Clinical Outcomes and Racial Disparities in Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer in the Era of Novel Treatment Options

BACKGROUND

Docetaxel (DOC) and abiraterone (ABI) in the upfront setting have separately improved clinical outcomes for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC), but there are no studies comparing drug efficacies or the influence of racial disparities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a retrospective multicenter review from Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University and Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence at Grady Memorial Hospital (2014-2020) for patients with mHSPC treated with either upfront DOC or ABI. Outcomes evaluated were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and prostate-specific antigen complete response (PSA CR).

RESULTS

A total of 168 patients were included, consisting of 92 (54.8%) Black patients and 76 (45.2%) non-Black patients (69 White and 7 Asian or Hispanic). Ninety-four (56%) received DOC and 74 (44%) received ABI. Median follow-up time was 22.8 months with data last reviewed June 2020. For OS, there was no significant difference between ABI versus DOC and Black versus non-Black patients. For PFS, DOC was associated with hazard ratio (HR) 1.7 compared with ABI for all patients based on univariate association and HR 2.27 compared with ABI for Black patients on multivariable analysis. For PSA CR, Black patients were less likely to have a CR (odds ratio [OR] = 0.27).

CONCLUSION

ABI and DOC have similar OS with a trend toward better PFS for ABI in a cohort composed of 54% Black patients. Racial disparities were observed as prolonged PFS for Black patients treated with ABI, more so compared with all patients, and less PSA CR for Black patients. A prospective trial comparing available upfront therapies in a diverse racial population is needed to help guide clinical decision-making in the era of novel treatment options.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Overall survival is similar for abiraterone and docetaxel when used as upfront therapy in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer in a cohort composed of 54% Black patients. There is a trend towards improved progression-free survival for abiraterone in all patients and Black patients. Non-Black patients were more likely to achieve prostate-specific antigen (PSA) complete response regardless of upfront therapy.

Body mass index (BMI) and toxicities and association with clinical outcomes (CO) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients (pts) treated with cabozantinib (cabo)

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Background: BMI has been explored as a prognostic factor in cancer pts and treatment-related toxicities have been associated with responses to VEGF-targeted therapy in mRCC pts. We investigated the association of BMI and adverse events (AEs) and CO in mRCC pts treated with cabo. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 65 pts with mRCC treated with cabo at Winship Cancer Institute from 2016 to 2018 was performed. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and objective response (OR) were used to measure CO. OS and PFS were calculated from first cabo dose to death and radiographic or clinical progression, respectively. An OR was defined as a partial response (PR) or a complete response (CR) using RECISTv1.1. BMI was collected at baseline (BL) and 6 (±2) weeks after cabo initiation. AEs were obtained from clinic notes. Univariate analysis (UVA) of association between BMI and CO was carried out using logistic regression model for OR and proportional hazard model for OS and PFS. Results: The median age was 63 years and 26% were African American. The majority were either IMDC intermediate or poor-risk (59% and 34%, respectively). Most pts (67%) had a BMI ≥ 25 and the median BMI at BL was 26.6. There was no difference in incidence of AEs between pts with BMI < 25 and pts with BMI ≥ 25. Gastrointestinal (GI) AEs incidence was also comparable among pts with a BMI ≥ 25 (62%) and pts with BMI < 25 (57%, p = 0.666). Increased BMI at 6W was significantly associated with prolonged OS and increased baseline BMI at BL showed a trend towards longer OS (Table). Conclusions: Increased BMI may be associated with improved CO in mRCC pts treated with cabo, but there may not be a difference in AEs based on BMI. Larger analyses are needed to validate these findings. [Table: see text]

Sites of metastases (mets) and their association with clinical outcomes (CO) in urothelial cancer patients (pts) treated with immunotherapy (IO)

