Favorable Progression-free Survival Research Articles

PCV ALONE IN GRADE 2 AND GRADE 3 OLIGODENDROGLIOMA – LONG-TERM RESULTS FROM A UK TERTIARY CARE CENTRE

Abstract AIMS Oligodendroglioma is a subgroup of gliomas which affects young adults and has a favourable overall survival (OS) ranging between 31.5 to 56.6.% at 10 years. Standard management of these tumours is maximal safe resection followed by adjuvant radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy with Procarbazine, Lomustine and Vincristine (PCV), or surveillance where appropriate. PCV alone is an option that helps defer or avoid radiotherapy and its neurocognitive side effects in a selected group of patients. Our retrospective study analyses outcomes with PCV alone in Oligodendroglioma. METHOD We screened patient records between 1999 to 2021 and identified 31 patients who had a histological diagnosis of grade 2/3 oligodendroglioma (with confirmation of 1p19qcodeletion on molecular testing) and received PCV alone after surgery (biopsy/ tumour resection). RESULTS Out of 31 patients, twenty-six patients were grade 2 and five patients were grade 3 oligodendroglioma. Median age was 44 years and male: female was 15:16. Median follow up was 9.5 years. Twenty-five patients (80%) presented with seizures. 80% of patients had tumour resection & twenty four patients received 5 or more cycles of PCV alone as first-line oncological treatment. There was no significant difference in outcomes for grade2/3 tumours. Eighteen patients (58%) had local tumour relapse. Fourteen patients (45%) underwent salvage radiotherapy. Median time to radiotherapy was 7 years. Median OS was 19.4 years and median progression free survival (PFS) was 13.3 years. 9 deaths were reported. CONCLUSION PCV chemotherapy alone is an effective adjuvant treatment option for selected patients with oligodendroglioma, with a favourable PFS and OS shown in our series. Its use may allow deferral of radiotherapy and avoidance of associated neurocognitive side effects which can have a detrimental effect of quality of life for these young patients.

Prognostic factors of early recurrence after complete cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Although cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) offer the potential for long-term survival in peritoneal carcinomatosis, outcomes following CRS/HIPEC vary significantly. To identify the clinical factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS) after complete CRS/HIPEC in patients with colorectal/high-grade appendiceal, ovarian, and gastric cancers. We retrospectively evaluated the risk of recurrence within 1 year after CRS/HIPEC and its impact on overall survival (OS) in patients recruited between 2015 and 2020. Logistic regression models were used to assess the prognostic factors for the risk of recurrence within 1 year. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the association between recurrence and OS. Of the 80 enrolled patients, 39 had an unfavorable PFS (< 1 year) and 41 had a favorable PFS (≥ 1 year). Simple logistic models revealed that the patients with a completeness of cytoreduction score of 0 (CC-0) or length of CRS ≤ 6 h had a favorable PFS [odds ratio (OR) = 0.141, P = 0.004; and OR = 0.361, P = 0.027, respectively]. In multiple logistic regression, achieving CC-0 was the strongest prognostic factor for a favorable PFS (OR = 0.131, P = 0.005). A peritoneal cancer index score > 12 was associated with a lower rate of achieving CC-0 (P = 0.027). The favorable PFS group had a significantly longer OS (median 81.7 mo vs 17.0 mo, P < 0.001). Achieving CC-0 was associated with a lower early recurrence rate and improved long-term survival. This study underscores the importance of selecting appropriate candidates for CRS/HIPEC to manage peritoneal carcinomatosis.

