Clinical characteristics and the course of hepatobiliary and pancreatic malignant tumors with high microsatellite instability after pembrolizumab administration: A multicenter observational study.

Abstract

459 Background: The Keynote-158 trial have resulted in an expanded approval for pembrolizumab (Pem) in solid tumors with high microsatellite instability (MSI-H). In the trial, Pem was administered to patients with MSI-H solid tumors, excluding colorectal cancer, and the overall response rate (ORR) was 34%. However, the ORR for pancreatic (PANC) and biliary tract (BT) cancer were 19% (4/22 cases) and 41% (9/22 cases), respectively, suggesting the possibility of varying treatment efficacy by the primary tumor site. In this study, we aimed to clarify the clinical characteristics of patients with MSI-H and the efficacy of Pem administration in hepatobiliary and pancreatic (HBP) cancers. Methods: A multicenter observational study of patients with HBP cancer with MSI-H was conducted from March 2020 to March 2023. This study consists of prospective and retrospective cohorts. We evaluated the efficacy of PEM administration in patients with PANC and BT, respectively. Results: We enrolled 51 patients, including 32 in the prospective cohort; males comprised 51% of the patients. The BT, PANC, and liver were the primary sites in 26, 24, and 1 patients, respectively. MSI-H diagnostic methods were the MSI kit (FALCO) and comprehensive genome profile in 43 (84%) and 8 (16%) patients, respectively. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) was the most common cancer in BT tumor; ICC was observed 13 (50%) patients, followed by perihilar, gallbladder, and distal bile duct (including ampullary cancer) cancers in 6, 4, and 3 patients, respectively. Some rare histological types were observed, two patients had neuroendocrine carcinoma and one had hepatoid carcinoma in PANC. One had an undifferentiated carcinoma in BT. Five and six patients with PANC and BT tumors, respectively, had one or more first-degree relatives with lynch syndrome-related disease. Pem was administered to 96% and 88% of the patients with PANC and BT tumors, respectively. The ORR was 30% in PANC and 73% in BT tumors (p=0.003). In BT tumor, three patients demonstrated complete response as follows: two with ICC and one with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma. The median progression-free survival was 3.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3–14.4) and 16.3 months (95% CI, 8.7 to not reached) in patients PANC and BT tumors (p=0.08), respectively. Grade 3/4 immune-related adverse events occurred in 13% and 29% of the patients with PANC and BT tumors, respectively. Conclusions: ICC was the most common BT cancer with MSI-H. Pem was significantly more effective in BT tumors than in PANC tumors, with higher ORR. Clinical trial information: UMIN000040591 .