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Background: Several IO agents have been approved for treatment of advanced urothelial cancer pts. We investigated the association between sites of mets and CO in urothelial cancer pts treated with IO in the real world setting. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 67 urothelial cancer pts treated with PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors at Winship Cancer Institute from 2015-2018. Overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) were measured from first dose of IO to date of death or hospice referral and radiographic or clinical progression, respectively. Sites of mets were collected from radiology and clinic notes at baseline. Univariate analysis (UVA) and multivariable analysis (MVA) used Cox proportional hazard. Results: The median age was 70 and most (79.1%) were men. Pts had mets to sites such as lymph node (73.1%), bone (29.9%), liver (20.9%), lung (31.3%), and brain (1.5%). Pts with bone or liver mets had significantly shorter OS and PFS in UVA. Pts with bone mets also had significantly shorter OS and PFS in MVA (Table). The median OS of pts with bone mets was 2.2 months (12-month survival=28.0%), while those without bone mets had a median OS of 21.9 months (12-month survival=52.5%) per Kaplan-Meier estimation. The median OS of pts with liver mets was 2.2 months (12-month survival=28.6%), while those without liver mets had a median OS of 12.8 months (12-month survival=50.1%) per Kaplan-Meier estimation. Conclusions: Bone and liver mets are poor prognostic factors in urothelial cancer pts receiving IO in the real world setting. These findings should be validated in a larger study. [Table: see text]

Association of baseline modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) with survival outcomes in patients with metastatic urothelial cell carcinoma (mUCC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPI)

563

Background: The mGPS, a clinical tool that incorporates albumin and C-reactive protein, has proven useful in the prognostication of multiple cancers. Several CPI agents have been approved for the treatment of mUCC but a prognostic biomarker is needed. We investigated the impact of mGPS on survival outcomes in mUCC patients receiving CPI. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed mUCC patients treated with CPI (PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors) at Winship Cancer Institute from 2015 to 2018. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were measured from the start date of CPI until death or clinical/radiographic progression, respectively. mGPS was defined as a summary score with one point given for CRP > 10 mg/L and/or albumin < 3.5 g/dL. Univariate (UVA) and multivariate (MVA) analyses were carried out using Cox proportional hazard model for OS and PFS. Results: A total of 53 patients were included with a median follow up 27.1 months. The median age was 70 years with 84.9% male and 20.8% black. Baseline mGPS was 0 in 43.4%, 1 in 28.3% and 2 in 28.3%. The correlation between mGPS and other inflammatory biomarkers, such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), was high with Pearson correlation coefficients ≥ 0.48 (p ≤ 0.0003). Increased mGPS at the time of CPI initiation was associated with poorer OS and PFS (Table). Conclusions: The mGPS may be a useful prognostic tool in mUCC patients when treatment with CPI is under consideration. These results warrant a larger study for validation.[Table: see text]

Novel risk stratification criteria of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients (pts) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI)

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Background: IMDC risk criteria is the gold standard for predicting outcomes for mRCC pts. We developed novel risk groups for mRCC pts treated with ICI. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 100 ICI-treated mRCC pts at Winship Cancer Institute from 2015-2018. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were used to measure outcomes; OS was the primary outcome. We obtained baseline monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), body mass index (BMI), and metastatic (met) sites. We created a new variable (D_met) that combines number and sites of met: 0 = < 2 met sites; 1 = ≥ 2 met sites without liver metastases (mets); 2 = ≥ 2 met sites with liver mets. Cox proportional hazard model and Kaplan-Meier method were used for association with OS and PFS. Recursive partitioning and regression tree analyses were used for risk stratification. Discrimination of the risk score was measured by Uno C-statistics. Results: The pts were 66% males, 78% clear cell RCC (ccRCC), and 71% received anti-PD-1 monotherapy. Very poor risk pts (MLR ≥ 0.93 or MLR < 0.93, BMI < 24, and D_Met = 2) had significantly shorter OS and PFS than good risk pts (MLR < 0.93, BMI ≥ 24, and D_Met = 0) in univariable and multivariable analysis (UVA and MVA, Table). The Uno C-statistic for our risk grouping criteria compared to IMDC is 0.687 vs 0.566 (p = 0.061) for OS and 0.594 vs 0.541 (p = 0.78) for PFS. Conclusions: Risk grouping using MLR, BMI, and number and sites of mets may predict survival in mRCC pts treated with ICI. These results should be validated in a larger, prospective study. [Table: see text]

Association of modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) with survival outcomes in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPI)

