tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and biomarker analysis of neoadjuvant disitamab vedotin combined with immunotherapy in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer: A multi-center real-world study.
Authors: Jiao Hu, Luzhe Yan, Jinhui Liu, Jinbo Chen, ZHENYU OU, Minfeng Chen, Xiongbing Zu
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2024)

113 Background: Over half of the patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) do not benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy due to cisplatin intolerance or resistance and have a poor prognosis. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have shown excellent clinical benefits in advanced MIBC in recent years, but there is a lack of studies using ADCs as neoadjuvant treatment. Methods: Patients with MIBC were eligible for inclusion criteria were included and received neoadjuvant RC48-ADC (disitamab vedotin) combined with toripalimab (n=79) or tislelizumab (n=23). The primary outcome was pathological downstaging, including complete pathological response (CR: pT0N0M0) and partial response (PR: pTa, Tis, and T1N0M0). The secondary outcome was disease free survival (DFS). Logistic regression and biomarker analyses were performed to identify efficacy predictors. Results: 102 patients from four hospitals were enrolled and evaluated for pathological staging. 84 patients (82.4%) had T2N0M0 tumors and 93 patients (91.2%) had pure urothelial carcinoma. 38 patients (37.3%, 95% CI: 27.9% - 47.4%) achieved CR and 77 patients (75.5%, 95% CI: 6.0% - 83.5%) achieved PR. The 1-year DFS rate was 97.4% (95% CI: 92.6% - 100.0%). Subgroup analysis showed that the clinical stage (P=0.001) and histological type (P=0.006) were independent efficacy predictors. However, there was no statistically significant difference between efficacy and HER2 status (P=1.000). Biomarker analysis showed that the enrichment of pathways, such as the extracellular matrix, angiogenesis, and lymphocyte chemotaxis, may be associated with better efficacy. Conclusions: Neoadjuvant RC48-ADC combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors showed promising efficacy in patients with MIBC, irrespective of HER2 expression. This study will expand neoadjuvant treatment strategies for patients who are intolerant to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. [Table: see text]
Multiinstitutional cohort study of patient outcomes in Child-Pugh (CP) B liver function treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (A+B) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Authors: Amit Mahipal, Tyler J. Zemla, Kanchi Patell, Nikolas Naleid, Jennifer Gile, Zhaohui Jin, Nguyen H. Tran, Mitesh Borad, Sakti Chakrabarti, Michael H. Storandt
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2024)

50 Background: A+B is commonly used as first line systemic therapy in HCC patients with CP-B liver function, although in the IMbrave150 clinical trial, its efficacy was only assessed in patients with CP-A liver function. We evaluated outcomes in patients with CP-B liver function and compared to those with CP-A. Methods: We completed a multi-institution, retrospective review of patients with HCC from Mayo Clinic and University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, who had received A+B in the first line setting between March 2018 and November 2023. CP score was calculated at time of treatment, response was assessed, and progression free (PFS) and overall (OS) survival were determined using the Kaplan Meier method. Results: Among 322 patients with HCC, median age was 66.5 years, 78.6% were male, and 82.6% were white. Eighty-six patients (27%) had CP-B liver function, while 226 (70%) had CP-A and 10 (3%) had CP-C. Etiology of liver disease in patients with CP-B included hepatitis B in 7.0%, hepatitis C in 38.4%, alcohol use in 30.2%, and metabolic associated steatohepatitis in 20.9%. Median OS in patients with CP-B liver function was 6.4 months, while mOS was 21.6 months for those with CP-A ( p&lt;0.0001). Further stratifying, mOS in those with CP-B7 was 9.1 months, CP-B8 was 5.5 months, and CP-B9 was 4.0 months. 12-month OS in patients with CP-B was 32.4%, compared to 69.3% in CP-A. Median PFS was 4.8 months in those with CP-B and 8.9 months in those with CP-A. Median PFS in those with CP-B7, -B8, and -B9 was 6.4 months, 2.7 months, and 2.7 months, respectively. Among those with CP-B, 1 patient had a complete response, 17 (19.8%) had a partial response, 29 (33.7%) had stable disease, and 37 (43.0%) had progressive disease. Adverse events in CP-B patients included hypertension in 14.0% (grade 3 in 1 patient), bleeding in 16.3% (grade 3 or greater in 11.6%), fatigue in 38.4%, and an immune-related adverse event in 17.4% (grade 3 in 5.8%). Conclusions: Patients with advanced HCC and CP-B7 liver function may still benefit from A+B. Importantly, no additional safety risks were identified in this subgroup. Those with CP-B8 and CP-B9 have significantly worse survival than those with CP-B7 and the likelihood of benefit from systemic therapy is minimal. It is important for providers to address the impact of baseline liver function on expected outcomes in patient with HCC.
Analysis of proliferating Treg cells as a predictor for immunotherapy response using systemic longitudinal immune profiling: Biomarker analysis of the phase 3 CONTINUUM trial.
Authors: Saiwei Huang, Wei Jiang, Yuan Zhang, Sha Xu, Yaqin Wang, Kunyu Yang, Ning Zhang, Fang Liu, Guorong Zou, Feng Jin, Haijun Wu, Yangying Zhou, Xiaodong Zhu, Nianyong Chen, Cheng Xu, Na Liu, Ying Sun, Jun Ma, Ye-Lin Liang, Xu Liu
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2024)

