Benefit Of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Research Articles

DUSP6 inhibition overcomes neuregulin/HER3-driven therapy tolerance in HER2+ breast cancer

Despite clinical benefits of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in cancer, most tumors can reactivate proliferation under TKI therapy. Here we present transcriptional profiling of HER2+ breast cancer cells transitioning from dormant drug tolerant cells to re-proliferating cells under continuous HER2 inhibitor (HER2i) therapy. Focusing on phosphatases, expression of dual-specificity phosphatase DUSP6 was found inhibited in dormant cells, but strongly induced upon regrowth. DUSP6 expression also selectively associated with poor patient survival in HER2+ breast cancers. DUSP6 overexpression conferred apoptosis resistance, whereas its pharmacological blockade prevented therapy tolerance development under HER2i therapy. DUSP6 targeting also synergized with clinically used HER2i combination therapies. Mechanistically DUSP6 is a positive regulator of HER3 expression, and its impact on HER2i tolerance was mediated by neuregulin-HER3 axis. In vivo, genetic targeting of DUSP6 reduced tumor growth in brain metastasis model, whereas its pharmacological targeting induced synthetic lethal therapeutic effect in combination with HER2i. Collectively this work demonstrates that DUSP6 drives escape from HER2i-induced dormancy, and that DUSP6 is a druggable target to overcome HER3-driven TKI resistance.

180P A systematic review with meta-analysis of risks and benefits of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment

180P A systematic review with meta-analysis of risks and benefits of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment

Risk versus Benefit of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: ASystematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Although the treatment landscape has rapidly evolved over the last years, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal cancers. With recent advances, both immunotherapy and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs)-based chemotherapy constitute the standard treatment for advanced HCC. A systematic search of randomized clinical trials employing TKIs was performed in 17 databases, obtaining 25 studies evaluating the prognosis, tumor response, and presence of adverse events (AEs) related to TKIs in HCC. Overall effect sizes were estimated for the hazard ratios (HR) and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI), either extracted or calculated with the Parmar method, employing STATA 16. Heterogeneity was assessed by Chi-square-based Q-test and inconsistency (I2) statistic; source of heterogeneity by meta-regression and subgroup analysis; and publication bias by funnel plot asymmetry and Egger's test. The research protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023397263). Meta-analysis revealed a correlation between survival and tumor response parameters and TKI treatment vs. placebo, despite detecting high heterogeneity. Combined TKI treatment showed a significantly better objective response rate (ORR) with no heterogeneity, whereas publication bias was only detected with time to progression (TTP). Few gastrointestinal and neurological disorders were associated with TKI treatment vs. placebo or with combined treatment. However, a higher number of serious AEs were related to TKI treatment vs. sorafenib alone. Results show positive clinical benefits from TKI treatment, supporting the approval and maintenance of TKI-based therapy for advanced HCC, while establishing appropriate strategies to maximize efficacy and minimize toxicity.

Development and validation of a tumor tissue based multivariate biomarker for predicting angiogenesis inhibitor clinical benefit in renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

