Neoadjuvant-Adjuvant or Adjuvant-Only Pembrolizumab in Advanced Melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Whether pembrolizumab given both before surgery (neoadjuvant therapy) and after surgery (adjuvant therapy), as compared with pembrolizumab given as adjuvant therapy alone, would increase event-free survival among patients with resectable stage III or IV melanoma is unknown. METHODS: In a phase 2 trial, we randomly assigned patients with clinically detectable, measurable stage IIIB to IVC melanoma that was amenable to surgical resection to three doses of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab, surgery, and 15 doses of adjuvant pembrolizumab (neoadjuvant-adjuvant group) or to surgery followed by pembrolizumab (200 mg intravenously every 3 weeks for a total of 18 doses) for approximately 1 year or until disease recurred or unacceptable toxic effects developed (adjuvant-only group). The primary end point was event-free survival in the intention-to-treat population. Events were defined as disease progression or toxic effects that precluded surgery; the inability to resect all gross disease; disease progression, surgical complications, or toxic effects of treatment that precluded the initiation of adjuvant therapy within 84 days after surgery; recurrence of melanoma after surgery; or death from any cause. Safety was also evaluated. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 14.7 months, the neoadjuvant-adjuvant group (154 patients) had significantly longer event-free survival than the adjuvant-only group (159 patients) (P = 0.004 by the log-rank test). In a landmark analysis, event-free survival at 2 years was 72% (95% confidence interval [CI], 64 to 80) in the neoadjuvant-adjuvant group and 49% (95% CI, 41 to 59) in the adjuvant-only group. The percentage of patients with treatment-related adverse events of grades 3 or higher during therapy was 12% in the neoadjuvant-adjuvant group and 14% in the adjuvant-only group. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with resectable stage III or IV melanoma, event-free survival was significantly longer among those who received pembrolizumab both before and after surgery than among those who received adjuvant pembrolizumab alone. No new toxic effects were identified. (Funded by the National Cancer Institute and Merck Sharp and Dohme; S1801 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03698019.).

A phase 1 study of triple-targeted therapy with BRAF, MEK, and AKT inhibitors for patients with BRAF-mutated cancers.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant PI3K/AKT signaling in BRAF-mutant cancers contributes to resistance to BRAF inhibitors. The authors examined dual MAPK and PI3K pathway inhibition in patients who had BRAF-mutated solid tumors (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01902173). METHODS: Patients with BRAF V600E/V600K-mutant solid tumors received oral dabrafenib at 150 mg twice daily with dose escalation of oral uprosertib starting at 50 mg daily, or, in the triplet cohorts, with dose escalation of both oral trametinib starting at 1.5 mg daily and oral uprosertib starting at 25 mg daily. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were assessed within the first 56 days of treatment. Radiographic responses were assessed at 8-week intervals. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients (22 evaluable) were enrolled in parallel doublet and triplet cohorts. No DLTs were observed in the doublet cohorts (N = 7). One patient had a DLT at the maximum administered dose of triplet therapy (dabrafenib 150 mg twice daily and trametinib 2 mg daily plus uprosertib 75 mg daily). Three patients in the doublet cohorts had partial responses (including one who had BRAF inhibitor-resistant melanoma). Two patients in the triplet cohorts had a partial response, and one patient had an unconfirmed partial response. Pharmacokinetic data suggested reduced dabrafenib and dabrafenib metabolite exposure in patients who were also exposed to both trametinib and uprosertib, but not in whose who were exposed to uprosertib without trametinib. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant inhibition of both the MAPK and PI3K-AKT pathways for the treatment of BRAF-mutated cancers was well tolerated, leading to objective responses, but higher level drug-drug interactions affected exposure to dabrafenib and its metabolites.

