EZH2 and POU2F3 Can Aid in the Distinction of Thymic Carcinoma from Thymoma

Thymic carcinoma is an aggressive malignancy that can be challenging to distinguish from thymoma using histomorphology. We assessed two emerging markers for these entities, EZH2 and POU2F3, and compared them with conventional immunostains. Whole slide sections of 37 thymic carcinomas, 23 type A thymomas, 13 type B3 thymomas, and 8 micronodular thymomas with lymphoid stroma (MNTLS) were immunostained for EZH2, POU2F3, CD117, CD5, TdT, BAP1, and MTAP. POU2F3 (≥10% hotspot staining), CD117, and CD5 showed 100% specificity for thymic carcinoma versus thymoma with 51%, 86%, and 35% sensitivity, respectively, for thymic carcinoma. All POU2F3 positive cases were also positive for CD117. All thymic carcinomas showed >10% EZH2 staining. EZH2 (≥80% staining) had a sensitivity of 81% for thymic carcinoma and a specificity of 100% for thymic carcinoma versus type A thymoma and MNTLS but had poor specificity (46%) for thymic carcinoma versus B3 thymoma. Adding EZH2 to a panel of CD117, TdT, BAP1, and MTAP increased cases with informative results from 67/81 (83%) to 77/81 (95%). Overall, absent EZH2 staining may be useful for excluding thymic carcinoma, diffuse EZH2 staining may help to exclude type A thymoma and MNTLS, and ≥10% POU2F3 staining has excellent specificity for thymic carcinoma versus thymoma.

Phase 1/2 trial of vesicular stomatitis virus expressing human interferon-β and NIS (VSV-IFNβ-NIS), with pembrolizumab, in patients with neuroendocrine carcinoma

TPS657

Background: Poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) is an aggressive malignancy comprising both pulmonary and extrapulmonary primary sites. NEC includes both small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), as well as other neuroendocrine carcinomas arising from any primary organ. A substantial portion (~40%) of NEC arises from gastrointestinal primary sites. The optimal systemic therapy beyond first line platinum and etoposide is not established. There is a critical need to improve upon the median survival in the second line, as most patients do not survive more than 6 months. The efficacy of single agent immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in NEC has been disappointing. One possible explanation for this is that the tumor microenvironment in NEC is non-inflamed. VSV-IFNβ-NIS is a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based oncolytic virus being tested in multiple early phase clinical trials. Preliminary studies of immune responses in patients receiving VSV-IFNβ-NIS therapy suggest some patients develop T cell responses to viral antigens and known tumor antigens. We hypothesize that VSV-IFNβ-NIS therapy may convert a non-inflamed or immune-excluded phenotype in NEC to a highly inflamed phenotype that sensitizes the tumor to ICIs. Methods: This is a phase 1-2 safety run-in study designed to determine the safety of VSV-IFNβ-NIS in combination with a single agent ICI, pembrolizumab, followed by dose expansion in patients with refractory non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or NEC. The safety run-in portion of this study has been completed, and we are presently testing the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of VSV-IFNβ-NIS in an expansion cohort of patients with SCLC or NEC of any primary site. Patients must have previously progressed on at least one line of systemic therapy. Prior treatment with checkpoint inhibitors is permitted. Patients are treated one time with the RP2D of 1.0x10^11 TCID50 VSV-IFNβ-NIS on day 1, followed by pembrolizumab on day 8 and then pembrolizumab every 21 days until progression, up to 2 years. The primary objective is to estimate the response rate by RECIST 1.1. Secondary objectives include estimation of disease-control rate, duration or response, progression-free survival, overall survival, and safety signals. The NEC expansion cohort will seek to enroll 10 patients. If at least one objective response is observed, and safety is confirmed, the regimen will be considered for future study. Clinical trial information: NCT03647163 .

Prospective BASECAMP-1 experience in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer: Identifying patients with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loss of heterozygosity (LOH) for a future therapeutic trial exploiting LOH as a tumor vulnerability

209

Background: Metastatic colorectal (CRC), pancreatic (PANC), and gastroesophageal cancers are the leading causes of GI cancer–related mortality (5-y survival: 15%, 3%, and 5%-6%, respectively) (ACS 2022). HLA LOH is a recurrent mechanism of immune escape observed in 15%-20% of GI cancers (Hecht R., ASCO GI 2022). The Tmod platform is a logic-gated chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell modular system, comprising a carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)- or mesothelin (MSLN)-targeting CAR activator and a separate HLA-A*02-targeting blocker receptor. Both in vitro/in vivo, Tmod CAR T therapy kills cells with HLA-A*02 LOH (tumor) without harming cells with retained HLA-A*02 expression (normal). However, HLA-A*02 LOH can only be therapeutically exploited if patients are identifiable through a feasible and timely clinical workflow. Methods: We established a biobanking protocol (BASECAMP-1, NCT04981119) to determine whether HLA-A*02 LOH patients can be prospectively identified. Patients with CRC, PANC, or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and a high risk for incurable relapse, were screened first using a standard HLA assay. Heterozygous HLA-A*02 positive tumor samples were then assessed for LOH using a bioinformatic algorithm applied via the Tempus xT platform. Results: As of Sep 1, 2022, 83 patients were consented at 4 institutions. HLA status was obtained from 70 patients and 28 were identified as HLA-A*02:01 heterozygous (40%; expected frequency based on USA NMDP data, 27.6%). LOH results were available for 16 patients; 4 LOH-positive patients were identified (25%, 2 PANC, 2 NSCLC). The LOH assay sensitivity declines below a tumor purity of 40% (Hecht R., ASCO GI 2022). Six patients had a tumor purity of 20% (all with PANC, a tumor known for high stromal content), limiting possible LOH detection. The impact of tumor purity on LOH sensitivity was highlighted in a patient with a low initial sample tumor purity (30%) that resulted in a 41% probability of HLA-A*02:01 LOH (below positive threshold). A second sample with a higher tumor purity (70%), obtained from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections, resulted in a 92% probability of HLA-A*02:01 LOH (positive). Conclusions: BASECAMP-1 prospective identification of HLA-A*02 LOH is feasible in the real-world setting. The frequencies of the HLA-A*02 allele and of HLA-A*02 LOH in this cohort mirrored expected population frequencies. LOH results can be obtained within a clinically feasible workflow and timeframe, although samples with a < 40% tumor purity have a reduced sensitivity for LOH detection, an issue recurrently observed in patients with PANC. The BASECAMP-1 strategy enables prospective identification of appropriate patients for future therapeutic clinical trials using Tmod CEA and MSLN logic-gated CAR T cells. Clinical trial information: NCT04981119 .

PFKFB3 works on the FAK-STAT3-SOX2 axis to regulate the stemness in MPM

BACKGROUND

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive neoplasm and often acquires chemoresistance by increasing stemness in tumour tissue, thereby generating cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs escape treatment by deploying metabolic pathways to trigger dormancy or proliferation, also gaining the ability to exit and re-enter the cell cycle to hide their cellular identity.

METHODS

We employed various cellular and biochemical assays to identify the role of the glycolytic enzyme PFKFB3, by knocking it down and pharmacologically inhibiting it with PFK158, to determine its anticancer effects in vitro and in vivo by targeting the CSC population in MPM.

RESULTS

Here, we have identified PFKFB3 as a strategic player to target the CSC population in MPM and demonstrated that both pharmacologic (PFK158) and genetic inhibition of PFKFB3 destroy the FAK-Stat3-SOX2 nexus resulting in a decline in conspicuous stem cell markers viz. ALDH, CD133, CD44, SOX2. Inhibition of PFKFB3 accumulates p21 and p27 in the nucleus by decreasing SKP2. Lastly, PFK158 diminishes tumour-initiating cells (TICs) mediated MPM xenograft in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confers a comprehensive and mechanistic function of PFKFB3 in CSC maintenance that may foster exceptional opportunities for targeted small molecule blockade of the TICs in MPM.

Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, only a minority of NSCLC patients benefit from ICIs, and whether the magnitude of benefit is specific factor-dependent remains unclear. We performed a systematic review to improve our understanding of clinicopathologic and biomolecular features associated with improved survival upon treatment with ICIs for NSCLC.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus from database inception to August 31, 2021, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing overall survival (OS) in NSCLC treated with ICIs vs control therapies. We calculated the pooled OS hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CI in subgroups using a random-effects model, and assessed the heterogeneity between the paired estimates using an interaction test.

Results

A total of 23 RCTs involving 15,829 patients were included. We found that wild-type EGFR, high PD-L1 expression, and high bTMB were associated with a significant OS benefit from ICIs, but not mutant EGFR, low PD-L1 expression, and low bTMB. The differences of OS benefit between wild-type and mutant EGFR (HR=1.53, 95%CI 1.13-2.08), high and low PD-L1 (HR=1.35; 95%CI 1.14-1.61), high and low bTMB (HR=1.71; 95%CI 1.17-2.52) were statistically significant. OS benefit was found in all subgroups regardless of sex, age, ECOG PS, histology, smoking history, baseline brain metastasis, race, and region, and the interaction test demonstrated no significant difference of the OS benefit between these opposed subgroups (e.g. male vs female).

Conclusions

Wild-type EGFR, high PD-L1 expression, and high bTMB are associated with a greater magnitude of efficacy from ICIs vs control therapies in NSCLC. However, the administration of ICIs should not be restricted to other clinicopathological factors (sex, smoking history, race, etc.).