SOX17 expression in tumor endothelial cells in colorectal cancer and its association with favorable outcomes in patients

The high mortality rate of colorectal cancer (CRC) highlights the need for new treatment strategies; however, the venous invasion mechanisms in tumor endothelial cells within CRC remain unexplored. Therefore, we investigated the clinicopathological features of SRY-box transcription factor 17 (SOX17) in CRC. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on 55 CRC tissue specimens using a SOX17-specific antibody, followed by Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. SOX17 immunoreactivity was detected in the endothelial cells of tumor-penetrating vessels in 35/55 CRC samples. Kaplan–Meier analysis indicated that patients with SOX17 immunoreactivity had favorable overall and progression-free survival (log-rank test, P = 0.03 and 0.02, respectively). Notably, tumor endothelial SOX17 immunoreactivity was associated with a favorable prognosis in patients with stage III or IV disease (OS, P = 0.0089; PFS, P = 0.0065). Cox proportional hazard regression analysis indicated that SOX17 immunoreactivity is an independent factor for predicting favorable overall and progression-free survival in CRC (P = 0.02 and 0.01, respectively). The present findings suggest that SOX17 expression in tumor endothelial cells is a potential indicator of favorable prognosis in patients with CRC.

Survival of men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer and adrenal-permissive HSD3B1 inheritance.

BACKGROUNDMetastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) is androgen dependent, and its treatment includes androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with gonadal testosterone suppression. Since 2014, overall survival (OS) has been prolonged with addition of other systemic therapies, such as adrenal androgen synthesis blockers, potent androgen receptor blockers, or docetaxel, to ADT. HSD3B1 encodes the rate-limiting enzyme for nongonadal androgen synthesis, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-1, and has a common adrenal-permissive missense-encoding variant that confers increased synthesis of potent androgens from nongonadal precursor steroids and poorer prostate cancer outcomes.METHODSOur prespecified hypothesis was that poor outcome associated with inheritance of the adrenal-permissive HSD3B1 allele with ADT alone is reversed in patients with low-volume (LV) mHSPC with up-front ADT plus addition of androgen receptor (AR) antagonists to inhibit the effect of adrenal androgens. HSD3B1 genotype was obtained in 287 patients with LV disease treated with ADT + AR antagonist only in the phase III Enzalutamide in First Line Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Metastatic Prostate Cancer (ENZAMET) trial and was associated with clinical outcomes.RESULTSPatients who inherited the adrenal-permissive HSD3B1 allele had more favorable 5-year clinical progression-free survival and OS when treated with ADT plus enzalutamide or ADT plus nonsteroidal antiandrogen compared with their counterparts who did not have adrenal-permissive HSD3B1 inheritance. HSD3B1 was also associated with OS after accounting for known clinical variables. Patients with both genotypes benefited from early enzalutamide.CONCLUSIONThese data demonstrated an inherited physiologic driver of prostate cancer mortality is associated with clinical outcomes and is potentially pharmacologically reversible.FUNDINGNational Cancer Institute, NIH; Department of Defense; Prostate Cancer Foundation, Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.

Paclitaxel, Ifosfamide, and Cisplatin as Initial Salvage Chemotherapy for Germ Cell Tumors: Long-Term Follow-Up and Outcomes for Favorable- and Unfavorable-Risk Disease.

Paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin (TIP) is an established salvage regimen for germ cell tumors (GCT) on the basis of a phase II trial, but efficacy on a large patient cohort including patients with unfavorable risk features and long-term outcomes has not been reported. Herein, we report updated treatment efficacy and long-term follow-up with TIP. Patients with GCT who received TIP after cisplatin-based chemotherapy were eligible. Favorable response (complete response or partial response with negative tumor markers), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates, relapse, and toxicity were determined. Disease was reclassified according to the International Prognostic Factor Study Group (IPFSG) score. Of the 104 patients, 87 had favorable risk factors and 17 had at least one unfavorable factor by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) criteria. Ten patients were treated for a second gonadal primary GCT. With a median follow-up of 8.9 years, the 5-year PFS and OS rates were 66% (95% CI, 55 to 74) and 69% (95% CI, 59 to 77), respectively. Among 87 patients with favorable-risk disease, 69 (79%) achieved a favorable response with 5-year PFS and OS rates of 67% (95% CI, 56 to 76) and 72% (95% CI, 61 to 80), respectively. Among 17 patients with MSKCC unfavorable-risk disease, 13 (76%) achieved a favorable response with 5-year PFS and OS rates of 59% (95% CI, 33 to 78) and 56% (95% CI, 28 to 76), respectively. After IPFSG reclassification, 5-year PFS and OS rates for patients with ≤intermediate-risk disease were 75% (95% CI, 50 to 89) and 73% (95% CI, 55 to 85), respectively. TIP is an effective second-line regimen for patients with GCT. Similar outcomes were observed in patients with favorable- and unfavorable-risk disease. The randomized TIGER trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02375204) comparing TIP with high-dose chemotherapy will determine the optimal second-line treatment approach.