467 Background: Angiogenesis inhibitors, including vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), are standard of care therapy (alone and in combination) for several advanced cancers, including RCC. There is an unmet need for a biomarker to identify patients with RCC most likely to benefit from VEGFR TKIs to guide individualized treatment decision making. Hence, we sought to develop and validate a biomarker for predicting single-agent systemic VEGFR TKI benefit in patients with RCC. Methods: Candidate biomarkers were selected by co-expression patterns in VEGFR TKI sensitive/resistant tumor types from pan-solid tumor TCGA expression profiling data and the literature. The angiogenesis inhibitor treatment response score (Angio TRS) was developed as a multivariate expression-based algorithm from RNA-based quantitative transcriptional profiling (qTP) performed in parallel with clinical FFPE tumor based comprehensive genomic profiling, with the Angio TRS High/Low threshold set at the median of clear cell RCC samples. The locked Angio TRS (and High/Low status) was then validated in a cohort of adult RCC patients treated with a systemic line of single agent VEGFR TKI therapy within a prospective observational trial; group outcomes (by time to next therapy [TTNT]) were compared by univariate analysis, Cox proportional hazards modeling (adjusting for age, biologic sex, histology, nuclear grade [incorporating sarcomatoid features], therapy line, and TKI type), and unadjusted Kaplan Meier analysis. Laboratory information for IMDC risk group status was not available. Results: Across 3,721 solid tumor tissue samples, median Angio TRS was highest in known VEGFR TKI sensitive tumors (RCC, thyroid carcinoma, sarcoma). Angio TRS was then validated in a separate cohort of 86 patients with RCC treated with single agent systemic VEGFR TKI (median follow-up 29.2 months; 76% male, 77% clear cell, 14% with sarcomatoid features, 84% 1st line, and 71% treated with sunitinib, pazopanib or axitinib); 52% of patients were Angio TRS High. By univariate analysis, Angio TRS status (p=0.008) and nuclear grade 4 (with or without sarcomatoid features; p=0.06 & 0.07) were most significantly associated with VEGFR TKI TTNT; by multivariate analysis, only Angio TRS status was significantly associated with TTNT (High vs. Low median TTNT 15.8 vs. 5.6 months, adjusted hazard ratio 0.46, p=0.012). Conclusions: Angio TRS is a multivariate expression-based algorithm performed on FFPE tumor tissue, validated to be prognostic of clinical outcome for patients with RCC treated with single agent VEGFR TKI when controlling for clinical factors. Angio TRS may support individualized treatment decision making in patients with advanced RCC. Additional independent validation in a cohort of Kaiser Permanente patients will be presented. Clinical trial information: NCT03061305 .

URI alleviates tyrosine kinase inhibitors-induced ferroptosis by reprogramming lipid metabolism in p53 wild-type liver cancers

The clinical benefit of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs)-based systemic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited due to drug resistance. Here, we uncover that lipid metabolism reprogramming mediated by unconventional prefoldin RPB5 interactor (URI) endows HCC with resistance to TKIs-induced ferroptosis. Mechanistically, URI directly interacts with TRIM28 and promotes p53 ubiquitination and degradation in a TRIM28-MDM2 dependent manner. Importantly, p53 binds to the promoter of stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) and represses its transcription. High expression of URI is correlated with high level of SCD1 and their synergetic expression predicts poor prognosis and TKIs resistance in HCC. The combination of SCD1 inhibitor aramchol and deuterated sorafenib derivative donafenib displays promising anti-tumor effects in p53-wild type HCC patient-derived organoids and xenografted tumors. This combination therapy has potential clinical benefits for the patients with advanced HCC who have wild-type p53 and high levels of URI/SCD1.

Targeting EGFR Exon 20 Insertion-mutated Cancers – New Perspectives in Head and Neck Cancers – Lessons to Learn from Non-small Cell Carcinoma (NSCLC)

Mutations in the tyrosine kinase (TKD) domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are involved in the unfavorable therapeutic response through resistance to targeted molecular therapy. Data from the clinical experience of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) treatment demonstrate the benefit of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in cases of EGFR mutation. The next generation sequencing technique (NGS) allows the identification of hot spots involved in mutations, exon 20 insertion being associated with the unfavorable response. Exon 20 insertions are more common in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) compared to NSCLC, which could explain a resistance to targeted therapy in head and neck cancers. Taking into account the data reported in the NSCLC, Amivantamab, a bi-specific EGFR-MET antibody with potential immune cell modulation of activity, but also other innovative therapies validated in exon 20 EGFR mutation could be part of the therapy of sino-nasal cancer, but also of other HNSCC sites exon 20 mutant EFGR.

Molecular Mechanisms of Resistance to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Associated with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death, which can be attributed to the high incidence and first diagnosis at an advanced stage. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), a class of small-molecule targeting drugs, are primarily used for the clinical treatment of HCC after chemotherapy because they show significant clinical efficacy and low incidence of clinical adverse reactions. However, resistance to sorafenib and other TKIs, which can be used to treat advanced HCC, poses a significant challenge. Recent mechanistic studies have shown that epithelial-mesenchymal transition or transformation (EMT), ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters, hypoxia, autophagy, and angiogenesis are involved in apoptosis, angiogenesis, HCC cell proliferation, and TKI resistance in patients with HCC. Exploring and overcoming such resistance mechanisms is essential to extend the therapeutic benefits of TKIs to patients with TKI-resistant HCC. This review aims to summarize the potential resistance mechanism proposed in recent years and methods to reverse TKI resistance in the context of HCC.

