Anti-angiogenesis boosts chemo-immunotherapy in patients with EGFR mutations or baseline liver metastases: insights from IMpower150 study

Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Immunotherapy Retreatment in Metastatic Cervical Cancer: A Retrospective Study

Purpose

Metastatic cervical cancer has a poor prognosis, and treatment options are limited. Immunotherapy has been used to achieve disease control in patients with cervical cancer; however, the efficacy of immunotherapy retreatment after disease progression is unclear. This study aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy retreatment in metastatic cervical cancer.

Patients and methods

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of patients with metastatic cervical cancer who underwent immunotherapy retreatment after disease progression following previous immunotherapy from June 2019 to April 2021.

Results

Fifteen patients were included in this study. All patients received combination immunotherapy retreatment consisting of camrelizumab, nab-paclitaxel, and apatinib. Four (26.7%) patients achieved partial response while three (20.0%) achieved stable disease. The objective response rate and disease control rate were 26.7% and 46.7%, respectively. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 3.0 (95% confidence interval: 1.0-5.0) and 8.0 (95% confidence interval: 3.4-12.6) months, respectively. None of the patients discontinued treatment because of intolerable toxicity.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that the triplet combination immunotherapy retreatment could be a therapeutic option for patients with metastatic cervical cancer who failed initial immunotherapy.

High tumor burden in non-small-cell lung cancer: A review of the literature

Background and Aim

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide and the majority of the patients have advanced/metastatic disease on presentation. In clinical practice, several biomarkers and clinical factors are taken into account when choosing the best treatment option in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). One potential marker may be tumor burden (TB). However, this concept is not specifically defined in NSCLC, and usually, it is used as a synonymous for aggressive disease.

Methods

A non-systematic literature review was conducted. We searched for eligible randomized controlled trials from PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials with a cutoff at February 2021. The keywords included non-small-cell lung cancer, tumor burden, aggressive disease, prognosis biomarker, predictive biomarker, and immunotherapy.

Results and Conclusions

This review addresses the definition of TB in advanced NSCLC, the pathophysiology of high TB lesions, and the role of TB as a prognosis biomarker.

Relevance for Patients

The concept of aggressive disease, as high tumor burden definition, remains poorly defined and rarely considered in clinical research or clinical practice in oncology. The identification of this subgroup of patients could be interesting for defining and optimizing a more aggressive treatment strategy.

Using Real-world Data to Define a Validated Nomogram for Advanced Bladder Cancer Patients Who Respond to Immunotherapy

AIMS

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are used in incurable urothelial cancers, both in chemo-naïve and platinum-refractory patients. Efficacy and toxicity data published outside controlled clinical trials are limited. We report overall survival, progression-free survival and toxicities of ICIs in locally advanced (LABC) or metastatic bladder cancer (MBC). We aimed to develop and validate a prognostic model for these patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A multicentre real-world individual patient-level data study (n = 272) evaluating ICIs in the first-line platinum-ineligible or platinum-refractory setting for LABC/MBC between March 2017 and February 2020 was undertaken. Cox regression analyses evaluated the association of prognostic factors with overall survival. Data were split to create a training (n = 208) and validation (n = 64) cohort. The backward elimination method with a P-value cut-off of 0.05 was used to develop a reduced prognostic model using the training data set. The concordance index and assessment of observed versus predicted survival probabilities were used to evaluate the final model.

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 18.9 (15.8-21.5) months. The median overall survival and progression-free survival in the training cohort were 9.2 (95% confidence interval 7.4-10.5) and 4.5 months (3.5-5.7), respectively. The most common grade 1/2 adverse events recorded were fatigue (47.8%) and infection (19.9%). Five key prognostic factors found in the training set were low haemoglobin, high neutrophil count, choice of immunotherapy favouring pembrolizumab, presence of liver metastasis and steroid use within 30 days of treatment. The concordance index for the training and validation cohorts was 0.66 (standard error = 0.05) and 0.64 (standard error = 0.04), respectively, for the final model. A nomogram was developed to calculate the expected survival probabilities based on risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Real-world data were used to produce a validated prognostic model for overall survival in LABC/MBC treated with ICIs. This model could assist in patient stratification, interpreting and framing future trials incorporating PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in LABC/MBC.

Co-delivery of Interleukin-12 and Doxorubicin Loaded Nano-delivery System for Enhanced Immunotherapy with Polarization toward M1-type Macrophages

Chemo-immunotherapy has gained increasing attention as one of the most promising combination therapy strategies to battle cancer. In this study, the therapeutic nanoparticles (TNPs) co-delivering doxorubicin (DOX) and IL-12 (IL-12) were developed for chemo-immunotherapy combination therapy on liver cancer. TNPs were synthesized based on the ionic interactions between cationic chitosan (Ch) and anionic poly-(glutamic acid) (PGA). DOX and IL-12 loaded in TNPs presented prolonged circulation in blood, efficient accumulation in tumors, and internalization in tumor cells. After that, DOX and IL-12 were co-released in the tumor microenvironment. The locally responsive property of TNPs could subsequently re-educate macrophages. More significantly, TNPs with no obvious side effects can remarkably inhibit the H22 tumor growth in vivo. A low dosage of loaded IL-12 in TNPs can effectively polarize macrophages toward the M1 phenotype to reduce tumor burden, further enhancing the antitumor efficacy. Our results suggest that the self-stabilized TNPs could be a secure and effective drug carrier for intravenous administration when deprived of protective agents.

