Worse Progression-free Survival Research Articles

Is Interim PET a Useful and Used Tool in Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma? Results from a Retrospective Multicenter Italian Experience

INTRODUCTION Interim PET (iPET) scan after 2 cycles has been proved a useful tool in order to escalate treatment in the setting of advanced stage (AS) classical Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL) treated with ABVD as first-line therapy. However, few data are known regarding the use of iPET and the adoption of intensification treatment strategies in real life. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective, multicenter study in which we collected consecutive, newly diagnosed AS cHL patients (pts) treated between January 2010 and December 2018. Pts could be included if aged 18 to 80 years old, if treated with ABVD/ABVD-like schemes and if pre-treatment and interim PET scans were available. Primary endpoint was the frequence of intensification after a positive iPET. Secondary endpoints were Progression Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS) of pts undergoing iPET-based intensification strategies. iPET was defined as positive or negative based on the assessment by the local investigator. When available, Deauville Score (DS) was also collected. Continuous covariates were summarized as median, interquartile distance (IQR) and range, categorical variables were summarized as absolute and percentage frequencies. Survival functions were defined as the time between the date of iPET to the date of progression (PFS) or death for any cause (PFS/OS) or last clinic control (PFS/OS) for censored cases. The survival functions were computed by means of Kaplan-Meier method. Comparisons between groups were done using the log-rank test; the effect of covariates was estimated using the Cox proportional hazard regression model and was expressed as hazard ratio (HR), with 95%CI. All the p-values reported were two-sided. RESULTS Detailed characteristics of the 399 enrolled pts are listed in Table 1. iPET was positive in 68 pts (17%), of whom 17 (25%) were immediately shifted to intensified therapies: 8 escBEACOPP (eB), 8 chemo+ASCT (cA), 1 other salvage regimens (oSR). DS was reported in 220 (55%) pts. In iPET-positive pts, DS was reported in 35/68 pts (51,4%): 25 were DS4 and 10 were DS5, respectively. Among the 51 iPET positive pts who didn't change treatment after iPET, 31 (61%) underwent a subsequent iPET after 4 cycles. iPET4 was positive in 17 pts (55%), of whom 12 (70%) were shifted to intensified treatments: 2 eB, 8 cA, 2 oSR. Overall, 29/68 iPET-positive pts (43%) were intensified either immediately after iPET or after a subsequent iPET4 positivity and the most commonly used intensification was cA (16/29 cases). After a median follow up of 6 years (0.2 - 12), 5-y PFS was 76% (95% CI 72 to 80%), and 5-y OS was 94% (95% CI 91 to 96%). In univariable analysis, iPET positivity (5y PFS 60% versus 80% for iPET negative pts, p < 0.001), stage IV, age (continuous form) and not receiving radiotherapy were significantly associated with worse PFS; iPET positivity (5y OS 82% versus 96% in iPET-negative pts, p=0.003), stage IV, age ≥ 60, IPS, B symptoms, male gender and not receiving radiotherapy were significantly associated with worse OS. PFS and OS were similar (p=0.851 and 0.520, respectively) for iPET-positive pts undergoing or not undergoing immediate intensification (59% versus 61%, and 84% versus 81%, respectively) [Figure 1]. The 5-y PFS and OS were significantly different between pts with iPET negativity and iPET positivity, as reported above. Remarkably, among iPET+ pts, no treatment modification after iPET positivity (either after 2 or 4 cycles) was associated with worse 5-Y PFS and OS (72% and 82% respectively) if compared to PET negative pts. Moreover, there were no differences in terms of both PFS and OS for iPET pts who modified treatment after either iPET or iPET4. CONCLUSIONS In AS cHL pts undergoing ABVD first line treatment, iPET positivity is 17%, but few pts shifted to intensification strategies and most pts didn't change treatment and underwent to iPET4. iPET4 was positive in 17/31 pts, of whom 70% shifted to salvage treatments, mainly cA. iPET prognostic role was confirmed, since PFS and OS were strongly correlated with iPET status, but early intensification didn't provide any PFS and/or OS advantages. Due to the high prognostic role of iPET positivity, AS cHL pts might benefit from more intensive first line treatments that could reduce iPET positive cases (e.g. AVD combos with anti-PD1 or brentuximab vedotin) or from more efficacious second line therapies (e.g. Brentuximab Vedotin and/or anti-PD1 based combination strategies)

Efficacy of Daratumumab-Based Regimens in Anti-CD38 Treatment-Naïve Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma with High-Risk Cytogenetics

Background: Daratumumab-based combination with proteasome inhibitors (PI) and immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) have revolutionized the treatment outcomes of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Several daratumumab-based triplet combinations have been approved for the management of RRMM, but outcomes of daratumumab-based triplets in patients with high-risk cytogenetics RRMM (HC-RRMM) are not well described in the literature. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcome of daratumumab-based regimens in patients with HC-RRMM who are daratumumab-naïve. Methods: A retrospective review of 110 patients with HC-RRMM who received daratumumab-containing regimens from 6/2016 through 2/2023 at the University of Kansas Medical Center, in collaboration with the U.S Myeloma Innovations Research Collaborative (USMIRC) was conducted. Daratumumab was combined with bortezomib/dexamethasone (DVd), carfilzomib/dexamethasone (DKd), and pomalidomide/dexamethasone (DPd) for treatment of RRMM. HC-RRMM was defined as patients with one or more cytogenetic abnormalities (on FISH panel) including -17/del(17p), t(4;14), t(14;16), t(14;20), or amplification of 1q. Responses to therapy including overall response rate (ORR), complete response or better (≥CR), and very good partial response (VGPR) were evaluated using the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize patient and disease characteristics, along with efficacy outcomes. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated by Kaplan-Meier methods. Results: Of the 110 patients with HC-RRMM, the median age was 66 years (range 43-84), 83 (75%) were Caucasian, 60 (54%) had IgG isotype, 41 (37%) had revised international staging system (R-ISS) stage III disease, 35 (32%) had extramedullary disease (EMD), 57 (52%) patients had one high-risk cytogenetic (HC) abnormality, 49 (44%) had 2 HC abnormalities, while four (4%) had 3 HC abnormalities. The median number of previous lines of therapy was 2 (1-4). Eighty-eight patients (80%) were lenalidomide refractory, while 53 patients (48%) had double refractory disease to both a PI and IMiD treatment. A total of 19 (17%), 27 (25%), and 64 (58%) patients received DVd, DKd, and DPd, respectively. The overall response rate (ORR) for the entire patient population was 73%, 45% had VGPR or better, and 35% achieved ≥CR. Median follow-up was 28 months (12.07-53.57), the median OS was 28 months (95% CI 23.2 - 43.9) and PFS was 8.03 months (95% CI 5.8 - 12.2) for all treatment groups. The median PFS for 1 HC vs ³ 2 HC was 14.8 vs 4.57 months (HR 1.72, 95%CI 1.17-2.72 p = 0.006), respectively. Similarly, median OS for 1 HC vs ³ 2 HC was 43.93 vs 22.47 months (HR 1.87, 95%CI 1.15-3.05, p = 0.011), respectively. (Figure 1). On multivariate analysis, R-ISS stage III, -17/del(17p), and the presence of more than one HC abnormality were associated with poor OS. The most common cause for treatment discontinuation was progressive disease, accounting for 73% of patients in the whole cohort. As for each daratumumab-based triplet, discontinuation due progression occurred in 78%, 48%, and 83% in DVd, DKd, and DPd, respectively. Other causes of discontinuation included > grade 3 neuropathy, which occurred in 16% of patients receiving DVd, and cardiac events, which occurred in 11% of patients receiving DKd. Treatment-related mortality occurred in 2% of patients in the whole cohort. At the time of evaluation, 14 patients remain on treatment. Conclusion: Advanced stage R-ISS disease at diagnosis, presence of -17/del(17p), and 2 or more HC abnormalities were associated with poor prognosis reflected by worse PFS and OS in HC-RRMM treated with daratumumab-based therapies. A larger cohort or a prospective study in patients with HC-RRMM is needed to compare long-term outcomes between daratumumab-based therapies (DKd, DVd, and DPd).