Characteristics and outcomes of salvage surgery after immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for initially unresectable non-small cell lung cancer.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) improved the long-term survival outcomes in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), whereas the role of salvage surgery after ICIs was unknown. The object of this study was to investigate characteristics and outcomes of patients who underwent salvage surgery after ICIs. Retrospective chart review was performed on the basis of our multi-institutional database in search of consecutive patients who underwent salvage surgery after ICIs for initially unresectable NSCLC between 2016 and 2022. Patient characteristics, intraoperative findings, perioperative outcomes, histopathological findings, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were investigated. Fifteen patients with a median age of 71 years were included in the study. The surgical approach was open thoracotomy in 5 and robotic or thoracoscopic surgery in 10 patients. Resection was performed for primary lesions in 8 and metastatic lesions in 7 patients. Postoperative complication was noted in 1 patient with grade 1 phrenic nerve palsy. The median PFS was 47.9 months, and the median OS was not reached. Three-year PFS was 0% in those with metastatic lesions and 87.5% in those with primary lesions (P=0.12). Salvage surgery after ICIs may be associated with low perioperative morbidity and acceptable long-term outcomes in selected patients. Salvage resection of primary lesions may be associated with more favorable PFS than of metastatic lesions.

Integrative analysis of the immunological significances of guanylate binding protein family genes in microsatellite stability colorectal cancer

BackgroundMicrosatellite stability (MSS) colorectal cancer (CRC) has poor sensitivity to immunotherapy and its underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Guanylate binding proteins (GBPs) are a family of GTPase involving innate immune responses by providing defense against invading microbes and pathogens. However, the immunological significances of GBPs in MSS CRC remain unknown. MethodsWe utilized bioinformatic tools to comprehensively analysis the expression pattern, clinical relevance, prognostic value, biological function, and immunoregulation effect of distinct GBP members in MSS CRC. ResultsThe expression of all seven GBPs in MSS samples are remarkably decreased compared to microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) samples. Among them, GBP1/2/4/5 are obviously correlated with distant metastasis status. High expression of GBP1/4/5/6 was remarkably related to favorable overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in CRC patients with MSS tumor. Subsequent enrichment analysis revealed that Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and NOD-like receptor signaling are the most relevant functions. Besides, the expression patterns of GBPs are remarkably associated with several tumor infiltrated immune cells (e.g. regulatory T cells, CD4+ T cells, and macrophages) and diverse immunoregulatory molecules (e.g. immune checkpoint biomarkers (ICBs) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules). Moreover, high GBP1/2/4/5 expression predicted better immunotherapy responsiveness in immunotherapy cohorts. ConclusionThese findings might provide novel insights for the identification of therapeutic targets and potential prognostic biomarkers of GBP family in CRC with MSS samples.

Efficacy of ALK inhibitors in Asian patients with ALK inhibitor-naïve advanced ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

