Clinical Pharmacology and Interplay of Immune Checkpoint Agents: A Yin-Yang Balance.

T cells have a central role in immune system balance. When activated, they may lead to autoimmune diseases. When too anergic, they contribute to infection spread and cancer proliferation. Immune checkpoint proteins regulate T cell function, including cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1). These nodes of self-tolerance may be exploited pharmacologically to downregulate (CTLA-4 agonists) and activate [CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 antagonists, also called immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)] the immune system.CTLA-4 agonists are used to treat rheumatologic immune disorders and graft rejection. CTLA-4, PD-1, and PD-L1 antagonists are approved for multiple cancer types and are being investigated for chronic viral infections. Notably, ICIs may be associated with immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which can be highly morbid or fatal. CTLA-4 agonism has been a promising method to reverse such life-threatening irAEs. Herein, we review the clinical pharmacology of these immune checkpoint agents with a focus on their interplay in human diseases.

Prognostic value of programmed death ligand-1 and programmed death-1 expression in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prognostic value of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and programmed death-1 (PD-1) expression in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective multicentre study was conducted in 283 patients with UTUC treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) between 2000 and 2015 at 10 French hospitals. Immunohistochemistry analyses were performed using 2 mm-core tissue microarrays with NAT105® and 28.8® antibodies at a 5% cut-off for positivity on tumour cells and tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes to evaluate PD-L1 and PD-1 expression, respectively. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to determine the independent predictors of recurrence-free (RFS), cancer-specific (CSS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Overall, 63 (22.3%) and 220 (77.7%) patients with UTUC had PD-L1-positive and -negative disease, respectively, while 91 (32.2%) and 192 (67.8%) had PD-1-positive and -negative disease, respectively. Patients who expressed PD-L1 or PD-1 were more likely to have pathological tumour stage ≥pT2 (68.3% vs 49.5%, P = 0.009; and 69.2% vs 46.4%, P < 0.001, respectively) and high-grade (90.5% vs 70.0%, P = 0.001; and 91.2% vs 66.7%, P < 0.001, respectively) disease with lymphovascular invasion (52.4% vs 17.3%, P < 0.001; and 39.6% vs 18.2%, P < 0.001, respectively) as compared to those who did not. In multivariable Cox regression analysis adjusting for each other, PD-L1 and PD-1 expression were significantly associated with decreased RFS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-3.08, P = 0.023; and HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.01-2.54, P = 0.049; respectively), CSS (HR 2.73, 95% CI 1.48-5.04, P = 0.001; and HR 1.96, 95% CI 1.12-3.45, P = 0.019; respectively) and OS (HR 2.08, 95% CI 1.23-3.53, P = 0.006; and HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.05-2.78, P = 0.031; respectively). In addition, multivariable Cox regression analyses evaluating the four-tier combination of PD-L1 and PD-1 expression showed that only PD-L1/PD-1-positive patients (n = 38 [13.4%]) had significantly decreased RFS (HR 3.07, 95% CI 1.70-5.52; P < 0.001), CSS (HR 5.23, 95% CI 2.62-10.43; P < 0.001) and OS (HR 3.82, 95% CI 2.13-6.85; P < 0.001) as compared to those with PD-L1/PD-1-negative disease (n = 167 [59.0%]). CONCLUSIONS: We observed that PD-L1 and PD-1 expression were both associated with adverse pathological features that translated into an independent and cumulative adverse prognostic value in UTUC patients treated with RNU.