Quantifying absolute benefit of adjuvant treatments in renal cell carcinoma: A systematic review and network-meta-analysis.

360 Background: Pembrolizumab has been established as an effective treatment option in adjuvant renal cell carcinoma after the publication of KEYNOTE-564. However, the magnitude of benefit based on different risk categories is not well defined. Methods: We included full-text publications of phase II/III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating immune checkpoint inhibitors or tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in adjuvant renal cell carcinoma after a systematic search. The outcomes of interest included disease free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), all grade or grade ≥3 treatment related, and all cause adverse events. Mixed treatment comparisons were computed through a fixed-effect multivariate meta-regression within the frequent framework. Relative treatment rankings were assessed using P-scores. We used stratified baseline risks of disease progression from observational data and at 5, 10, 15 years from the Leibovich risk stratification system (based on risk scores ranging from 0 to ≥15). Corresponding intervention risks (CIRs) were then approximated using relative effect estimates (from NMA) and baseline risks. The difference between CIRs and baseline risks were calculated to present absolute risk differences in each baseline category. Results: This NMA included six RCTs with a total of 7525 participants and five unique treatment options. Mixed treatment comparisons showed significant DFS and OS benefit with pembrolizumab (rank 1) when compared against sunitinib (DFS HR 0.74 [0.55-0.99]; OS HR 0.51 [0.27-0.94]). However, there were no significant differences with pembrolizumab compared to pazopanib (DFS HR 0.81 [0.60- 1.09]; OS HR 0.54[0.29-1.01]) and axitinib (DFS HR 0.78 [0.54-1.14]; OS HR 0.52 [0.24-1.16]). The safety profiles were comparable. Absolute benefit of TKIs in adjuvant setting was minimal whereas this benefit increased with higher T and N patients in patients treated with pembrolizumab (Table). Similarly, the treatment benefit increased with higher Leibovich’s risk scores at 5, 10 and 15 years of follow up. Conclusions: The current analysis suggests that a risk adapted approach may be useful when considering adjuvant pembrolizumab in RCC patients.[Table: see text]

Needs, Preferences, and Values during Different Treatment Decisions of Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Cancer.

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify the needs, preferences, and values of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and the physicians treating patients with DTC regarding two different treatment decisions, namely: the extent of primary surgery (low-risk patients) and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment (high-risk patients). Methods: A qualitative study was conducted. There were two physician focus groups discussing the extent of primary surgery. One included endocrinologists (n = 4) and surgeons (n = 5), and the other included nuclear medicine physicians (n = 3) treating patients with low-risk DTC. The physicians focus group discussing waiting or starting TKIs included endocrinologists (n = 2) and oncologists (n = 5) treating patients with advanced radioactive iodide (RAI) refractory DTC. Moreover, one patient focus group per treatment decision took place. In total 13 patients and 19 physicians participated. Interviews were audio-taped, fully transcribed verbatim, and analyzed. Results: Several themes were identified. Patients, but not physicians, mentioned the importance of a strong doctor–patient relationship. Patients in both treatment decision groups wanted to receive more detailed information, whereas physicians preferred providing more general information. Patients in the TKI decision group focused on palliative care, whereas physicians focused more on the effect and benefit of TKIs. Conclusions: Considering the identified themes in DTC, based on the patients’ needs, preferences, and values, enables us to improve doctor–patient communication and to develop decision support tools.

A Multicenter Retrospective Study on the Prognosis of Stage III Unresectable Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer With Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Therapy.

