Tisotumab Vedotin as Second- or Third-Line Therapy for Recurrent Cervical Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent cervical cancer is a life-threatening disease, with limited treatment options available when disease progression occurs after first-line combination therapy. METHODS: We conducted a phase 3, multinational, open-label trial of tisotumab vedotin as second- or third-line therapy in patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer. Patients were randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive tisotumab vedotin monotherapy (2.0 mg per kilogram of body weight every 3 weeks) or the investigator's choice of chemotherapy (topotecan, vinorelbine, gemcitabine, irinotecan, or pemetrexed). The primary end point was overall survival. RESULTS: A total of 502 patients underwent randomization (253 were assigned to the tisotumab vedotin group and 249 to the chemotherapy group); the groups were similar with respect to demographic and disease characteristics. The median overall survival was significantly longer in the tisotumab vedotin group than in the chemotherapy group (11.5 months [95% confidence interval {CI}, 9.8 to 14.9] vs. 9.5 months [95% CI, 7.9 to 10.7]), results that represented a 30% lower risk of death with tisotumab vedotin than with chemotherapy (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.89; two-sided P = 0.004). The median progression-free survival was 4.2 months (95% CI, 4.0 to 4.4) with tisotumab vedotin and 2.9 months (95% CI, 2.6 to 3.1) with chemotherapy (hazard ratio, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.82; two-sided P<0.001). The confirmed objective response rate was 17.8% in the tisotumab vedotin group and 5.2% in the chemotherapy group (odds ratio, 4.0; 95% CI, 2.1 to 7.6; two-sided P<0.001). A total of 98.4% of patients in the tisotumab vedotin group and 99.2% in the chemotherapy group had at least one adverse event that occurred during the treatment period (defined as the period from day 1 of dose 1 until 30 days after the last dose); grade 3 or greater events occurred in 52.0% and 62.3%, respectively. A total of 14.8% of patients stopped tisotumab vedotin treatment because of toxic effects. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with recurrent cervical cancer, second- or third-line treatment with tisotumab vedotin resulted in significantly greater efficacy than chemotherapy. (Funded by Genmab and Seagen [acquired by Pfizer]; innovaTV 301 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04697628.).

Survival with Cemiplimab in Recurrent Cervical Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Patients with recurrent cervical cancer have a poor prognosis. Cemiplimab, the fully human programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)-blocking antibody approved to treat lung and skin cancers, has been shown to have preliminary clinical activity in this population. METHODS: In this phase 3 trial, we enrolled patients who had disease progression after first-line platinum-containing chemotherapy, regardless of their programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) status. Women were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive cemiplimab (350 mg every 3 weeks) or the investigator's choice of single-agent chemotherapy. The primary end point was overall survival. Progression-free survival and safety were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 608 women were enrolled (304 in each group). In the overall trial population, median overall survival was longer in the cemiplimab group than in the chemotherapy group (12.0 months vs. 8.5 months; hazard ratio for death, 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56 to 0.84; two-sided P<0.001). The overall survival benefit was consistent in both histologic subgroups (squamous-cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma [including adenosquamous carcinoma]). Progression-free survival was also longer in the cemiplimab group than in the chemotherapy group in the overall population (hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.63 to 0.89; two-sided P<0.001). In the overall population, an objective response occurred in 16.4% (95% CI, 12.5 to 21.1) of the patients in the cemiplimab group, as compared with 6.3% (95% CI, 3.8 to 9.6) in the chemotherapy group. An objective response occurred in 18% (95% CI, 11 to 28) of the cemiplimab-treated patients with PD-L1 expression greater than or equal to 1% and in 11% (95% CI, 4 to 25) of those with PD-L1 expression of less than 1%. Overall, grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred in 45.0% of the patients who received cemiplimab and in 53.4% of those who received chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Survival was significantly longer with cemiplimab than with single-agent chemotherapy among patients with recurrent cervical cancer after first-line platinum-containing chemotherapy. (Funded by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi; EMPOWER-Cervical 1/GOG-3016/ENGOT-cx9 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03257267.).

Gene expression markers in peripheral blood and outcome in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer: A study of the European GANNET53 consortium.

