Biliary Tract Carcinoma Research Articles

Correction to: Clinical prospective study of Gallium 68 (68Ga)–labeled fibroblast‑activation protein inhibitor PET/CT in the diagnosis of biliary tract carcinoma

Correction to: Clinical prospective study of Gallium 68 (68Ga)–labeled fibroblast‑activation protein inhibitor PET/CT in the diagnosis of biliary tract carcinoma

Effectiveness and safety of radiotherapy plus programmed death-1 inhibitors and lenvatinib in patients with advanced biliary tract carcinoma: a real-world study.

Radiotherapy (RT) may function synergistically with immunotherapy and targeted agents (TA). This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of RT combined with programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors and lenvatinib in patients with relapsed or refractory advanced biliary tract carcinoma (BTC). This retrospective study included patients with relapsed or refractory advanced BTC who received RT combined with PD-1 inhibitors and lenvatinib at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH). Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety were evaluated. Thirty-one patients who received RT combined with PD-1 inhibitors and lenvatinib as a second- or later-line therapy were analyzed. RT sites were mainly distributed in the liver lesions (64.5%) and lymph nodes (58.1%). The ORR and DCR were 32.3% (10/31; 95% CI: 14.8-49.7) and 87.1% (27/31; 95% CI: 74.6-99.6), respectively. The median PFS (mPFS) and median OS (mOS) were 7.9 (95% CI: 7.1-8.7) and 11.7 (95% CI: 8.3-15.0) months, respectively. Subgroup analyses of this cohort included 12 and 19 patients who received concurrent and salvage (> 6weeks after commencing PD-1 inhibitor therapy) RT, respectively. The salvage RT group had higher mOS (11.7 vs. 10.5; p = 0.75) and mPFS (7.9 vs. 6.9; p = 0.85) than the concurrent RT group; however, statistical significance was not reached. All patients experienced any-grade adverse events (AEs), and excessive PD-1 inhibitors or RT toxicity were not observed. RT, PD-1 inhibitors, and lenvatinib may be safely combined and have antitumor effectiveness in patients with advanced BTC.

Exploring the significance of chemotherapy in the perioperative application of biliary tract carcinomas

Biliary tract cancer is extremely malignant with a poor prognosis. At the moment, the only curative method available is radical resection. Targeted and immunotherapy are currently advancing quickly, but chemotherapy still holds a key role in the perioperative management of biliary cancer. Perioperative chemotherapy aims to decrease tumor volume before surgery so that patients can have their tumors surgically removed or have a higher radical resection rate. It also aims to remove any tumor cells that remain after surgery and prevent the growth of new tumors. Chemotherapy-based combination treatment techniques have been increasingly investigated in recent years to improve perioperative care and patient survival. From the standpoint of chemotherapy regimens and clinical trial success in the perioperative phase of radical surgery, the value of chemotherapy in the perioperative period of biliary tract cancer were explored in this paper.

Clinical prospective study of Gallium 68 (68Ga)-labeled fibroblast-activation protein inhibitor PET/CT in the diagnosis of biliary tract carcinoma.

This study is to investigate the [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI PET/CT diagnosis performance in biliary tract carcinoma (BTC) and analyze the association between [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI PET/CT and clinical indexes. A prospective study (NCT05264688) was performed between January 2022 and July 2022. Fifty participants were scanned using [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI and [18F]FDG PET/CT and acquired pathological tissue. We employed the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare the uptake of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI and [18F]FDG, and the McNemar test was used to compare the diagnostic efficacy between the two tracers. Spearman or Pearson correlation was used to assess the association between [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI PET/CT and clinical indexes. In total, 47 participants (mean age 59.09 ± 10.98 [range 33-80years]) were evaluated. The [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI detection rate was greater than [18F]FDG in primary tumors (97.62% vs. 85.71%), nodal metastases (90.05% vs. 87.06%), and distant metastases (100% vs. 83.67%). The uptake of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI was higher than [18F]FDG in primary lesions (intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, 18.95 ± 7.47 vs. 11.86 ± 0.70, p = 0.001; extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, 14.57 ± 6.16 vs. 8.80 ± 4.74, p = 0.004), abdomen and pelvic cavity nodal metastases (6.91 ± 6.56 vs. 3.94 ± 2.83, p < 0.001), and distant metastases (pleural, peritoneum, omentum, and mesentery, 6.37 ± 4.21 vs. 4.50 ± 1.96, p = 0.01; bone, 12.15 ± 6.43 vs. 7.51 ± 4.54, p = 0.008). There was a significant correlation between [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI uptake and fibroblast-activation protein (FAP) expression (Spearman r = 0.432, p = 0.009), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (Pearson r = 0.364, p = 0.012), and platelet (PLT) (Pearson r = 0.35, p = 0.016). Meanwhile, a significant relationship between [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI metabolic tumor volume and carbohydrate antigen199 (CA199) (Pearson r = 0.436, p = 0.002) was confirmed. [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI had a higher uptake and sensitivity than [18F]FDG in the diagnosis of BTC primary and metastatic lesions. The correlation between [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI PET/CT indexes and FAP expression, CEA, PLT, and CA199 were confirmed. clinicaltrials.gov: NCT 05,264,688.

