Long-term responders to nivolumab in previously treated advanced renal cell carcinoma: a sub-analysis of meet-URO15 study.

BACKGROUND: Although nivolumab prolongs overall survival (OS) in pretreated patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), underlining clinical and biological features of long-term responses are still to be determined. This study aims to investigate clinical and pathological characteristics of mRCC patients who achieved long-term responses during nivolumab treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on mRCC patients receiving nivolumab as second or further therapy line between May 2016 and January 2019 in 34 Italian Oncology Centres. Outcome assessments and logistic regression were performed to evaluate factors influencing long-term responses. RESULTS: A total of 571 patients with a median age of 61 years (range 17-85) were included in the analysis. With a median follow-up of 22.1 (1.0-89.0) months, 23.1% of patients were 2-year progression-free on treatment with nivolumab, hence they were categorized as long-term responders. Baseline characteristics, including age, gender, and histology, were similar between long- and short-term responders. Karnofsky Performance Status ≥ 80% was significantly associated with long-term response (p = 0.02), while bone metastases (p = 0.03), International mRCC Database Consortium intermediate-poor risk (p < 0.01) and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio ≥ 3.2 (p = 0.02) were associate with short-term responses. Long-term responders exhibited a median progression-free survival of 55.0 months versus 4.0 months of the short-term responders. The median OS was not reached in long-term responders while it was 17.0 months for short*term responders. CONCLUSION: This retrospective analysis sheds light on factors associated with long-term response to nivolumab in mRCC. Understanding these clinical features will be essential for selecting patients who may mostly benefit from immunotherapy.

Global real-world experiences with pembrolizumab in advanced urothelial carcinoma after platinum-based chemotherapy: the ARON-2 study.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have changed previous treatment paradigm of advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC). The ARON-2 study (NCT05290038) aimed to assess the real-world effectiveness of pembrolizumab in patients recurred or progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Medical records of patients with documented metastatic UC treated by pembrolizumab as second-line therapy were retrospectively collected from 88 institutions in 23 countries. Patients were assessed for overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall response rate (ORR). Cox proportional hazards models were adopted to explore the presence of prognostic factors. RESULTS: In total, 836 patients were included: 544 patients (65%) received pembrolizumab after progression to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy in the metastatic setting (cohort A) and 292 (35%) after recurring within < 12 months since the completion of adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (cohort B). The median follow-up time was 15.3 months. The median OS and the ORR were 10.5 months and 31% in the overall study population, 9.1 months and 29% in cohort A and 14.6 months and 37% in cohort B. At multivariate analysis, ECOG-PS ≥ 2, bone metastases, liver metastases and pembrolizumab setting (cohort A vs B) proved to be significantly associated with worst OS and PFS. Stratified by the presence of 0, 1-2 or 3-4 prognostic factors, the median OS was 29.4, 12.5 and 4.1 months (p < 0.001), while the median PFS was 12.2, 6.4 and 2.8 months, respectively (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms that pembrolizumab is effective in the advanced UC real-world context, showing outcome differences between patients recurred or progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy.

Early taxane exposure and neurotoxicity in breast cancer patients.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the most diagnosed tumor and a leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. Taxanes are the most used chemotherapeutic agents and are strictly connected to neurotoxicity. Taxane-induced neuropathy (TIN) significantly impacts patients' quality of life (QOL). Early identification and management of TIN could improve preventive strategies to preserve patients' QOL during and after breast cancer treatment. OBJECTIVE: This prospective, observational study aimed to evaluate the taxane-induced neuropathy (TIN) in early breast cancer patients treated with weekly paclitaxel at an earlier stage and identify any correlation between TIN and QOL. METHODS: Data from stage I-III breast cancer patients treated with taxane-based therapy between 2018 and 2022 were collected at the Medical Oncology Unit of the University Hospital of Cagliari. Peripheral neuropathy was evaluated using the NCI-CTCAE scale (National Cancer Institute, Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events) at every drug administration. In contrast, QOL was assessed using EORTC QLC-CIPN20 and FACT-Taxane questionnaire at baseline (T0), after 4 weeks (T1) and 12 (T2) weeks of treatment. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the correlation between neurotoxicity and QOL. RESULTS: Neurotoxicity incidence peaked at the third, fourth, and sixth week of treatment, with patients reporting grade 1 and 2 neurotoxicity. Simultaneously with increasing doses of paclitaxel, significant differences in QOL were observed in early treatment cycles relating to TIN presentation. Patients with higher neurotoxicity grades reported lower QOL scores. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the absence of effective treatments to prevent paclitaxel-induced neurotoxicity, symptoms are managed through dosage reduction, delay, or treatment interruption. Future research should focus on identifying neuroprotective measures to avoid an irreversible decline in the quality of life for breast cancer survivors.