Risk Factors for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Immunotherapy Toxicity Among Older Adults with Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Immune checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy (IO) is revolutionizing cancer care but can lead to significant toxicity. This study seeks to describe potential risk factors for immune-related adverse events (irAEs) specifically among older adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study at a single academic comprehensive cancer center based on chart review data abstracted by physicians. For patients aged ≥70 years, frequency, type, and grade of irAEs and their association with baseline patient demographics, comorbidities, mobility, and functional status were characterized using bivariate analysis. Based on those results, multivariable logistic regressions were constructed to model the association between these characteristics with any grade and grade 3 or higher irAEs. RESULTS: Data were analyzed for 238 patients aged ≥70 years who received IO for mostly (≥90%) advanced cancer between 2011 and 2018. Thirty-nine percent of older adults experienced an irAE and 13% experienced one that was grade 3 or higher. In the multivariable analysis, depression was associated with an increased incidence of any grade irAE, while decreased life-space mobility was associated with an increased incidence of grade ≥3 irAEs. CONCLUSION: Most characteristics of special interest among older adults, include fall risk, weight loss, cognitive limitations, and hearing loss, were not associated with irAEs in our study. However, decreased life-space mobility and depression are potential risk factors for IO toxicity among older adults with advanced cancer. Interventions designed to evaluate and mitigate modifiable risk factors for treatment-related toxicity are needed, and the results of this study may be useful for guiding those efforts.

Association of medical comorbidities and cardiovascular disease with toxicity and survival among patients receiving checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Medical comorbidities (MC) are highly prevalent among patients with cancer and predict worse outcomes for traditional therapies. This association is poorly understood for checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy (IO). We aimed to explore the relationship between common MC including cardiovascular disease (CVD), immune-related adverse events (irAEs), and overall survival (OS) among patients receiving IO for advanced cancer. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of 671 patients with any cancer who received IO at our institution from 2011 to 2018. Clinical data were abstracted via chart review and query of ICD-10 codes and used to calculate modified Charlson comorbidity index (mCCI) scores. The primary outcomes were the association of individual MC with irAEs and OS using bivariate and multivariable analyses. Secondary outcomes included association of mCCI score with irAEs and OS. RESULTS: Among 671 patients, 62.1% had a mCCI score ≥ 1. No individual MC were associated with irAEs or OS. Increased CCI score was associated with decreased OS (p < 0.01) but not with irAEs. Grade ≥ 3 irAEs were associated with increased OS among patients without CVD (HR 0.37 [95% CI: 0.25, 0.55], p < 0.01), but not among patients with CVD. CONCLUSIONS: No specific MC predicted risk of irAEs or OS for patients receiving IO. Increased CCI score did not predict risk of irAEs but was associated with shorter OS. This suggests IO is safe for patients with MC, but MC may limit survival benefits of IO. CVD may predict shorter OS in patients with irAEs and should be evaluated among patients receiving IO.

BTK inhibition potentiates anti-PD-L1 treatment in murine melanoma: potential role for MDSC modulation in immunotherapy.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) have been linked to loss of immune effector cell function through a variety of mechanisms such as the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and the production of inhibitory cytokines. Our group has shown that signaling through Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) is important for MDSC function. Ibrutinib is an orally administered targeted agent that inhibits BTK activation and is currently used for the treatment of B cell malignancies. Using a syngeneic murine model of melanoma, the effect of BTK inhibition with ibrutinib on the therapeutic response to systemic PD-L1 blockade was studied. BTK was expressed by murine MDSC and their activation was inhibited by ibrutinib. Ibrutinib was not directly cytotoxic to cancer cells in vitro, but it inhibited BTK activation in MDSC and reduced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) and production of nitric oxide. Ibrutinib treatments decreased the levels of circulating MDSC in vivo and increased the therapeutic efficacy of anti-PD-L1 antibody treatment. Gene expression profiling showed that ibrutinib decreased Cybb (NOX2) signaling, and increased IL-17 signaling (upregulating downstream targets Mmp9, Ptgs2, and S100a8). These results suggest that further exploration of MDSC inhibition could enhance the immunotherapy of advanced melanoma.PrécisInhibition of Bruton's tyrosine kinase, a key enzyme in myeloid cellular function, improves therapeutic response to an anti-PD-L1 antibody in an otherwise fairly resistant murine melanoma model.

Inferring the role of the microbiome on survival in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: causal modeling, timing, and classes of concomitant medications.