BASECAMP-1: Leveraging human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in solid tumors by next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify patients with relapsed solid tumor for future logic-gated Tmod CAR T-cell therapy

TPS2676

Background: Solid tumors comprise > 90% of cancers. Metastatic colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer are among the leading causes of cancer-related mortality (5-year overall survival: 14%, 6%, and 3%, respectively) (ACS. 2021). Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has demonstrated clinical efficacy in hematologic malignancies (Neelapu S. et al. N Engl J Med. 2017). Translating engineered T-cell therapies to solid tumors has proven to be challenging due to a lack of tumor-specific targets that can discriminate cancer cells from normal cells. Previous studies using carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) T-cell receptors and mesothelin (MSLN) CARs resulted in dose-limiting on-target, off-tumor toxicities (Parkhurst M, et al. Mol Ther. 2011; Tanyi J. Cellicon Valley '21). To create a therapeutic safety window, Tmod CAR T-cell therapy utilizes dual-signaling receptors to create a robust NOT logic gate capable of killing tumor cells, while leaving healthy cells intact (Hamburger A, et al. Mol Immunol. 2020). The 2 receptors in Tmod CAR T-cell therapy comprise an activator that recognizes an antigen on the surface of tumor cells that may also be present on normal cells, such as CEA and MSLN, and a blocker that recognizes a second surface antigen from an allele lost only in tumor cells. The frequency of HLA LOH among advanced GI solid tumor cancers in the Tempus real-world dataset is 16.3% with a range of 15.6%-20.8% between colorectal, pancreatic, and gastroesophageal tumors (Hecht R. et al. ASCO-GI 2022. Abstract #190). As such, HLA LOH offers a definitive tumor versus normal discriminator target for CAR T-cell therapy. Different activator/blocker combinations can be engineered with the Tmod platform technology and may be applied to T cells and natural killer cells in autologous and allogeneic settings. BASECAMP-1 is a currently enrolling observational study with key objectives of 1) To identify patients with somatic HLA LOH eligible for Tmod CAR T-cell therapy, and 2) To obtain leukapheresis and feasibility for the future EVEREST Tmod CAR T-cell trial. Methods: BASECAMP-1 (NCT04981119) patient eligibility has 2 parts: 1) Patients will be initially screened to identify germline HLA-A*02 heterozygosity by central NGS. If HLA-A*02 heterozygosity is confirmed, primary archival tumor tissue will be analyzed for somatic mutations by xT-Onco NGS testing. 2) If the tumor demonstrates HLA-A*02 LOH and the patient is eligible after screening, the patient will undergo leukapheresis. Banked T cells will be available for the autologous EVEREST Tmod CAR T-cell therapy interventional study to reduce waiting time at relapse. Clinical trial information: NCT04981119.

Multifocal bronchial neuroendocrine tumor (bNET): A new clinical entity

9135

Background: Bronchial carcinoid (BC) is often categorized into multifocal (MBC) or solitary (SBC). MBC, excluding tumorlet and diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia, is considered a relatively uncommon subgroup of BC, with much of the MBC literature stemming from case reports/small series. Our study analyzes MBC among a large cohort of 569 patients with BC and argues for change to the current clinical understanding of MBC. We suggest using the term bronchial neuroendocrine tumor (bNET) to more accurately represent its cells of origin and move away from “carcinoid” (historically meaning “carcinoma-like”) and the outdated associated connotation that carcinoids all have a similar, benign clinical and biological behavior. Methods: Using the Mayo Clinic Epidemiology and Genetics of Lung Cancer Database with Institutional Review Board approval, we retrospectively reviewed 569 patients with bNET (204 males, 365 females) presenting to Mayo Clinic Rochester between 1/1997-12/2012. We used univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to evaluate factors affecting overall survival. Results: 80 patients (of 569, 14.1%) were diagnosed with multifocal (MbNET) and 489 with solitary (SbNET). Two-sided Fisher’s exact tests found that older age, female gender, never having smoked cigarettes, and tumorlets were associated with MbNET diagnosis. Family lung cancer history, histopathologic grading (pathology: typical vs. atypical), Ki67, and presence of syndromes (carcinoid, Cushing, and MEN1 syndromes) were similar between MbNET and SbNET groups. Most MbNET cases were stage III-IV at the time of diagnosis, while the majority of SbNET cases were stage I. 5-year OS (83%) and 5-year PFS (75%) of MbNET patients were higher than those of their SbNET counterparts (74% and 68%, respectively). Metastasis status was an independent prognostic factor of poor OS in SbNET (P<0.001) but not in MbNET (P=0.71)(Table). Conclusions: Clinical, radiologic, and histopathologic characteristics and prognostic factors differed between SbNET and MbNET. MbNET arose as a new entity often with advanced stage disease, but good prognosis, which does not follow the NSCLC TNM staging system as in the 2009 NCCN guidelines (used during this study) or the updated 2021 NCCN guidelines which continue to stage lung carcinoid similarly to NSCLC. It may be beneficial to consider multifocal lung carcinoid instead as multifocal bNET, a new clinical entity, warranting a novel staging approach that more accurately reflects prognosis.[Table: see text]

MC1923 phase II clinical trial of durvalumab (MEDI4736) and topotecan or lurbinectedin in patients with relapsed extensive-stage small cell lung cancer previously treated with chemotherapy and immunotherapy

TPS8604

Background: Chemoimmunotherapy followed by durvalumab maintenance yields a median overall survival of 12.9 months in patients with extensive stage Small Cell Lung Cancer (ES SCLC), which is an improvement over chemotherapy alone. However, 90% of these patients will have progressive disease. While topotecan and lurbinectedin have established modest activity in the second line, it is unknown whether continuing immunotherapy in this setting confers additional benefit. In preclinical studies lurbinectedin, a DNA minor groove binder, used with immune checkpoint inhibitors has synergistic effects. Methods: This phase 2 trial is enrolling patients with ES SCLC who have progressed on platinum based chemoimmunotherapy, to three treatment groups. Group 1 includes patients with platinum sensitive SCLC who will receive durvalumab (1500 mg given as an intravenous [IV] infusion once every 3 weeks) and topotecan (1.25 mg/m2/day IV for 5 consecutive days every 3 weeks). In Groups 2A and 2B, patients with platinum sensitive and platinum resistant disease respectively, receive durvalumab and lurbinectedin (3.2 mg/m2 IV on Day 1 of every 21-day cycle). Patients with platinum sensitive disease are assigned to Groups 1 or 2A based on the preferences of the treating physician and the patient. Patients with treated/stable CNS metastases are eligible. The primary endpoint is the proportion of patients who are alive at 6 months (6OS) for Group 1 and the proportion of patients who are alive and progression-free at 6 months (6PFS) in Groups 2A and 2B. Secondary endpoints include safety, adverse event profile, response rate, PFS, and OS. The sample size is based on a 2-stage Simon Optimal Design. For Treatment Group 1, with 22 eligible patients there is 80% power to detect a true 6-month OS rate (6OS) of 75%, with 10% alpha under the null hypothesis that the true 6OS is at most 50%. For Treatment Group 2A, with 20 eligible patients this design has 80% power to detect a true 6-month PFS rate (6PFS) of 65%, with 10% alpha under the null hypothesis that the true 6PFS is at most 40%. For Treatment Group 2B, with 22 eligible patients this design has 80% power to detect a true 6-month PFS rate (6PFS) of 40%, with 10% alpha under the null hypothesis that the true 6PFS is at most 19%. To account for possible drop-outs, accrual targets will be 24, 22, and 24 patients to Groups 1, 2A, and 2B respectively. For the safety analyses, 6 patients will be enrolled at the starting dose level for each treatment group (1, 2) and then briefly closed to accrual to assess adverse events. If we observe 2+ DLTs in these 6 treated patients during Cycle 1 within a treatment group (1 vs. 2), we will declare the combination treatment too toxic and lower the starting dose of chemotherapy for the next 6 patients. The study was open for all 3 groups as of January 2022 and has accrued 2 patients. Clinical trial information: NCT04607954.

Next generation sequencing (NGS) to identify relapsed gastrointestinal (GI) solid tumor patients with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loss of heterozygosity (LOH) for future logic-gated CAR T therapy to reduce on target off tumor toxicity

190

Background: Metastatic colorectal (CRC), pancreatic (PANC), and gastroesophageal (GE) cancers are the leading causes of GI cancer–related mortality (5-yr survival rate, 14%, 3% and ̃5-6%, respectively). T-cell immunotherapy targeting GI-associated tumor antigens has been attempted, but efficacy has been constrained by on-target off-tumor toxicity, limiting the therapeutic window. The Tmod (TM) platform is an AND-NOT logic-gated CAR T modular system, versions of which have a CEA- or MSLN-targeting CAR activator and a separate HLA-A*02-targeting blocker receptor to protect normal cells. Tmod CAR T exploits HLA LOH, common in GI malignancies (10-33% in primary solid tumors [TCGA]) and can kill tumor cells without harming healthy cells in vitro and in vivo. However, the prevalence of HLA LOH across GI tumors is unknown in the real-world setting. We utilized the Tempus xT oncology NGS database of patients with multiple GI tumors. From a standard-of-care NGS assay, GI cancer patients can be readily identified for HLA LOH and future treatment with Tmod CAR T therapy. Methods: The occurrence of HLA LOH in GI tumors of 1439 patients was assessed using paired germline and somatic DNA sequencing using a research assay [6]. CRC, PANC and GE patients with ≥ stage 3 were then extracted, and rates of HLA LOH were identified (ie, whether loss occurred across high-frequency HLA-A alleles). In addition, mutations in KRAS and BRAF, as well as MSI status were stratified to determine any association with HLA-A LOH. Results: HLA-A LOH was detected in 830 (17.3%) of all solid tumor records, and a similar proportion when all GI cancer records were analyzed (17.0%). For GI subtypes, these values ranged from 13.5% to 23.1% (Table). No high-frequency HLA-A allele (A*01, A*02, A*03, A*11) was more likely to be lost. Clinical biomarkers ( KRAS, BRAF and MSI status) were not associated with HLA-LOH. Conclusions: The frequency of HLA LOH among advanced solid tumor cancers in this dataset is 17.3%, with a range of 13.5-23% between CRC, PANC and GE. The HLA LOH frequency observed in these GI tumors is consistent with that in primary tumors from TCGA, which also used germline-matched and tumor samples. Clinical biomarkers were not associated with HLA LOH. Tempus NGS was able to identify HLA LOH, which can be used for Tmod CAR T therapy to an enhanced therapeutic window. Identification of these patients in BASECAMP-1 (NCT04981119) will enable novel Tmod CAR T therapy. [Table: see text]

