1
|
Starzer AM, Wolff L, Popov P, Kiesewetter B, Preusser M, Berghoff AS. The more the merrier? Evidence and efficacy of immune checkpoint- and tyrosine kinase inhibitor combinations in advanced solid cancers. Cancer Treat Rev 2024; 125:102718. [PMID: 38521009 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2024.102718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have gained therapeutical significance in cancer therapy over the last years. Due to the high efficacy of each substance group, additive or complementary effects are considered, and combinations are the subject of multiple prospective trials in different tumor entities. The majority of available data results from clinical phase I and II trials. Although regarded as well-tolerated therapies ICI-TKI combinations have higher toxicities compared to monotherapies of one of the substance classes and some combinations were shown to be excessively toxic leading to discontinuation of trials. So far, ICI-TKI combinations with nivolumab + cabozantinib, pembrolizumab + axitinib, avelumab + axitinib, pembrolizumab + lenvatinib have been approved in advanced renal cell (RCC), with pembrolizumab + lenvatinib in endometrial carcinoma and with camrelizumab + rivoceranib in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Several ICI-TKI combinations are currently investigated in phase I to III trials in various other cancer entities. Further, the optimal sequence of ICI-TKI combinations is an important subject of investigation, as cross-resistances between the substance classes were observed. This review reports on clinical trials with ICI-TKI combinations in different cancer entities, their efficacy and toxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angelika M Starzer
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ladislaia Wolff
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Petar Popov
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Barbara Kiesewetter
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Preusser
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna S Berghoff
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lim KHJ, Westphalen CB, Berghoff AS, Cardone C, Connolly EA, Güven DC, Kfoury M, Kocakavuk E, Mandó P, Mariamidze E, Matikas A, Moutafi M, Oing C, Pihlak R, Punie K, Sánchez-Bayona R, Sobczuk P, Starzer AM, Tečić Vuger A, Zhu H, Cruz-Ordinario MVB, Altuna SC, Canário R, Vuylsteke P, Banerjee S, de Azambuja E, Cervantes A, Lambertini M, Mateo J, Amaral T. Young oncologists' perspective on the role and future of the clinician-scientist in oncology. ESMO Open 2023; 8:101625. [PMID: 37659290 PMCID: PMC10480053 DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2023.101625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- K H J Lim
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester; Cancer Dynamics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
| | - C B Westphalen
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital LMU Munich, Comprehensive Cancer Centre Munich and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - A S Berghoff
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - C Cardone
- Experimental Clinical Abdominal Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy
| | - E A Connolly
- Department of Medical Oncology, Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Sydney, Australia
| | - D C Güven
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hacettepe University Cancer Institute, Ankara, Turkey
| | - M Kfoury
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France
| | - E Kocakavuk
- Department of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - P Mandó
- Clinical Oncology Department, Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas "Norberto Quirno" (CEMIC), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - E Mariamidze
- Todua Clinic Department of Oncology and Haematology, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - A Matikas
- Breast Center, Karolinska Comprehensive Cancer Center, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M Moutafi
- Department of Oncology, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - C Oing
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; Mildred Scheel Cancer Career Centre HaTriCS4, University Cancer Centre Hamburg, University Medical Centre Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - R Pihlak
- Medical Oncology Department, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, UK
| | - K Punie
- Department of Medical Oncology, GZA Hospitals Sint-Augustinus, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - R Sánchez-Bayona
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - P Sobczuk
- Department of Soft Tissue/Bone Sarcoma and Melanoma, Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - A M Starzer
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - A Tečić Vuger
- Breast Cancer Unit, Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital for Tumors, Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital Centre, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - H Zhu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - M V B Cruz-Ordinario
- Section of Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute, St. Luke's Medical Center, Quezon City, Metro Manila, the Philippines
| | - S C Altuna
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncomédica, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - R Canário
- Cancer Metastasis, i3S-Institute for Research & Innovation in Health, Porto; Research Centre, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto, Porto; ICBAS, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Porto, Portugal
| | - P Vuylsteke
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - S Banerjee
- Gynaecology Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London; The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - E de Azambuja
- Institut Jules Bordet and L'Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - A Cervantes
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid; Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (INCLIVA), Universidad Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - M Lambertini
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DiMI), School of Medicine, University of Genova, Genoa; Department of Medical Oncology, U.O. Clinical di Oncologia Medica, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - J Mateo
- Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Vall d'Hebron University Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - T Amaral