Disease progression is a major problem in ovarian cancer. There are very few treatment options for patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC), and therefore, these patients have a particularly poor prognosis. The aim of the present study was to identify markers for monitoring the response of 123 PROC patients enrolled in the Phase I/II GANNET53 clinical trial, which evaluated the efficacy of Ganetespib in combination with standard chemotherapy versus standard chemotherapy alone. In total, 474 blood samples were collected, comprising baseline samples taken before the first administration of the study drugs and serial samples taken during treatment until further disease progression (PD). After microfluidic enrichment, 27 gene transcripts were analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and their utility for disease monitoring was evaluated. At baseline, ERCC1 was associated with an increased risk of PD (hazard ratio [HR] 1.75, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20-2.55; p = 0.005), while baseline CDH1 and ESR1 may have a risk-reducing effect (CDH1 HR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.46-0.96; p = 0.024; ESR1 HR 0.58, 95% CI: 0.39-0.86; p = 0.002). ERCC1 was observed significantly more often (72.7% vs. 53.9%; p = 0.032) and ESR1 significantly less frequently (59.1% vs. 78.3%; p = 0.018) in blood samples taken at radiologically confirmed PD than at controlled disease. At any time during treatment, ERCC1-presence and ESR1-absence were associated with short PFS and with higher odds of PD within 6 months (odds ratio 12.77, 95% CI: 4.08-39.97; p < 0.001). Our study demonstrates the clinical relevance of ESR1 and ERCC1 and may encourage the analysis of liquid biopsy samples for the management of PROC patients.

Loss of copy numbers of retrotransposons (HERVK) on chromosome 7p11.2 impacts EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor)-induced phenotypes for platinum sensitivity and long-term survival in ovarian cancer-A study from the OVCAD consortium.

We analyzed variations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene and 5'-upstream region to identify potential molecular predictors of treatment response in primary epithelial ovarian cancer. Tumor tissues collected during debulking surgery from the prospective multicenter OVCAD study were investigated. Copy number variations in the human endogenous retrovirus sequence human endogenous retrovirus K9 (HERVK9) and EGFR Exons 7 and 9, as well as repeat length and loss of heterozygosity of polymorphic CA-SSR I and relative EGFR mRNA expression were determined quantitatively. At least one EGFR variation was observed in 94% of the patients. Among the 30 combinations of variations discovered, enhanced platinum sensitivity (n = 151) was found dominantly with HERVK9 haploidy and Exon 7 tetraploidy, overrepresented among patients with survival ≥120 months (24/29, p = .0212). EGFR overexpression (≥80 percentile) was significantly less likely in the responders (17% vs. 32%, p = .044). Multivariate Cox regression analysis, including age, FIGO stage, and grade, indicated that the patients' subgroup was prognostically significant for CA-SSR I repeat length <18 CA for both alleles (HR 0.276, 95% confidence interval 0.109-0.655, p = .001). Although EGFR variations occur in ovarian cancer, the mRNA levels remain low compared to other EGFR-mutated cancers. Notably, the inherited length of the CA-SSR I repeat, HERVK9 haploidy, and Exon 7 tetraploidy conferred three times higher odds ratio to survive for more than 10 years under therapy. This may add value in guiding therapies if determined during follow-up in circulating tumor cells or circulating tumor DNA and offers HERVK9 as a potential therapeutic target.

Randomized Trial of Cytoreductive Surgery for Relapsed Ovarian Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Treatment for patients with recurrent ovarian cancer has been mainly based on systemic therapy. The role of secondary cytoreductive surgery is unclear. METHODS: We randomly assigned patients with recurrent ovarian cancer who had a first relapse after a platinum-free interval (an interval during which no platinum-based chemotherapy was used) of 6 months or more to undergo secondary cytoreductive surgery and then receive platinum-based chemotherapy or to receive platinum-based chemotherapy alone. Patients were eligible if they presented with a positive Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynäkologische Onkologie (AGO) score, defined as an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance-status score of 0 (on a 5-point scale, with higher scores indicating greater disability), ascites of less than 500 ml, and complete resection at initial surgery. A positive AGO score is used to identify patients in whom a complete resection might be achieved. The primary end point was overall survival. We also assessed quality of life and prognostic factors for survival. RESULTS: A total of 407 patients underwent randomization: 206 were assigned to cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy, and 201 to chemotherapy alone. A complete resection was achieved in 75.5% of the patients in the surgery group who underwent the procedure. The median overall survival was 53.7 months in the surgery group and 46.0 months in the no-surgery group (hazard ratio for death, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.59 to 0.96; P = 0.02). Patients with a complete resection had the most favorable outcome, with a median overall survival of 61.9 months. A benefit from surgery was seen in all analyses in subgroups according to prognostic factors. Quality-of-life measures through 1 year of follow-up did not differ between the two groups, and we observed no perioperative mortality within 30 days after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: In women with recurrent ovarian cancer, cytoreductive surgery followed by chemotherapy resulted in longer overall survival than chemotherapy alone. (Funded by the AGO Study Group and others; DESKTOP III ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01166737.).

