Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Monotherapy Research Articles

Advanced papillary renal cell carcinoma: Epidemiology, genomic drivers, current therapies, and ongoing trials

Papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) is the most common subtype of non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma. PRCC can be subdivided into types 1 and 2 based on histology, each associated with different genetic mutations. The MET gene is commonly altered in type 1 PRCC while multiple alterations are involved in type 2 PRCC. PRCC is an aggressive cancer with a predominance in male and black patients and poor prognosis. Due to its rarity, there was a lack of convincing prospective data to guide treatment; hence, therapies were previously extrapolated from clear cell renal cell carcinoma with mixed results. More recently, some phase 2 trials focused on PRCC have been promising. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) monotherapy is considered the standard of care, and combination strategies with TKIs and immune checkpoint inhibitors are emerging. Genetic profiling and large-scale clinical trials are needed to inform targeted treatment of PRCC.

Real-world global data on targeting epidermal growth factor receptor mutations in stage III non-small-cell lung cancer: the results of the KINDLE study.

Background:Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the standard of care for resectable and metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harbouring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations (EGFRm). We describe the real-world practice of EGFRm testing, prevalence, treatment and outcomes in EGFRm stage III NSCLC from a multi-country, observational study.Methods:The KINDLE study retrospectively captured diagnostic information, treatments and survival outcomes in patients with stage III NSCLC from January 2013 to December 2017. Baseline characteristics and treatments were described and real-world outcomes from initial therapy were analysed using Kaplan–Meier methods.Results:A total of 3151 patients were enrolled across three regions: Asia (n = 1874), Middle East and North Africa (MENA) (n = 1046) and Latin America (LA) (n = 231). Of these, 1114 patients (35%) were tested for EGFRm (46% in Asia, 17% in MENA and 32% in LA) and EGFRm was detected in 32% of tested patients (34.3% in Asia, 20.0% in MENA and 28.4% in LA). In a multi-variate analysis, overall EGFRm patients treated with EGFR-TKI monotherapy as initial treatment, without any irradiation, had twice the risk of dying (hazard ratio: 1.983, 95% confidence interval: 1.079–3.643; p = 0.027) versus any other treatment. Finally, unresectable patients with EGFRm NSCLC who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) as initial therapy had longer overall survival (OS) compared with their counterparts who only received TKI monotherapy without any irradiation (48 months versus 24 months; p < 0.001).Conclusion:The KINDLE study showed that a minority of stage III NSCLC patients were tested for EGFRm. Patients with EGFRm with unresectable NSCLC had similar outcomes from cCRT as initial therapy compared with EGFR wild type with a trend in OS favouring the EGFRm group. Outcomes with EGFR-TKI monotherapy as initial therapy, without any irradiation, were worse. The ongoing LAURA study (NCT03521154) will help define the role of EGFR-TKIs in EGFRm stage III NSCLC treated with cCRT.Trial Registration:NCT03725475.

Adjuvant Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Concluded Living Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Multiple large clinical trials have investigated adjuvant tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and progression to metastasis in high-risk renal cell carcinoma. We sought to maintain living and interactive evidence on this topic, until a high level of certainty is reached for key clinical outcomes such that further updates become unnecessary and unlikely to change clinical practice. We created a living interactive evidence synthesis platform to maintain a continuously updated meta-analysis on TKI monotherapy in adjuvant renal cell carcinoma. We implemented an automated search strategy with weekly updates to identify randomized phase 2 and 3 clinical trials. Study selection, appraisal, and data extraction were done in duplicate. Cumulative meta-analysis was performed using Analyzer Module in Living Interactive Evidence platform. For each outcome (overall survival [OS], disease-free survival [DFS], and all-cause and treatment-related adverse events), we assessed certainty of evidence using GRADE approach and conducted trial sequential analysis. This final update includes five randomized trials including recently updated data from PROTECT trial. Meta-analysis shows that adjuvant TKI monotherapy offers no benefit in OS (hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.12, high certainty) or DFS (hazard ratio, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.00, high certainty) and significantly increases adverse event risk. Lack of benefit was consistent across subgroups including highest-risk patients (test for subgroup differences: P = .32). Optimal information size criteria were met, and there was high certainty of evidence for lack of DFS and OS benefit for adjuvant TKIs. There is no guidance on when to stop maintaining a living review. In this example, we used trial sequential analysis and high certainty of evidence (future clinical trials unlikely to change current conclusions) as a benchmark to conclude a living review in view of convincing evidence.

Clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia and its comparison with the Pivotal study

目的总结上海交通大学医学院附属瑞金医院108例华氏巨球蛋白血症（WM）患者的临床特征和预后，并与应用BTK抑制剂（BTKi）单药的Pivotal研究比较。方法回顾性分析2008年3月至2021年2月收治的症状性WM患者的临床特征、无进展生存（PFS）和总体生存（OS），其中52例患者进行MYD88突变检测。结果108例患者中位年龄63（38～78）岁，男女比例3.5∶1。IPSS评分高危组43例（40％），中危组36例（33％），低危组29例（27％）。与Pivotal研究63例患者的基线特征比较，年龄、性别、IPSS危险度、血清IgM水平、PLT的差异无统计学意义，但HGB（86 g/L对105 g/L）、血清β2-微球蛋白（3.1 mg/L对3.9 mg/L）、骨髓受累（13％对60％）、淋巴结肿大比例（41％对59％）低于Pivotal研究患者，脾肿大患者比例（27％对11％）高于Pivotal研究，差异均有统计学意义（P值均<0.05）。MYD88突变整体检测阳性率77％。中位随访36（1～121）个月，中位OS时间为95个月，中位PFS时间为35个月。患者2年OS率（83％对96％）和5年OS率（67％对87％）低于Pivotal研究。2008-2021年，以BTKi、CD20单抗和蛋白酶体抑制剂治疗为主的患者比例从50％逐步提升至93％，2015-2021年诊断患者的长期OS较2008-2014年改善（P＝0.048）。结论包括BTKi在内的新药治疗使WM患者获益并改善其生存，中国WM患者MYD88和CXCR4突变检测阳性率及对BTKi的敏感性值得进一步探索。

Interdisciplinary recommendations for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma

In the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma, anti-VEGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have been replaced mostly by immunotherapy combinations with checkpoint inhibitors (CPI), especially in first line therapy. Due to these novel therapies, the prognosis of patients has been improved further. In pivotal studies a median overall survival of 3-4 years has been achieved. TKI monotherapy remains important for patients with low risk, a contraindication against immunotherapy and with regard to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.Selection of the correct first line therapy is difficult to answer because there are two CPI-TKI combinations and one CPI-combination. Temsirolimus and the combination bevacizumab + interferon alfa have become less important. In second line therapy, nivolumab and cabozantinib have demonstrated superior overall survival compared to everolimus. Furthermore, the combination of lenvatinib + everolimus and axitinib are approved treatment options in the second line and further settings. TKI are an option as well, but they have lower supporting evidence. Everolimus has been replaced in the second line setting by these new options. Biomarkers are not available. The German S3 guideline has been updated recently to give better orientation in clinical practice.The question of the optimal sequence is still unanswered. Most second line options were evaluated after failure of anti-VEGF-TKI, but these are only applicable for a minority of patients.The purpose of an interdisciplinary expert meeting in november 2020 was to debate which criteria should influence the therapy. The members discussed several aspects of treating patients with advanced or metastatic RCC, including the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. As in previous years, the experts intended to provide recommendations for clinical practice. The results are presented in this publication.

Can we identify a preferred first-line strategy for sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma? A network meta-analysis.

Background: Combinations based on immune checkpoint inhibitors are the new first-line standard treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma (sRCC) has a dismal prognosis but good immunogenicity. Methods: The authors performed a network meta-analysis of Phase III randomized trials of immune checkpoint inhibitor-based combinations versus standard tyrosine kinase inhibitor monotherapy reporting data for sRCC. The end points were overall survival, progression-free survival and objective response rate. Results: Five trials comprising 569 sRCC patients (out of a total of 4409 metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients) were included. Nivolumab-cabozantinib was the highest ranking treatment for overall survival (p-score = 88%) and progression-free survival (p-score = 81%). Atezolizumab-bevacizumab had the highest rank for objective response rate (p-score = 80%). Conclusion: Despite some limitations, nivolumab-cabozantinib might be the preferred first-line option for sRCC in terms of efficacy.