- Centre for Dermatooncology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen; Cluster of Excellence IFIT (EXC2180), Tübingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mair MJ, Maj-Hes A, Nussbaumer-Pröll A, Puhr R, Christenheit A, Troch M, Puhr HC, Starzer AM, Steindl A, Eberl S, Haslacher H, Perkmann T, Minichsdorfer C, Prager GW, Lamm WW, Berghoff AS, Kiesewetter B, Zeitlinger M, Preusser M, Raderer M. Prophylactic treatment with oral azithromycin in cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic (OnCoVID): a randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial. Infect Agent Cancer 2023; 18:9. [PMID: 36782325 PMCID: PMC9924847 DOI: 10.1186/s13027-023-00487-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with cancer are at high risk for severe courses of COVID-19. Based on (pre-)clinical data suggesting a potential protective effect due to the immunomodulating properties of azithromycin, we have initiated a prospective randomized trial. METHODS This randomized, single-center, single-blinded, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial included adult patients with cancer undergoing systemic treatment. Patients were 1:1 randomized to oral azithromycin (1500 mg once weekly for 8 weeks) or placebo. The primary endpoint was the cumulative number of SARS-CoV-2 infections 12 weeks after treatment initiation. RESULTS In total, 523 patients were screened, 68 patients were randomized, and 63 patients received at least one dose of the study drug. Due to low acceptance and a lack of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the study cohort, the study was prematurely closed. With no reported grade III-IV possibly treatment-related adverse events, azithromycin was generally well tolerated. Overall survival (OS) rates after 12 months were 83.5% and 70.3% in the azithromycin and placebo group, respectively (p = 0.37). Non-SARS-CoV-2 infections occurred in 4/32 (12.5%) in the azithromycin and 3/31 (9.7%) in the placebo group (p = 1). No emergence of azithromycin-resistant S. aureus strains could be observed. According to treatment group, longitudinal alterations in systemic inflammatory parameters were detected for neutrophil/lymphocyte and leukocyte/lymphocyte ratios. CONCLUSION Although efficacy could not be assessed due to premature closure and low incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections, azithromycin was associated with a favorable side effect profile in patients with cancer. As other prophylactic treatments are limited, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination remains a high priority in oncological patients. CLINICALTRIALS gov registration number and date (dd/mm/yyyy): NCT04369365, 30/04/2020.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian J. Mair
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Agnieszka Maj-Hes
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alina Nussbaumer-Pröll
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rainer Puhr
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Agnieszka Christenheit
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Marlene Troch
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Hannah C. Puhr
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Angelika M. Starzer
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ariane Steindl
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabine Eberl
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Helmuth Haslacher
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Perkmann
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Minichsdorfer
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerald W. Prager
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang W. Lamm
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna S. Berghoff
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Barbara Kiesewetter
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Zeitlinger
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Preusser
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Raderer
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Berghoff AS, Bartsch R, Furtner J, Marhold M, Bergen ES, Roider-Schur S, Starzer AM, Forstner H, Rottenmanner B, Dieckmann K, Bago-Horvath Z, Widhalm G, Ilhan-Mutlu A, Minichsdorfer C, Fuereder T, Singer CF, Weltermann A, Haslacher H, Szekeres T, Puhr R, Preusser M. OS01.5.A Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100 serum levels in patients with active brain metastases from HER2-positive breast cancer treated with trastuzumab-deruxtecan (T-DXd): A biomarker analysis from the TUXEDO-1 trial. Neuro Oncol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noac174.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
T-DXd is a novel antibody-drug conjugate with high activity in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. The prospective, single-arm, single-centre phase II TUXEDO-1 trial showed clinically relevant activity of T-DXd in HER2-positive BC pts with active BM with an intracranial response rate of 73.3%. This biomarker sub-study of TUXEDO-1 aimed to investigate changes in the extent of metastases-induced brain damage in patients with and without response to therapy by measuring the serum levels of two proteins constitutively expressed in the human brain and measurable upon brain damage in the blood serum: NSE and S100.
Material and Methods
We assessed serum NSE (sNSE) and serum S100 (sS100) levels in a total of 37 blood samples drawn at cycles 1, 4 and end of treatment (EOT) in all patients of the intent-to-treat population of the TUXEDO-1 trial using commercially available ELISA assays. Intracranial radiological response was centrally assessed by a board-certified neuro-radiologist using RANO criteria. sNSE and sS100 levels were compared between responders and non-responders using the Mann Whitney U test and a significance level of 0.05.
Results
At baseline, we detected no significant difference of sNSE or sS100 levels between T-DXd responders and non-responders, respectively. Baseline median sNSE level was 10.6 ng/ml (interquartile range (IQR) 8.6-12.2) in T-DXd responders as compared with median 12.5 ng/ml (IQR 12.2-12.9) in the non-responder group (n.s.). At cycle 4, corresponding numbers were 8.1 ng/ml in responding patients (IQR 7-11.2) and 12.7 ng/ml (IQR 12.2-12.9) in non-responders, respectively (p=0.009). No differences in sS100 levels were observed between the groups at any time point.