Patterns of initial ovarian cancer recurrence on niraparib maintenance monotherapy in patients with no baseline evidence of disease after first-line chemotherapy: An ad hoc subgroup analysis of PRIMA/ENGOT-OV26/GOG-3012.

OBJECTIVES: Patterns of disease recurrence on poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor maintenance therapy are unclear and may affect subsequent treatment. This ad hoc subgroup analysis of the phase 3 PRIMA/ENGOT-OV26/GOG-3012 study evaluated patterns of initial recurrence in patients with advanced ovarian cancer (AOC). METHODS: PRIMA included participants at high risk for disease progression. This ad hoc analysis only evaluated participants randomized to niraparib maintenance without evidence of disease at baseline. The number and site(s) of initial recurrent lesions at investigator-assessed progressive disease (PD) were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 314 niraparib-treated patients analyzed, 190 developed ≥1 new lesion (median number of new lesions, 1.0; interquartile range, 1-2). In total, 93.2% (177/190) of patients developed 1-3 lesions at first disease progression. The most common sites of recurrence were the peritoneum (30.0% [57/190]), lymph nodes (26.3% [50/190]), and liver (20.5% [39/190]). Similar results were observed when patients with PD were stratified by biomarker status, disease stage at diagnosis, and type of debulking surgery. Patients with homologous recombination-proficient tumors, stage III disease, or a history of primary debulking developed a median of 2.0 new lesions at first progression; patients with homologous recombination-deficient tumors, stage IV disease, or a history of interval debulking developed a median of 1.0 new lesion. CONCLUSIONS: Many patients with AOC without lesions at first-line maintenance treatment initiation develop oligometastatic disease at first recurrence. Prospective evaluation is required to determine whether these patients have improved outcomes when local therapies are combined with continuous, systemic, targeted maintenance therapy.

Phase 1b study of mirvetuximab soravtansine, a folate receptor alpha (FRα)-targeting antibody-drug conjugate, in combination with carboplatin and bevacizumab in patients with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the antitumor activity and safety profile of the triplet combination of mirvetuximab soravtansine (MIRV), carboplatin, and bevacizumab in recurrent, platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. METHODS: Participants with recurrent, platinum-sensitive epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer (1-2 prior lines of therapy) received MIRV (6 mg/kg adjusted ideal body weight), carboplatin (AUC5), and bevacizumab (15 mg/kg) once every 3 weeks. Carboplatin could be discontinued after 6 cycles per investigator discretion; continuation of MIRV+bevacizumab as maintenance therapy was permitted. Eligibility included folate receptor alpha (FRα) expression by immunohistochemistry (≥50% of cells with ≥2+ intensity; PS2+ scoring); prior bevacizumab was allowed. Tumor response, duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and adverse events (AEs) were assessed. RESULTS: Forty-one participants received triplet therapy, with a median of 6, 12, and 13 cycles of carboplatin, MIRV, and bevacizumab, respectively. The confirmed objective response rate was 83% (9 complete and 25 partial responses). The median DOR was 10.9 months; median PFS was 13.5 months. AEs (any grade) occurred as expected, based on each agent's safety profile; most common were diarrhea (83%), nausea (76%), fatigue (73%), thrombocytopenia (71%), and blurred vision (68%). Most cases were mild to moderate (grade ≤2), except for thrombocytopenia, for which most drug-related discontinuations occurred, and neutropenia. CONCLUSIONS: This triplet regimen (MIRV+carboplatin+bevacizumab) was highly active, with a tolerable AE profile in participants with recurrent, platinum-sensitive, FRα-expressing ovarian cancer. Thrombocytopenia was the primary cause of dose modifications. These outcomes compare favorably to historical data reported for platinum-based chemotherapy plus bevacizumab regimens in similar patient populations.

