice for patients with early-stage NSCLC

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Prof. Jonathan Spicer is a professor of surgery at McGill University, where he is the medical director of the McGill University Health Center (MUHC) Thoracic Oncology Network. read more

He chairs the McGill regional thoracic oncology tumour board and is co-director of the MUHC thoracic oncology clinical trials unit. He is a surgeon scientist leading a broad research programme covering basic, translational and clinical research topics. Prof. Spicer has developed one of the most active research programs in the area of neoadjuvant precision therapy for operable lung cancer. His expertise in this domain is evidenced by clinical trial leadership roles at national and international levels for several perioperative lung cancer trials.

Prof. Jonathan Spicer discloses: Consulting/advisory board fees from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Chemocentryx, Eisai, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Protalix Biotherapeutics, Regeneron, Roche and Xenetic Biosciences. Research support from AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, CLS Therapeutics, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Protalix Biotherapeutics, Regeneron and Roche.

Learning Objectives

After watching this activity, participants should be better able to:

  • Discuss the clinical implications of the latest data on the role of neoadjuvant/adjuvant and perioperative immunotherapy in early-stage NSCLC
  • Evaluate evidence-based recommendations for the management of early-stage NSCLC with immunotherapy
Overview

In this concise interview, thoracic surgeon and immunotherapy expert Prof. Jonathan Spicer discusses the role of neoadjuvant, perioperative and adjuvant immunotherapy in early-stage NSCLC, and considers practical considerations for implementation.

This activity is jointly provided by USF Health and touchIME.

touchIME is an EBAC® accredited provider. read more

Target Audience

This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of medical and clinical oncologists, pulmonologists and oncology nurses involved in the management of early-stage NSCLC.

USF Accreditation

Disclosures

USF Health adheres to the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. All individuals in a position to influence content have disclosed to USF Health any financial relationship with an ineligible organization. USF Health has reviewed and mitigated all relevant financial relationships related to the content of the activity. The relevant relationships are listed below. All individuals not listed have no relevant financial relationships.

Faculty

Prof. Jonathan Spicer discloses: Consulting/advisory board fees from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Chemocentryx, Eisai, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Protalix Biotherapeutics, Regeneron, Roche and Xenetic Biosciences. Research support from AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, CLS Therapeutics, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Protalix Biotherapeutics, Regeneron and Roche.

Content reviewer

Danielle Walker, DNP, APRN, AGNP-C has no financial interests/relationships or affiliations in relation to this activity.

Touch Medical Contributors

Annette Wiggins has no financial interests/relationships or affiliations in relation to this activity.

USF Health Office of Continuing Professional Development and touchIME staff have no financial interests/relationships or affiliations in relation to this activity.

Requirements for Successful Completion

In order to receive credit for this activity, participants must review the content and complete the post-test and evaluation form. Statements of credit are awarded upon successful completion of the post-test and evaluation form.

If you have questions regarding credit please contact cpdsupport@usf.edu 

Accreditations

Physicians

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through a joint providership of USF Health and touchIME. USF Health is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

USF Health designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Advanced Practice Providers

Physician Assistants may claim a maximum of 0.5 Category 1 credits for completing this activity. NCCPA accepts AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM from organizations accredited by ACCME or a recognized state medical society.

The AANPCP accepts certificates of participation for educational activities approved for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM by ACCME-accredited providers. APRNs who participate will receive a certificate of completion commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Date of original release: 23 June 2025. Date credits expire: 23 June 2026.

If you have any questions regarding credit, please contact cpdsupport@usf.edu

Nurses

USF Health is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

A maximum of 0.5 contact hours may be earned by learners who successfully complete this  continuing professional development activity. USF Health, the accredited provider, acknowledges touchIME as the joint provider in the planning and execution of this CNE activity.

This activity is awarded 0.5 ANCC pharmacotherapeutic contact hour.

ILNA

The program content has been reviewed by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) and is acceptable for recertification points.

Disclaimer: ONCC review is only for designating content to be used for ILNA points and is not for NCPD accreditation. NCPD programs must be formally approved for contact hours by an acceptable accreditator/approver of nursing NCPD to be used for recertification by ONCC. If the NCPD provider fails to obtain formal approval to award contact hours by an acceptable accrediting/approval body, no information related to ONCC recertification or ILNA categories may be used in relation to the program.

Date of original release:  23 June 2025. Date credits expire:  23 June 2026.

