Neoantigen load as a predictor of relapse in early-stage NSCLC: features that agonise and antagonise prognosis.

BACKGROUND

Neoantigen-specific immune responses may help prevent cancer recurrence. We evaluated whether neoantigen load and/or properties could predict survival in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

Whole-exome sequencing (WES) data from 89 resected early-stage NSCLC patients were used to identify non-synonymous single-nucleotide variants (nsSNV) and to predict major histocompatibility complex class I neoantigens. Neoantigen load, differential aggretopicity index (DAI), neoantigen frequency (number of neoantigens per nsSNV) and neoantigen promiscuity (ability to bind multiple human leucocyte antigen (HLA) alleles) were assessed for association with time to recurrence (TTR) and recurrence-free survival (RFS).

RESULTS

Higher neoantigen load was independently associated with longer TTR (p = 0.028). A greater number of neoantigens with high DAI (≥ 10) were associated with improved TTR (p = 0.008) whilst increased neoantigen promiscuity correlated with both longer TTR (p = 0.007) and RFS (p = 0.010). Conversely, elevated neoantigen frequency predicted a worse prognosis (TTR p = 0.016).

CONCLUSIONS

These data support a role for T cells in on-going immunosurveillance in resected NSCLC patients and suggest that both quality and quantity of neoantigens are important drivers of anti-cancer immunity and may inform future biomarker and immunotherapy development.