140 Background: The discovery of predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy is hindered by the lack of control groups in most translational studies, making it impossible to discern whether the identified biomarkers are merely prognostic or truly predictive for treatment outcomes. This study reported on prospectively designed biomarker analyses of the phase 3 CONTINNUUM trial (NCT03700476), the first trial that demonstrated prolonged event-free survival (EFS) with the addition of anti-PD-1 (aPD1) to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in locoregionally-advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC). Methods: Mass cytometry was performed to generate a dynamic single-cell atlas on longitudinal peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples from 12 pairs of matched patients with or without relapse in the aPD1-CRT arm. The machine-learning algorithm CellCnn was applied to identify a cell subset that was most strongly associated with disease relapse, which was further confirmed by flow cytometry (n = 120). Single-cell RNA sequencing data from matched PBMC and tumor samples were analyzed and multiplex immunohistochemistry was performed on baseline tumor samples (n = 249) to verify the predictive value of the cell subset within tumors. Results: Baseline circulating regulatory T cells (Tregs), with a Ki67 + proliferating phenotype, were found to display a higher frequency in LA-NPC patients who developed posttreatment relapse ( P &lt; 0.001), which was further validated by flow cytometry. The intratumoral Ki67 + Tregs were also identified and correlated with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In patients with a low baseline level of Ki67 + Tregs, additional aPD1 significantly improved EFS compared with CRT alone (log-rank P = 0.011, HR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.06−0.79), while EFS was almost identical in both treatment arms in patients with high Ki67 + Treg levels (log-rank P = 0.995, HR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.49−2.05; interaction P = 0.047). This predictive value was further validated in datasets from two independent randomized trials in renal cancer. Conclusions: The frequency of Ki67 + Tregs can serve as a reliable predictive tool in selecting patients who are more likely to benefit from immunotherapy, potentially informing individualized immunotherapy strategies.
HYPCON trial: A phase II randomized study evaluating hypofractionated versus conventional adjuvant radiation therapy in head and neck malignancies.
Authors: Adrija Ghosh, Abhilash Dagar, Yousra Izzuddeen, Abiramasundari Vivekanandan, Jaswin Raj, Sangeeta Hazarika, Ambily Nair, Smriti Panda, Jyoti Sharma, Abhinav Singhal, Kalpa Das, Suman Bhasker, Alok Thakar, Supriya Mallick, Daya Nand Sharma, Aman Sharma
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2024)

