Durvalumab Plus Carboplatin/Paclitaxel Followed by Maintenance Durvalumab With or Without Olaparib as First-Line Treatment for Advanced Endometrial Cancer: The Phase III DUO-E Trial.

PURPOSE: Immunotherapy and chemotherapy combinations have shown activity in endometrial cancer, with greater benefit in mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient (dMMR) than MMR-proficient (pMMR) disease. Adding a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor may improve outcomes, especially in pMMR disease. METHODS: This phase III, global, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomly assigned eligible patients with newly diagnosed advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer 1:1:1 to: carboplatin/paclitaxel plus durvalumab placebo followed by placebo maintenance (control arm); carboplatin/paclitaxel plus durvalumab followed by maintenance durvalumab plus olaparib placebo (durvalumab arm); or carboplatin/paclitaxel plus durvalumab followed by maintenance durvalumab plus olaparib (durvalumab + olaparib arm). The primary end points were progression-free survival (PFS) in the durvalumab arm versus control and the durvalumab + olaparib arm versus control. RESULTS: Seven hundred eighteen patients were randomly assigned. In the intention-to-treat population, statistically significant PFS benefit was observed in the durvalumab (hazard ratio [HR], 0.71 [95% CI, 0.57 to 0.89]; P = .003) and durvalumab + olaparib arms (HR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.43 to 0.69]; P < .0001) versus control. Prespecified, exploratory subgroup analyses showed PFS benefit in dMMR (HR [durvalumab v control], 0.42 [95% CI, 0.22 to 0.80]; HR [durvalumab + olaparib v control], 0.41 [95% CI, 0.21 to 0.75]) and pMMR subgroups (HR [durvalumab v control], 0.77 [95% CI, 0.60 to 0.97]; HR [durvalumab + olaparib v control] 0.57; [95% CI, 0.44 to 0.73]); and in PD-L1-positive subgroups (HR [durvalumab v control], 0.63 [95% CI, 0.48 to 0.83]; HR [durvalumab + olaparib v control], 0.42 [95% CI, 0.31 to 0.57]). Interim overall survival results (maturity approximately 28%) were supportive of the primary outcomes (durvalumab v control: HR, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.56 to 1.07]; P = .120; durvalumab + olaparib v control: HR, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.42 to 0.83]; P = .003). The safety profiles of the experimental arms were generally consistent with individual agents. CONCLUSION: Carboplatin/paclitaxel plus durvalumab followed by maintenance durvalumab with or without olaparib demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful PFS benefit in patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.

Overall survival and patient-reported outcome results from the placebo-controlled randomized phase III IMagyn050/GOG 3015/ENGOT-OV39 trial of atezolizumab for newly diagnosed stage III/IV ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact on overall survival (OS) and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of combining atezolizumab with standard therapy for newly diagnosed stage III/IV ovarian cancer. METHODS: The placebo-controlled double-blind randomized phase III IMagyn050/GOG 3015/ENGOT-OV39 trial (NCT03038100) assigned eligible patients to 3-weekly atezolizumab 1200 mg or placebo for 22 cycles with platinum-based chemotherapy and bevacizumab. Coprimary endpoints were progression-free survival (already reported) and OS in the PD-L1-positive and intent-to-treat (ITT) populations, tested hierarchically. Prespecified PRO analyses focused on disease-related abdominal pain and bloating symptoms (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-OV28), functioning, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (QLQ-C30). RESULTS: After 38 months' median follow-up, the OS hazard ratio in the PD-L1-positive population was 0.83 (95% CI, 0.66-1.06; p = 0.13); median OS was not estimable with atezolizumab versus 49.2 months with placebo. The hazard ratio for OS in the ITT population was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.78-1.09; median 50.5 versus 46.6 months, respectively). At week 9, similar proportions of patients in both arms of the neoadjuvant cohort showed ≥10-point improvement from baseline in abdominal pain and bloating, functioning, and HRQoL. In the primary surgery cohort, similar proportions of patients in each arm had improved, stable, or worsened physical and role function and HRQoL from baseline over time. Neither cohort showed differences between arms in treatment-related symptoms or overall side-effect bother. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporation of atezolizumab into standard therapy for newly diagnosed ovarian cancer does not significantly improve efficacy or impose additional treatment burden for patients. CLINICALTRIALS: gov registration: NCT03038100.

Challenges of conversion from robotic surgery for vascular complications.

A 67-year-old woman with endometrial adenocarcinoma had sustained an aortic injury during robotically assisted retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy. Repair could not be performed laparoscopically; however, graspers were used to maintain hemostasis while conversion to open surgery was initiated. Safety mechanisms locked the graspers in place, preventing tissue release, but resulting in additional aortic injury. Forceful removal of the graspers was eventually successful, and definitive aortic repair was then performed. Vascular surgeons who are not familiar with robotic surgery techniques should be aware that removal of robotic hardware requires the use of stepwise algorithms, which, if performed out of order, can introduce significant challenges.