Intrathecal Chemotherapy As Treatment for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell (CAR T) Therapy Associated Neurotoxicity

Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) therapy is offering high remission rates for patients with relapsed and refractory lymphomas, myelomas and acute lymphoblastic leukemias. CAR T therapy causes significant morbidity and mortality associated with its common side effects of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). Steroids remain the standard first line treatment for ICANS, however many patients either do not respond or develop rebound symptoms as steroids are tapered. Moreover, patients with severe ICANS who require higher cumulative doses of steroids tend to have worse progression-free survival and overall survival. To mitigate the toxicity associated with steroids use, we have increasingly added intrathecal chemotherapy as part of the treatment algorithm for patients with ICANS who are not responsive to steroids or with grade3-4 ICANS at diagnosis. we hereby report on the outcomes of 12 patients who received intrathecal chemotherapy for the treatment of ICANS at our center between 2017 and 2023. A total of seventy six patients with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (Follicular n=6, Primary mediastinal n=1, DLBCL n=69) received CAR T therapy at our center with a median age of 63.5 years (31, 86). Median follow up for survivors was 16.9 ( 3.3, 65.9 months)Patients characteristics were male 62%, race ( white 83%, black 12%), primary induction failure (44%), received axicabtage ciloleucel (n=24,32% ), lisocabtage (n=28, 36%) and tisagenlecluecel (n=24, 32%). Forty-four patients (59%) developed CRS (grade 1/2 in 89% of CRS cases) with a median time to CRS of 3 days (0,15) and a median duration of 3 days (0,36). Thirty-three patients (43%) developed ICANS with a median onset of 5 (0,19) days and median duration of 3.5 (0,28) days. The maximum ICANS grade was grade 1 (n=14, 43%), grade 2 (n=6, 18%), grade 3 (n=11, 33%) and grade 4(n=2, 6%). Twelve patients received intrathecal chemotherapy with 10/12 receiving one dose and 2 patients requiring 2 dosages. Patients who received intrathecal chemotherapy had a median age of 65(47,79) years, male (n=8,67%), Median time from diagnosis to IEC 340(214, 5374 days), and ICANS (grade 1 n=4, grade 2 n=2 and grade 3 n=6). Median time to ICANS was 5 (2,13) days and median ICANS duration was 4(1,25) days. Methotrexate was used in 10 patients and cytarabine in 2 patients. All patients received steroids and 6 patients (50%) received Anakinra as part of ICANS management. Median time for ICANS to receiving intrathecal chemo was 1 (1,25) days with 8 patients receiving intrathecal in the first 24 hours and 2 patients within 48 hours within developing ICANS. Eleven patients had resolution of their ICANS with median time to resolution of 2 days (1,24). Five patients had complete resolution within 24 hours of intrathecal chemotherapy. Five patients had no response to steroids, and all had resolution of their ICANS symptoms after intrathecal chemotherapy. Our data shows that early administration of intrathecal chemotherapy is feasible and is highly effective in management of ICANS. These findings will need further validation in larger trials to reduce ICANS toxicity and the added adverse events of systemic steroids and immunosuppression.

CREB1 Promotes Immune Escape of Multiple Myeloma Cells By Inducing HLA-E

Introduction: Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a disease of clonal plasma cells, which accumulate in the bone marrow (BM) and rely on the support of the microenvironment to survive. Immune escape is a common resistance mechanism employed by tumor cells to avoid cytotoxicity by effector immune cells. HLA-E, a non-classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule, inhibits the function of specific subtypes of Natural Killer (NK) and T cells, leading to tumor immune escape. HLA-E expression correlates with worse progression-free survival in newly diagnosed patients with MM. Therefore, we decided to better elucidate the function and regulation of HLA-E expression in MM. Results: We observed that HLA-E mRNA expression increases in the transformation from normal plasma cells to MM. Since INF-gamma induces HLA-E in MM cells and CREB1 itself promotes the production of IFN-gamma, we hypothesize that CREB1 could regulate HLA-E expression in MM. We first analyzed RNA-sequencing data from patients with MM in the CoMMpass database: gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed increased expression of several pathways related to interferon signaling in patients with high CREB1 expression. We then specifically looked at differences in HLA-E and we confirmed that patients with high CREB1 expression had statistically significant higher HLA-E levels compared with patients with low CREB1 expression. CHIP-sequencing assays in MM cell lines demonstrated that CREB1 can directly influence HLA-E expression by binding to HLA-E promoter. To further prove these data, we evaluated HLA-E levels in gain-of and loss-of function models of CREB1. We observed an increase of HLA-E levels by overexpression of wild type CREB1 and reduction of HLA-E levels by CREB1 silencing or pharmacological inhibition of CREB1 with 666-15 (CREBi). We then investigated the relationship between CREB1 and STAT1. Indeed, IFN-gamma signals through the STAT1-JAK pathway. Interestingly, while treatment with IFN-gamma strongly induces HLA-E without affecting CREB1 levels or its function, CREBi + INF-gamma reduces HLA-E, STAT1, and phospho-STAT1 levels. Conversely, immunomodulatory drugs (lenalidomide-LEN and pomalidomide-POM) and HDAC inhibitor, Panobinostat, promote the phosphorylation of STAT1, resulting in the transcription of IFN-target genes, including HLA-E. The increase in HLA-E was then reverted by CREB1 inhibition. Since HLA-E impairs NK cell function, we treated MM cells in the presence of NK cells with CREBi alone or in combination with immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs). Treatment with CREBi or CREBi + IMiDs potentiated the killing effects of NK cells. Animal studies are ongoing to confirm these data in vivo. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study defines the role of CREB1 in modulating HLA-E expression; CREB1 inhibition improves NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity in MM, representing a novel strategy to tackle immune escape.