Nab-paclitaxel plus tegafur gimeracil oteracil potassium capsule (S-1) as first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract adenocarcinoma: a phase 2 clinical trial.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new combination of nab-paclitaxel plus tegafur gimeracil oteracil potassium capsule (S-1) for patients with advanced biliary tract carcinoma (BTC). Patients were treated with nab-paclitaxel at a dose of 125 mg/m2 on day 1 and 8, and S-1, 80 to 120 mg/day on days 1-14 of a 21-day cycle. Treatments were repeated until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). The secondary endpoints were median progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse events (AEs). The number of patients enrolled were 54, and 51 patients were evaluated for efficacy. A total of 14 patients achieved partial response (PR) with an ORR of 27.5%. The ORR varied by sites, with 53.8% (7/13) for gallbladder carcinoma, 18.4% (7/38) for cholangiocarcinoma. The most common grade 3 or 4 toxicities were neutropenia and stomatitis. The median PFS and OS were 6.0 and 13.2 months, respectively. The combination of nab-paclitaxel with S-1 showed explicit antitumor activities and favorable safety profile in advanced BTC and could serve as a potential non-platinum and -gemcitabine-based regimen.

Gallbladder polyp size and risk of neoplasia

Introduction: Gallbladder carcinoma is the most common biliary tract carcinoma. A subset develops in polypoidal precursors that are detectable by ultrasound but are not reliably distinguishable from non-neoplastic polyps. Most guidelines recommend cholecystectomy for polyps ≥ 10mm based on a higher rate of neoplasia, however, disagreements exist with management recommendations for smaller incidentally detected polyps. We investigated gallbladder polyps examined at a single institution to determine the relationship between polyp size and a finding of neoplasia. Methods and results: 136 gallbladders (F:M = 2.3:1) with a pre-operative diagnosis and histologically confirmed polyp were identified. 59.6% of polyps were <6 mm and 80.9% <10 mm. 21 (15.4%) of all polyps were neoplastic. Twenty-one point eight percent of polyps ≥6 mm and 30.8% of polyps ≥10 mm were neoplastic. Eighty-eight point nine percent of polyps showing either high grade dysplasia or carcinoma were ≥6 mm (including all carcinomas). Conclusion: Our results are in line with previously published data and reinforce the relationship between polyp size and risk of neoplasia and, more importantly, carcinoma. All polyps ≥10 mm should be well sampled to look for advanced neoplasia.

Clinical Outcomes of Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Tests for Gastrointestinal Cancers: Experience from Tokushima University Hospital

In Japan, cancer genome profiling (CGP) for cancer patients without standard treatment has been covered by public insurance since June 2019. This study analyzed data of 122 patients with gastrointestinal tumors who underwent CGP to clarify cancer genome medicine's current status and possible problems at the Tokushima University Hospital. The major types of cancer included pancreatic (n=30), colorectal (n=25), biliary tract (n=15), gastric (n=11), and hepatocellular carcinoma (n=8). CGP tests included F1CDx in 70 patients (57%), F1LCDx in 36 (30%), TSO500 in 14 (11%), and NCC Oncopanel in 2 (2%). Actionable gene alterations were identified in 72 patients (59%), but only 5 patients (4%) were treated for pancreatic (n=1), colorectal (n=3), and small bowel cancers (n=1). The main reasons for not receiving genotype-matched therapy included the lack of appropriate drugs or clinical trials that matched the actionable gene alterations (n=40) and the inability to participate in clinical trials (n=10). There is still not a sufficient number of patients receiving genotype-matched treatment for gastrointestinal cancers. To promote cancer genome medicine in regional areas, attempts to improve access to genotype-matched therapies are required, as well as to promote the development of new molecular-targeted drugs and clinical trials for these drugs. J. Med. Invest. 70 : 154-159, February, 2023.