Use of concomitant proton pump inhibitors, statins or metformin in patients treated with pembrolizumab for metastatic urothelial carcinoma: data from the ARON-2 retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Concomitant medications may potentially affect the outcome of cancer patients. In this sub-analysis of the ARON-2 real-world study (NCT05290038), we aimed to assess the impact of concomitant use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI), statins, or metformin on outcome of patients with metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) receiving second-line pembrolizumab. METHODS: We collected data from the hospital medical records of patients with mUC treated with pembrolizumab as second-line therapy at 87 institutions from 22 countries. Patients were assessed for overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall response rate. We carried out a survival analysis by a Cox regression model. RESULTS: A total of 802 patients were eligible for this retrospective study; the median follow-up time was 15.3 months. PPI users compared to non-users showed inferior PFS (4.5 vs. 7.2 months, p = 0.002) and OS (8.7 vs. 14.1 months, p < 0.001). Concomitant PPI use remained a significant predictor of PFS and OS after multivariate Cox analysis. The use of statins or metformin was not associated with response or survival. CONCLUSIONS: Our study results suggest a significant prognostic impact of concomitant PPI use in mUC patients receiving pembrolizumab in the real-world context. The mechanism of this interaction warrants further elucidation.

The prognostic value of the previous nephrectomy in pretreated metastatic renal cell carcinoma receiving immunotherapy: a sub-analysis of the Meet-URO 15 study.

BACKGROUND: Nephrectomy is considered the backbone of managing patients with localized and selected metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). The prognostic role of nephrectomy has been widely investigated with cytokines and targeted therapy, but it is still unclear in the immunotherapy era. METHODS: We investigated the Meet-URO-15 study dataset of 571 pretreated mRCC patients receiving nivolumab as second or further lines about the prognostic role of the previous nephrectomy (received in either the localized or metastatic setting) in the overall population and according to the Meet-URO score groups. RESULTS: Patients who underwent nephrectomy showed a significantly reduced risk of death (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.32-0.60, p < 0.001) with a longer median overall survival (OS) (35.9 months vs 12.1 months), 1-year OS of 71.6% vs 50.5% and 2-years OS of 56.5% vs 22.0% compared to those who did not. No significant interaction between nephrectomy and the overall five Meet-URO score risk groups was observed (p = 0.17). It was statistically significant when merging group 1 with 2 and 3 and group 4 with 5 (p = 0.038) and associated with a longer OS for the first three prognostic groups (p < 0.001), but not for groups 4 and 5 (p = 0.54). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests an overall positive impact of the previous nephrectomy on the outcome of pretreated mRCC patients receiving immunotherapy. The clinical relevance of cytoreductive nephrectomy, optimal timing and patient selection deserves further investigation, especially for patients with Meet-URO scores of 1 to 3, who are the once deriving benefit in our analyses. However, that benefit is not evident for IMDC poor-risk patients (including the Meet-URO score groups 4 and 5) and a subgroup of IMDC intermediate-risk patients defined as group 4 by the Meet-URO score.

The Endolog technique for moderate to severe hallux valgus treatment: Clinical and radiographic analysis of 194 patients.

BACKGROUND: Endolog is an intra-medullary titanium device used for a minimally-invasive hallux valgus correction. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical and radiographic outcomes of this device. METHODS: A retrospective study with a prospective data collection was conducted. Patients underwent to Endolog procedures from September 2009 to April 2017 were enrolled. Mild HV deformity (HVA ≤ 19° and IMA ≤ 13°) or associated procedure to Endolog technique were excluded. The radiological (HVA, IMA and PASA) and clinical (AOFAS score) pre and post-operative data were compared through Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test. RESULTS: 194 feet (144 moderate and 50 severe HV) underwent HV correction respecting study's criteria. AOFAS scores significantly improved from 31.0 ± 12.7 points preoperatively to 88.5 ± 8.0 at 24 months. Even all radiographic measurements significantly improved during 2 years' follow-up. Only 6 patients experienced complications: 4 cases of HV recurrence and 2 cases of intolerance device-related pain. CONCLUSIONS: Endolog technique proved to be a valid option in the moderate-to-severe hallux valgus treatment, comparable to other surgical techniques described in literature.

