Standard Chemoradiation Research Articles

Carboplatin and Paclitaxel Chemoradiation for Localized Anal Cancer in Patients Not Eligible for Mitomycin and 5-Fluorouracil.

Although squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA) is a relatively uncommon malignancy in the United States, it continues to increase in incidence. Treatment for locoregional disease includes mitomycin and 5-fluorouracil with radiation. This combination is associated with significant toxicity, limiting its use in patients who are older or have certain comorbidities. Carboplatin and paclitaxel (C/P) is an accepted treatment regimen for metastatic SCCA. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of weekly C/P given with radiation for patients unable to receive standard chemoradiation for SCCA. From our cancer registry, adult patients who received weekly intravenous C/P concurrent with standard-dose radiation for localized SCCA were included in this study. Clinical response was determined based on the evidence of disease on imaging and/or anoscopy. Toxicities were graded according to the CTCAE v5. Ten patients were included; eight were female, and the median age was 75.5 years (54-87). Six had T2 disease, and four had T3 tumors. Four had node-positive disease. The majority (70%) of patients were dosed at standard C (AUC 2) and P (50 mg/m2), with a limited subset requiring dose reduction for baseline performance status. Patients completed a mean of 78.3% (40-100%) of the intended treatments. A total of 89% of the patients achieved a complete clinical response. With a median follow-up of 25.8 months (3.4-50.4 months), 67% of the patients are alive and without recurrence. Two patients have had local recurrence, and one patient had metastatic progression. The most common toxicities of any grade included leukopenia (100%), anemia (100%), radiation dermatitis (100%), diarrhea (100%), and fatigue (100%). Grade 3 or higher toxicities included neutropenic fever (20%), neutropenia (30%), and anemia (30%). This study demonstrates promising tolerability and efficacy for weekly C/P chemoradiation for patients with anal cancer unable to receive mitomycin and 5-fluorouracil. This regimen merits further investigation in prospective clinical trials.

Longitudinal tracing of on-treatment plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA as a biomarker for real-time dynamic risk monitoring in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: The EP-SEASON study.

136 Background: Plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA is a biomarker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, whether longitudinal on-treatment EBV DNA tracing would inform real-time recurrence risk in NPC remains to be elucidated. To address this issue, we conducted EP-SEASON (NCT03855020), a prospective cohort study of longitudinal on-treatment EBV DNA in EBV-positive NPC patients. Methods: Non-metastatic NPC with detectable pretreatment EBV DNA that received standard sequential chemo-radiotherapy were recruited. Serial EBV DNA in blood specimens were collected across pretreatment, 3-week after each induction chemotherapy (IC), every-week during radiotherapy (RT), within 1-week and 1-3 months upon RT completion. EBV DNA extracted from plasma was quantified by a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay targeting the BamHI-W region of the EBV genome. Longitudinal changing patterns of EBV DNA and their clinical relevance were analyzed. Results: Between May 2019 and April 2021, a total of 1000 patients underwent per-protocol EBV DNA assessments and treatment; 248 and 752 patients received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT, subcochortno-IC) and IC plus CCRT (subcochortIC), respectively. Longitudinal changes and clearance rates of EBV DNA displayed unique patterns during IC and RT phases. Throughout IC and RT phases, the rate of EBV DNA clearance decreased with repeated IC cycles; interestingly, the rate re-rose upon the introduction of RT, and then dropped to low levels (<10%/week) after the 4th week of RT (post-RT4w). Patients in subcochortno-IC and subcochortIC also exhibited differential clearance patterns during RT, with the rate of clearance being higher in subcochortno-IC before the 2nd week of RT (post-RT2w). Notably, despite the prognostic significance of EBV DNA at each timepoint ( Pall < 0.05), longitudinal EBV DNA displayed a linkage changing map with dynamic recurrence risks: 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate steadily dropped with delayed EBV DNA clearance during IC; it re-rose at the 2nd RT week upon EBV DNA clearance, followed by a sharp decrease at the 4th RT week in subcochortIC. In contrast, 3-year DFS rate continuously decreased with delayed EBV DNA clearance in subcochortno-IC. Finally, we identified different phenotypes of whole-course circulating tumor DNA changing dynamics that showed distinct prognosis ( P < 0.05). Conclusions: Longitudinal on-treatment EBV DNA tracing could forecast real-time risks and facilitate risk-adapted decision-making in NPC.

Long-term survivors in 976 supratentorial glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype patients.