Targeting Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Alterations in Cholangiocarcinoma and Other Solid Tumours: A New Frontier in Personalised Medicine

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a cancer of the bile duct with poor prognosis and increasing incidence. Filippo de Braud gave an overview of CCA and its classification and highlighted key unmet needs in both diagnosis and treatment. Juan Valle explained that intrahepatic CCA (iCCA) accounts for 11% of the entire cancer of unknown primary (CUP) population, as well as 33% of patients with liver-inclusive disease. It is, therefore, vital that CUP with a ‘liver-dominant lesion’ is reviewed by a specialist team familiar with iCCA management. Angela Lamarca emphasised that managing CAA requires a multidisciplinary approach to both diagnosis and treatment. Precision medicine is now a reality in biliary tract carcinoma (BTC), particularly iCCA, so molecular testing is essential to ensure targeted therapy options are considered. David Malka explored existing and emerging standard-of-care (SOC) treatments for advanced BTC, which represents a target-rich disease. Updated guidelines now recommend targeted treatment for second-line iCCA in patients with appropriate alterations, underscoring the importance of systematic and early molecular profiling. A wide range of malignancies harbour FGFR alterations at varying frequencies, and the FGFR inhibitor pemigatinib is already approved for the treatment of CCA with FGFR2 fusions or rearrangements. Antoine Hollebecque highlighted the final results from the Phase II FIGHT-202 study, in which pemigatinib achieved an overall response rate (ORR) of 37% in the target population with a manageable safety profile.

Designing of Peptide Based Multi-Epitope Vaccine Construct against Gallbladder Cancer Using Immunoinformatics and Computational Approaches.

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is an aggressive and difficult to treat biliary tract carcinoma with a poor survival rate. The aim of this study was to design a peptide-based multi-epitope vaccine construct against GBC using immunoinformatics approaches. Three proteins implicated in the progression of GBC were selected for B and T cell epitope prediction and the designing of the potential vaccine construct. Seven CTL, four HTL and six Bcell epitopes along with a suitable adjuvant were selected and connected using linkers for designing the vaccine construct. The secondary and tertiary models of the designed vaccine were generated and satisfactorily validated. A Ramachandran plot of the final 3D model showed more than 90% of the residues in allowed regions and only 0.4% in disallowed regions. The binding affinity of a vaccine construct with TLR 2, 3 and 4 receptors was assessed through molecular docking and simulation. The average numbers of hydrogen bonds for vaccine-TLR 2, 3 and 4 complexes in the simulation were 15.36, 16.45, and 11.98, respectively, and remained consistent over a 100 ns simulation period, which is critical for their function. The results of this study provide a strong basis for further evaluation through in vitro/in vivo experimental validation of the safety and efficacy of the designed vaccine construct.

Pathologies of Precursor Lesions of Biliary Tract Carcinoma.

Carcinomas and precursor lesions of the biliary tract belong to a spectrum of pancreatobiliary neoplasms that share common histology and cell lineages. Over the past two decades, preinvasive precursors to biliary tract carcinomas (BTCs) have been identified such as high-grade biliary intraepithelial neoplasm (high-grade BilIN), intraductal papillary neoplasm of bile duct (IPNB) and intracholecystic papillary neoplasm of the gallbladder (ICPN). While a majority of these precursors may arise from the biliary tract mucosa, some originate from the peribiliary glands and Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses in the walls of the biliary tract. High-grade BilIN is a microscopically identifiable intraepithelial neoplasm of the biliary tract, whereas IPNB and ICPN are grossly visible intraductal or intraluminal preinvasive neoplasms in the bile duct and gallbladder, respectively. These neoplasms show characteristic histologic features according to four cell lineages and two-tiered grading, and show intraepithelial spreading to the surrounding mucosa and involve non-neoplastic glands in the walls of the biliary tract. These precursors are not infrequently associated with stromal invasion, and high-grade BilIN, in particular, are frequently identified in the surrounding mucosa of BTCs. Taken together, it seems likely that progression from these precursors to invasive carcinoma is a major process in biliary carcinogenesis.

PD-1-mAb Plus Regimen in the First and Second Lines of Advanced and Unresectable Biliary Tract Carcinoma: A Real-World, Multicenter Retrospective Analysis.

