Impact of immune checkpoint inhibition on ovarian reserve in patients with melanoma enrolled in the ECOG-ACRIN E1609 adjuvant trial.

Abstract

12013 Background: Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) is being widely adopted in the treatment of patients with a wide range of malignancies. However, we have no data on how these therapies influence fertility or ability to undergo fertility treatments after therapy. Within the melanoma community numerous women of childbearing age have been treated with ICI including ipilimumab, nivolumab and pembrolizumab. Anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) is a biomarker of ovarian reserve and a predictor of response to fertility treatments, including in vitro fertilization (IVF). In women under the age of 35 who have no reproductive pathology, AMH should be detectable and remain relatively stable over time. Above the age of 35 AMH decline accelerates as the number of eggs decreases more rapidly due to normal ovarian aging. Methods: Pre and post-treatment samples from women aged 20-35 whose melanoma was treated with 3 mg/kg ipilimumab (57%) or 10 mg/kg ipilimumab (43%) in the adjuvant setting on trial ECOG-ACRIN E1609 were analyzed in collaboration with the BWH Reproductive Endocrine Laboratory. Serum samples were tested for luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, AMH and prolactin. Results: Samples from E1609 were available from 28 female patients with a median age of 28 (min 20, max 35). The median time between samples was 8.0 months (min 0.7, max 16.4). 53% of patients had stage IIIB melanoma, 43% stage IIIC and one patient had M1a disease. AMH, estradiol and LH significantly decreased after treatment (p < 0.001, p = 0.016, p = 0.012, respectively) (Figure 1); there was no significant difference in the level of FSH and prolactin before and after the treatment (p = 0.68, p = 0.12, respectively). The median AMH was 4.24 ng/mL in the pre-treatment group and 3.51 in the post-treatment group. Conclusions: In this study of young women treated with ipilimumab there was a significant decrease in AMH before and after ICI therapy suggesting that ovarian reserve and possibly female fertility may be impacted by immune checkpoint inhibition. Further investigation is needed to look at PD-1 inhibition and combination immunotherapy effects on ovarian reserve and female fertility. In addition, there is a similar need to examine ICI effects on male fertility.