Teclistamab Demonstrates Clinical Activity in Real-World Patients Ineligible for the Pivotal Majestec-1 Trial

Introduction Treatment options for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) are limited and associated with a poor median overall survival (OS) of 12.4 months (m) (Mateos et al. Leukemia 2022). The MajesTEC-1 trial demonstrated promising clinical activity of teclistamab (Tec), a BCMAxCD3 bispecific antibody, with an overall response rate (ORR) of 63%, complete response rate (CR) of 39.4%, median progression-free survival (PFS) of 11.3 m, and OS of 18.3 m. Here we present the results of a multicenter, retrospective study examining real-world patient characteristics and outcomes in patients with RRMM receiving Tec outside of a clinical trial, including those who would have been ineligible for the registrational study. Methods An IRB-approved retrospective study of patients with RRMM treated with Tec at 4 academic centers was performed. Patient demographics, prior treatments, clinical outcomes and toxicities with special attention to cytokine release syndrome (CRS), immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), and infection were extracted from the electronic patient record. Response rate was compared using Fisher's exact test. Median PFS and OS were estimated by Kaplan-Meier and compared using the log-rank test. Trial eligibility was evaluated using the MajesTEC-1 eligibility criteria. Results A total of 45 patients, who received at least 1 dose of Tec, were evaluated. Of these 39% were derived from under-represented minorities (25% Black, 14% Hispanic). Patient characteristics and comparison to the MajesTEC-1 population are summarized, Table 1. High-risk cytogenetic features were present in 42.2% of patients, and 46.7% had extra-medullary disease (EMD). All patients were triple class exposed and 80% were penta-class exposed. Most patients (84.4%) would have been ineligible for MajesTEC-1 due to cytopenias (44.4%), prior BCMA-directed therapy (42.2%), inadequate washout (42.2%), and poor performance status (PS) (26.7%). Therapy was delivered according to protocol with no increased rate of infections or bleeding, even in the group of patients with low blood counts and poor PS. CRS/ICANS events of any grade were observed in 55% and 13% of patients, respectively, during step-up dosing. Most CRS/ICANS events were mild-moderate in severity (CRS 42.2% grade 1, 11.1% grade 2; ICANS 4.4% grade 1, 0% grade 2) and were managed conservatively with antipyretics, tocilizumab (37.8%), and steroids (13.3%). Grade 4 CRS and ICANS were only seen in 1 patient; a separate individual experienced grade 5 ICANS after the third step up dose. The overall response rate (ORR) was 48.9% (95% CI 33.7-64.2) with 22.2% (95% CI 11.2-37.1) achieving at least a very-good partial response (VGPR). On univariate analysis prior anti-BCMA exposure was associated with an adverse ORR (23% vs 61%; p=0.02). Ineligibility for enrollment in MajesTEC-1, the presence of high-risk cytogenetics or EMD were not associated with ORR or depth of response. Updated follow up time, median PFS and OS will be presented at the meeting to allow time for data to mature. The presence of high-risk cytogenetics was associated with worse PFS (median NR vs 2.1 m, HR 2.32; p=0.041). Receipt of prior BCMA therapy and MajesTEC-1 ineligibility were not associated with PFS or OS. At the time of data cut-off, 19 (42.2%) patients remained on Tec; reasons for discontinuation included disease progression, infections, and CRS/ICANS in 19 (42.2%), 4 (8.8%), and 3 (6.7%) patients, respectively. Conclusion Overall, Tec demonstrated significant clinical activity even in a group of heavily pre-treated real-world patients comprising high-risk and extramedullary disease populations. The overall toxicity profile was similar to prior reports demonstrating that side effects can be readily managed using simple approaches with only limited patients needing more intensive interventions. These results also suggest Tec may be used in patients previously excluded from clinical trials because of adverse clinical characteristics with high ORR being seen and an absence of increased toxicity. In the BCMA-naive population ORR were similar to MajesTEC-1, but were lower in the previously BCMA-exposed population. High-risk cytogenetics and EMD remain adverse prognostic features with Tec despite similar ORR.

Association of antibiotic exposure with survival in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have dramatically shifted the therapeutic paradigm of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). Antibiotic (ATB) exposure before or during ICI therapy can harm the integrity of the gut microbiome and lead to intestinal dysbiosis, which has a profoundly negative impact on the treatment response for various malignancies. Whether this is applicable to ES-SCLC remains unclear. We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of all patients diagnosed with ES-SCLC who were treated with ICI-based immunotherapies from July 2019 to December 2020 at Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, China. Outcomes with the use of ATBs before or after the first infusion of ICI, including progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), were investigated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate analyses were also conducted using a Cox proportional hazards model. A total of 214 patients were included, among whom 41 (19.2%) received ATBs within 2 months before or after the first initiation of ICI therapy and were assigned to the ATB group. The ATB group showed a shorter median PFS (4.3 vs. 6.3 months; HR = 1.43, 95% CI: 0.97-2.11; p = 0.043) and a significantly shorter median OS (6.9 vs. 13 months; HR = 1.47, 95% CI: 0.98-2.20; p = 0.033) than the non-ATB group. In the multivariate analysis, ATB exposure was markedly associated with worse PFS (HR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.03-2.09, p = 0.035) and OS (HR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.01-2.11, p = 0.043). Our results demonstrate that ATB exposure was significantly associated with worse survival in ES-SCLC patients who received ICI therapy.

Real-World Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Multiple Myeloma Administered With Elotuzumab-Based Treatment.