Thoracic stereotactic body radiation therapy plus first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors for patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-mutant polymetastatic non-small-cell lung cancer: A propensity-matched retrospective study.

The role of thoracic stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in addition to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in EGFR-mutant polymetastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been well established. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of EGFR-TKIs with thoracic SBRT for the treatment of this patient group.Polymetastatic NSCLC was defined as having >5 metastatic lesions. Patients with polymetastatic NSCLC harboring positive EGFR mutations after initial TKI therapy for at least 8 weeks were eligible for SBRT between August 2016and August 2019. Eligible patients were treated with thoracic SBRT, and TKIs were administered for the duration of SBRT and continued after SBRT until they were considered ineffective. The control group was treated with TKI monotherapy. Propensity score matching (ratio of 1:4) was used to account for differences in baseline characteristics. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival, and treatment safety were evaluated.In total, 136 patients were included in the study population. Among them, 120 patients received TKIs alone, and 16 patients received TKIs with thoracic SBRT. The baseline characteristics did not significantly differ between the two cohorts after propensity score matching. The median PFS was 17.8 months in the thoracic SBRT group and 10.8 months in the control group (P = .033). In the multivariate analysis, a Cox regression model showed that thoracic SBRT was an independent statistically significant positive predictor of improved survival, with a hazard ratio of 0.54 (P = .046). We recorded no severe toxic effects or grade 4 to 5 toxicities.Real-world data demonstrate that thoracic SBRT significantly extends PFS in EGFR-mutant polymetastatic NSCLC patients with tolerable toxicity. Given these results, randomized studies are warranted.

Healthcare costs related to adverse events in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment: A retrospective observational claims study.

BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive form of liver cancer with increasing incidence and mortality worldwide. For metastatic disease, systemic treatment is recommended. In addition to tumor characteristics, adverse events (AEs) may influence regimen choice.AimTo analyze healthcare burden among patients with advanced HCC, by treatment type and AEs observed.MethodsIncluded were adult commercial and Medicare Advantage enrollees with ≥2 non‐diagnostic claims coded for HCC (the first setting the index date); ≥1 claim for systemic treatment of advanced/metastatic HCC; and continuous enrollment for a 6‐month pre‐index baseline period to ≥1 month post‐index (follow‐up). Patients were excluded by lack of systemic treatment; incomplete demographic information; pregnancy, liver transplant, other cancers during baseline or clinical trial participation. We describe patient characteristics, common AEs, overall survival, and healthcare burden in 2017 USD up to 12 months after initiation of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) monotherapy; immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) monotherapy; or FOLFOX combination therapy.ResultsThe analytic sample consisted of 322 patients (median age 65.8 years, 76% male) who had 12 months' (unless death occurred prior) available follow‐up, with median follow‐up of 9 months. Among these, 241 (75%) had TKI monotherapy, 23 (7%) had ICI monotherapy, and 58 had FOLFOX (18%) first‐line treatment. Overall, patients had a high burden of AEs (mean 3.2), with the most prevalent being pain (75%), infection (39%), ascites (34%), and bleeding (29%). After adjusting for covariates, infection ($50 374), fever ($47 443), and diarrhea ($29 912) imposed the highest incremental annual costs versus patients without the AE. Up to 90% of costs were attributable to inpatient admissions, with 56% to 60% involving intensive care. Median 1‐year survival was 32%.ConclusionsThis real‐world study demonstrated AE burden in alignment with previous clinical studies. Regardless of regimen used, AEs are associated with substantial healthcare costs due to inpatient care.

A Multicenter Retrospective Study on the Prognosis of Stage III Unresectable Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer With Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Therapy.