Glioblastoma, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wildtype is the most aggressive glioma with poor outcomes. The authors explored survival rates and factors associated with long-term survival in patients harboring a glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype. In an observational, retrospective, single-center study, the authors examined the medical records of 976 adults newly diagnosed with supratentorial glioblastomas, IDH-wildtype between January 2000 and January 2021. They analyzed clinical-, imaging-, and treatment-related factors associated with 2-year and 5-year survival. The median overall survival was 11.2 months (12.2 months for patients included after 2005 and the introduction of standard combined chemoradiotherapy). The median progression-free survival was 9.4 months (10.0 months for patients included after 2005). Overall, 17.6% of patients reached a 2-year overall survival, while 2.2% of patients reached a 5-year overall survival. Furthermore, 6.6% of patients survived 2 years without progression, while 1.1% of patients survived 5 years without progression. Two factors that were consistently associated with 2-year and 5-year survival were first-line oncological treatment with standard combined chemoradiotherapy and methylated O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase promoter. Other factors that were significantly associated with 2-year or 5-year survival were age at diagnosis ≤ 60 years, headaches or signs of raised intracranial pressure at diagnosis, cortical contact of contrast enhancement, no contrast enhancement crossing the midline on initial imaging, total or subtotal tumor resection, and a second line of oncological treatment at recurrence. Within 21 cases of 5-year survival, 18 were confirmed to be glioblastomas, IDH-wildtype, and 7 of the 5-year survivors (38.9%) had additional genetic alterations: 3 cases had an FGFR mutation or fusion, 3 cases had a PIK3CA mutation, 1 case had a PTPN11 mutation, and 1 case had a PMS2 mutation in the context of constitutional mismatch repair deficiency syndrome. Five-year overall survival in patients with glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype is extremely low. Predictors of a longer survival are mostly treatment factors, emphasizing the importance of a complete oncological treatment plan, when achievable. Glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype 5-year survivors could be screened for actionable targets in case of recurrence.

Impact of neoadjuvant immunotherapy on postoperative complications after surgery for rectal cancer.

Despite the increasing use of immunotherapy in treating various cancer types, there is still limited understanding of its impact on surgical complications. We used a national database to examine the difference in surgical outcomes for rectal cancer patients who received standard neoadjuvant chemoradiation plus neoadjuvant immunotherapy and patients who received neoadjuvant chemoradiation only. This retrospective cohort study used the National Cancer Database (NCDB). We selected patients aged 18-90 with T1-3, N1-2, and M0 rectal cancer who underwent curative-intent surgery between 2010 and 2020. We performed a 1:1 propensity match to control for patient age, sex, Charlson-Deyo comorbidity index, surgical approach, and tumor site. Our primary outcome was difference in surgical outcomes (hospital length of stay, unplanned 30-day readmission, 30-day mortality) between the two groups. Secondary outcomes included days from diagnosis to surgery and pathologic outcomes. Our study included 26 229 patients, of which 126 received immunotherapy in addition to chemoradiation and 26 103 received only chemoradiation. In our matched population of 125 pairs of patients, patients who received immunotherapy and chemoradiation underwent surgery later compared to patients who only received chemoradiation (median 245 vs. 144 days, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in median length of stay (5 vs. 5 days, p = 0.202), unplanned 30-day readmission (7 vs. 9, p = 0.617), and 30-day mortality (0 vs. 1, p = 1.000) between the two groups. Neoadjuvant immunotherapy for rectal cancer is not associated with adverse surgical outcomes. This work can help clinicians optimize treatment protocols and move closer toward strategies tailored to specific patient profiles.

Effect of neoadjuvant chemoradiation on anorectal function assessed with anorectal manometry: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Improvement in oncological survival for rectal cancer increases attention to anorectal dysfunction. Diagnostic questionnaires can evaluate quality of life but are subjective and dependent on patients' compliance. Anorectal manometry can objectively assess the continence mechanism and identify functional sphincter weakness and rectal compliance. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is presumed to affect anorectal function. We aim to assess anorectal function in rectal cancer patients who undergo total mesorectal excision, with or without neoadjuvant chemoradiation, using anorectal manometry measurements. MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies comparing perioperative anorectal manometry between neoadjuvant chemoradiation and upfront surgery for rectal cancers. Primary outcomes were resting pressure, squeeze pressure, sensory threshold volume and maximal tolerable volume. Eight studies were included in the systematic review, of which seven were included for metanalysis. 155 patients (45.3%) had neoadjuvant chemoradiation before definitive surgery, and 187 (54.6%) underwent upfront surgery. Most patients were male (238 vs. 118). The standardized mean difference of mean resting pressure, mean and maximum squeeze pressure, maximum resting pressure, sensory threshold volume, and maximal tolerable volume favored the upfront surgery group but without statistical significance. Currently available evidence on anorectal manometry protocols failed to show any statistically significant differences in functional outcomes between neoadjuvant chemoradiation and upfront surgery. Further large-scale prospective studies with standardized neoadjuvant chemoradiation and anorectal manometry protocols are needed to validate these findings.