Objective Elotuzumab is used to treat relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma (MM). However, the optimal patient selection and sequencing in MM therapy are less clear. Therefore, this retrospective cohort study assessed the clinical outcomes of patients with MM who underwent elotuzumab-based therapy. Methods We reviewed the medical records of 85 patients with relapsed/refractory MM who received elotuzumab for the first time. Participants were divided into progressive disease (PD group) and those without PD (non-PD group) at elotuzumab treatment initiation, and each group was analyzed separately. Survival rates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier curves and compared using log-rank tests. Results The median follow-up period was 33.6 (range: 0.5-72.0) months. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of PD and non-PD groups at elotuzumab therapy initiation were 5.3 months and not reached (NR), respectively (P < 0.0001), and 26.8 months and NR, respectively. Patients with triple-class refractory disease in both groups had worse PFS and OS. Twenty-one patients in the non-PD group received elotuzumab as post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, whose PFS and OS were NR(95% CI, 21.4 months-NR) and NR (95% CI, NR-NR), respectively. Conclusions Elotuzumab exhibited limited therapeutic efficacy in patients with triple-class refractory MM but better treatment outcomes in situations with adequate disease control and post-transplant treatment.

Sex differences in abdominal visceral fat composition and metabolism as predictors of DLBCL prognosis: A retrospective cohort study

PurposeWe aimed to determine if sex differences in abdominal visceral fat composition and metabolism can help predict the prognosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients. MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included 117 DLBCL patients. The area and metabolic activity of subcutaneous adipose tissue and visceral adipose tissue were measured using CT and PET imaging. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was employed to evaluate the effect of these parameters on progression-free survival. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to determine the effects of relative visceral fat area (rVFA) on sex-specific survival. ResultsFemales with an rVFA greater than the optimal threshold of 35 % and a visceral-to-subcutaneous adipose tissue ratio (V/S) >3.24 had worse progression-free survival (p = 0.01, 0.001, respectively). No rVFA or V/S were identified in significantly stratified males with DLBCL (p = 0.249 and 0.895, respectively). Combining the changes in rVFA and V/S identified a subgroup of females with high rVFA and V/S values and exceptionally poor outcomes. The rVFA was a significant predictor of DLBCL progression in females alone. ConclusionOnce female DLBCL patients accumulate fat over the tolerable range in the visceral area, they might be at an increased risk of progression (hazard ratio, 3.87; 95 % CI, 1.81–12.69, p = 0.02).Sex differences in visceral fat composition and metabolism may provide a new risk stratification system for patients with DLBCL.

Clinical and molecular biological characterization of patients with accelerated chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Objective: To investigate the clinical and molecular biological characteristics of patients with accelerated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (aCLL) . Methods: From January 2020 to October 2022, the data of 13 patients diagnosed with aCLL at The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were retrospectively analyzed to explore the clinical and molecular biological characteristics of aCLL. Results: The median age of the patients was 54 (35-72) years. Prior to aCLL, five patients received no treatment for CLL/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), while the other patients received treatment, predominantly with BTK inhibitors. The patients were diagnosed with aCLL through pathological confirmation upon disease progression. Six patients exhibited bulky disease (lesions with a maximum diameter ≥5 cm). Positron emission tomography (PET) -computed tomography (CT) images revealed metabolic heterogeneity, both between and within lesions, and the median maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the lesion with the most elevated metabolic activity was 6.96 (2.51-11.90). Patients with unmutated IGHV CLL accounted for 76.9% (10/13), and the most frequent genetic and molecular aberrations included +12 [3/7 (42.9% ) ], ATM mutation [6/12 (50% ) ], and NOTCH1 mutation [6/12 (50% ) ]. Twelve patients received subsequent treatment. The overall response rate was 91.7%, and the complete response rate was 58.3%. Five patients experienced disease progression, among which two patients developed Richter transformation. Patients with aCLL with KRAS mutation had worse progression-free survival (7.0 month vs 26.3 months, P=0.015) . Conclusion: Patients with aCLL exhibited a clinically aggressive course, often accompanied by unfavorable prognostic factors, including unmutated IGHV, +12, ATM mutation, and NOTCH1 mutation. Patients with CLL/SLL with clinical suspicion of disease progression, especially those with bulky disease and PET-CT SUVmax ≥5, should undergo biopsy at the site of highest metabolic uptake to establish a definitive pathological diagnosis.

Comprehensive genomic profiling reveals prognostic signatures and insights into the molecular landscape of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent malignancy with diverse molecular characteristics. The NGS-based approach enhances our comprehension of genomic landscape of CRC and may guide future advancements in precision oncology for CRC patients. In this research, we conducted an analysis using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) on samples collected from 111 individuals who had been diagnosed with CRC. We identified somatic and germline mutations and structural variants across the tumor genomes through comprehensive genomic profiling. Furthermore, we investigated the landscape of driver mutations and their potential clinical implications. Our findings underscore the intricate heterogeneity of genetic alterations within CRC. Notably, BRAF, ARID2, KMT2C, and GNAQ were associated with CRC prognosis. Patients harboring BRAF, ARID2, or KMT2C mutations exhibited shorter progression-free survival (PFS), whereas those with BRAF, ARID2, or GNAQ mutations experienced worse overall survival (OS). We unveiled 80 co-occurring and three mutually exclusive significant gene pairs, enriched primarily in pathways such as TP53, HIPPO, RTK/RAS, NOTCH, WNT, TGF-Beta, MYC, and PI3K. Notably, co-mutations of BRAF/ALK, BRAF/NOTCH2, BRAF/CREBBP, and BRAF/FAT1 correlated with worse PFS. Furthermore, germline AR mutations were identified in 37 (33.33%) CRC patients, and carriers of these variants displayed diminished PFS and OS. Decreased AR protein expression was observed in cases with AR germline mutations. A four-gene mutation signature was established, incorporating the aforementioned prognostic genes, which emerged as an independent prognostic determinant in CRC via univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Noteworthy BRAF and ARID2 protein expression decreases detected in patients with their respective mutations. The integration of our analyses furnishes crucial insights into CRC's molecular characteristics, drug responsiveness, and the construction of a four-gene mutation signature for predicting CRC prognosis.