BackgroundFor unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), concurrent chemoradiotherapy is nowadays the standard treatment. Patients with advanced NSCLC harboring driver-gene mutations benefit from Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) Therapy. In a real-world setting, there is room for exploring the benefit of TKIs in stage III unresectable NSCLC patients with mutation.MethodsA total of 81 patients from the Jinling Hospital and the Jiangsu Cancer Hospital with stage III unresectable mutant NSCLC applied targeted therapy were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients with first-line application of TKIs were followed up to gain the situation of surgery qualifications, progression-free survival and overall survival, so as to evaluate the survival prognosis, then whether patients benefit and what kind of patients benefit most from TKI monotherapy treatment or its combination are explored.ResultsThe median progression-free survival of involved 81 patients was 13.87 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 11.66–16.08), and the median survival was 41.47 months (95%CI: 20.11–62.83). The 5-year survival rates were 91.0, 80.3, 56.1, 45.5, and 32.5%, respectively. After first-line TKI therapy, seven patients (8.6%) were reevaluated as eligible for surgery and proceeded to surgery. Although no characteristics were found to be statistical prognostic, younger female non-smokers still tended to have a better prognosis with longer progression free survival and overall survival.ConclusionsTKIs are a viable option for mutant stage III unresectable NSCLC patients who have achieved good clinical benefit from TKI. Patients who cannot tolerate chemoradiotherapy, especially those with driver gene mutations, can choose targeted therapy for first-line treatment.

Phase 1b Open-Label Trial of Afatinib Plus Xentuzumab (BI 836845) in Patients With EGFR Mutation-Positive NSCLC After Progression on EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors

IntroductionInsulin-like growth factor signaling has been implicated in acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in NSCLC. This phase 1 trial (NCT02191891) investigated the combination of xentuzumab (an insulin-like growth factor-ligand neutralizing monoclonal antibody) and afatinib (an EGFR TKI) in patients with previously treated EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC. MethodsThe trial comprised dose escalation (part A) and expansion (part B). Patients had advanced or metastatic NSCLC that had progressed on EGFR TKI monotherapy or platinum-based chemotherapy (nonadenocarcinoma only, part A) or irreversible EGFR TKI monotherapy (part B). Absence of EGFR T790M mutation was required in part B. Part A used a 3 + 3 design, with a starting dose of xentuzumab 1000 mg/wk (intravenous) and afatinib 30 mg/d (oral). Primary endpoints were the maximum tolerated dose of the combination (part A) and objective response (part B). ResultsA total of 16 patients each were treated in parts A and B. Maximum tolerated dose was xentuzumab 1000 mg/wk plus afatinib 40 mg/d. No patients in part B had an objective response, but 10 had stable disease (median [range] duration of disease control: 2.3 [0.8–10.9] mo). The most common drug-related adverse events were diarrhea (75 %), paronychia (69 %), and rash (69 %) in part A and diarrhea (31 %), rash (19 %), paronychia (19 %), and fatigue (19 %) in part B. ConclusionsThere were no new safety issues; xentuzumab and afatinib could be safely coadministered. Nevertheless, the combination revealed only modest activity in patients with EGFR mutation-positive, T790M-negative NSCLC after progression on afatinib.

Loss of Ahi-1 Impairs the Self-Renewal Activity of Normal and BCR-ABL+ Stem Cells in Vitro and in Vivo