Phase 1 study of concomitant tumor treating fields and temozolomide chemoradiation for newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor and has limited effective therapies. Tumor treating fields (TTF; Optune Gio®) is an FDA-approved device with data supporting a significant survival benefit and minimal toxicity when added to maintenance chemotherapy. Uptake in clinical practice is not universal and might improve if a shorter duration of treatment is feasible. This phase 1 trial was designed to determine the safety and preliminary efficacy of TTF concomitant to chemoradiation. Patients with newly diagnosed, histologically confirmed GBM were eligible. Following surgery, patients were treated with TTF concomitant to standard chemoradiation. The device continued through 2 monthly cycles of maintenance temozolomide with imaging and clinical assessments at regular intervals to assess toxicity and response. The primary endpoint was the safety and tolerability of combined modality treatment based upon the incidence and severity of adverse events. Secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Thirteen patients were enrolled. Dermatologic adverse events were frequent but limited to grade 1/2. There was only 1 serious adverse event possibly related to TTF and no patients were unable to complete the prescribed course of multimodality treatment due to TTF-associated toxicity. Twelve patients were evaluable for median and 6-month progression-free survival which were 8.5 months (mo) and 66.7%, respectively. Median and 12 mo overall survival were 16.0 mo and 83.3%, respectively. TTF can be safely delivered in conjunction with chemoradiation. The potential for a finite TTF course merits further evaluation.

MGMT promoter methylation is a strong prognostic factor for survival after progression in high-grade gliomas

BackgroundHigh-grade gliomas (HGGs) have a rapid relapse and short survival. Studies have identified many clinical characteristics and biomarkers associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and over-survival (OS). However, there has not yet a comprehensive study on survival after the first progression (SAP).MethodsFrom CGGA and TCGA, 319 and 308 HGGs were confirmed as the first progression. The data on clinical characteristics and biomarkers were analyzed in accordance with OS, PFS, and SAP.ResultsAnalysis of 319 patients from CGGA, significant predictors of improved OS/PFS/SAP were WHO grade, MGMT promoter methylation, and Ki-67 expression in univariate analysis. Further multivariate analysis showed MGMT promoter methylation and Ki-67 expression were independent predictors. However, an analysis of 308 patients from TCGA found MGMT promoter methylation is the only prognostic marker. A longer SAP was observed in patients with methylated MGMT promoter after standard chemoradiotherapy. In our data, HGGs could be divided into low, intermediate, and high-risk groups for SAP by MGMT methylation and Ki-67 expression.ConclusionsPatients with MGMT promoter methylation have a prolonger SAP after standard chemoradiotherapy. HGGs could be divided into low, intermediate, and high-risk groups for SAP according to MGMT status and Ki-67 expression.

Standard or high dose chemoradiotherapy, with or without the protease inhibitor nelfinavir, in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer: The phase 1/randomised phase 2 SCALOP-2 trial

BackgroundThe multi-centre two-stage SCALOP-2 trial (ISRCTN50083238) assessed whether dose escalation of consolidative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) or concurrent sensitization using the protease inhibitor nelfinavir improve outcomes in locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) following four cycles of gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel. MethodsIn stage 1, the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of nelfinavir concurrent with standard-dose CRT (50.4 Gy in 28 fractions) was identified from a cohort of 27 patients. In stage 2, 159 patients were enrolled in an open-label randomized controlled comparison of standard versus high dose (60 Gy in 30 fractions) CRT, with or without nelfinavir at MTD. Primary outcomes following dose escalation and nelfinavir use were respectively overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints included health-related quality of life (HRQoL). ResultsHigh dose CRT did not improve OS (16.9 (60 % confidence interval, CI 16.2–17.7) vs. 15.6 (60 %CI 14.3–18.2) months; adjusted hazard ratio, HR 1.13 (60 %CI 0.91–1.40; p = 0.68)). Similarly, median PFS was not improved by nelfinavir (10.0 (60 %CI 9.9–10.2) vs. 11.1 (60 %CI 10.3–12.8) months; adjusted HR 1.71 (60 %CI 1.38–2.12; p = 0.98)). Local progression at 12 months was numerically lower with high-dose CRT than with standard dose CRT (n = 11/46 (23.9 %) vs. n = 15/45 (33.3 %)). Neither nelfinavir nor radiotherapy dose escalation impacted on treatment compliance or grade 3/4 adverse event rate. There were no sustained differences in HRQoL scores between treatment groups over 28 weeks post-treatment. ConclusionsDose-escalated CRT may improve local tumour control and is well tolerated when used as consolidative treatment in LAPC but does not impact OS. Nelfinavir use does not improve PFS.

Combination of neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy with FOLFOX compared with adjuvant chemotherapy in management of locally advanced rectal cancers: a randomized trial of a promising therapeutic approach

BackgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant malignancy with widespread implications. Despite progress in surgical interventions for rectal cancer, improvements in overall prognosis remain disproportionate. Standard preoperative chemoradiation, while established as the standard treatment for the majority of rectal cancers, exhibits limited effectiveness in enhancing disease-free survival (DFS) and mitigating distant metastases, particularly in cases of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).MethodsThis randomised clinical trial assessed 286 patients with LARC in two paralleled groups. Group A underwent six courses of neoadjuvant MFOLFOX chemotherapy, chemoradiation, surgery, and six adjuvant chemotherapy cycles. Group B received concurrent chemoradiation, surgery, and twelve adjuvant chemotherapy cycles. Patient evaluations were achieved at multiple stages of treatment and follow-up.ResultsGroup A had significantly lower local recurrence (11.64%) than Group B (21.74%, P = 0.025). The distant metastasis rate in Group A (8.90%) was lower than in Group B (20.29%) but was not significant (p = 0.143). More patients in Group A experienced downstaging (80.82% vs. 60.87%, p < 0.001). Specifically, 72.60% demonstrated downstaging of tumour invasion and 54.79% downstaging of lymph node involvement, compared to 57.25% and 41.30% in Group B (p = 0.009 and p = 0.025, respectively) as well as higher pCR rate (26.03% vs. 15.25%, p = 0.030) and three-year DFS rate (82.19% vs. 71.01%, p = 0.035) in group A compare to group B.ConclusionThis innovative strategy for LARC showed promising results with lower local recurrence and higher rates of downstaging and pCR. Treatment side effects were similar in both groups but less frequent in Group A. Anaemia was the most common haematological side effect (A: 58%, B: 68%), and peripheral sensory neuropathy was the most common non-haematological complication (A: 63%, B: 64%). These findings suggest this regimen could be a valuable therapeutic approach for LARC.Trial RegistrationThis trial was registered on 2023–12-08 within the IRCT.IR database under the number IRCT20210308050628N1.

HPV status and immunohistochemical analysis of p16, p53 and PD‑L1 expression as prognostic biomarkers in patients with squamous cell anal cancer receiving definitive radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy.

Anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) treated with definitive radiotherapy (RT)/chemoradiotherapy (CRT) has shown high success rates, yet challenges such as treatment resistance and recurrence persist. The present study aimed to investigate the associations between immunohistochemical (IHC) evaluation, treatment response and prognosis in anal SCC. A retrospective cohort analysis included 42 patients with anal SCC treated at a single institution between 2006 and 2022. Human papillomavirus (HPV) status was determined, and the IHC analysis of p16, p53 and PD-L1 expression was conducted using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded biopsies. A complete response to RT/CRT was observed in 71.4% of patients. Recurrence occurred in 38.1% of cases, of which 7.1% had local-regional recurrence (LRR), 14.3% had distant recurrence (DR), and 16.7% had both LRR and DR. HPV positivity (71.4%) was significantly associated with p16 positivity. Lack of complete response was associated with HPV-negative status, p16-negative status, increased recurrence and DR. In addition, recurrence was significantly associated with p53-positive status, and p53 positivity was significantly associated with increased LRR. PD-L1 positivity, defined as a combined positive score (CPS) ≥1% was found in 73.8% of the patients, and exhibited significant associations with HPV positivity and p16 positivity. PD-L1 CPS ≥ 1% was also associated with an increased LRR. Univariate analysis revealed that age <65 years, a complete response and HPV positivity were associated with increased 5-year overall survival (OS), while a complete response, HPV positivity and p53-negative status were associated with increased 5-year disease-free survival (DFS). Multivariate analysis identified that age <65 years and HPV positivity are independent prognostic factors for 5-year OS, and a complete response and p53-negative status are independent prognostic factors for 5-year DFS. In conclusion, these findings suggust that the identification of HPV status and poor prognostic biomarkers at diagnosis may be used to guide personalized treatment strategies, with the combination of immunotherapy with standard CRT potentially providing improved outcomes.

Preliminary results of a randomized controlled, open-label, multi-center phase II study of camrelizumab combined with chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy and camrelizumab consolidation therapy versus standard chemoradiotherapy as first-line treatment for limited-disease small cell lung cancer.

e20132 Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with chemotherapy have significant clinical benefits in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, for patients with limited-disease SCLC (LD-SCLC), the data on immunotherapy combined with chemoradiotherapy is insufficient. Methods: In this open-label, multi-center, phase 2 trial, we randomly 1:1 assigned patients with previously untreated LD-SCLC to receive camrelizumab combined with chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and camrelizumab consolidation therapy or standard chemoradiotherapy. Patients with ECOG performance status of 0 to 1, and adequate organ function were eligible. For thoracic radiation, 45 Gy in 3 weeks (1.5 Gy, BID) was given on the first day of the third cycle of chemotherapy. An etoposide plus platinum-based regimen was given 4 cycles in total. Patients who had a good response to initial treatment were offered prophylactic cranial irradiation. The primary endpoint was the 1-year progression-free survival rate. We assumed that the 1-year PFS rate in the experimental group was expected to reach 65% compared to chemoradiotherapy alone group 45%, and planned to enroll 112 patients with 56 in each group. Results: Up to date, we have enrolled 40 patients. The median follow-up was 10.6 months. Safety was evaluated in all treated patients. No Grade 5 adverse event was observed. Grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 58.8% of the patients in the camrelizumab plus chemoradiotherapy and in 52.9% of those in the chemoradiotherapy alone group. The most frequent grade 3 or 4 adverse events were hematologic toxicities (70.6% vs. 58.8%). Acute esophagitis and pneumonitis of grade 3 occurred in both groups were 1/17 (5.9%) and 1/17 (5.9%), respectively. In the experimental group, only one patient was developed grade 3 immune pneumonia 1/17 (5.9%). The 1-year PFS rate was 54.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 19.5%-89.6%) with camrelizumab plus chemoradiotherapy and 44.4% (95% CI 3.9%-88.0%) with chemoradiotherapy alone. Among the 17 patients who received camrelizumab, the median PFS time was not reached, as compared with 14.35 (95% CI, 8.15-20.91) months among the 17 patients with chemoradiotherapy alone. Conclusions: In patients with LD-SCLC, the addition of camrelizumab to chemoradiotherapy did not increase the incidence of adverse events. Camrelizumab plus chemoradiotherapy resulted in an encouraging 1-year PFS rate. Larger sample sizes and longer follow-up times are required to validate our preliminary results. Clinical trial information: ChiCTR2000032275.