BackgroundFor unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), concurrent chemoradiotherapy is nowadays the standard treatment. Patients with advanced NSCLC harboring driver-gene mutations benefit from Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) Therapy. In a real-world setting, there is room for exploring the benefit of TKIs in stage III unresectable NSCLC patients with mutation.MethodsA total of 81 patients from the Jinling Hospital and the Jiangsu Cancer Hospital with stage III unresectable mutant NSCLC applied targeted therapy were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients with first-line application of TKIs were followed up to gain the situation of surgery qualifications, progression-free survival and overall survival, so as to evaluate the survival prognosis, then whether patients benefit and what kind of patients benefit most from TKI monotherapy treatment or its combination are explored.ResultsThe median progression-free survival of involved 81 patients was 13.87 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 11.66–16.08), and the median survival was 41.47 months (95%CI: 20.11–62.83). The 5-year survival rates were 91.0, 80.3, 56.1, 45.5, and 32.5%, respectively. After first-line TKI therapy, seven patients (8.6%) were reevaluated as eligible for surgery and proceeded to surgery. Although no characteristics were found to be statistical prognostic, younger female non-smokers still tended to have a better prognosis with longer progression free survival and overall survival.ConclusionsTKIs are a viable option for mutant stage III unresectable NSCLC patients who have achieved good clinical benefit from TKI. Patients who cannot tolerate chemoradiotherapy, especially those with driver gene mutations, can choose targeted therapy for first-line treatment.

Changes in RT-qPCR Levels during and after TKI Interruptions for Attempted Conceptions in Women with CML

Introduction: Amongst the benefits of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is the ability for younger patients to consider parenthood. TKI are contraindicated in pregnancy, so for women attempting pregnancy therapy is interrupted. Although successful pregnancy outcomes are well-recognised there are limited data on the likelihood of relapsing off-treatment, and the impact on the disease long-term. This observational study included 28 women who interrupted TKI on 38 occasions, for either planned interruptions to attempt conception or stopping on discovering pregnancy. Our data suggest that although disease and pregnancy outcomes were less good in patients with unplanned interruptions, good outcomes are still possible. Furthermore, the outcome for patients with MMR or better at stopping is so favourable that current recommendations regarding approaches to conception could be revised to address actual rather than optimal behaviour in this unique circumstanceMethods: Using our comprehensive database of 935 TKI-treated patients with CML we identified all women of child-bearing age, and then those who interrupted TKI therapy in the context of planned or unplanned pregnancy. Irrespective of subsequent pregnancy, we collected information regarding previous obstetric history, TKI, RT-qPCR level, line and date at stopping, three monthly RT-qPCR levels during time off treatment, RT-qPCR level at restarting treatment, best RT-qPCR response after restarting, and TKI and RT-qPCR at most recent follow up.Results: Of 174 women aged <46yrs at diagnosis, 28 discontinued TKI on at least one occasion to attempt or continue pregnancy (total attempts =38). There were 18 planned attempts by 14 women to conceive off-treatment, of which 8 were successful. Women were advised to limit their attempt at conception to 6 months, to allow for a maximum time off-treatment of 15 months should pregnancy occur. The median time off-treatment prior to conception or re-starting was 193 (61-223) days. The 8 conceptions, resulted in 6 healthy babies and two spontaneous abortions. The median time off-treatment for successful conception attempts was 373 (173-1131) days. Four further women used assisted conception because of some combination of older age, history of unsuccessful conception prior to diagnosis and less deep response levels. IVF was unsuccessful in 2 cases (29/32 days off-treatment), the remaining 2 women progressed to term and had three healthy babies (one twin pregnancy) each with 304/658 days off-treatment. Responses at stopping were MR3 or deeper in 20/22 (91%). Eight women remained in MMR or better while 12 lost MMR, eight also lost CCyR, but none lost CHR. Ten of the 12 have regained MR3 and the remaining 2 cases have only recently restarted TKI.Thirteen women discovered on 16 occasions that they were pregnant on TKI, and all stopped treatment beyond 5 weeks gestation but within the first trimester. There were 3 abortions (1 elective and 2 spontaneous), and 13 live births (10 healthy, 2 with perinatal problems and 1 with a congenital abnormality). At stopping, 9/16 were in MR3 or deeper: 8 lost MMR, 7 lost CCyR and 1 lost CHR. Seven of 8 regained MMR but the remaining case has not regained CCyR 1933 days after re-starting treatment. Of the 7 patients not in MMR at stopping, 6 obtained MMR or deeper on re-starting therapy and the remaining case is in CHR, 123 days from re-starting TKI.Conclusion: By considering the outcomes of 38 attempts at pregnancy in women taking TKI treatment, we found first and foremost that temporary cessation of therapy can allow women with CML to have a baby. Twenty-nine women were in MMR at time of stopping, of whom 9 remained in MMR off therapy, which suggests that advice pertaining to time off TKI should be tailored to RT-qPCR results and not to arbitrary time-limits. Of 20 women who lost MMR, 18 regained this level on re-starting (remaining 2 women too early after re-starting to assess response), which supports the general advice that stopping therapy should be delayed until MMR is obtained, However of the 9 women who were not in MMR at stopping, 6 have subsequently obtained MMR with 3 achieving MR4, suggesting that good responses can still be obtained and the possibility of more flexible approaches (assisted conception, pulsed TKI treatment, TKI holidays etc) for women unable to obtain optimal responses in a biologically timely manner. DisclosuresMilojkovic:Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Incyte: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; ARIAD: Consultancy, Honoraria. Abruzzese:Novartis: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Incyte: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy. Mauro:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy. Foroni:Incyte: Honoraria, Research Funding; Ariad: Honoraria, Research Funding. Apperley:Sun Pharma: Honoraria; Ariad: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel, accommodations, expenses , Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Therakos: Honoraria; Incyte: Honoraria.