PATH-52. MENINGIOMA MOLECULAR GROUPS PREDICT RESPONSE TO SURGERY AND RADIOTHERAPY

Abstract INTRODUCTION Aside from surgery, radiotherapy (RT) remains the only accepted treatment for meningiomas. However, patient selection for adjuvant RT remains controversial. We aimed to evaluate whether novel molecular and methylation groups could more accurately predict outcomes following surgery and adjuvant RT compared to WHO grade using a large clinical-molecular dataset. Method: We utilized publicly available, clinically annotated molecular datasets of meningiomas and generated de novo DNA-methylation and RNA-sequencing data. Meningiomas were classified into different molecular and methylation groups based on the methodologies of their original publications (Nassiri et al. [2021], Bayley et al.[2022], Choudhury et al.[2022], Sahm et al.[2017]) and progression-free survival (PFS) following surgery with and without adjuvant RT were analyzed. RESULTS A total of 2029 meningiomas from 11 different institutions with adjuvant RT data were included. Adjuvant RT was associated with improved PFS in WHO grade 1 meningiomas following subtotal resection(STR) and WHO grade 2 meningiomas following gross total resection(GTR) or STR. Multivariable analysis using Cox proportional hazards regression models showed that having a meningioma belonging to a hypermetabolic (MG3)(HR 3.63, 95%CI 1.47-8.99), or proliferative (MG4)(HR 7.24, 95%CI 2.84-18.49) molecular group were associated with worse PFS following surgery and adjuvant RT when controlling for age, gender, WHO grade, and extent of resection. Meningiomas belonging to DKFZ MC-intermediate, MC-malignant and UCSF hypermitotic methylation groups were also associated with worse outcomes. These relationships held true even in subgroup analysis with only WHO grade 2 meningiomas and following propensity score matching for the same clinical covariates above. Nearly all molecular and methylation classifications predicted 5-year PFS including following surgery and adjuvant RT (area under the curve [AUC] 0.61-0.72) better than WHO grade (AUC 0.51). CONCLUSIONS Molecular classification improves clinical outcome prediction for meningiomas following surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy, supporting the rationale for molecularly informed treatment decisions and potential clinical trial stratification.

RADT-38. DOSE ESCALATED RADIOTHERAPY IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED OUTCOMES FOR HIGH GRADE MENINGIOMA

Abstract BACKGROUND The optimal modern radiotherapy (RT) approach after surgery for atypical and malignant meningioma is unclear. We present results of dose-escalation. METHODS Consecutive patients with histopathologic grade 2 or 3 meningioma treated with RT were reviewed. A dose-escalation cohort [≥ 66Gy equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions using an a/b = 10 (EQD2)], was compared to a standard dose cohort (&amp;lt; 66Gy). Outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS), cause-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS), local failure (LF) and radiation necrosis. RESULTS 118 patients (111 Grade 2, 94.1%) were identified; 54/118 (45.8%) received dose-escalation and 64/118 (54.2%) standard dose. Median follow-up was 45.4 months (IQR: 24.0 - 80.0 months) and median OS was 9.7 years (Q1: 4.6 years, Q3: not reached). All dose-escalated patients had residual disease vs. 65.6% in the standard dose cohort (p &amp;lt; 0.001). PFS at 3-, 4- and 5-years in the dose-escalated vs. standard dose cohort were 78.9%, 72.2% and 64.6% vs. 57.2%, 49.1% and 40.8%, respectively, (p = 0.030). On multivariable (MVA) analysis, dose-escalation (HR: 0.544,p = 0.042) was associated with improved PFS, whereas ≥ 2 surgeries (HR: 1.989, p = 0.035) and older age (HR: 1.035, p &amp;lt; 0.001) were associated with worse PFS. The cumulative risk of LF was reduced with dose-escalation (p = 0.016). MVA confirmed dose-escalation protective for LF (HR: 0.483, p = 0.019), whereas ≥ 2 surgeries prior to RT predicted for LF (HR: 2.145, p = 0.008). A trend was observed for improved CSS and OS in the dose-escalation cohort (p &amp;lt; 0.1). Seven patients (5.9%) developed symptomatic radiation necrosis (RN) with no significant difference between the two cohorts. CONCLUSIONS Dose-escalated radiotherapy with ≥ 66Gy for high grade meningioma is associated with improved local control and PFS with an acceptable risk of RN.

Impact of germline DNA repair gene variants on prognosis and treatment of men with advanced prostate cancer

The clinical importance of germline variants in DNA repair genes (DRGs) is becoming increasingly recognized, but their impact on advanced prostate cancer prognosis remains unclear. A cohort of 221 newly diagnosed metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients were screened for pathogenic germline variants in 114 DRGs. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) on first-line androgen signaling inhibitor (ARSI) treatment for mCRPC. Secondary endpoints were time to mCRPC progression on initial androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and overall survival (OS). Twenty-seven patients (12.2%) carried a germline DRG variant. DRG carrier status was independently associated with shorter PFS on first-line ARSI [HR 1.72 (1.06–2.81), P = 0.029]. At initiation of ADT, DRG carrier status was independently associated with shorter progression time to mCRPC [HR 1.56, (1.02–2.39), P = 0.04] and shorter OS [HR 1.99, (1.12–3.52), P = 0.02]. Investigating the contributions of individual germline DRG variants on PFS and OS revealed CHEK2 variants to have little effect. Furthermore, prior taxane treatment was associated with worse PFS on first-line ARSI for DRG carriers excluding CHEK2 (P = 0.0001), but not for noncarriers. In conclusion, germline DRG carrier status holds independent prognostic value for predicting advanced prostate cancer patient outcomes and may potentially inform on optimal treatment sequencing already at the hormone-sensitive stage.

Effects of glucocorticoid use on survival of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide, with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for the majority of cases. Patients with NSCLC have achieved great survival benefits from immunotherapies targeting immune checkpoints. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are frequently used for palliation of cancer-associated symptoms, as supportive care for non-cancer-associated symptoms, and for management of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). The aim of this study was to clarify the safety and prognostic significance of glucocorticoid use in advanced patients with NSCLC treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The study searched publications from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China Biology Medicine disc, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, and Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database up to March 1st, 2022, and conducted a meta-analysis to assess the effects of glucocorticoid use on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in NSCLC patients treated with ICIs through the available data. The study calculated the pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). This study included data from 25 literatures that were mainly retrospective, with 8713 patients included. Patients taking GCs had a higher risk for tumor progression and death compared with those not taking GCs (PFS: HR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.33-1.86, P <0.001; OS: HR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.41-1.88, P <0.001). GCs used for cancer-associated symptoms caused an obviously negative effect on both PFS and OS (PFS: HR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.32-2.29, P <0.001; OS: HR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.52-2.04, P <0.001). However, GCs used for irAEs management did not negatively affect prognosis (PFS: HR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.46-1.00, P = 0.050; OS: HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.34-0.83, P = 0.005), and GCs used for non-cancer-associated indications had no effect on prognosis (PFS: HR = 0.92, 95%CI: 0.63-1.32, P = 0.640; OS: HR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.59-1.41, P = 0.680). In advanced NSCLC patients treated with ICIs, the use of GCs for palliation of cancer-associated symptoms may result in a worse PFS and OS, indicating that they increase the risk of tumor progression and death. But, in NSCLC patients treated with ICIs, the use of GCs for the management of irAEs may be safe, and the use of GCs for the treatment of non-cancer-associated symptoms may not affect the ICIs' survival benefits. Therefore, it is necessary to be careful and evaluate indications rationally before administering GCs in individualized clinical management.