BACKGROUND: The microbiome has been shown to affect the response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) in a small number of cancers and in preclinical models. Here, we sought to broadly survey cancers to identify those in which the microbiome may play a prognostic role using retrospective analyses of patients with advanced cancer treated with ICIs. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 690 patients who received ICI therapy for advanced cancer. We used a literature review to define a causal model for the relationship between medications, the microbiome, and ICI response to guide the abstraction of electronic health records. Medications with precedent for changes to the microbiome included antibiotics, corticosteroids, proton pump inhibitors, histamine receptor blockers, non-steroid anti-inflammatories and statins. We tested the effect of medication timing on overall survival (OS) and evaluated the robustness of medication effects in each cancer. Finally, we compared the size of the effect observed for different classes of antibiotics to taxa that have been correlated to ICI response using a literature review of culture-based antibiotic susceptibilities. RESULTS: Of the medications assessed, only antibiotics and corticosteroids significantly associated with shorter OS. The hazard ratios (HRs) for antibiotics and corticosteroids were highest near the start of ICI treatment but remained significant when given prior to ICI. Antibiotics and corticosteroids remained significantly associated with OS even when controlling for multiple factors such as Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, Charlson Comorbidity Index score, and stage. When grouping antibiotics by class, ß-lactams showed the strongest association with OS across all tested cancers. CONCLUSIONS: The timing and strength of the correlations with antibiotics and corticosteroids after controlling for confounding factors are consistent with the microbiome involvement with the response to ICIs across several cancers.

Chemoprevention agents for melanoma: A path forward into phase 3 clinical trials.

Recent progress in the treatment of advanced melanoma has led to unprecedented improvements in overall survival and, as these new melanoma treatments have been developed and deployed in the clinic, much has been learned about the natural history of the disease. Now is the time to apply that knowledge toward the design and clinical evaluation of new chemoprevention agents. Melanoma chemoprevention has the potential to reduce dramatically both the morbidity and the high costs associated with treating patients who have metastatic disease. In this work, scientific and clinical melanoma experts from the national Melanoma Prevention Working Group, composed of National Cancer Trials Network investigators, discuss research aimed at discovering and developing (or repurposing) drugs and natural products for the prevention of melanoma and propose an updated pipeline for translating the most promising agents into the clinic. The mechanism of action, preclinical data, epidemiological evidence, and results from available clinical trials are discussed for each class of compounds. Selected keratinocyte carcinoma chemoprevention studies also are considered, and a rationale for their inclusion is presented. These data are summarized in a table that lists the type and level of evidence available for each class of agents. Also included in the discussion is an assessment of additional research necessary and the likelihood that a given compound may be a suitable candidate for a phase 3 clinical trial within the next 5 years.

Known and novel ocular toxicities of biologics, targeted agents, and traditional chemotherapeutics.

PURPOSE: Increases in cancer with an aging population and the rapid development of new chemotherapeutics underscore the need for ophthalmologists to identify and manage potential ocular toxicities. This retrospective case series reports the ocular side effects of traditional and novel chemotherapeutic agents from a large center. METHODS: The medical records of 3537 adult patients 18 years and older who presented to an academic ophthalmology department on high-risk medications identified by ICD-9 search between January 2010 and February 2015 were reviewed. A cancer diagnosis, as well as a temporal association with chemotherapeutic use and ocular side effect, was deemed necessary for inclusion in the study. The main measures were ocular side effects in cancer patients taking chemotherapy, ocular imaging abnormalities, and the outcome of each side effect. RESULTS: Of the 161 oncology patients referred to the ophthalmology clinic for chemotherapeutic screening or ocular side effect, 31 (19.3%) were identified as having an ocular adverse reaction due to a novel or traditional chemotherapeutic medication. A novel flattening of the corneal curvature with hyperopic shift and corneal microcysts was identified in a patient taking the antibody-drug conjugate mirvetuximab soravtansine and was reversible with topical steroids. A bilateral medium-vessel choroidal vasculopathy with serous retinal detachment was seen with ipilimumab. The most frequent medication with ocular toxicity was interferon-α(2b) (IFN-α(2b)) (6/31, 19.4%); headache was typical in these patients (83.3%). Ibrutinib ocular toxicity was second most common (5/31, 16.1%), usually causing red or dry eye, while one patient developed branch retinal artery occlusion. Retinal abnormalities documented on OCT imaging occurred with IFN-α(2b), ipilimumab, binimetinib, and docetaxel, while rod-cone ERG abnormality was seen with cisplatin. Inflammatory conditions included anterior scleritis with zoledronic acid, focal eyelid inflammation with veliparib, bilateral chemosis with R-CHOP, iritis, and blepharospasm with IFN-α(2b). AION occurred with pemetrexed, and transient vision loss with hyperemic disc OS was seen with FOLFOX. Two patients (2/31, 6.5%) developed permanent vision loss. Six patients were lost to follow-up, and the clinical course was unknown (6/31, 19.4%). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Cases of permanent visual loss were observed; yet, in the majority of side effects, they improved with topical therapy and/or holding the medication. Further research is needed to elucidate the incidence and the pathophysiology of these side effects and maximize patient quality of life.