FOLFIRI in advanced platinum-resistant/refractory small-cell lung cancer: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for approximately 15% of lung cancer and is associated with poor prognosis. In platinum-refractory or -resistant SCLC patients, few treatment options are available. Topotecan is one of the standards of care for these patients, however, due to its high toxicity, several different approaches are employed. FOLFIRI (folinate, 5-fluorouracil and irinotecan) is a chemotherapy regimen used in digestive neuroendocrine carcinoma, which shares pathological similarities with SCLC. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of FOLFIRI in patients with platinum-resistant/refractory SCLC. METHODS: Medical records from all consecutive SCLC patients treated with FOLFIRI in a French University Hospital from 2013 to 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate according to RECIST v1.1 or EORTC criteria (ORR); secondary endpoints included duration of response, disease control rate, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and safety profile. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients with metastatic platinum-resistant (n = 14) or -refractory (n = 20) SCLC were included. Twenty-eight were evaluable for response, with a partial response observed in 5 patients for an overall ORR in the evaluable population of 17.9% (5/28) and 14.7% (5/34) in the overall population. The disease control rate was 50% (14/28) in the evaluable population. The median PFS and OS were 2.8 months (95%CI, 2.0-5.2 months) and 5.3 months (95%CI, 3.5-8.9 months), respectively. All patients were included in the safety analysis. Grade 3 or 4 adverse events occurred in 13 (38.2%) patients. The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events were asthenia, neutropenia, thrombopenia and diarrhea. There was no adverse event leading to discontinuation or death. CONCLUSION: FOLFIRI showed some activity for platinum-resistant/refractory SCLC in terms of overall response and had an acceptable safety profile. However, caution is needed in interpreting this result. FOLFIRI could represent a potential new treatment for platinum-resistant/refractory SCLC patients. Further prospective studies are needed to assess the benefits of this chemotherapy regimen.HIGHLIGHTSFOLFIRI showed some activity for platinum-resistant/refractory SCLC in terms of overall response.FOLFIRI was well-tolerated in platinum resistant/refractory SLCL patients.FOLFIRI could represent a potential new treatment for SCLC, prospective studies are needed.

Anticancer drug-induced life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias: a World Health Organization pharmacovigilance study.

AIMS: With the explosion of anticancer drugs, an emerging concern is the risk for drug-induced sudden death (SD) via ventricular arrhythmias (VA). METHODS AND RESULTS: We used the international pharmacovigilance database VigiBase (n = 18 441 659 reports) to compare drug-induced long QT (diLQT, n = 18 123) and VA (n = 29 193) including torsade de pointes (TdP, n = 8163) reporting for 663 anticancer drugs vs. all other drugs until 01/01/2019. The analysis used the 95% lower-end credibility interval of the information component (IC025), an indicator for disproportionate Bayesian reporting; significant when IC025 >0. There were 2301 reports (13.8% fatal) for 40 anticancer drugs significantly associated with diLQT (with 27 also associated with VA or SD) and 9 drugs associated with VA without diLQT. Half of these (46.9%, 23/49) were associated with SD. Most (41%, 20/49) were kinase inhibitors, 8% (4/49) were hormonal therapies, 6% (3/49) were immunotherapies, 24% (12/49) were cytotoxics, and 20% (10/49) were miscellaneous. In VigiBase, reports of diLQT, TdP, or VA increased from 580 in the period 1967-83 to 15 070 in 2014-18 with the proportion related to anticancer drugs increasing from 0.9% (5/580) to 14.0% (2115/15 070) (P < 0.0001). Concordance between these VigiBase signals and data concerning diLQT and VA/TdP identified in CredibleMeds or US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labels was moderate (κ = 0.47 and 0.40, P < 0.0001). Twenty-three drugs represent new signals, while 24 flagged by CredibleMeds or FDA had no signal in VigiBase. A three-level SD risk stratification relying on isolated long QT (low risk), associated with VA without SD (moderate risk), and VA with SD (high risk) is proposed. CONCLUSION: This list of liable anticancer drugs may prove useful for physicians and regulatory authorities to re-evaluate cardiac monitoring requirements. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03530215.

Optimizing drug development in oncology by clinical trial simulation: Why and how?

