Initial Disease Progression Research Articles

How Repair-or-Dispose Decisions Under Stress Can Initiate Disease Progression.

SummaryGlia, the helper cells of the brain, are essential in maintaining neural resilience across time and varying challenges: By reacting to changes in neuronal health glia carefully balance repair or disposal of injured neurons. Malfunction of these interactions is implicated in many neurodegenerative diseases. We present a reductionist model that mimics repair-or-dispose decisions to generate a hypothesis for the cause of disease onset. The model assumes four tissue states: healthy and challenged tissue, primed tissue at risk of acute damage propagation, and chronic neurodegeneration. We discuss analogies to progression stages observed in the most common neurodegenerative conditions and to experimental observations of cellular signaling pathways of glia-neuron crosstalk. The model suggests that the onset of neurodegeneration can result as a compromise between two conflicting goals: short-term resilience to stressors versus long-term prevention of tissue damage.

1302P Lorlatinib in patients with ALK+ NSCLC treated beyond initial disease progression

1302P Lorlatinib in patients with ALK+ NSCLC treated beyond initial disease progression

Colorectal cancer liver metastases within the central and peripheral segments: Parenchymal sparing surgery adaptation

BackgroundThe debate over the surgical strategy optimization in colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases (mCRC) has been ongoing in the last 20 years. However, parenchyma sparing surgery (PPS) in cases of hard to reach liver cites (HTRLC) remain to be controversial. MethodsA prospective analysis of 185 mCRC patients performed who were devided in two groups depending by predominant liver cite localization. Peripherally localized metastases (PLM) (n = 107) (S2, S3, S6, S7, Spiegel lobe and subcapsular area 1–2 cm below the liver surface). Group 2 included those with metastases localized in HTRLC (n = 78) - metastatic lesions of the “right venous core”, portal and caval hilum, paracaval part of S1, “deep” parenchyma cites of S5, S8 and S4. ResultsIn 26 (33,3%) and 32 (29,9%) patients of HTRLC and PLM, respectively, performed one liver re-resection (0,62). In HTRLC group 2 and more re-resection were performed in 7 (8,9%) cases while in PLM in 11 (10,3%), p = 0,76. Postoperative major morbidity was 24,4%, 21,8% (p = 0,15) and mortality 8,9%, 4,6% for HTRLC and PLM groups, respectively. R1v principles were implemented in 24 (30,7%) cases with centrally located metastases and in only 6 cases (5.6%) with peripheral localized metastases (p = 0,001). Cumulative 3-year disease-free survival (DSF) for PLM and HTRLC groups was 63% and 41% (p = 0,008). DFS for R1v (n = 24) and R0 (54) cochorts in HTRLC group was 33% and 43%, respeсtively (p = 0,44). ConclusionsPrinciples of the PPS tactic provides an adequate removal of metastatic lesions in hard to reach liver cites allowing to maintain organ functions and increases the feasibility of the repeated liver resections in case of the initial disease progression.

Abstract 6491: Prognostic potential of carcinoembryonic antigen expression patterns in lung adenocarcinoma