gp100 peptide vaccine and interleukin-2 in patients with advanced melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Stimulating an immune response against cancer with the use of vaccines remains a challenge. We hypothesized that combining a melanoma vaccine with interleukin-2, an immune activating agent, could improve outcomes. In a previous phase 2 study, patients with metastatic melanoma receiving high-dose interleukin-2 plus the gp100:209-217(210M) peptide vaccine had a higher rate of response than the rate that is expected among patients who are treated with interleukin-2 alone. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, phase 3 trial involving 185 patients at 21 centers. Eligibility criteria included stage IV or locally advanced stage III cutaneous melanoma, expression of HLA*A0201, an absence of brain metastases, and suitability for high-dose interleukin-2 therapy. Patients were randomly assigned to receive interleukin-2 alone (720,000 IU per kilogram of body weight per dose) or gp100:209-217(210M) plus incomplete Freund's adjuvant (Montanide ISA-51) once per cycle, followed by interleukin-2. The primary end point was clinical response. Secondary end points included toxic effects and progression-free survival. RESULTS: The treatment groups were well balanced with respect to baseline characteristics and received a similar amount of interleukin-2 per cycle. The toxic effects were consistent with those expected with interleukin-2 therapy. The vaccine-interleukin-2 group, as compared with the interleukin-2-only group, had a significant improvement in centrally verified overall clinical response (16% vs. 6%, P=0.03), as well as longer progression-free survival (2.2 months; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7 to 3.9 vs. 1.6 months; 95% CI, 1.5 to 1.8; P=0.008). The median overall survival was also longer in the vaccine-interleukin-2 group than in the interleukin-2-only group (17.8 months; 95% CI, 11.9 to 25.8 vs. 11.1 months; 95% CI, 8.7 to 16.3; P=0.06). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with advanced melanoma, the response rate was higher and progression-free survival longer with vaccine and interleukin-2 than with interleukin-2 alone. (Funded by the National Cancer Institute and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00019682.).

Single-Cell RNA-Seq Analysis of Patient Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells and the Response to Inhibition of Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) levels are elevated in patients with cancer and contribute to reduced efficacy of immune checkpoint therapy. MDSC express Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) and BTK inhibition with ibrutinib, an FDA-approved irreversible inhibitor of BTK, leads to reduced MDSC expansion/function in mice and significantly improves the antitumor activity of anti-PD-1 antibody treatments. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was used to characterize the effect of ibrutinib on gene expression of fluorescence-activated cell sorting-enriched MDSC from patients with different cancer types [breast, melanoma, head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC)]. Melanoma patient MDSC were treated in vitro for 4 hours with 5 µmol/L ibrutinib or DMSO, processed for scRNA-seq using the Chromium 10× Genomics platform, and analyzed via the Seurat v4 standard integrative workflow. Baseline gene expression of MDSC from patients with breast, melanoma, and HNSCC cancer revealed similarities among the top expressed genes. In vitro ibrutinib treatment of MDSC from patients with melanoma resulted in significant changes in gene expression. GBP1, IL-1ß, and CXCL8 were among the top downregulated genes whereas RGS2 and ABHD5 were among the top upregulated genes (P < 0.001). Double positive CD14+CD15+ MDSC and PMN-MDSC responded similarly to BTK inhibition and exhibited more pronounced gene changes compared with early MDSC and M-MDSC. Pathway analysis revealed significantly downregulated pathways including TREM1, nitric oxide signaling, and IL-6 signaling (P < 0.004). IMPLICATIONS: scRNA-seq revealed characteristic gene expression patterns for MDSC from different patients with cancer and BTK inhibition led to the downregulation of multiple genes and pathways important to MDSC function and migration.