Comparing toripalimab combined with chemoradiotherapy versus chemoradiotherapy alone for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A multicenter, open-label, randomized phase II clinical trial.

4079 Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the predominant histological subtype in Asia, representing approximately 90% of all esophageal cancer cases. Despite definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) being the standard treatment for unresectable locally advanced ESCC, the prognosis remains poor. The introduction of PD-1 inhibitors has shown significant improvement in survival outcomes for advanced ESCC. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combining induction and consolidation toripalimab (a PD-1 inhibitor) with CRT in patients with locally advanced ESCC (Clinical trial information: NCT04084158). Methods: Patients aged 18-75 years with unresectable, locally advanced ESCC and an ECOG performance status of 0-1 were eligible. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to either two cycles of toripalimab (3mg/kg q2ws) followed by concurrent CRT with 50.4Gy+weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin (TC), TC consolidation, and toripalimab (study arm), or standard CRT alone (control arm). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), with secondary endpoints including overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR). Results: Between September 2019 and July 2020, 46 ESCC patients (40 males) were screened for eligibility across four participating centers in China. Forty-four patients were eligible for survival analysis, all with histopathologically confirmed ESCC. Median ages were 64 years (range 49-75) in the study arm and 61 years (range 47-74) in the control arm, with similar clinical AJCC stages. As of the February 1, 2024 cutoff, the median follow-up was 50.6 months. Median PFS was 10.0 months in the study arm and 17.8 months in the control arm (HR: 1.567, 95% CI: 0.755-3.251, p=0.228). Median OS was 23.7 months and 25.9 months, respectively (HR: 1.140, 95% CI: 0.536-2.427, p=0.733). ORR rates were 64% and 86% (p=0.164), respectively. The incidence of grade 3 or worse treatment-related adverse events was similar between groups, with the most common adverse event being lymphopenia. Conclusions: Our findings indicate no significant benefit in adding induction and consolidation immunotherapy to CRT for treating locally advanced ESCC. However, the combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy warrants further exploration. Ongoing analyses of biomarker correlates of response and survival will provide additional insights. Clinical trial information: NCT04084158 .

Neoadjuvant anlotinib combined with penpulimab for resectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC): Updated data from a prospective, phase II trial.

e16079 Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy followed by radical surgery has been extensively recommended for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, toxicities and challenges to the subsequent surgery limit its wide clinical application. Immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with antiangiogenesis have synergistic effects and have shown good therapeutic effects in previous studies, as well as fewer side effects. Here, we tested a novel combination of anlotinib (an antiangiogeneic kinase inhibitor) and penpulimab (an anti-PD-1 antibody), devoid of radio- or chemo-therapy, for the neoadjuvant therapy of locally advanced ESCC. Methods: In this prospective, single-arm, phase II clinical trial (ChiCTR2200064848), patients(pts) with resectable locally advanced ESCC (clinical stage III-IVa) were recruited. The study was designed using a two-stage minimax approach. The planned sample size was 40 pts would provide 80% power at a one-sided alpha error of 5%, threshold pathological complete response (pCR) of 16% and expected pCR of 30%. Pts received neoadjuvant therapy with anlotinib (8 mg, po, D1-14, Q3W) combined with penpulimab (200 mg, ivgtt, Q3W) for 2 cycles. Six to eight weeks later, pts underwent radical surgery after exclusion of contraindications. The primary endpoint was pCR rate. Secondary endpoints included tumor regression grade (TRG), R0 resection rate, objective response rate (ORR) and safety profile. Results: From Jan 2023 to Nov 2023, 25 pts (19 males and 6 females) were enrolled with a median age of 67 years (range: 50-74). A concerning 92% were diagnosed with lymph node metastasis. Moreover, 85% (22/25) pts exhibited medical contraindications, including pure red cell aplasia, compromised pulmonary function, and poor nutritional status, etc.) rendering them ineligible for standard neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy. All pts were available for efficacy assessment, ORR and DCR were 48.0% and 96.0%, respectively. Of these, 21 pts underwent esophagectomy, with an R0 resection rate of 90.5% (19/21). The study's initial phase successfully achieved its primary endpoint, with a pCR rate of 19.0% (4/21). Furthermore, the major pathological response (MPR) was 28.6% (6/21). The most common TRAEs (≥10%) included hypertension (28.0%), hand-foot syndrome (20%), fatigue (20%), abdominal pain (12%), toothache (12%). Grade 3-4 TRAEs were observed in 12.0% of the patients (3/25), and no reports of grade 5 TRAEs. Conclusions: Preliminary results from the initial stage suggest that anlotinib combined with penpulimab as a neoadjuvant treatment for ESCC showed promising safety and efficacy, especially for those deemed unsuitable for neoadjuvant chemoradiation or chemotherapy. More ESCC pts would be recruited in the future. Clinical trial information: ChiCTR2200064848.