Abstract Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is one of the most commonly used tumor markers. Although the suitability of CEA as an effective marker for lung cancer remains debatable, characteristics such as noninvasiveness and lack of other reliable markers make CEA an attractive option in lung cancer. Divergent CEA expression patterns before and after EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment have been reported. However, whether these patterns are associated with tumor progression remain elusive. We hypothesized that divergent patterns of serum carcinoembryonic antigen at initial diagnosis (CEAIn) and disease progression (CEAPd) may reflect the diversity of lung cancer cells selected by TKI, conferring distinct progression profiles in patients. Our objective was to verify the prognostic potential of divergent CEA patterns before and after TKI treatment in lung cancer patients with wild-type or mutant EGFR. Of the 1736 lung cancer patients identified from the cancer registry group between 2011 to 2016, we selected 517 patients with advanced stage adenocarcinoma, data on EGFR mutation status and CEAIn, among whom were 288 patients with data on CEAPd, eligible for inclusion in the correlation analysis of clinical characteristics and survival. EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma patients displayed lower CEAIn level than those with EGFR mutations. Multivariable analysis revealed that CEAIn expression was associated with poor progression-free survival in patients harboring mutant EGFR but not in those with wild-type EGFR. Moreover, CEAIn and CEAPd were associated with the good and poor post-progression survival, respectively, only in the EGFR-mutant and not in the wild-type group. In vitro cell line experiments revealed that CEA expression, cancer dissemination, and chemoresistant properties can be affected by EGFR-TKI selection. EGFR-mutant patients, exhibiting high CEAIn (≥ 5 ng/mL) and low CEAPd (< 5 ng/mL), showed a potential toward displaying new metastasis. Our findings support the notion that EGFR mutation status is a critical factor in determining prognostic potential of CEAIn and CEAPd in patients under EGFR-TKI treatment, and divergent CEAIn and CEAPd patterns are associated with distinct cancer progression profiles. Citation Format: Ming-Yi Zheng, Yen-Shou Kuo, Yu-Ting Chou. Prognostic potential of carcinoembryonic antigen expression patterns in lung adenocarcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6491.

MSK-ACCESS for noninvasive somatic mutation profiling of lung cancers utilizing circulating tumor DNA.

3529 Background: Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a promising strategy for non-invasive molecular profiling of cancers. MSK-ACCESS (Analysis of Circulating cfDNA to Evaluate Somatic Status) is a hybridization-capture targeted NGS assay that detects somatic variants in select exons of 129 genes with matched white blood cell sequencing. We present the initial clinical experience with MSK-ACCESS among patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Patients with stage IV NSCLC underwent prospective MSK-ACCESS testing at initial diagnosis or progression of disease on targeted therapy between June 2019 and January 2020. A subset of patients had matched tissue-based NGS testing with the MSK-IMPACT 468 gene assay. We assessed oncogenic driver detection, turnaround time, plasma-tissue concordance, and matching to therapy. National Comprehensive-Cancer Network designated driver alterations were included in evaluation of tissue-plasma concordance (EGFR, ALK, KRAS, MET, RET, BRAF, HER2, ROS1, NTRK). Turnaround time was compared by a two-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: A total of 201 patients with NSCLC had MSK-ACCESS testing at initial diagnosis (n = 79) or following progression of disease (n = 122). The median turn-around-time from plasma collection to MSK-ACCESS report was 16 days (range: 9 – 36 days) compared to 19 days from lab receipt of tissue to report (range: 12 – 57) for MSK-IMPACT (p < 0.001). Among patients with a driver detected on MSK-ACCESS, 100% (92/92) had an identical driver detected on MSK-IMPACT. Among patients with a driver detected on MSK-IMPACT, 75% (92/123) had an identical driver detected on MSK-ACCESS. This rate was similar among patients who were treatment-naive (74%; 64/86) and had disease progression (76%, 28/37) at the time of MSK-ACCESS. MSK-ACCESS identified driver alterations that directly guided first-line targeted therapy (n = 18) with response in all patients with available radiographic follow-up (n = 10), including a patient without confirmatory tissue testing. MSK-ACCESS identified resistance alterations among patients with disease progression including EGFR T790M, EGFR C797S, ROS1 G2032R, as well as a BRAF fusion. Conclusions: MSK-ACCESS successfully identified driver alterations with high concordance to tissue-based testing, directly guided patients to therapy with clinical responses, and detected known and novel resistance mechanisms. This assay warrants further clinical development to guide and facilitate precision oncology.