Atezolizumab, Bevacizumab, and Chemotherapy for Newly Diagnosed Stage III or IV Ovarian Cancer: Placebo-Controlled Randomized Phase III Trial (IMagyn050/GOG 3015/ENGOT-OV39).

PURPOSE: To evaluate the addition of the humanized monoclonal antiprogrammed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) antibody, atezolizumab, to platinum-based chemotherapy and bevacizumab in newly diagnosed stage III or IV ovarian cancer (OC). METHODS: This multicenter placebo-controlled double-blind randomized phase III trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03038100) enrolled patients with newly diagnosed untreated International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage III or IV OC who either had undergone primary cytoreductive surgery with macroscopic residual disease or were planned to receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval surgery. Patients were stratified by FIGO stage, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, tumor immune cell PD-L1 staining, and treatment strategy and randomly assigned 1:1 to receive 3-weekly cycles of atezolizumab 1,200 mg or placebo (day 1, cycles 1-22), with paclitaxel plus carboplatin (day 1, cycles 1-6) plus bevacizumab 15 mg/kg (day 1, cycles 2-22), omitting perioperative bevacizumab in neoadjuvant patients. The co-primary end points were investigator-assessed progression-free survival and overall survival in the intention-to-treat and PD-L1-positive populations. RESULTS: Between March 8, 2017, and March 26, 2019, 1,301 patients were enrolled. The median progression-free survival was 19.5 versus 18.4 months with atezolizumab versus placebo, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.79 to 1.07; stratified log-rank P = .28), in the intention-to-treat population and 20.8 versus 18.5 months, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.99; P = .038), in the PD-L1-positive population. The interim (immature) overall survival results showed no significant benefit from atezolizumab. The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events were neutropenia (21% with atezolizumab v 21% with placebo), hypertension (18% v 20%, respectively), and anemia (12% v 12%). CONCLUSION: Current evidence does not support the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in newly diagnosed OC. Insight from this trial should inform further evaluation of immunotherapy in OC.

Interferon-γ signaling is associated with BRCA1 loss-of-function mutations in high grade serous ovarian cancer.

Loss-of-function mutations of the breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein (BRCA1) are associated with breast (BC) and ovarian cancer (OC). To identify gene signatures regulated by epigenetic mechanisms in OC cells carrying BRCA1 mutations, we assessed cellular responses to epigenome modifiers and performed genome-wide RNA- and chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing in isogenic OC cells UWB1.289 (carrying a BRCA1 mutation, BRCA1-null) and UWB1.289 transduced with wild-type BRCA1 (BRCA1+). Increased sensitivity to histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) was observed in BRCA1-null vs. BRCA1+ cells. Gene expression profiles of BRCA1-null vs. BRCA1+ cells and treated with HDACi were integrated with chromatin mapping of histone H3 lysine 9 or 27 acetylation. Gene networks activated in BRCA1-null vs. BRCA1 + OC cells related to cellular movement, cellular development, cellular growth and proliferation, and activated upstream regulators included TGFß1, TNF, and IFN-γ. The IFN-γ pathway was altered by HDACi in BRCA1+ vs. BRCA1-null cells, and in BRCA1-mutated/or low vs. BRCA1-normal OC tumors profiled in the TCGA. Key IFN-γ-induced genes upregulated at baseline in BRCA1-null vs. BRCA1+OC and BC cells included CXCL10, CXCL11, and IFI16. Increased localization of STAT1 in the promoters of these genes occurred in BRCA1-null OC cells, resulting in diminished responses to IFN-γ or to STAT1 knockdown. The IFN-γ signature was associated with improved survival among OC patients profiled in the TCGA. In all, our results support that changes affecting IFN-γ responses are associated with inactivating BRCA1 mutations in OC. This signature may contribute to altered responses to anti-tumor immunity in BRCA1-mutated cells or tumors.

Lipid Desaturation Is a Metabolic Marker and Therapeutic Target of Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells.

Lack of sensitive single-cell analysis tools has limited the characterization of metabolic activity in cancer stem cells. By hyperspectral-stimulated Raman scattering imaging of single living cells and mass spectrometry analysis of extracted lipids, we report here significantly increased levels of unsaturated lipids in ovarian cancer stem cells (CSCs) as compared to non-CSCs. Higher lipid unsaturation levels were also detected in CSC-enriched spheroids compared to monolayer cultures of ovarian cancer cell lines or primary cells. Inhibition of lipid desaturases effectively eliminated CSCs, suppressed sphere formation in vitro, and blocked tumor initiation capacity in vivo. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) directly regulates the expression levels of lipid desaturases, and inhibition of desaturases blocks NF-κB signaling. Collectively, our findings reveal that increased lipid unsaturation is a metabolic marker for ovarian CSCs and a target for CSC-specific therapy.