UMIN-ICDS Clinical Trial

Unique ID issued by UMIN UMIN000063371
Receipt number R000072532
Scientific Title Phase III Non-Inferiority Trial of Postoperative Immunotherapy vs. Observation after NEoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy and completE Resection for clinical stage II-IIIB non-small cell lung cancer (PIONEER) (WJOG24225L)
Date of disclosure of the study information 2026/10/26
Last modified on 2026/10/22 09:25:08

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Basic information

Public title

Phase III Non-Inferiority Trial of Postoperative Immunotherapy vs. Observation after NEoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy and completE Resection for clinical stage II-IIIB non-small cell lung cancer (PIONEER) (WJOG24225L)

Acronym

PIONEER

Scientific Title

Phase III Non-Inferiority Trial of Postoperative Immunotherapy vs. Observation after NEoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy and completE Resection for clinical stage II-IIIB non-small cell lung cancer (PIONEER) (WJOG24225L)

Scientific Title:Acronym

PIONEER

Region

Japan


Condition

Condition

Clinical stage II-IIIB non-small cell lung cancer

Classification by specialty

Chest surgery

Classification by malignancy

Malignancy

Genomic information

NO


Objectives

Narrative objectives1

To evaluate whether omission of adjuvant immunotherapy is non-inferior to adjuvant immunotherapy in terms of recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with EGFR/ALK-negative or unknown non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have undergone complete resection following neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy.

Basic objectives2

Safety,Efficacy

Basic objectives -Others


Trial characteristics_1

Confirmatory

Trial characteristics_2


Developmental phase



Assessment

Primary outcomes

Recurrence-free survival

Key secondary outcomes

Overall survival (OS), medical costs, adverse events, quality of life (QOL) assessed using the EQ-5D-5L, comparison of prognosis between patients with pathological complete response (pCR) and those without pCR, comparison of prognosis between patients with major pathological response (MPR) and those without MPR, comparison of prognosis according to the percentage of residual viable tumor (%RVT), comparison of prognosis between patients with PD-L1 expression >=1% and <1%, and comparison of prognosis between patients treated with anti-PD-1 antibodies and those treated with anti-PD-L1 antibodies.


Base

Study type

Interventional


Study design

Basic design

Parallel

Randomization

Randomized

Randomization unit

Individual

Blinding

Open -no one is blinded

Control

Active

Stratification

YES

Dynamic allocation

YES

Institution consideration

Institution is not considered as adjustment factor.

Blocking

NO

Concealment

Central registration


Intervention

No. of arms

2

Purpose of intervention

Treatment

Type of intervention

Medicine

Interventions/Control_1

Adjuvant immunotherapy

Interventions/Control_2

Observation

Interventions/Control_3


Interventions/Control_4


Interventions/Control_5


Interventions/Control_6


Interventions/Control_7


Interventions/Control_8


Interventions/Control_9


Interventions/Control_10



Eligibility

Age-lower limit

18 years-old <=

Age-upper limit


Not applicable

Gender

Male and Female

Key inclusion criteria

1) Patients with clinical stage II-IIIB (excluding N3 disease in stage IIIB) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to the 9th edition of the UICC TNM classification, with negative or unknown EGFR mutation and ALK rearrangement status. For patients with adenocarcinoma, negative EGFR and ALK status is required unless testing cannot be performed for unavoidable reasons, such as insufficient tissue samples. Patients with non-adenocarcinoma NSCLC with unknown EGFR and/or ALK status are eligible.
2) Patients who have undergone complete resection (R0 resection) following neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy. Neoadjuvant treatment must have consisted of an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI; pembrolizumab or durvalumab) combined with histology-appropriate platinum-based chemotherapy, with at least the following number of ICI administrations:
-Pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks: at least 3 administrations.
-Durvalumab 1500 mg every 3 weeks: at least 3 administrations.
3) Patients aged 18 years or older at the time of informed consent for study registration.
4) Patients who have provided written informed consent after receiving a sufficient explanation of the study procedures and requirements.
5) Patients who are considered eligible to receive adjuvant immunotherapy with the same ICI used during neoadjuvant treatment and who meet all of the following criteria at registration:
6) Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status of 0 or 1.
7) Patients who meet all of the following laboratory criteria, based on the most recent results obtained within 28 days before registration (tests performed on the same day of the week 4 weeks before registration are acceptable):
1. White blood cell count >=3,000/mm^3
8) No history of chemotherapy*1,*2 or radiotherapy for malignancy within the 2 years before registration, except for neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy administered for the NSCLC targeted in this study.