Fire ignition patterns to manage prescribed fire behavior: Application to Mediterranean pine forests

Climate change and the accumulation of surface fuel are leading to global changes in the occurrence of increasingly severe fires. In light of current budgetary constraints, prescribed fire can be a very cost-efficient tool for both reducing wildfire hazards and managing fire-prone landscapes. However, despite its widespread use in some countries, social and administrative constraints arise when applied at the European or larger scales. Science-based knowledge concerning fire behavior, fuel load reduction, and tree impacts is required to support the use of prescribed fire. Spatial ignition patterns can increase or decrease the spread rate, flame length, and flame residence time according to the objectives of a prescribed fire. This work aims to analyze fire behavior using different fire ignition patterns (strip-heading fire, flanking fire, and spot-heading fire) and meteorological and fuel conditions. Seventy-seven observations or sampling units using twenty-three prescribed fires were established for fire monitoring. Non-linear models based on environmental variables were fitted for the spread rate and flame length. Our study proposes a novel way of sharing scientific knowledge in relation to the most common distances between ignition lines and ignition points used in the southern Iberian Peninsula. The spread rate and flame length can be increased in strip-heading fire, by more than 3.5-fold and more than 1.95-fold, respectively, by modifying only the distance between ignition lines. Flanking fire could lead to a decrease in the spread rate by approximately half. Although spot-heading fire can reduce the spread rate by more than 78% and flame length by more than 41%, the highest distances between points could increase the flame residence time by 39-132%. This research seeks to achieve a trade-off between fire intensity and the impacts of fire on trees, soil, and surface roots.

Comparative Analysis of Predictive Biomarkers for PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors in Cancers: Developments and Challenges

Simple Summary

The development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has greatly changed the treatment landscape of multiple malignancies. However, the wide administration of ICIs is mainly obstructed by the low response rate and several life-threatening adverse events. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify sets of biomarkers to predict which patients will respond to ICIs. In this review, we discuss the recently investigated molecular and clinical determinants of ICI response, from the aspects of tumor features, clinical features, as well as tumor microenvironment.

Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) have dramatically changed the landscape of cancer therapy. Both remarkable and durable responses have been observed in patients with melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and other malignancies. However, the PD-1/PD-L1 blockade has demonstrated meaningful clinical responses and benefits in only a subset of patients. In addition, several severe and life-threatening adverse events were observed in these patients. Therefore, the identification of predictive biomarkers is urgently needed to select patients who are more likely to benefit from ICI therapy. PD-L1 expression level is the most commonly used biomarker in clinical practice for PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. However, negative PD-L1 expression cannot reliably exclude a response to a PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. Other factors, such as tumor microenvironment and other tumor genomic signatures, appear to impact the response to ICIs. In this review, we examine emerging data for novel biomarkers that may have a predictive value for optimizing the benefit from anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy.

SATB2 Is Expressed in a Subset of Pulmonary and Thymic Neuroendocrine Tumors

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate SATB2 expression and prognostic implications in a large cohort of thoracic neuroendocrine tumors.

METHODS

Surgical pathology files (1995-2017) and an institutional thymic epithelial tumor database (2010-2020) were searched for resected neuroendocrine tumors. Cases were stained with SATB2 (clone EP281). Percent SATB2-positive tumor cells and expression intensity were scored.

RESULTS

In the lung, SATB2 was expressed in 5% or more of tumor cells in 29 (74.4%) of 39 small cell carcinomas and 9 (22.5%) of 40 atypical and 26 (40.6%) of 64 typical carcinoid tumors. SATB2 percent tumor cell expression and intensity were higher in small cell carcinomas than in carcinoid tumors (both P < .001, respectively). After adjusting for tumor subtype, SATB2 expression did not correlate with outcome. In the thymus, four (100%) of four atypical carcinoid tumors and one large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma but no small cell carcinoma (n = 2) expressed SATB2 in 5% or more of tumor cells.

CONCLUSIONS

SATB2 (clone EP281) is expressed in a large subset of pulmonary and thymic neuroendocrine tumors and therefore does not appear to be a useful marker to identify the origin of neuroendocrine tumors. Validation studies are needed, specifically including thymic neuroendocrine tumors, as the expression pattern might be different in those tumors.

CNS activity of poziotinib in NSCLC with exon 20 insertion mutations

9093

Background: Treatment addressing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring EGFR or HER2 exon 20 insertion mutations remains an unmet need. These tumors are associated with a high incidence of CNS metastases and unfavorable survival rates. Poziotinib is a potent, irreversible, tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) with a structure that can overcome the steric hindrance of the exon 20 limited binding pocket. Preclinical data suggest poziotinib CNS penetration, and here we show meaningful poziotinib CNS activity in patients with NSCLC harboring exon 20 insertion mutations in an ongoing multi-cohort, multi-center Phase 2 study (ZENITH20; NCT03318939). Methods: ZENITH20 enrolled previously treated and naïve patients with advanced/metastatic NSCLC and EGFR or HER2 exon 20 insertion mutations in several cohorts: Cohort 1 (C1) EGFR previously treated; Cohort 2 (C2) HER2 previously treated and Cohort 3 (C3) EGFR treatment-naïve. All patients with stable CNS metastases at baseline were included. Poziotinib (16 mg) was administered orally QD, with follow-up for up to 24 months. The primary endpoint was Objective Response Rate (ORR) evaluated centrally using RECIST v1.1 by an independent image review committee. Secondary endpoints included Disease Control Rate (DCR), Duration of Response (DOR), Progression-Free Survival (PFS) and safety. Primary efficacy results have been previously released. Intracranial response was determined based on the modified RECIST criteria. Results: A total of 284 patients across 3 cohorts (C1 n=115; and C2 n=90; and C3 n=79) with a median age of 60.5 years were enrolled. The median follow-up was 7.3, 8.3, and 9.2 months for all patients in C1, C2, and C3, respectively. In NSCLC patients that had baseline CNS lesions (N=36), the analysis showed a patient-based ORR of 22.2% (8/36) and a DCR of 88.9% (32/36). One patient in each cohort had a complete intracranial response and stable disease was 80.6% across 3 cohorts and 92.9% in C2. Two patients each in C1 and C3 had progressive disease (PD) and none had CNS progression in C2 (Table). Conclusions: Poziotinib exhibited clinically meaningful CNS activity in patients with EGFR or HER2 exon 20 mutations in ZENITH20 Cohorts 1-3. The majority of the patients had no CNS progression and 3/36 patients had intracranial complete responses. The preliminary data suggest that poziotinib may provide a meaningful treatment alternative for patients with NSCLC that harbor EGFR or HER2 exon 20 mutations and who present with CNS metastases that have poor prognosis. Clinical trial information: NCT03318939. [Table: see text]

Single institution toxicity of definitive chemoradiation and maintenance durvalumab in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

e20554

Background: The paradigm for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer has been markedly altered to include maintenance durvalumab (D) post completion of definitive chemoradiation (CRT) following the publication of the Pacific trial in 2018. The toxicity of this treatment has not been well evaluated in the real-world setting. Methods: We identified 42 patients (pts) with Stage IIB-IIIC NSCLC treated at Mayo Clinic Rochester between 6/1/2018 and 10/1/2020 who received definitive CRT followed by maintenance D. Data were abstracted by retrospective chart review under an IRB approved protocol. Results: Median age was 66 yrs (range 47-90) and 62% were women. Primary lung cancer histology included 19 adenocarcinoma, 20 squamous cell, and 3 adenosquamous. The distribution of stages was: IIB (4/42), IIIA (15/42), IIIB (19/42), IIIC (4/42). Approximately half of patients had PDL1 expression > 25% (20/42). With a median follow up of 12.2 months (calculated from first cycle of D; range 4.2-30.5 months), 14 had completed one year of maintenance D, 16 were receiving ongoing D, and 10 stopped D early with 6/12 discontinuing due to disease progression (4/6 local progression, 2/6 distant progression). Other reasons for discontinuation (5/10) included grade 3 colitis, grade 2 hepatitis, aspergillus lung infection, and flare of autoimmune disorders. One quarter of patients experienced grade 2 radiation pneumonitis (RP; 10/42) with median time to development of RP 78 days from end of CRT and 45 days from start of D. RP was determined by multidisciplinary review of imaging and treatment fields. 17/42 patients developed immune related adverse events (see Table for details). There was minimal overlap between the patients who experienced pneumonitis and immune related toxicity; 2/17 had both pneumonitis and immune related toxicity (hepatitis, thyroiditis). Conclusions: In our early experience with the Pacific regimen, 29% of patients did not complete D due to either toxicity or progression during D administration. Pneumonitis was common (10/42 patients) although there were no grade 3 events. Nearly half of the patients developed an immune-related adverse event. Further analysis is needed to evaluate the real-world toxicity of this treatment as well as oncologic outcomes.[Table: see text]

Identifying the prognostic significance of B3GNT3 with PD-L1 expression in lung adenocarcinoma

Background

As a novel treatment, programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor appears to be less effective in tumors of lung adenocarcinoma patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation. Beta-1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase 3 (B3GNT3) has reported to be associated with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)/PD-1 interaction. However, the relationship between B3GNT3 and PD-L1 and its prognostic significance in

EGFR

mutant status are still unknown.