Advanced biliary tract carcinoma (BTC) has a poor prognosis and few treatment options. We compared the efficacy of the PD-1 monoclonal antibody (PD-1-mAb) combined regimens with the standard chemotherapy in the first-line and second-line treatment of advanced BTC. We retrospectively assessed the patients with advanced BTC, who received treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University and the Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center. The patients were treated with PD-1-mAb combined regimens or standard chemotherapy at the first line or treated with PD-1-mAb combined regimens or systematic therapy at the second line. Further subgroup analyses were assessed to identify superior regimens. This study included 210 patients. The first-line PD-1-mAb combination group (n = 83) achieved longer median PFS (mPFS) (7.3 vs 5.3 months, p=0.001) and median OS (mOS) (15.6 vs 11.4 months, p=0.002) than the first-line standard chemotherapy group (n=76). Similarly, the second-line PD-1-mAb combination group (n=50) yielded longer mPFS (6.1 vs 2.6 months, p<0.001) and mOS (11.7 vs 7.2 months, p=0.008) than the second-line systematic therapy group (n=51). Subgroup analyses showed that the PD-1-mAb combined with TKI group achieved better mPFS than the chemotherapy group whether in the first-line (HR = 0.468, p=0.005) or the second-line setting (HR = 0.45, p=0.009), but did not achieve superiority in mOS (both p>0.05). Compared with the chemotherapy group, the PD-1-mAb combined with chemotherapy group achieved longer mOS (HR = 0.53, p=0.023) in the first-line setting and longer mPFS in the second-line setting (HR = 0.54, p=0.044). The PD-1-mAb combination therapy is superior to the standard chemotherapy in advanced or unresectable BTC, whether as a first-line or second-line treatment. Among the combination therapy, both the PD-1-mAb combined with TKI and combined with standard chemotherapy were promising options for advanced BTC patients.

68Ga]FAPI-PET/CT for radiation therapy planning in biliary tract, pancreatic ductal adeno-, and adenoidcystic carcinomas

Biliary-tract-carcinomas (BTC), pancreatic-ductal-adenocarcinomas (PDAC) and adenoidcystic-carcinomas (AC) have in common that they are traditionally treated with large clinical-target-volumes (CTV). The aim of this study is to examine the impact of pretreatment-[68Ga]FAPI-PET/CT on target-volume-definition and posttreatment-[68Ga]FAPI-PET/CT-response-assessment for BTC-, PDAC- and AC-patients referred to radiation-therapy. All consecutive BTC-, PDAC-, and AC-patients who received pretreatment-[68Ga]FAPI-PET/CT±[18F]FDG-PET/CT were included from 01.01.2020 to 01.03.2022. MTV and SUVmax were separately generated based on [68Ga]FAPI- and [18F]FDG-PET/CT-images. A [68Ga]FAPI- and [18F]FDG-based-CTV was defined. Treatment-plans were compared. Treatment-response was reassessed by a second [68Ga]FAPI-PET/CT and [18F]FDG-PET/CT after treatment-completion. Intermodality comparison of lesion-to-background-ratios [SUVmax_lesion/SUVmean_background] for individual timepoints t1 and t2 revealed significant higher values for [68Ga]FAPI compared to [18F]FDG (t1, p = 0.008; t2, p = 0.005). Intermodality comparison of radiation-therapy-plans showed that [68Ga]FAPI-based planning resulted in D100% = 97.2% and V95% = 98.8% for the [18F]FDG-MTV. [18F]FDG-based-planning resulted in D100% = 35.9% and V95% = 78.1% for [68Ga]FAPI-MTV. [18F]FDG-based-planning resulted only in 2 patients in V95% > 95% for [68Ga]FAPI-MTV, and in 1 patient in D100% > 97% for [68Ga]FAPI-MTV. GTV-coverage in terms of V95% was 76.4% by [18F]FDG-based-planning and 99.5% by [68Ga]FAPI-based-planning. Pretreatment [68Ga]FAPI-PET/CT enhances radiation-treatment-planning in this particular group of patients. While perilesional and tumoral follow-up [18F]FDG-uptake behaved uniformly, perilesional and tumoral reaction may differ in follow-up [68Ga]FAPI-imaging. Complementary [68Ga]FAPI- and [18F]FDG-imaging enhance treatment-response-assessment.

Spatiotemporal analysis of tumour-infiltrating immune cells in biliary carcinogenesis

BackgroundIntraductal papillary neoplasms (IPN) and biliary epithelial neoplasia (BilIN) are well‐defined precursor lesions of biliary tract carcinoma (BTC). The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive characterisation of the inflammatory microenvironment in BTC precursor lesions.MethodsImmunohistochemistry was employed to assess tumour-infiltrating immune cells in tissue samples from patients, for whom precursor lesions were identified alongside invasive BTC. The spatiotemporal evolution of the immune microenvironment during IPN-associated carcinogenesis was comprehensively analysed using triplet sample sets of non-neoplastic epithelium, precursor lesion and invasive BTC. Immune-cell dynamics during IPN- and BilIN-associated carcinogenesis were subsequently compared.ResultsStromal CD3+ (P = 0.002), CD4+ (P = 0.007) and CD8+ (P < 0.001) T cells, CD20+ B cells (P = 0.008), MUM1+ plasma cells (P = 0.012) and CD163+ M2-like macrophages (P = 0.008) significantly decreased in IPN compared to non-tumorous biliary epithelium. Upon transition from IPN to invasive BTC, stromal CD68+ (P = 0.001) and CD163+ (P < 0.001) macrophages significantly increased. In contrast, BilIN-driven carcinogenesis was characterised by significant reduction of intraepithelial CD8+ T-lymphocytic infiltration from non-tumorous epithelium via BilIN (P = 0.008) to BTC (P = 0.004).ConclusionIPN and BilIN are immunologically distinct entities that undergo different immune-cell variations during biliary carcinogenesis. Intraepithelial CD8+ T-lymphocytic infiltration of biliary tissue decreased already at the IPN-precursor stage, whereas BilIN-associated carcinogenesis showed a slowly progressing reduction towards invasive carcinoma.