Enrichment of glioblastoma tumor microenvironment in a GZMK+ T cell population.

2065 Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) bears a survival estimate below 10% at 5 years, despite standard chemoradiation treatment. Trials evaluating immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in gliomas have been disappointing so far, dealing with the unique immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) of the brain. Nevertheless, we have clinical evidence of ICB efficacy for brain metastases (BrM) of immunosensitive tumors. Even if both GBMs and BrM share the same organ-specific microenvironment, it is clear that disease-specific immune characteristics instruct differential response to ICB. Methods: By using advanced deep learning algorithms to combine public and in-house-generated single-cell RNA sequencing profiles, we analyzed immune infiltrate characteristics of 602949 CD45+ cells from 76 GBM, 30 BrM from different types of extracranial tumors (13 NSCLC, 12 melanoma, 2 ovarian, 1 breast, 1 colorectal and 1 renal carcinoma) and 3 normal brain samples. The analysis was restricted to newly diagnosed GBM, excluding recurrent and pre-treated cases. CD8+ cells underwent segregation into clusters based on log2 normalized expression levels of CD3E and CD8A (with expression values greater than 0). The data integration utilized DESC, a deep learning model founded on autoencoders, and subsequent examination was conducted within the Scanpy framework. Cluster analysis was executed employing the Leiden algorithm. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were pinpointed across clusters using the Wilcoxon test, with False Discovery Rate (FDR) correction carried out through the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure. Results: From CD45+CD3+ cells, we isolated CD8+ T cells and identified 7 informative CD8+ T cells clusters. Based on DEGs, we could appreciate T cells clusters that were also recapitulated in other extracranial malignancies. The most abundant subset was composed of GZMK+ effector T cells (Cluster 0: GZMK, GZMM, CD44, KLRG1, IL7R, GZMA, CXCR3), followed by putative tumor-specific tissue-resident memory cells (Cluster 1: GZMB, LAG3, CTLA4, TIGIT, CXCL13, ITGAE, ENTPD1, PDCD1, CD27, HLA-DRB1), stem-cell memory-like T cells (Cluster 3: IL7R, CCR7, JUNB, KLF2, TCF7) and a less represented cluster characterized by high expression of genes belonging to the HSP family (Cluster 4: HSPA1, HSPH1, HSPE1, HSPD1, IFN). Interestingly, while the majority of the identified clusters was equally represented in the 3 different tissues, the GZMK+ effector T cells cluster (Cluster 0) was found to be more represented in GBM compared to BrM and normal brain tissue. Conclusions: A GZMK+ effector T cells subpopulation, specifically enriched in GBM, has been poorly characterized in its function and spatial localization. Our data highlight the importance of studying the composition of the immune infiltrate in GBM with multi-omics approaches in order to uncover deep mechanisms of resistance to ICB and eventually provide hints on potential therapeutic targets.

Alterations of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in recurrent glioblastoma following apatinib in combination with temozolomide.

e14018 Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the highly malignant primary central nervous system tumor. The standard treatment for glioblastoma is maximal surgical resection followed by concomitant radiotherapy and temozolomide chemotherapy, but patient’s survival still remains poor. At present, apatinib in combination with temozolomide (TMZ) has achieved reasonable clinical efficacy in the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM), however, there are currently no clear biomarkers related to clinical efficacy or prognosis. Methods: This retrospective study was enrolled 22 rGBMs treated with apatinib in combination with TMZ and 6 patients who received standard radiotherapy combined with TMZ and experienced recurrence. At the same time, we collected their tissue samples for RNA transcriptome analysis by the Nanostring nCounter platform. In prognosis analysis, long survival benefit is defined as a PFS≥4.2 months, and short survival benefit is defined as a PFS&lt;4.2 months. This PFS threshold was primarily referenced from a Phase III study of bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy for rGBM. The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee of Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University (SBNK-YJ-2021-010-02) and informed consent was also obtained from the patients. Results: The differential gene of pre and post standard chemoradiotherapy results suggest that standard treatment has reduced the expression of genes associated with tumor proliferation and up-regulated the expression of the genes associated with the immune response in rGBM. In apatinib combined TMZ patients, compared to the non-response group, the response group had significantly up-regulated expression of genes related to endothelial cells and apoptosis. Enrichment analysis revealed that signaling pathways related to cell proliferation were down-regulated in the response group. In terms of prognosis, compared with the short-survival benefit group (&lt; 4.2 months), four tumor progression-associated genes were down-regulated in response group (≥4.2 months). Hypoxia related-genes was significantly up-regulated in the long survival benefit group. Enrichment analysis showed that genes related to cell proliferation were also down-regulated in the long-survival benefit group, while the expression of signaling pathway genes related to cell activation, and immune response was significantly up-regulated. Conclusions: Our study suggests that the combination of apatinib and TMZ may potentially provide clinical benefits in treating rGBM by modulating genes associated with cell proliferation, promoting apoptosis, regulating hypoxia, and enhancing immune response within the tumor microenvironment. Clinical trial information: NCT04814329 .