Conclusion
In patients showing intracranial objective response to T-Dxd, sNSE levels were significantly lower at cycle 4 as compared with non-responders, suggesting a reduction in metastases-induced brain damage as a direct treatment effect. sNSE may be a clinically useful biomarker for longitudinal assessment of brain metastasis burden.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A S Berghoff
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - R Bartsch
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - J Furtner
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - M Marhold
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - E S Bergen
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - S Roider-Schur
- Department of Medicine I, Oncology, St. Josef Krankenhaus , Vienna , Austria
| | - A M Starzer
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - H Forstner
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - B Rottenmanner
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - K Dieckmann
- Department of Radiotherapy, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - Z Bago-Horvath
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - G Widhalm
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - A Ilhan-Mutlu
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - C Minichsdorfer
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - T Fuereder
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - C F Singer
- Departments of Gynaecology, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - A Weltermann
- Department of Medicine 1, Academic Teaching Hospital Elisabethinen Linz , Vienna , Austria
| | - H Haslacher
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - T Szekeres
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - R Puhr
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - M Preusser
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Starzer AM, Kleinberger M, Feldmann K, Tomasich E, Hatziioannou T, Paiato C, Heller G, Kreminger J, Traint S, Steindl A, Ressler JM, Widhalm G, Gatterbauer B, Dieckmann K, Müllauer L, Preusser M, Berghoff AS. OS03.5.A Characterization of the inflammatory tumor microenvironment composition in solid cancer patients with brain metastases after progression to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Neuro Oncol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noac174.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Immunotherapy (IO) has changed the treatment landscape of metastatic cancer patients, however, treatment resistance is frequent. We aimed to characterize the inflammatory tumor microenvironment in brain metastases (BM) after IO to gain a deeper understanding of immunologic escape mechanisms.
Material and Methods
Solid cancer patients who had BM resection after IO progression (IO cohort) were retrospectively identified. We analyzed tumor-infiltrating immune cell subsets (CD3, CD8, CD45RO, FOXP3) and expression of immune checkpoint molecules (PD-L1, PD-1, LAG-3) by immunohistochemistry. A control cohort of BM tissue samples without prior IO served for comparison (no immunotherapy cohort, NIO).
Results
Twenty-eight IO patients (12/28, 42.9% females; 16/28, 57.1% males; median 61 years; 14/28, 50% lung cancer; 5/28, 17.9% melanoma; 4/28, 14.3% renal cell carcinoma; 1/28, 3.6% breast cancer; 4/28, 14.3% other cancer entities) and 57 NIO patients (28/57, 49.1% females; 29/57, 50.9% males; median 58 years; 35/57, 61.4% lung cancer; 9/57, 15.8% breast cancer; 4/57, 7.0% melanoma; 3/57, 5.3% renal cell carcinoma; 6/57, 10.5% other cancer entities) were included. IO patients had a median of one (range 0-4) systemic therapy line prior to IO. Median time from last IO application until BM resection was 5.6 months (range 0.2-49.8 months). Patients received a median number of 7 (range 1-56) IO applications (14/28, 50% PD-1-targeting IO; 8/28, 28.6% PD-L1; 2/28, 7.1% CTLA4; 4/28, 14.3% CTLA4+PD-1; 3/28, 10.7% IO+chemotherapy). No statistically significant differences in the densities of investigated TILs or PD-L1 expression between the IO and the NIO cohort were observed. Patients of the IO cohort showed higher PD-L1 expression compared to the NIO cohort (57.1 vs. 42.1%, Chi-square, p>0.05). Overall survival (OS) was similar in both cohorts, with a median OS of 11.0 months (range 5.0-17.0) in the IO cohort and 11.0 months (range 5.5-16.5) in the NIO cohort.