Hyperprogression and impact of tumor growth kinetics after PD1/PDL1 inhibition in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Hyperprogressive disease (HPD) rate in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) was determined using tumor growth kinetics (TGK) and compared with rapidly progressive screen-failure (SF) patients. The impact of TGK on outcomes with salvage chemotherapy (SCT) was also evaluated. Results: HPD was found in 22/120 (18%) patients. Median TGK before the onset of immunotherapy (TGKpre) was 2.7 for SF patients and 4.8 for HPD patients, with no significant difference (p = 0.17). Disease control rate after initial progressive disease on ICI was 86% with SCT in case of tumor growth deceleration vs 39% in case of tumor growth acceleration. Conclusions: HPD was frequent, but TGK of HPD patients treated with ICI did not differ from SF patients, suggesting that there is no relevant causal relationship between HPD and ICI. After initial PD with ICI, tumor growth deceleration was associated with better outcomes, indicating that TGKR might be useful to detect late responders, meriting prospective investigations. Materials and Methods: TGK ratio (TGKR) was defined as the ratio of TGK on ICI (TGKpost) to TGKpre. HPD was defined as TGKR ≥ 2. TGKR >1 indicated tumor growth acceleration, while 0 < TGKR < 1 indicated tumor deceleration.

Global differences in the treatment of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease: a comprehensive review.

Global discussions regarding the treatment of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD) are still controversial. The aim of this study was to characterize the worldwide regional differences in nonoperative and operative treatment for LCPD. Based on a comprehensive literature search, 123 studies describing the results of nonoperative and operative treatment for LCPD were included. Overall, disease and outcome parameters of 6,968 hips were recorded and compared among the continents-Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, South America, and Australia. Our results showed that the continents differed regarding initial disease progression and therapeutic decision-making, but the final outcome was comparable. The reported proportion of affected hips with mild presentation tended to be higher in Europe, North America, and Africa, whereas disease progression was more severe in Asia, Australia, and South America. Nonoperative treatment was reported more frequently in Europe and North America, while operative management was more common in the rest of the world. Femoral osteotomy was performed more frequently than pelvic osteotomy worldwide, but pelvic osteotomy was comparably more common in North America, Australia, and South America. The continents differed in terms of therapies for LCPD, while the final outcome was similar. Studies with greater evidence and larger sample size are needed to evaluate the effect of therapeutic measures on LCPD outcome. III (systematic review of level III studies).

Late (5-20 years) outcomes after STA-MCA anastomosis and encephalo-duro-myo-arterio-pericranial synangiosis in patients with moyamoya disease.

Surgical revascularization is known to reduce the incidence of further ischemic and hemorrhagic events in patients with moyamoya disease, but the majority of previous studies report only short-term (< 5 years) outcomes. Therefore, in this study the authors aimed to evaluate late (5-20 years) outcomes of moyamoya patients after superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) anastomosis and indirect bypass (encephalo-duro-myo-arterio-pericranial synangiosis [EDMAPS]). Cumulative incidences of late morbidity/mortality and disease progression were evaluated among 93 patients who underwent STA-MCA anastomosis and EDMAPS. All of the patients were prospectively followed up for longer than 5 years postsurgery (10.5 ± 4.4 years). There were 35 pediatric and 58 adult patients. Initial presentation included transient ischemic attack/ischemic stroke in 80 patients and hemorrhagic stroke in 10 patients, and 3 patients were asymptomatic. Surgery was performed in a total of 141 hemispheres. Follow-up MRI/MRA was performed within a 6- or 12-month interval during the follow-up periods. During the follow-up periods, 92/93 patients were free from any stroke or death, but 1 patient had a recurrence of hemorrhagic stroke (0.10% per patient-year). Disease progression occurred in the territory of the contralateral carotid or posterior cerebral artery (PCA) in 19 hemispheres of 15 patients (1.5% per patient-year). The interval between initial surgery and disease progression varied widely, from 0.5 to 15 years. Repeat bypass surgery for the anterior and posterior circulation resolved ischemic attacks in all 10 patients. The study results indicate that STA-MCA anastomosis and EDMAPS would be the best choice to prevent further ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke for longer than 10 years on the basis of the demonstrated widespread improvement in cerebral hemodynamics in both the MCA and ACA territories in the study patients. However, after 10 years postsurgery regular follow-up is essential to detect disease progression in the territory of the contralateral carotid artery and PCA and prevent late cerebrovascular events.