Lack of association between XRCC1 SNPs and acute radiation‑induced injury or prognosis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

The response to radiation therapy (RT) is closely associated with DNA damage repair. X-ray repair cross-complementing group-1 (XRCC1) is a key gene in the DNA damage repair pathway, and SNPs in this gene alter the expression and activity of its effector protein, which may in turn affect sensitivity to RT. Therefore, the course of tumor treatment and local control rate can be influenced. In the present study, a group of 158 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) who received intensity-modulated RT at Fujian Cancer Hospital (Fuzhou, China) between July 2012 and October 2013 were included in retrospective chart review and followed up. Plasma was collected before treatment for genotype analysis of the three SNPs of XRCC1, namely Arg194Trp, Arg280His and Arg399Gln. Acute radiation-induced injuries sustained during treatment was graded according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group scoring criteria. Post-treatment follow-up was performed until August 2020. In the 158 cases of NPC, no statistically significant association was observed between the three SNPs of the XRCC1 gene and the severity of acute radiation-induced injury or prognosis. However, the AA genotype of XRCC1-Arg399Gln tended to be associated with worse progression-free survival (PFS) compared with the GA + GG genotype, although this was not significant (P=0.069). In addition, multivariate logistic analysis showed that nodal stage was significantly associated with the occurrence of acute severe radiation-induced oral mucositis (P=0.018), and there was also a trend towards an association between nodal stage and the incidence of acute severe radiation-induced pharyngitis; however, this was not statistically significant (P=0.061). Furthermore, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that older age, distant metastasis and higher clinical stage were independent risk factors for PFS in patients with NPC. In conclusion, relying solely on the aforementioned SNPs of the XRCC1 gene may not provide a robust enough basis to predict the response to RT or prognosis in patients with NPC.

Updated Findings of a Phase II Study of Ruxolitinib Pre-, during- and Post-Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Patients with Primary or Secondary Myelofibrosis

Background: Despite tremendous progress in the treatment of myelofibrosis in the last decade, the only curative therapy remains allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). There are now three FDA-approved JAK inhibitors (JAKi) to treat symptomatic splenomegaly and constitutional symptoms in myelofibrosis, although these agents do not prevent disease progression. Discontinuation of JAKi before (pre) HCT is challenging as patients can experience return of symptoms. Thus, ruxolitinib is often continued during HCT in an off-label fashion; however, little is known about the safety and efficacy of this approach. Furthermore, there is increasing use of ruxolitinib after (post) HCT, following its approval in treating refractory graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Methods: We previously reported the interim results of a phase II, multicenter, investigator-initiated trial investigating ruxolitinib given pre-, during- and for 1-year post-HCT for patients with primary or secondary MF (NCT03427866). Here we present the results of the study with full accrual of 43 patients. The primary endpoint was 1-year GVHD-free, relapse-free survival (GRFS). Secondary endpoints included overall (OS) and progression free survival (PFS), engraftment, and incidence of acute and chronic GVHD. Patients were treated with reduced intensity conditioning with fludarabine (30mg/m 2/d x 5 days) and melphalan (100 or 140mg/m 2 x 1). Patients received peripheral blood stem cell grafts from either 7/8 or 8/8 HLA-matched donors. GVHD prophylaxis consisted of standard tacrolimus and methotrexate. Results: 44 patients with myelofibrosis were enrolled and 43 underwent HCT between 9/2018 and 5/2023. Median age was 66 (range 46-75), 37% were female (n=16), and most patients had DIPSS intermediate-2/high risk (n=36), 60% (n=27) were receiving ruxolitinib prior to enrolling on the study. Most (n=35) received 8/8 matched unrelated transplants and had measurable splenomegaly by either ultrasound or CT (n=40) prior to HCT. At baseline, 25 patients had JAK2 mutation, 8 had CALR and 5 had MPL mutations, 13 patients had ASXL1 mutations (Figure 1). No differences in outcomes were observed by pre-HCT mutational status. At day 100, all but one patient had undetectable mutations by next generation sequencing. The most common grade 3/4 hematologic adverse events (AE) were anemia (n=12), thrombocytopenia (14), neutropenia (n=11). Non-hematologic grade 3/4 events included hypertriglyceridemia (n=3). Median time to neutrophil engraftment was 15 days (range 4-38), one patient did not engraft. Median time to platelet (&amp;gt;20x10 9) engraftment was 25 days (range 11-145). At day 30, 2 patients had a donor-cell chimerism below 90% (one ultimately relapsed) and at day 100, 2 patients had chimerism below 90 (one ultimately relapsed). With a median follow up among survivors of 13 months (range 0.7 - 26), 1-year GRFS was 74%. OS, PFS and cumulative incidence of NRM and disease relapse were, 86%, 79%, 10%, and 10%, respectively (Figure 2). The cumulative incidence of grade III-IV acute GVHD at 6 months was 2.4%. Only one patient had grade IV acute GVHD. One year moderate/severe chronic GVHD was 11%In univariable analysis, thrombocytopenia of &amp;lt;40 x 10 9/L pre-HCT was associated with worse OS (1-yr OS: 64% vs 92%, p=0.008). Splenomegaly (defined as &amp;gt;17 cm) was associated with worse PFS (1-yr PFS: 100% vs 64%, p=0.046). There was an improvement in OS in patients that received ruxolitinib and achieved response pre-HCT compared to those that did not but this did not achieve statistical significance (1-yr OS 100% vs 74%, p=0.054). Discussion: This study is the first, multicenter trial to test ruxolitinib use pre-, during- and post-HCT in patients with myelofibrosis. Our results demonstrate safety and feasibility of this approach. Favorable rates of engraftment were observed with ongoing ruxolitinib administration even through hematopoietic nadir. We continue to demonstrate favorable outcomes of PFS, OS and GRFS with a low incidence of severe acute and chronic GVHD. Our results strongly support the use of ruxolitinib in the peri- and post-transplant setting for patients with myelofibrosis undergoing HCT.