Key exclusion criteria

1) Patients with active multiple primary malignancies.
2) Patients with active systemic infections, active infections including hepatitis C virus (HCV) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (e.g., patients receiving treatment for an active infection), or uncontrolled active hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
3) Patients with autoimmune diseases requiring systemic treatment. Endocrine immune-related adverse events (irAEs), such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, or adrenal insufficiency, are not exclusion criteria if they are clinically stable with hormone replacement therapy or appropriate endocrine treatment and do not require immunosuppressive therapy.
4) Patients who developed irAEs during or after neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for which permanent discontinuation of immune checkpoint inhibitors is recommended according to the ASCO and NCCN guidelines for irAE management. These include myocarditis, encephalitis, transverse myelitis, Grade 3-4 myasthenia gravis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN), Grade 4 irAEs other than endocrine disorders, and other relevant conditions.
5) Patients with a history of Grade >=2 ICI-related pneumonitis or active interstitial lung disease/pneumonitis at the time of registration.
6) Patients who are pregnant, breastfeeding, suspected to be pregnant, or unwilling to use contraception.
7) Patients who are considered unsuitable for study enrollment due to clinically significant postoperative complications or psychiatric disorders.
8) Patients receiving continuous systemic administration (oral or intravenous) of corticosteroids at a dose exceeding 10 mg/day of prednisolone equivalent or other immunosuppressive agents.
9) Patients with a history of severe hypersensitivity reactions.
10) Patients with postoperative complications of Clavien-Dindo Grade IIIa or higher.

Target sample size

366


Research contact person

Name of lead principal investigator

1st name Yasuhiro
Middle name
Last name Tsutani

Organization

Kindai University Faculty of Medicine

Division name

Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery

Zip code

590-0197

Address

1-14-1 Miharadai, Minami-ku, Sakai, Osaka, Japan

TEL

072-288-7222

Email

tsutani@med.kindai.ac.jp


Public contact

Name of contact person

1st name Naoki
Middle name
Last name Ishizuka

Organization

West Japan Oncology Group

Division name

WJOG datacenter

Zip code

556-0016

Address

Namba Plaza Bldg. 304-1-5-7, Motomachi Naniwa-ku, Osaka 556-0016 JAPAN

TEL

06-6633-7400

Homepage URL

https://www.wjog.jp/studys/

Email

datacenter@wjog.jp


Sponsor or person

Institute

West Japan Oncology Group

Institute

Department

Personal name



Funding Source

Organization

none

Organization

Division

Category of Funding Organization

Other

Nationality of Funding Organization



Other related organizations

Co-sponsor


Name of secondary funder(s)



IRB Contact (For public release)

Organization

Kindai University Faculty of Medicine

Address

1-14-1 Miharadai, Minami-ku, Sakai, Osaka, Japan

Tel

072-288-7222

Email

1-14-1 Miharadai, Minami-ku, Sakai, Osaka, Japan


Secondary IDs

Secondary IDs

NO

Study ID_1


Org. issuing International ID_1


Study ID_2


Org. issuing International ID_2


IND to MHLW



Institutions

Institutions



Other administrative information

Date of disclosure of the study information

2026 Year 10 Month 26 Day


Related information

URL releasing protocol


Publication of results

Unpublished


Result

URL related to results and publications


Number of participants that the trial has enrolled


Results


Results date posted


Results Delayed


Results Delay Reason


Date of the first journal publication of results


Baseline Characteristics


Participant flow


Adverse events


Outcome measures


Plan to share IPD


IPD sharing Plan description



Progress

Recruitment status

Preinitiation

Date of protocol fixation

2026 Year 09 Month 30 Day

Date of IRB


Anticipated trial start date

2027 Year 02 Month 01 Day

Last follow-up date

2036 Year 01 Month 31 Day

Date of closure to data entry


Date trial data considered complete


Date analysis concluded



Other

Other related information



Management information

Registered date

2026 Year 10 Month 22 Day

Last modified on

2026 Year 10 Month 22 Day



Link to view the page

Value
https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000072532