Association of Divergent Carcinoembryonic Antigen Patterns and Lung Cancer Progression

Changes in expression patterns of serum carcinoembryonic antigen at initial diagnosis (CEAIn) and disease progression (CEAPd) in lung cancer patients under EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) treatment may reflect different tumor progression profiles. Of the 1736 lung cancer patients identified from the cancer registry group between 2011 to 2016, we selected 517 patients with advanced stage adenocarcinoma, data on EGFR mutation status and CEAIn, among whom were 288 patients with data on CEAPd, eligible for inclusion in the correlation analysis of clinical characteristics and survival. Multivariable analysis revealed that CEAIn expression was associated with poor progression-free survival in patients harboring mutant EGFR. Moreover, CEAIn and CEAPd were associated with the good and poor post-progression survival, respectively, in the EGFR-mutant group. Cell line experiments revealed that CEA expression and cancer dissemination can be affected by EGFR-TKI selection. EGFR-mutant patients, exhibiting high CEAIn (≥5 ng/mL) and low CEAPd (<5 ng/mL), showed a potential toward displaying new metastasis. Taken together, these findings support the conclusion that EGFR mutation status is a critical factor in determining prognostic potential of CEAIn and CEAPd in patients under EGFR-TKI treatment, and CEAIn and CEAPd are associated with distinct cancer progression profiles.

Comparison of iRECIST versus RECIST V.1.1 in patients treated with an anti-PD-1 or PD-L1 antibody: pooled FDA analysis

BackgroundResponse criteria developed when cytotoxic chemotherapy was the predominant therapeutic modality to treat patients with cancer, do not capture the full spectrum of tumor response patterns observed with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibody...

Abstract 84: Late (5-20 Years) Outcome After STA-MCA Anastomosis and Ultimate Indirect Bypass in Patients With Moyamoya Disease

Background and Purpose: Surgical revascularization is now known to improve the outcome in patients with moyamoya disease. However, majority of previous studies reported their short-term (&lt;5 years) outcome. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate long-term (5 to 20 years) outcome after STA-MCA anastomosis and ultimate indirect bypass, encephalo-duro-myo- arterio-pericranial synangiosis (EDMAPS). Methods: Cumulative incidence of late morbidity/mortality and disease progression were evaluated among 93 patients who underwent STA-MCA anastomosis and EDMAPS. All of them were prospectively followed up for longer than 5 years post-surgery (mean, 10.5±4.4 years). There were 35 pediatric and 58 adult patients. Clinical diagnosis included TIA or ischemic stroke in 80 patients, hemorrhagic stroke in 10, and asymptomatic in 3. STA-MCA anastomosis and EDMAPS were performed onto their 141 hemispheres. MRI and MRA were performed every 6 or 12 years during follow-up periods. Results: During follow-up periods, 92/93 patients were free from any stroke or death, but one recurred hemorrhagic stroke (0.10% per patient-year). Disease progression occurred in the territory of the contralateral carotid or posterior cerebral artery (PCA) in 19 hemispheres of 15 patients (1.5% per patient-year). The interval between initial surgery and disease progression varied from 0.5 to 15 years. Repeat bypass surgery for anterior and posterior circulations resolved ischemic attacks in all 10 patients. Conclusion: STA-MCA anastomosis and EDMAPS would be the best choice to prevent further cerebrovascular events for longer than 10 years by widely providing surgical collaterals to both the MCA and ACA territories. However, regular follow-up would be essential for longer than 10 years post-surgery to identify the disease progression in the territory of contralateral carotid artery and PCA and prevent late cerebrovascular events.