Primary results of the AGO-Zervix-1 Study: A prospective, randomized phase III study to compare the effects of paclitaxel and topotecan with those of cisplatin and topotecan in the treatment of patients with recurrent and persistent cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Before the era of immunotherapies and antibody-drug conjugates, there were limited chemotherapeutic options for patients with recurrent and metastatic cervical cancer. Combination therapies with cisplatin have shown some superiority over monotherapy. This study examined platinum-free treatment regimens, comparing a combination of topotecan and paclitaxel (TP) with topotecan and cisplatin (TC) in patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer, with or without prior platinum-based treatment. METHODS: The AGO-Zervix-1 Study (NCT01405235) is a prospective, randomized phase III study in which patients were randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to treatment within the control arm with topotecan (0.75 mg/m2) on days 1-3 and cisplatin (50 mg/m2) on day 1 every 3 weeks and in the study arm topotecan (1.75 mg/m2) and paclitaxel (70 mg/m2) on days 1, 8, and 15 every 4 weeks or treatment. The primary study aim was overall survival; progression-free survival, toxicity, and quality of life were secondary aims. The interim and final analysis is here reported after recruitment of 173 of 312 planned patients. RESULTS: Median overall survival in the TP arm was 9.6 months, compared with 12.0 months in the TC arm (log-rank test, P = 0.33). Median progression-free survival rates were 4.4 months with TP and 4.2 months with TC (log-rank test, P = 0.47). Leukopenia and nausea/vomiting were more frequent in the cisplatin-containing arm. Otherwise, toxicity profiles were comparable. There were no differences in FACT-G-assessed quality of life. CONCLUSION: Platinum-based combination chemotherapy remains the standard of care chemotherapy regimen for patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer.

Long-term follow-up of efficacy and safety of selinexor maintenance treatment in patients with TP53wt advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer: A subgroup analysis of the ENGOT-EN5/GOG-3055/SIENDO study.

OBJECTIVE: To report long-term efficacy and safety of selinexor maintenance therapy in adults with TP53 wild-type (TP53wt) stage IV or recurrent endometrial cancer (EC) who achieved partial remission (PR) or complete remission (CR) following chemotherapy. METHODS: Analysis of the prespecified, exploratory subgroup of patients with TP53wt EC from the phase 3 SIENDO study was performed. Progression-free survival (PFS) benefit in patients with TP53wt EC and across other patient subgroups were exploratory endpoints. Safety and tolerability were also assessed. RESULTS: Of the 263 patients enrolled in the SIENDO trial, 113 patients had TP53wt EC; 70/113 (61.9%) had TP53wt/proficient mismatch repair (pMMR) EC, and 29/113 (25.7%) had TP53wt/deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) EC. As of April 1, 2024, the median PFS (mPFS) for TP53wt patients who received selinexor compared with placebo was 28.4 versus 5.2 months (36.8-month follow-up, HR 0.44; 95% CI 0.27-0.73). A benefit in mPFS was seen with selinexor versus placebo regardless of MMR status (patients with TP53wt/pMMR EC: 39.5 vs 4.9 months, HR 0.36; 95% CI 0.19-0.71; patients with TP53wt/dMMR EC: 13.1 vs 3.7 months, HR 0.49; 95% CI 0.18-1.34). Selinexor treatment was generally manageable, with no new safety signals identified. CONCLUSION: In the phase 3 SIENDO study, selinexor maintenance therapy showed a promising efficacy signal and a manageable safety profile in the prespecified subgroup of patients with TP53wt EC who achieved a PR or CR following chemotherapy. These results are being further evaluated in an ongoing randomized phase 3 trial (NCT05611931).

Mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx: first antibody/antigen-drug conjugate (ADC) in advanced or recurrent ovarian cancer.

Mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx (MIRV) is a conjugate of a folate receptor alpha (FRα)-directed antibody and the maytansinoid microtubule inhibitor, DM4. Accumulating pre-clinical and clinical data supported the safety and anti-tumor activity of MIRV in tumors expressing FRα. In 2017, a phase I expansion study reported the first experience of MIRV in FRα-positive platinum-resistant ovarian cancer with promising results. However, the phase III FORWARD I study failed to demonstrate a significant benefit of MIRV in FRα-positive tumors. On the basis of the data reported from this latter study, MIRV was then explored in the FRα-high population only and using a different folate receptor assay. The phase II SORAYA trial supported the adoption of MIRV in this setting. Hence, the US Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval of MIRV for patients with FRα-positive platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who have received 1-3 prior systemic treatment regimens. Moreover, the results of the MIRASOL trial showed a significant reduction in the risk of tumor progression or death among patients treated with MIRV versus chemotherapy. VENTANA FOLR1 (FOLR-2.1) was approved as a companion diagnostic test to identify FRα patients. MIRV appears to be a significant asset in managing advanced or recurrent ovarian cancer. Further trials are needed to confirm these promising results, even in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and maintenance settings.