In therapeutic research, the safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products are necessarily tested on humans via clinical trials after an extensive and expensive preclinical development period. Methodologies such as computer modeling and clinical trial simulation (CTS) might represent a valuable option to reduce animal and human assays. The relevance of these methods is well recognized in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics from the preclinical phase to postmarketing. However, they are barely used and are poorly regarded for drug approval, despite Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency recommendations. The generalization of CTS could be greatly facilitated by the availability of software for modeling biological systems, by clinical trial studies and hospital databases. Data sharing and data merging raise legal, policy and technical issues that will need to be addressed. Development of future molecules will have to use CTS for faster development and thus enable better patient management. Drug activity modeling coupled with disease modeling, optimal use of medical data and increased computing speed should allow this leap forward. The realization of CTS requires not only bioinformatics tools to allow interconnection and global integration of all clinical data but also a universal legal framework to protect the privacy of every patient. While recognizing that CTS can never replace 'real-life' trials, they should be implemented in future drug development schemes to provide quantitative support for decision-making. This in silico medicine opens the way to the P4 medicine: predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory.

Management of Pain Medication in Patients With a History of Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review.

CONTEXT: Obesity prevalence is persistently increasing worldwide. Among surgical therapeutic procedures, bypass surgery and sleeve gastrectomy have shown the best results regarding weight loss, prevention, and treatment of secondary complications. However, these surgeries are associated with an increased risk of malabsorption and metabolic changes that could further affect the pharmacokinetics of drugs. On the other hand, patients with a history of such surgeries are more likely to experience pain and request analgesic initiation or adaptation. The question of how to manage pain medication in these patients is challenging due to their narrow therapeutic indexes. OBJECTIVES: To summarize the current literature on the impact of bariatric surgery on the subsequent pharmacokinetics of analgesics and propose a multidisciplinary therapeutic attitude to optimize pain management in these patients. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review that included all pharmacological studies published after 2000. RESULTS: Unexpectedly, these surgeries seem to increase the bioavailability of drugs by long-term improvement of hepatic function. Yet, the medical community drastically lacks robust guidelines for pain management in those patients. This systematic review aims to bring together pharmacological studies related to the use of pain treatments in patients who underwent bypass surgery or sleeve gastrectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Caution should be exercised regarding the risk of overdose in every circumstance: treatment initiation, change of doses, or change of molecule. More prospective trials comparing the pharmacokinetics of medications in obese patients with and without prior bariatric surgery are needed.

A Score to Predict the Clinical Usefulness of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Application to Oral Molecular Targeted Therapies in Cancer.

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) involves measuring and interpreting drug concentrations in biological fluids to adjust drug dosages. In onco-hematology, TDM guidelines for oral molecular targeted therapies (oMTTs) are varied. This study evaluates a quantitative approach with a score to predict the clinical usefulness of TDM for oMTTs. We identified key parameters for an oMTT's suitability for TDM from standard TDM recommendations. We gathered oMTT pharmacological data, which covered exposure variability (considering pharmacokinetic (PK) impact of food and proton pump inhibitors), technical intricacy (PK linearity and active metabolites), efficacy (exposure-response relationship), and safety (maximum tolerated dose, and exposure-safety relationship). To assess the validity and the relevance of the score and define relevant thresholds, we evaluated molecules with prospective validation or strong recommendations for TDM, both in oncology and in other fields. By September 1, 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 67 oMTTs for onco-hematological indications. Scores ranged from 15 (acalabrutinib) to 80 (sunitinib) with an average of 48.3 and a standard deviation of 15.6. Top scorers included sunitinib, sorafenib, cabozantinib, nilotinib, and abemaciclib. Based on scores, drugs were categorized into low (< 40), intermediate (≥ 40 and < 60), and high (≥ 60) relevance for TDM. Notably, negative controls generally scored around or under 40, whereas positive controls had a high score across different indications. In this work, we propose a quantitative and reproducible score to compare the potential usefulness of TDM for oMTTs. Future guidelines should prioritize the TDM for molecules with the highest score.

Clinical spectrum and evolution of immune-checkpoint inhibitors toxicities over a decade-a worldwide perspective.