Timing is everything: Improving the frequency, timeliness, and effectiveness of goals of care conversations for oncology patients in Manitoba.

4 Background: Advanced care planning (ACP) in oncology requires effective communication and coordination. Early and regular ACP discussions are endorsed by ESMO and can help facilitate quality, patient-centered care. Methods: An ACP curriculum was created at CancerCare Manitoba that included health care provider (HCP) engagement, HCP and patient education, improved ACP clinical workflow, and improved ease of ACP documentation in the medical record. We evaluated the occurrence and frequency of ACP discussions before implementation of the ACP curriculum using a random sample of 100 adult patients diagnosed with stage IV solid tumors in Manitoba, Canada during 2014. We compared this group to a similar group of patients from 2017 after ACP curriculum implementation. Differences between the two cohorts were tested using Chi-square and Fisher’s Exact tests. The time from a patient’s first clinic visit with an oncologist to their first ACP conversation was described using cumulative incidence curves with K-sample tests used to test for significant differences between the 2014 and 2017 cohorts. Results: Of the 200 patients selected, 153 were assessed at our provincial cancer center (76 in 2014 and 77 in 2017). The median age for this group was 68. 59% were male. 56% received at least 1 line of chemotherapy. ACP documentation increased from 29% in 2014 to 42% in 2017 (p = 0.10). Between 2014 and 2017, initial ACP discussions occurred at: Initial visit (18% vs. 41%), disease progression (27% vs. 31%) and referral to palliative care (55% vs. 28%). After curriculum implementation ACP documentation occurred earlier in the patient’s cancer journey (p = 0.04). Conclusions: After implementation of an ACP curriculum at our cancer center, ACP discussions occurred more often and earlier, but the difference was only significant for earlier ACP discussions. Even after ACP curriculum implementation, a significant proportion of patients did not have ACP documented in their patient record. Understanding and overcoming barriers related to ACP at our institution will be critical for further ACP documentation improvement.

Mutation profile analysis using the OncomineTM Lung cfDNA Assay in advanced NSCLC patients with driver mutation

Abstract Background The OncomineTM Lung cfDNA Assay (OncomineTM) is a lung cancer specific multi biomarker assay that uses next generation sequencing (NGS). It has been designed to detect gene mutations frequently seen in non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with high sensitivity and may be useful for noninvasive detection of driver mutations. Method The OncomineTM Lung cfDNA Assay was tested using plasma samples obtained from patients with advanced NSCLC confirmed to harbor driver mutations (mutation-positive cases). Driver mutation negative cases were used as negative controls. Results Among the 16 mutation positive patients, the concordance rate between the tissue assay and OncomineTM assay was 25% (EGFR 2/13, HER2 1/1, BRAF 1/1, KRAS 0/1). Among four mutant negative patients, no driver mutations were reported using OncomineTM. In the two cases with a consistent mutation status between the tissue and OncomineTM assays, plasma samples were obtained at the time of disease progression; in the cases where the mutation status was discordant between the two assays, plasma samples were mainly obtained at a time when the disease was not progressing. Thus, the protocol was amended so that OncomineTM was performed at the time of initial diagnosis or disease progression for EGFR mutation positive patients. In addition, the cobas® EGFR mutation test was performed at the same time point as the OncomineTM assay as a control. Using this revised protocol, the concordance rate between the tissue assay and OncomineTM assay was 60% for the 5 cases harboring EGFR mutation. In one case, EGFR mutation was reported in the OncomineTM assay, but not in the cobas test. Discussion The concordance rate between tissue and plasma assays, such as OncomineTM, is relatively low if the sampling time points are different. Further investigation is required to establish the optimal plasma sampling time for the plasma assay.

Tissue-Specific Gene Expression during Productive Human Papillomavirus 16 Infection of Cervical, Foreskin, and Tonsil Epithelium.