Ipilimumab with or without nivolumab in PD-1 or PD-L1 blockade refractory metastatic melanoma: a randomized phase 2 trial.

In this randomized phase 2 trial, blockade of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte protein 4 (CTLA-4) with continuation of programmed death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade in patients with metastatic melanoma who had received front-line anti-PD-1 or therapy against programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 and whose tumors progressed was tested in comparison with CTLA-4 blockade alone. Ninety-two eligible patients were randomly assigned in a 3:1 ratio to receive the combination of ipilimumab and nivolumab, or ipilimumab alone. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival. Secondary endpoints included the difference in CD8 T cell infiltrate among responding and nonresponding tumors, objective response rate, overall survival and toxicity. The combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab resulted in a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival over ipilimumab (hazard ratio = 0.63, 90% confidence interval (CI) = 0.41-0.97, one-sided P = 0.04). Objective response rates were 28% (90% CI = 19-38%) and 9% (90% CI = 2-25%), respectively (one-sided P = 0.05). Grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events occurred in 57% and 35% of patients, respectively, which is consistent with the known toxicity profile of these regimens. The change in intratumoral CD8 T cell density observed in the present analysis did not reach statistical significance to support the formal hypothesis tested as a secondary endpoint. In conclusion, primary resistance to PD-1 blockade therapy can be reversed in some patients with the combination of CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT03033576 .

Combination Dabrafenib and Trametinib Versus Combination Nivolumab and Ipilimumab for Patients With Advanced BRAF-Mutant Melanoma: The DREAMseq Trial-ECOG-ACRIN EA6134.

PURPOSE: Combination programmed cell death protein 1/cytotoxic T-cell lymphocyte-4-blockade and dual BRAF/MEK inhibition have each shown significant clinical benefit in patients with BRAFV600-mutant metastatic melanoma, leading to broad regulatory approval. Little prospective data exist to guide the choice of either initial therapy or treatment sequence in this population. This study was conducted to determine which initial treatment or treatment sequence produced the best efficacy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a phase III trial, patients with treatment-naive BRAFV600-mutant metastatic melanoma were randomly assigned to receive either combination nivolumab/ipilimumab (arm A) or dabrafenib/trametinib (arm B) in step 1, and at disease progression were enrolled in step 2 to receive the alternate therapy, dabrafenib/trametinib (arm C) or nivolumab/ipilimumab (arm D). The primary end point was 2-year overall survival (OS). Secondary end points were 3-year OS, objective response rate, response duration, progression-free survival, crossover feasibility, and safety. RESULTS: A total of 265 patients were enrolled, with 73 going onto step 2 (27 in arm C and 46 in arm D). The study was stopped early by the independent Data Safety Monitoring Committee because of a clinically significant end point being achieved. The 2-year OS for those starting on arm A was 71.8% (95% CI, 62.5 to 79.1) and arm B 51.5% (95% CI, 41.7 to 60.4; log-rank P = .010). Step 1 progression-free survival favored arm A (P = .054). Objective response rates were arm A: 46.0%; arm B: 43.0%; arm C: 47.8%; and arm D: 29.6%. Median duration of response was not reached for arm A and 12.7 months for arm B (P < .001). Crossover occurred in 52% of patients with documented disease progression. Grade ≥ 3 toxicities occurred with similar frequency between arms, and regimen toxicity profiles were as anticipated. CONCLUSION: Combination nivolumab/ipilimumab followed by BRAF and MEK inhibitor therapy, if necessary, should be the preferred treatment sequence for a large majority of patients.

Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) clinical practice guideline on immunotherapy for the treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) are some of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies. In general, early-stage NMSCs have favorable outcomes; however, a small subset of patients develop resistant, advanced, or metastatic disease, or aggressive subtypes that are more challenging to treat successfully. Recently, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), and basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Although ICIs have demonstrated activity against NMSCs, the routine clinical use of these agents may be more challenging due to a number of factors including the lack of predictive biomarkers, the need to consider special patient populations, the management of toxicity, and the assessment of atypical responses. With the goal of improving patient care by providing expert guidance to the oncology community, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) convened a multidisciplinary panel of experts to develop a clinical practice guideline (CPG). The expert panel drew on the published literature as well as their own clinical experience to develop recommendations for healthcare professionals on important aspects of immunotherapeutic treatment for NMSCs, including staging, biomarker testing, patient selection, therapy selection, post-treatment response evaluation and surveillance, and patient quality of life (QOL) considerations, among others. The evidence- and consensus-based recommendations in this CPG are intended to provide guidance to cancer care professionals treating patients with NMSCs.

BRAF mutation correlates with worse local-regional control following radiation therapy in patients with stage III melanoma.

BACKGROUND: In patients with stage III melanoma, the use of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) after lymph node dissection (LND) may be currently considered in selected high-risk patients to improve tumor control. Melanomas harbor BRAF mutations (BRAF+) in 40-50% of cases, the majority of which are on the V600E residue. This study sought to compare the clinical outcomes after RT between patients with BRAF+ and BRAF- melanoma. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of 105 Stage III melanoma patients treated at our institution with LND followed by adjuvant RT from 2006 to 2019. BRAF mutational status was determined on the primary skin or nodal tissue samples from all patients. We compared characteristics of the BRAF+ and BRAF- groups using Fisher's exact test and Wilcoxon rank sum test and performed univariate and multivariate analysis using Kaplan-Meier estimates, log-rank tests, and Cox proportional hazards modeling with the clinical outcomes of local-regional lymph node control, distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Fifty-three (50%) patients harbored a BRAF mutation (92%, pV600E). BRAF+ patients were younger and had primary tumors more commonly found in the trunk vs head and neck compared to BRAF- patients (p < 0.05). The 5 year local-regional control in the BRAF + patients was 60% compared to 81% in the BRAF- patients (HR 4.5, 95% CI 1.3-15.5, p = 0.02). There were no significant differences in 5-year DMFS, RFS, and OS rates between the two BRAF patient groups. The presence of 4 or more positive LNs remained a significant prognostic factor for local-regional lymph node control, RFS, and OS in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Stage III melanoma patients with BRAF mutation treated with adjuvant RT had > 4 times increased risk of local recurrence or regional lymph node recurrence. These results could be useful for adjuvant RT consideration in lymph node positive melanoma patients and supports other data that BRAF mutation confers radiation resistance.

Checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy toxicity and overall survival among older adults with advanced cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Despite growing evidence that checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy (IO) toxicity is associated with improved treatment response, the relationship between immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and overall survival (OS) among older adults [age ≥ 70 years (y)] remains unknown. The study goal was to determine differences in OS based on age and ≥ grade 3 (G3) irAEs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of 673 patients with advanced cancer. Patients who received ≥1 dose of IO at our institution from 2011 to 2018 were eligible. The primary outcome was OS from the start of first line of IO treatment, compared between four patient groups stratified by age and ≥ G3 irAEs with adjustment for patient characteristics using a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Among all 673 patients, 35.4% were ≥ 70y, 39.8% had melanoma, and 45.6% received single-agent nivolumab. Incidence and types of ≥G3 irAEs did not differ by age. Median OS was significantly longer for all patients with ≥G3 irAEs (unadjusted 21.7 vs. 11.9 months, P = 0.007). There was no difference in OS among patients ≥70y with ≥G3 irAEs (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.61-1.47, P = 0.79) in the multivariable analysis. Patients <70y with ≥G3 irAEs had significantly increased OS (HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.21-0.52, P < 0.001). Younger patients, but not older adults, with high-grade irAEs experience strong survival benefit. This difference may be due to the toll of irAEs themselves or the effects of treatments for irAEs, such as corticosteroids. Factors impacting OS of older adults after irAEs must be determined and optimized.

Immune adverse events (irAEs) with adjuvant ipilimumab in melanoma, use of immunosuppressants and association with outcome: ECOG-ACRIN E1609 study analysis.