Background: Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have revolutionized cancer treatment by harnessing the immune system but ICI can induce life-threatening immune-related adverse events (irAE) affecting every organ. Methods: We extracted irAE from VigiBase, the international pharmacovigilance database, first reported in 2008 until 01/2023 to characterize irAE reporting trends, clinical features, risk factors and outcomes. Findings: We distinguished 25 types of irAE (n = 50,347cases, single irAE/case in 84.9%). Cases mainly involved anti-PD1 (programmed-death-1) monotherapy (62.4%) in male (61.7%) aged 64.3 ± 12.6 years. After 2020 vs. prior to 2016, proportion of anti-CTLA4 (Cytotoxic-T-Lymphocyte-Antigen-4) monotherapy prescription almost vanished (1.6% vs. 47%, respectively) contrasting with increased use of anti-PDL1 (PD1-ligand) monotherapy (18% vs. 0.9%) and anti-CTLA4+anti-PD(L)1 combination (20% vs. 8.9%). Anti-LAG3 (Lymphocyte-Activation-Gene-3) prescription was limited (<1%) in the studied timeframe. After 2020, over 14 different cancer types were treated vs. almost exclusively melanoma and lung cancers before 2016. Overall, the most reported irAE were skin reactions (22.9%), pneumonitis (18.5%), enterocolitis (14.4%) and thyroiditis (12.1%). ICI-myotoxicities (6.6%) included myositis, myocarditis and myasthenia-gravis like syndrome and were the most overlapping irAE (up to 30% overlap, vs. <3% in general for other inter-irAE overlap). The top factors associated with specific irAE (odds-ratio>5) were presence of thymic cancer for ICI-myotoxicities or hepatitis; presence of melanoma for vitiligo, uveitis or sarcoidosis; specific types of ICI regimen (anti-LAG3 for meningitis, anti-CTLA4 for hypophysitis); and specific reporting regions (eastern Asia for cholangitis). Median time-to-onset ranged from 31 to 273 days, being shortest for myotoxicities and most delayed for skin-bullous auto-immune reactions. Overall fatality was highest for myocarditis = 27.6%, myasthenia = 23.1%, severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCAR) = 22.1%, myositis = 21.9%, pneumonitis = 21%, and encephalomyelitis = 18%; generally decreasing after 2020, except for myasthenia and SCAR. When reported, irAE recurrence rate after rechallenge was 28.9% (n = 275/951). Interpretation: This up-to-date comprehensive worldwide pharmacovigilance study defines the spectrum, characteristics, and evolution of irAE reporting summarizing over a decade of use. Multiple risk factors and clinical peculiarities for specific irAE have been identified as signals to guide clinical practice and future research. Funding: Paul Gougis was supported by the academic program: "Contrats ED: Programme blanc Institut Curie PSL" for the conduct of his PhD. Baptiste Abbar was supported by "the Fondation ARC Pour le Rechercher Sur le Cancer". The RT2L research group (Institut Curie) was supported by the academic program "SHS INCa", Sanofi iTech award, and by Monoprix∗.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Use During Pregnancy and Outcomes in Pregnant Individuals and Newborns.

Importance: With the widespread use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), concerns about their pregnancy outcomes through maternal exposure have emerged, and clinical comparative data are lacking. Objective: To assess the risk of pregnancy-, fetal-, and/or newborn-related adverse outcomes associated with exposure to ICIs compared with exposure to other anticancer agents. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cohort study, all reports mentioning a pregnancy-related condition and an antineoplastic agent (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification group L01) used for a cancer indication registered in the World Health Organization international pharmacovigilance database VigiBase up to June 26, 2022, were extracted. Exposure: Anticancer agents, including ICIs, used during pregnancy for a cancer indication. Immune checkpoint inhibitors included blockers of programmed cell death 1 (PD1) or its ligand (PD-L1) or cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4). Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was the reporting odds ratio (ROR) for maternal, fetal, or newborn complications in patients treated with ICIs vs any other anticancer drug. Adverse events, categorized into 45 individual maternofetal adverse outcomes, were directly mapped to Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities preferred terms in VigiBase. Results: A total of 3558 reports (ICI: 91 [2.6%]; other anticancer drugs: 3467 [97.4%]) were included in the analysis. In the ICI group, most reports were from the US (60 [65.9%]), and the mean (SD) patient age was 28.9 (10.2) years; in 24 of 55 reports with data on cancer type (43.6%), patients were treated for melanoma. The molecules involved in the ICI group were anti-PD1 (58 reports [63.7%]), anti-PD1 plus anti-CTLA4 (15 [16.5%]), anti-CTLA4 (13 [14.3%]), anti-PD-L1 (4 [4.4%]), and anti-PD1 plus anti-lymphocyte activation gene 3 (1 [1.1%]). An ICI was used in combination with a non-ICI anticancer agent in 10 participants (11.0%). Compared with other anticancer drugs, none of the 45 adverse outcomes identified were overreported in the group exposed to ICIs. However, preterm birth was significantly overreported for the anti-PD1 plus anti-CTLA4 combination compared with other anticancer drugs (12 of 15 [80.0%] vs 793 of 3452 [23.0%]; ROR, 13.87; 95% CI, 3.90-49.28; P < .001) but not for anti-PD-L1 or anti-CTLA4 monotherapy. Three reports of possibly immune-related maternofetal events were identified: 1 case of maternal antiphospholipid syndrome leading to spontaneous abortion, 1 case of pneumonitis leading to neonatal respiratory distress syndrome and death, and 1 case of transient congenital hypothyroidism. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of 91 individuals exposed to ICIs during pregnancy, ICI exposure was not associated with overreporting of specific adverse pregnancy, fetal, and/or newborn outcomes compared with other anticancer treatments. However, due to possible rare immune-related neonatal adverse events, ICI use in pregnant women should be avoided when possible, especially the anti-PD1 plus anti-CTLA4 combination.

