Phase III trial of adjuvant sunitinib in patients with high-risk renal cell carcinoma: Exploratory pharmacogenomic analysis

576

Background: In the phase III S-TRAC trial, adjuvant sunitinib (SU) prolonged disease-free survival (DFS) vs placebo (PBO) in patients with locoregional renal cell carcinoma at high risk of recurrence after nephrectomy (median 6.8 vs 5.6 y; hazard ratio [HR] 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59–0.98; P= 0.03). An exploratory analysis evaluated associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in angiogenesis-related genes and clinical outcomes in S-TRAC. Methods: Prospectively collected blood samples were genotyped for 10 SNPs and 1 insertion/deletion mutation with TaqMan assays. DFS was compared with a log-rank test for each SNP genotype in SU vs PBO arms and between SNP genotypes within each arm. P-values are unadjusted for multiplicity comparison. Results: Of 615 patients, 286 (142 SU; 144 PBO) were analyzed. There were generally no genotype frequency deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, but linkage disequilibrium was seen between VEGFA rs699947 and rs833061 on chromosome 6 (D′ = 1.000, r2 = 0.979). Longer DFS was observed with SU vs PBO for VEGFR1 rs9554320 C/C (median: not reached [NR] vs 5.56 y; HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.21–0.91; P= 0.023), VEGFR2 rs2071559 T/T (median: NR vs 4.47 y; HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.23–0.90; P= 0.020), and eNOS rs2070744 T/T (median: 7.07 vs 3.44 y; HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.30–0.94; P= 0.028), with a trend for VEGFR1 rs9582036 A/A (median: NR in both arms; P= 0.054) and SH3GL2 rs10963287 C/T (median: NR vs 5.35 y; P= 0.088). Shorter DFS was observed for VEGFR1 rs9582036 C/A vs C/C in the SU, PBO, and combined arms ( P< 0.05); for A/A vs common, the association was only seen in the SU arm ( P= 0.022). VEGFR1 rs9554320 A/C was associated with shorter DFS vs A/A in the PBO ( P= 0.038) and combined arm ( P= 0.006), with a trend in the SU arm ( P= 0.051). VEGFR2 rs1870377 T/T was associated with longer DFS vs A/A in the combined arms, but not in the PBO arm (n = 7 with A/A genotype in the SU arm precluded statistical tests). Conclusions: Correlations between common VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 SNPs and longer DFS with SU suggest germline SNPs are predictive of improved outcomes with adjuvant SU. Due to the exploratory nature of this analysis, prospective validation studies are needed to confirm these findings. Clinical trial information: NCT00375674.

Safety and efficacy of nivolumab in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC): Results from the NIVOREN GETUG-AFU 26 study

577

Background: Nivolumab (N) has been approved for the treatment of mRCC after failure of 1 or 2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) based on the results of Checkmate 025 study. Right after approval, we initiated the NIVOREN GETUG-AFU 26 study (NCT03013335), a French multicenter prospective study to evaluate safety and efficacy of N in a “real world setting”. Methods: Patients (pts) with clear cell mRCC could be enrolled if they had received at least one TKI. Compared with the pivotal trial, inclusion criteria allowed patients with more than 2 previous lines of treatment, including previous mTOR inhibitors, ECOG PS 2, asymptomatic brain metastases (BM) or impaired renal function. The primary objective of the study was the safety of N, efficacy being the main secondary objective. Between February 2016 and June 2017, 729 pts have been enrolled. We report the results from the first 528 pts. Results: All pts had clear cell mRCC, median age was 64, 77.2% were male. ECOG PS was > 1 in 73 pts (14.7%), 27.5% pts had received prior everolimus, 29.7% pts had received more than 2 previous lines, IMDC risk groups were 19%/54.9%/26.1% for good/intermediate and poor risk respectively; 69 (14%) pts had BM at screening. With a median follow up of 13.1 months, median duration of treatment was 4.1 months [0-15.6], with 31.4% of pts still on therapy. Treatment discontinuation due to adverse event (AE) occurred in (48) 13.3% pts . 64 serious related AE have been reported in 52 pts (9.9%) including 7 renal failures and 6 pneumonitis. Median PFS was 4.4 months 95%CI[3;4.6] . At the time of this analysis, 170 pts have died and 12 months OS rate was 66.4% 95%CI[ 61.7; 70.7]. In subgroups analysis, ECOG-PS > 1 (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 2.450 [1.704;3.523]), more than 2 previous lines (HR = 1.442 [1.059;1.963]) and prior use of everolimus (HR = 1.704 [1.250;2.322]) were associated with reduced OS in univariate analysis. Conclusions: We report the first analysis of the largest prospective real world setting study of N in mRCC. NIVOREN study demonstrates that N safety and efficacy in a “real world” prospective study are comparable to the pivotal study. Clinical trial information: NCT03013335.