738

Background: The current risk models for mRCC were developed for patients treated with targeted therapy. The mGPS incorporates albumin and C-reactive protein and may serve as a composite prognostic biomarker in mRCC in the era of CPI. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with mRCC treated with CPI (anti-PD1 or PD-L1 agents) at Winship Cancer Institute between 2015-2018. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were defined as months from CPI initiation to death or clinical/radiographic progression, respectively. mGPS was defined as a summary score with one point given for CRP > 10 mg/L and/or albumin < 3.5 g/dL. Univariate (UVA) and multivariate (MVA) analyses were carried out for OS and PFS using Cox proportional hazard model. Results: A total of 78 eligible patients were included with a median follow up of 30.7 months. Median age was 66 years (range = 38-82), 64% were male, 78% had clear cell histology, and 76% received anti-PD-1 monotherapy. Higher mGPS at baseline was significantly associated with worse OS while at week 6 was associated with worse OS and PFS (Table). Conclusions: A higher mGPS score in the early course of CPI treatment was associated with worse survival in patients with mRCC. These results should be validated in a larger, prospective study.[Table: see text]

Novel risk scoring system for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients (pts) treated with cabozantinib (C)

734

Background: Cabozantinib (C) is an effective treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients (pts). The international mRCC database consortium (IMDC) criteria is the gold standard for mRCC risk stratification. We created a risk scoring system for mRCC pts treated with C. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 87 mRCC pts treated with C at Winship Cancer Institute from 2015-19. Overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) were defined as months from C initiation. The baseline characteristics and inflammation biomarkers included were monocyte, neutrophil, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios (MLR, NLR, and PLR respectively), RCC histology, body mass index (BMI), metastatic sites (mets), and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS). Upon variable selection in multivariable analysis (MVA), elevated baseline MLR (≥0.71), presence of sarcomatoid histology, ECOG PS > 1, and absence of bone metastases were assigned 1 point. A three-level risk scoring system was created: low (score = 0-1), intermediate (score = 2), and high risk (score = 3-4). The Kaplan-Meier method, Cox proportional hazard model, and Uno’s C-statistics were used to examine performance. Results: The majority of pts were males (71%) with clear-cell RCC (75%). Most pts (67%) received 1+ prior line of therapy. High and intermediate risk pts had significantly shorter OS and PFS compared to low risk pts (Table). The C-statistics for our risk scoring system were higher than IMDC in predicting OS (0.7 vs. 0.62) and PFS (0.65 vs 0.57). Conclusions: Pts treated with C may benefit from risk scoring using RCC histology, ECOG PS, mets, and MLR. These results are hypothesis-generating and should be validated in a larger study.[Table: see text]

Baseline Neutrophil-to-Eosinophil Ratio Is Associated with Outcomes in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

BACKGROUND

Biomarkers have the potential to guide treatment selection and clinical care in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) in an expanding treatment landscape. We report baseline neutrophil-to-eosinophil ratios (NER) in patients with mRCC treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) and their association with clinical outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of patients with mRCC treated with CPIs at Winship Cancer Institute from 2015 to 2020 in the United States of America (USA). Demographics, disease characteristics, and laboratory data, including complete blood counts (CBC) were described at the initiation of CPIs. Clinical outcomes were measured as overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and clinical benefit (CB) associated with baseline lab values.

RESULTS

A total of 184 patients were included with a median follow-up time of 25.4 months. Patients with baseline NER were categorized into high or low subgroups; high group was defined as NER >49.2 and low group was defined as NER <49.2 with 25% of patients in the high NER group. Univariate analyses (UVA) and multivariable analyses (MVA) identified decreased overall survival (OS) associated with elevated NER. In MVA, patients with a high baseline NER group had a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.68 (95%CI, 1.01-2.82, P = .048) for OS; however, there was no significant difference between groups for PFS. Clinical benefit was seen in 47.3% of patients with low baseline NER and 40% with high NER.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that elevated baseline NER may be associated with worse clinical outcomes in mRCC. Although results require further validation, NER is a feasible biomarker in patients with CPI-treated mRCC.

Phase 2 study of neoadjuvant cabozantinib in patients with locally advanced non-metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma

340

Background: Cabozantinib is a small molecule inhibitor of the tyrosine kinases c-Met, AXL and VEGFR2 that has been shown to reduce tumor growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis. After the promising results from the METEOR, CABOSUN and Checkmate-9ER trials, cabozantinib was approved for use in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The increased response rates with cabozantinib in metastatic RCC, along with the other neoadjuvant TKI data, support an expanded role for cabozantinib in the neoadjuvant setting. Methods: Patients with clinical stage ≥ T3Nx or TanyN+ or deemed unresectable by the surgeon with biopsy-proven clear cell RCC were eligible for this study, and received cabozantinib at a starting dose of 60 mg daily for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was objective response rate per RECIST v1.1 (complete and partial responses) at week 12 after the administration of cabozantinib as determined by independent radiologist review. Secondary outcomes included safety, tolerability, clinical outcome (DFS, OS), surgical outcome and quality of life. Results: As of 20 September 2021, 16 biopsy-proven clear cell RCC patients were treated with neoadjuvant cabozantinib. The median age was 56 years (range: 41-84 years) and 81.2% male. All patients completed 12 weeks of treatment, and 15 of them underwent surgery as planned without any delay after completion of 4 weeks wash-out. One patient refused to undergo surgery due to personal reasons and received further systemic treatment. Five patients (31.2%) experienced a partial response, and 11 patients had stable disease. There was no progression of disease while on cabozantinib. Median reduction of primary renal tumor size was 24% (range: 6-45%). The one patient who was deemed to be unresectable became resectable at the end of treatment. Two patients were converted from radical to partial nephrectomy. The most common AEs were diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, hypertension, anorexia, and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome. Intraoperatively, we did not experience any immediate complications. Postoperatively, no surgical complications related to the drug were noted. No treatment related grade 4 or 5 AEs related to cabozantinib or surgery occurred. Two patients had died at the time of analysis (1 due to COVID and 1 unknown cause). Conclusions: Cabozantinib was clinically active and safe in the neoadjuvant setting in patients with locally advanced non-metastatic clear cell RCC. Additional data will be reported including long term outcomes, correlative studies, quality of life, and frailty/sarcopenia indices. Clinical trial information: NCT04022343.

Analysis of toxicity and clinical outcomes (CO) in full versus reduced dose cabozantinib (cabo) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients (pts)

671

Background: The full dose of cabo is 60 mg, but some pts are treated with a reduced dose with the clinical anticipation of adverse events (AEs). We compared AEs and CO in mRCC pts treated with full versus reduced dose cabo. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 65 mRCC pts treated with cabo at Winship Cancer Institute from 2016-2018. CO were measured by overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and objective response (OR). OS and PFS were measured from first dose of cabo to date of death and clinical or radiographic progression, respectively. OR was defined as partial response (PR) or complete response (CR) per RECISTv1.1. AEs were collected from clinic notes. Univariate analysis (UVA) of association between AEs and CO was performed using logistic regression model. Results: Most pts were males (68%) and the median age was 63 years. Most (79%) had clear cell RCC (ccRCC) and the majority were IMDC intermediate (59%) or poor (39%) risk. Most pts (68%) received 60 mg and 48% of these pts underwent a dose reduction for AEs. Nearly all pts (95%) who started on a reduced dose experienced AEs, compared to 66% for pts treated with 60 mg. OR rate was similar for pts on 60 mg (18%) and pts on a reduced dose (19%). The median survival was comparable in pts treated with 60 mg and pts treated with a reduced dose (10.9 vs. 8.8 months, p=0.92 for OS and 5.6 vs. 5.1 months, p=0.23 for PFS) per Kaplan Meier estimation. AEs, particularly gastrointestinal (GI) AEs, were associated with significantly lower chance of OR (Table). Conclusions: CO may be comparable in mRCC pts treated with full versus reduced dose of cabo, but a reduced dose of cabo may not be associated with decreased AEs. GI side effects may be a poor prognostic factor in mRCC pts treated with cabo. Larger studies are warranted to validate these findings. [Table: see text]

Association between immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and clinical outcomes (CO) in advanced urothelial cancer patients (pts) treated with immunotherapy (IO)

472

Background: The increasing use of IO agents in the treatment of urothelial cancer has revealed irAEs during therapy. We investigated whether there is an association between treatment-related irAEs and CO in urothelial cancer pts treated with IO. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 67 urothelial cancer pts treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors at Winship Cancer Institute from 2015-2018. Overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) were calculated from first IO dose to date of death or hospice referral and clinical or radiographic progression, respectively. Objective response (OR) was defined as partial or complete response per RECISTv1.1. Treatment-related irAEs were determined from clinic notes. The univariate association between irAE and clinical outcomes was generated using chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test. Results: The median age was 70 and 79.1% were men. 41.8% of pts had received 2 or more prior lines of therapy. Nine pts (13.4%) experienced irAEs including infusion reactions, rashes, and joint pain. Median follow-up from date of first dose of IO was 15 months (95% CI: 11-18 months). The overall death rate for pts who experienced irAE was 0%, while it was 62% for pts who did not experience irAE ( p<0.001) (Table). Conclusions: Experiencing irAEs was associated with lower death rate and progression rate and higher rate of OR in this cohort. These findings should be validated in a larger study. Univariate association of irAEs with CO. [Table: see text]