Prognostic and predictive value of vessels encapsulating tumor clusters (VETC) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

e16554 Background: VETC has been described as an epithelial-to-mesenchymal-transition independent process of metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): endothelium covers small clusters of neoplastic cells allowing tumor dissemination. It has also been noted that VETC-positive HCCs benefit more from tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) therapy. Interestingly, this type of angiogenesis was also found in RCC - and other cancers - and associated with poor prognosis. The objectives of the present study are: 1) to investigate the prognostic role of VETC in a cohort of primary consecutive RCC. 2) to model the predictive role VETC to TKI response in a cohort of metastatic RCC patients treated with sunitinib or pazopanib. Methods: The study was observational and retrospective. To evaluate the VETC effect on overall survival (OS) for Cox regression, with power .8, Hazard Ratio 2.35, proportion of subject VETC+ .4, proportion of events .6, correlation among covariates .4 and a type I error rate .5, the estimated sample size was n=89. We included consecutive patients undergoing surgery at our institution for primary RCC from 2005 to 2007, (Surgical Series; n=92 cases). Moreover, to investigate the possible role of VETC in predicting TKIs benefit, we considered all RCC patients treated with first line TKIs at our center (TKI Series; sunitinib, n = 39; pazopanib n = 17), and recorded the progression free survival (PFS). VETC was assessed with CD34 immunohistochemistry and defined as a continuous endothelial lining around tumor clusters. We used Bayesian probabilistic modeling to detect small effects and multilevel hierarchical modeling to reduce overfitting. Models were fit using Stan and R. The study was approved by institutional review board (n. 865/20) and registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Results: VETC+ RCC had a worse prognosis in the Surgical Series, with a posterior probability density (PPD) of median OS of 88 months (mo) (standard deviation, SD: 16 mo) for VETC positive Vs 136 mo (SD: 26 mo) for VETC-; the expected loss of median OS was 48 mo (SD: 31 mo) for patients having a VETC + RCC. Conversely in the TKI Series, VETC+ RCC showed longer PFS compared to VETC- ones: with sunitinib a PPD of median PFS of 35 mo (SD:11 mo) for VETC+ Vs 19 mo (SD: 5 mo) for VETC-. Under Pazopanib a PPD of median PFS of 20 mo (SD: 8 mo) for VETC+ Vs 11 mo (SD: 7 mo) for VETC-. The expected gain of median PFS for of VETC+ cases, was 17 and 9 mo (SD: 12 and 11 mo), respectively in sunitinib and pazopanib treated cases. Conclusions: Our results confirmed the general adverse prognostic role of VETC in RCC, however this phenotype gave a substantial PFS gain for patients treated with TKI, similarly to what have been observed in HCC. VETC could be a new predictive bio-marker that allows the delivery of a personalized treatment: patients affected by RCC might directly benefit from a better selection of already approved drugs.

MET Exon 14-altered Lung Cancers and MET Inhibitor Resistance.