Bile is a reliable and valuable source to study cfDNA in biliary tract cancers.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to determine the clinical efficacy of bile-derived liquid biopsy compared with plasma and tumor tissue biopsy in patients with biliary tract carcinoma (BTC).MethodsA total of 13 patients with BTC were enrolled in this cohort. Tumor tissue, bile, and plasma samples were obtained and analyzed using next-generation sequencing for genomic profiling.ResultsBile and plasma samples were collected from all 13 patients, and 11 patients also had matched tumor tissues available. The cell-free DNA (cfDNA) concentration was significantly higher in the bile supernatant than in plasma (median: 1918 vs. 63.1 ng/ml, p = 0.0017). The bile supernatant and pellet had a significantly higher mean mutation allele frequency (MF) than plasma (median: 3.84% vs. 4.22% vs. 0.16%; p < 0.001). Genomic alterations were predominantly missense. Both bile supernatant and pellet had significantly more genomic alterations than plasma (average: 9.3 vs. 7.2 vs. 2.3 alterations per sample; p < 0.01). Among the top 10 most frequent genomic alterations, the consistency between bile supernatant and tumor tissue was 90.00% (18/20), that between bile pellet and tumor tissue was 85.00% (17/20), and that between the plasma and tissue was only 35.00% (7/20). MAF of both bile supernatant and pellet was positively correlated with that in tissue samples (ρ < 0.0001, spearman r = 0.777, and ρ < 0.0001, spearman r = 0.787, respectively), but no significant correlation with tissue was found in the plasma (ρ = 0.966, spearman r = 0.008). Furthermore, additional genomic alterations could be detected in bile supernatant and pellet than in tissue. Potential targets for targeted therapy were identified in bile supernatant and pellet. Regarding copy number variation (CNV) and chromosomal instability (CIN) detection, four additional CNVs from two patients were detected in the bile supernatant that was not detected in tissues (i.e., amplification of TERC, IL7R, RICTOR, and TERT). CIN was significantly higher in tumor tissue than in plasma. The CIN of the bile was also significantly higher than that of plasma. There was no significant difference in CIN between the tissue and the bile supernatant.ConclusionThe consistency of all genomic alterations and tumor tissue-determined genomic alteration in the bile supernatant/pellet was significantly higher than in plasma. Bile supernatants/pellets are better for genetic sequencing and may also have potential clinical value to guide targeted therapy and evaluate prognosis. Bile cfDNA may be a feasible substitute for tumor tissue in the genetic testing of patients with BTC.

Targeted amplicon sequencing for primary tumors and matched lymph node metastases in patients with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is one of the most adverse prognostic factors in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EHCC) cases. As next-generation sequencing technology has become more widely available, the genomic profile of biliary tract carcinoma has been clarified. However, whether LNMs have additional genomic alterations in patients with EHCC has not been investigated. Here, we aimed to compare the genomic alterations between primary tumors and matched LNMs in patients with EHCC. Sixteen patients with node-positive EHCCs were included. Genomic DNA was extracted from tissue samples of primary tumors and matched LNMs. Targeted amplicon sequencing of 160 cancer-related genes was performed. Among the 32 tumor samples from 16 patients, 91 genomic mutations were identified. Genomic mutations were noted in 31 genes, including TP53, MAP3K1, SMAD4, APC, and ARID1A. TP53 mutations were most frequently observed (12/32; 37.5%). Genomic mutation profiles were highly concordant between primary tumors and matched LNMs (13/16; 81.3%), and an additional genomic mutation of CDK12 was observed in only one patient. Genomic mutations were highly concordant between primary tumors and matched LNMs, suggesting that genotyping of archived primary tumor samples may help predict genomic mutations of metastatic tumors in patients with EHCC.

Treatment of biliary tract carcinoma over the last 30 years.