The resistance of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) leukemic stem cells (LSC) to ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) monotherapy remains a challenge in curing CML. We have identified AHI-1 (Abelson helper integration site-1) oncogene as a potential therapeutic target in CML. It encodes a scaffold protein with a SH3 domain, multiple proline rich motifs and several WD40 repeats. Its expression is highly increased in BCR-ABL+ LSCs. Overexpression of Ahi-1 in primitive hematopoietic cells enhances cell proliferation in vitro and induces leukemia in vivo, and these effects can be enhanced by BCR-ABL. We have also demonstrated that AHI-1 interacts with multiple kinases, including BCR-ABL, β-catenin and JAK2 to mediate LSC activities and TKI resistance in vitro and in vivo . Interestingly, mouse Ahi-1 is highly expressed in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs, CD45+EPCR+CD48-CD150+ (E-SLAM)) and progenitors (lin-Sca-1+c-kit+ (LSK)), but expressed at low levels in differentiated cells. In addition, Ahi-1 transcripts are found to be expressed in human embryonic stem cells (ES) and at all stages of mouse embryo development, with increasing expression just prior to birth, suggesting that Ahi-1 expression is developmentally regulated. To investigate the precise role of Ahi-1 in regulating normal and LSC self-renewal and differentiation, we have developed a new conditional Ahi-1 knockout mouse model. Ahi-1 deficient mice (AKO) were viable and fertile, but displayed around 30% reduction of bone marrow (BM) and thymus cellularity and altered lineage differentiation as compared to control wild-type mice (AWT). Interestingly, cell cycle analysis showed that loss of Ahi-1 reduced quiescent G0 cells by about 17% in HSC (lin-Sca-1+c-kit+CD48-) as compared to AWT cells. Ahi-1 deficient LSK cells did not exhibit differences in output of colony forming cells (CFCs) but did have dramatically reduced CFC secondary replating efficiency as compared to control cells. In vivo limited dilution assays (LDA), measured by bone marrow transplantation, demonstrated that Ahi-1 loss did not result in significant changes in the frequency of HSC numbers in primary transplanted mice (AWT vs AKO: 1/85000 vs 1/74000), but greatly reduced the reconstitution ability of these cells in serial transplantation assays, since no detectable donor cells were found in tertiary transplanted mice with AKO cells, while engrafted donor cells were still detected in tertiary transplanted mice with AWT cells. These results suggest that Ahi-1 plays a key role in regulating long-term repopulation activity of normal HSCs.The effects of Ahi-1 on LSC growth and maintenance were more profound when BCR-ABL was expressed in Ahi-1-deficient LSCs. Primitive Ahi-1-deficient BM cells transduced with BCR-ABL retroviruses (AKOBA) displayed reduced cell proliferation in the presence of growth factors, especially 14 days after in vtiro culture, compared to BCR-ABL-expressing BM cells from AWT mice (AWTBA). The FACS analysis for these cells after 7 days in culture showed reduced LSK numbers (30%) in AKOBA cells compared to AWTBA control cells. CFC assays revealed a 40% reduction in colonies in AKOBA as compared to AWTBA cells, but the effect was strikingly enhanced in the second and third replating assays (~70% reduction) in AKOBA cells. Most interestingly, we demonstrated that loss of Ahi-1 significantly enhanced survival of leukemic mice generated by crossing of Ahi-1 conditional KO mice with BCR-ABL-transgenic mice as compared to Ahi-1 wild-type/BCR-ABL control mice (65 days vs. 14 days, P=0.008). These results demonstrate that Ahi-1 plays a critical role in regulating HSC functionality and that its deletion perturbs self-renewal and leukemogenesis of BCR-ABL+ LSCs. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Nilotinib in Combination with Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2b for CP-CML Leads to High Molecular Response Rates: Interim Results of the Pinnacle Study

Nilotinib in Combination with Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2b for CP-CML Leads to High Molecular Response Rates: Interim Results of the Pinnacle Study

Comparative Efficacy and Safety of TKIs Alone or in Combination With Antiangiogenic Agents in Advanced EGFR-Mutated NSCLC as the First-Line Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BackgroundSeveral studies have suggested that patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) might benefit from the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in combination with antiangiogenic agents. This study aimed to comprehensively review the available evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of first-line TKI plus antiangiogenic agents versus TKIs alone in EGFR-mutated advanced NSCLC. Materials and MethodsA literature search was performed using PubMed to identify studies published up to Feb. 2020. Abstracts from major international conferences reported over the last 5 years were searched. The primary outcome was progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary outcomes included overall survival (OS), the objective response rate (ORR), and toxicity. ResultsIn total, 7 relevant trials comprising 1612 patients were identified. TKIs plus antiangiogenic agents led to significant improvements in PFS regardless of the EGFR mutation subtype and presence of brain metastasis. In particular, in the subgroup with the L858R mutation, the hazard ratio (HR) of PFS was 0.58 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48-0.71, P < .001). The OS following combined treatment was similar to that following TKI monotherapy. The ORR was increased with the use of TKIs plus antiangiogenic agents (HR 1.10, 95% CI, 1.01-1.20, P = .029). In the safety analyses, TKIs plus antiangiogenic agents exhibited a significantly increased incidence of adverse events of grade 3 or higher. ConclusionThe use of TKIs plus antiangiogenic agents is associated with significantly improved PFS and ORR compared with TKIs alone in untreated EGFR-mutated NSCLC. The toxicities of combination therapy should be considered when making treatment choices.