Methods

B3GNT3 was identified through transcriptome sequencing and The Cancer Genome Atlas Lung Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-LUAD) database. Flow cytometry and real-time polymerase chain reaction were performed to investigate the association between B3GNT3, PD-L1, and EGFR. Then, B3GNT3 and PD-L1 expression were evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis in 145 surgically resected primary lung adenocarcinomas. The relationships between survival and B3GNT3, PD-L1, and EGFR status were assessed, and the potential prognostic factors in patients with B3GNT3 expression were identified.

Results

We found that EGFR activation induced PD-L1 expression, and EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) could reduce PD-L1 protein in EGFR-TKI-sensitive HCC827 and PC9 cell lines. Subsequent analysis showed that EGFR inhibitor could also lead to both decreased PD-L1 and B3GNT3 mRNA expression. A total of 145 lung adenocarcinoma patients were included. PD-L1 >1% and B3GNT3-positive expression in patients might contribute to worse prognosis in both overall survival (OS) [hazard ratio (HR), 2.63; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.98–7.06; P=0.048] and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR, 3.04; 95% CI, 1.13–8.14; P=0.019), especially in the PD-L1 ≥50% group. However, when patients were negative for B3GNT3, PD-L1, and EGFR (or “triple negative”), there were significant decreases in OS (HR, 5.44; 95% CI, 0.99–29.83; P=0.029) and DFS (HR, 7.24; 95% CI, 1.32–39.73; P=0.008). Positive B3GNT3 expression was a significant risk factor associated with lower DFS (HR, 3.30; P=0.043).

Conclusions

Our results indicate that the B3GNT3 expression is tightly correlated with PD-L1 expression and EGFR mutation status. B3GNT3 is associated with poor prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma patients. Collectively, these findings may offer new insight into enhancing immune therapy efficacy for lung adenocarcinoma patients.

Salicylates enhance CRM1 inhibitor antitumor activity by induction of S-phase arrest and impairment of DNA-damage repair

Chromosome region maintenance protein 1 (CRM1) mediates protein export from the nucleus and is a new target for anticancer therapeutics. Broader application of KPT-330 (selinexor), a first-in-class CRM1 inhibitor recently approved for relapsed multiple myeloma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, have been limited by substantial toxicity. We discovered that salicylates markedly enhance the antitumor activity of CRM1 inhibitors by extending the mechanisms of action beyond CRM1 inhibition. Using salicylates in combination enables targeting of a range of blood cancers with a much lower dose of selinexor, thereby potentially mitigating prohibitive clinical adverse effects. Choline salicylate (CS) with low-dose KPT-330 (K+CS) had potent, broad activity across high-risk hematological malignancies and solid-organ cancers ex vivo and in vivo. The K+CS combination was not toxic to nonmalignant cells as compared with malignant cells and was safe without inducing toxicity to normal organs in mice. Mechanistically, compared with KPT-330 alone, K+CS suppresses the expression of CRM1, Rad51, and thymidylate synthase proteins, leading to more efficient inhibition of CRM1-mediated nuclear export, impairment of DNA-damage repair, reduced pyrimidine synthesis, cell-cycle arrest in S-phase, and cell apoptosis. Moreover, the addition of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors further potentiates the K+CS antitumor effect. K+CS represents a new class of therapy for multiple types of blood cancers and will stimulate future investigations to exploit DNA-damage repair and nucleocytoplasmic transport for cancer therapy in general.

Immunotherapy in patients with autoimmune disease

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death protein ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors are widely used for the treatment of multiple cancers. Seven of these agents are currently FDA approved in the US as first or second line options for solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. These agents work by downregulating pathways that suppress T-cell activation and thereby mounting an immune response to the tumor. In general, ICI are well tolerated with only mild to moderate toxicity. However, in some patients severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that mimic the presentation of autoimmune diseases (AID) may occur. It is believed that irAEs occur due to disruption of immunologic self-tolerance, a mechanism that also seems to explain AID. Patients with pre-existing AID are usually excluded from prospective clinical trials due to concerns for flares of the underline AID. There is limited retrospective evidence supporting the use of ICI in patients with some pre-existing AID. These patients have an increased risk of malignancy and there is an unmet need to study ICIs in this population. This manuscript intends to review the current available evidence for the safety and activity of ICIs in patients with pre-existing AID. We summarize the reported use of ICI in patients with pre-existing AID according to the primary tumor site and type of ICI used.

An International Phase 2 Study of Pazopanib in Progressive and Metastatic Thyroglobulin Antibody Negative Radioactive Iodine Refractory Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Introduction: Multikinase inhibitors have clinical activity in radioactive iodine refractory (RAIR) differentiated thyroid cancers (DTCs) but are not curative; optimal management and salvage therapies remain unclear. This study assessed clinical effects of pazopanib therapy in RAIR-DTC patients with progressive disease, examining in parallel biomarker that might forecast/precede therapeutic response. Methods: Assessment of responses and toxicities and of any association between thyroglobulin (Tg) changes cycle 1 and RECIST (response evaluation criteria in solid tumors) response to pazopanib therapy were prospectively undertaken in Tg antibody negative RAIR-DTC patients. RECIST progressive metastatic disease <6 months preceding enrollment was required. With a sample size of 68 (assuming 23 attaining partial response [PR]), there would be 90% chance of detecting a difference of >30% when the proportion of patients attaining PR whose Tg values decrease by >50% is >50% cycle 1 (one-sided α = 0.10, two sample test of proportions). Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) change or mutational status or pretreatment were also explored as early correlates of eventual RECIST response. Results: From 2009 to 2011, 60 individuals were treated and evaluated; (one additional patient withdrew; another was found ineligible before therapy initiation); 91.7% had previous systemic therapy beyond RAI. Adverse events included one death (thromboembolic) deemed possibly pazopanib associated. Twenty-two confirmed RECIST PRs resulted (36.7%, confidence interval; CI [24.6-50.1]); mean administered 4-week cycles was 10. Among 44 fully accessible patients, the Tg nadir was greater among the 20 attaining PR (median: -86.8%; interquartile range [IQR]: -90.7% to -70.9%) compared with the 28 who did not (median: -69.0%; IQR: -78.1% to -27.7%, Wilcoxon rank-sum test: p = 0.002). However, the difference in the proportion of PRs among those whose Tg fell ≥50% after cycle 1 versus those that did not were not significantly correlated (-23.5% [CI: -55.3 to 8.3]; Fisher's exact test p-value = 0.27). RECIST response was also not correlated with/predicted by early MCV change, receipt of prior therapy, or tumor mutational status. Conclusions: This trial prospectively confirmed pazopanib to have clinical activity and manageable toxicities in patients with progressive RAIR-DTC. Response to pazopanib, however, was not robustly forecast by early associated changes in Tg or MCV, by prior therapy, or by tumor mutational status. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00625846.

Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Tumors: Adjuvant and Systemic Treatments

OPINION STATEMENT

Bronchial carcinoids are uncommon tumors accounting for 20 to 30% of all neuroendocrine tumors and about 1-2% of all cancers of pulmonary origin. Bronchial carcinoids are well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors and have a favorable survival outcome when compared with other subtypes of lung cancers. Treatment of bronchial carcinoids is not simple owing to intricacy of symptom presentation and heterogeneity of disease biology. Successful treatment of patients requires a multimodality approach. Resection is curative in the majority of patients with localized tumors and adjuvant treatment is not routinely recommended. Multiple options for systemic therapy exist for patients with advanced disease. To date, very few randomized clinical trials have been done, partly owing to the relative rarity of this malignancy. Somatostatin analogs (SSAs) are reasonable first-line choice for patients with tumors expressing somatostatin receptors. Everolimus is an appropriate first-line choice for somatostatin receptor negative tumors and for any patients with progressive disease. PRRT can also be considered for progressive tumors expressing somatostatin receptors. Based on retrospective series, cytotoxic chemotherapy can be selected in patients with progressive tumors, primarily when cytoreduction is needed. Herein, we will discuss evidence supporting the role of adjuvant and systemic treatment therapies for those with bronchial carcinoid tumors by focusing on various studies.

Association of Sex, Age, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status With Survival Benefit of Cancer Immunotherapy in Randomized Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

IMPORTANCE

Sex, age, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) may affect immune response. However, the association of these factors with the survival benefit of cancer immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the potential sex, age, and ECOG PS differences of immunotherapy survival benefit in patients with advanced cancer.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus were searched from inception to August 31, 2019.

STUDY SELECTION

Published randomized clinical trials comparing overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced cancer treated with ICI immunotherapy vs non-ICI control therapy were included.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Pooled OS hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CI for patients of different sex, age (<65 and ≥65 years) or ECOG PS (0 and ≥1) were calculated separately using a random-effects model, and the heterogeneity between paired estimates was assessed using an interaction test by pooling study-specific interaction HRs. This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guideline.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The difference in survival benefit of ICIs between sex, age (<65 vs ≥65 years), and ECOG PS (0 vs ≥1), as well as the difference stratified by cancer type, line of therapy, agent of immunotherapy, and immunotherapy strategy in the intervention arm.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven phase 2 or 3 randomized clinical trials involving 23 760 patients were included. An OS benefit of immunotherapy was found for both men (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.71-0.81) and women (HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.72-0.88); for both younger (<65 years: HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.71-0.83) and older (≥65 years: HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.72-0.84) patients; and for both patients with ECOG PS 0 (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.73-0.90) and PS greater than or equal to 1 (HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.74-0.84). No significant difference of relative benefit from immunotherapy over control therapy was found in patients of different sex (P = .25, I2 = 19.02%), age (P = .94, I2 = 15.57%), or ECOG PS (P = .74, I2 = 0%). No significant difference was found in subgroup analyses by cancer type, line of therapy, agent of immunotherapy, and immunotherapy strategy in the intervention arm.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This meta-analysis found no evidence of an association of sex, age (<65 vs ≥65 years), or ECOG PS (0 vs ≥1) with cancer immunotherapy survival benefit. This finding suggests that the use of ICIs in advanced cancer should not be restricted to certain patients in sex, age, or ECOG PS categories.