Conclusion
Our findings show an upregulation of PD-L1 in BM occurring after prior IO therapy in the absence of other overt changes in the inflammatory microenvironment. Ongoing analyses in this cohort are investigating possible molecular driver of resistance by analyzing DNA methylation profiles of pre-and post-IO tissue samples of the IO cohort to potentially gain insights on inflammatory IO resistance mechanisms in BM patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A M Starzer
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Oncology , Vienna , Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy , Vienna , Austria
| | - M Kleinberger
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Oncology , Vienna , Austria
| | - K Feldmann
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Oncology , Vienna , Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy , Vienna , Austria
| | - E Tomasich
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Oncology , Vienna , Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy , Vienna , Austria
| | - T Hatziioannou
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Oncology , Vienna , Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy , Vienna , Austria
| | - C Paiato
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Oncology , Vienna , Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy , Vienna , Austria
| | - G Heller
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Oncology , Vienna , Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy , Vienna , Austria
| | - J Kreminger
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Oncology , Vienna , Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy , Vienna , Austria
| | - S Traint
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Oncology , Vienna , Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy , Vienna , Austria
| | - A Steindl
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Oncology , Vienna , Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy , Vienna , Austria
| | - J M Ressler
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Dermatology , Vienna , Austria
| | - G Widhalm
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Neurosurgery , Vienna , Austria
| | - B Gatterbauer
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Neurosurgery , Vienna , Austria
| | - K Dieckmann
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Radiotherapy , Vienna , Austria
| | - L Müllauer
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Pathology , Vienna , Austria
| | - M Preusser
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Oncology , Vienna , Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy , Vienna , Austria
| | - A S Berghoff
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Oncology , Vienna , Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy , Vienna , Austria
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Starzer AM, Preusser M, Berghoff AS. Immune escape mechanisms and therapeutic approaches in cancer: the cancer-immunity cycle. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2022; 14:17588359221096219. [PMID: 35510032 PMCID: PMC9058458 DOI: 10.1177/17588359221096219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors has changed the therapeutic possibilities for various cancer types. However, despite the success in some entities, a significant fraction of patients does not respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors. A functioning cancer-immunity cycle is needed as the precondition for a clinically meaningful response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. It is assumed that only if each step of the cycle is activated and functioning properly, immune checkpoint inhibitors induce a meaningful immune response. However, an activated cancer-immunity cycle might not be present equally in each patient and cancer type. Ideally, treatment concepts should consider each single step of the cancer-immunity cycle and provide personalized treatment approaches, allowing the adaption to functioning and malfunctioning steps of the individual patient’s specific cancer-immunity cycle. In the following review, we provide an overview of the single steps of the cancer-immunity cycle as well as the impact of malfunctioning steps on the generation of an effective tumor-specific immune response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angelika M. Starzer
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Preusser
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna S. Berghoff
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Starzer AM, Steindl A, Mair MJ, Deischinger C, Simonovska A, Widhalm G, Gatterbauer B, Dieckmann K, Heller G, Preusser M, Berghoff AS. Correction: Systemic inflammation scores correlate with survival prognosis in patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases. Br J Cancer 2022; 126:968. [DOI: 10.1038/s41416-022-01722-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
|
8
|
Steindl A, Brunner TJ, Heimbach K, Schweighart K, Moser GM, Niziolek HM, Moor E, Kreminger J, Starzer AM, Dieckmann K, Gatterbauer B, Widhalm G, Preusser M, Berghoff AS. Changing characteristics, treatment approaches and survival of patients with brain metastasis: data from six thousand and thirty-one individuals over an observation period of 30 years. Eur J Cancer 2022; 162:170-181. [PMID: 34998049 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2021.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An accurate classification of patients with brain metastases (BMs) is an important foundation to guide individualised treatment decisions and to formulate BM cohorts for modern clinical trials. METHODS Six thousand and thirty-one patients with newly diagnosed BM from different solid tumours treated between 1986 and 2020 were identified from the Vienna Brain Metastasis Registry. RESULTS A rising fraction of patients presented with asymptomatic BM during the observation period (1986-1999: 20.2% vs 2010-2020: 30.6%; p < 0.001). Especially, oncogene-addicted non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and BRAF (v-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog)-positive melanoma had a higher rate of asymptomatic BM presentation compared with wild-type tumours (p < 0.05). Significant changes of initial BM treatment approaches were observed with a decrease of neurosurgical procedures (1986-1999: 30.8% vs 2010-2020: 19.5%) and an increase of radiation treatments (1986-1999: 65.0% vs 2010-2020: 73.3%) and systemic therapies (1986-1999: 1.0% vs 2010-2020: 2.0%; p < 0.001). Median overall survival (OS) was heterogeneous between primary tumour entities but with an overall increase over the decades (median OS 1986-1999: 5 months vs 2010-2020: 7 months; p = 0.001). Survival times were longer in patients with oncogene-addicted NSCLC, BRAF-positive melanoma and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer compared with the other cancer subtypes (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION Our data highlight shifting trends in the symptomatic presentation and in treatment strategies of patients with BM over the last decades. Entity specific aspects and, in particular, the presence of targetable driver mutation impact the clinical presentation and prognosis. Future BM specific trials need to address the modern composition of BM cohorts and the distinct clinical course of patients with targetable driver mutations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ariane Steindl