If you have any questions regarding credit please contact cpdsupport@usf.edu

EBAC® Accreditation

touchIME is an EBAC® accredited provider since 2023.

This program is accredited by the European Board for Accreditation of Continuing Education for Health Professionals (EBAC®) for 30 minutes of effective education time.

EBAC® holds an agreement on mutual recognition of substantive equivalency with the US Accreditation Council for CME (ACCME) and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, respectively.

Through an agreement between the European Board for Accreditation of Continuing Education for Health Professionals (EBAC®) and the American Medical Association, physicians may convert EBAC® External CME credits to AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Information on the process to convert EBAC® credit to AMA credit can be found on the AMA website. Other health care professionals may obtain from the AMA a certificate of having participated in an activity eligible for conversion of credit to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

EBAC® is a member of the International Academy for CPD Accreditation (IACPDA) and a partner member of the International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities (IAMRA).

Faculty Disclosure Statement / Conflict of Interest Policy

In compliance with EBAC® guidelines, all speakers/ chairpersons participating in this programme have disclosed or indicated potential conflicts of interest which might cause a bias in the presentations. The Organizing Committee/Course Director is responsible for ensuring that all potential conflicts of interest relevant to the event are declared to the audience prior to the CME activities.

Requirements for Successful Completion

Certificates of Completion may be awarded upon successful completion of the post-test and evaluation form. If you have completed one hour or more of effective education through EBAC® accredited CE activities, please contact us at accreditation@touchime.org to receive your EBAC® CE credit certificate. EBAC® grants 1 CE credit for every hour of education completed.

Date of original release:  23 June 2025. Date credits expire:  23 June 2027.

Time to Complete: 30 minutes

If you have any questions regarding the EBAC® credits, please contact accreditation@touchime.org

This activity is CE/CME accredited

To obtain the CE/CME credit(s) from this activity, please complete this post-activity test.

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Topics covered in this activity

Lung Cancer / Immunotherapy
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touchEXPERT FOCUS
Applying immunotherapy in clinical practice for patients with early-stage NSCLC
0.5 CE/CME credit

Question 1/5
Which of the following treatment strategies has been shown to improve OS in EGFR/ALK wild-type patients with early-stage NSCLC and any level of PD-L1 expression?

ALK, anaplastic lymphoma kinase; EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; OS, overall survival; PD-L1, programmed death-ligand 1

In the CheckMate 816 trial, which recruited patients with early-stage NSCLC, any level of PD-L1 expression and negative for EGFR/ALK alterations,1 neoadjuvant nivolumab in combination with chemotherapy improved OS compared with chemotherapy alone.2

Abbreviations

ALK, anaplastic lymphoma kinase; EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; OS, overall survival; PD-L1, programmed death-ligand 1.

References

  1. Forde PM, et al. N Engl J Med. 2022;386:1973–85.
  2. Forde PM, et al. N Engl J Med. 2025;https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2502931
Question 2/5
Which treatment strategy for resectable early-stage NSCLC is supported by recent phase III trial data to improve EFS and OS?

EFS, event-free survival; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; OS, overall survival.

Recent phase III trials (KEYNOTE-671, AEGEAN, CheckMate 77T) in early-stage NSCLC demonstrate improved EFS with perioperative strategies combining neoadjuvant PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors (e.g. pembrolizumab, durvalumab) with chemotherapy, followed by adjuvant immunotherapy.1,2,3 Though follow-up is ongoing, OS estimates favour perioperative immunotherapy.1,4 These regimens outperform neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone and adjuvant monotherapy, particularly in achieving higher pathological complete response rates and sustained survival benefits.1–6 Adjuvant atezolizumab has shown a numerically longer OS versus best supportive care, but only in patients who have previously received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and whose tumours express PD-L1; OS data are not yet fully mature.7

Abbreviations

EFS, event-free survival; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; OS, overall survival; PD-1, programmed death-1; PD-L1, programmed death-ligand 1.