Predictors of long-term progression-free survival in patients with ovarian cancer treated with niraparib in the PRIMA/ENGOT-OV26/GOG-3012 study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify characteristics associated with long-term progression-free survival (≥2 years) in patients with advanced ovarian cancer treated with niraparib first-line maintenance therapy in the phase III PRIMA/ENGOT-OV26/GOG-3012 study. METHODS: In this post hoc analysis of PRIMA, patients randomized to niraparib were grouped based on investigator-assessed progression-free survival (progressive disease/censoring <2 years or ≥2 years after randomization). Variables assessed for predictive value were Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage at diagnosis, clinical response to platinum-based chemotherapy, number of prior chemotherapy cycles, primary tumor location, body mass index, categorical age, debulking surgery type, number of baseline target lesions, number of baseline non-target lesions, BRCA/homologous recombination-deficiency status, residual disease status, and duration from end of chemotherapy to randomization. Logistic regression modeling using backward elimination (significance level=0.15) identified covariates associated with long-term progression-free survival (clinical cut-off date November 17, 2021). RESULTS: Of 487 patients randomized to niraparib, 152 (31%) had progressive disease/censoring ≥2 years after randomization. Multivariable logistic regression modeling using backward elimination identified BRCA1/2 mutation/homologous recombination deficiency status (p<0.0001), FIGO stage (p=0.041), primary tumor location (p=0.095), and number of baseline non-target lesions (p=0.0001) to be associated with long-term progression-free survival. Patients significantly more likely to achieve progression-free survival of ≥2 years in the final model were those with BRCA1- and BRCA2-mutated/homologous recombination-deficient tumors or BRCA wild-type/not determined/homologous recombination-deficient tumors (vs BRCA wild-type/homologous recombination-proficient/not determined tumors), FIGO stage III (vs IV), and 0 or 1 baseline non-target lesions (vs ≥2 baseline non-target lesions). CONCLUSIONS: The hypothesis-generating results of this analysis suggest that BRCA1/2 mutation/homologous recombination-deficiency status, FIGO stage, and number of baseline non-target lesions may predict progression-free survival of ≥2 years in patients with advanced ovarian cancer receiving niraparib first-line maintenance therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02655016.

ENGOT-EN20/GOG-3083/XPORT-EC-042 - A phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial of selinexor in maintenance therapy after systemic therapy for patients with p53 wild-type, advanced, or recurrent endometrial carcinoma: rationale, methods, and trial design.

BACKGROUND: Patients with advanced/recurrent endometrial cancer have a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Biomarkers such as tumor protein 53 (TP53) in endometrial cancer can integrate novel strategies for improved and individualized treatment that could impact patient outcomes. In an exploratory analysis of the phase III ENGOT-EN5/GOG-3055/SIENDO study of selinexor maintenance monotherapy 80 mg in advanced/recurrent endometrial cancer, a pre-specified subgroup of patients with TP53 wild type (wt) endometrial cancer showed preliminary activity at long-term follow-up with a generally manageable safety profile (median progression-free survival 27.4 months vs 5.2 months placebo, HR=0.41). PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of selinexor compared with placebo as maintenance therapy in patients with advanced or recurrent TP53wt endometrial cancer. STUDY HYPOTHESIS: Selinexor administered at 60 mg weekly as maintenance therapy will show manageable safety and maintain efficacy in patients with TP53wt advanced/recurrent endometrial cancer after systemic therapy versus placebo. TRIAL DESIGN: This is a prospective, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized phase III study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of selinexor as a maintenance therapy in patients with advanced or recurrent TP53wt endometrial cancer. MAJOR INCLUSION/EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Eligible patients must have histologically confirmed endometrial cancer, TP53wt confirmed by next-generation sequencing, completed at least 12 weeks of platinum-based therapy with or without immunotherapy, with confirmed partial response or complete response, and primary Stage IV disease or at first relapse. PRIMARY ENDPOINT: The primary endpoint is investigator-assessed progression-free survival per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1 in the intent-to-treat population. SAMPLE SIZE: A total of 220 patients will be enrolled. ESTIMATED DATES FOR COMPLETING ACCRUAL AND PRESENTING RESULTS: Accrual is expected to be completed in 2024 with presentation of results in 2025. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT05611931.

Updated progression-free survival and final overall survival with maintenance olaparib plus bevacizumab according to clinical risk in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer in the phase III PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 trial.