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Tabea J Brunner
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Kira Heimbach
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Schweighart
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg M Moser
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Helena M Niziolek
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Moor
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Judith Kreminger
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Angelika M Starzer
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Karin Dieckmann
- Department of Radiotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Georg Widhalm
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Preusser
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna S Berghoff
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Mair MJ, Berger JM, Berghoff AS, Starzer AM, Ortmayr G, Puhr HC, Steindl A, Perkmann T, Haslacher H, Strassl R, Tobudic S, Lamm WW, Raderer M, Mitterer M, Fuereder T, Fong D, Preusser M. Humoral Immune Response in Hematooncological Patients and Health Care Workers Who Received SARS-CoV-2 Vaccinations. JAMA Oncol 2022; 8:106-113. [PMID: 34591965 PMCID: PMC8485209 DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.5437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Importance To our knowledge, little is known about antibody development after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in immunocompromised individuals, such as patients with cancer. Objective To determine whether hematooncological patients develop anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after vaccination. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study included 2 independent cohorts of patients who were treated for hematological and solid malignant tumors between October 2020 and May 2021, comprising 901 samples from 595 patients and 58 health care workers (HCWs). Serum samples were collected from patients who were treated at an academic center and a community hospital in a rural area and a control group of HCWs, all of whom received SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Main Outcomes and Measures Total anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (anti-NC) and antispike protein (anti-S) antibodies were measured retrospectively. Results In total, 595 patients (320 women [53.8%] and 275 men [46.2%]; median [range] age, 67 [19-96] years) and 58 HCWs (40 women [69.0%] and 18 men [31.0%]; median [range] age, 42 [24-60] years) were included. Previous SARS-CoV-2 infection was documented in 43 of 595 (7.2%), while anti-NC antibodies that suggested previous infections were observed in 49 of 573 evaluable patients (8.6%). In both cohorts, anti-S antibody levels were higher in fully vaccinated patients compared with patients who received 1 dose. After the first vaccination, patients with hematological cancer who received B cell-targeting agents had lower anti-S levels (median, 1.6 AU/mL; range: 0-17 244 AU/mL) than patients who received other therapies (median, 191.6 AU/mL; range, 0-40 000; P < .001) or patients with solid tumors (median, 246.4 AU/mL; range, 0-40 000 AU/mL; P < .001). Anti-S levels after the first vaccination differed according to ongoing antineoplastic treatment modalities, with the lowest median levels in patients who received chemotherapy alone (157.7 AU/mL; range, 0-40 000 AU/mL) or in combination with immunotherapy (118.7 AU/mL; range, 14.1-38 727 AU/mL) and the highest levels in patients with no ongoing antineoplastic treatment (median, 634.3 AU/mL; range, 0-40 000 AU/mL; P = .01). Antibody levels after full immunization were higher in HCWs (median, 2500 U/mL; range, 485-2500 U/mL) than in patients with cancer (median, 117.0 U/mL; range, 0-2500 U/mL; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study of patients with hematooncological diseases and a control group of HCWs, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after vaccination could be detected in patients with cancer. Lower antibody levels compared with HCWs and differences in seroconversion in specific subgroups underscore the need for further studies on SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with hematooncological disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian J. Mair
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia M. Berger
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna S. Berghoff
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Angelika M. Starzer
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Ortmayr
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hannah C. Puhr
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ariane Steindl
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Perkmann
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Helmuth Haslacher
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert Strassl
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Selma Tobudic
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang W. Lamm
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Raderer
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Manfred Mitterer
- Hemato-Oncological Day Hospital Unit, Franz Tappeiner Hospital, Meran/Merano, Italy
| | - Thorsten Fuereder
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dominic Fong
- Hemato-Oncological Day Hospital Unit, Franz Tappeiner Hospital, Meran/Merano, Italy
| | - Matthias Preusser
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Steindl A, Brunner TJ, Heimbach K, Schweighart K, Moser GM, Niziolek HM, Moor E, Kreminger J, Starzer AM, Dieckmann K, Gatterbauer B, Widhalm G, Preusser M, Berghoff AS. P14.03 Shifting trends and entity-specific aspects in patients with brain metastasis: real-life analysis from 6031 individuals over an observation period of 30 years. Neuro Oncol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noab180.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
BACKGROUND
We aimed to investigate the changing clinical characteristics of patients with brain metastases (BM) over the last three decades as the foundation for modern BM specific clinical trial planning.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
6031 patients with newly diagnosed BM from different solid tumors treated between 1986–2020 were identified from the Vienna Brain Metastasis Registry.