Association between endocrine adjuvant therapy intake timing and disease-free survival in patients with high-risk early breast cancer: results of a sub-study of the UCBG- UNIRAD trial.

BACKGROUND: Circadian rhythms regulate cellular physiology and could influence the efficacy of endocrine therapy (ET) in breast cancer (BC). We prospectively tested this hypothesis within the UNIRAD adjuvant phase III trial (NCT01805271). METHODS: 1278 patients with high-risk hormonal receptor positive (HR+)/HER2 negative (HER2-) primary BC were randomly assigned to adjuvant ET with placebo or everolimus. Patients prospectively reported in a diary the daily timing of ET intake among four 6-h slots (06:00-11:59 (morning), 12:00-17:59 (afternoon), 18:00-23:59 (evening), or 24:00-05:59 (nighttime). The association between ET timing and disease-free survival (DFS) was a prespecified secondary endpoint of the trial and the results of this observational study are reported here. FINDINGS: ET timing was recorded by 855 patients (67.2%). Patients declaring morning (n = 465, 54.4%) or afternoon (n = 45, 5.4%) ET intake were older than those declaring evening (n = 339, 39.6%) or nighttime (n = 5, 0.6%) intake. With a median follow-up of 46.7 months, 118 patients had a local (n = 30) or metastasis relapse (n = 84), and 41 patients died. ET intake timing was not associated with DFS in the whole population (HR = 0.77, 95% CI [0.53-1.12]). The association between ET intake timing and DFS according to the stratification factors revealed interactions with ET agent (tamoxifen versus Aromatase inhibitors (AI) with an increased DFS in the group of evening/nighttime versus morning/afternoon tamoxifen intake (HR = 0.43, 95% CI [0.22-0.85]), while no association was found for AI intake (HR = 1.07, 95% CI [0.68-1.69]). The interaction between ET intake timing and ET agent remained in multivariable analysis (HR = 0.38 [0.16-0.91]). INTERPRETATION: Tamoxifen intake in the evening/nighttime could be recommended in patients with high-risk HR+/HER2- BC while awaiting for results from further ET timing studies. FUNDING: UNIRAD was Supported by a grant from the French Ministry of Health PHRC 2012 and received funding from La Ligue contre le Cancer, Cancer Research-UK, Myriad Genetics, and Novartis.

Concomitant medication, comorbidity and survival in patients with breast cancer.