Randomized phase III study of gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) versus dose dense methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin (DD-MVAC) in the perioperative setting for patients with locally advanced transitional cell cancer of the bladder: The French GETUG/AFU V05 VESPER trial

TPS530

Background: Radical cystectomy remains the gold standard treatment for invasive non metastatic transitional cell cancer of the bladder. Perioperative chemotherapy (adjuvant ou neoadjuvant) has been developed to increase overall survival. However, the chemotherapy administration time and optimal chemotherapy regimen are not yet determined. As DD-MVAC has been shown to be associated with higher response rates in bladder metastatic disease, also a better efficacy can be suspected in the perioperative setting. Methods: We designed a randomized phase III study to compare the efficacy of GC and DD-MVAC in term of progression-free survival in patients for whom chemotherapy has been decided, before or after radical cystectomy (disease defined by a T2, T3 or T4a N0 M0 stadification for patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy or pT3 or pT4 or pN+ and M0 for patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy). Secondary endpoints include overall survival, side effects, response rate in the neoadjuvant setting. Main exclusion criteria were histological variants (pure adenocarcinoma or pure epidermoid carcinoma or pure or mixed small-cell neuro-endocrine carcinoma) and ventricular ejection fraction under 50%. The total number of patients projected was 500 based on the median progression-free survival rate of 50% at 3 years observed in patients treated with GC (standard arm A) in the perioperative setting. An absolute improvement of 10% (HR = 0.74) was expected with DD-MVAC (experimental arm B) with a = 0.05 and b = 0.20. In October 2017, 460 patients have been included. An interim analysis is planned after the occurrence of 174 events. With an estimated uniform accrual rate of 140 patients per year for 3.5 years and exponential survival, the final analysis is expected to occur 8 years after the start of the trial. Concomitant ancillary study has also started, focusing on the identification of subgroups for muscle invasive bladder tumors sensitivity to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, as suggested by the recent MDA classification. Clinical trial information: NCT 018 12369.

Immune Biomarkers Predictive for Disease-Free Survival with Adjuvant Sunitinib in High-Risk Locoregional Renal Cell Carcinoma: From Randomized Phase III S-TRAC Study

Purpose: Adjuvant sunitinib therapy compared with placebo prolonged disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with locoregional high-risk renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in the S-TRAC trial (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00375674). A prospectively designed exploratory analysis of tissue biomarkers was conducted to identify predictors of treatment benefit.Experimental Design: Tissue blocks were used for immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), CD4, CD8, and CD68. DFS was compared between < versus ≥ median IHC parameter using the Kaplan-Meier method. For biomarkers with predictive potential, receiver operating characteristics curves were generated.Results: Baseline characteristics were similar in patients with (n = 191) and without (n = 419) IHC analysis. Among patients with IHC, longer DFS was observed in patients with tumor CD8⁺ T-cell density ≥ versus < median [median (95% CI), not reached (6.83-not reached) versus 3.47 years (1.73-not reached); hazard ratio (HR) 0.40 (95% CI, 0.20-0.81); P = 0.009] treated with sunitinib (n = 101), but not with placebo (n = 90). The sensitivity and specificity for CD8⁺ T-cell density in predicting DFS were 0.604 and 0.658, respectively. Shorter DFS was observed in placebo-treated patients with PD-L1⁺ versus PD-L1^- tumors (HR 1.75; P = 0.103). Among all patients with PD-L1⁺ tumors, DFS was numerically longer with sunitinib versus placebo (HR 0.58; P = 0.175).Conclusions: Greater CD8⁺ T-cell density in tumor tissue was associated with longer DFS with sunitinib but not placebo, suggesting predictive treatment effect utility. Further independent cohort validation studies are warranted. The prognostic value of PD-L1 expression in primary tumors from patients with high-risk nonmetastatic RCC should also be further explored. Clin Cancer Res; 24(7); 1554-61. ©2018 AACR.