A previous network meta-analysis (NMA) compared the efficacy of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors in ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The phase III INSPIRE study of iruplinalkib was published recently. The present study aimed to add the results related to iruplinalkib to the NMA. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google, and Baidu. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting the independent review committee-assessed progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), or disease control rate (DCR) results of Asian patients with ALK inhibitor-naïve advanced ALK-positive NSCLC were eligible for inclusion in the NMA. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. Bayesian fixed-effect models were used for the direct and indirect pairwise comparisons. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024555299). Eight studies, involving 1,477 Asian patients and seven treatments (crizotinib, alectinib, brigatinib, ensartinib, envonalkib, iruplinalkib, and lorlatinib), were included in the NMA. In terms of the overall risks of bias, all of the studies had "some concerns". All the next-generation ALK inhibitors were statistically superior to crizotinib in terms of PFS. Iruplinalkib had the best surface under the cumulative ranking curve (74.0%), followed by brigatinib (69.1%) and ensartinib (63.7%). Most of the pairwise comparisons did not reveal significant differences in the ORR and DCR. In terms of both the ORR and DCR, alectinib ranked first, followed by lorlatinib. Next-generation ALK inhibitors had better efficacy than crizotinib in the treatment of Asian patients with ALK inhibitor-naïve advanced ALK-positive NSCLC. Iruplinalkib may have more favorable PFS benefit than other ALK inhibitors for Asians.

Utility of Assessing Early Tumor Shrinkage as an Efficacy Predictor in Patients with Non-Surgically Indicated or Recurrent Esophageal Cancer Treated with Nivolumab plus Ipilimumab.

Nivolumab plus ipilimumab combination therapy has been administered as a first-line treatment in Japan since 2022 for patients with unresectable progressive or recurrent esophageal cancer. The efficacy and safety of this immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) doublet therapy are now being evaluated, and it is necessary to identify populations that benefit from this treatment at an early phase after initiation. For patients not showing early benefit, changing as soon as possible to other therapeutic strategies could improve their survival outcomes. Therefore, we attempted to identify decision-making factors such as early tumor shrinkage (ETS) based on treatment experience with ICI doublet therapy. The study included 19 patients who received nivolumab plus ipilimumab for non-surgically indicated or recurrent esophageal cancer between July 2022 and November 2023. Tumors were assessed approximately every 2 months after treatment initiation. The effects of ETS, depth of response (DpR), and clinicopathologic features, including immune-related adverse events (irAEs), on progression-free and overall survival were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox proportional hazard models. The mean duration of ICI doublet administration was 5.89 months (range, 1-16 months). At first evaluation, patients who exhibited no tumor progression &gt;20% indicated possible response to ICI doublet therapy, and patients whose tumors shrank even minimally exhibited favorable progression-free survival. Higher DpR at any cut-off line exhibited better progression-free survival than those with lower DpR. Fifteen patients experienced irAEs, with 13 of these patients experiencing irAEs within 3 months of treatment initiation. irAEs were associated with the efficacy of ICI doublet therapy, but efficacy could not be predicted based on early irAE experience. ETS-high, DpR-high, and irAEs might be associated with favorable responses to nivolumab plus ipilimumab. As a predictor of efficacy at an early phase, ETS &gt;0% could be a deciding factor for continuing ICI doublet therapy.

Evolving consolidation patterns and outcomes for a large cohort of patients with primary CNS lymphoma

AbstractConsolidation for primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) after induction chemoimmunotherapy include whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT; ≤24 Gy reduced-dose [RD], >24 Gy standard-dose) and cytarabine, nonmyeloablative chemotherapy (NMC), or autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT). Comparative outcomes are lacking. Outcomes from 1983-2020 were stratified by decade and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) class. Clinicodemographic associations were analyzed by multinomial logistic regression. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed by proportional hazards. Of 559 patients, 385 (69%) were consolidated. Median follow-up and OS were 7.4 and 5.7 years, respectively. WBRT use declined (61% (1990s) vs 12% (2010s)), whereas AHCT (4% (1990s) vs 32% (2010s)) and NMC (27% (1990s) vs 52% (2010s)) rose. Compared with RPA 1, RPA 2 was more likely to receive NMC. Those with partial response to induction were less likely to receive AHCT (odds ratio, 0.36; P = .02). Among 351 with complete response to consolidation, only receipt of rituximab, methotrexate, procarbazine, and vincristine induction was associated with improved PFS (hazard ratio, 0.5; P = .006). Among RPA 1, median PFS and OS were not reached for AHCT or RD-WBRT, vs 2.5 and 13.0 years, respectively, after NMC. Among RPA class 3, median PFS and OS after RD-WBRT were 4.6 and 10 years, vs 1.7 and 4.4 years after NMC. No significant adjusted survival differences were seen across consolidation strategies. NMC is increasingly used in lieu of RD-WBRT despite a trend toward less favorable PFS. RD-WBRT can be considered in patients ineligible for AHCT.