Histologic subtyping affecting outcome of triple negative breast cancer: a large Sardinian population-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: Triple Negative breast cancer (TNBC) includes a heterogeneous group of tumors with different clinico-pathological features, molecular alterations and treatment responsivity. Our aim was to evaluate the clinico-pathological heterogeneity and prognostic significance of TNBC histologic variants, comparing "special types" to high-grade invasive breast carcinomas of no special type (IBC-NST). METHODS: This study was performed on data obtained from TNBC Database, including pathological features and clinical records of 1009 TNBCs patients diagnosed between 1994 and 2015 in the four most important Oncology Units located in different hospitals in Sardinia, Italy. Kaplan-Meier analysis, log-rank test and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression were applied for overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) according to TNBC histologic types. RESULTS: TNBC "special types" showed significant differences for several clinico-pathological features when compared to IBC-NST. We observed that in apocrine carcinomas as tumor size increased, the number of metastatic lymph nodes manifestly increased. Adenoid cystic carcinoma showed the smallest tumor size relative to IBC-NST. At five-year follow-up, OS was 92.1, 100.0, and 94.5% for patients with apocrine, adenoid cystic and medullary carcinoma, respectively; patients with lobular and metaplastic carcinoma showed the worst OS, with 79.7 and 84.3%, respectively. At ten-years, patients with adenoid cystic (100.0%) and medullary (94.5%) carcinoma showed a favourable prognosis, whereas patients with lobular carcinoma showed the worst prognosis (73.8%). TNBC medullary type was an independent prognostic factor for DFS compared to IBC-NST. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms that an accurate and reliable histopathologic definition of TNBC subtypes has a significant clinical utility and is effective in the therapeutic decision-making process, with the aim to develop innovative and personalized treatments.

Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Advanced Cancer and Pre-Existing Autoimmune Diseases Treated with Anti-Programmed Death-1 Immunotherapy: A Real-World Transverse Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with a history of autoimmune diseases (AIDs) have not usually been included in clinical trials with immune checkpoint inhibitors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients with advanced cancer, treated with anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) agents, were evaluated according to the presence of pre-existing AIDs. The incidence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and clinical outcomes were compared among subgroups. RESULTS: A total of 751 patients were enrolled; median age was 69 years. Primary tumors were as follows: non-small cell lung cancer, 492 (65.5%); melanoma, 159 (21.2%); kidney cancer, 94 (12.5%); and others, 6 (0.8%). Male/female ratio was 499/252. Eighty-five patients (11.3%) had pre-existing AIDs, further differentiated in clinically active (17.6%) and inactive (82.4%). Among patients with pre-existing AIDs, incidence of irAEs of any grade was significantly higher when compared with patients without AIDs (65.9% vs. 39.9%). At multivariate analysis, both inactive (p = .0005) and active pre-existing AIDs (p = .0162), female sex (p = .0004), and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status <2 (p = .0030) were significantly related to a higher incidence of irAEs of any grade. No significant differences were observed regarding grade 3/4 irAEs and objective response rate among subgroups. Pre-existing AIDs were not significantly related with progression-free survival and overall survival. CONCLUSION: This study quantifies the increased risk of developing irAEs in patients with pre-existing AIDs who had to be treated with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Nevertheless, the incidence of grade 3/4 irAEs is not significantly higher when compared with control population. The finding of a greater incidence of irAEs among female patients ranks among the "hot topics" in gender-related differences in immuno-oncology. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Patients with a history of autoimmune diseases (AIDs) have not usually been included in clinical trials with immune checkpoint inhibitors but are frequent in clinical practice. This study quantifies the increased risk of developing immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in patients with pre-existing AIDs who had to be treated with anti-programmed death-1 immunotherapy. Nevertheless, their toxicities are mild and the incidence of grade 3/4 irAEs is not significantly higher compared with those of controls. These results will help clinicians in everyday practice, improving their ability to offer a proper counselling to patients, in order to offer an immunotherapy treatment even to patients with pre-existing autoimmune disease.