RESULTS
The fraction of BM originating from the most common BM causing primary tumors (lung cancer, breast cancer and melanoma) was stable over the observation period from 1986–2020. BM from renal cell carcinoma, colorectal cancer and cancer of unknown primary (CUP) decreased over time (p<0.001). Synchronous diagnosis of BM and primary tumor was more frequently observed in lung cancer and CUP patients compared to breast cancer patients (p<0.001). An increasing fraction of patients presented with asymptomatic BM (1986–1999: 20.2% vs. 2010–2020: 30.4%; p<0.001), specifically in lung cancer (p<0.001), melanoma (p<0.001) and renal cell cancer (p=0.004). A decrease of neurosurgical procedures (1986–1999: 39.3% vs. 2010–2020: 20.4%) and an increase of radiation treatments (1986–1999: 56.5% vs. 2010–2020: 73.0%) and systemic therapies (1986–1999: 0.6% vs. 2010–2020: 2.4%; p<0.001) was observed. Furthermore, median overall survival significantly increased across entities (1986–1999: 5 months vs. 2010–2020: 7 months; p=0.001). Intracranial progression as the cause of death increased across entities (p< 0.001). The prognostic DS-GPA (Hazard ratio [HR] 1.42; p< 0.001) and the Lung-molGPA (HR 1.67; p<0.001) could be validated.
CONCLUSION
We observed changes of BM presentation and clinical parameters during the observation period depending on primary tumor origins. Future BM studies should follow an entity-specific approach and address the characteristics of modern BM cohorts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Steindl
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - T J Brunner
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - K Heimbach
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - K Schweighart
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - G M Moser
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - H M Niziolek
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - E Moor
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - J Kreminger
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - A M Starzer
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - K Dieckmann
- Department of Radiotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - B Gatterbauer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - G Widhalm
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - M Preusser
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - A S Berghoff
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Starzer AM, Berghoff AS, Hamacher R, Tomasich E, Feldmann K, Hatziioannou T, Traint S, Lamm W, Noebauer-Huhmann IM, Furtner J, Müllauer L, Amann G, Bauer S, Schildhaus HU, Preusser M, Heller G, Brodowicz T. Tumor DNA methylation profiles correlate with response to anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy in sarcoma patients. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2020-001458. [PMID: 33762319 PMCID: PMC7993298 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-001458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some sarcomas respond to immune checkpoint inhibition, but predictive biomarkers are unknown. We analyzed tumor DNA methylation profiles in relation to immunological parameters and response to anti-programmed cell death 1 (anti-PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in patients with sarcoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively identified adult patients who had received anti-PD-1 ICI therapy for recurrent sarcoma in two independent centers. We performed (1) blinded radiological response evaluation according to immune response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (iRECIST) ; (2) tumor DNA methylation profiling of >850,000 probes using Infinium MethylationEPIC microarrays; (3) analysis of tumor-infiltrating immune cell subsets (CD3, CD8, CD45RO, FOXP3) and intratumoral expression of immune checkpoint molecules (PD-L1, PD-1, LAG-3) using immunohistochemistry; and (4) evaluation of blood-based systemic inflammation scores (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, leucocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio). Response to anti-PD-1 ICI therapy was bioinformatically and statistically correlated with DNA methylation profiles and immunological data. RESULTS 35 patients (median age of 50 (23-81) years; 18 females, 17 males; 27 soft tissue sarcomas; 8 osteosarcomas) were included in this study. The objective response rate to anti-PD-1 ICI therapy was 22.9% with complete responses in 3 out of 35 and partial responses in 5 out of 35 patients. Adjustment of DNA methylation data for tumor-infiltrating immune cells resulted in identification of methylation differences between responders and non-responders to anti-PD-1 ICI. 2453 differentially methylated CpG sites (DMPs; 2043 with decreased and 410 with increased methylation) were identified. Clustering of sarcoma samples based on these DMPs revealed two main clusters: methylation cluster 1 (MC1) consisted of 73% responders and methylation cluster 2 (MC2) contained only non-responders to anti-PD-1 ICI. Median progression-free survival from anti-PD-1 therapy start of MC1 and MC2 patients was 16.5 and 1.9 months, respectively (p=0.001). Median overall survival of these patients was 34.4 and 8.0 months, respectively (p=0.029). The most prominent DNA methylation differences were found in pathways implicated in Rap1 signaling, focal adhesion, adherens junction Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling and extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate that tumor DNA methylation profiles may serve as a predictive marker for response to anti-PD-1 ICI therapy in sarcoma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angelika M Starzer
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna S Berghoff
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rainer Hamacher
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sarcoma Center, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
| | - Erwin Tomasich
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Feldmann
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Teresa Hatziioannou
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Traint
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Lamm
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Iris M Noebauer-Huhmann
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of General and Paediatric Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Furtner