Between 30% and 70% of patients with breast cancer have pre-existing chronic conditions, and more than half are on long-term non-cancer medication at the time of diagnosis. Preliminary epidemiological evidence suggests that some non-cancer medications may affect breast cancer risk, recurrence, and survival. In this nationwide cohort study, we assessed the association between medication use at breast cancer diagnosis and survival. We included 235,368 French women with newly diagnosed non-metastatic breast cancer. In analyzes of 288 medications, we identified eight medications positively associated with either overall survival or disease-free survival: rabeprazole, alverine, atenolol, simvastatin, rosuvastatin, estriol (vaginal or transmucosal), nomegestrol, and hypromellose; and eight medications negatively associated with overall survival or disease-free survival: ferrous fumarate, prednisolone, carbimazole, pristinamycin, oxazepam, alprazolam, hydroxyzine, and mianserin. Full results are available online from an interactive platform ( https://adrenaline.curie.fr ). This resource provides hypotheses for drugs that may naturally influence breast cancer evolution.

Management of cancer treatments in hemodialysis patients.

INTRODUCTION: The number of cancer patients receiving long-term hemodialysis (HD) is increasing, and HD could jeopardize treatments' safety and efficacy. Therefore, managing anticancer drugs is critical in this frail population. In addition, evidence of HD safety or risk is regularly released both for cytotoxic chemotherapy (CT) or hormone therapy (HT) as well as new therapies with molecularly targeted therapies (MTT), immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), and a summary of current knowledge is needed. METHODS: We aimed to synthesize available data on cancer treatments in HD patients using PubMed database, FDA labels, summary of product characteristics (SmPC), FDA and EMA approval documents, guidelines and finally case reports for which relevant pharmacokinetic (PK) data is available. RESULTS: For CT, recently proposed guidelines were balanced by the publication of particular toxic reports following them. SmPC was helpful in some cases, but no data was found for most CTs. MTT, both oral and monoclonal antibodies, were rarely modified by HD. However, HD patients have particular frailty that could require dose adaptation despite no substantial PK modification. Similarly, exposure to ICIs is unlikely to be modified by HD since immunoglobulins are not dialyzable. For HT, PK characteristics and HD impact were more heterogeneous and were reviewed molecule by molecule. CONCLUSIONS: We summarized current knowledge on HD and cancer treatments. Data remains scarce, and the latest guidelines rely on few clinical data. There is a need to collect both retrospective and prospective data to better characterize the safety and relevant dose and schedule adaptations whenever needed in this situation to reinforce future guidelines.

Effects of gender and socio-environmental factors on health-care access in oncology: a comprehensive, nationwide study in France.

Background: Gender-based disparities in health-care are common and can affect access to care. We aimed to investigate the impact of gender and socio-environmental indicators on health-care access in oncology in France. Methods: Using the national health insurance system database in France, we identified patients (aged ≥18 years) who were diagnosed with solid invasive cancers between the 1st of January 2018 and the 31st of December 2019. We ensured that only incident cases were identified by excluding patients with an existing cancer diagnosis in 2016 and 2017; skin cancers other than melanoma were also excluded. We extracted 71 socio-environmental variables related to patients' living environment and divided these into eight categories: inaccessibility to public transport, economic deprivation, unemployment, gender-related wage disparities, social isolation, educational barriers, familial hardship, and insecurity. We employed a mixed linear regression model to assess the influence of age, comorbidities, and all eight socio-environmental indices on health-care access, while evaluating the interaction with gender. Health-care access was measured using absolute and relative cancer care expertise indexes. Findings: In total, 594,372 patients were included: 290,658 (49%) women and 303,714 (51%) men. With the exception of unemployment, all socio-environmental indices, age, and comorbidities were inversely correlated with health-care access. However, notable interactions with gender were observed, with a stronger association between socio-environmental factors and health-care access in women than in men. In particular, inaccessibility to public transport (coefficient for absolute cancer care expertise index = -1.10 [-1.22, -0.99], p < 0.0001), familial hardship (-0.64 [-0.72, -0.55], p < 0.0001), social isolation (-0.38 [-0.46, -0.30], p < 0.0001), insecurity (-0.29 [-0.37, -0.21], p < 0.0001), and economic deprivation (-0.13 [-0.19, -0.07], p < 0.0001) had a strong negative impact on health-care access in women. Interpretation: Access to cancer care is determined by a complex interplay of gender and various socio-environmental factors. While gender is a significant component, it operates within the context of multiple socio-environmental influences. Future work should focus on developing targeted interventions to address these multifaceted barriers and promote equitable health-care access for both genders. Funding: None.