Efficacy and acquired resistance for EGFR-TKI plus thoracic SBRT in patients with advanced EGFR-mutant non\u2013small-cell\u2002lung\u2002cancer: a propensity-matched retrospective study

BackgroundThis retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and to elucidate potential mechanisms of acquired resistance.MethodsPatients with advanced NSCLC harboring positive EGFR mutations after initial TKI therapy for at least 8 weeks were eligible for SBRT between August 2016 and August 2019. Eligible patients were treated with thoracic SBRT, and TKI was continued after SBRT until it was considered ineffective. The control group was treated with TKIs monotherapy. Propensity score matching (PSM, ratio of 1:2) was used to account for differences in baseline characteristics. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), treatment safety and resistance mechanisms were evaluated.ResultsThree hundred eight patients were included in the study population. Among them, 262 patients received TKIs alone, and 46 patients received TKIs with SBRT. Baseline characteristics were not significantly different between the two cohorts after PSM. The median PFS was 19.4 months in the TKIs +SBRT group compared to 13.7 months in the TKIs group (p = 0.034). An influence on OS has not yet been shown (p = 0.557). Of the 135 patients evaluated after PSM, 28 and 71 patients in the TKIs and TKIs +SBRT cohorts, respectively, had plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) next-generation sequencing (NGS) performed at baseline and disease progression. In the TKIs +SBRT cohort, the NGS results showed that T790M mutations were detected in 64.3% (18/28) of patients. Patients in the TKIs cohort exhibited fewer T790M-positive mutations (40.8%, p = 0.035) compared to patients in the TKIs +SBRT cohort.ConclusionReal world data prove that TKIs plus thoracic SBRT significantly extend PFS with tolerable toxicity. The mutation ratio of T790M was increased in the TKIs +SBRT group compared to the TKIs only group. Further randomized studies are warranted.

Balancing efficacy and quality of life measurements among metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) studies.

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treatments have rapidly evolved in the last few years. While vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibition had previously been the mainstay of treatment for first-line advanced RCC therapy in the past decade, it has now rapidly changed into combination checkpoint inhibitors with or without VEGF TKIs, although there remains a role for VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor monotherapy for patients with favorable-risk disease and for those with intermediate and poor-risk disease with the use of cabozantinib. Perspectives on the Quality-adjusted survival Time without Symptoms of disease or Toxicity (Q-TWiST) analysis for the CABOSUN trial, as well as different aspects of efficacy regarding different first-line therapy for advanced or metastatic RCC are discussed herein.

Combination antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibition and anti-PD1 immunotherapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: A retrospective analysis of safety, tolerance, and clinical outcomes.

IntroductionTwo separate antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immunotherapy (IO) combinations are FDA‐approved as front‐line treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Little is known about off‐protocol and post‐front‐line experience with combination TKI–IO approaches.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of mRCC patients who received combination TKI–IO post‐first‐line therapy between November 2015 and January 2019 at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Duke Cancer Institute. Chart review detailed patient characteristics, treatments, toxicity, and survival. Independent radiologists, blinded to clinical data, assessed best radiographic response using RECIST v1.1.ResultsWe identified 48 mRCC patients for inclusion: median age 65 years, 75.0% clear cell histology, 68.8% IMDC intermediate risk, and median two prior systemic therapies. TKI–IO combinations included nivolumab–cabozantinib (N +C; 24 patients), nivolumab–pazopanib (N+P; 13), nivolumab–axitinib (6), nivolumab–lenvatinib (2), and nivolumab–ipilimumab–cabozantinib (3). The median progression‐free survival was 11.6 months and the median overall survival was not reached. Response data were available in 45 patients: complete response (CR; n = 3, 6.7%), partial response (PR; 20, 44.4%), stable disease (SD; 19, 42.2%), and progressive disease (3, 6.7%). Overall response rate was 51% and disease control rate (CR+PR+SD) was 93%. Only one patient had a grade ≥3 adverse event.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this is the first case series reporting off‐label use of combination TKI–IO for mRCC. TKI–IO combinations, particularly N+P and N+C, are well tolerated and efficacious. Although further prospective research is essential, slow disease progression on IO or TKI monotherapy may be safely controlled with addition of either TKI or IO.