Clinical and pathological factors influencing survival in a large cohort of triple-negative breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: To provide further information on the clinical and pathological prognostic factors in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), for which limited and inconsistent data are available. METHODS: Pathological characteristics and clinical records of 841 TNBCs diagnosed between 1994 and 2015 in four major oncologic centers from Sardinia, Italy, were reviewed. Multivariate hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality and recurrence according to various clinicopathological factors were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 4.3 years, 275 (33.3%) TNBC patients had a progression of the disease and 170 (20.2%) died. After allowance for study center, age at diagnosis, and various clinicopathological factors, all components of the TNM staging system were identified as significant independent prognostic factors for TNBC mortality. The HRs were 3.13, 9.65, and 29.0, for stage II, III and IV, respectively, vs stage I. Necrosis and Ki-67 > 16% were also associated with increased mortality (HR: 1.61 and 1.99, respectively). Patients with tumor histotypes other than ductal invasive/lobular carcinomas had a more favorable prognosis (HR: 0.40 vs ductal invasive carcinoma). No significant associations with mortality were found for histologic grade, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, and lymphovascular invasion. Among lymph node positive TNBCs, lymph node ratio appeared to be a stronger predictor of mortality than pathological lymph nodes stage (HR: 0.80 for pN3 vs pN1, and 3.05 for >0.65 vs <0.21 lymph node ratio), respectively. Consistent results were observed for cancer recurrence, except for Ki-67 and necrosis that were not found to be significant predictors for recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: This uniquely large study of TNBC patients provides further evidence that, besides tumor stage at diagnosis, lymph node ratio among lymph node positive tumors is an additional relevant predictor of survival and tumor recurrence, while Ki-67 seems to be predictive of mortality, but not of recurrence.

The outcome to axitinib or everolimus after sunitinib in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

We aimed to investigate the different outcomes in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with second-line axitinib or everolimus after sunitinib. Patients treated in 16 oncological centres in Italy were included, and those receiving axitinib or everolimus from January 2013 onwards were analysed for outcomes. Descriptive statistical tests were used to highlight differences between groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Data on 634 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with first-line sunitinib have been obtained. A total of 182 patients received a second-line therapy with everolimus (79 patients, 43%) or axitinib (103 patients, 57%), respectively. The median PFS was 4.6 [95% confidence (CI): 2.6-6.5] months for patients treated with everolimus and 5.5 (95% CI: 4.3-6.7) months for patients treated with axitinib (P=0.7). The median OS was 13.9 (95% CI: 10.4-17.4) months for patients treated with everolimus and 12.0 (95% CI: 7.9-16.2) months for patients treated with axitinib (P=0.3). No differences were found based on length of first-line treatment. Major limitations are the retrospective nature of the study and the lack of a prospective evaluation of the progression. This study reports no significantly differences between everolimus and axitinib in terms of both PFS and OS. Furthermore, the length of first-line treatment cannot be used as such a predictive factor and cannot suggest the use of a molecule compared with another.

Prognostic factors in patients receiving third line targeted therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Several prognostic models have been proposed for metastatic renal cell carcinoma but none has been validated in patients who receive third line targeted agents. We evaluated prognostic factors in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who received a third line targeted agent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data on 2,065 patients with clear cell metastatic renal cell carcinoma who were treated with targeted therapy at a total of 23 centers in Italy. Included in final analysis were 281 patients treated with 3 targeted agents. Overall survival was the main outcome. Cox proportional hazards regression followed by bootstrap validation was used to identify independent prognostic factors. RESULTS: Three clinical characteristics (ECOG performance status greater than 1, metastasis at diagnosis and liver metastasis) and 2 biochemical factors (hemoglobin less than the lower limit of normal and neutrophil count greater than the upper limit of normal, respectively) were prognostic. Patients were classified into 3 risk categories, including low-zero or 1, intermediate-2 and high risk-more than 2 risk factors. Median overall survival was 19.7, 10.1 and 5.5 months, and 1-year overall survival was 71%, 43% and 15%, respectively. The major limitation was the retrospective nature of this study and absent external validation. CONCLUSIONS: This nomogram included clinical and biochemical prognostic factors. In clinical trials it may be useful to select patients and define the prognosis.

