Prior Systemic Treatment Research Articles

Time from Final Oncologist Visit to Death and Palliative Systemic Treatment Use Near the End of Life in Heavily Pretreated Patients with Luminal Breast Cancer.

Background: Palliative care must be tailored for patients with extended disease trajectories, such as those with hormone receptor-positive, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced breast cancer (ABC), including the appropriate timing of discontinuing treatment. This study aimed to assess the interval between the last oncologist visit and death and the application of systemic treatment near the end of life in this patient population. Methods: This retrospective study included patients with luminal ABC who received at least two lines of palliative systemic treatment at the National Research Institute of Oncology in Poland, and died between November 2020 and March 2024. Results: Seventy-six women, with a median age 62.8 years (range: 35.3-91.5), were included. The median number of prior palliative systemic treatment lines was three (range: 2-6). At their last recorded oncologist visit, 75% of the patients were receiving active treatment (53% with hormonal therapy and 22% with chemotherapy). Only 25% were under continuous palliative care at this visit. Treatment was administered within the last month of life to 53% of the patients. The median duration from the last oncologist visit to death was 23 days (range: 0-408). The duration of this time interval was only associated with the performance status at the last visit (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Oncologists frequently delay the recognition of the need to discontinue systemic therapy. Patients with luminal HER2-negative ABC may be offered numerous effective lines of systemic treatment, complicating this decision further. Implementing clearer guidelines for end-of-life care for this group and providing proper training for healthcare providers is essential.

Therapeutic burden in hidradenitis suppurativa: a cross-sectional study of 557 patients.

Therapeutic burden (TB) has been identified as a potential predictor of response to biologic therapy in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). We aim to analyze the determinants of TB in real-world clinical settings among HS patients to explain this concept and its utility as an additional tool for guiding therapeutic decision-making. We conducted a cross-sectional study including all consecutive HS patients attending a specialized HS clinic between 2017 and 2024. The primary variable was TB, defined as the cumulative sum of prior systemic treatment cycles and surgical interventions for HS. We analyzed whether sociodemographic or clinical factors were associated with a higher TB. We included 557 HS patients. Of these, 50.81% were women, and the mean age was 41.87 (14.19) years. Most patients (62.30%) were referred from general dermatology consultations. The mean disease duration was 17.52 (11.51) years. Regarding disease severity, 46.50% presented with Hurley II, and 42.19% had an IHS-4 score between 4 and 10. Before their baseline visit, 9.70% of patients had received biological therapy, mostly adalimumab (88.89%). The mean TB was 2.42 (2.25) systemic medical and/or surgical interventions. Referral from general dermatology or other hospital departments, older age, longer disease duration, greater HS severity, presence of pilonidal sinus, and prior biological therapy were significantly associated with higher TB. Our findings suggest that TB comprehensively captures HS severity and progression factors. This metric could prove valuable in aiding decision-making for HS patients by indicating when a change in therapy might be necessary.

PD-1 inhibitor sintilimab treated patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly challenging subtype due to a unique tumor microenvironment. Several evidence (IMpassion130 trial and KEYNOTE-355 trial) supported the therapeutic effect of the immune checkpoint inhibitor in TNBC. However, the efficacy and safety of the PD-1 inhibitor sintilimab in breast cancer (BC) has not been well-investigated. So the real-world data on sintilimab-treated patients with metastatic BC were collected and analyzed in this study. The patients were eligible according to the requirements included: ages between 18years and 75years; recurrent or metastatic TNBC; measurable disease based on RECIST v1.1; no limitation on the prior systemic treatments; and ECOG performance status of 0-1. Patients received sintilimab 200mg intravenously every 3 weeks until unacceptable toxicity or disease progression. From 1 June 2019 to 1 October 2022, 40 female patients (median age, 55.5years) with metastatic TNBC (mTNBC) were enrolled into the study. The median prior lines of systemic therapy for mTNBC was three (range, 1-8), with 60% of cases receiving at least three lines of therapy for metastatic disease. The visceral or brain metastasis was detected in 40.4% or 9.6% of patients, respectively. The median duration of response was 2.8months (range, 0.7-21.0), and the median number of sintilimab doses administered was 4 (range, 1-30). The ORR and DCR were 22.5% and 72.5%, separately. The median PFS was 3.5 months (range, 1.4-21.0), with a 6-month PFS rate of 15.0% (6/40). The median OS was 52.5months (range, 9.0-247.0) as of data cut-off. Common adverse effects were acceptable, and fatigue, skin rash, and pruritus were the frequent toxicity observed. Two cases of grade 3 curable adverse events were considered to be treatment-related. PD-L1-positive tumor was found in 40% cases (4/10) of mTNBC. Although statistical difference was not reached, the trend was obvious. Patients with PD-L1-positive tumor gained better treatment response, while the TMB-high carrier received more benefits of PFS and OS. In our study, preliminary evidence provided the anticancer activity and acceptable adverse effects of sintilimab administered every 3 weeks to pretreated patients with mTNBC. Sintilimab showed its efficacy and safety of immunotherapy for patients with advanced TNBC.