DCE-CT parameters as new functional imaging biomarkers at baseline and during immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with lung cancer – a feasibility study

BackgroundWith the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, the need for new functional imaging techniques and early response assessments has increased to account for new response patterns and the high cost of treatment. The present study was designed to assess the prognostic impact of dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (DCE-CT) on survival outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.MethodsThirty-three patients with inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors were prospectively enrolled for DCE-CT as part of their follow-up. A single target lesion at baseline and subsequent follow-up examinations were enclosed in the DCE-CT. Blood volume deconvolution (BVdecon), blood flow deconvolution (BFdecon), blood flow maximum slope (BFMax slope) and permeability were assessed using overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) as endpoints in Kaplan Meier and Cox regression analyses.ResultsHigh baseline Blood Volume (BVdecon) (> 12.97 ml × 100 g−1) was associated with a favorable OS (26.7 vs 7.9 months; p = 0.050) and PFS (14.6 vs 2.5 months; p = 0.050). At early follow-up on day seven a higher relative increase in BFdecon (> 24.50% for OS and > 12.04% for PFS) was associated with an unfavorable OS (8.7 months vs 23.1 months; p < 0.025) and PFS (2.5 vs 13.7 months; p < 0.018). The relative change in BFdecon (categorical) on day seven was a predictor of OS (HR 0.26, CI95: 0.06 to 0.93 p = 0.039) and PFS (HR 0.27, CI95: 0.09 to 0.85 p = 0.026).ConclusionDCE-CT-identified parameters may serve as potential prognostic biomarkers at baseline and during early treatment in patients with NSCLC treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

Prognostic Role of Pre-Treatment Body Composition Parameters in Patients Undergoing First-Line Immunotherapy for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.

We investigated the relationship between body mass index (BMI), radiological body composition, and survival outcomes in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) underwent first-line immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based therapy. Analyzing data from 102 patients treated between November 2019 and March 2023, pre-treatment computed tomography (CT) scans assessed fat and muscle areas. BMI and body composition indices were examined, including skeletal muscle index, subcutaneous fat index (SFI), visceral fat index, and total fat index. Kaplan-Meier curves and Log rank tests compared progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), while multivariable Cox proportional regression analysis was performed to identify the variables significantly associated with survival outcomes. 54 patients (52.9%) experienced disease progression, and 26 (25.5%) died during a median follow-up of 17.4 months. High SFI was significantly associated with improved OS (p = 0.018) but not PFS (p = 0.090). Multivariable analysis confirmed the positive impact of high SFI on OS (adjusted HR: 0.37, p = 0.029) and suggested a trend towards improved PFS (adjusted HR: 0.61, p = 0.088). Notably, in the ipilimumab + nivolumab subgroup, high SFI significantly correlated with both PFS and OS (p = 0.047 and p = 0.012, respectively). High SFI predicts favorable OS in patients with mRCC receiving first-line ICI-based therapy, especially patients treated with ipilimumab + nivolumab displayed a significant association between high SFI and favorable PFS and OS.

Prognostic Significance of Disseminated Tumor Cells in Bone Marrow for Endometrial Carcinoma Patients.