MET tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) can achieve modest clinical outcomes in MET exon 14-altered lung cancers, likely secondary to primary resistance. Mechanisms of primary resistance remain poorly characterized and comprehensive proteomic analyses have not previously been performed. We performed hybrid capture-based DNA sequencing, targeted RNA sequencing, cell-free DNA sequencing, selected reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (SRM-MS), and immunohistochemistry on patient samples of MET exon 14-altered lung cancers treated with a MET TKI. Associations between overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and putative genomic alterations and MET protein expression were evaluated. Seventy-five of 168 MET exon 14-altered lung cancers received a MET TKI. Previously undescribed (zygosity, clonality, whole-genome duplication) and known (copy-number focality, tumor mutational burden, mutation region/type) genomic factors were not associated with ORR/PFS (P > 0.05). In contrast, MET expression was associated with MET TKI benefit. Only cases with detectable MET expression by SRM-MS (N = 15) or immunochemistry (N = 22) responded to MET TKI therapy, and cancers with H-score ≥ 200 had a higher PFS than cancers below this cutoff (10.4 vs. 5.5 months, respectively; HR, 3.87; P = 0.02). In MET exon 14-altered cancers treated with a MET TKI, a comprehensive analysis of previously unknown and known genomic factors did not identify a genomic mechanism of primary resistance. Instead, MET expression correlated with benefit, suggesting the potential role of interrogating the proteome in addition to the genome in confirmatory prospective trials.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors as induction therapy in nonsmall-cell lung cancer.

Purpose of reviewTKI therapy has shown excellent efficacy and favorable tolerability in patients with mutation-positive nonsmall cell lung cancer. However, there is no clear consensus on the role of TKI as induction therapy. In this article, we reviewed recently published studies to analyze the benefits of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, in particular, EGFR TKIs and ALK TKIs, as inducible treatments for NSCLC.Recent findingsSeveral clinical trials have recently presented their latest data, giving analysis of patient's survival benefits and adverse events. Initial results have demonstrated promising efficacy and safety data. Some clinical case reports and retrospective analysis demonstrated that EGFR/ALK TKIs can significantly improve PFS and the rate of radical surgery. However, there was no statistically significant difference in overall survival time of almost all clinical trials.SummaryTKIs are increasingly accepted by clinicians as induction therapy in NSCLC. Many studies have demonstrated that neoadjuvant therapy increases the likelihood of surgery and is associated with good resection rates, as evidenced by high prospective downstaging rates in patients with locally advanced NSCLC. However, the risk of recurrence remains high with no evidence of overall survival benefits being reported. Now that more clinical trials are being conducted and more data will be available for analysis, a clearer and more comprehensive view of what role TKIs play in induction therapy will emerge.

Clinical Benefit of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Advanced Lung Cancer with EGFR-G719A and Other Uncommon EGFR Mutations

The optimal management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with noncanonical epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations (i.e., exon 19 deletion and exon 21 L858R) is constrained by the heterogeneous behavior of individual uncommon mutations and limited prospective clinical data in this setting. Despite encouraging results with osimertinib from a recently published phase II trial from South Korea, afatinib remains the only currently approved drug for patients with tumors harboring uncommon EGFR mutations (i.e., S768I, L861Q, and/or G719X). When used at the standard dose of 40 mg daily, afatinib is associated with significant rates of treatment-related adverse events, leading to frequent dose reductions and treatment discontinuations. We report a case of a woman with advanced NSCLC harboring EGFR-G719A mutation treated with afatinib (at an off-label pulse dose strategy that merits further evaluation in prospective studies) with sustained partial response for 20 months with manageable expected toxicities. Subsequent disease progression was mediated by off-target pan-EGFR inhibitor (including osimertinib)-resistant KRAS mutation and not by acquisition of EGFR-T790M. We further present the current state of evidence in the literature behind use of first-, second-, and third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors and summarize the evolving spectrum of activity ascribed to osimertinib (and newer EGFR inhibitors with a more favorable therapeutic window and intracranial penetration) in this population of patients with advanced NSCLC and uncommon EGFR mutations. KEY POINTS: Uncommon EGFR mutations characterize a heterogeneous group of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Afatinib is the only currently U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for management of advanced NSCLC with uncommon EGFR mutations (S768I, L861Q, and/or G719X). Afatinib treatment at 40 mg daily is associated with high rates of adverse events and dose reductions; alternative strategies including pulse intermittent dosing should be evaluated prospectively. Osimertinib (with favorable safety profile and intracranial penetration) has shown promising results in this population in a phase II trial from South Korea; additional trials are ongoing.