Cardiovascular Health and Outcomes in Cancer Patients Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Whether cardiovascular (CV) disease is associated with clinical outcomes in cancer patients receiving immunotherapy is unknown. We reviewed the Mayo Clinic database for all cancer patients who received an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI). Multivariate logistic regression analysis, survival analyses, and Cox proportional-hazards models were formulated. Between March, 2010 and July, 2019, 3,326 patients received ICI. Mean patient age was 63.5 years (range: 16 to 96 years). In a Cox proportional-hazards model, obesity (hazard ratio [HR] 0.65, 95% confidence level [CI] 0.55 to 0.77, p < 0.001) and hypercholesterolemia (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.89, p < 0.001) were associated with lower all-cause mortality while hypertension (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.49, p < 0.001) and smoking (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.29, p = 0.002) were associated with higher overall mortality. Among patients with lung cancer, multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for death from any cause for beta blocker users, as compared with patients who had never used a beta blocker, were 1.39 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.76, p = 0.006). A total of 80 patients (2.4%) experienced CV immune-related adverse events. Event-related morality for ICI-induced myocarditis was 41.7% (5/12). Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for ICI-induced myocarditis were 5.2 (95% CI 1.4 to 18.7, p = 0.01) for history of heart failure, 4.06 (95% CI 1.15 to 14.3, p = 0.03) for history of acute coronary syndrome, and 1.07 (per each 1-year increase, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.14, p = 0.02) for age. In conclusion, our study shows that CV factors are associated with clinical outcomes in cancer patients receiving ICI and could be used to predict mortality. In patients with lung cancer, pretreatment beta blocker use is associated with higher all-cause mortality. Three clinical factors-history of heart failure, history of acute coronary syndrome, and age greater than 80 years-help identify patients at higher risk of ICI-induced myocarditis who might benefit from more intensive cardiac surveillance.

A Phase II Study of Pazopanib in Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: NCCTG N0623 (Alliance)

PURPOSE

Preclinical and clinical data have shown promise in using antiangiogenic agents to treat malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). We conducted this phase II study to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of single-agent pazopanib in patients with MPM.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with MPM who had received 0-1 prior chemotherapy regimens were eligible to receive pazopanib at a dose of 800 mg daily. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival rate at 6 months (PFS6), with a preplanned interim analysis for futility. Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), PFS, adverse events assessment and clinical benefit (complete response, partial response [PR], and stable disease [SD]).

RESULTS

Thirty-four evaluable patients were enrolled, with a median age of 73 years (49-84). The trial was closed early because of lack of efficacy at the preplanned interim analysis. Only 8 patients (28.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 13.2-48.7%) in the first 28 evaluable were progression-free at 6 months. PFS6 was 32.4% (95% CI, 17.4-50.5). There were 2 PR (5.9%) and 16 SD (47.1%). The overall median PFS and OS were 4.2 months (95% CI, 2.0-6.0) and 11.5 months (95% CI: 5.3-18.2), respectively. The median PFS and OS for the previously untreated patients was 5.4 months (95% CI, 2.7-8.5) and 16.6 months (95% CI, 6.6-30.6), respectively; and 2.0 months (95% CI, 1.3-4.2) and 5.0 months (95% CI: 3.0-11.9), respectively, for the previously treated patients. Grade 3 or higher adverse events were observed in 23 patients (67.6%).

CONCLUSION

Single-agent pazopanib was poorly tolerated in patients with MPM. The primary endpoint of PFS6 was not achieved in the current study. ClinicalTrials.gov identification number. NCT00459862.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Single-agent pazopanib did not meet its endpoint in this phase II trial in malignant mesothelioma. Pazopanib is well tolerated in mesothelioma patients with a manageable toxicity profile. There is a need to better identify signals of angiogenesis that can be targeted in mesothelioma. Encouraging findings in frontline treatment warrant further investigations in combination with chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

Clinical significance of brain metastases in patients with bronchopulmonary neuroendocrine tumors: A population-based analysis

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Background: The clinical significance of brain metastases in patients with bronchopulmonary neuroendocrine (NE) tumors is unknown; we therefore conducted a population based analysis to evaluate the implications of brain metastases in these patients. Methods: The NCDB database was queried to identify patients with stage IV bronchopulmonary NE tumors treated between the years of 2004-2012. Patients were split into two groups based on the presence of brain metastases at diagnosis and survival probabilities with multivariate models were performed. Results: A total of 7,725 patients with Stage IV bronchopulmonary NE tumors were identified. The histological subtypes studied in this cohort were NE carcinoma (65.4%), large cell NE carcinoma (30.5%), typical carcinoid (2.8%) and atypical carcinoid (1.3%) . The patients included in this study were mainly white (86.4%) men (56.8%) with a median age of 67 years who had liver (9.5%), bone (6.2%) and brain (5.9%) metastases at diagnosis. The median overall survival (OS) of the cohort was 5.59 (95% CI: 5.4-5.8) months, but when OS was stratified by histological subtype it was significantly better in patients with typical carcinoid (table). In the whole cohort, the median OS did not differ between patients with and without brain metastases (5.55 vs. 5.68; p = 0.24). However, a sensitivity analysis by histology showed that the presence of brain metastases worsen the median OS of patients with typical carcinoid only (15.1 vs 4.6, p = 0.04). An adjusted multivariate analysis restricted to patients with brain metastases showed that administration of systemic chemotherapy (HR:0.5; 95% CI:0.35-0.72, p < 0.001) and resection of distant metastases (HR:0.5; 95% CI:0.29-0.88, p = 0.017) were the two most powerful independent prognostic factors. Conclusions: The presence of brain metastases negatively impact survival of patients with typical carcinoids but not in those with the other histological subtypes included in this study. Staging MRI should be strongly considered at diagnosis in patients with bronchopulmonary NE tumors, due to the sizable proportion of these patients presenting with brain metastases and also due to its prognostic value in a subset of this population. [Table: see text]

The effect of cardiovascular disease on the association between immune-related adverse events and overall survival

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Background: Preliminary data suggests that immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are associated with lower all-cause mortality, presumably due to improved anti-tumor responses. Investigations of large cohorts are needed to establish better understanding of that association. Methods: We reviewed the Mayo Clinic database for all patients who received an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Descriptive and uni-variate analyses were generated. Results: Between March, 2010 and July, 2019, 3,326 patients received an ICI. The most common irAEs were colitis (287, 8.6%), pneumonitis (238, 7.2%) and hepatitis (227, 6.9%). A total of 933 (28.1%) patients developed at least 1 irAE and 176 (5.3%) patients experienced 2 or more irAEs. Survival analysis demonstrated an association between the number of irAEs and all-cause mortality (log-rank, P < 0.0001), a relationship which was maintained for the 3 most common cancer types (lung, melanoma, renal) and for the individual ICI agents. In patients with lung cancer, colitis (P = 0.04) but not pneumonitis (P = 0.83) was associated with improved overall survival. No association between irEA and all-cause mortality was demonstrated in patients with history of stroke (log-rank, P = 0.12), peripheral artery disease (PAD) (log-rank, P = 0.68) and obesity (log-rank, P = 0.18). In an analysis of pre-ICI body-mass index (BMI), an association between irAE and lower overall mortality was shown in patients with BMI < 30 (log-rank, P < 0.001) and not in those with higher BMIs (log-rank, P = 0.09). The presence of stroke, PAD and obesity were associated with higher all-cause mortality in a survival analysis (P < 0.001). The irAE-mortality association was not modulated by the presence hypertension (log-rank, P < 0.0001), diabetes mellitus (log-rank, P < 0.0001), or heart failure (log-rank, P = 0.006). Conclusions: The development of any irAE is associated with higher overall survival. The presence of numerous cardiovascular disease states neutralizes that association, likely a result of competing causes of mortality although interaction with immune or inflammatory pathways is possible. In addition, pneumonitis is not associated with better overall survival in patients with lung cancer presumably due to compromise of already-tenuous respiratory status.

Management of bronchopulmonary carcinoid: NCDB database analysis

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Background: There is a lack of data to guide the management of resectable bronchopulmonary carcinoid tumors (BCTs). Methods: The NCDB database was retrospectively reviewed to analyze the roles of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Patients with a diagnosis of clinically staged T1-2/N0-1 typical carcinoid (TC) and atypical carcinoid (AC) between 2004-2012 were included. Kaplan-Meier methods and multivariable analysis were performed. Results: A total of 2148 patients (TC 1874 & AC 274; T1/1648 & T2/500) were identified. The median age was 59 (range 18-89). There was a female (69.7%) and right lung (56.9%) predominance. Fifty-three patients received pneumonectomy, 68 chemotherapy, and 84 radiation therapy. The impact of age, histology (TC vs. AC), medical comorbidities (Charlson/Deyo score 0 vs. ≥1) and type of surgery [sublobar resection (SR) vs. lobectomy vs. lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection (L/MLND)] were subsequently examined. AC, older age, and comorbidities were associated with shorter overall survival (OS) by both univariate and multivariable analysis. Patients who underwent lobectomy had longer OS (119 months) than those with SR (109 months) or L/MLND (115 months). However, this association was not significant by multivariable analysis with age incorporated as either a categorical ( < 60 vs. ≥60) or a continuous variable (Table). In the subgroup analysis of patients with T1, T2, TC and AC respectively, type of surgical resection was not significantly associated with OS by multivariable analysis. Conclusions: Patients with resectable BCTs have excellent OS. Atypical histology, older age, and comorbidities predicted inferior OS. There were insufficient data to support the use of perioperative chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Lobectomy was associated with prolonged OS by univariate analysis but this was not significant in the multivariable model, suggesting that SR is a reasonable approach for patients who cannot tolerate lobectomy. MLND did not seem to provide additional survival benefits. [Table: see text]