[Monitoring of hypertension in patients orally treated by angiogenesis inhibitor in daily practice]

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to measure the monitoring and the incidence of renovascular effects of angiogenesis inhibitors in real population.

METHOD

Are included in this descriptive, monocentric, practical study, patients of 18 years old and more, orally treated by angiogenesis inhibitors and monitored in consultation by clinician nurses. The main interest variable is the incidence of hypertension at three months of treatment.

RESULTS

From January, 2011 to July, 2014, 324 patients have been included, whose 53% are men. Mean age is 62±13 years old. Antecedents are: 37% of hypertension, 17% of chronic renal insufficiency, 21% of nephrectomy, 13% of diabetes. Most frequent cancers are kidney (31%), liver (23%) and breast (16%). Most used molecules are: sorafenib (30%), sunitinib (23%) and everolimus (16%). Blood pressure has been measured at the beginning of the treatment in 157 patients (48%). Among them, during the first three months of treatment, 55 (35%) present hypertension according to the oncological definition and 59 (38%) according to the classical definition; 30 patients (19%) are considered as hypertensive according to only one of the two definitions. In multivariable analysis, variables significantly associated with hypertension are: age (OR=1.04; 95% CI 1.02-1.08; P<0.01) and antecedent of nephrectomy (OR=4.29; 95%CI 1.86-9.92; P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

In this cohort, only 48% of the patients had blood pressure determination before treatment. Hypertension under angiogenesis inhibitors is probably underestimated. Age and antecedent of nephrectomy seem to be correlated with the occurrence of hypertension.

Molecular Subtypes of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Are Associated With Outcome During Pazopanib Therapy in the Metastatic Setting

BACKGROUND

We previously described 4 molecular subtypes of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC), named ccrcc1-4 (Beuselinck et al, 2015). These have both prognostic and predictive value for patients treated with first-line sunitinib, with distinctive objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). The ccrcc2 and ccrcc3 tumors have the best outcomes, followed by ccrcc1 and then ccrcc4. We hypothesized that these molecular subtypes would show similar outcomes with first-line pazopanib treatment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We classified 28 mccRCC tumors treated with pazopanib as first-line therapy, as described previously. The primary endpoints were PFS and OS from the start of pazopanib. A secondary endpoint was ORR. Because there were only 2 ccrcc3 tumors, they were pooled with the ccrcc2 tumors for outcome analysis.

RESULTS

PFS was 9 months for the ccrcc2 and ccrcc3 tumors, 5 months for ccrcc1 tumors, and 3 months for the ccrcc4 tumors (P = .011). The corresponding OS duration was 69, 19, and 5 months (P = .003). The corresponding ORR was 50%, 33%, and 0%. The corresponding mean tumor size decreased by 34%, 6%, and 2% (P = .032). The ccrcc1-4 classification was a stronger predictor of outcome than the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium score on univariate analysis (P = .011 vs. P = .094 for PFS and P = .003 vs. .013 for OS). Both remained independent on bivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

The molecular subtypes of mccRCC are associated with outcome on pazopanib as first-line therapy. The prognostic and predictive value of the ccrcc1-4 molecular classification requires validation in prospective trials.

Adjuvant Sunitinib for High-risk Renal Cell Carcinoma After Nephrectomy: Subgroup Analyses and Updated Overall Survival Results

BACKGROUND

Adjuvant sunitinib significantly improved disease-free survival (DFS) versus placebo in patients with locoregional renal cell carcinoma (RCC) at high risk of recurrence after nephrectomy (hazard ratio [HR] 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59-0.98; p=0.03).

