89Zr-durvalumab PD-L1 PET in recurrent or metastatic (R/M) squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

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Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) targeting programmed cell death protein-1/ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) have shown activity in R/M squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Positron-emission-tomography (PET) with 89Zr-labeled anti-PD-L1 antibodies could aid in predicting response to ICI. We present the dose-finding results of the first-in-human 89Zr-durvalumab PD-L1 PET-imaging in patients with SCCHN participating in the ongoing phase II PINCH study (NCT03829007). Methods: Following baseline [18F]FDG-PET and CT/MRI imaging, patients with incurable R/M SCCHN received 37 MBq 89Zr-durvalumab and protein dose 2mg, 10mg or 50mg durvalumab. 89Zr-durvalumab PD-L1 PET-scan was acquired day 5 post-injection. Plasma pharmacokinetic analyses were performed at day 0 and 5. Standardized uptake values (SUV, mean ± SD) were measured in [18F]FDG-positive tumor lesion, liver, spleen, bone marrow and bloodpool. PD-L1-expression was assessed on archival tumor tissue using the Ventana PD-L1 (SP263) assay. Results: 14 patients were enrolled and no adverse events were reported. High tracer-retention was observed in liver and spleen, most prominent in patients receiving 2 or 10mg durvalumab. 89Zr-durvalumab accumulation within tumors and between patients was heterogeneous and not all [18F]FDG-positive lesions showed 89Zr-durvalumab uptake. Tumor lesions were visualized best using 10 or 50mg durvalumab (SUVpeak 2mg: 3.86 ± 0.79, 10mg: 7.46 ± 2.18, 50mg: 5.57 ± 1.74). Tumor-to-blood-ratios for 10mg durvalumab were highest (2mg: 2.27 ± 0.33, 10mg: 3.44 ± 0.76, 50mg: 1.73 ± 0.99; p = 0.019). PK-analyses confirmed visual prolonged tracer-retention in bloodpool with increasing protein dose. PD-L1-expression was equally distributed amongst dose-groups. Conclusions: This is the first study to show feasibility of 89Zr-durvalumab PD-L1 PET in SCCHN patients, demonstrating the highest tumor-to-blood radio with a total dose of 10mg durvalumab. So far, no correlation of tumor PD-L1 expression with 89Zr-durvalumab-uptake and PD-L1 expression on archival tissue was found. Next step will be to correlate 89Zr-durvalumab PD-L1 PET tumor uptake with durvalumab treatment response in the phase 2 part of the PINCH study. Clinical trial information: NCT03829007 .

Prediction of watchful waiting in newly diagnosed metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients with a good or intermediate prognosis

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Background: In metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC), the number of International Metastatic Database Consortium (IMDC) risk factors plus metastatic sites may identify patients with rapid or slow disease progression in a period of watchful waiting (WW) (median WW of 8.4 vs 22.2 months; Rini et al. Lancet Oncol. 2016). We aimed to validate this and prospectively assess the added value of baseline PET with [18F]FDG and [89Zr]Zr-DFO-girentuximab to predict the WW-period in the multicenter IMaging PAtients for Cancer drug selecTion (IMPACT)-RCC cohort study. (NCT02228954). Methods: Between February 2015 and March 2018, 40 treatment-naïve mccRCC patients with a good (n=13) or intermediate prognosis (n=25) according to IMDC, were enrolled. Following baseline CT, [18F]FDG and [89Zr]Zr-DFO-girentuximab-PET, CT scans (RECIST1.1) were acquired at 2, 4, 6, 9, 12 months and thereafter every 4 months. Primary endpoint was time to radiological and/or clinical disease progression, requiring systemic treatment. Patients were assigned to a favorable (<2 IMDC risk factors and <3 metastatic sites) or unfavorable for WW-group (all others; Rini et al). Maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) were measured in PET-positive lesions measuring ≥10mm, or 15mm in lymph nodes. High and low-uptake groups were defined based on median geometric mean (gm) SUVmax across patients. A one-sided test was used to validate observations by Rini et al; other tests were two-sided. Results: The median WW-period was 9.3 months in the unfavorable WW-group (n=19) vs 20.4 months in the favorable WW-group (n=21) (HR 1.89 95%CI 0.94-3.89; p=0.037), confirming observations of Rini et al. Patients with high [18F]FDG uptake had a median WW-period of 8.5 months compared to 25.2 months in the low-uptake group (HR 4.08 95%CI 1.89-9.28; p=0.0002). Patients with high [89Zr]Zr-DFO-girentuximab uptake had a median WW-period of 10.7 versus 16.4 months in the low-uptake group (HR 1.37; 95%CI 0.69-2.76; p=0.37). [18F]FDG uptake groups improved a Cox-model for WW based on the prognostic groups of Rini et al (p=0.0015); [89Zr]Zr-DFO-girentuximab did not (p=0.98). Conclusions: The IMPACT-RCC study validated the observations by Rini et al. and shows that adding baseline [18F]FDG PET further improves the prediction of the duration of the WW-period in mccRCC patients. Clinical trial information: NCT02228954 .