A phase I study of the VEGFR kinase inhibitor vatalanib in combination with the mTOR inhibitor, everolimus, in patients with advanced solid tumors

Purpose Combining small-molecule inhibitors of different targets was shown to be synergistic in preclinical studies. Testing this concept in clinical trials is, however, daunting due to challenges in toxicity management and efficacy assessment. This study attempted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of vatalanib plus everolimus in patients with advanced solid tumors and explore the utility of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) studies as a predictive biomarker. Patients and Methods This single-center, phase I trial containing 70 evaluable patients consisted of a dose escalation proportion based on the traditional "3 + 3" design (cohort IA and IB) and a dose expansion proportion (cohort IIA and IIB). Toxicity was evaluated using the Common Terminology Criteria of Adverse Events. Antitumor activity was assessed using the Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Results The maximum tolerated doses were determined to be vatalanib 1250 mg once daily or 750 mg twice daily in combination with everolimus 10 mg once daily. No treatment-related death occurred. The most common toxicities were hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, fatigue, vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. There was no complete response. Nine patients (12.9%) had partial response (PR) and 41 (58.6%) had stable disease (SD). Significant antitumor activity was observed in neuroendocrine tumors with a disease-control rate (PR + SD) of 66.7% and other tumor types including renal cancer, melanoma, and non-small-cell lung cancer. Conclusions The combination of vatalanib and everolimus demonstrated reasonable toxicity and clinical activity. Future studies combining targeted therapies and incorporating biomarker analysis are warranted based on this phase I trial.

Surgery for Mesothelioma After Radiation Therapy (SMART); A Single Institution Experience

Background: The optimal treatment sequence for localized malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is controversial. We aimed to assess outcomes and toxicities of treating localized MPM with neoadjuvant radiation therapy (RT) followed by extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP). Methods: Patients were enrolled on an institutional protocol of surgery for mesothelioma after radiation therapy (SMART) between June 2016 and May 2017. Eligible patients were adults with MPM localized to the ipsilateral pleura. Patients underwent staging with PET/CT, pleuroscopy, bronchoscopy/EBUS, mediastinoscopy, and laparoscopy. Five fractions of RT were delivered using intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), with 30 Gy delivered to gross disease and 25 Gy to the entire pleura. EPP was performed 4-10 days following completion of RT. Results: Five patients were treated on protocol. Median age was 62 years (range 36-66). Histology was epithelioid on initial biopsy in all patients, but one was found to have biphasic histology after surgery. Three patients had surgeon-assessed gross total resection, and two had gross residual disease. While all patients were clinically node negative by pretreatment staging, three had positive nodal disease at surgery. Patients were hospitalized for a median 24 days (range 5-69) following surgery. Two patients developed empyema, one of whom developed respiratory failure and subsequently renal failure requiring dialysis, while the other required multiple surgical debridements. Two patients developed atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response after surgery, one of whom developed acute respiratory distress requiring intubation and tracheostomy. At last follow-up, one patient died at 1.4 years after local and distant progression, two were alive with local and distant progression, and the remaining two were alive without evidence of disease at 0.1 and 2.7 years. Median time to progression was 9 months. Three patients received salvage chemotherapy. Conclusions: SMART provided promising oncologic outcomes at the cost of significant treatment related morbidity. Due to the significant treatment associated morbidity and favorable treatment alternatives, we have not broadly adopted SMART at our institution.

Outcomes for patients with metastatic solid malignancies who achieve a complete response on an immune checkpoint inhibitor

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Background: Use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in metastatic solid malignancies can occasionally result in a complete response (CR). There is limited long-term data regarding outcomes for patients who achieve a CR on ICIs. Methods: We screened the Mayo Clinic electronic medical record using an institutional database query program to identify patients whose records contained keywords such as “pembrolizumab” and “complete response” or “no evidence of disease.” Patients were included if they had measurable metastatic solid tumor disease prior to initiation of ICI and if they had a CR defined by two consecutive imaging studies at least twelve weeks apart. Exclusion criteria included oligometastatic disease treated with locoregional therapy or presence of a second confounding malignancy. Results: One-hundred four patients with a CR on pembrolizumab met criteria. Most (71.1%) patients had melanoma and 63/103 (61.2%) received had received the ICI during the first line of metastatic systemic therapy. Additional characteristics are in Table. At a median follow-up of 35.8 months (6.1-87.7), patients had received ICI for a median of 12.1 months (1.5-46.7). The vast majority of patients who stopped ICI did so electively (for reasons other than disease progression). Of 88 elective discontinuations, only 7 patients had disease recurrence after a median follow-up from start of ICI of 40.5 months. Conclusions: Patients with a metastatic solid malignancy who achieve a CR to pembrolizumab appear to maintain remissions off therapy, with low rates of relapse. Further outcomes will be explored, including analyzing and characterizing a sub-group of “hyper-responders” and patients receiving other ICI agents. [Table: see text]

Distribution of Mediastinal Lesions Across Multi-Institutional, International, Radiology Databases

INTRODUCTION

Mediastinal lesions are uncommon; studies on their distribution are, in general, small and from a single institution. Furthermore, these studies are usually based on pathology or surgical databases and, therefore, miss many lesions that did not undergo biopsy or resection. Our aim was to identify the distribution of lesions in the mediastinum in a large international, multi-institutional cohort.

METHODS

At each participating institution, a standardized retrospective radiology database search was performed for interpretations of computed tomography, positron emission tomography-computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging scans including any of the following terms: "mediastinal nodule," "mediastinal lesion," "mediastinal mass," or "mediastinal abnormality" (2011-2014). Standardized data were collected. Statistical analysis was performed.

RESULTS

Among 3308 cases, thymomas (27.8%), benign mediastinal cysts (20.0%), and lymphomas (16.1%) were most common. The distribution of lesions varied among mediastinal compartments; thymomas (38.3%), benign cysts (16.8%), and neurogenic tumors (53.9%) were the most common lesions in the prevascular, visceral, and paravertebral mediastinum, respectively (p < 0.001). Mediastinal compartment was associated with age; patients with paravertebral lesions were the youngest (p < 0.0001). Mediastinal lesions differed by continent or country, with benign cysts being the most common mediastinal lesions in the People's Republic of China, thymomas in Europe, and lymphomas in North America and Israel (p < 0.001). Benign cysts, thymic carcinomas, and metastases were more often seen in larger hospitals, whereas lymphomas and thymic hyperplasia occurred more often in smaller hospitals (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study confirmed that the spectrum and frequency of mediastinal lesions depend on mediastinal compartment and age. This information provides helpful demographic data and is important when considering the differential diagnosis of a mediastinal lesion.

A Randomized Double-Blind Phase II Study of the Seneca Valley Virus (NTX-010) versus Placebo for Patients with Extensive-Stage SCLC (ES SCLC) Who Were Stable or Responding after at Least Four Cycles of Platinum-Based Chemotherapy: North Central Cancer Treatment Group (Alliance) N0923 Study

INTRODUCTION

The Seneca Valley virus (NTX-010) is an oncolytic picornavirus with tropism for SCLC. This phase II double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated NTX-010 in patients with extensive-stage (ES) SCLC after completion of first-line chemotherapy.

METHODS

Patients with ES SCLC who did not progress after four or more cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy were randomized 1:1 to a single dose of NTX-010 or placebo within 12 weeks of chemotherapy. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). A prespecified interim analysis for futility was performed after 40 events. Viral clearance and the development of neutralizing antibodies were followed.

RESULTS

From January 15, 2010, to January 10, 2013, a total of 50 patients were randomized and received therapy on study (26 received NTX-010 and 24 received placebo). At the specified interim analysis, the median PFS was 1.7 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4-3.1 months) for the NTX-010 group versus 1.7 months (95% CI: 1.4-4.3 months) for the placebo group (hazard ratio = 1.03, p = 0.92), and the trial was terminated owing to futility. In the NTX-010 group, PFS was shorter in patients with detectable virus at days 7 and 14 versus in those in whom it was not detected after treatment (1.0 month [95% CI: 0.4-1.5 months] versus 1.8 months [95% CI: 1.3-5.5 months, p = 0.008] and 0.9 months [95% CI: 0.4-2.6 months] versus 1.3 months [95% CI: 1.0-5.3 months], respectively [p = 0.04]).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with ES SCLC did not benefit from NTX-010 treatment after chemotherapy with a platinum doublet. Persistence of NTX-010 in the blood 1 or 2 weeks after treatment was associated with a shorter PFS.

PFKFB3 inhibition reprograms malignant pleural mesothelioma to nutrient stress-induced macropinocytosis and ER stress as independent binary adaptive responses

The metabolic signatures of cancer cells are often associated with elevated glycolysis. Pharmacological (PFK158 treatment) and genetic inhibition of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3), a critical control point in the glycolytic pathway, decreases glucose uptake, ATP production, and lactate dehydrogenase activity and arrests malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) cells in the G0/G1 phase to induce cell death. To overcome this nutrient stress, inhibition of PFKFB3 activity led to an escalation in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) activity and aggravated ER stress mostly by upregulating BiP and GADD153 expression and activation of the endocytic Rac1-Rab5-Rab7 pathway resulting in a unique form of cell death called “methuosis” in both the sarcomatoid (H28) and epithelioid (EMMeso) cells. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed the formation of nascent macropinocytotic vesicles, which rapidly coalesced to form large vacuoles with compromised lysosomal function. Both immunofluorescence microscopy and co-immunoprecipitation analyses revealed that upon PFKFB3 inhibition, two crucial biomolecules of each pathway, Rac1 and Calnexin interact with each other. Finally, PFK158 alone and in combination with carboplatin-inhibited tumorigenesis of EMMeso xenografts in vivo. Since most cancer cells exhibit an increased glycolytic rate, these results provide evidence for PFK158, in combination with standard chemotherapy, may have a potential in the treatment of MPM.