OBJECTIVE

To report the relationship between baseline factors and DFS, pattern of recurrence, and updated overall survival (OS).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Data for 615 patients randomized to sunitinib (n=309) or placebo (n=306) in the S-TRAC trial.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Subgroup DFS analyses by baseline risk factors were conducted using a Cox proportional hazards model. Baseline risk factors included: modified University of California Los Angeles integrated staging system criteria, age, gender, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS), weight, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and Fuhrman grade.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

Of 615 patients, 97 and 122 in the sunitinib and placebo arms developed metastatic disease, with the most common sites of distant recurrence being lung (40 and 49), lymph node (21 and 26), and liver (11 and 14), respectively. A benefit of adjuvant sunitinib over placebo was observed across subgroups, including: higher risk (T3, no or undetermined nodal involvement, Fuhrman grade ≥2, ECOG PS ≥1, T4 and/or nodal involvement; hazard ratio [HR] 0.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.55-0.99; p=0.04), NLR ≤3 (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.54-0.95; p=0.02), and Fuhrman grade 3/4 (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.55-0.98; p=0.04). All subgroup analyses were exploratory, and no adjustments for multiplicity were made. Median OS was not reached in either arm (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.66-1.28; p=0.6); 67 and 74 patients died in the sunitinib and placebo arms, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

A benefit of adjuvant sunitinib over placebo was observed across subgroups. The results are consistent with the primary analysis, which showed a benefit for adjuvant sunitinib in patients at high risk of recurrent RCC after nephrectomy.

PATIENT SUMMARY

Most subgroups of patients at high risk of recurrent renal cell carcinoma after nephrectomy experienced a clinical benefit with adjuvant sunitinib.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00375674.

Abstract 1771: Phase 3 trial of adjuvant sunitinib in patients with high-risk renal cell carcinoma: exploratory molecular analysis of tumor biomarkers

Background: Adjuvant therapy with sunitinib (SU) compared with placebo (PBO) prolonged disease-free survival (DFS) in patients (pts) with loco-regional high-risk renal cell carcinoma (HR=0.76, 95% CI: 0.59-0.98; P=0.03; median[m] DFS, 6.8 vs 5.6 years). Here, we report the results of a retrospective exploratory molecular biomarker analysis using nephrectomy biospecimens from the S-TRAC trial.

Materials and Methods: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue blocks from patients who provided informed consent were used for immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of PD-L1, CD4, CD8, and CD68. Biomarker quantification was done by automated image analysis of the regions of interest (ROI). The analysis algorithm utilized an immunoscore approach applied to ROI, reflecting assessment of both the center and invasive margin of tumors (for PD-L1 and CD8 staining). DFS was compared between biomarker stratum by &lt; median vs ≥ median values of a particular IHC parameter using Kaplan-Meier (K-M) analysis. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curves were generated to further assess the potential clinical utility of biomarkers for which significant (P &lt; 0.05) results were obtained in K-M analysis.

Results: In total, 191/615 (101, SU and 90, PBO) pts in the intent-to-treat population were included for IHC analysis. Baseline characteristics were similar in the subpopulations with and without IHC data. Shorter DFS was observed in the PBO group for pts with PD-L1+ vs PD-L1- tumors, although not statistically significant (HR=1.75; 95% CI: 0.89-3.46; P=0.103). In pts with PD-L1+ tumors, DFS was numerically longer for SU vs PBO (mDFS=6.17 vs 2.67 years) (HR=0.58; 95% CI: 0.26-1.29; P=0.175). In the SU group, pts with CD8+ T-cell density ≥ median (cutoff=269.5 CD8+ cells/mm2) had longer DFS (mDFS=not reached [NR]; 95% CI: 6.83-NR) than pts with CD8+ T-cell density &lt; median (mDFS=3.47 years; 95% CI: 1.73-NR), and the difference was statistically significant (HR=0.40, 95% CI: 0.20-0.81; P=0.009), while CD8+ T-cell density showed no significant difference in DFS for PBO pts (HR=0.80, 95% CI: 0.42-1.50; P=0.484). The sensitivity and specificity for CD8+ T-cell density in predicting DFS were 0.604 and 0.658, respectively, and the optimal cutoff was 222.22 cells/mm2 with an area under ROC curve of 0.622.

Conclusions: Increased density of CD8+ T-cells in tumor tissue was associated with longer DFS in SU-randomized pts but not PBO, suggesting this may be predictive of treatment effect. Further validation in an independent cohort is warranted. The prognostic value of PD-L1 expression in primary tumors from patients with high-risk non-metastatic RCC should be further explored.