P76.68 The Impact of Eligibility for Anti-Angiogenic Treatment to the Prognosis of Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Harboring EGFR Mutations

Previous studies described the efficacy of erlotinib plus angiogenesis inhibitors (bevacizumab/ramucirumab) combination therapy compared with erlotinib monotherapy in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), regardless of EGFR activating mutation subtype. However, the impact of angiogenesis inhibitors’ eligibility criteria to progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) is still unclear. Hence, we evaluated the impact of angiogenesis inhibitors’ criteria in patients with NSCLC harboring EGFR activating mutation. We retrospectively collected data of patients with EGFR mutation positive NSCLC who were treated with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) monotherapy at Shizuoka Cancer Center between 2002 and 2019. Patients whose performance status (PS) was over 3, and those with symptomatic brain metastasis, were excluded from this study. Angiogenesis inhibitors ineligibility was defined as having at least one following conditions; 1) a history of bloody sputum or an exposure of tumor in bronchus, 2) radiologically identified major vessel invasion, 3) a history of cardiovascular disease and 4) history of chemoradiotherapy prior to EGFR-TKI treatment. They were divided into two groups, angiogenesis inhibitors eligible group (AI fit group) and ineligible group (unfit group). A total of 452 patients with NSCLC harboring EGFR activating mutation were included in this study. Among 452 patients, 207 patients had L858R mutation, and 245 patients had exon19 deletion. Median age of all patients was 71 years old (range 31-92), 35.0% were male, 43.1% had history of smoking, and majority of the patients were treated with gefitinib or erlotinib as a first EGFR-TKI (60.3% and 18.8%). AI fit group included 339 patients; 152 patients (44.8%) had L858R and 187 patients (55.2%) had exon19 deletion. In baseline characteristics, patients with PS 2 were more frequently observed in AI unfit group compared with AI fit group. The median PFS of AI fit and unfit group were 12.9 month and 9.6 months (HR 0.72, 95%CI 0.57-0.92, p=0.007), and multivariate analysis indicated PS 2 and AI unfit were associated with shorter PFS. Also, OS was significantly longer in AI fit groups than in unfit group; median OS were 33.0 months and 18.5months, respectively (HR 0.58, 95%CI 0.45-0.74, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated PS 2, AI unfit, EGFR exon 19 deletion, and age ≥75 as significant prognostic factors. Out of four AI eligibility definitions, bloody sputum or exposure of tumor in bronchus were significantly associated with poor PFS (HR 1.43, 95%CI 1.07-1.98 p=0.017) and OS (HR 1.67, 95%CI 1.18-2.36 p=0.004). There was no significant difference in PFS between EGFR mutation subtypes in AI fit group; median PFS were 11.5months in L858R mutation and 13.8months in exon19 deletion (HR 0.85, 95%CI 0.67-1.07 p=0.17). In EGFR mutation positive NSCLC patients, the eligibility of AI was associated with longer PFS and OS, and resulted in insignificance of PFS between L858R and exon19 deletion group. Since these selection bias may have affected previous clinical trials data showing the efficacy of AI plus EGFR-TKI, the results of clinical trials should be carefully considered of its benefits.

Real-world treatment patterns and sequencing for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC): Results from the Flatiron database.