Background: Until now, limited clinical significance had been reported for disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in gynecologic malignancies. DTCs were previously reported not to be associated with established risk factors, L1CAM immunoreactivity, and outcome in endometrial carcinoma (EC). This study's primary objective was to investigate potential correlations of DTCs in the bone marrow (BM) of EC patients with disease-related survival, and a secondary objective was to evaluate associations between molecular classification of EC and DTCs. Methods: Patients treated for primary EC at Tuebingen University women's hospital between 2003 and 2016 were identified. A total of 402 patients with a complete set of BM cytology, molecular, and clinical data were evaluable. Results: DTC occurrence was distributed equally among all four molecular groups (p = 0.651). DTC positivity was associated with a less favorable disease-free survival (HR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.03-3.36, p = 0.036) and progression-free survival (HR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.01-3.44, p = 0.045). Presence of DTCs was associated with a higher frequency of distant disease recurrence (p = 0.017). Conclusions: In line with our previous findings, tumor cell dissemination is not associated with molecular features in our large cohort of primary EC patients. Since DTCs seem to be associated with survival and location of disease recurrence, further studies are needed to decisively define their role in EC survival.

Liver involvement with Langerhans cell histiocytosis in adults.

Liver involvement portends poor prognosis in adults. We aimed to characterize the clinical features, liver function tests, radiologic findings, molecular profiles, therapeutic approaches and outcomes of adults patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) with liver involvement. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all adults with LCH (≥ 18 years) seen at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (Beijing, China) between January 2001 and December 2022. Among the 445 newly diagnosed adults with LCH, 90 patients had liver involvement at diagnosis and 22 patients at relapse. The median age was 32 years (range, 18-66 years). Of 112 evaluable patients, 108 had full liver function testing, including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), and total bilirubin and albumin. Elevated ALP was seen in 63.0% and GGT in 86.1%; 14.8% had elevated bilirubin. Next-generation sequencing of 54 patients revealed frequent BRAFN486_P490 (29.6%), BRAFV600E (18.5%), and MAP2K1 (14.8%). After a median 40 months' follow-up (range 1-168 months), 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival were 49.7% and 86.6% respectively. In multivariable analyses, ≥3 abnormal liver function tests (HR 3.384, 95% CI 1.550-7.388, P = .002) associated with inferior PFS; immunomodulatory drug therapy (HR 0.073, 95% CI, 0.010-0.541, P = .010) correlated with superior PFS versus chemotherapy. In summary, elevated GGT and ALP were common in adults with LCH liver involvement. Greater than equal to 3 abnormal liver function tests predicted poor outcomes. Immunomodulatory drug therapy was associated with favorable progression-free survival compared to chemotherapy.

Long-term outcomes of sequential chemotherapy in epithelioid sarcoma

Our study was carried out to define the efficacy of treatment with sequential chemotherapy lines in patients with epithelioid sarcoma (ES) at referral centres for sarcoma. From 1998 to 2023, 22 patients with ES were treated with chemotherapy and included in the analysis. The median age at the start of palliative treatment was 35 (20–68). The median follow-up was 22.1 months. In the first line, 13 patients (59%) received anthracycline-based chemotherapy and 6 (27%) high-dose ifosfamide. One patient (4.5%) achieved PR, 15 (68%) SD, and 6 (32%) PD as the best response. The median progression-free survival (PFS) in the first line was 6.4 months (95% CI: 3.02–12.9), but 9.7 months (95% CI: 4.37–NR) for chemotherapy based on anthracycline, indicating a more favourable PFS (p = 0.027). Twenty (90%) patients received second-line treatment, and eleven received third-line chemotherapy. The median OS from the start of first-line palliative chemotherapy was 22.1 months (95% CI: 10.5–41.4) and 14.7 months from the beginning of the second line. Perioperatively, patients pretreated with anthracycline had a median PFS of 2.9 months in the M1 setting. Second-line long-time responses were achieved with pazopanib or vincristine with actinomycin D. Despite chemoresistance, an advantage associated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy was confirmed in the ES cohort. Poor responses underscore the need for further research on targeted therapies for ES. Second-line chemotherapy or clinical trials should be offered to all eligible patients.