Epidemiological data confirm a much higher incidence of high-risk human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16)-mediated carcinogenesis of the cervical epithelium than for other target sites. In order to elucidate tissue-specific responses to virus infection, we compared gene expression changes induced by productive HPV16 infection of cervical, foreskin, and tonsil organotypic rafts. These rafts closely mimic persistent HPV16 infection, long before carcinogenesis sets in. The total number of gene expression changes varied considerably across the tissue types, with only 32 genes being regulated in common. Among them, we confirmed the Kelch-like family protein KLHL35 and the laminin-5 complex to be upregulated and downregulated, respectively, in all the three tissues. HPV16 infection induces upregulation of genes involved in cell cycle control, cell division, mitosis, DNA replication, and DNA damage repair in all the three tissues, indicative of a hyperproliferative environment. In the cervical and tonsil epithelium, we observe significant downregulation of genes involved in epidermis development, keratinocyte differentiation, and extracellular matrix organization. On the other hand, in HPV16-positive foreskin (HPV16 foreskin) tissue, several genes involved in interferon-mediated innate immunity, cytokine signaling, and cellular defenses were downregulated. Furthermore, pathway analysis and experimental validations identified important cellular pathways like STAT1 and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) to be differentially regulated among the three tissue types. The differential modulation of important cellular pathways like TGF-β1 and STAT1 can explain the sensitivity of tissues to HPV cancer progression.IMPORTANCE Although the high-risk human papillomavirus 16 infects anogenital and oropharyngeal sites, the cervical epithelium has a unique vulnerability to progression of cancer. Host responses during persistent infection and preneoplastic stages can shape the outcome of cancer progression in a tissue-dependent manner. Our study for the first time reports differential regulation of critical cellular functions and signaling pathways during productive HPV16 infection of cervical, foreskin, and tonsil tissues. While the virus induces hyperproliferation in infected cells, it downregulates epithelial differentiation, epidermal development, and innate immune responses, according to the tissue type. Modulation of these biological functions can determine virus fitness and pathogenesis and illuminate key cellular mechanisms that the virus employs to establish persistence and finally initiate disease progression.

A case of checkpoint inhibitor-induced celiac disease

BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have now become standard of care treatment for many malignancies. ICIs are associated with unique immune mediated adverse events (irAEs) due to dysregulation of immune activation. As treatment with ICIs is becoming more common, rare irAEs are also being recognized. Here we report a case of ICI-induced celiac disease.CaseA 74-year-old Caucasian female with metastatic renal carcinoma received second line nivolumab (anti-PD1 antibody) after initial disease progression on sunitinib. Ipilimumab was added after she failed to respond to six cycles of nivolumab monotherapy. One week after her first cycle of combination treatment, she presented with nausea, vomiting, grade 1 diarrhea, and weight loss. She underwent endoscopy, which showed bile stasis in the stomach, normal appearing stomach mucosa, and nonbleeding erythematous mucosa in the duodenal bulb. Stomach biopsy showed moderate active chronic gastritis. Duodenal biopsy showed moderate chronic active duodenitis with focal neutrophilic cryptitis, mucosal erosions, villous atrophy, mildly increased intraepithelial lymphocytes, and moderate chronic inflammation in the lamina propria pathognomonic of celiac disease. Symptoms improved with gluten-free diet, twice-daily omeprazole and anti-emetics and she was able to continue on treatment.ConclusionsThere has been only one published case reporting ICI-induced celiac disease. Our case report highlights a rare irAE (celiac disease) associated with ICI treatment. It is unclear whether the patient had previously undiagnosed celiac disease or whether ICIs triggered her enteritis. Our patient was able to continue treatment with ICIs with dietary modifications, suggesting correct diagnosis is critical for optimal patient outcome.