Clinical Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Non-small-cell Lung Cancer Patients with Liver Metastases: A Network Meta-Analysis of Nine Randomized Controlled Trials

Purpose

This network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted to compare the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with liver metastases.

Materials and Methods

English literature was retrieved from the PubMed, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) databases from January 2015 to January 2021. We pooled the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) hazard ratios (HRs) using a network meta-analysis and ranked treatments by the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). Publication bias was evaluated by Begg's and Egger's tests. STATA15.0 was used for the sensitivity analysis, and the remaining statistical analyses were performed using R 4.0.2.

Results

Nine eligible phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included, including 1,141 patients with liver metastases. Pembrolizumab + chemotherapy ranked highest, followed by atezolizumab + bevacizumab + chemotherapy and nivolumab. However, no significant difference in OS rates was observed across these three treatments (HR, 0.98; 95% CI: 0.43-2.22 for pembrolizumab + chemotherapy vs. atezolizumab + bevacizumab + chemotherapy; HR, 0.91; 95% CI: 0.52-1.57 for pembrolizumab + chemotherapy vs. nivolumab). Regarding the PFS rate, atezolizumab + bevacizumab + chemotherapy and pembrolizumab + chemotherapy ranked highest and no significant difference was observed between them (HR, 0.79; 95% CI: 0.36-1.70 for atezolizumab + bevacizumab + chemotherapy vs. pembrolizumab + chemotherapy).

Conclusion

Pembrolizumab + chemotherapy, atezolizumab + bevacizumab + chemotherapy, and nivolumab were superior to other treatments in NSCLC patients with liver metastases. These new findings may help clinicians better select therapeutic strategies for NSCLC patients with liver metastases.

Beyond First-Line Immunotherapy: Potential Therapeutic Strategies Based on Different Pattern Progressions: Oligo and Systemic Progression

First-line immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based therapy has deeply changed the treatment landscape and prognosis in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) patients with no targetable alterations. Nonetheless, a percentage of patients progressed on ICI as monotherapy or combinations. Open questions remain on patients' selection, the identification of biomarkers of primary resistance to immunotherapy and the treatment strategies to overcome secondary resistance to first-line immunotherapy. Local ablative approaches are the main therapeutic strategies in oligoprogressive disease, and their role is emerging in patients treated with immunotherapy. Many therapeutic strategies can be adapted in aNSCLC patients with systemic progression to personalize the treatment approach according to re-characterization of the tumors, previous ICI response, and type of progression. This review's aim is to highlight and discuss the current and potential therapeutic approaches beyond first-line ICI-based therapy in aNSCLC patients based on the pattern of disease progression (oligoprogression versus systemic progression).

Anti-angiogenic Agents in Combination With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Promising Strategy for Cancer Treatment

Advances in cancer immunity have promoted a major breakthrough in the field of cancer therapy. This is mainly associated with the successful development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for multiple types of human tumors. Blockade with different ICIs, including programmed cell death 1 (PD-1), programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitors, may activate the immune system of the host against malignant cells. However, only a subgroup of patients with cancer would benefit from immune checkpoint blockade. Some patients experience primary resistance to initial immunotherapy, and a majority eventually develop acquired resistance to ICIs. However, the mechanisms involved in the development of drug resistance to immune checkpoint blockade remain unclear. Recent studies supported that combination of ICIs and anti-angiogenic agents could be a promising therapeutic strategy for overcoming the low efficacy of ICIs. Moreover, through their direct anti-cancer effect by inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis, anti-angiogenic drugs reprogram the tumor milieu from an immunosuppressive to an immune permissive microenvironment. Activated immunity by immune checkpoint blockade also facilitates anti-angiogenesis by downregulating the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and alleviating hypoxia condition. Many clinical trials showed an improved anti-cancer efficacy and prolonged survival following the addition of anti-angiogenic agents to ICIs. This review summarizes the current understanding and clinical development of combination therapy with immune checkpoint blockade and anti-angiogenic strategy.

EPSILoN: A Prognostic Score for Immunotherapy in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Validation Cohort

BACKGROUND

Beyond programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), no other biomarkers for immunotherapy are used in daily practice. We previously created EPSILoN (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS), smoking, liver metastases, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)) score, a clinical/biochemical prognostic score, in 154 patients treated with second/further-line immunotherapy. This study's aim was to validate EPSILoN score in a different population group.

METHODS

193 patients were included at National Cancer Institute of Milan (second-line immunotherapy, 61%; further-line immunotherapy, 39%). Clinical/laboratory parameters such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and lactate dehydrogenase levels were collected. Kaplan-Meier and Cox hazard methods were used for survival analysis.

RESULTS

Overall median progression-free survival and median overall survival were 2.3 and 7.6 months, respectively. Multivariate analyses for Progression-Free Survival (PFS) identified heavy smokers (hazard ratio (HR) 0.71, p = 0.036) and baseline LDH < 400 mg/dL (HR 0.66, p = 0.026) as independent positive factors and liver metastases (HR 1.48, p = 0.04) and NLR ≥ 4 (HR 1.49, p = 0.029) as negative prognostic factors. These five factors were included in the EPSILoN score which was able to stratify patients in three different prognostic groups, high, intermediate and low, with PFS of 6.0, 3.8 and 1.9 months, respectively (HR 1.94, p < 0.001); high, intermediate and low prognostic groups had overall survival (OS) of 24.5, 8.9 and 3.4 months, respectively (HR 2.40, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

EPSILoN, combining five baseline clinical/blood parameters (ECOG PS, smoking, liver metastases, LDH, NLR), may help to identify advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) patients who most likely benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).