Efficacy and safety of Anlotinib based neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)

BackgroundAnlotinib, an oral multitarget tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has shown the ability to inhibit tumor angiogenesis. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of anlotinib plus docetaxel, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (TEC) as a neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen for locally advanced TNBC.MethodsLocally advanced TNBC patients who had received no prior systemic treatment were eligible for this study. The enrolled patients were scheduled to undergo six cycles of anlotinib (12 mg, d1-14, q3w) plus docetaxel (75 mg/m2, d1, q3w), epirubicin (75 mg/m2, d1, q3w) and cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m2, d1, q3w) prior to surgery, unless there was disease progression or severe toxicity. The primary objective of this study was the safety of this therapeutic regimen, and the secondary objective was the tumor response. The safety of this regimen was assessed using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.03 and the efficacy of this treatment was measured using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1.ResultsA total of 18 patients were included in this study. Participants completed an average of 5.56 neoadjuvant treatment cycles. The objective response rate (ORR) was 83.33%, and the disease control rate was 100%, respectively. The pCR was 55.6%. No patients discontinued therapy because of Adverse effects (AEs). Grade 3 or 4 AEs were observed in 5 cases (27.8%), with neutropenia and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome being the most common.ConclusionsAnlotinib combined with TEC as neoadjuvant therapy demonstrated manageable toxicity and promising antitumor activity for locally advanced TNBC. Further investigation of this combination regimen is warranted.

Clinical utility of upfront liquid biopsy in non-small cell lung cancer in the community setting.

316 Background: Molecular diagnosis of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is critical to guide therapeutic decisions. Blood next generation sequencing (NGS) allows for non-invasive screening for targetable genetic abnormalities. Many studies have validated using the liquid biopsies to screen for resistant mutations at the emergence of treatment failure. However, the clinical utility of liquid biopsy for newly diagnosed NSCLC, as part of a comprehensive molecular profiling, is an area of active research. Methods: Retrospective analysis of the molecular landscape and clinical outcomes in NSCLC patients who had liquid biopsy done between December of 2017 to February of 2022. Patients had EGFR, ALK, ROS-1, and BRAF tested in the tissue, and underwent liquid biopsy for broad molecular profiling. The plasma genotyping was conducted using a 73-gene panel by Guardant 360 test. Actionable mutations were stratified accordingly to the OncoKB database based on the level of preclinical and clinical evidence of drug targetability. Survival analysis was conducted by August of 2023. Results: We enrolled 122 NSCLC patients who 84% were treatment-naïve and 78% had the liquid biopsy performed at the initial diagnosis. We found that 86 patients had oncogenic mutations and 43 (35%) had actionable mutations, with 37 (29%) falling under level 1 of evidence mutations. EGFR and KRAS G12C mutations were the two most common level 1 genetic abnormalities (23% and 11% of all actionable mutations, respectively). We identified two germline BRCA carriers who were referred for genetic counselling. 25 patients (20%) received treatment based on the liquid biopsy results, with 15 (12%) achieving partial response. Six patients had liquid biopsy done at progression of EGFR or MET therapies, which identified a resistance mechanism in three of them. Conclusions: Upfront liquid biopsy identified a significant proportion of patients with targetable mutations. Here, we reported actionable mutations in 35% of our patients who 84% had no prior systemic treatment. Our results complement prior literature and shows that blood next generation sequencing can be a useful tool to guide upfront therapeutical options at the community healthcare setting.

HER3 is widely expressed across diverse subtypes of NSCLC in a retrospective analysis of archived tissue samples.

Aim: This noninterventional study (NCT05769764) aimed to characterize human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by patient, clinical or tumor characteristics.Methods: HER3 immunohistochemistry was performed in archival tissue samples from patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC. Samples were scored for membrane percent positivity and intensity. Membrane H-scores were calculated.Results: Of 203 evaluable samples, HER3 expression was observed in 98.5%, including all histologies, genomic subtypes and regardless of prior systemic anticancer treatments. The median H-score was 140, and 70.4% had a HER3 intensity of 3+.Conclusion: HER3 is widely expressed in NSCLC, indicating that HER3-directed therapy may be broadly applicable across diverse subtypes of NSCLC.