Sites of metastasis (mets) and association with clinical outcomes (CO) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients (pts) treated with cabozantinib (cabo)

585

Background: Cabo is approved for the treatment for mRCC. We investigated the association of sites of mets and clinical outcomes (CO) in mRCC pts treated with cabo. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 65 mRCC pts treated with cabo at Winship Cancer Institute from 2016 to 2018. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were measured from first dose of cabo to date of death and clinical or radiographic progression, respectively. Objective response was defined as a complete response (CR) or partial response (PR). Sites of mets were obtained from radiology and clinic notes and included bone, lymph node, brain, lung, and liver. Univariate analysis (UVA) and multivariate analysis (MVA) was performed using Cox proportional hazard or logistic regression model. Results: The median age was 63 years and most (68%) were males. The majority of pts (79%) had ccRCC and 48% received at least 2 prior systemic treatments. The distribution of mets were: bone (42%), lymph node (69%), brain (6%), lung (83%), and liver (40%). The UVA and MVA of association between sites of mets and CO are presented in Table. Pts with bone mets had significantly longer OS in UVA and trended towards longer OS and PFS in MVA compared to pts without bone mets. Conclusions: Bone mets may be a prognostic factor for improved CO in mRCC pts treated with cabo. Larger studies are needed to validate the results of this study. UVA and MVA† of bone metastases and CO. [Table: see text]

Clinical outcomes in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treated with combination of nivolumab and cabozantinib (nivo-cabo) in the salvage setting

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Background: The CheckMate 9ER trial showed that the combination of nivolumab and cabozantinib (nivo-cabo) in first line setting for treatment of mRCC was superior to sunitinib in terms of objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) and led to its FDA approval. We report outcomes of cohort of patients with mRCC treated with nivo-cabo in the salvage setting. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 17 patients with mRCC treated at Winship Cancer Institute who progressed through at least one line of prior therapy. These patients were then treated with either sequences: [1] cabozantinib and then add nivolumab upon progression (n = 8) and [2] nivolumab/ipilimumab or nivolumab and then add cabozantinib upon progression (n = 9) with two with nivolumab and ipilimumab. Median PFS and OS rates, and clinical benefit (defined as complete response or partial response, or stable disease) were described. Results: Thirteen patients had clear cell histology and four patients had non-clear cell histology. For sequence [1], the mPFS for cabozantinib alone was 9.9 months and combination of nivolumab added to cabozantinib was 8.9 months. For sequence [2], the mPFS for nivolumab with or without ipilimumab was 5.9 months and combination of cabozantinib added to nivolumab was 10.4 months. The 12-month OS rate was 88% for sequence [1] and 89% for sequence [2]. The 24-month, OS rate was 50% for sequence [1] and 89% for sequence [2]. 5/8 (63%) patients in sequence [1] and 7/9 (78%) patients in sequence [2] had clinical benefit. 3/8 (37.5%) patients in sequence [1] and 2/9 (22%) patients in sequence [2] experienced immune-related adverse effects such as hypothyroidism (grade II for two patients), pneumonitis (grade II), hepatic transaminase elevations (grade II), and pancreatitis (grade III). No patients in sequence [1] needed dose reduction in cabozantinib once nivolumab was added. 3/9 (33%) patients had dose reduction in cabozantinib in sequence [2] due to diarrhea. Conclusions: Nivo-cabo demonstrates activity in the salvage setting but there is still need to understand the optimal sequencing of both agents in the treatment of mRCC. Outcomes from this combination treatment are to be further validated from ongoing phase III trial, PDIGREE (NCT03793166).