References

  1. Spicer JD, et al. Lancet. 2024;404:1240–52.
  2. Heymach JV, et al. N Engl J Med. 2023;389:1672–84.
  3. Cascone T, et al. N Engl J Med. 2024;390:1756–69.
  4. Heymach JV, et al. J Thorac Oncol. 2024;19;S38–9.
  5. Wakelee H, et al. N Engl J Med. 2023;389:491–503.
  6. Meng Y, et al. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2024:16:17588359241284929.
  7. Felip E, et al. J Clin Oncol. 2025; https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO-24-0168.
Question 3/5
A 62-year-old patient with newly diagnosed, resectable stage IIIB (N2) NSCLC is otherwise healthy and has no contraindications to immunotherapy. Based on the latest clinical trial evidence and current guideline recommendations, which of the following treatment plans is most appropriate to maximize EFS and OS?

EFS, event-free survival; N, node; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; OS, overall survival

Recent phase III trials support a perioperative approach (neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy followed by surgery and adjuvant immunotherapy) as the optimal strategy for improving EFS and OS in patients with resectable stage II–IIIB NSCLC. This regimen outperforms chemotherapy alone or immunotherapy given only in the adjuvant setting and is recommended in the NCCN treatment guidelines.1–7

Abbreviations

EFS, event-free survival; NCCN, National Comprehensive Cancer Network; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; OS, overall survival.

References

  1. Wakelee H, et al. N Engl J Med. 2023;389:491–503.
  2. Spicer JD, et al. Lancet. 2024;404:1240–52.
  3. Cascone T, et al. N Engl J Med. 2024;390:1756–69.
  4. Heymach JV, et al. N Engl J Med. 2023;389:1672–84.
  5. Heymach JV, et al. J Thorac Oncol. 2024;19;S38-S39.
  6. Meng Y, et al. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2024:16:17588359241284929.
  7. NCCN. Non-small cell lung cancer. V3. 2025. Available at: https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/nscl.pdf.
Question 4/5
Treatment for a 58-year-old patient with stage IIB (T3N0) NSCLC, PD-L1 tumour proportion score 25%, and no EGFR/ALK alterations is reviewed at a tumour board. Based on current evidence-based guidelines, what is the optimal timing and sequencing of therapy for this patient?

ALK, anaplastic lymphoma kinase; EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor; N, node; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; PD-L1, programmed death-ligand 1; T, tumour

Recent NCCN guidelines derived from KEYNOTE-671, AEGEAN and CheckMate 77T trials prioritize perioperative chemoimmunotherapy for patients with resectable tumours ≥4 cm or node-positive NSCLC, regardless of PD-L1 status.1 This approach improves pCR, EFS and OS compared with chemotherapy or immunotherapy alone.2–7

Abbreviations

EFS, event-free survival; NCCN, National Comprehensive Cancer Network; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; OS, overall survival; pCR, pathological complete response; PD-L1, programmed death-ligand 1.

References

  1. NCCN. Non-small cell lung cancer. V3. 2025. Available at: https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/nscl.pdf.
  2. Wakelee H, et al. N Engl J Med. 2023;389:491–503.
  3. Cascone T, et al. N Engl J Med. 2024;390:1756–69.
  4. Spicer JD, et al. Lancet. 2024;404:1240–52.
  5. Heymach JV, et al. N Engl J Med. 2023;389:1672–84.
  6. Heymach JV, et al. J Thorac Oncol. 2024;19;S38-S39.
  7. Meng Y, et al. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2024:16:17588359241284929.
Question 5/5
According to available clinical evidence, which of the following strategies for immunotherapy in early-stage NSCLC is associated with improved OS?

NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; OS, overall survival.

Perioperative and neoadjuvant immunotherapy offer optimal outcomes for patients with early-stage NSCLC because they enhance both EFS and OS compared with traditional approaches.1–5 Administering immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting, often combined with chemotherapy, can induce significant tumour regression before surgery, increasing the likelihood of complete resection and reducing the risk of residual disease. This approach also stimulates a robust systemic immune response against micrometastatic cancer cells, potentially lowering recurrence rates.6,7

Abbreviations

EFS, event-free survival; ICI, immune checkpoint inhibitor; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; OS, overall survival.

References

  1. Forde PM, et al. N Engl J Med. 2025;https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2502931.
  2. Spicer JD, et al. Lancet. 2024;404:1240–52.
  3. Heymach JV, et al. J Thorac Oncol. 2024;19;S38-S39.
  4. Banna GL, et al. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7:e246837.
  5. Meng Y, et al. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2024:16:17588359241284929.
  6. Lazarri C, et al. Curr Oncol. 2023;30:3684–96.
  7. D’Aiello A, et al. Clin Lung Cancer. 2024;25:197–214.
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