Abstract CT075: Phase I evaluation of M7824, a bifunctional fusion protein targeting TGF-β and PD-L1, in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated malignancies

Abstract Background: TGF-β pathway dysregulation may play a critical role in carcinogenesis and immune evasion in HPV-associated cancers (HACs), including anal, cervical, and p16+ squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Targeting this pathway may also enhance clinical response to PD-(L)1 antibodies. M7824 is an innovative first-in-class bifunctional fusion protein composed of two extracellular domains of TGF-βRII (a TGF-β “trap”) fused with a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody against PD-L1. In the dose-escalation cohort of the ongoing Phase I trial of M7824 (NCT02517398), patients with HACs who developed an HPV-specific immune response on M7824 had improved clinical responses. Here we report efficacy and safety data from patients with HPV-positive malignancies from the dose-escalation cohort pooled with data from HAC expansion cohorts for patients with HPV-positive disease. Methods: Patients received M7824 Q2W at 1-30 mg/kg in the dose-escalation phase or at the recommended phase 2 dose of 1200 mg in the expansion cohorts. Treatment continued until progressive disease (PD), unacceptable toxicity, or trial withdrawal; treatment past PD was allowed if clinically justified. Safety and best overall response by RECIST v1.1 were the primary endpoints of the dose-escalation and expansion phases, respectively. Results: As of August 24, 2018, 36 patients with pretreated HPV-positive HACs (4 anal; 18 cervical; 14 SCCHN) had received M7824 for a median duration of 19.0 weeks (range, 2.0-96.0). 10 patients had a response per investigator (2 complete response [CR]; 8 partial response [PR]; ORR 27.8%). 1 additional patient developed a PR after data cutoff; 3 additional patients had a delayed PR after initial PD (total clinical response rate 38.9%). Both patients with CR and 5 patients with PR have an ongoing response. The median duration of response was not reached (range, 4-22+ months). 9 patients (25%) had grade 3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAE): anemia, cystitis, diabetic ketoacidosis, increased γ-glutamyltransferase, gastroparesis, hyperkeratosis, hypokalemia, keratoacanthoma, macular rash, pleural effusion, pneumonitis, and skin SCC. The patient with gastroparesis had asymptomatic grade 3→4 hypokalemia (1 grade 4 TRAE, 2.7%). No treatment-related deaths occurred. 6 patients (16.7%) permanently discontinued M7824 due to TRAEs (gastroparesis, infusion-related reaction, cystitis, pneumonitis, and acneiform and psoriasiform dermatitis). Conclusions: M7824 has a manageable safety profile and shows encouraging clinical efficacy in patients with HPV-positive HACs (total clinical response rate 38.9%). M7824 is a promising therapeutic agent for these patients and is under further evaluation in phase 1b and 2 trials. Updated survival results will be reported. Citation Format: Julius Strauss, Margaret E. Gatti-Mays, Byoung Cho, Sébastien Salas, Edward McClay, Jason Redman, Houssein Abdul Sater, Renee N. Donahue, Elizabeth Lamping, Andrea Burmeister, Jennifer L. Marté, Lisa Cordes, Laureen S. Ojalvo, Christoph Helwig, Alex Rolfe, Christian S. Hinrichs, Ravi A. Madan, Jeffrey Schlom, James Gulley. Phase I evaluation of M7824, a bifunctional fusion protein targeting TGF-β and PD-L1, in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated malignancies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr CT075.

Optimal timing and clinical value of radiotherapy in advanced ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer with or without baseline brain metastases: implications from pattern of failure analyses