Prognostic value of KRAS G12C in advanced non-small cell lung cancer with high PD-L1 expression treated with upfront immunotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study aims to evaluate the prognostic role of the KRAS G12C mutation in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer and PD-L1 expression ≥50% who are treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy. We conducted a systematic review of clinical studies fulfilling the following criteria: (1) enrolling patients with advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with high PD-L1 tumour expression receiving first-line therapy with anti-PD-(L)1 immune checkpoint inhibitors; (2) comparing the outcomes of patients with the KRAS G12C mutation to those without this mutation, and (3) reporting overall survival and progression-free survival (PFS). The electronic databases Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane and Google Scholar, along with reference lists, were systematically searched. We identified four publications that fulfilled the inclusion criteria, comprising a total of 469 patients. Of these, two studies reported hazard ratios (HR) for PFS, resulting in a final pooled patient sample of 163 for the meta-analysis. In patients with non-small cell lung cancer who received anti-PD-(L)1 monotherapy, the presence of a KRAS G12C mutation was associated with improved PFS compared to patients with KRAS wild-type tumours, with a pooled hazard ratio of 0.39 and a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) of 0.25-0.63. Among all patients with KRAS mutations, those harbouring a KRAS G12C mutation had improved PFS compared to patients with any other KRAS mutation (pooled HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.19-0.57). Patients with non-small cell lung cancer who have the KRAS G12C mutation and high PD-L1 expression demonstrate favourable PFS with first-line PD-(L)1 immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy compared to patients with KRASwt or other KRAS mutations and high PD-L1 expression.

Immune-Related Adverse Events Can Predict Progression-Free and Overall Survival In Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

BackgroundDifferent combination therapies using anti - PD-1 / PD-L1 or CTLA-4 immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) are widely used in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). In the absents of established biomarkers, immune-related adverse events (irAEs) have been discussed as potential predictors of response. MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, data of 134 patients with mRCC undergoing ICI treatment (Nivolumab, Ipilimumab and Nivolumab, Pembrolizumab and Axitinib or Avelumab and Axitinib) between 2015 and 2021 were analyzed. To examine the utility of irAEs as predictors of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), separate Kaplan–Meier analyses and Cox proportional regression analyses were applied. Landmark analysis was conducted after 12 weeks to reduce immortal time bias. ResultirAEs were observed in 85 patients (63.4%). Cutaneous (n = 52, 38.8%), endocrine (n = 33, 24.6%) and hepatic (n = 19, 14.2%) irAEs were most commonly observed. In Kaplan–Meier analysis, patients experiencing irAEs showed favorable median PFS (15 months, 95% CI, 9.91-20.09) compared to the non-irAE group (5 months, 95% CI, 3.56-6.44, P < .001). The median OS was 25 months (95% CI, 16.79-33.21) in the non-irAE group, while it was not reached in the irAE group (P = .002). In multivariable analysis, the presence of any irAE was associated with favorable PFS (HR 0.46 [95% CI, 0.26-0.82] P = .008) and OS (HR: 0.28 [95% CI, 0.12-0.63] P = .002), respectively. Landmark analysis after 12 weeks showed mixed results depending on the classification of the irAE group at the landmark time. ConclusionThe presence of irAEs under ICI therapy in patients with mRCC is associated with better PFS and OS. Thus, manageable irAEs should not be cause for premature discontinuation of ICI therapy, as they seem to indicate favorable outcomes.Considering the time-dependent nature of irAEs is crucial estimating their value as predictive markers.

Activated CD4+ T Cell Proportion in the Peripheral Blood Correlates with the Duration of Cytokine Release Syndrome and Predicts Clinical Outcome after Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy.

Objective Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is an emerging and effective therapy for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL). The characteristic toxicities of CAR T cell therapy include cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and prolonged cytopenia. We investigated the factors associated with these complications after CAR T cell therapy by analyzing lymphocyte subsets following CAR T cell infusion. Methods We retrospectively analyzed peripheral blood samples on days 7, 14, and 28 after tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) infusion by flow cytometry at our institution between June 2020 and September 2022. Patients Thirty-five patients with R/R DLBCL who received tisa-cel therapy were included. Results A flow cytometry-based analysis of blood samples from these patients revealed that the proportion of CD4+CD25+CD127+ T cells (hereafter referred to as "activated CD4+ T cells" ) among the total CD4+ T cells on day 7 after tisa-cel infusion correlated with the duration of CRS (r=0.79, p<0.01). In addition, a prognostic analysis of the overall survival (OS) using time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves indicated a significantly more favorable OS and progression-free survival of patients with a proportion of activated CD4+ T cells among the total CD4+ T cells <0.73 (p=0.01, and p<0.01, respectively). Conclusion These results suggest that the proportion of activated CD4+ T cells on day 7 after tisa-cel infusion correlates with the CRS duration and predicts clinical outcomes after CAR T cell therapy. Further studies with a larger number of patients are required to validate these observations.