BACKGROUND: The impact of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) occurring from adjuvant use of immunotherapy and of their management on relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) outcomes is currently not well understood. PATIENTS AND METHODS: E1609 enrolled 1673 patients with resected high-risk melanoma and evaluated adjuvant ipilimumab 3 mg/kg (ipi3) and 10 mg/kg (ipi10) versus interferon-α. We investigated the association of irAEs and of use of immunosuppressants with RFS and OS for patients treated with ipilimumab (n=1034). RESULTS: Occurrence of grades 1-2 irAEs was associated with RFS (5 years: 52% (95% CI 47% to 56%) vs 41% (95% CI 31% to 50%) with no AE; p=0.006) and a trend toward improved OS (5 years: 75% (95% CI 71% to 79%) compared with 67% (95% CI 56% to 75%) with no AE; p=0.064). Among specific irAEs, grades 1-2 rash was most significantly associated with RFS (p=0.002) and OS (p=0.003). In multivariate models adjusting for prognostic factors, the most significant associations were seen for grades 1-2 rash with RFS (p<0.001, HR=0.70) and OS (p=0.01, HR=0.71) and for grades 1-2 endocrine+rash with RFS (p<0.001, HR=0.66) and OS (p=0.008, HR=0.7). Overall, grades 1-2 irAEs had the best prognosis in terms of RFS and OS and those with grades 3-4 had less RFS benefits and no OS advantage over no irAE. Patients experiencing grades 3-4 irAE had significantly higher exposure to corticosteroids and immunosuppressants than those with grades 1-2 (92% vs 60%; p<0.001), but no significant associations were found between corticosteroid and immunosuppressant use and RFS or OS. In investigating the impact of non-corticosteroid immunosuppressants, although there were trends toward better RFS and OS favoring cases who were not exposed, no significant associations were found. CONCLUSIONS: Rash and endocrine irAEs were independent prognostic factors of RFS and OS in patients treated with adjuvant ipilimumab. Patients experiencing lower grade irAEs derived the most benefit, but we found no significant evidence supporting a negative impact of high dose corticosteroids and immunosuppressants more commonly used to manage grades 3-4 irAEs.

Targeting the IL-2 inducible kinase in melanoma; a phase 2 study of ibrutinib in systemic treatment-refractory distant metastatic cutaneous melanoma: preclinical rationale, biology, and clinical activity (NCI9922).

BACKGROUND: IL-2 inducible kinase (ITK) is highly expressed in metastatic melanomas and its inhibition suppresses melanoma cell proliferation. We hypothesize that ibrutinib has a direct antitumor effect in melanoma cell lines and that treatment of metastatic melanomas with ibrutinib induces antitumor responses. METHODS: We assessed the ibrutinib effect on melanoma cell proliferation, apoptosis, and motility. Patients with metastatic melanoma refractory to PD-1 and MAPK inhibitors (if BRAFV600-mutant) were treated with ibrutinib, 840 mg PO QD, as part of a phase II clinical trial (clinicaltrials.gov NCT02581930). RESULTS: Melanoma cell lines frequently express ITK, YES1, and EGFR. Ibrutinib suppressed cell motility and proliferation in most cell lines. Eighteen patients (13 male; median age 63.5 years, range 37-82; 12 with ipilimumab resistance) were enrolled. The most frequent side effects were fatigue (61%), anorexia (50%), hyponatremia (28%), nausea, and vomiting (22% each). No antitumor responses were seen. At a median follow-up of 6 months (0.3-35.8 months), the median progression-free survival was 1.3 months (range 0.2-5.5 months). Fifteen patients were discontinued from the study due to progression, and 14 patients had died from metastatic melanoma. All archived tumors expressed ITK, 41% had no expression of p16 and PTEN, and 61% had absent tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Ibrutinib significantly suppressed proliferating (Ki67+) CD19+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells and had no significant effect on other lymphocyte subsets. CONCLUSION: Ibrutinib did not induce any meaningful clinical benefit. ITK expression may not be clinically relevant. Treatment-refractory metastatic melanomas have other fundamental defects (i.e. absent PTEN and p16 expression, absent TILs) that may contribute to an adverse prognosis.