A randomized phase II trial on the addition of dutasteride to combined androgen blockade therapy versus combined androgen blockade therapy alone in patients with advanced or metastatic salivary duct carcinoma – the DUCT study protocol

BackgroundSalivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is a rare and aggressive subtype of salivary gland cancer, frequently associated with incurable recurrences and distant metastases (R/M). Proliferation of SDC relies on androgen receptor (AR) signalling, prompting the use of combined androgen blockade (CAB, i.e., luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist and/or AR antagonists) to R/M SDC patients. However, only a subset of patients benefits from such treatments. We have shown that response to CAB is associated with steroid 5α-reductase 1 (SRD5A1) mRNA expression. SRD5A1 catalyses the intracellular conversion of testosterone into the more potent AR-agonist dihydrotestosterone. This conversion can be inhibited by dutasteride, a potent SRD5A1-inhibitor, which is currently prescribed for benign prostatic hyperplasia. We hypothesize that repurposing dutasteride to target AR signalling in SDC could enhance therapeutic response and clinical outcome in SDC patients.MethodsThis prospective, open-label, randomized controlled phase II clinical trial, is designed to investigate whether dutasteride as an adjunct drug to CAB improves response rate and clinical outcome in patients with AR-positive R/M SDC. Patients are divided in two cohorts based on their prior systemic treatments. In cohort A, CAB-naïve patients (n = 74) will be randomly assigned to either a control arm (Arm 1) receiving CAB (goserelin 10.8 mg/3m and bicalutamide 50 mg/OD) or an experimental arm (Arm 2) where dutasteride (0.5 mg/OD) is added to the CAB regimen. In cohort B, patients with disease progression after adjuvant or first-line palliative CAB therapy (max. n = 24) will receive goserelin, bicalutamide, and dutasteride to assess whether the addition of dutasteride can overcome therapy resistance. The primary endpoints are the objective response rate and duration of response. Secondary endpoints are progression-free survival, overall survival, clinical benefit rate, quality of life, and safety. Translational research will be performed to explore molecular target expression differences and their correlation with clinical outcome.DiscussionThe DUCT study addresses an unmet medical need by investigating the repurposing of dutasteride to enhance treatment response and improve clinical outcome for patients with R/M SDC, especially those with limited alternative treatment options, such as HER2-negative cases. By repurposing a registered low-cost drug, this trial’s findings could be readily applied into clinical practice.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT05513365. Date of registration: August 24, 2022.Protocol versionCurrent protocol version 4.0, February 21, 2024.

Sintilimab combined with anlotinib and chemotherapy as second-line or later therapy in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer: a phase II clinical trial

Treatment options for patients with relapsed extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) remain scarce. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combining anlotinib and sintilimab plus chemotherapy as a second line or later therapy for ES-SCLC patients. This is a phase II clinical trial (ChiCTR2100049390) conducting at Shandong Cancer Hospital. Patients with ES-SCLC and received at least one prior systemic treatment were enrolled. The trial design involved a combination therapy (sintilimab, anlotinib, and nab-paclitaxel) administered over six 21-day cycles, followed by maintenance sintilimab therapy. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Circulating tumor DNA sequencing was employed for exploratory analysis. From July 2021 to April 2023, 25 eligible patients were enrolled. The confirmed ORR was 60% (95% CI: 38.7–78.9%) and the DCR was 76% (95% CI: 54.9–90.6%). The mPFS was 6.0 months (95% CI: 5.4–9.7), and the 6-month PFS rate was 49.2%. The mOS was 13.4 months (95% CI: 11.8-NR), with a 12-month survival rate of 62.2%. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) of any grade occurred in 80% of patients, with the most common being fatigue (40%) and nausea (32%). TRAEs of Grade 3 or higher were reported in 12% of patients. ctDNA analysis indicated that low on-treatment blood tumor mutation burden was associated with longer PFS and OS and a potential role of KMT2D mutation in treatment resistance. This combination therapy shows promising efficacy and a manageable safety profile as a second-line or later treatment for ES-SCLC, with genomic insights providing potential biomarkers for treatment response.

Safety of pressurized intraperitoneal aerosolized chemotherapy in biliary cancer patients with peritoneal metastases.

Biliary tract cancers are a rare diagnosis with a rising incidence. Up to 20% of patients have peritoneal metastases, resulting in symptoms of ascites, abdominal pain and potential bowel obstruction. A standard of care systemic treatment comprises gemcitabine, cisplatin and durvalumab (gem/cis/durva). However, the clinical benefit among patients with peritoneal metastases remains unknown. Pressurized intraperitoneal aerosolized chemotherapy (PIPAC) delivers chemotherapy directly to the peritoneal space, which could potentially improve efficacy with minimal systemic toxicity. We describe the design of a Phase I study investigating PIPAC with nab-paclitaxel plus systemic gem/cis/durva among biliary tract cancer patients with peritoneal metastases who have not received prior systemic treatment. The primary end point is safety of PIPAC with nab-paclitaxel in combination with systemic gem/cis/durva.Clinical Trial Registration: NCT05285358 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Molecular characterization of metastatic penile squamous cell carcinoma in developing countries and its impact on clinical outcomes: LACOG 2018 translational study.

Penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) is a rare malignancy. However, in developing countries the incidence rate is higher. The understanding of molecular alterations is essential for evaluating possible targets for more effective systemic therapies. We retrospectively collected clinical data of metastaticPSCC (mPSCC) patients who had received at least one prior systemic treatment from 3 Brazilian hospitals. Tumor samples were evaluated using the next-generation sequencing (NGS) Foundation One DX and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The objective was to identify and describe somatic genomic alterations known to be functional or pathogenic and their association with survival outcomes. Twenty-three patients were identified, 22 and 18 patients had tumor samples analyzed by IHC and NGS, respectively. PD-L1 expression (CPS ≥ 1%) was positive in 14 patients (63.6%). Regarding the genomic alterations, 16 patients (88.9%) had some clinically relevant genomic alterations. TP53, TERT, CDKN2A, PIK3CA, NOTCH1, and CDKN2B loss were identified in 66.7%, 50%, 50%, 33.3%, 27.8%, and 22.2% of the patients, respectively. No MSI or TMB high (≥10 mutations/MB) cases were identified. NOTCH1 mutation was identified only in HPV-negative patients and it was associated with worse OS (yes: 5.5 vs no: 12.8 months, P = .049) and progression-free survival (yes: 5.5 vs no: 11.7 months, P = .032). This study demonstrated that molecular alterations in mPSCC from developing countries are similar to those from developed countries. Predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy response such as TMB high or MSI were not identified. Specific gene mutations may identify patients with worse prognoses and open new avenues for therapeutic development.

242P Clinical outcomes in patients (pts) with HR+/HER2− early breast cancer (EBC) by prior systemic treatment (tx): A subgroup analysis of the NATALEE trial

242P Clinical outcomes in patients (pts) with HR+/HER2− early breast cancer (EBC) by prior systemic treatment (tx): A subgroup analysis of the NATALEE trial

Liposomal irinotecan, oxaliplatin, and S-1 as first-line therapy for patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (NASOX): A multicenter phase I/IIa study

IntroductionThis multicenter phase I/IIa study aimed to determine the recommended phase II dose (RP2D) and evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of liposomal irinotecan (nal-IRI), oxaliplatin, and S-1 (NASOX) as first-line treatment for advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma. MethodsPatients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma without prior systemic treatment for advanced disease, aged ≥ 19 years, with measurable disease, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–1 were eligible. The primary endpoints were to determine the dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) in the phase I cohort and overall response rate (ORR) in the phase IIa cohort. The intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis included patients who received the RP2D. ResultsIn phase I, seven patients were screened, and six were assessed for DLT. None experienced DLT during the first cycle. The RP2D was determined as nal-IRI 50 mg/m2 and oxaliplatin 60 mg/m2 on day 1, S-1 40 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1–7 every 14 days. For the ITT (N = 41; 7, and 34 from phases I and IIa, respectively), the most common grade 3–4 treatment-emergent adverse events were neutropenia (31.7 %), enterocolitis (9.8 %), anorexia (7.3 %), and diarrhea (2.4 %). The ORR was 58.5 % (1 complete, and 23 partial responses). Two underwent conversion surgery; both achieved R0 resection. With median follow-up of 17.5 months, median progression-free survival was 6.5 months (95 % confidence interval [CI], 5.0–8.1) and median overall survival was 11.4 months (95 % CI, 9.8–15.5). ConclusionNASOX exhibited a manageable safety profile and encouraging efficacy outcomes consistent with NALIRIFOX, showing potential to replace infusional 5-fluorouracil with oral S-1 in the triplet regimen.

Cisplatin Monotherapy as a Treatment Option for Patients with HER-2 Negative Breast Cancer Experiencing Hepatic Visceral Crisis or Impending Visceral Crisis.