Clinical outcomes in advanced urothelial cancer (UC) patients who experienced immune-related adverse events (irAEs) after immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy (ICI)

544

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) continue to demonstrate promise in treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC). Some patients undergoing ICIs experience immune related adverse events (irAEs) and may serve as a marker of response. We investigated the relationship between irAEs and clinical outcomes in UC patients treated with ICIs. Methods: A retrospective study of 70 UC patients treated with ICI monotherapies at Winship Cancer Institute from 2015-2020 was done. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), defined as time from ICI initiation to death and clinical or radiographic progression, respectively as well as clinical benefit (CB), defined as best radiographic response of complete response, partial response, or stable disease for ≥ 6 months per RECIST v1.1, were used to measure clinical outcomes. Cox proportional hazards and multivariable analyses (MVA) were used to model associations with OS and PFS. Results: Most patients were male (70%) with a median age of 68.7 years (28.0-91.0). Most patients (95%) had urothelial carcinoma and most (81%) received at least 1 prior treatment. One third of patients had ECOG PS greater than or equal to 2. Of patients that experienced an irAE (35%), the most common were dermatologic (12.9%) and arthralgia (0.5%). In addition to significantly longer treatment duration, irAE patients had significantly increased OS (HR:0.38, 95% CI:0.18-0.79, p=0.009), significantly longer PFS (HR:0.27, 95% CI:0.14-0.53, p < 0.001), and significantly greater CB (OR:4.20, 95% CI:1.35-13.06, p=0.013). Patients who experienced dermatologic irAEs had significantly increased OS, PFS, and CB (Table). Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that UC patients undergoing ICI therapy who experience irAEs, especially dermatologic irAEs, had improved clinical outcomes. This suggests that irAEs may serve as a clinical biomarker of advantageous response in patients receiving ICI. Future prospective studies are needed for validation.[Table: see text]

Baseline basophil and basophil-to-lymphocyte status is associated with clinical outcomes in metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

Biomarkers have the potential to provide clinical guidance, but there is limited data for biomarkers in metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC).

METHODS

We performed a retrospective multicenter review from Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University and Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence at Grady Memorial Hospital (2014-2020) in the United States of America (USA). We collected demographics, disease characteristics, and laboratory data, including complete blood counts (CBC) at the start of upfront therapy. We evaluated overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) associated with baseline lab values.

RESULTS

165 patients were included with a median follow-up time of 33.5 months (mo). 105 (63.6%) had Gleason scores of 8-10 and 108 (65.9%) were classified as high-volume disease. 92 patients received upfront docetaxel (55.8%) and 73 received upfront abiraterone (44.2%). Univariate analyses (UVA) and multivariable analyses (MVA) identified worse clinical outcomes (CO) associated with elevated basophils and basophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (BLR). Based on MVA, elevated basophils (defined as ≥0.1, optimal cut) were associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 3.51 (95% CI 1.65-7.43, P 0.001) for OS and HR of 1.88 (95% CI 1.05-3.38, P 0.034) for PFS. Our MVA also found that BLR ≥0.0142 was associated with HR 2.11 (95% CI 1.09-4.10, P 0.028) for OS; however, PFS was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that elevated baseline basophils and BLR are associated with worse clinical outcomes in mHSPC. Although results require further validation, BLR is a potential prognostic biomarker.

Baseline modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI)

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Background: The IMDC and MSKCC risk models for mRCC were validated before the era of ICI. The mGPS incorporates albumin and C-reactive protein and reflects systemic inflammation. mGPS may be a useful prognostic biomarker of particular relevance in mRCC given the current, largely ICI-based treatment paradigm and hypothesis that systemic inflammation may contribute to ICI resistance. Methods: We retrospectively assessed mRCC patients treated with ICI (including anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 agents) in any line of therapy at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University from 2015-2018. Primary outcomes assessed included overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). mGPS was calculated by giving 1 point for CRP > 10 mg/L and/or albumin < 3.5 g/dL with 0 points awarded for solitary low albumin. The relationship between mGPS and survival outcomes was assessed in UVA and MVA using Cox proportional hazard model and in Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: We assessed 156 eligible patients. Median follow up was 24.2 months. Median age was 64 years, 69% were male, 20% were Black, and 78% had clear cell histology. 57.1% received anti-PD-1 monotherapy whereas all others received dual ICI or ICI combined with an antiangiogenic agent or experimental therapy in trial. Higher baseline mGPS was significantly associated with worse OS and PFS (Table). The median OS of patients with baseline mGPS of 0, 1 and 2 was 44.5 (CI 27.3, NA), 15.3 (CI 11, 24.2) and 10 (CI 4.6, 17.5) months, respectively (p<0.0001), while the median PFS of these three cohorts was 6.7 (CI 3.6, 13.1), 4.2 (CI 2.9, 6.2) and 2.6 (CI 2, 5.6) months, respectively (p=0.0216). Conclusions: A higher mGPS at the start of therapy was negatively prognostic in patients with mRCC receiving ICI. These results should be validated in a larger, prospective study. [Table: see text]