Effectiveness of Chemo-Immunotherapy (CIT) and Novel Therapies in Second or Later Line of Therapy (2L+) for Patients with Relapsed/Refractory (R/R) Aggressive Large B-Cell Lymphoma (LBCL)

Aim: Patients with R/R LBCL after first-line treatment have poor prognosis. Multiple novel therapies have been approved for R/R LBCL in recent years, but CIT regimens are still commonly used. This study evaluated the effectiveness of CIT and novel therapies in 2L+ in patients with R/R LBCL and the association between patient clinical characteristics and real-world outcomes. Methods: This was a multi-site retrospective observational study of patients aged ≥18 years with R/R LBCL in the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) Consortium of Real-World Evidence (CReWE) cohort (patients followed from 1/1/2015 to 2/15/2023) who were treated with CIT or novel therapy in 2L+. CIT regimens included salvage/palliative chemotherapy, lenalidomide, rituximab, or obinutuzumab, used alone or in combination. Novel therapies included polatuzumab vedotin plus bendamustine and rituximab or variations thereof (i.e., pola-based regimen), tafasitamab plus lenalidomide or variations thereof (tafa-based regimen), and loncastuximab tesirine (lonca). Patients' demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed from the first confirmed R/R disease diagnosis and initiation of 2L+ therapy. When multiple lines of therapy (LOTs) were eligible for inclusion in the analysis, one was randomly selected as the index LOT. Real-world outcomes, determined by investigators at each clinical site, including overall response rate (ORR), complete response (CR) rate, duration of response (DOR), duration of complete response (DOCR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were described for all patients in each treatment group and for the subgroup of patients with prior chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. Multivariable Cox Proportional Hazards models were used to assess associations between select patient clinical characteristics and real-world outcomes. Results: The study population included patients treated with CIT (N=653), pola-based regimen (N=116), tafa-based regimen (N=55), and lonca (N=42) ( Figure 1A). The median (m) age at date of index treatment initiation across groups ranged from 63 to 74 years. Across groups, most patients had primary refractory disease-i.e., were refractory to the first LOT (69.5% CIT vs. 73.3% pola vs. 58.2% tafa vs. 71.4% lonca), whereas variable proportions had one prior LOT (65.5% vs. 17.2% vs. 43.6% vs. 7.1%) and prior CAR T-cell therapy (5.1% vs. 43.1% vs. 32.7% vs. 47.6%). In the CIT group, ORR was 33.8%, 15.5% of patients achieved CR, mPFS (95% CI) was 1.9 (1.7, 2.1) months, and mOS was 9.1 (8.1, 10.5) months. In the pola group, ORR was 42.2%, 24.1% of patients achieved CR, mPFS was 2.5 (2, 3.2) months and mOS was 7.8 (6.4, 11.8) months. In the tafa group, ORR was 25.5%, 14.5% of patients achieved CR, mPFS was 2.7 (2.1, 4.2) months, and mOS was 8 (5.3, 12.7) months. In the lonca group, ORR was 40.5%, 21.4% of patients achieved CR, mPFS was 3 (2.1, 5.1) months, and mOS was 4.7 (3.7, 10.8) months. Demographics and outcomes for all patients and those who received prior CAR T-cell therapy are summarized in Figure 1A. In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, International Prognostic Index (IPI) risk score ≥3, CIT as the index treatment type, and primary refractory status were significantly associated with time from response to progression/death (P&amp;lt;0.05; Figure 1B). IPI risk score ≥3, CIT as the index treatment type, and primary refractory status were significantly associated with worse PFS. IPI risk ≥3, ≥3 prior LOTs, and primary refractory status were significantly associated with OS. Conclusion: In this large clinical cohort of patients with R/R LBCL with high proportions having primary refractory disease, all common treatments were associated with modest ORR/CR and poor OS. Receiving CIT treatments, higher IPI score, primary refractory status, and higher number of prior LOTs were significantly associated with poor clinical outcomes. A study with larger sample size and longer follow-up may be warranted to further understand the clinical effectiveness of novel treatments. Thus, despite the availability of novel treatments during the study period, these findings highlight the need for more effective treatment alternatives beyond currently available options to improve outcomes.

Detectable Somatic Variants Using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Post Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (Allo-HCT) Predict for High Relapse Risk in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)

Introduction: NGS is increasingly being utilized to identify pathogenic somatic and targetable variants in patients with newly diagnosed AML and MDS. Patients with high-risk disease are typically recommended to undergo allo-HCT as consolidation, upon achieving morphological complete remission (CR). But, despite achieving hematologic CR, patients often have detectable somatic variants pre allo-HCT that predict for increased risk of disease relapse. Longitudinal monitoring of somatic variants via NGS at diagnosis, pre-allo-HCT and post allo-HCT can assist in prognostication and identify patients that remain at high risk of relapse despite allo-HCT. Methods: Patients with AML or MDS who underwent a first allo-HCT and completed NGS testing at day +100 between years 2016 to 2021 were identified from the transplant registry of Mayo Clinic in Florida. The primary aim of the study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of detectable variants via NGS at day +100 days post allo-HCT on the following outcomes: 1) overall survival (OS), 2) relapse, 3) progression-free survival (PFS), and 4) non-relapse mortality (NRM). Disease risk was assessed based on European Leukemia Network (ELN) 2022 risk classification for AML and Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (R-IPPS) for MDS. Baseline variables were compared between patients with and without mutation at day +100 days post allo-HCT using Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables and Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. Kaplan-Meier (KM) method was used to estimate freedom from events at different time points and draw corresponding survival curves. Results: 105 patients who underwent allo-HCT for AML and MDS and completed NGS testing at day +100 were included in the study population. Median age of the study population was 63 years (22-74) and 58% were of the male gender. Median HCT comorbidity score (HCT-CI) and KPS Karnofsky performance score (KPS) were 3 (0-8) and 90 (60-100), respectively. Matched unrelated donor (50%) and peripheral blood stem cells (98%) were the most common donor and graft source, respectively. Median number of lines of therapy pre allo-HCT was 1(0-6) and 52 (50%) patients had detectable variants after completion of chemotherapy and prior to allo-HCT. Seventeen (16%) had detectable variants via NGS on day +100. Eleven (65%) of these 17 had variants pre-allo-HCT and amongst the 88 patients with no variants post allo-HCT, 41 (47%) had detectable variants pre allo-HCT. There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics between patients with detectable variants at day+100 versus those who did not except for a higher KPS in patients with no variants at Day +100 of 90 (60-100) vs. 80 (60-100) (p=0.003). At a median follow up of 1.4 years (0.1-5.5), presence of a variant at day +100 was associated with inferior 4-year OS (32% vs. 69%, p&amp;lt;0.001) and higher relapse risk (64% vs. 23%, p&amp;lt;0.001). In univariate models, a lower KPS and presence of variants post allo-HCT were significantly associated with inferior OS, high relapse risk and worse PFS. Presence of variants pre allo-HCT was associated with an inferior PFS but did not impact OS or relapse risk. In multivariate models, KPS remained significant for OS, PFS and NRM; presence of variants at day +100 post allo-HCT approached significance for OS (p=0.06) and PFS (p=0.08) and was significant for relapse risk (p=0.002) (Table1) (Figure 1). Data regarding longitudinal evolution of variants and impact of individual variants on long term outcomes will be included at the time of presentation. Conclusion: These results indicate that presence of detectable somatic variants at day +100 is associated with poor long-term outcomes and predicts for high risk of disease relapse. Longitudinal monitoring of somatic variants via NGS should be consistently incorporated in the management of patients with high-risk AML and MDS undergoing allo-HCT. Patients with detectable somatic variants post allo-HCT should be considered for additional intervention to mitigate relapse risk.