Management of medullary thyroid carcinoma

: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare malignancy arising from parafollicular C-cells and accounts for 3–10% of all thyroid malignancies. MTC occurs mostly as a sporadic disease, but in at least 30% of cases is hereditary, caused by RET germline mutations. In this setting, different germline RET mutations lead to distinct clinical phenotypes of hereditary MTC such as familial MTC and multiple endocrine neoplasia 2A and 2B. RET genetic screening should be performed in all new discovered cases of MTC since about 4–10% of patients with apparently sporadic MTC have RET germline mutations and therefore an inheritable disease. Calcitonin (CT) is the most reliable marker of MTC for both diagnosis and follow-up after thyroidectomy. In sporadic MTC, a routine determination of CT in patients with nodular goiter has been correlated to a lower rate of advanced tumor stages. Surgery is the only curative treatment. Since the relatively high risk of multifocal and bilateral disease and the early spread to cervical lymph nodes, total thyroidectomy and central neck lymph node dissection is the standard initial treatment. Lateral neck lymph node dissection might be considered according to imaging results and CT levels. The potential benefit of neck reiterative surgery for persistent or recurrent MTC should be balanced against the increased surgical morbidity in a scarred operative field. The treatment of locally advanced MTC that is not amenable to surgery or metastatic MTC benefits of tyrosine kinase inhibitors that have shown some effects on disease progression. External radiotherapy and cytotoxic chemotherapy have demonstrated little benefit. Prognosis strictly depends on stage of disease at diagnosis, with lower survival and cure rate for stage IV disease. The purpose of this review is to describe the management and treatment of patients with MTC, focusing on biochemical and imaging diagnostic tools, preoperative work-up, treatment and prophylactic surgery for hereditary variants.

Genomic landscape of angiosarcoma: A targeted and immunotherapy biomarker analysis of 143 patients.

11545 Background: Targeted therapies for angiosarcoma (AS) patients have limited efficacy. Although significant responses to immunotherapy (IO-therapy) have been observed in cutaneous AS, its efficacy across all types of AS is not known. Herein, we describe genetic and molecular biomarkers of AS in order to propose potential therapeutic options. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 143 AS tumors profiled by Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) 592-gene panel (Caris Life Sciences,Irving, TX, USA). Whole transcriptome sequencing (WTS) was performed on 53 tumors. Mutations and copy number amplifications (CNAs) were analyzed and grouped by pathway. Biomarkers potentially associated with response to IO-therapy (TMB-High [≥10/Mb], MSI-High, and PD-L1 [IHC ≥ 2+ and 5%]) were also analyzed. AS subtypes based on primary tumor site were compared. P-values were corrected using a Benjamini &amp; Hochberg method. Results: Sample median age was 67 (range 22-89), 61% were female, and 29% were classified as metastatic/recurrent. The most commonly mutated genes were TP53 (29%), ARID1A (17%), POT1 (16%), and ATRX (13%); MYC CNA was found in 23% of cases. IO-therapy markers were present in 36.4% of cases (TMB-High in 26%, PD-L1+ 21.8%, MSI-High 0.7%). Pathway alterations were detected in 86% of AS cases. By pathway, TP53 was altered in 31%, cell cycle 30%, DNA damage repair (DDR) 21%, RAS 18%, PI3K 15% and chromatin remodeling 14%. By site, head/neck (HN) AS had the highest rate of IO-therapy markers (65%, p &lt; 0.05) [TMB-High (63%, p &lt; 0.0001)], TP53 mutation (51%, p = 0.07), and POT1A mutation (41%, p &lt; 0.01). MYC CNA was highest in breast (63%) and extremity (40%) AS (p &lt; 0.0001). DDR alterations were present in 56% (p = 0.09) of cutaneous AS and ranged from 12-27% in other subtypes (not significant, NS). RAS and PI3K alterations ranged from 6-27% across all subtypes (NS). Conclusions: Our findings suggest differential angiosarcoma biology across primary sites. HN AS had more frequent markers of potential IO-therapy response, as well as DDR alterations. Next in frequency, we found ARID1A which is possibly associated with overactive EZH2, a target of tazemetostat. MYC amplification suggests a role targeting cell cycle via cyclin-dependent kinase or bromodomain inhibitors in breast and extremity ASs. Finally, RAS and PI3K are mutated in a low percentage of cases, explaining the limited benefit of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in AS. Future AS clinical trials should be designed with consideration of primary site, IO-therapy response biomarkers, and activated pathway.