Inflammatory markers at baseline (C1) and cycle 3 (C3) and their association with clinical outcomes in urothelial cancer patients (pts) treated with immunotherapy (IO)

390

Background: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been explored as biomarkers for response to IO. We investigated the association between these biomarkers and clinical outcomes in urothelial cancer pts treated with IO. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 67 urothelial cancer pts treated with PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors at Winship Cancer Institute from 2015-2018. Overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) were measured from first dose of IO to date of death or hospice referral and clinical or radiographic progression, respectively. MLR, NLR, and PLR were collected at C1 and C3. The nonlinear relationship between log-transformed biomarkers and OS or PFS was examined by martingale residual plot and optimal cutoff (OC) values were determined. Multivariable analysis (MVA) used Cox proportional hazard model. Results: OC for C1 and C3 NLR, MLR, and PLR were 2.06 and 1.42, -0.331 and -0.153, and 5.7 and 5.6, respectively. Pts with C1 NLR and PLR above OC had worse OS and shorter PFS (all p<0.05) (Table). High C3 MLR portended shorter OS and PFS. NLR, MLR and PLR were highly correlated (Pearson correlation coefficients ≥ 0.67, p<0.0001). Conclusions: High NLR, MLR, and PLR at C1 and at C3 are associated with worse clinical outcomes in this cohort. These values warrant a larger study for validation. MVA† of MLR, NLR, and PLR at C1 and at C3 with OS and PFS. [Table: see text]

Baseline neutrophil-to-eosinophil ratio (NER) and its association with clinical outcomes in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPI)

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Background: Inflammatory markers have been studied as prognostic markers in patients with mRCC treated with CPIs. Recently, eosinophilia has been found to be associated with improved survival of patients with melanoma treated with CPIs. We reported baseline NER in patients with mRCC treated with CPIs and its association with clinical outcomes. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with mRCC treated with CPIs at Winship Cancer Institute from 2015-2018. Clinical outcomes were measured as overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and clinical benefit (CB). OS and PFS were calculated from CPI-initiation to date of death and radiographic or clinical progression, respectively. Patients with baseline NER were categorized into high or low; high defined as NER > 49.2 and low defined as NER < 49.2. Univariate (UVA) and multivariate (MVA) analyses were carried out for OS and PFS using Cox proportional hazard model. Results: A total of 184 patients were studied with a median follow up of 25.4 months. Median age was 63 years old with 72% male and 20% black. About 25% were in high NER group. The high NER patients had significantly shorter OS in both UVA (HR: 0.58, p-value=0.017) and MVA (HR: 0.62, p-value=0.046) (Table). There was no significant difference between groups for PFS. Clinical benefit was seen in 47.3% of patients with low baseline NER and 40% with high NER. Conclusions: High baseline NER was associated with worse OS in patients with mRCC treated with CPIs. Larger, prospective studies are warranted to validate this hypothesis generating data.[Table: see text]

Association of basophil to lymphocyte ratio (BLR) with clinical outcomes in metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer

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Background: There is limited biomarker data available for metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Inflammatory markers found on routine clinical lab data, including leukocyte to lymphocyte ratios calculated from complete blood counts (CBC), is associated with clinical outcomes (CO) in different malignancies. We investigated the association between basophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (BLR) and CO in a racially diverse patient population with mHSPC. Methods: We performed a retrospective multicenter review from Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University and Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence at Grady Memorial Hospital (2014 – 2020). Demographics, disease characteristics, and laboratory data were collected at the start of upfront therapy with either docetaxel (DOC) or abiraterone (ABI). Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were used to measure CO. Results: Included were 165 patients with mHSPC with a median follow-up time of 22.6 months. 89 (53.9%) were Black and 76 (46.1%) were Non-Black (White, Asian, or Hispanic). 106 (63%) had Gleason scores of 8-10 and 105 (63.6%) were classified as high-volume disease (per CHAARTED trial criteria). 92 (55.8%) received DOC and 73 (44.2%) received ABI. Worse CO were associated with high BLR at an optimal cut of 0.0265 (range 0 – 0.81 , mean of 0.03, standard deviation 0.09). Elevated BLR is associated with decreased OS (HR 3.51, 1.79 – 6.91, p <0.001) and PFS (HR 1.85, 1.14 – 3.00, p 0.013) in multivariable analyses (MVA). High BLR and low BLR groups were similar except for age as a continuous variable, which was associated with high BLR. Otherwise, there were no significant difference for all reported clinical characteristics, including drug (DOC vs ABI), race (Black vs Non-Black), Gleason, disease volume (per CHARRTED criteria), ECOG, or BMI. Conclusions: In mHSPC, high baseline BLR is associated with worse OS and PFS. Our results are the first to identify that BLR is associated with CO in mHSPC. Further study is needed to validate BLR as a potential biomarker.[Table: see text]