Small cell lung cancer: Sociodemographic factors in patients’ decisions for treatment

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Background: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is highly responsive to cytotoxic therapy and can be cured in early stages of disease. In this setting, disparities in patient refusal despite provider recommendations are unknown. Methods: All incident limited stage (LS)-SCLC cases from the National Cancer Database were identified from 2004 to 2014. Logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with treatment refusal. Results: 65,664 patients (pts) were identified with LS-SCLC: 44% male, median age 68 years. 3.4% of pts refused radiation and 3.8% refused chemotherapy. The proportion of chemotherapy refusal increased over the study period: 3% in 2004-2006 compared to 5.4% in 2013-2014 [odds ratio (OR) 1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.55-2.01]; this was not observed for radiation. In multivariate analysis, women were more likely to refuse radiation (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.06-1.32) and chemotherapy (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.19-1.43) than men. Women who accepted treatment had higher overall survival compared to those who refused radiation (19.8 vs 5.2 months) or chemotherapy (17.4 vs 3.9 months) (both p < 0.001). Hispanic, Black, and Asian pts were not more likely to refuse treatment than White pts. Older pts were more likely to refuse radiation (OR 1.09 per year, 95% CI 1.08-1.09) and chemotherapy (OR 1.10 per year, 95% CI 1.09-1.11). Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) of 2 was associated with more frequent treatment refusal compared to CCI of 0 (radiation OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.68-2.30; chemotherapy OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.34-1.76). Medicaid as primary insurance predicted a higher risk of refusal compared to private insurance for radiation (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.81-3.07) and chemotherapy (OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.78-2.80). Treatment at an academic facility predicted a lower risk of radiation refusal (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59-0.84) but not chemotherapy refusal. Conclusions: Female sex, comorbidities, and Medicaid insurance were predictors of treatment refusal in LS-SCLC, suggesting that socioeconomic and sex disparities may affect treatment decisions in this life-threatening disease. Further research to identify reasons for refusal via patient and provider interviews can improve care of vulnerable populations with potentially curable cancer.

Oncolytic Measles Virotherapy and Opposition to Measles Vaccination

Recent measles epidemics in US and European cities where vaccination coverage has declined are providing a harsh reminder for the need to maintain protective levels of immunity across the entire population. Vaccine uptake rates have been declining in large part because of public misinformation regarding a possible association between measles vaccination and autism for which there is no scientific basis. The purpose of this article is to address a new misinformed antivaccination argument-that measles immunity is undesirable because measles virus is protective against cancer. Having worked for many years to develop engineered measles viruses as anticancer therapies, we have concluded (1) that measles is not protective against cancer and (2) that its potential utility as a cancer therapy will be enhanced, not diminished, by prior vaccination.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Epidemiology, Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. In the past decade, significant advances have been made in the science of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Screening has been introduced with the goal of early detection. The National Lung Screening Trial found a lung cancer mortality benefit of 20% and a 6.7% decrease in all-cause mortality with the use of low-dose chest computed tomography in high-risk individuals. The treatment of lung cancer has also evolved with the introduction of several lines of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with EGFR, ALK, ROS1, and NTRK mutations. Similarly, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have dramatically changed the landscape of NSCLC treatment. Furthermore, the results of new trials continue to help us understand the role of these novel agents and which patients are more likely to benefit; ICIs are now part of the first-line NSCLC treatment armamentarium as monotherapy, combined with chemotherapy, or after definite chemoradiotherapy in patients with stage III unresectable NSCLC. Expression of programmed cell death protein-ligand 1 in malignant cells has been studied as a potential biomarker for response to ICIs. However, important drawbacks exist that limit its discriminatory potential. Identification of accurate predictive biomarkers beyond programmed cell death protein-ligand 1 expression remains essential to select the most appropriate candidates for ICI therapy. Many questions remain unanswered regarding the proper sequence and combinations of these new agents; however, the field is moving rapidly, and the overall direction is optimistic.

Smoking, Sex, and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Steroid Hormone Receptors in Tumor Tissue (S0424)

Background

To what extent steroid hormones contribute to lung cancer in male and female never smokers and smokers is unclear. We examined expression of hormone receptors in lung tumors by sex and smoking.

Methods

Patients with primary non-small cell lung cancer were recruited into an Intergroup study in the United States and Canada, led by SWOG (S0424). Tumors from 813 cases (450 women and 363 men) were assayed using immunohistochemistry for estrogen receptor (ER)-α, ER-β, progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Linear regression was used to examine differences in expression by sex and smoking status. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate survival associated with the receptors. All statistical tests were two-sided.

Results

In ever smokers, postmenopause and oral contraceptive use were associated with lower nuclear ER-β (P = .02) and total (nuclear + cytoplasmic) PR expression (P = .02), respectively. Women had lower cytoplasmic ER-α (regression coefficient [β], or differences in H-scores = -15.8, P = .003) and nuclear ER-β (β = -12.8, P = .04) expression than men, adjusting for age, race, and smoking. Ever smokers had both higher cytoplasmic ER-α (β = 45.0, P < .001) and ER-β (β = 25.9, P < .001) but lower total PR (β = -42.1, P < .001) than never smokers. Higher cytoplasmic ER-α and ER-β were associated with worse survival (hazard ratio = 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.15 to 2.58, and HR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.08 to 2.33, respectively; quartiles 4 vs 1).

Conclusions

Lower expression of nuclear ER-β in women supports the estrogen hypothesis in lung cancer etiology. Increasing cytoplasmic ER-α and ER-β and decreasing PR protein expression may be mechanisms whereby smoking disrupts hormone pathways.

The role of flagship species in the economic valuation of wildfire impacts: An application to two Mediterranean protected areas

Disturbance events play an important role in ecosystem services management and species biodiversity. In this sense, species biodiversity may constitute a large proportion of the total ecosystem value, mainly in natural protected areas. The present research proposes a methodology for the economic valuation of flagship species; the value of charismatic species was estimated using two complementary approaches based on recovery programs and contingent valuation method (CVM). While recovery programs approach is related to government expenditure, CVM is associated with survey results according to the society's willingness to pay. There are significant differences between both approaches as flagship species are highly valued by the society. In this sense, a difference of 43.75% on the species value can be found depending on the scenario of CVM (all respondents or only affirmative respondents). Our research was done on the integration of economic tools and wildfire severity of two burned areas in order to evaluate the effects caused in their habitat and, as a consequence, in the food chain. The results obtained from both the studied areas emphasized the importance of wildfire impacts on flagship species (209,619.08-445,495.88 € from Doñana wildfire and 634.68-5792.98 € from Segura wildfire) which are often omitted in valuation reports. The use of Geographic Information Systems helps to identify flagship species impacts per unit area (74.89-159.17 €/ha from Doñana wildfire and 0.76-6.98 €/ha from Segura wildfire) and to prioritize restoration activities on the most susceptible areas. This methodology could be extrapolated to any territory and spatial resolution based on the revision of the questionnaires regarding flagship species. The availability of cartography of flagship species´ susceptibility could play a critical role in budget optimization and the decision-making process on restoration planning.

Treatment-Related Adverse Events of PD-1 and PD-L1 Inhibitors in Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

IMPORTANCE

Programmed cell death (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors have been increasingly used in cancer therapy. Understanding the treatment-related adverse events of these drugs is critical for clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the incidences of treatment-related adverse events of PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors and the differences between different drugs and cancer types.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus were searched from October 1, 2017, through December 15, 2018.

STUDY SELECTION

Published clinical trials on single-agent PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors with tabulated data on treatment-related adverse events were included.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Trial name, phase, cancer type, PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitor used, dose escalation, dosing schedule, number of patients, number of all adverse events, and criteria for adverse event reporting data were extracted from each included study, and bayesian multilevel regression models were applied for data analysis.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Incidences of treatment-related adverse events and differences between different drugs and cancer types.

RESULTS

This systematic review and meta-analysis included 125 clinical trials involving 20 128 patients; 12 277 (66.0%) of 18 610 patients from 106 studies developed at least 1 adverse event of any grade (severity), and 2627 (14.0%) of 18 715 patients from 110 studies developed at least 1 adverse event of grade 3 or higher severity. The most common all-grade adverse events were fatigue (18.26%; 95% CI, 16.49%-20.11%), pruritus (10.61%; 95% CI, 9.46%-11.83%), and diarrhea (9.47%; 95% CI, 8.43%-10.58%). The most common grade 3 or higher adverse events were fatigue (0.89%; 95% CI, 0.69%-1.14%), anemia (0.78%; 95% CI, 0.59%-1.02%), and aspartate aminotransferase increase (0.75%; 95% CI, 0.56%-0.99%). Hypothyroidism (6.07%; 95% CI, 5.35%-6.85%) and hyperthyroidism (2.82%; 95% CI, 2.40%-3.29%) were the most frequent all-grade endocrine immune-related adverse events. Nivolumab was associated with higher mean incidences of all-grade adverse events compared with pembrolizumab (odds ratio [OR], 1.28; 95% CI, 0.97-1.79) and grade 3 or higher adverse events (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.89-2.00). PD-1 inhibitors were associated with a higher mean incidence of grade 3 or higher adverse events compared with PD-L1 inhibitors (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.00-2.54).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Different PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors appear to have varying treatment-related adverse events; a comprehensive summary of the incidences of treatment-related adverse events in clinical trials provides an important guide for clinicians.