OBJECTIVE: In the PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 trial (NCT02477644), adding maintenance olaparib to bevacizumab provided a substantial progression-free survival benefit in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer and homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)-positive tumors, irrespective of clinical risk. Subsequently, a clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival was reported with olaparib plus bevacizumab in the HRD-positive subgroup. We report updated progression-free survival and overall survival by clinical risk and HRD status. METHODS: Patients in clinical response after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy plus bevacizumab received maintenance olaparib (up to 24 months) plus bevacizumab (up to 15 months in total) or placebo plus bevacizumab. This post hoc analysis evaluated 5-year progression-free survival and mature overall survival in patients classified by clinical risk and HRD status. RESULTS: Of 806 randomized patients, 74% were higher-risk and 26% were lower-risk. In higher-risk HRD-positive patients, the hazard ratio (HR) for progression-free survival was 0.46 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.34 to 0.61), with 5-year progression-free survival of 35% with olaparib plus bevacizumab versus 15% with bevacizumab alone; and the HR for overall survival was 0.70 (95% CI 0.50 to 1.00), with 5-year overall survival of 55% versus 42%, respectively. In lower-risk HRD-positive patients, the HR for progression-free survival was 0.26 (95% CI 0.15 to 0.45), with 5-year progression-free survival of 72% with olaparib plus bevacizumab versus 28% with bevacizumab alone; and the HR for overall survival was 0.31 (95% CI 0.14 to 0.66), with 5-year overall survival of 88% versus 61%, respectively. No benefit was seen in HRD-negative patients regardless of clinical risk. CONCLUSION: This post hoc analysis indicates that in patients with newly diagnosed advanced HRD-positive ovarian cancer, maintenance olaparib plus bevacizumab should not be limited to those considered at higher risk of disease progression. Five-year progression-free survival rates support long-term remission and suggest an increased potential for cure with particular benefit suggested in lower-risk HRD-positive patients.

Impact of BRCA Mutation Status on Tumor Dissemination Pattern, Surgical Outcome and Patient Survival in Primary and Recurrent High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer: A Multicenter Retrospective Study by the Ovarian Cancer Therapy-Innovative Models Prolong Survival (OCTIPS) Consortium.

BACKGROUND: This study seeks to evaluate the impact of breast cancer (BRCA) gene status on tumor dissemination pattern, surgical outcome and survival in a multicenter cohort of paired primary ovarian cancer (pOC) and recurrent ovarian cancer (rOC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Medical records and follow-up data from 190 patients were gathered retrospectively. All patients had surgery at pOC and at least one further rOC surgery at four European high-volume centers. Patients were divided into one cohort with confirmed mutation for BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 (BRCAmut) and a second cohort with BRCA wild type or unknown (BRCAwt). Patterns of tumor presentation, surgical outcome and survival data were analyzed between the two groups. RESULTS: Patients with BRCAmut disease were on average 4 years younger and had significantly more tumor involvement upon diagnosis. Patients with BRCAmut disease showed higher debulking rates at all stages. Multivariate analysis showed that only patient age had significant predictive value for complete tumor resection in pOC. At rOC, however, only BRCAmut status significantly correlated with optimal debulking. Patients with BRCAmut disease showed significantly prolonged overall survival (OS) by 24.3 months. Progression-free survival (PFS) was prolonged in the BRCAmut group at all stages as well, reaching statistical significance during recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with BRCAmut disease showed a more aggressive course of disease with earlier onset and more extensive tumor dissemination at pOC. However, surgical outcome and OS were significantly better in patients with BRCAmut disease compared with patients with BRCAwt disease. We therefore propose to consider BRCAmut status in regard to patient selection for cytoreductive surgery, especially in rOC.

Randomized phase II trial of farletuzumab plus chemotherapy versus placebo plus chemotherapy in low CA-125 platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of this study was to determine if farletuzumab, an antifolate receptor-α monoclonal antibody, improved progression-free survival (PFS) versus placebo when added to standard chemotherapy regimens in patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer (OC) in first relapse (platinum-free interval: 6-36 months) with low cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) levels. METHODS: Eligibility included CA-125 ≤ 3 x upper limit of normal (ULN, 105 U/mL), high-grade serous, platinum-sensitive recurrent OC, previous treatment with debulking surgery, and first-line platinum-based chemotherapy with 1st recurrence between 6 and 36 months since frontline platinum-based treatment. Patients received investigator's choice of either carboplatin (CARBO)/paclitaxel (PTX) every 3 weeks or CARBO/pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) every 4 weeks x6 cycles in combination with either farletuzumab [5 mg/kg weekly] or placebo randomized in a 2:1 ratio. Maintenance treatment with farletuzumab (5 mg/kg weekly) or placebo was given until disease progression or intolerance. RESULTS: 214 patients were randomly assigned to farletuzumab+chemotherapy (142 patients) versus placebo+chemotherapy (72 patients). The primary efficacy endpoint, PFS, was not significantly different between treatment groups (1-sided α = 0.10; p-value = 0.25; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.89, 80% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71, 1.11), a median of 11.7 months (95% CI: 10.2, 13.6) versus 10.8 months (95% CI: 9.5, 13.2) for farletuzumab+chemotherapy and placebo+chemotherapy, respectively. No new safety concerns were identified with the combination of farletuzumab+chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Adding farletuzumab to standard chemotherapy does not improve PFS in patients with OC who were platinum-sensitive in first relapse with low CA-125 levels. Folate receptor-α expression was not measured in this study. (Clinical Trial Registry NCT02289950).