Hepatic visceral crisis (VC), characterized by a rapid total bilirubin increase with disease progression, poses a life-threatening risk in advanced breast cancer (ABC). International consensus guidelines define VC and touch on impending VC (IVC). Limited data exist on systemic treatments for hepatic VC/IVC. This study explores the safety and efficacy of cisplatin monotherapy in patients with Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2- negative breast cancer (BC) and hepatic IVC/VC. In this retrospective single-center cohort study data of patients treated with cisplatin monotherapy (60-80mg/m2, every 3-4weeks) between 2016 and 2023 at a reference Cancer Centre in Southern Poland were analyzed. 33 female patients (24/33 hormonal-positive) with the mean age 53.84years were included. Participants progressed on median 2 prior palliative systemic treatment lines. In 10/23 patients hepatic VC and in 23/33 IVC (rapid, symptomatic liver progression; extensive liver involvement; alanine or aspartate aminotransferase > 2 × normal limit; significant increases in lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, or gamma-glutamyl transferase) were identified. Median progression-free survival was 1.87months and median overall survival 2.67months. 33% of the patients presented stable disease or partial response. Eight patients experienced adverse events grade ≥ 3: in five the dose of cisplatin was reduced; two stopped the treatment. Due to the hepatotoxicity of BC-active drugs, specific recommendations for systemic treatment are scarce. Our study explored cisplatin's potential use, finding it to be a viable option in patients with performance status 0 or 1 experiencing hepatic IVC/VC, irrespective of liver function parameters and other factors.

An open-label, multicenter study investigating RP2 oncolytic immunotherapy in combination with second-line systemic atezolizumab combined with bevacizumab in patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma.

TPS4191 Background: Despite advances in treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), long-term survival rates remain poor. The combination of atezolizumab (Atezo) plus bevacizumab (Bev) is approved as frontline therapy for advanced HCC, but only a minority of patients (pts) respond and secondary resistance usually occurs within months. HCC has an immune-suppressed tumor microenvironment (TME), mediated by activated immune checkpoint signaling and angiogenesis pathways, which may contribute to therapeutic resistance. RP2 is an enhanced potency oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) that expresses the fusogenic gibbon ape leukemia virus glycoprotein with the R sequence deleted (GALV-GP-R–), GM-CSF, and an anti–CTLA-4 antibody-like molecule. The direct oncolytic effect coupled with immune stimulation by RP2 in the TME is intended to provide systemic antitumor activity and synergize with anti–PD-1/PD-L1 agents, such as Atezo. Preclinical data have demonstrated improved distribution of oncolytic HSV within tumors in combination with Bev, supporting the clinical combination of RP2 with Bev. This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of RP2 combined with Atezo plus Bev as second-line systemic therapy for unresectable and advanced HCC (NCT05733598). Methods: This is an open-label, single arm, phase 2 trial. Up to 30 pts will be enrolled and receive RP2 in combination with Atezo plus Bev. Key inclusion criteria include advanced unresectable HCC with ≥1 measurable tumor of ≥1 cm in longest diameter, Child-Pugh class A, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 1, and progression on 1 prior systemic treatment, which must have included a PD-1/PD-L1–directed agent. Key exclusion criteria include untreated/incompletely treated esophageal and/or gastric varices with bleeding or at high risk for bleeding and macroscopic invasion of the tumor into any major blood vessel(s) and/or main bile ducts. Pts will receive intratumoral RP2 Q2W for 4 doses, then Q3W for up to 4 doses. Bev will be given at 10 mg/kg Q2W starting with the first dose of RP2 then at 15 mg/kg Q3W starting with cycle 4; Atezo will be given at 840 mg Q2W for cycles 2 and 3, then at 1200 mg Q3W starting with cycle 4. Pts will receive treatment until confirmed progressive disease, loss of clinical benefit, or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint is overall response rate (ORR), defined as the proportion of pts achieving a best overall response of complete response or partial response per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1 as modified for this study. Secondary endpoints are safety, ORR using HCC-modified RECIST, duration of response, complete response rate, and progression-free survival. Clinical trial information: NCT05733598 .

A phase II, multi-center, open-label study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of YH003 in combination with toripalimab (anti-PD-1 mAb) in patients with unresectable/metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