Surgical resection could offer the only chance of a long-term cure for biliary tract carcinoma. However, only a small percentage of these patients can undergo surgery based on the progression of the disease. Most patients with biliary tract carcinoma receive palliative chemotherapy. Until 2010, patients with unresectable biliary tract carcinoma received fluorouracil (5-FU), gemcitabine (GEM), and cisplatin (CDDP)-based chemotherapies. The ABC-02 study established GEM with CDDP as the first-line therapy for patients with unresectable biliary tract carcinoma, and phase III studies indicated that several combinations of anti-cancer drugs such as GEM with S-1 benefited patients. In contrast, clinical studies on targeted therapy dosages for biliary tract carcinoma in the 2010s failed to corroborate the advantages of administering cancer treatment with or without other anticancer drugs. Due to the easy access to cancer panels, precision medicines (such as ivosidenib for IDH1 mutations, pemigatinib for FGFR2 fusions, and entrectinib and larotrectinib for NTRK fusions) were recently found to be effective in the treatment of patients with these genetic alterations. Moreover, many clinical studies on immune checkpoint inhibitors for advanced biliary tract carcinoma are currently underway and could provide more effective treatment options in the near future.

Abstract 5765: Genomic characterization of Chinese biliary tract cancers identifies differences between subtypes and therapeutic biomarkers

Abstract Background: Biliary tract carcinoma (BTC) is a relatively rare cancer worldwide and accounts for 3% gastrointestinal cancers in China. BTCs are mainly classified as gallbladder cancer (GBC) and cholangiocarcinomas (CCA) with dismal prognosis. Genetic landscape of BTC can offer a comprehensive understanding of its carcinogenesis and clinical associations. The present study aims to compare the molecular features between BTC subtypes and explore clues for treatment therapies. Methods: We analyzed 258 BTC tissue samples including 70 GBCs and 188 CCAs with targeted sequencing (NGS) using a 425 caner-relevant genes panel. We identified the somatic alterations and MSI status of all samples. TMB was counted by summing all base substitutions and indels in the coding region of targeted genes. TMB-high (TMB-H) was defined as mutation number ≥ 10mut/Mb. Results: The most frequently mutated genes in 258 BTCs were TP53 (56.6%), KRAS (27.9%), CDKN2A (21.3%), TERT (17.8%) and MCL1 (14.3%). Four gene mutations and 2 gene amplifications were significantly enriched in GBC compared to CCA (mutations P&amp;lt;0.05, amplifications P&amp;lt;0.01): TP53 (78.8% vs 47.9%), ARID2 (15.7% vs 3.7%), STK11 (12.9% vs 4.3%), TERT (24.3% vs 11.2%), CCNE1 and SOX2 amplifications (21.4% vs 2.7%, 4.3% vs 0%). However, ARID1A mutation (15.4% vs 5.7%), PBRM1 mutation (10.1% vs 0%), and MCL1 amplification (17.0% vs 5.7%) were more frequently existed in CAA (all P&amp;lt;0.05). Seven actionable alterations, including IDH1/2 (5.4%), FGFR1-4 (4.7%), ERBB2 (6.2%), PIK3CA (5.4%), MET (3.5%), and BRCA1/2 (5.0%), were detected with different occurrence frequencies in two subtypes. ERBB2 was predominant in GBC (15.7% vs 7.4%, p&amp;lt;0.001), while IDH1/2 and KRAS alteration rates were much higher in CCA (8% vs 0%, 31.4% vs 18.6%, both P&amp;lt;0.05). FGFR3 alterations were also tended to be enriched in CCA (7.1% vs 2.7%), although no significant difference was found. In general, there were 25.7% of GBC patients harboring actionable alterations versus 29.3% of CCA patients. In addition, 40 (15.5%, 13 GBCs and 27 CCAs) and 11 (4.3%, 10 GBCs and 1 CCA) patients were TMB-H and MSI-H, respectively, suggesting the possibility of benefit from immunotherapy. Conclusions: There were distinct molecular features in somatic variations and actionable alterations between GBSs and CCAs. In general, 44.3% of GBC and 46.3% CCA may benefit from targeted therapy and immunotherapy. This study could be helpful to establish treatment therapies for BTCs according to genetic information. Citation Format: Xiaofeng Chen, Jiaohui Pang, Cuicui Liu, Sha Wang, Yang Shao. Genomic characterization of Chinese biliary tract cancers identifies differences between subtypes and therapeutic biomarkers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 5765.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) plus CAPOX in the treatment of unresectable advanced or recurrent biliary tract carcinoma (BTC): A retrospective study.