143 Background: Hypofractionated RT has been established as standard of care at many cancer sites but there is limited data on use of hypofractionated RT for head and neck carcinomas (HNC). The HYPCON trial (CTRI/2023/02/049804) tested to reduce 10 fractions of PORT by delivery of hypofractionated PORT. Methods: Patients of HNC after radical surgery, with intermediate risk factors, were randomized based on site, T and N stage to either standard fractionation arm A (60Gy/30 fractions/6 weeks) or hypofractionated arm B (50Gy/20 fractions/4 weeks) in a 1:2 manner. The minimum sample size for the study was estimated based on a non-inferiority trial design as 120 considering a 10% clinical effectiveness margin and 5% attrition. Treatment allocation was done based on T stage, N stage &amp; HNC subsite. Target delineation included tumour bed with adequate margins (CTV_P) and microscopic lymph nodal (CTV_N) basin at risk. Organ delineation included all DARS. A double arc swallowing-sparing IMRT was used in both arms. The primary endpoint was locoregional control (LRC) at 1 year. Compliance, RT time (RTT), overall treatment time (OTT), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated in all patients. Acute &amp; late toxicities were recorded as per RTOG scale. Results: 135 patients were enrolled, 45 in Arm A &amp; 90 in Arm B. Majority of patients (96.9%) had oral cavity primary. Most of patients 74.8 % had early-stage disease. Compliance to PORT was 91.1% in Arm A versus 100% in Arm B. Median RTT for Arm A was 43 days (25-73 days) and 28 days (25-43 days) for Arm B (p&lt;0.0001). Median OTT in Arm A was 91 days (70-126 days) and 77 days (57-119 days) in Arm B (p&lt;0.0001). Median follow-up was 12.7 (2.73-23.87) months. One year, LRC was 72.9% vs 91.6% (p=0.007); PFS was 70.6% vs 90.5% (p=0.009) and OS was 88.7% vs 94.5% (p 0.02) Arm A versus Arm B respectively. Grade 3 or higher acute toxicity was seen in 39% in Arm A and 31.1% in Arm B (p=0.374). Grade 3 or higher late toxicity events were noted in 29.2% and 32.2% in arms A and B respectively (p= 0.671). Conclusions: Hypofractionated PORT reduced RTT &amp; OTT and was associated with improved treatment compliance, treatment outcomes (LRC, PFS, OS), and similar acute and late toxicity profile. This is the first study to demonstrate the superiority of hypofractionated compared to conventional PORT delivery for HNC. Clinical trial information: CTRI/2023/02/049804 .
Effects of <i>Aureobasidium Pullulans</i> produced β-1,3-1,6-glucan on CA19-9, sCD44, IgA and sCD209 in patients undergoing surgical resection of malignant pancreatic tumors.
Authors: Samuel JK Abraham, Akira Tsukada, Isao Miyajima, Satomi Uchiyama, Daiki Tabe, Nobunao Ikewaki, Senthilkumar Rajappa, Koji Ichiyama, Masaru Iwasaki
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2024)

96 Background: Pancreatic cancer is a highly refractory tumor with poor prognosis, which aggressively progresses by suppressing the immunity. Surgical procedure related stress further weakens the immunity and aids cancer stem cell metastases, warranting immune enhancement strategies. AFO-202 strain of Aureobasidium Pullulans produced β-1,3-1,6 glucan (Nichi BRITE), having yielded immune enhancement in earlier studies, we evaluated its effects in patients undergoing surgical resection of malignant pancreatic tumors. Methods: 30 subjects in two groups were enrolled; control arm (n=15, "P" group) received a placebo, and treatment arm (n=15, "G" group) received Nichi BRITE 250mg/day, in three divided doses, for 22 days from the pre-operative day. Serum beta glucan specific IgA2 (BG-IgA), total IgA (IgA), sCD209, Serum Amyloid A (SAA), sCD44 and CA19-9 were evaluated at base line and at periodic intervals. Results: sCD44 significantly decreased 48.94% in “G” group and only 4.58% in “P” group (p = &lt; 0.0001) on day 21. sCD209 on day 21 in “G” group increased by 54.68% (p = 0.04) against 15.03% in “P”. BG-IgA at day 10 increased around 150% in “G”, and only by 6% in “P”. Total IgA, increased by 20.60% in “G” and only 5.73% in “P”. SAA increased to 251.32% in “G” on day 21 and in “P” it decreased by 6.11%. Decreased sCD44 when correlated against Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), a significant positive correlation was in “G” (r statistic= 0.758; p-value =0.006; 95% CI= 0.2907~0.9335), but a negative correlation in “P”. Pancreatic cancer marker CA19-9 decreased significantly in three months follow up in “G” (-86.02 U/ml) whereas it increased in “P” by +5.91 U/ml. Mean survival of Nichi BRITE group was 25.9 months against 22.3 months in “P” group. Conclusions: Administration of Nichi BRITE glucans to patients undergoing surgical resection of malignant pancreatic tumor was safe and it enhanced biomarkers of innate and adaptive immunity. Nichi BRITE significantly decreased the circulating cancer stem cell marker sCD44 implying a lesser recurrence risk, especially in patients with high NLR ratio who have a poor prognosis, and significantly reduced the CA 19-9 levels implying a better prognosis, making us recommend it as an adjuvant to patients undergoing surgeries for malignant tumors, and be included in the guidelines of clinical nutrition.
Clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with early-onset locally advanced rectal cancer.
Authors: Andrea Pretta, Pina Ziranu, Riccardo Giampieri, Clelia Donisi, Giovanni Randon, Giusy Moledda, Federica Morano, Dario Spanu, Andrea Cadoni, Erika Cimbro, Veronica Dell'Utri, Daiana Rizzo, Claudia Codipietro, Francesca Semonella, Marco Puzzoni, Valeria Pusceddu, Luigi Zorcolo, Rossana Berardi, Filippo Pietrantonio, Mario Scartozzi
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2024)

