Abstract 5591: Circulating tumor DNA for recurrence prediction and efficacy analysis in the ICONIC trial of peri-operative FLOT and avelumab (PD-L1) in localized esophago-gastric adenocarcinoma
Authors: Gerlinger Marco , Gordon Anderley , Barber Louise J. , Laliotis Georgios , Athauda Avani , Challoner Benjamin , Woolston Andrew , Mansukhani Sonia , Dunstan Matt , Petrou Nikoletta , Khabra Komel , Lazaro-Alcausi Retchel , Crux Richard , Borja Victoria , Begum Ruwaida , Rana Isma , Palsuledesai Charuta , Malhotra Meenakshi , Liu Minetta , Jurdi Adham , Sharma Shruti , Rao Sheela , Kumar Sacheen , Cunningham David , Chau Ian , Starling Naureen , Chaudry M Asif 
Published: June 2023

Background: The utility of molecular residual disease (MRD) detection by circulating tumor (ct)DNA in early-stage (pT2+ or N+, M0) esophagogastric adenocarcinoma treated with peri-operative systemic therapy has not been assessed in prospective trials.

Methods: This exploratory analysis of the phase 2 ICONIC trial (NCT03399071), assessed whether ctDNA can predict recurrence and determine the efficacy of 4xFLOT+avelumab (FLOT-A) before and after surgery. Exome sequencing of pre-treatment biopsies was successful in 24/26 patients (pts) (92.3%) who had received FLOT-A and had undergone surgery at the time of analysis. All pts had R0 resections. Tumor-informed ctDNA assays (SignateraTM) were designed for these 24 pts and 220 serial plasma samples were analyzed. Pathologic response was assessed using Mandard tumor regression grading (TRG1 complete, 2 excellent, 3 good, 4 poor and 5 no response). The median follow-up was 17.0m from surgery. Progression free survival (PFS) was calculated from surgery to radiological recurrence or death.

Results: ctDNA was detected in 23/24 pts (95.8%) prior to treatment. PFS was significantly shorter for pts with a mean number of tumor DNA molecules per ml plasma in the middle & highest tertile (p=0.049, HR=8.33, 95% CI: 1.01-1083, Firth Correction for Cox regression). 6 pts remained ctDNA-positive post neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). None of these pts had a TRG1/2, 3 (50.0%) had TRG3 and 3 (50%) TRG4/5 in the resection specimen. Of 18 ctDNA-negative pts 5 (27.8%) had TRG1/2, 10 (55.6%) TRG3 and 3 (16.7%) TRG4/5. Post-surgery and prior to adjuvant therapy, 6/24 pts were ctDNA-positive. ctDNA positivity at this time point was associated with significantly shorter median PFS (12.9m) compared to ctDNA-negative status (PFS not reached, p&lt;0.0001, HR=27, 95%CI: 3.0-241). Nodal status and Mandard TRG are routinely used as clinical predictors. Only the former was significantly associated with poor median PFS (pN+: 13.5m, pN-: not reached, p=0.027, HR=11, 95%CI: 1.3-98). Of 6 pts who remained ctDNA positive post-operatively, none achieved ctDNA clearance despite adjuvant FLOT-A. The median lead-time from ctDNA positivity after surgery to recurrence was 11.4 months.

Conclusions: Post-NAC/pre-surgical ctDNA positivity correlated with worse pathological response. Persistent ctDNA after NAC & surgery was a stronger predictor of recurrence than nodal status or TRG in the resection specimen. Post-operative adjuvant therapy failed to clear ctDNA in any of the pts who were ctDNA positive after surgery, indicating that administering more of the same treatment is ineffective. This provides an opportunity to test new adjuvant therapies in pts who remain ctDNA positive after surgery. Whether post-operative therapy can be omitted in pts who are ctDNA negative after surgery should be assessed in future trials.

Citation Format: Marco Gerlinger, Anderley Gordon, Louise J. Barber, Georgios Laliotis, Avani Athauda, Benjamin Challoner, Andrew Woolston, Sonia Mansukhani, Matt Dunstan, Nikoletta Petrou, Komel Khabra, Retchel Lazaro-Alcausi, Richard Crux, Victoria Borja, Ruwaida Begum, Isma Rana, Charuta Palsuledesai, Meenakshi Malhotra, Minetta Liu, Adham Jurdi, Shruti Sharma, Sheela Rao, Sacheen Kumar, David Cunningham, Ian Chau, Naureen Starling, M Asif Chaudry. Circulating tumor DNA for recurrence prediction and efficacy analysis in the ICONIC trial of peri-operative FLOT and avelumab (PD-L1) in localized esophago-gastric adenocarcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5591.