Real‑world evidence of advanced non‑small cell lung carcinoma treated with an immune checkpoint inhibitor plus chemotherapy.

Immunotherapy is an effective treatment strategy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although clinical trials on immunotherapy have provided promising results, real-world research in clinical practice is needed to assess the effectiveness and safety of immunotherapy. The present study aimed to characterize real-world outcomes in patients with advanced NSCLC treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based regimens. The medical records of patients with advanced NSCLC, who were treated with programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors, were reviewed for data collection. The primary objectives were to evaluate progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Therefore, multiple Cox regression models were used to investigate the predictive factors for survival outcomes. Furthermore, survival curves for PFS and OS were created using Kaplan-Meier estimates and compared using the log-rank test. The present study included a total of 133 patients with advanced NSCLC who received therapy with ICIs between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2022. The final follow-up date was August 24, 2023. The median PFS and OS times were 9.8 and 27.2 months, respectively. Univariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that sex, clinical stage, PD-L1 status, previous systemic therapy, and brain and liver metastases were associated with PFS, while Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status, clinical stage, PD-L1 status and brain metastasis were associated with OS. Furthermore, multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that a PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) of ≥50% was an indicator of favorable PFS and OS. An ECOG performance status score of ≥1 was also associated with poor OS but not with PFS. Furthermore, brain metastasis was an indicator for poor PFS and OS, while liver metastasis was only associated with a poor PFS. Finally, the results of the present study demonstrated that PD-L1 status was an independent predictor for PFS and OS in patients with advanced NSCLC, especially adenocarcinoma, who were treated with ICIs plus chemotherapy. The results also suggested that patients with a PD-L1 TPS of ≥50% could benefit when the aforementioned regimens were administrated as a first-line or later-line therapy.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy is beneficial for a subgroup of patients with urothelial cancer and solitary metastatic disease: a single institution real-world experience

BackgroundStandard treatment options for patients with metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) include systemic platinum-based chemotherapy, immunotherapy, antibody-drug-conjugates, and targeted therapy. Oligometastatic disease (OMD) may be an intermediate state between localized and generalized cancer. The best treatment strategy for OMD and oligoprogressive (OPD) disease is poorly studied in mUC but local stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) could be an option to avoid or delay systemic treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and feasibility of SBRT given in a real-world patient population.MethodsAll patients with mUC treated with SBRT at Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden between 2009 and 2022 were included in this study. Baseline clinical characteristics, treatment data, SBRT dosimetry data and treatment outcome were collected retrospectively. The study endpoints were local control rate (LCR), progression-free-survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and feasibility of SBRT.ResultsIn total 39 patients were treated with SBRT. The median follow-up was 25.6 months. The LCR was 82%. PFS and OS were 4.1 and 26.2 months, respectively. Treatment was well tolerated; all patients but one (treatment related pain) completed the planned SBRT. Number of metastases irradiated with SBRT was significantly associated with outcome; patients with only one irradiated lesion had more favourable PFS compared to individuals with 2 or more metastases (HR 4.12, 95% CI: 1.81–9.38, p = 0.001). A subgroup of patients (15%) achieved a sustained long-term survival benefit and never required systemic treatments after SBRT.ConclusionsSBRT was well tolerated and associated with high LCR. A subpopulation of patients with single metastatic lesion achieved long-term OS and never required subsequent systemic treatment after SBRT. Prospective randomized studies are warranted to discover treatment predictive biomarkers and to investigate the role of SBRT in oligometastatic UC.