4146 Background: Pancreatic cancer therapy remains a formidable challenge. Although chemotherapy offers tumor control and clinical stabilization, both standard regimens are limited in response durability and incur toxicity. YH003, a humanized agonistic anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody specifically recognizes and agonizes CD40 to enhance immune responses, has demonstrated good safety and promising antitumor activity in Phase I clinical studies in patients with solid tumors. Here, we report the results of the phase II study of YH003 plus Toripalimab with/without chemotherapy, as 1L or 2L treatment in patients with metastatic PDAC. Methods: Patients with unresectable/metastatic (u/m) PDAC were enrolled into two Cohorts. In the second and plus line (2L+) Cohort, patients who had confirmed progressive disease during treatment with first line standard of therapy were enrolled and received 0.3 mg/kg YH003 plus 240 mg Toripalimab, iv, every 21 days. In the 1L Cohort, patients without any prior systemic treatment were enrolled and received 0.3 mg/kg YH003 plus 240 mg Toripalimab plus nab-paclitaxel + gemcitabine, iv, every 21 days. The treatment continued for 12 months if subject was deriving an ongoing clinic benefit. The primary endpoint was overall Response Rate (ORR) by investigator’s assessment per RECIST 1.1. The medium Progression-Free Survival (mPFS) and Overall Survival (mOS) were secondary endpoints. Results: A total of 92 patients were enrolled including 45 subjects for the 2L+ Cohort and 47 subjects for the 1L Cohort. In the 2L+ Cohort, 40 (including 14 Caucasians) of 45 patients had at least 1 evaluable post-treatment tumor assessment, the unconfirmed ORR was observed in 4 patients (10.0%) with 4 partial responses (PR). 10 patients (25.0%) had stable disease (SD), and the Disease Control Rate (DCR) was 35.0%. The mOS was 7.23 months. For the Caucasian subgroup (n = 14), the ORR was 7.1%, DCR was 50%, mPFS was 2.25 months and mOS 9.54 months. For the 1L Cohort, 43 (including 10 Caucasians) of 47 patients had at least 1 evaluable post-treatment tumor assessment, the unconfirmed ORR was observed in 12 patients (27.9%) with 1 CR and 11 PR. 23 patients (53.5%) had SD, and the DCR was 81.4%. The mOS time was 12.12 months. For the Caucasian subgroup (n = 10), the ORR was 50%, DCR was 100%, mPFS was 11.27 months and mOS 19.78 months. The grade 3 or above adverse events that occurred in the 92 patients were 57.8% (26/45) in 2L+ Cohort and 74.5% (35/47) in 1L Cohort. There is no significant safety signal from the study. Conclusions: The results of the phase II study have shown that YH003 plus Toripalimab with/without chemotherapy, as 1L or 2L treatment in patients with u/m PDAC have promising antitumor activity and response durability, especially in the Caucasian subgroups. Both treatment regimens are well tolerated. Clinical trial information: NCT05031494 .

Efficacy and safety of transarterial therapy combined with donafenib plus immune checkpoint inhibitors for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A multicenter retrospective study.

e16133 Background: Based on the different anti-malignant mechanisms of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and transarterial therapy, several studies have demonstrated the potential of combining these three treatments to improve outcomes in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of transarterial therapy plus donafenib and ICIs for uHCC patients in a real-world setting. Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included patients with uHCC who had received at least one cycle of transarterial therapy (hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy, HAIC, or transarterial chemoembolization, TACE) and donafenib and ICIs (anti-PD-1 available in China) at five cancer centers. Other key inclusion criteria were: (1) no prior systemic treatment; (2) at least one follow-up image data. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) according to the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR) and toxicity. Results: Of the 61 eligible patients enrolled, 56 (91.8%) were men, 54 (88.5%) had HBV infection, 26 (42.6%) had AFP level &gt; 400 ng/mL, 38 (62.3%) were at BCLC stage C, 32 (52.5%) had macrovascular invasion, 14 (23.0%) had extrahepatic metastasis, 47 (77.0%) had multiple tumors and the median maximum tumor size was 86.0 mm (IQR, 61.5–122.6). Four kinds of ICIs were employed, including tislelizumab (n = 29), camrelizumab (n = 21), sintilimab (n = 9), toripalimab (n = 2). Up to the date of November 24, 2023, the median follow-up time was 13.0 months. The median PFS was 12.7 months (95%CI, 8.4–NA), with a 1-year PFS rate of 52.7% (95%CI, 37.9%–73.1%). The median OS was not reached, and 1-year OS rate was 88.4% (95%CI, 79.9%–97.8%). The ORR according to mRECIST was 70.5%. Twelve (19.7%) patients had received conversion resection, and the median conversion time was 3.1 months (95%CI, 2.37–NA). Overall, 51 (83.6%) patients experienced at least one treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), 22 (36.1%) had grade 3 or 4 AEs, and no patients died due to AEs. The most common AEs greater than 15% were hand-foot skin reaction (47.5%), liver dysfunction (27.9%), decreased platelet count (19.7%) and hypoalbuminemia (16.4%). Conclusions: This retrospective real-world study showed that transarterial therapy combined with donafenib plus ICIs in the treatment of uHCC patients was well tolerated and comparable clinical efficacy to other triple therapies. This combination strategy may be an appropriate treatment option for uHCC patients.

Hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) plus sintilimab and bevacizumab biosimilar (IBI305) in initial unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): A retrospective study.

e16185 Background: Combining sintilimab with IBI305 has shown significant survival benefits over sorafenib in first-line HCC treatment. Our prior study has indicated improved outcomes with sintilimab and bevacizumab biosimilar (IBI305) in combination with HAIC for HCC (Clinical trial: NCT05029973). This study aims to evaluate combining HAIC with sintilimab and IBI305 for initial unresectable HCC in real word. Methods: Eligible patients (pts) had histologically or cytologically diagnosed or clinically confirmed HCC, with China liver cancer staging (CNLC) stage Ib-IIIb, no prior systemic treatment, Child-Pugh A or B, and ECOG 0 or 1. Patients were administered FOLOFOX-HAIC, combined with intravenous Sintilimab (200 mg, Q3W) and intravenous IBI305 (7.5 mg/kg, Q3W). Primary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) per modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST). Secondary endpoints included surgical conversion rate, R0 resection rate, and pathological complete response (pCR) rate. Results: Data were collected from 106 patients (from Apr, 2021 to Jul, 2023), median age 61, with the majority being male (91, 85.9%), ECOG 0 (106, 100%), and classified as Child-Pugh A (82, 77.4%). CNLC staging: Ib (19), IIa (2), IIb (20), IIIa (42), IIIb (23). HBV infection: 84 (79.3%), HCV: 3 (2.8%). AFP levels were &gt; 400ng/ml in 53 patients (50.0%), with tumor diameters &gt; 10 cm in 47 patients (44.3%). Single tumors were noted in 35 patients (33.0%), vascular invasion in 60 patients (56.6%), and extrahepatic metastasis in 26 patients (24.5%). Among the 106 patients evaluable for response, ORR was 39.6% with 42 patients demonstrating partial responses (PR); DCR was 96.2% (102/106), comprising 42 PR, 60 stable disease (SD). The surgical conversion rate was 40.56% (43/106), achieving R0 resection in all 43 patients and complete pathological response (pCR) in 9/43(20.9%) patients and major pathological response (MPR) in 12/43 (27.9%). The 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 54.5% and 74%, respectively. The 2-year PFS and OS rates were 41.4% and 58.6%, respectively. No new safety signals were observed, and no treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) led to death. Conclusions: Combining HAIC with Sintilimab and IBI305 as conversion therapy for unresectable HCC shows promising benefits with manageable safety.

A phase 2 trial of IO102-IO103 and nivolumab-relatlimab fixed-dose combination in previously untreated, unresectable melanoma.

TPS9605 Background: One emerging strategy to augment immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy is to eliminate immunosuppressive cell populations in the tumor microenvironment (TME) through vaccination. IO102-IO103 is an investigational cancer vaccine that targets both tumor and immune-suppressive cells in the TME. IO102-IO103 treatment promotes inflammation and potentiates anti-tumor activity via activation and expansion of T cells against IDO1 and/or PD-L1 positive cells. IO102-IO103 plus nivolumab demonstrated an impressive objective response rate (ORR) of 80% in the phase 1/2 MM1636 trial of 30 patients with previously untreated, unresectable melanoma, and a randomized phase 3 trial of pembrolizumab with or without IO102-IO103 (NCT05155254) is ongoing. No prior studies have evaluated IO102-IO103 in combination with dual PD-1 and LAG-3 blockade with nivolumab-relatlimab (nivo-rela), and to our knowledge there are no existing clinical data for other investigational agents in combination with nivo-rela. Methods: NCT05912244 is a single-arm, investigator-initiated trial testing IO102-IO103 in combination with nivo-rela in patients with previously untreated, unresectable melanoma. Twelve of forty-three planned patients have been enrolled. All patients will be treated with nivo-rela every four weeks for up to two years. IO102-IO103 will be administered subcutaneously every two weeks for the initial eight weeks, and then every four weeks for up to two years. An interim efficacy analysis for futility will be performed after response data are available for 21 patients. Eligible patients must have histologically confirmed, unresectable stage III or stage IV non-uveal melanoma, measurable disease by RECIST v1.1, an ECOG performance status of 0 or 1, and definitive treatment of any brain metastases. Prior systemic treatment in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting is allowed if completed at least six months prior to trial enrollment. Available pre-treatment melanoma tissue is required, and all patients will undergo an on-treatment study biopsy between the second and third dose of nivo-rela. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells will be collected prior to the first three doses of nivo-rela. The primary endpoint is ORR by RECIST v1.1, weighted by PD-L1 expression. Secondary endpoints include safety assessed by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v 5.0, progression-free survival (PFS) by RECIST v1.1, duration of disease response, and disease control rate. Exploratory correlative endpoints include assessment of changes in PD-L1 and IDO-expressing cells in the TME on paired tumor biopsies, identification of peripheral PD-L1 and IDO-reactive cells in the peripheral blood by ELISpot, and assessment of peripheral pre-treatment and on-treatment T cell clonality by TCR sequencing. Clinical trial information: NCT05912244 .

Phase II study of sitravatinib in combination with tislelizumab in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer who have failed to at least 1 prior systemic treatment.