70 Background: Despite a reduction in both the incidence and mortality of CRC in the elderly population, recent studies have highlighted an increase in the incidence of early-onset CRC (EO-CRC). Clinical and prognostic data in this context are limited and conflicting. The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical differences and outcomes of patients with early onset locally advanced rectal cancer. Methods: We retrospectively collected data from 305 patients affected by LARC treated in Italy at the Medical Oncology Units of the University Hospital of Cagliari, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori Milan, and AOU Ospedali Riuniti Ancona. All patients underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The primary objective was overall survival (OS) while while secondary objectives were overall response rate (ORR) and major TRG. Results: Twenty five (8,2%) pts were EO-RC and 280 (91,8%) were LO-RC. In EO-RC the locations were distributed as follows: 9 (36%) lower rectum, 13 (52%) medium rectum, and 3 (12%) upper rectum. Pathologic responses were as follows: 3 (12%) TRG-0, 6 (24%) TRG-1, 10 (40%) TRG-2, and 6 (24%) TRG-3. While the radiological responses were as follows: 2 (8%) CR, 15 (60%) PR, 7 (28%) SD, and 1 (4%) PD. In LO-RC the locations were: 78 (27,8%) lower rectum, 153 (54,6%) medium rectum, and 49 (17,6%) upper rectum. Pathologic responses were as follows: 29 (10,4%) TRG-0, 60 (21,4%) TRG-1, 159 (56,8%) TRG-2, and 32 (11,4%) TRG-3. Radiological responses were as follows: 25 (8,9%) CR, 155 (61,4%) PR, 64 (22,9%) SD, and 19 (6,8%) PD. The 10 year overall survival was significantly higher in LO-RC patients compared to EO-CRC patients: 92.54% versus 70.83% (p = 0.0005). Conclusions: Compared to LO-RCs, EO-RC patients had more frequent low rectal tumors and higher rates of major pathological responses. Despite this, 10-year OS was found to be inferior in EO-RC. Further studies and insights will be necessary to better understand the biological and clinical characteristics of early-onset tumors.
Prevalence of pathogenic or likely pathogenic germline mutations in patients with metastatic renal cell cancer.
Authors: Atul Batra, Brusabhanu Nayak, Ranjit Kumar Sahoo, Seema Kaushal, Aparna Sharma, Akash Kumar, Amlesh Seth, Shamim Ahmed Shamim
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2024)

110 Background: Data from the West suggests that 5-10% of patients with metastatic renal cell cancer (RCC) are known to harbor a pathogenic/likely pathogenic mutation in the RCC-associated genes. However, there are no data from the Indian subcontinent in this regard. Methods: This study was a prospective single-center cohort study conducted at a large tertiary care cancer center in northern India. Patients newly diagnosed with metastatic RCC were eligible to participate and, if willing, were offered pretest counseling and germline genetic testing. We performed whole exome sequencing on blood samples using next-generation sequencing on the Illumina platform. The frequency and spectrum of pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants were determined and classified using the ACMG guidelines, and clinical characteristics associated with mutation status were analyzed using a Fisher's exact test. Results: A total of 156 patients with metastatic RCC were enrolled in this study from October 2023 to February 2024. The median age at diagnosis was 44 years, and 67% were men. Histologically, 64% had clear cells, 12% had papillary, and 8% had unknown histology. In RCC-associated genes, 6 patients (3.8%) had P/Lp mutations, of which 4 had mutations in FH and 2 in VHL. Further P/LP variants in the non-RCC genes were detected in 12 additional patients (7.7%), of which 4 were in ATM, 2 in BRIP1, and one each in BRCA1, BARD1, PALB2, MUTYH, MSH6, and PMS2, respectively. The presence of germline P/LP mutation was associated with non-clear histology but not with age and sex. Patients with a P/LP mutation were more likely to have a family history of other cancers (most common, breast cancer) in first and second-degree relatives. Conclusions: 11.5% of patients with metastatic RCC were detected with germline P/LP variants, of which one-third had one of the RCC genes, and the rest had non-RCC gene mutations. Patients with mRCC should have access to germline genetic testing, and the gene panel for patients needs to be expanded to include genes previously classified as non-RCC genes.
Potential for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) with ASCT2-targeted boron agents.
Authors: Kenichiro Eza, Kohei Tsujino, Shinji Kawabata, Yoshiki Fujikawa, Hideki Kashiwagi, Gen Hutamura, Ryo Hiramastu, Sinichi Miyatake, Hiroki Tanaka, Minoru Suzuki, Masahiko Wanibuchi, Hiroyuki Nakamura, Tomoyuki Araki, Taiki Morita
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2024)