Citation Format: Daniel J. George, Jean-Francois Martini, Yen-Hwa Chang, Michael Staehler, Jan Breza, Jean-Jacques Patard, Robert J. Motzer, Ahmed Magheli, Bernard Escudier, Giacomo Carteni, Paola Gerletti, Sherry Li, Michelle Casey, Brigitte Laguerre, Hardev S. Pandha, Allan J. Pantuck, Anup Patel, Maria Lechuga, Alain Ravaud. Phase 3 trial of adjuvant sunitinib in patients with high-risk renal cell carcinoma: exploratory molecular analysis of tumor biomarkers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1771. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1771

Haemoglobin level increase as an efficacy biomarker during axitinib treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma: a retrospective study

Background

Axitinib is used after failure of first line treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). A known side effect is the increase of haemoglobin level (HbL) during treatment with a suspected correlation with better outcome. Our objective was to examine whether HbL increase during the first three months of axitinib treatment is associated with better prognosis.

Methods

Retrospective multicentre analysis including patients with mRCC treated with axitinib for at least three months from 2012 to 2014. Progression-free survival (PFS) was analysed by a Cox model according to gender, International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) prognostic score, high blood pressure (hBP), and maximum increase in HbL within the first three months of treatment.

Results

Ninety-eight patients were analysed (71% men; median age at treatment initiation: 62 years; IMDC: 24%, 50%, and 26% in the favourable, intermediate, and poor-risk group, respectively). Patients received axitinib for a median of 8 months. During the first three months, the median increase of HbL was +2.3 g/dL (−1.1; 7.2). Fifty-six (57%) patients developed hBP.

In multivariate analysis, after adjustment for performance status (P < 0.0001) and gender (P = 0.0041), the combination of HbL increase ≥2.3 g/dL and any grade hBP was significantly associated with longer PFS (HR = 0.40, 95%CI [0.24; 0.68]).

Conclusions

Early HbL increase during axitinib treatment combined with hBP is an independent predictive factor of PFS. These results require validation in a prospective setting.

Metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma: Proangiogenic gene expression and outcome on sunitinib

e16085

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC) are hypervascular tumors that respond to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitors such as sunitinib. They can be divided into 4 mRNA-expression based subgroups (ccrcc 1-4) with different outcomes on sunitinib. We hypothesized that the expression of proangiogenic genes is predictive for response to sunitinib. Methods: Retrospective series of metastatic ccRCC-patients treated with sunitinib as first line targeted therapy (n = 104). We studied expression of genes involved in angiogenesis and the immune-suppressive microenvironment (qRT-PCR) and mutational status of Von Hippel Lindau and Polybromo (PBRM) 1 (sequencing) on primary tumor samples. Outcome parameters were response rate (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors), progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Gene expression levels were tested in multivariate analysis (MV) against the IMDC risk criteria, presence of bone metastases and sarcomatoid dedifferentiation ≥25%. Results: Expression of Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF) 2A, Platelet Derived Growth Factor Receptor B, VEGFC, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 was significantly correlated with PFS on MV and expression of HIF1A, HIF2A and VEGFR2 with OS. VEGFR2-expression was also correlated with partial response (p = 0.03) and anti-correlated with early progressive disease (p = 0.008). HIF2A, VEGFA, VEGFR1, VEGFR2 and VEGFR3-expression was higher in ccrcc2-tumors compared to others. Expression of genes involved in angiogenesis and in the immune-suppressive microenvironment was not directly correlated nor anti-correlated. In tumors with a bi-allelic PBRM1-inactivation, HIF2A, VEGFA, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2-expression were higher compared to tumors with 1 or 2 functional PBRM1-alleles. This did not translate in different outcome on sunitinib. Conclusions: Tumoral expression of genes involved in the HIF-VEGF-VEGFR proangiogenic pathway, especially VEGFR2, is associated with favorable outcome on sunitinib in metastatic ccRCC. Expression of these genes was high in the molecular ccrcc2-subgroup, known to be sensitive to sunitinib. These findings could be used for patient selection in future clinical trials.