286 Background: RCC accounts for ~80%‒90% of all kidney cancers worldwide. The mRCC treatment landscape is rapidly changing with the approval of new therapies; data describing real-world (RW) treatment patterns and sequencing are limited. This study investigates the characteristics, treatment patterns, and sequencing for mRCC patients in the RW (December 2015‒May 2020) and post-dual immuno-oncology therapy (IO-IO) approval in the United States (April 2018‒May 2020). Methods: Adults diagnosed with mRCC between December 2015 and May 2020 were selected from the Flatiron electronic medical record database for this retrospective study. The study cohort was required to have ≥ 1 month of medical data from the initial mRCC diagnosis date (index date). We used descriptive statistics to analyze baseline patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and sequencing. Results: Of 3,524 patients with mRCC (overall cohort, December 2015–May 2020), most were male (68.5%) and had clear cell histology (68.2%). The median age at metastatic diagnosis was 68 years (range, 23–85) and the median follow-up from index date was 328 days. Based on IMDC risk score, 75.8% of patients were categorized as intermediate/poor risk and 23.2% as favorable risk (1% missing). Systemic therapy for RCC was initiated in 79.1% (N = 2788) of patients. The most common treatments for first-line (1L) therapy were tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) monotherapy (mono; 56.4%), IO-IO (19.1%), IO-TKI (9.5%), IO mono (6.9%), and others (8.1%). Second-line (2L) therapy was received by 1303 patients; treatment sequences are presented in the table below. Among patients who received IO-based therapy in the 1L (N = 990), 11% were retreated with IO on any subsequent line. When stratified by clear cell and non-clear cell histology, similar treatment patterns and sequences were observed. Among patients who initiated 1L treatment post-April 2018 (N = 1395), the most common treatments for 1L therapy were IO-IO (36.9%) and TKI mono (32.7%). Among patients who received 2L treatment after initiating 1L post-April 2018 (N = 486), TKI mono followed by IO mono, and IO-IO followed by TKI mono were the most prescribed sequences (Table). Conclusions: Following approval of IO-based therapies for 1L, RW treatment patterns for mRCC are evolving; IO-IO has become the most common 1L therapy received by all patients initiating treatment for mRCC. [Table: see text]

Clinical Outcomes of Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia With Concurrent Core Binding Factor Rearrangement and Philadelphia Chromosome

BackgroundAcquisition of additional cytogenetic abnormalities (ACAs) in addition to Philadelphia chromosome is frequently observed in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in advanced phase. The presence of core binding factor (CBF) translocations determines the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia regardless of blast percentage, and CBF rearrangements are rarely identified as ACAs. Patients and MethodsA retrospective chart review of patients with CML who had CBF rearrangement, t(8;21) or inv(16), in Philadelphia chromosome-positive clones was conducted. Additional cases of CML with CBF rearrangements were identified through literature review. ResultsBetween August 1997 and December 2014, we identified 11 patients who had Philadelphia chromosome and CBF rearrangement in the same clones: 1 (9%) with t(8;21) and 10 (91%) with inv(16). Nine (82%) patients were in blast phase, and 2 (18%) in second chronic phase. Four (36%) patients received tyrosine kinase inhibitor monotherapy, 2 (18%) received tyrosine kinase inhibitor and chemotherapy, and 5 (45%) received chemotherapy only. Three (27%) patients achieved complete remission with incomplete count recovery, and 4 (36%) had no response after the initial therapy. Three (27%) patients underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation. The median event-free survival and overall survival for the 11 patients were 2 months and 6 months, respectively. Literature review identified 14 patients with CML with CBF rearrangement with a median overall survival of 14 months. ConclusionAcquisition of CBF rearrangement in addition to Philadelphia chromosome is a rare phenomenon associated with poor prognosis. CBF rearrangements as ACAs in patients with CML can be considered high-risk features.

Unleashing the power of immunotherapy and targeted therapy combinations: Advancing cancer care or discovering unknown toxicities?

The purpose of this review was to summarize the triumphs and pitfalls of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) combinations.Data sources: A literature review of PubMed was conducted and studies were included if they were classified as a clinical trial and assessed TKI and ICI combinations for solid tumor malignancies. Dates of literature search included January 1, 1988 through September 22, 2019.Data summary: In the past decade, TKI and ICI monotherapy strategies have changed the management of many advanced solid tumors through their unique mechanisms of action. Preclinical data suggests that TKIs may be able to sensitize tumors to ICI therapy via direct and indirect pathways; however, optimal mechanisms to support various TKI and ICI combinations have yet to be determined. The FDA recently approved TKI and ICI combinations for renal cell carcinoma, endometrial carcinoma, and melanoma. Several other tumor types currently have TKI and immunotherapy combinations under investigation with mixed results. Dual therapy with TKIs and immunotherapy have the potential to be synergistic and improve patient outcomes; however, careful consideration will need to be taken in regard to what TKI and immunotherapy are combined. Future research will be needed to determine appropriate sequencing of TKIs and ICIs after progression on combination therapy. Continued research is necessary to determine optimal dual TKI and immunotherapy options.