Tumor treating fields for newly diagnosed high-grade glioma based on the criteria of 2021 WHO CNS5: A retrospective analysis of Chinese patients in a single center.

High-grade glioma (HGG) is known to be characterized by a high degree of malignancy and a worse prognosis. The classical treatment is safe resection supplemented by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Tumor treating fields (TTFields), an emerging physiotherapeutic modality that targets malignant solid tumors using medium-frequency, low-intensity, alternating electric fields to interfere with cell division, have been used for the treatment of new diagnosis of glioblastoma, however, their administration in HGG requires further clinical evidence. The efficacy and safety of TTFields in Chinese patients with HGG were retrospectively evaluated by us in a single center. We enrolled and analyzed 52 patients with newly diagnosed HGG undergoing surgery and standard chemoradiotherapy regimens from December 2019 to June 2022, and followed them until June 2023. Based on whether they used TTFields, they were divided into a TTFields group and a non-TTFields group. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between the two groups. There were 26 cases in the TTFields group and 26 cases in the non-TTFields group. In the TTFields group, the median PFS was 14.2 months (95% CI: 9.50-18.90), the median OS was 19.7 months (95% CI: 14.95-24.25) , the median interval from surgery to the start of treatment with TTFields was 2.47 months (95% CI: 1.47-4.13), and the median duration of treatment with TTFields was 10.6 months (95% CI: 9.57-11.63). 15 (57.69%) patients experienced an adverse event and no serious adverse event was reported. In the non-TTFields group, the median PFS was 9.57 months (95% CI: 6.23-12.91) and the median OS was 16.07 months (95% CI: 12.90-19.24). There was a statistically significant difference in PFS (p = 0.005) and OS (p = 0.007) between the two groups. In this retrospective analysis, TTFields were observed to improve newly diagnosed HGG patients' median PFS and OS. Compliance was much higher than reported in clinical trials and safety remained good.

New Horizons and Breakthroughs in the Therapeutic Treatments for Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma represents a difficult challenge in both oncology and neurosurgery, characterized by its aggressive nature and poor prognosis. Despite its multimodal approach to standard treatment, combining surgery and chemoradiation therapy, the overall survival for patients remains disappointingly low. This review paper provides an overview of the clinical challenges associated with glioblastoma treatment, including tumor heterogeneity, low mutational burden, cancer stemness, and its immunosuppressive microenvironment. In addition, we explore promising future therapies such as the tumor treating fields (TTFields), carmustine wafer treatment, angiogenesis inhibition, CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing therapy, and immunotherapies such as dendritic cell vaccination (DCV) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Across the review, we highlight the potential, progress, and shortcomings of each therapeutic approach by addressing their respective success and challenges. By analyzing this information, we strive to provide a comprehensive review of the current progress of glioblastoma treatment and its future therapeutic potential.

Induction-concurrent chemoradiotherapy with or without sintilimab in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma in China (CONTINUUM): a multicentre, open-label, parallel-group, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial

Anti-PD-1 therapy and chemotherapy is a recommended first-line treatment for recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but the role of PD-1 blockade remains unknown in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. We assessed the addition of sintilimab, a PD-1 inhibitor, to standard chemoradiotherapy in this patient population. This multicentre, open-label, parallel-group, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial was conducted at nine hospitals in China. Adults aged 18-65 years with newly diagnosed high-risk non-metastatic stage III-IVa locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (excluding T3-4N0 and T3N1) were eligible. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) using blocks of four to receive gemcitabine and cisplatin induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent cisplatin radiotherapy (standard therapy group) or standard therapy with 200 mg sintilimab intravenously once every 3 weeks for 12 cycles (comprising three induction, three concurrent, and six adjuvant cycles to radiotherapy; sintilimab group). The primary endpoint was event-free survival from randomisation to disease recurrence (locoregional or distant) or death from any cause in the intention-to-treat population. Secondary endpoints included adverse events. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03700476) and is now completed; follow-up is ongoing. Between Dec 21, 2018, and March 31, 2020, 425 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to the sintilimab (n=210) or standard therapy groups (n=215). At median follow-up of 41·9 months (IQR 38·0-44·8; 389 alive at primary data cutoff [Feb 28, 2023] and 366 [94%] had at least 36 months of follow-up), event-free survival was higher in the sintilimab group compared with the standard therapy group (36-month rates 86% [95% CI 81-90] vs 76% [70-81]; stratified hazard ratio 0·59 [0·38-0·92]; p=0·019). Grade 3-4 adverse events occurred in 155 (74%) in the sintilimab group versus 140 (65%) in the standard therapy group, with the most common being stomatitis (68 [33%] vs 64 [30%]), leukopenia (54 [26%] vs 48 [22%]), and neutropenia (50 [24%] vs 46 [21%]). Two (1%) patients died in the sintilimab group (both considered to be immune-related) and one (<1%) in the standard therapy group. Grade 3-4 immune-related adverse events occurred in 20 (10%) patients in the sintilimab group. Addition of sintilimab to chemoradiotherapy improved event-free survival, albeit with higher but manageable adverse events. Longer follow-up is necessary to determine whether this regimen can be considered as the standard of care for patients with high-risk locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. National Natural Science Foundation of China, Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province, Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, Overseas Expertise Introduction Project for Discipline Innovation, Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission, and Cancer Innovative Research Program of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Anti‑epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody therapy in locally advanced head and neck cancer: A systematic review of phase III clinical trials.

The present systematic review evaluated the effectiveness of anti-EGFR therapy in combination with radiotherapy (RT) or with chemoradiation compared with the existing standard of care for the treatment of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LAHNSCC). The PubMed, SCOPUS, EMBASE and COCHRANE databases were searched and 12 phase III randomized controlled trials were included. The effectiveness of the anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody cetuximab was evaluated in nine trials. Nimotuzumab (one trial), zalutumumab (one trial) and panitumumab (one trial) were the monoclonal antibodies evaluated in the remaining three trials. One study tested the effectiveness of adding cetuximab to radical RT and found that patients with LAHNSCC exhibited improvement in locoregional control (LRC), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared with those of patients treated with RT alone. A total of three studies tested the effectiveness of adding an anti-EGFR agent to chemoradiation. Of these, a single institution study in which patients received cisplatin at 30 mg/m2 weekly, instead of the standard doses of 100 mg/m2 every 3 weeks or 40 mg/m2 every week, reported significant improvement in PFS with the addition of nimotuzumab to chemoradiotherapy without an improvement in overall survival. However, the other two studies indicated that, when added to standard chemoradiation, the anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies cetuximab or zalutumumab did not improve survival outcomes. Two phase III trials evaluated RT plus an anti-EGFR agent compared with chemoradiation alone. Of these, one study reported inferior outcomes with cetuximab-RT in terms of OS and LRC, whereas the other study with panitumumab plus RT failed to prove the non-inferiority. Two trials evaluated induction chemotherapy followed by cetuximab-RT compared with chemoradiotherapy and reported no benefits in terms of OS or PFS. Furthermore, one study evaluated induction chemotherapy followed by cetuximab-RT compared with induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy and found no improvement in OS or PFS. Finally, three phase III trials tested the effectiveness of cetuximab plus RT in the treatment of human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma, and found it to be inferior compared with cisplatin-RT in terms of OS, PFS and failure-free survival. Based on the aforementioned findings, it is difficult to conclude that anti-EGFR therapy in any form has an advantage over conventional chemoradiation in the treatment of LAHNSCC.

Efficacy of nimotuzumab in combination with immunotherapy for a young recurrent cervical cancer patient: a case report and literature review.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women, and more than one-third of the patients have already developed to a locally advanced stage at initial diagnosis. After standard concurrent chemoradiotherapy, recurrence still occurs in 29-38% of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC), and the 5-year survival rate of patients with recurrence is only 3.8-13.0%, resulting in a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic choices. Currently, the recommended first-line systemic treatment for recurrent metastatic cervical cancer involves cisplatin or carboplatin in combination with paclitaxel-based chemotherapy, supplemented with the antivascular agent bevacizumab and the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab. The use of these drugs, however, is limited due to side effects such as myelosuppression, gastrointestinal perforation, and bleeding, so new treatment modalities need to be explored. Anti-EGFR (epithelial growth factor receptor, anti-surface growth factor receptor antibody) targeted drugs have been demonstrated to have a significant radiosensitizing effect on synchronous chemoradiotherapy in LACC and are now considered to have potential for the treatment of recurrent cervical cancer. We represented a LACC patient who relapsed 6 months after concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The patient received six cycles of nimotuzumab combined with camrelizumab, and the efficacy was evaluated to be partial remission after two or four cycles of treatment, with progression-free survival up to 9 months, without significant side effects. Until March 2024, the patient was still undergoing treatment. Promising efficacy and tolerable side effects of nimotuzumab in combination with camrelizumab were observed in this case.