Efficacy and safety of nivolumab in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) and brain metastases: Preliminary results from the GETUG-AFU 26 (Nivoren) study

4563

Background: Nivolumab (N) has been shown active in patients (pts) with mRCC after failure of 1 or 2 TKIs. Efficacy and safety of N in pts with brain metastases (BM) from RCC is still unknown. The aim of this study is to report preliminary data of the Nivoren study in pts with BM. Methods: GETUG-AFU 26 (Nivoren) is a prospective phase 2 study assessing safety and efficacy of N in a broader mRCC patient population than those recruited in the pivotal phase 3, including pts with BM (previously treated or not, but not requiring steroids), with previous mTOR inhibitor, with PS 2 as well as in previously highly pretreated pts. N was given every 2 weeks at 3mg/kg, until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Treatment was allowed beyond progression in case of clinical benefit. All pts had brain CT scan or MRI at baseline. Results: Up to December 2016 , 588 pts have been enrolled including 55 pts with BM (35 (67%) ,6 (12%) and 11 (21%) with 1, 2 or > 2 BM, respectively. Of those 55 pts, 10 pts (23%) were PS 2 and 25 (58%) PS 1, and 16 patients (29%) had received more that 2 lines of therapy. No previous treatment for BM was performed in 67% (n = 37), while 9% had previous brain surgery (n = 5 ;) or brain radiation (n = 17 (31%). 2/55 pts never received N. Median duration of therapy in BM pts was 2.4 months (varying from 0 to 9) with a 3-months PFS of 60% (IC95% = 45 – 73). Median OS is not reached at the time of this analysis. Among 44 pts with assessment of response on BM, 10 (23%) had objective response while 21 (48%) had local progressive disease. Neurologic deterioration requiring steroids was observed in 15 pts (32%) . Updated data will be presented at the meeting. Conclusions: This is the first large study to report preliminary safety and efficacy of N in RCC pts with BM. Safety of N in this pt population appears to be acceptable, although some pts do require steroids because of brain progressive disease. Objective response in the brain was observed in 23% of pts. Further follow up is required to determine the real benefit of N in this group of mRCC pts. Clinical trial information: NCT03013335.

Efficacy of cabazitaxel (CABA) rechallenge in heavily-treated patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)

5033

Background: Only 2 chemotherapies have shown an overall survival (OS) benefit in mCRPC: docetaxel (DOC) and CABA. In patients (pts) previously treated with a new hormonal therapy (NHT: enzalutamide or abiraterone), DOC and CABA, therapeutic options are limited. We previously reported some activity of DOC rechallenge in good responders to first-line DOC. We present here the results of a retrospective study evaluating the efficacy and safety of CABA rechallenge. Methods: Records of 70 mCRPC pts rechallenged with CABA were collected in 17 centers (France, Italy, UK, Austria). To be included, pts should have previously received DOC, NHT and CABA with a good response to CABA. Results: Of these 70 pts, 52 received DOC-NHT-CABA, 15 DOC-CABA-NHT and 3 NHT-DOC-CABA. At rechallenge, 83% had a high-volume disease (CHAARTED definition), 10% had visceral mets, 66% consumed narcotic analgesics, 68 % were ECOG 0-1 and median neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was 3.1. CABA was rechallenged for a median of 6 cycles (25 mg/m2 q3w, 59%; 20 mg/m2, 27%; 16 mg/m2q3w 11%) with prophylactic G-CSF in 47%. Median time from last CABA cycle was 8.6 months (mo). CABA rechallenge had an acceptable tolerability: 7 pts (10%) had grade 3-4 toxicity (neutropenia). Data on efficacy are reported in Table 1. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 11.3 mo with DOC, 12 mo with NHT, 11.9 mo with first CABA (median 8 cycles), and 7.8 mo with CABA rechallenge. Median OS calculated from the first life-extending therapy was 59.9 mo (95% CI 47.8; 66.4). Conclusions: This retrospective cohort of heavily treated mCRPC pts suggests that CABA rechallenge has a good activity with a manageable toxicity. CABA rechallenge might be an option in heavily treated pts still fit to receive chemotherapy. [Table: see text]

A PET-based nomogram for oropharyngeal cancers

PURPOSE

In the context of locally advanced oropharyngeal cancer (LAOC) treated with definitive radiotherapy (RT) (combined with chemotherapy or cetuximab), the aims of this study were: (1) to identify PET-FDG parameters correlated with overall survival (OS) from a first cohort of patients; then (2) to compute a prognostic score; and (3) finally to validate this scoring system in a second independent cohort of patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 76 consecutive patients (training cohort from Rennes) treated with chemoradiotherapy or RT with cetuximab for LAOC were used to build a predictive model of locoregional control (LRC) and OS based on PET-FDG parameters. After internal calibration and validation of this model, a nomogram and a scoring system were developed and tested in a validation cohort of 46 consecutive patients treated with definitive RT for LAOC in Lausanne.