Identification of High-Risk Population in First-Line Follicular Lymphoma at Screening with a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Assay Using Plasma Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA): Initial Data from Gallium

Background Follicular lymphoma (FL) is an indolent disease with favorable outcome in patients (pt) treated with antibody-based immunochemotherapy. However, ca. 15% of the pt population experience disease relapse within 24 months or transformation to a more aggressive disease, representing a population with high unmet medical need. Available clinicogenetic risk scores show suboptimal performance for predicting early disease progression (Jurinovic, Blood 2016). Here we evaluated ctDNA at screening as a novel tool to identify high risk pt populations. Material and Methods Pre-treatment plasma samples from 221 selected pts diagnosed with advanced stage or bulky FL in need of systematic treatment from the GALLIUM trial (NCT 01332968) were analyzed. Pts were selected to be evenly distributed among chemo/antibody groups (50 Rituximab (R) -Bendamustine (Benda), 63 R-CHOP/CVP, 50 Gazyva (G) -Benda, 58 G-CHOP/CVP). Within each treatment group, 25 to 28 cases with good responses (progression-free survival (PFS) &amp;gt; 5 years) and 25 to 31 cases with early progression or transformation to an aggressive disease (median PFS: 352 days and 91.6% of these cases progressed within 24 months) were selected. Targeted NGS was performed using a modified version of the AVENIO ctDNA analysis workflow (Roche; Research Use Only) based on the previously described CAPP-Seq workflow (Kurtz, J Clin Oncol 2018). The targeted NGS panel was designed to cover ~314 kb in or near 466 genes associated with NHL. Potential germline derived variants were filtered out using a publicly available database and panel specific blacklist filtering; additionally, variants with allelic frequency (AF) &amp;gt;20% were excluded. ctDNA was quantified as mutant molecules per milliliter-of-plasma (MMPM) based on single nucleotide variants (SNV) in the sequenced genomic regions. The association of PFS with this classifier was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazards model, and an optimal cut-off for MMPM high vs low was determined by using maximally selected rank statistics, validated by 10-fold cross validation. Results We detected a median of 107 (range 0-554) SNV at a median deduplicated depth of 3766x. A strong correlation between ctDNA at screening, measured as MMPM, and clinical prognostic markers was observed; higher levels of MMPM were associated with larger sum of the product of the diameters (SPD) (Mann-Whitney-U (MWU) P &amp;lt; 0.0001), higher FLIPI2 scores (MWU P &amp;lt; 0.0001) and m7-FLIPI (MWU P = 0.0001). Pts with long PFS had a significantly (MWU P &amp;lt; 0.0001) lower median MMPM (59.9) than those who progressed early (276.5). Using an optimal cut-off to predict pts at risk of early progression, MMPM high cases (n=96) showed significantly more total SNVs compared to MMPM low cases (n=125) (MWU P &amp;lt; 0.0001). MMPM high vs low was a stronger marker for PFS (cross-validated log-rank P &amp;lt; 0.0001; HR [95% CI] = 2.4 [1.6,3.5]) versus FLIPI2 (log-rank P = 0.0063; HR [95% CI] = 1.7 [1.2,2.4]) or tumor burden measured as SPD (log-rank P = 0.0009; HR [95% CI] = 1.9 [1.3,2.8]). In a multivariate Cox model, the association of high MMPM and worse PFS was still significant after correction for FLIPI2, SPD and m7-FLIPI, indicating that MMPM has an independent prognostic value (log-rank P &amp;lt; 0.0001; HR [95% CI] = 2.42 [1.6,3.8]) (Figure 1). Consistent with previous reports (Jurinovic, ASH 2021), also in this selected cohort m7-FLIPI was prognostic for CHOP/CVP (log-rank P = 0.0061; HR [95% CI] = 2.2 [1.2,3.8]) but not for Benda (log-rank P = 0.2274; HR [95% CI] = 1.5 [0.76,3.0]). Notably, the prognostic value of ctDNA at screening using MMPM was observed for both CHOP/CVP (log-rank P &amp;lt; 0.0001; HR [95% CI] = 2.9 [1.7,5.0]), and Benda (log-rank P &amp;lt; 0.0001; HR [95% CI] = 2.9 [1.7,5.1]). Conclusion Measurements of ctDNA at screening showed promising results as a biomarker to predict high risk populations for early treatment failure in untreated FL. MMPM at baseline, quantified using the AVENIO NHL assay, showed an independent prognostic value compared to FLIPI 2, m7-FLIPI and SPD. Notably, while known clinicogenetic risk scores had a prognostic value limited to CHOP/CVP regimen (Jurinovic, ASH 2019, Bolen, Blood 2021), MMPM prognostic value was maintained on CHOP/CVP and Benda chemotherapy. Overall, these initial results warrant additional analysis to investigate the value of the ctDNA as a treatment agnostic stratification tool for clinical research.

The value of multiparametric MRI combined with clinical prognostic parameters in predicting the 5-year survival of stage IIIC1 cervical squamous cell carcinoma

ObjectivesTo explore the value of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging（MRI）in predicting the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) in 2018 FIGO stage IIIC1. MethodsThis retrospective study collected156 patients with CSCC from Dec. 2014 to Jul. 2018. Sixty-one patients underwent radical hysterectomy (RH), and 95 patients underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Clinical and MR parameters of primary tumours were analysed. A 1:1 ratio propensity score matching (PSM) was performed for the RH group and CCRT group according to T stage. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate the associations between imaging or clinical variables and PFS and OS. ResultsThe 5-year PFS and OS rates were 72.6% and 78.3%, respectively. The analysis results show that the treatment method, ADCmin < 0.604 × 10−3 mm2/s, and Ktrans < 0.699 min−1 correlated with worse PFS, while SCC-Ag > 6.7 ng/L, ADCmin < 0.604 × 10−3 mm2/s, and Ktrans < 0.699 min−1 correlated with worse OS. After PSM, we confirmed that the treatment methods did not affect the long-term survival of patients with stage IIIC1 disease, and a low Ktrans value was an independent poor prognostic factor. ConclusionFunctional MRI parameters and SCC-Ag have potential predictive value for the 5-year survival of 2018 FIGOIIIC1 CSCC. There were no significant differences in survival between CCRT and RH + adjuvant therapy for IIIC1 stage CSCC if the T stage was earlier.