4018 Background: In first line of advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC), immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy is now standard of care supported by TOPAZ-1 and KN-966 studies. With this landscape, new drug development using ICI in second or later line setting is urgent unmet medical needs area. Anti-angiogenic agent induced improved anti-tumor immune responses by increasing tumor antigen presentation and promoting lymphocyte infiltration and migration. Methods: This study is an open-label, phase 2 trial to investigate the efficacy of sitravatinib and tislelizumab (PD1 inhibitor) combination treatment for 2L advanced BTC. Patients who received prior ICI could be enrolled. All patients received sitravatinib 120mg orally once daily in combination with tislelizumab 200mg intravenously once every 3 weeks until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was disease control rate (DCR), with key secondary endpoints including overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Tissue biopsies were conducted three times in total: screening, the first response evaluation, and disease progression. Blood samples were collected every cycles. (NCT04727996) Results: A total of 43 patients were enrolled. Data-cut off was on July 31, 2023. Median follow-up was 10.5months (95% Confidence interval (CI), 7.03-15.6). 9 patients had received prior ICI. This study met primary endpoint as a DCR of 65.1% in all population. ORR was 20.5% in unselected per-protocol population, and PFS was 4.93 months (95% CI, 3.10-8.87). OS was 10.3months (95% CI, 6.67-18.2). Similar efficacy was observed regardless of prior ICI exposure. The most common treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were sitravatinib-related; hand-foot syndrome (any grade 60.5%, grade 3/4 0%), hypertension (any grade 34.9%, grade 3/4 11.6%). Immune-related AEs (irAEs) were 46.5%, with most irAEs being grade 1-2. In exploratory analysis, patients with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) detected by baseline tissue NGS (frequency 18.5%) showed higher ORR (60% vs 13.6%), longer PFS (not reached vs 4.87 months) and OS (21.1 vs 8.57 months) than patients without HRD. HRD detected by circulating tumor DNA had a complementary role for patient selection. RNA sequencing showed upregulation in inflammatory signal and downregulation in angiogenesis signal between screening and on-treatment tumor tissue. Responders showed higher inflammatory signaling at baseline and on-treatment tumor tissue compared to non-responders. Conclusions: Sitravatinib/tiselizumab combination as 2L therapy in patients with advanced BTC demonstrated meaningful efficacy and an acceptable safety profile. Especially, patient selection using HRD biomarker might be a promising strategy in this setting. Clinical trial information: NCT04727996 .

Sacituzumab govitecan (SG) + pembrolizumab (pembro) in first-line (1L) metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) with PD-L1 ≥ 50%: Cohort A of EVOKE-02.

8592 Background: SG, a Trop-2–directed antibody-drug conjugate, has clinical activity and manageable safety in heavily pretreated patients with mNSCLC. EVOKE-02 (NCT05186974) is an ongoing, global, open-label, multicohort phase 2 study evaluating SG + pembro ± platinum agent as 1L treatment for mNSCLC. We report safety and efficacy results from Cohort A of EVOKE-02, with a median follow-up of 11.3 months. Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years with no prior systemic mNSCLC treatment, no actionable genomic alterations, and an ECOG performance status of 0 or 1 were enrolled into Cohort A [PD-(L)1 tumor proportion score ≥50%, 22C3 assay]. Patients received SG 10 mg/kg intravenously on days 1 and 8 + pembro 200 mg intravenously on day 1 of 21-day cycles. Primary endpoints include objective response rate (ORR; RECIST v1.1) per independent review committee (IRC); secondary endpoints include progression-free survival (PFS), duration of response (DOR), disease control rate (all per IRC), overall survival (OS), and safety. Results: As of December 1, 2023, 30 patients in Cohort A were enrolled and had received SG + pembro. Median age was 67 (range, 47-77) years; 60% had nonsquamous histology and 80% had an ECOG performance status of 1. Among all treated patients (n=30), ORR was 67% (95% CI, 47-83%) (squamous, 67% [95% CI, 35-90%]; nonsquamous, 67% [95% CI, 41-87%]). Median PFS was 13.1 (95% CI, 5.5-not reached [NR]) months (squamous, NR [95% CI, 1.2-NR] months; nonsquamous, 13.1 [95% CI, 5.5-NR] months). Median DOR was NR. In the safety population (n=30), the incidence of grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and of grade ≥3 TEAEs related to any study drug were 67% and 40%, respectively. Grade ≥3 TEAEs in ≥10% of patients were neutropenia (17%), diarrhea (10%), and respiratory failure (10%). TEAEs leading to SG discontinuation occurred in 17%. There was 1 (3%) treatment-related death due to neutropenic sepsis. Conclusions: SG + pembro demonstrated promising activity in patients with tumor proportion score ≥50% mNSCLC. AEs were manageable and consistent with the known safety profile of each individual agent. The EVOKE-03 study (NCT05609968) of pembro vs SG + pembro in mNSCLC is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT05186974 . [Table: see text]