Association of sex, age and ECOG performance status with cancer immunotherapy efficacy in randomized controlled trials

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Background: Sex, age and ECOG performance status (PS) may affect immune response and the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). We did a meta-analysis to assess the potential sex, age and ECOG PS differences of immunotherapy efficacy in advanced cancer. Methods: PubMed was searched up to January 15, 2019 for randomized controlled trials (RCT) comparing overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced cancer treated with ICI immunotherapy vs control therapy (without ICI). For sex difference analysis, pooled hazard ratio (HR) of death for men and women was calculated separately, and the heterogeneity between the two estimates was assessed using an interaction test by pooling study-specific interaction HR. Age ( < 65 vs ≥65) and ECOG PS (0 vs ≥1) difference was analyzed similarly. Subgroup analysis by cancer type and line of therapy (frontline vs subsequent) was explored. All analyses were done in Comprehensive Meta Analysis (v2) with random effects models. Results: Thirty phase 2/3 RCTs involving 17,728 patients were included. An OS benefit of immunotherapy was found for both men (HR 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69-0.81, P < 0.01) and women (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.69-0.90, P < 0.01); for both younger ( < 65; HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.68-0.83, P < 0.01) and older (≥65; HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.69-0.83, P < 0.01) patients; and for both ECOG PS 0 (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.69-0.89, P < 0.01) and PS ≥1 (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.71-0.84, P < 0.01) patients. No significant difference of relative benefit from immunotherapy over control therapy was found in patients with different sex ( P = 0.283), age ( P = 0.906) or ECOG PS ( P = 0.783). In melanoma RCTs, compared with women (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.64-0.94, P < 0.01), men (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.42-0.76, P < 0.01) had more OS benefit from immunotherapy ( P = 0.037). No significant difference was found in other subgroup analyses by cancer types or line of therapy. Conclusions: Overall we found no evidence of association of sex, age, or ECOG PS with cancer immunotherapy efficacy. However, in melanoma, men might benefit more from immunotherapy than women.

Pooled subgroup analysis of twelve randomized controlled trials of immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer

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Background: Multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown a robust benefit of immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We did a meta-analysis to examine the benefit of ICI in various subgroups. Methods: PubMed was searched up to Jan 15, 2019 for RCTs comparing overall survival (OS) between ICI and control (without ICI) arms. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated for each subgroup. Interaction tests were done to compare relative benefit between opposed subgroups of interest (eg. men vs women; reported as Pheterogeneity). All analyses were performed with a random effects model in Comprehensive Meta Analysis (v2). Results: Twelve phase 2/3 RCTs involving 7244 patients were included. A significant OS benefit of ICI was found in both squamous and non-squamous histology. Current/former smokers, EGFR wild-type, and KRAS mutant patients had a significant OS benefit from ICI, but never smokers, EGFR mutant, and KRAS wild-type patients did not. An OS benefit of ICI was found in patients with or without baseline brain metastasis, PD-L1 < 1% or ≥1%, men or women, age < 65 or ≥65, and ECOG PS 0 or ≥1. No significant difference of relative benefit from ICI over control was found in patients with different PD-L1 expression, sex, age, or ECOG PS (Table). Conclusions: OS benefit of ICI in NSCLC was associated with a smoking history, wild-type EGFR or KRAS mutation. However, the OS benefit of ICI was seen regardless of histology, PD-L1 expression, sex, age, and ECOG PS. [Table: see text]

Exploring sex differences in small cell lung cancer: Is this a hormonal issue?

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Background: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for about 10% to 15% of lung cancers among women and men. Though heavily associated with smoking, its incidence in women is rapidly increasing despite a decline in cigarette exposure. Given the changing demographics of SCLC and hormonal factors associated with other forms of lung cancer, we studied differences between sexes in SCLC. Methods: Utilizing the National Cancer Database, we identified all incident SCLC cases from 2004 to 2014. Patients were classified as limited stage (LS) or extensive stage (ES). Women were stratified by menopausal status (≥55 years = postmenopausal). Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression were used for overall survival (OS) and multivariable analysis. Results: 161,978 patients were identified. No significant sociodemographic differences were observed between sexes. The majority of patients were non-Hispanic whites (89.1%), followed by non-Hispanic blacks (7.5%). Men were more likely to be diagnosed with ES disease than women (63% vs. 56%). Both sexes initiated treatment within a similar time frame from diagnosis (chemotherapy, median: 18 days, IQR 8-32). Women had better median OS compared to men in both LS (15.2 vs. 12.7 months, HR: 0.85, 95% CI 0.83-0.86, p < 0.0001) and ES (6.4 vs. 5.7 months, HR: 0.88, 95% CI 0.87-0.90, p < 0.0001). No racial or ethnic disparities in OS were observed, overall and when examined within sex and disease stage groups. Differences between sexes in OS were also observed when comparing patients within the same racial/ethnic group (women having better OS). When divided by menopausal status, postmenopausal women with LS and ES had worse OS than premenopausal women (14.7 vs. 22 months, HR: 1.50, 95% CI 1.44-1.56; 6.1 vs. 9.8 months, HR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.37-1.46, respectively). We also observed worse OS in older men when divided by age ( < 55 years and ≥55 years). In multivariable analysis, older age, postmenopausal status, and Medicaid as primary insurance were associated with worse OS for both LS and ES. Conclusions: In this large cohort, women with SCLC had better OS compared to men. Post-menopausal women had worse OS compared to pre-menopausal women. Since older men had a similar trend of worse survival compared to younger men, age might exert a more significant influence on survival than hormonal status in SCLC. Further studies with data on sexual hormone levels are necessary to better understand their role in women with SCLC.

Use of archival versus newly collected tumor samples for assessing PD-L1 expression and overall survival: an updated analysis of KEYNOTE-010 trial

BACKGROUND

In KEYNOTE-010, pembrolizumab versus docetaxel improved overall survival (OS) in patients with programmed death-1 protein (PD)-L1-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A prespecified exploratory analysis compared outcomes in patients based on PD-L1 expression in archival versus newly collected tumor samples using recently updated survival data.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

PD-L1 was assessed centrally by immunohistochemistry (22C3 antibody) in archival or newly collected tumor samples. Patients received pembrolizumab 2 or 10 mg/kg Q3W or docetaxel 75 mg/m2 Q3W for 24 months or until progression/intolerable toxicity/other reason. Response was assessed by RECIST v1.1 every 9 weeks, survival every 2 months. Primary end points were OS and progression-free survival (PFS) in tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥50% and ≥1%; pembrolizumab doses were pooled in this analysis.

RESULTS

At date cut-off of 24 March 2017, median follow-up was 31 months (range 23-41) representing 18 additional months of follow-up from the primary analysis. Pembrolizumab versus docetaxel continued to improve OS in patients with previously treated, PD-L1-expressing advanced NSCLC; hazard ratio (HR) was 0.66 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.57, 0.77]. Of 1033 patients analyzed, 455(44%) were enrolled based on archival samples and 578 (56%) on newly collected tumor samples. Approximately 40% of archival samples and 45% of newly collected tumor samples were PD-L1 TPS ≥50%. For TPS ≥50%, the OS HRs were 0.64 (95% CI: 0.45, 0.91) and 0.40 (95% CI: 0.28, 0.56) for archival and newly collected samples, respectively. In patients with TPS ≥1%, OS HRs were 0.74 (95% CI: 0.59, 0.93) and 0.59 (95% CI: 0.48, 0.73) for archival and newly collected samples, respectively. In TPS ≥50%, PFS HRs were similar across archival [0.63 (95% CI: 0.45, 0.89)] and newly collected samples [0.53 (95% CI: 0.38, 0.72)]. In patients with TPS ≥1%, PFS HRs were similar across archival [0.82 (95% CI: 0.66, 1.02)] and newly collected samples [0.83 (95% CI: 0.68, 1.02)].

CONCLUSION

Pembrolizumab continued to improve OS over docetaxel in intention to treat population and in subsets of patients with newly collected and archival samples.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01905657.

Characterization of Comorbidities Limiting the Recruitment of Patients in Early Phase Clinical Trials

BACKGROUND

Early phase clinical trials evaluate the safety and efficacy of new treatments. The exclusion/inclusion criteria in these trials are usually rigorous and may exclude many patients seen in clinical practice. Our objective was to study the comorbidities limiting the participation of patients with breast, colorectal, or lung cancer in clinical trials.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We queried ClinicalTrials.gov on December 31, 2016. We reviewed the eligibility criteria of 1,103 trials. Logistic regression analyses were completed, and exclusion was studied as a binary variable.

RESULTS

Out of 1,103 trials, 70 trials (6%) excluded patients >75 years of age, and 45% made no reference to age. Eighty-six percent of trials placed restrictions on patients with history of prior malignancies. Regarding central nervous system (CNS) metastasis, 416 trials (38%) excluded all patients with CNS metastasis, and 373 (34%) only allowed asymptomatic CNS metastasis. Regarding chronic viral infections, 347 trials (31%) excluded all patients with human immunodeficiency virus, and 228 trials (21%) excluded all patients with hepatitis B or C infection. On univariate analysis, chemotherapy trials were more likely to exclude patients with CNS metastasis and history of other malignancies than targeted therapy trials. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that industry-sponsored trials had higher odds of excluding patients with compromised liver function.

CONCLUSION

Many clinical trials excluded large segments of the population of patients with cancer. Frequent exclusion criteria included patients with CNS metastasis, history of prior malignancies, and chronic viral infections. The criteria for participation in some clinical trials may be overly restrictive and limit enrollment.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The results of this study revealed that most early phase clinic trials contain strict exclusion criteria, potentially excluding the patients who may be more likely to represent the population treated in clinical settings, leaving patients susceptible to unintended harm from inappropriate generalization of trial results. Careful liberalization of the inclusion/exclusion criteria in clinical trials will allow investigators to understand the benefits and drawbacks of the experimental drug for a broader population, and possibly improve recruitment of patients with cancer into clinical trials.