Lurbinectedin in prostatic small cell and neuroendocrine carcinoma.
Authors: Meyer Haley M , Sunkara Rajitha , Beltran Himisha , Rothmann Emily , Courtney Kevin Dale , Armstrong Andrew J. , Lipucci Andrea , Stanton Melissa L. , Bryce Alan Haruo 
Published: January 2024

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Background: Lurbinectedin (L) is a novel inhibitor of oncogenic transcription that was granted accelerated approval by the Food and Drug Administration in June 2020 for the treatment of metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC) following disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy (PBC). Prostatic small cell or neuroendocrine carcinoma (SC/NEPC) is a high-grade, invasive malignancy that accounts for < 1% of all prostate cancers. SC/NEPC is distinct from prostatic adenocarcinoma and behaves similar to SCLC. NCCN guidelines for SC/NEPC recommend following the SCLC treatment guidelines. Using these guidelines, L may be used as a second-line treatment in patients (pts) with SC/NEPC who progress on or after PBC. We aimed to characterize the baseline characteristics, clinical course and therapeutic outcomes of pts treated with L for SC/NEPC. Methods: After IRB approval, 18 cases were gathered from 4 academic oncology centers. Baseline patient data, prior treatments and L treatment outcomes, including best radiographic and serologic responses, overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and treatment toxicity were assessed. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate OS and PFS from the L start date. Clinical benefit rate (CBR) included pts with complete response (CR), partial response (PR) and stable disease (SD) on imaging. Results: At the time of first L dose, all had metastatic disease with 2-6 distinct sites of metastases, most commonly bone (14/18, 77.8%), lymph nodes (14/18, 77.8%) and liver (13/18, 72.2%); median age was 63.5 (Range: 53-84); 11 pts (61.1%) had an ECOG 0-1; 4 pts (22.2%) had an ECOG of 2-3. The median total number of systemic therapies administered prior to L was 4 (Range: 2-7). All pts received PBC prior to L. The most common dose of L prescribed was 3.2 mg/m2 every 21 days (15/18, 83.3%). Androgen deprivation therapy was administered in conjunction with L in 9 pts (50%). The median number of cycles of L was 5 (Range: 1-10). L was discontinued due to toxicity in 1 patient (5.6%), disease progression in 10 pts (55.6%), transition to hospice in 2 pts (11.1%), 3 pts (16.7%) died while receiving treatment (not due to L toxicity), and 2 pts (11.1%) remained on L at the time of data reporting. The median OS and PFS from date of first L dose was 6.01 months (0.23 – 16.69) and 3.35 months (0.16 – 7.79), respectively. CBR was 9/16 (56.3%) with partial response in 5 pts (31.3%), stable disease in 4 pts (25%), and progressive disease in 7 pts (43.8%). Two pts did not have post-treatment imaging available to assess response. There were no hospitalizations for L treatment related adverse events (tRAE). The most common tRAE were grade I and II fatigue and anemia; 9 pts (50%) experienced no tRAE. The only grade IV toxicity was neutropenia in 3 pts (16.7%). Conclusions: L is a well-tolerated and active treatment option for patients with SC/NEPC. Prospective studies are needed to determine the role of L in the treatment of SC/NEPC.