Impact of age-related T cell dynamics on the identification of biomarkers predictive of immunotherapy discontinuation: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of biologic aging on immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) toxicity and efficacy is underexplored in metastatic melanoma (MM). In peripheral blood T-lymphocytes (PBTLs), biologic aging is characterized by changes in T-cell composition and cellular senescence. Whether indicators of PBTL biologic aging vary in MM patients or can be used to predict premature ICI discontinuation (pID) is unknown. METHODS: We prospectively collected PBTLs from 117 cancer-free controls and 46 MM patients scheduled to begin pembrolizumab or nivolumab monotherapy. 74 mRNAs indicative of T-cell subsets, activation, co-stimuation/inhibition and cellular senescence were measured by Nanostring. Relationships between each mRNA and chronologic age were assessed in patients and controls. Candidate biomarkers were identified by calculating the hazard ratio (HR) for pID in patients divided into low and high groups based on log-transformed mRNA levels or the magnitude by which each mRNA measurement deviated from the control trend (Δage). Area under the curve (AUC) analyses explored the ability of each biomarker to discriminate between patients with and without pID at 6 months and 1 year. RESULTS: Fifteen mRNAs correlated with chronologic age in controls, including markers of T-cell subsets, differentiation, cytokine production and co-stimulation/inhibition. None of these mRNAs remained correlated with age in patients. Median follow-up was 94.8 (1.6-195.7) weeks and 35 of 46 patients discontinued therapy (23 progression, 7 toxicity, 5 comorbidity/patient preference). Elevated pre-therapy CD8A (HR 2.2[1.1-4.9]), CD45RB (HR 2.9[1.4-5.8]) and TNFRSF14 (HR 2.2[1.1-4.5]) levels predicted pID independent of Δage-correction. CD3ε, CD27 and FOXO1 predicted pID only after Δage-correction (HR 2.5[1.3-5.1]; 3.7[1.8-7.8]; 2.1[1.1-4.3]). AUC analysis identified Δage-CD3ε and -CD27 as candidate predictors of pID (AUC=0.73; 0.75). CONCLUSIONS: Correlations between transcriptional markers of PBTL composition and chronologic age are disrupted in MM. Correcting for normal, age-related trends in biomarker expression unveils new biomarker candidates predictive of ICI outcomes.

Phase III Study of Adjuvant Ipilimumab (3 or 10 mg/kg) Versus High-Dose Interferon Alfa-2b for Resected High-Risk Melanoma: North American Intergroup E1609.

PURPOSE: Phase III adjuvant trials have reported significant benefits in both relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) for high-dose interferon alfa (HDI) and ipilimumab at 10 mg/kg (ipi10). E1609 evaluated the safety and efficacy of ipilimumab at 3 mg/kg (ipi3) and ipi10 versus HDI. PATIENTS AND METHODS: E1609 was a phase III trial in patients with resected cutaneous melanoma (American Joint Committee on Cancer 7th edition stage IIIB, IIIC, M1a, or M1b). It had 2 coprimary end points: OS and RFS. A 2-step hierarchic approach first evaluated ipi3 versus HDI followed by ipi10 versus HDI. RESULTS: Between May 2011 and August 2014, 1,670 adult patients were centrally randomly assigned (1:1:1) to ipi3 (n = 523), HDI (n = 636), or ipi10 (n = 511). Treatment-related adverse events grade ≥ 3 occurred in 37% of patients receiving ipi3, 79% receiving HDI, and 58% receiving ipi10, with adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation in 35%, 20%, and 54%, respectively. Comparison of ipi3 versus HDI used an intent-to-treat analysis of concurrently randomly assigned patient cases (n = 1,051) and showed significant OS difference in favor of ipi3 (hazard ratio [HR], 0.78; 95.6% repeated CI, 0.61 to 0.99; P = .044; RFS: HR, 0.85; 99.4% CI, 0.66 to 1.09; P = .065). In the second step, for ipi10 versus HDI (n = 989), trends in favor of ipi10 did not achieve statistical significance. Salvage patterns after melanoma relapse showed significantly higher rates of ipilimumab and ipilimumab/anti-programmed death 1 use in the HDI arm versus ipi3 and ipi10 (P ≤ .001). CONCLUSION: Adjuvant therapy with ipi3 benefits survival versus HDI; for the first time to our knowledge in melanoma adjuvant therapy, E1609 has demonstrated a significant improvement in OS against an active control regimen. The currently approved adjuvant ipilimumab dose (ipi10) was more toxic and not superior in efficacy to HDI.