Molecular determinants of clinical outcomes of pembrolizumab in recurrent ovarian cancer: Exploratory analysis of KEYNOTE-100.

OBJECTIVE: This prespecified exploratory analysis evaluated the association of gene expression signatures, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) tumor microenvironment-associated cell phenotypes with clinical outcomes of pembrolizumab in advanced recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC) from the phase II KEYNOTE-100 study. METHODS: Pembrolizumab-treated patients with evaluable RNA-sequencing (n = 317), whole exome sequencing (n = 293), or select mIHC (n = 125) data were evaluated. The association between outcomes (objective response rate [ORR], progression-free survival [PFS], and overall survival [OS]) and gene expression signatures (T-cell-inflamed gene expression profile [TcellinfGEP] and 10 non-TcellinfGEP signatures), TMB, and prespecified mIHC cell phenotype densities as continuous variables was evaluated using logistic (ORR) and Cox proportional hazards regression (PFS; OS). One-sided p-values were calculated at prespecified α = 0.05 for TcellinfGEP, TMB, and mIHC cell phenotypes and at α = 0.10 for non-TcellinfGEP signatures; all but TcellinfGEP and TMB were adjusted for multiplicity. RESULTS: No evidence of associations between ORR and key axes of gene expression was observed. Negative associations were observed between outcomes and TcellinfGEP-adjusted glycolysis (PFS, adjusted-p = 0.019; OS, adjusted-p = 0.085) and hypoxia (PFS, adjusted-p = 0.064) signatures. TMB as a continuous variable was not associated with outcomes (p > 0.05). Positive associations were observed between densities of myeloid cell phenotypes CD11c+ and CD11c+/MHCII-/CD163-/CD68- in the tumor compartment and ORR (adjusted-p = 0.025 and 0.013, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory analysis in advanced ROC did not find evidence for associations between gene expression signatures and outcomes of pembrolizumab. mIHC analysis suggests CD11c+ and CD11c+/MHCII-/CD163-/CD68- phenotypes representing myeloid cell populations may be associated with improved outcomes with pembrolizumab in advanced ROC. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02674061.

Transfusion use and effect on progression-free, overall survival, and quality of life in upfront treatment of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer: evaluation of the European Organization for Research and Treatment EORTC-55971 Cohort.

BACKGROUND: The impact of blood transfusion on ovarian cancer survival is uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether peri-operative blood transfusion negatively impacted progression-free survival, overall survival, and quality of life in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. METHODS: We performed an ancillary analysis of the European Organization for Research and Treatment (EORTC) 55971 phase III trial, in which patients were randomized to primary debulking surgery versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients included in the per-protocol analysis were categorized by receipt of a transfusion. RESULTS: 612 of 632 (97%) of patients had adequate data for analysis. Of those, 323 (53%) received a transfusion. The transfusion cohort was more likely to have had better Word Health Organization (WHO) performance status, serous histology, undergone primary debulking surgery, and received more aggressive surgery, with higher rates of no gross residual disease. Median overall survival was 34.0 vs 35.2 months in the no transfusion and transfusion cohorts (p=0.97). The adjusted HR for death was 1.18 (95% CI 0.94 to 1.48) in favor of the transfusion cohort. Median progression-free survival was 13.6 vs 12.6 months in the no transfusion and transfusion cohorts (p=0.96). The adjusted HR for progression was 1.14 (95% CI 0.91 to 1.43). There were no significant differences in global quality of life, fatigue, dyspnea, or physical functioning between the two cohorts at baseline or at any of the four assessment times. Grade 3 and 4 surgical site infections were more common in the transfusion cohort. CONCLUSION: Transfusion did not negatively impact progression-free survival or overall survival; however, it was associated with increased peri-operative morbidity without improvements in quality of life.