Treatments During Pregnancy Targeting ERBB2 and Outcomes of Pregnant Individuals and Newborns.

Importance: Targeted therapies directed against ERBB2 are the cornerstone of medical treatment for ERBB2-positive breast cancers but are contraindicated during pregnancy. Objectives: To describe the association of exposure to anti-ERBB2 agents during pregnancy with pregnancy and fetal or newborn outcomes, and to compare the risk and types of adverse outcomes reported more frequently in this context than after exposure to other anticancer agents. Design, Setting, and Participants: For this case-control study, All reports with a pregnancy-related condition and an antineoplastic agent (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification group L01) registered in the World Health Organization international pharmacovigilance database VigiBase up to June 26, 2022, were extracted. All reports with a pregnancy, an antineoplastic treatment during pregnancy, and a cancer were retained. Reports with anticancer agents prescribed for nononcologic purposes were not included. Exposure: The exposure group was defined as reports that mention anti-ERBB2 agents compared with exposure to other anticancer agents. Main Outcome and Measures: The main outcome was the reporting odds ratio (ROR) for maternofetal complications in the group exposed to anti-ERBB2 agents compared with other anticancer agents, as determined using a disproportionality analysis. Results: A total of 3558 reports (anti-ERBB2 agents, 328; other anticancer agents, 3230) were included in the analysis. In the group exposed to anti-ERBB2 agents, most reports were from the US (159 [48.5%]), the mean (SD) age of participants was 30.8 (10.4) years, and 209 patients (97.7%) were treated for breast cancers. The molecules most frequently involved in cases with anti-ERBB2 agents were trastuzumab (n = 302), pertuzumab (n = 55), trastuzumab-emtansine (n = 20), and lapatinib (n = 18). The outcomes overreported in these cases included oligohydramnios (ROR, 17.68 [95% CI, 12.26-25.52]; P < .001), congenital respiratory tract disorders (ROR, 9.98 [95% CI, 2.88-34.67]; P < .001), and neonatal kidney failure (ROR, 9.15 [95% CI, 4.62-18.12]; P < .001). Sensitivity and multivariable analyses found similar results. Toxic effects were also significantly overreported for trastuzumab-emtansine (cardiovascular malformation: ROR, 4.46 [95% CI, 1.02-19.52]) and lapatinib (intrauterine growth restriction: ROR, 7.68 [95% CI, 3.01-19.59]). Conclusions and Relevance: In this case-control study of 328 individuals exposed to anti-ERBB2 agents during pregnancy, exposure was associated with a severe specific adverse pregnancy and fetal or newborn outcomes compared with exposure to other anticancer treatments.

Abatacept/Ruxolitinib and Screening for Concomitant Respiratory Muscle Failure to Mitigate Fatality of Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitor Myocarditis.

Immune-checkpoint-inhibitor (ICI)-associated myotoxicity involves the heart (myocarditis) and skeletal muscles (myositis), which frequently occur concurrently and are highly fatal. We report the results of a strategy that included identification of individuals with severe ICI myocarditis by also screening for and managing concomitant respiratory muscle involvement with mechanical ventilation, as well as treatment with the CTLA4 fusion protein abatacept and the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib. Forty cases with definite ICI myocarditis were included with pathologic confirmation of concomitant myositis in the majority of patients. In the first 10 patients, using recommended guidelines, myotoxicity-related fatality occurred in 60%, consistent with historical controls. In the subsequent 30 cases, we instituted systematic screening for respiratory muscle involvement coupled with active ventilation and treatment using ruxolitinib and abatacept. The abatacept dose was adjusted using CD86 receptor occupancy on circulating monocytes. The myotoxicity-related fatality rate was 3.4% (1/30) in these 30 patients versus 60% in the first quartile (P < 0.0001). These clinical results are hypothesis-generating and need further evaluation. SIGNIFICANCE: Early management of respiratory muscle failure using mechanical ventilation and high-dose abatacept with CD86 receptor occupancy monitoring combined with ruxolitinib may be promising to mitigate high fatality rates in severe ICI myocarditis. See related commentary by Dougan, p. 1040. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1027.