e16144 Background: Patients with advanced or unresectable BTC have limited treatment options and poor prognosis. The combination of ICIs with chemotherapy has demonstrated promising antitumor activity with manageable safety in the first- or second-line in treatment of patients with advanced or unresectable BTC, but only a subset of patients with BTC derive benefit. The standard systemic treatment for BTC has been gemcitabine (800-1250 mg/m2, i.v., d1 and d8, q3w) in combination with oxaliplatin/cisplatin. The regimen is associated with high frequency of intravenous injection or more hospital days. All above highlights the need for new combinations. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective trial to evaluate ICIs combined with CAPOX (more convenient dosing regimen) in patients with advanced or recurrent BTC who were treatment-naive or failed to previous treatment. Methods: In this study, eligible patients were diagnosed as unresectable advanced or recurrent BTC, therapy-naive or failed to previous treatment with chemotherapy, inhibitors of VEGFR or PD-1/PD-L1. In therapy phase, 28 patients were given with ICIs (dosage and mode of administration according to instructions, d1), oxaliplatin (130 mg/m2, i.v., d1), and capecitabine (1000mg/m2, po, bid, d1-14) every 3 weeks, until disease progression, intolerable toxicities, or physician/patient withdrawal. The safety and efficacy were assessed by investigators per CTCAE v5.0 and RECIST v1.1, respectively. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), the secondly endpoints were overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DOR) and adverse events (AEs). Results: From Dec 24, 2019 to Aug 6, 2021, 28 patients had been enrolled to receive therapy. The patients were characterized with a median age of 58 years (range 53-79), 75% intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and 25% gallbladder cancer (GBC), 25% lymph node metastasis, 25% liver metastases, 54% with history of surgery, and 57% with therapy-native. As of Jan 23, 2022, with a median follow-up of 9.0 months (range, 2.1-23.4), safety and efficacy were assessed in 26 evaluable patients, with response of 12 PR and 6 SD. Confirmed ORR and disease control rate (DCR) were 46.2% (95% CI, 27.1%-66.2%) and 69.2% (95% CI, 48.1%-84.9%), respectively. The median PFS, median OS and median DOR were 6.1 months (95% CI, 4.9-7.3), 16.5 months (95% CI, 5.0-28.0) and 5.0 months (95% CI, 2.0-8.0), respectively. Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 32.1% of patients, with thrombocytopenia and bone marrow depression ranking the most frequent. No new safety signal was identified. Conclusions: In this study, ICIs combined with CAPOX not only showed high level of safety and efficacy, but also provided convenience in the treatment of unresectable advanced or recurrent BTC.

A phase Ia/Ib, dose-escalation/expansion study of BI 907828 in combination with BI 754091 (ezabenlimab) and BI 754111 in patients (pts) with advanced solid tumors.

3095 Background: Preclinical data show that combining a murine double minute 2–tumor protein 53 (MDM2–p53) antagonist with immune checkpoint inhibitors produces anti-tumor effects in multiple tumor types. This Phase Ia/Ib study (NCT03964233) is assessing BI 907828, a MDM2–p53 antagonist, combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors in TP53 wild-type cancers. Methods: In Phase Ia (dose escalation), pts with advanced/metastatic solid tumors received escalating doses of BI 907828 guided by a Bayesian Logistic Regression Model (starting dose 10 mg orally) plus ezabenlimab 240 mg (anti-PD-1 antibody) and BI 754111 600 mg (anti-LAG-3 antibody) every 21 days (q3w). Primary endpoint was the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of BI 907828 based on the number of pts with dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) during cycle one. During Phase Ia, other studies indicated a lack of added efficacy when BI 754111 was combined with ezabenlimab; therefore, the study design was updated to switch the dose escalation to the doublet combination of BI 907828 plus ezabenlimab. Results: A total of 11 pts received the triplet combination at 10/20/30/45 mg dose levels (DL; n = 3/3/3/2 respectively); all have discontinued treatment. No DLTs were reported in cycle one; MTD was not reached. As of 20th January 2022, 15 pts have received the doublet combination at 30/45 mg DLs (n = 10/5 respectively). One pt (45 mg) had a DLT during cycle one: G2 neutropenia. Four DLTs were reported after cycle one: G3 anemia (30 mg); G2 thrombocytopenia (45 mg); and G3 neutropenia and G4 thrombocytopenia (45 mg). G≥3 adverse events occurred in eight pts; most commonly anemia (n = 6), thrombocytopenia (n = 4) and lymphopenia (n = 3). There were no notable safety findings with BI 907828 45 mg q3w, the recommended dose for expansion (RDE) for BI 907828 monotherapy. Nine of the 15 pts who received doublet therapy were evaluable for response; four had a confirmed partial response (PR; 30 mg, n = 1; 45 mg, n = 3), two biliary tract carcinoma, one urothelial carcinoma, and one myxoid liposarcoma; one had an unconfirmed PR (30 mg) with adenocarcinoma (primary site intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma). Four pts with liposarcoma and gastric cancer had stable disease. MTD will be reported. In Phase Ib, pts will receive the RDE of BI 907828 plus 240 mg ezabenlimab (q3w). Pts will be recruited to two cohorts: soft tissue sarcomas (liposarcoma, undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, myxofibrosarcoma, synovial sarcoma and leiomyosarcoma) and selected MDM2-amplified tumors (NSCLC, gastric adenocarcinoma, urothelial carcinoma, and biliary tract carcinoma). Primary endpoints are progression-free survival and objective response (RECIST 1.1). Conclusions: The doublet combination of BI 907828 plus ezabenlimab showed a manageable safety profile and early signs of anti-tumor activity. Eleven pts remain on treatment; recruitment is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT03964233.