Neoadjuvant cabozantinib for locally advanced nonmetastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma: a phase 2 trial

Cabozantinib is an oral multikinase inhibitor approved for treatment in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We conducted a phase 2, nonrandomized, single-arm clinical trial (NCT04022343) of cabozantinib treatment for 12 weeks in 17 patients with locally advanced, biopsy-proven, nonmetastatic clear cell RCC before surgical resection. The primary end point was the objective response rate (complete and partial responses) at week 12 and secondary end points included safety, tolerability, clinical and surgical outcomes, and quality of life. Six patients (35%) experienced a partial response and 11 patients (65%) had stable disease. The most common adverse events were diarrhea (n = 12, 70.6%), anorexia, fatigue and hypertension (n = 10, 58.8%), nausea and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (n = 9, 52.9%). No treatment grade 4 or 5 adverse events related to cabozantinib or surgery occurred. The 1-year disease-free survival and overall survival were 82.4% (95% CI 54.7-93.9%) and 94.1% (95% CI 65-99.1%), respectively. Cabozantinib treatment activated CD8+ T cells in the blood, depleted myeloid populations and induced immune niches for TCF1+ stem-like CD8+ T cells. Cabozantinib was clinically active and safe in the neoadjuvant setting in patients with locally advanced nonmetastatic clear cell RCC.

Neoadjuvant cabozantinib restores CD8+ T cells in patients with locally advanced non-metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma: a phase 2 trial

Cabozantinib is an oral multikinase inhibitor approved for treatment in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We hypothesized that neoadjuvant cabozantinib could downstage localized tumors, facilitating partial nephrectomy, and facilitating surgery in patients with locally advanced tumors that would require significant adjacent organ resection. We, therefore, conducted a phase 2, single-arm trial of cabozantinib treatment for 12 weeks in 17 patients with locally advanced biopsy-proven non-metastatic clear cell RCC before surgical resection. Six patients (35%) experienced a partial response, and 11 patients (65%) had stable disease. We identified that plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA), VEGF, c-MET, Gas6, and AXL were significantly increased while VEGFR2 decreased during cabozantinib treatments. There was a trend towards CD8+ T cells becoming activated in the blood, expressing the proliferation marker Ki67 and activation markers HLA-DR and CD38. Cabozantinib treatment depleted myeloid populations acutely. Importantly, immune niches made up of the stem-like CD8+ T cells and antigen presenting cells were increased in every patient. These data suggest that cabozantinib treatment was clinically active and safe in the neoadjuvant setting in patients with locally advanced non-metastatic clear cell RCC and activated the anti-tumor CD8+ T cell response. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT04022343.

Association of inflammation and clinical outcomes (CO) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients (pts) treated with cabozantinib (cabo)

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Background: Ratios of neutrophils, monocytes, and platelets to lymphocytes (NLR, MLR, and PLR) are associated with poor CO in cancer pts. We investigated the association of NLR, MLR, and PLR and CO in mRCC pts treated with cabo. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 65 mRCC pts treated with cabo at Winship Cancer Institute from 2016-2018. Overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) were calculated from first dose to date of death and radiographic or clinical progression, respectively. NLR, MLR, and PLR were obtained at baseline (BL) and 6 (±2) weeks (6W) after cabo initiation. Optimal cut (OC) was determined searching all cuts and testing them by bias adjusted log rank test to associate with PFS. Multivariate analysis (MVA) was performed using Cox proportional hazard model. Results: The medians were: 2.8 (NLR), 0.4 (MLR), and 176.7 (PLR). Increased NLR, MLR, and PLR were significantly associated with worse CO (Table). Conclusions: High NLR, MLR, and PLR may be poor prognostic factors in mRCC pts treated with cabo. Larger studies are needed to validate the results of this study. [Table: see text]