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of General and Paediatric Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Leonhard Müllauer
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabriele Amann
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Bauer
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sarcoma Center, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
| | | | - Matthias Preusser
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerwin Heller
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Brodowicz
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Starzer AM, Berghoff AS, Traub-Weidinger T, Haug AR, Widhalm G, Hacker M, Rausch I, Preusser M, Mayerhoefer ME. Assessment of Central Nervous System Lymphoma Based on CXCR4 Expression In Vivo Using 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/MRI. Clin Nucl Med 2021; 46:16-20. [PMID: 33208624 PMCID: PMC8385649 DOI: 10.1097/rlu.0000000000003404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF THE REPORT F-FDG PET is limited for assessment of central nervous system lymphoma (CNSL) due to physiologic tracer accumulation in the brain. We prospectively evaluated the novel PET tracer Ga-pentixafor, which targets the C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), for lesion visualization and response assessment of CNSL. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seven CNSL patients underwent Ga-pentixafor PET/MRI with contrast enhancement (CE-MRI) and diffusion-weighted sequences. The accuracy of Ga-pentixafor PET for CNSL lesion detection relative to the CE-MRI reference standard was determined. Standardized uptake values (SUVmean and SUVmax), PET-based (PTV) and MRI-based (VOLMRI) tumor volumes, and apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) were assessed, and correlation coefficients were calculated. Three SUVmax thresholds (41%, 50%, and 70%) were evaluated for PTV definitions (PTV41%, PTV50%, and PTV70%) and tested against VOLMRI using paired sample t tests. RESULTS Twelve Ga-pentixafor PET/MRI examinations (including 5 follow-up scans) of 7 patients were evaluated. Ga-pentixafor PET demonstrated 18 lesions, all of which were confirmed by CE-MRI; there were no false-positive lesions on PET (accuracy, 100%). PTV41% showed the highest concordance with lesion morphology, with no significant difference compared with VOLMRI (mean difference, -0.24 cm; P = 0.45). The correlation between ADCmean and SUVmean41% (r = 0.68) was moderate. Changes in PTV41% on follow-up PET/MRI showed the same trend as VOLMRI changes, including progression of 1 lesion each in patient 1 (+456.0% PTV41% and +350.8% VOLMRI) and patient 3 (+110.4% PTV41% and +85.1% VOLMRI). CONCLUSIONS Ga-pentixafor PET may be feasible for assessment and follow-up of CNSL. Future studies need to focus on testing its clinical value to distinguish between glioma and CNSL, and between radiation-induced inflammation and viable residual tumor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angelika M. Starzer
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna S. Berghoff
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tatjana Traub-Weidinger
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander R. Haug
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Widhalm
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marcus Hacker
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ivo Rausch
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Preusser
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marius E. Mayerhoefer
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of General and Paediatric Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Berghoff AS, Gansterer M, Bathke AC, Trutschnig W, Hungerländer P, Berger JM, Kreminger J, Starzer AM, Strassl R, Schmidt R, Willschke H, Lamm W, Raderer M, Gottlieb AD, Mauser NJ, Preusser M. SARS-CoV-2 Testing in Patients With Cancer Treated at a Tertiary Care Hospital During the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Clin Oncol 2020; 38:3547-3554. [PMID: 32795227 PMCID: PMC7571795 DOI: 10.1200/jco.20.01442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To analyze the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with cancer in hospital care after implementation of institutional and governmental safety measurements. METHODS Patients with cancer routinely tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by nasal swab and real-time polymerase chain reaction between March 21 and May 4, 2020, were included. The results of this cancer cohort were statistically compared with the SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in the Austrian population as determined by a representative nationwide random sample study (control cohort 1) and a cohort of patients without cancer presenting to our hospital (control cohort 2). RESULTS A total of 1,688 SARS-CoV-2 tests in 1,016 consecutive patients with cancer were performed. A total of 270 of 1,016 (26.6%) of the patients were undergoing active anticancer treatment in a neoadjuvant/adjuvant and 560 of 1,016 (55.1%) in a palliative setting. A total of 53 of 1,016 (5.2%) patients self-reported symptoms potentially associated with COVID-19. In 4 of 1,016 (0.4%) patients, SARS-CoV-2 was detected. At the time of testing at our department, all four SARS-CoV-2-positive patients were asymptomatic, and two of them had recovered from symptomatic COVID-19. Viral clearance was achieved in three of the four patients 14-56 days after testing positive. The estimated odds ratio of SARS-CoV-2 prevalence between the cancer cohort and control cohort 1 was 1.013 (95% CI, 0.209 to 4.272; P = 1), and between control cohort 2 and the cancer cohort it was 18.333 (95% CI, 6.056 to 74.157). CONCLUSION Our data indicate that continuation of active anticancer therapy and follow-up visits in a large tertiary care hospital are feasible and safe after implementation of strict population-wide and institutional safety measures during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Routine SARS-CoV-2 testing of patients with cancer seems advisable to detect asymptomatic virus carriers and avoid uncontrolled viral spread.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna S. Berghoff
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Margaretha Gansterer
- Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Austria
| | - Arne C. Bathke
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Intelligent Data Analytics Lab Salzburg, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Trutschnig