Durvalumab (D) plus tremelimumab (T) immunotherapy in patients (Pts) with advanced biliary tract carcinoma (BTC) after failure of platinum-based chemotherapy (CTx): Interim results of the IMMUNOBIL GERCOR D18-1 PRODIGE-57 study.

4108 Background: D (anti-PDL1) plus T (anti-CTLA-4) combination immunotherapy showed encouraging results in hepato-biliary cancers. Its efficacy in non-Asian Pts with pretreated BTC is unknown. Methods: IMMUNOBIL GERCOR-D18-1 PRODIGE-57 was initially a 2-arm, open-label, randomized non-comparative phase II study. Pts with recurrent/advanced pathologically proven BTC (intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma [iCCA]/extrahepatic CCA [eCCA]/gallbladder cancer [GC]), ECOG PS 0-1, pre-treated with platinum-based CTx were randomized (1:1) to D (1500 mg Q4W) plus T (75 mg Q4W x 4 cycles [T75]) (Arm A) or D plus T in combination with weekly paclitaxel (Arm B). Arm B was closed prematurely for toxicity after inclusion of 10 Pts. The study continued with Arm A only. It was further amended to modify the T schedule (300 mg at cycle 1 [T300], amended Arm A) due to higher efficacy reported in other tumors as compared to T75 mg x 4. The new primary endpoint was the overall survival (OS) rate at 6 months (M6) in amended Arm A (D + T300) with a Fleming two-stage design (H0: 50%, H1: 65%, one-sided alpha: 5%, power: 90%). A total of 100 evaluable Pts were required (efficacy threshold: 59%). We present here the efficacy data of Arm A (D + T75). Results: From 12/2018 to 12/2020, 106 Pts were included in Arm A; 103 were evaluable for OS at M6. Median age was 66 years, 47% were male, 46% had ECOG PS 0, 69%/18%/13% had iCCA/eCCA/GC, 76% had metastatic disease, and 28% had prior tumor resection. First-line CTx was GEMCIS/GEMOX/5-FU-based/other in 63%/22%/4%/11%. The M6-OS rate was 59.2%. With a median follow-up of 12 months (95% Cl 11.4-14.9), the median OS was 8.0 months (95% Cl 5.7-11.7) and median PFS was 2.5 months (95% Cl 2.0-3.2). Complete response (CR) was observed in 2 (1.9%) Pts, partial response (PR) in 8 (7.8%), and stable disease (SD) in 32 (31.1%), resulting in an objective response rate of 9.7% and a disease control rate of 40.8%. Absence of progression (PD, iRECIST) after 2 cycles (M6-OS rate: 84% vs 41%, median OS: 17.9 months vs 4.4 months) and CR/PR as a best overall response (M6-OS rate: 100% vs 84% and 39% for SD and PD, respectively) were associated with markedly prolonged OS. 65 (63.1%) Pts had ≥1 grade 3-4 (G3-4) adverse event (AE) and 22 (21.4%) had ≥1 G3-4 treatment-related AE (TRAE). The most commonly reported G3-4 AEs were fatigue (12.6%), abdominal pain (5.8%), and aspartate aminotransferase increase (5.8%) and G3-4 TRAEs were fatigue (4.9%) and diarrhea (2.9%). One death was possibly related to treatment. Conclusions: Although no statistical conclusions can be drawn from this exploratory analysis of Arm A, D+T75 reached the pre-defined threshold for efficacy, with no unexpected toxicity. Results from amended Arm A (D+T300, N = 106 additional Pts), quality of life, and ancillary studies are pending. Clinical trial information: NCT03704480.