BackgroundDespite development of several next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), crizotinib remains one of the first-line treatment options for advanced ALK-positive NSCLC and is widely used in situations where next-generation TKIs aren’t yet approved or economically inaccessible. However, the pattern of failure and clinical value of radiotherapy in metastatic crizotinib-treated ALK-mutant lung cancer, with or without baseline brain metastases (BBM), are largely unknown.MethodsConsecutive crizotinib-treated NSCLC patients with adequate imaging and measurable disease were retrospectively enrolled. Disease progression in original sites (primary/metastatic), new sites, or both, are classified as original failure (OF), distant failure (DF) and ODF, respectively. Progression free survival, from crizotinib initiation to the first disease progression, and from that to the second disease progression, were calculated as PFS1 and PFS2.ResultsNinety-three patients were identified. With a median follow up of 22.0 (range, 2.0–72.0) months, 52 patients had crizotinib-treatment failure. The frequencies of OF, ODF, and DF, were 50.0, 26.9, and 23.1%, respectively. Histology, primary tumor size and presence of BBM, were independently associated with OF, using competing risks analyses. The brain was the most common site of initial disease progression. Patients with BBM had a significant higher possibility developing multiple-progressive lesions in the brain (p = 0.002). Importantly, four of the ten patients who had baseline oligo-metastatic cranial disease but didn’t receive upfront brain radiation, developed multiple-progressive disease in the brain. Brain radiation before crizotinib could alter the disease failure patterns and improve PFS1 among patients with BBM (p = 0.006). Extracranial radiation was efficient in controlling symptoms but it was not associated with PFS1 (p = 0.223), and the majority of patients were eligible for salvage radiotherapy upon disease progression to crizotinib. By the time of data cut-off, 28 patients had second disease progression, with a median PFS2 of 7.0 (95% CI 5.4–8.6) months and salvage radiotherapy significantly prolonged PFS2 (p = 0.003). Additionally, patients receiving any radiotherapy during their treatment course had a significant longer overall survival (p = 0.048).ConclusionsAmong patients with baseline oligo-metastatic brain lesions which are suitable for stereotactic radiosurgery, upfront brain radiotherapy provides considerable clinical benefits. While, extracranial radiation may be deferred in asymptomatic patients with multiple-metastatic lesions.

Clear Cell Carcinoma of the Abdominal Wall as a Rare Complication of General Obstetric and Gynecologic Surgeries: 15 Years of Experience at a Large Academic Institution.

The objective of this article was to report the clinicopathological characteristics, treatment modalities, and outcomes of patients with clear cell carcinoma (CCC) of the abdominal wall. Medical records of six patients diagnosed with CCC of the abdominal wall between May 2003 and May 2018 at the National Taiwan University Hospital were reviewed. All patients had prior obstetric or gynecologic surgeries. The primary clinical presentation was enlarging abdominal masses at previous surgical scars. Four patients underwent initial/primary surgeries with/without adjuvant chemotherapy. One patient received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgical intervention and adjuvant chemotherapy, the other received chemotherapy and sequential radiotherapy without any surgical intervention. Two of four patients undergoing initial/primary surgeries had disease recurrence and the remaining two cases without initial surgery experienced disease progression during primary treatment. Inguinal lymph nodes were the most frequent sites of recurrence. In conclusion, previous obstetric or gynecologic surgery can be a risk factor for CCC of the abdominal wall. Complete resection of abdominal wall tumor and suspected intra-abdominal lesions with hysterectomy and bilateral inguinal lymph nodes dissection may be the primary treatment. Adjuvant chemotherapy would be considered for potential benefits. For patients without bilateral inguinal lymph nodes dissection, careful inguinal lymph node palpation during postoperative surveillance is necessary. More cases are still needed to elucidate the clinical management of this disease.

Outcomes of Patients with Large B-Cell Lymphomas and Progressive Disease Following CD19-Specific CAR T-Cell Therapy

Outcomes of Patients with Large B-Cell Lymphomas and Progressive Disease Following CD19-Specific CAR T-Cell Therapy

528P - The impact of continuing ALK inhibitors beyond initial disease progression on clinical outcome in patients with advanced ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer: Results of a multicenter retrospective analysis

528P - The impact of continuing ALK inhibitors beyond initial disease progression on clinical outcome in patients with advanced ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer: Results of a multicenter retrospective analysis