Thymus alterations and susceptibility to immune checkpoint inhibitor myocarditis.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have transformed the therapeutic landscape in oncology. However, ICI can induce uncommon life-threatening autoimmune T-cell-mediated myotoxicities, including myocarditis and myositis. The thymus plays a critical role in T cell maturation. Here we demonstrate that thymic alterations are associated with increased incidence and severity of ICI myotoxicities. First, using the international pharmacovigilance database VigiBase, the Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris-Sorbonne University data warehouse (Paris, France) and a meta-analysis of clinical trials, we show that ICI treatment of thymic epithelial tumors (TET, and particularly thymoma) was more frequently associated with ICI myotoxicities than other ICI-treated cancers. Second, in an international ICI myocarditis registry, we established that myocarditis occurred earlier after ICI initiation in patients with TET (including active or prior history of TET) compared to other cancers and was more severe in terms of life-threatening arrythmias and concurrent myositis, leading to respiratory muscle failure and death. Lastly, we show that presence of anti-acetylcholine-receptor antibodies (a biological proxy of thymic-associated autoimmunity) was more prevalent in patients with ICI myocarditis than in ICI-treated control patients. Altogether, our results highlight that thymic alterations are associated with incidence and seriousness of ICI myotoxicities. Clinico-radio-biological workup evaluating the thymus may help in predicting ICI myotoxicities.

Reversible Tumor Progression Induced by a Dexamethasone Course for Severe COVID-19 during Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment.

Immunotherapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) represent the latest revolution in oncology. Several studies have reported an association between the use of corticosteroids and poorer outcomes for patients treated with ICIs. However, it has been never established whether corticoid-induced tumor progression under ICI treatment could be reversible. We report herein transient tumor progression induced by dexamethasone for a patient treated with pembrolizumab for metastatic bladder cancer. An 82-year-old man was treated with pembrolizumab as a second-line treatment for metastatic urothelial carcinoma with stable disease for 8 months as the best tumoral response. He experienced severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and was treated with high-dose dexamethasone for ten days according to the RECOVERY protocol. Following this episode, radiological CT-scan evaluation showed tumor progression. Pembrolizumab was maintained, and subsequent radiological evaluation showed tumor shrinkage. This case highlights that the antagonistic effect of glucocorticoids with ICI efficacy is transient and can be reverted when corticoids are withdrawn. Clinicians should be aware that tumor progression in the context of the intercurrent use of systemic corticosteroids can be temporary and should be interpreted with caution, and ICI continuation could be considered for some patients. Insights: The antagonistic effect of glucocorticoids with ICI efficacy is transient and can be reverted when corticoids are withdrawn. Tumor progression in the context of the intercurrent use of systemic corticosteroids can be temporary and should be interpreted with caution, and ICI continuation could be considered for some patients.

No Impact of Seasonality of Diagnoses on Baseline Tumor Immune Infiltration, Response to Treatment, and Prognosis in BC Patients Treated with NAC.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) makes it possible to monitor in vivo response to treatment. Several studies have investigated the impact of the seasons on the incidence and detection of BC, on tumor composition, and on the prognosis of BC. However, no evidence is available on their association with immune infiltration and the response to treatment. The objective of this study was to analyze pre- and post-NAC immune infiltration as assessed by TIL levels, the response to treatment as assessed by pathological complete response (pCR) rates, and oncological outcomes as assessed by relapse-free survival (RFS) or overall survival (OS) according to the seasonality of BC diagnoses in a clinical cohort of patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Out of 1199 patients, the repartition of the season at BC diagnosis showed that 27.2% were diagnosed in fall, 25.4% in winter, 24% in spring, and 23.4% in summer. Baseline patient and tumor characteristics, including notable pre-NAC TIL levels, were not significantly different in terms of the season of BC diagnosis. Similarly, the pCR rates were not different. No association for oncological outcome was identified. Our data do not support the idea that the seasonality of diagnoses has a major impact on the natural history of BC treated with NAC.