RESULTS

In multivariate analysis, the metabolic tumour volume (MTV) of the primary tumour and the lymph nodes were independent predictive factors for LRC and OS. Internal calibration showed a very good adjustment between the predicted OS and the observed OS at 24 months. Using the predictive score, two risk groups were identified (median OS 42 versus 14 months, p < 0.001) and confirmed in the validation cohort from Lausanne (median OS not reached versus 26 months, p=0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first report of a PET-based nomogram in oropharyngeal cancer. Interestingly, it appeared stronger than the classical prognostic factors and was validated in independent cohorts markedly diverging in many aspects, which suggest that the observed signal was robust.

IVOIRE: Results of a prospective multicentre cohort study in advanced renal carcinoma

451

Background: Sequential targeted therapy is standard in patients (pts) with clear-cell renal carcinoma (CCRCC). Clinical Practice Guidelines exists only for first and second lines (ESMO recommendations). Exploratory recommendations for next treatments (ttt) have been proposed according to their MSKCSS risk. In 3rd line, pts without prior everolimus were proposed to receive it. Pts who have failed 2nd line ttt with everolimus were proposed to rechallenge Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor only if they experimented a disease control ≤ 6 months in 1st line. For 4thline, TKI or everolimus were rechallenged according to the previously quoted criteria. Poor risk pts are not presented here. Methods: IVOIRE was a prospective multicentric study including pts treated according to these guidelines. Objectives were overall survival (OS) and for each line Best Objective Response (BOR - RECIST 1.1) and Disease Control Time (DCT: time from day 1 of ttt to the day before the next one). Results: 301 locally advanced/metastatic RCC pts have been included in 17 French centers between Sept 2011 and Sept 2014: 71% men; median age 66 years [35-90]; CCRCC: 89%; grade III-IV Führmann: 68%; tumor resection: 90%. Pts received between 2 and 8 ttt lines, including mainly TK and mTOR inhibitors, or rarely (< 5%) immunotherapies in 1st line (IFN, IL-2 and bévacizumab only). Median OS was 57 [51-70] months. Results are summarized in table. Important clinical benefit (L1: 79%; L2: 65%; L3: 59%; L4 : 38%; L5: 39%) and DCT could be observed until ttt line 5. A long DCT in 1st line was predictive of a best OS (p=0.001). Indeed, pts with short 1stline DCT (11 to 54 weeks) had a shorter median OS (32 months [23-61]] while pts with long DCT (>54 weeks) had a longer median OS: 79 months [65-100]. Conclusions: Our results confirm that clinical benefit remained important to beyond the first lines and that DCT in the first line was predictive of the global OS. Ttt sequence analysis and tolerance will be shown at the meeting. [Table: see text]

Outcome of Men With Relapse After Adjuvant Carboplatin for Clinical Stage I Seminoma

Purpose

Adjuvant carboplatin is one of three management strategies that may follow inguinal orchiectomy in clinical stage I seminoma. However, little is known about the outcome of patients who experience a relapse after such treatment.

Patients and Methods

Data from 185 patients who relapsed after adjuvant carboplatin between January 1987 and August 2013 at 31 centers/groups from 20 countries were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Primary outcomes were disease-free survival and overall survival. Secondary outcomes were time to, stage at, and treatment of relapse as well as rate of subsequent relapses.

Results

With a median follow-up of 53 months (95% CI, 48 to 60 months) the 5-year disease-free survival was 82% (95% CI, 77% to 89%), and the 5-year overall survival was 98% (95% CI, 95% to 100%). The median time from orchiectomy to relapse was 19 months (95% CI, 17 to 23 months); 15% (95% CI, 10% to 21%) of relapses occurred > 3 years after treatment. The majority of relapses were detected by computed tomography scan during routine follow-up, 98% in the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group good prognosis group. Chemotherapy was administered to 92% of patients, mostly as standard first-line treatment corresponding to stage; 8% of patients had additional local treatments. Only 28 patients experienced a second relapse. At last follow-up, 174 (94%) of 185 patients were alive without disease, and four patients with disease. Seven patients died, three of whom due to progressive disease.