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Intelligent Data Analytics Lab Salzburg, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Julia M. Berger
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Judith Kreminger
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Angelika M. Starzer
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert Strassl
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ralf Schmidt
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Harald Willschke
- Department of Anaesthesia and General Intensive Care, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Lamm
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Raderer
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alex D. Gottlieb
- Faculty of Mathematics, Wolfgang Pauli Institute, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Norbert J. Mauser
- Faculty of Mathematics, Wolfgang Pauli Institute, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Preusser
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
Cluster of differentiation 27 (CD27) is a member of the tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily and plays a key role in T-cell activation by providing a costimulatory signal. Bound to its natural ligand CD70, CD27 signalling enhances T-cell proliferation and differentiation to effector and memory T cells and therefore has potential as an immune modulatory target in cancer treatment. The CD27 agonistic antibody varlilumab showed promising efficacy in haematological as well as solid cancers. Current studies investigate the combination of the CD27 agonistic antibody varlilumab in combination with the PD1 axis targeting immune checkpoint inhibitors like nivolumab or atezolizumab. Further, CD70 expression is used as a therapeutic target for ADCs, antibodies inducing ADCC, as well as the immunological target for chimeric antigen receptor gene-modified T cells and specific dendritic cell vaccination. In line with this, targeting the CD27 axis was shown to be feasible and safe in early clinical trials with the most commonly occurring side effects being thrombocytopenia, fatigue and nausea. In this mini review, we aimed to elucidate the immunobiology of CD27 and its potential as a target in cancer immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angelika M Starzer
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna S Berghoff
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Berghoff AS, Wippel C, Starzer AM, Ballarini N, Wolpert F, Bergen E, Wolf P, Steindl A, Widhalm G, Gatterbauer B, Marosi C, Dieckmann K, Bartsch R, Scherer T, Koenig F, Krebs M, Weller M, Preusser M. Hypothyroidism correlates with favourable survival prognosis in patients with brain metastatic cancer. Eur J Cancer 2020; 135:150-158. [PMID: 32603949 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2020.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several preclinical and epidemiologic studies have indicated tumour-promoting effects of thyroid hormones (THs). However, very limited knowledge exists on the prognostic impact of thyroid function in metastatic cancer. METHODS We compiled a discovery cohort of 1692 patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases (BMs) of solid cancers treated at the Medical University of Vienna and an independent validation cohort of 191 patients with newly diagnosed BMs treated at the University Hospital Zurich. RESULTS Hypothyroidism before diagnosis of cancer was evident in 133 of 1692 (7.9%) patients of the discovery, and in 18 of 191 (9.4%) patients of the validation cohort. In the discovery cohort, hypothyroidism was statistically significantly associated with favourable survival prognosis from diagnosis of cancer (31 vs. 21 months; p = 0.0026) and with survival prognosis from diagnosis of BMs (12 vs. 7 months; p = 0.0079). In multivariate analysis including the diagnosis-specific graded prognostic assessment score, primary tumour type and sex, hypothyroidism was an independent factor associated with survival after diagnosis of BMs (hazard ratio: 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI]: (0.63; 0.91; p = 0.0034). In the validation cohort, the association of hypothyroidism and favourable survival prognosis from diagnosis of cancer (55 vs. 11 months; p = 0.00058), as well as from diagnosis of BMs (40 vs. 10 months; p = 0.0036) was confirmed. CONCLUSION Pre-existing hypothyroidism was strongly and independently associated with prognosis in patients with newly diagnosed BMs, supporting the evidence from preclinical data that THs may indeed have a tumour-promoting effect. Further investigation of the underlying pathobiological mechanism and potential therapeutic implications are required.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna S Berghoff
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Wippel
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Angelika M Starzer
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicolas Ballarini
- Section for Medical Statistics, Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics, and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabian Wolpert
- Department of Neurology and Brain Tumor Center, University Hospital and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elisabeth Bergen
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Wolf
- Department of Medicine III, Clinical Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Ariane Steindl
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Widhalm
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Brigitte Gatterbauer
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Christine Marosi
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Karin Dieckmann
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Department of Radiotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Bartsch
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Scherer
- Department of Medicine III, Clinical Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Franz Koenig
- Section for Medical Statistics, Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics, and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Krebs
- Department of Medicine III, Clinical Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Weller
- Department of Neurology and Brain Tumor Center, University Hospital and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Preusser
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|