233 Background: Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is a cutting-edge particle irradiation technique that utilizes the nuclear reaction triggered by the irradiation of non-radioactive boron-10 with thermal neutrons, selectively annihilating tumor cells that have incorporated boron. In the clinical arena, Boronophenylalanine (BPA), a phenylalanine compound targeting amino acid receptors, has been the cornerstone of BNCT. While BNCT has been effective against malignant gliomas, its dependency on BPA uptake has illuminated the existence of inherent resistance within specific cells, tissues, and cancer types. This study pivots towards the Alanine-serine-cysteine transporter 2 (ASCT2)—a transporter distinct from LAT1—investigating its potential as a gateway for the development of innovative boron carriers, with the aim of expanding the clinical applicability and effectiveness of BNCT. Methods: This research embarked on in vitro investigations to evaluate boron accumulation in F98 and C6 rat glioma cells, and 9L rat gliosarcoma, following 24 hours of exposure to BPA and GluB-2 (10 μg B/ml each). Complementary in vivo studies involved the intravenous administration of these compounds to an F98 rat brain tumor model, with the subsequent measurement of boron distribution at 2.5, 6, and 24 hours post-administration. The efficacy of these treatments was then ascertained through neutron irradiation experiments, gauging therapeutic outcomes via the survival periods of the subjects. Results: In vitro findings highlighted that GluB-2 facilitated a significantly higher intracellular boron concentration compared to BPA in F98 cells (p=0.02, Student's t-test). In vivo results indicated that the apex of boron biodistribution in tumors was achieved at 2.5 hours post-BPA treatment and at 6 hours post-GluB-2 treatment, with GluB-2 securing a superior maximum intratumor boron concentration. Survival analysis revealed a mean survival of 28.0±2.5 days for the neutron alone group, 37.7±5.0 days for the group receiving BPA IV + BNCT at 2.5 hours, 55.1±19.9 days for the group treated with GluB-2 IV + BNCT at 6 hours, and 25.3±1.4 days for the untreated group. Remarkably, the group treated with GluB-2 demonstrated significantly prolonged survival compared to the BPA-treated group (p&lt;0.001, log-rank test). Conclusions: Combining BNCT with GluB-2 showed superior efficacy over BPA. Further research is needed to optimize boron concentration timing and ASCT2 expression levels, yet GluB-2 presents a promising advancement in BNCT, potentially transforming malignant brain tumor treatment.
Evaluation of prognostic factors for oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma: Significance of intratumoral tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, lymph node ratio, and depth of invasion.
Authors: Jongwon Lee
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2024)

132 Background: Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an aggressive malignancy with a variable prognosis. Identifying reliable prognostic factors is crucial for developing personalized treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes. This study examined the prognostic significance of clinicopathological factors in oral tongue SCC. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 192 patients who underwent surgical resection at Asan Medical Center between 2010 and 2017. Clinicopathological data, including age at diagnosis, American Joint Committee of Cancer (AJCC) 8 th edition stages, depth of invasion (DOI), extranodal extension (ENE), intratumoral and stromal (invasive front) tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), lymphovascular invasion (LVI), margin status, metastatic-to-examined lymph nodes ratio (LNR), number of metastatic lymph nodes, perineural invasion (PNI), sex, size, tumor budding, tumor differentiation, tumor-to-stromal ratio (TSR), and worst pattern of invasion (WPOI) were analyzed. The total cohort, early-stage group, and late-stage group were analyzed separately. Results: Most variables showed significant associations with the survival rate. The multivariate Cox proportional hazard models for the total cohort showed significant results for intratumoral TILs, DOI grade, and LNR. However, other factors failed to show statistical significance. Intratumoral TIL was the only consistently potent factor for survival in all study groups. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need for increased focus on the prognostic significance of intratumoral TILs. The DOI grade and LNR were also powerful prognostic factors, especially in late-stage tongue SCCs. Our data suggest that the prognostic significance of certain variables, such as the WPOI, may have been overestimated in the literature, thereby warranting a reassessment of the currently utilized prognostic markers in oral tongue SCC.