Conclusion

Within the limitations of a retrospective analysis, the results suggest that the majority of patients who experience a relapse after adjuvant carboplatin for clinical stage I seminoma can be successfully treated with a cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimen adequate for stage. Because 15% of the relapses occurred > 3 years after adjuvant treatment, a minimum of 5 years follow-up is recommended.

Adjuvant Sunitinib in High-Risk Renal-Cell Carcinoma after Nephrectomy

BACKGROUND

Sunitinib, a vascular endothelial growth factor pathway inhibitor, is an effective treatment for metastatic renal-cell carcinoma. We sought to determine the efficacy and safety of sunitinib in patients with locoregional renal-cell carcinoma at high risk for tumor recurrence after nephrectomy.

METHODS

In this randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial, we assigned 615 patients with locoregional, high-risk clear-cell renal-cell carcinoma to receive either sunitinib (50 mg per day) or placebo on a 4-weeks-on, 2-weeks-off schedule for 1 year or until disease recurrence, unacceptable toxicity, or consent withdrawal. The primary end point was disease-free survival, according to blinded independent central review. Secondary end points included investigator-assessed disease-free survival, overall survival, and safety.

RESULTS

The median duration of disease-free survival was 6.8 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.8 to not reached) in the sunitinib group and 5.6 years (95% CI, 3.8 to 6.6) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.98; P=0.03). Overall survival data were not mature at the time of data cutoff. Dose reductions because of adverse events were more frequent in the sunitinib group than in the placebo group (34.3% vs. 2%), as were dose interruptions (46.4% vs. 13.2%) and discontinuations (28.1% vs. 5.6%). Grade 3 or 4 adverse events were more frequent in the sunitinib group (48.4% for grade 3 events and 12.1% for grade 4 events) than in the placebo group (15.8% and 3.6%, respectively). There was a similar incidence of serious adverse events in the two groups (21.9% for sunitinib vs. 17.1% for placebo); no deaths were attributed to toxic effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with locoregional clear-cell renal-cell carcinoma at high risk for tumor recurrence after nephrectomy, the median duration of disease-free survival was significantly longer in the sunitinib group than in the placebo group, at a cost of a higher rate of toxic events. (Funded by Pfizer; S-TRAC ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00375674 .).

Independent association of PD-L1 expression with noninactivated VHL clear cell renal cell carcinoma-A finding with therapeutic potential

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is an aggressive tumor that is characterized in most cases by inactivation of the tumor suppressor gene VHL. The VHL/HIF/VEGF pathway thus plays a major role in angiogenesis and is currently targeted by anti-angiogenic therapy. The emergence of resistance is leading to the use of targeted immunotherapy against immune checkpoint PD1/PDL1 that restores antitumor immune response. The correlation between VHL status and PD-L1 expression has been little investigated. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed 98 consecutive cases of ccRCC and correlated PD-L1 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) with clinical data (up to 10-year follow-up), pathological criteria, VEGF, PAR-3, CAIX and PD-1 expressions by IHC and complete VHL status (deletion, mutation and promoter hypermethylation). PD-L1 expression was observed in 69 ccRCC (70.4%) and the corresponding patients had a worse prognosis, with a median specific survival of 52 months (p = 0.03). PD-L1 expression was significantly associated with poor prognostic factors such as a higher ISUP nucleolar grade (p = 0.01), metastases at diagnosis (p = 0.01), a sarcomatoid component (p = 0.04), overexpression of VEGF (p = 0.006), and cytoplasmic PAR-3 expression (p = 0.01). PD-L1 expression was also associated with dense PD-1 expression (p = 0.007) and with ccRCC with 0 or 1 alteration(s) (non-inactivated VHL tumors; p = 0.007) that remained significant after multivariate analysis (p = 0.004 and p = 0.024, respectively). Interestingly, all wild-type VHL tumors (no VHL gene alteration, 11.2%) expressed PD-L1. In this study, we found PD-L1 expression to be associated with noninactivated VHL tumors and in particular wild-type VHL ccRCC, which may benefit from therapies inhibiting PD-L1/PD-1.