Best original research presented at the 23rd European Congress on Gynaecological Oncology-Best of ESGO 2022.

Best of ESGO 2022 includes a selection of best original research presented during the 23rd European Congress on Gynaecological Oncology between October 27 and 30, 2022 in Berlin. Out of 1107 submitted abstracts, authors of studies which obtained the highest scores in a blinded review process were invited to present their results during four oral sessions, young investigators session, and oral poster sessions. By means of this publication, we aim to provide readers with an overview of the best quality research presented at the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) 2022.

CINOVA: a phase II study of CPC634 (nanoparticulate docetaxel) in patients with platinum resistant recurrent ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer has a poor prognosis with limited therapeutic options. Sub-therapeutic intra-tumoral drug concentrations may add to therapy resistance. CPC634 (docetaxel entrapped in CriPec nanoparticles) was designed to enhance tumor accumulation of drug with localized drug release at the target site to increase therapeutic efficacy. This study investigated the therapeutic effect of CPC634 in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. METHODS: According to a Simon 2-stage design trial, the first stage included 13 patients, and 12 patients were enrolled in the second stage. Eligible patients had measurable disease and had progressed ≤6 months after the last platinum-based therapy. Platinum-refractory disease was excluded. In stage 1, the number of previous treatment lines was unlimited; in the second stage, a maximum of two prior lines altogether were allowed. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumor (RECIST) V1.1. Secondary endpoints included safety, progression-free survival at 6 months, cancer antigen 125 (CA125) response, and disease control rate. RESULTS: The patients' median age was 66 years (range 22-77) and most were International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage III (56%). The median number of previous treatment lines was 3 (range 3-5) in stage I and 2 (range 1-4) in stage II of the study. None of the patients had an objective response, one patient had a CA125 response (5%), and seven patients had stable disease at first evaluation (35%). Median progression-free survival was 1.4 months in stage 1 and 3.0 months in stage 2. Adverse events (all grades) were mainly gastrointestinal in 24 patients (96%), fatigue in 11 (44%), dyspnea in 10 (40%), and infections in 10 (40%) of patients. Grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred in 14 patients (36%), including gastrointestinal in 4 (16%), anemia in 3 (12%), and febrile neutropenia, fatigue, chronic kidney disease, dehydration, and hypertension each in 1 (4%) patient. The trial was stopped prematurely due to futility. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with CPC634 was feasible, but without apparent clinical activity in patients with recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Side effects were mainly gastrointestinal in 24 (96%) patients, including nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite, fatigue, anemia, and dyspnea.

Optimizing disease progression assessment using blinded central independent review and comparing it with investigator assessment in the PRIMA/ENGOT-ov26/GOG-3012 trial: challenges and solutions.

OBJECTIVE: Progression-free survival is an established clinically meaningful endpoint in ovarian cancer trials, but it may be susceptible to bias; therefore, blinded independent centralized radiological review is often included in trial designs. We compared blinded independent centralized review and investigator-assessed progressive disease performance in the PRIMA/ENGOT-ov26/GOG-3012 trial examining niraparib monotherapy. METHODS: PRIMA/ENGOT-ov26/GOG-3012 was a randomized, double-blind phase 3 trial; patients with newly diagnosed stage III/IV ovarian cancer received niraparib or placebo. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors [RECIST] v1.1), determined by two independent radiologists, an arbiter if required, and by blinded central clinician review. Discordance rates between blinded independent centralized review and investigator assessment of progressive disease and non-progressive disease were routinely assessed. To optimize disease assessment, a training intervention was developed for blinded independent centralized radiological reviewers, and RECIST refresher training was provided for investigators. Discordance rates were determined post-intervention. RESULTS: There was a 39% discordance rate between blinded independent centralized review and investigator-assessed progressive disease/non-progressive disease in an initial patient subset (n=80); peritoneal carcinomatosis was the most common source of discordance. All reviewers underwent training, and as a result, changes were implemented, including removal of two original reviewers and identification of 10 best practices for reading imaging data. Post-hoc analysis indicated final discordance rates between blinded independent centralized review and investigator improved to 12% in the overall population. Median progression-free survival and hazard ratios were similar between blinded independent centralized review and investigators in the overall population and across subgroups. CONCLUSION: PRIMA/ENGOT-ov26/GOG-3012 highlights the need to optimize blinded independent centralized review and investigator concordance using early, specialized, ovarian-cancer-specific radiology training to maximize validity of outcome data.