Tumor-infiltrating CD39+CD8+ T cells determine poor prognosis and immune evasion in clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients.

Tumor microenvironment is important in the progression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), and its prognostic value is still unclear. Recent reports demonstrated tumor-infiltrating CD39+CD8+ T cells are abundant, but their function remains obscure. We aim to assess clinical value of CD39+CD8+ T cells and seek a potential therapeutic target in ccRCC. We immunohistochemically evaluated clinical value of CD39+CD8+ T cells in a retrospective Zhongshan Hospital cohort of 243 ccRCC patients. Fresh tumor samples (n = 48), non-tumor tissues and peripheral blood for flow cytometry analyses were collected to analyze immune cell functions from Zhongshan Hospital. The survival benefit of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in this subpopulation was evaluated. Kaplan-Meier analysis and COX regression model were applied for survival analyses. Bioinformatics analysis performed in TCGA KIRC cohort and the scRNA-seq cohort. We found that accumulation of CD39+CD8+ T cells indicated poor prognosis (p < 0.0001) and indicated therapeutic benefit of TKIs therapy (p = 0.015). CD39+CD8+ T cells showed decreased TNF-α and IFN-γ with elevated PD-1 and TIM-3 expression. Further analysis of tumor-infiltrating immune cell landscape in the ccRCC revealed the positive correlation between CD39+CD8+ T cells and Tregs (p = 0.037) and M2-polarized macrophages (p < 0.0001). Finally, inhibition of CD39 partially restores the anti-tumor function of CD8+ T cells. High CD39+CD8+ T cells indicated poor prognosis in ccRCC, due to impaired anti-tumor function of CD39+CD8+ T cells and indicated therapeutic benefit of TKIs therapy.

Mutational spectrum and classification of novel mutations in patients with metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumours.

In total, ~85% of malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) harbour activating mutations in one of the genes KIT or PDGFRA, while 10-15% of all GISTs have no detectable KIT or PDGFRA mutations, but could have alterations in genes of the succinate dehydrogenase complex or in BRAF, PIK3CA or rarely RAS family genes. The clinical benefit of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as imatinib, depends on the GIST genotype, therefore molecular characterization of GIST has a crucial role in overall management of GIST. The aim of the present study was to molecularly characterize a cohort of 70 patients with metastatic GISTs from the Slovenian Cancer Registry (National Cancer Registry) treated between January 2002 and December 2011. Exons 9, 11, 13 and 17 of the KIT gene and exons 12, 14 and 18 of the PDGFRA gene were analysed by direct Sanger sequencing. All KIT/PDGFRA wild-type GISTs were tested for the presence of mutations in hot spot regions of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA and AKT1 genes. Novel variants were characterized and classified using Cancer Genome Interpreter and according to The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics/Association for Molecular Pathology guidelines. In total, 60 (85.7%) patients had mutations in KIT and 2 (2.9%) in PDGFRA. Whereas, 8 (11.4%) patients with GIST had no mutation in either of the analysed genes. The majority of GIST cases (n=52) had a mutation in KIT exon 11, where 40 different mutations were detected. Eight of the variants were novel: c.1652_1672del, c.1653_1660delinsAA, c.1665_1672delinsCC, c.1668_1686del, c.1676_1720del, c.1715_1756dup, c.1721_1765dup, and c.1722_1766dup. Mutation frequencies of KIT and PDGFRA genes observed in Slovenian patients are comparable with those in other European populations. In the present group of patients analysed, the most frequently mutated region was exon 11 in the KIT gene, responsible for coding juxtamembrane domain of KIT protein. In this region, eight novel mutations were identified and classified as likely pathogenic driver variants. In addition, the present study identified 6 patients with secondary KIT mutation and 1 patient with double mutant GIST, who had two different mutations in PDGFRA exon 14.

A 20-Year Review of Imatinib in Chronic Phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients after Failure with Interferon Therapy

A 20-Year Review of Imatinib in Chronic Phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients after Failure with Interferon Therapy