Sunitinib, pazopanib or sorafenib for the treatment of patients with late relapsing metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Late recurrence of renal cell carcinoma is not a rare event. In this retrospective study we investigate the clinicopathological features and the outcome of patients treated with sorafenib, sunitinib and pazopanib for late relapsing renal cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected from 21 Italian centers involved in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Late relapse was defined as more than 5 years after initial radical nephrectomy. RESULTS: A total of 2,490 patients were screened and 269 (11%) were included in the study. First line therapy was sunitinib in 190 patients (71%), sorafenib in 58 (21%) and pazopanib in 21 (8%). Median progression-free survival was 20.0 months for sunitinib (95% CI 17.0-25.1), and 14.1 months for sorafenib (95% CI 11.0-29.0) and pazopanib (95% CI 11.2-not reported). On multivariate analysis MSKCC score and metastases to lymph nodes, liver and brain were associated with worst overall survival, while pancreatic metastases were associated with longer survival. Furthermore, age, MSKCC score and brain metastases were associated with worst progression-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with late relapsing renal cell carcinoma seem to present a characteristic pattern of metastatic spread without showing significant differences in terms of progression-free survival among sorafenib, sunitinib and pazopanib.

Genome-wide association study of susceptibility loci for breast cancer in Sardinian population.

BACKGROUND: Despite progress in identifying genes associated with breast cancer, many more risk loci exist. Genome-wide association analyses in genetically-homogeneous populations, such as that of Sardinia (Italy), could represent an additional approach to detect low penetrance alleles. METHODS: We performed a genome-wide association study comparing 1431 Sardinian patients with non-familial, BRCA1/2-mutation-negative breast cancer to 2171 healthy Sardinian blood donors. DNA was genotyped using GeneChip Human Mapping 500 K Arrays or Genome-Wide Human SNP Arrays 6.0. To increase genomic coverage, genotypes of additional SNPs were imputed using data from HapMap Phase II. After quality control filtering of genotype data, 1367 cases (9 men) and 1658 controls (1156 men) were analyzed on a total of 2,067,645 SNPs. RESULTS: Overall, 33 genomic regions (67 candidate SNPs) were associated with breast cancer risk at the p < 0(-6) level. Twenty of these regions contained defined genes, including one already associated with breast cancer risk: TOX3. With a lower threshold for preliminary significance to p < 10(-5), we identified 11 additional SNPs in FGFR2, a well-established breast cancer-associated gene. Ten candidate SNPs were selected, excluding those already associated with breast cancer, for technical validation as well as replication in 1668 samples from the same population. Only SNP rs345299, located in intron 1 of VAV3, remained suggestively associated (p-value, 1.16 x 10(-5)), but it did not associate with breast cancer risk in pooled data from two large, mixed-population cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated the role of TOX3 and FGFR2 as breast cancer susceptibility genes in BRCA1/2-wild-type breast cancer patients from Sardinian population.

ERCC1 polymorphisms as prognostic markers in T4 breast cancer patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Polymorphisms in the excision repair cross-complimentary group 1 (ERCC1) gene have been involved in the prognosis of various cancers. In the present study, we evaluated the prognostic role of the two most common ERCC1 polymorphisms in patients with T4 breast cancer receiving platinum-based chemotherapy. METHODS: A total of 47 patients with T4 breast cancer undergoing treatment with a platinum-based regimen were collected and followed up (median 159 months; range, 42-239 months). ERCC1 C8092A (rs3212986) and T19007C (rs11615) polymorphisms were genotyped, using an automated sequencing approach. The same series was screened for BRCA1/2 mutations by DHPLC analysis and DNA sequencing. RESULTS: Among the tested patients, 16 (34%) and 25 (53%) presented the 8092A (homo-zygosity A/A or heterozygosity A/C) and the 19007C (homozygosity C/C or heterozygosity C/T) genotypes, respectively. The 8092A and 19007C genotypes in ERCC1 were significantly associated with overall survival in T4 breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy containing platinum (p-values = 0.036 and 0.004, respectively). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that combination of 8092A and 19007C genotypes acts as a significant prognostic factor in women with T4 breast cancer receiving platinum-based chemotherapy (p-values = 0.022 and 0.049, respectively). Two (4.3%) out of 47 cases were found to carry BRCA1/2 mutations; they presented the highest overall survival rates into the series. CONCLUSIONS: The ERCC1 8092A and 19007C genotypes or their combination may predict a favorable prognosis in T4 breast cancer patients undergoing a platinum-based treatment. Further large-scale, prospective studies are needed to validate our findings.

Intravenous use of tranexamic acid reduces postoperative blood loss in total knee arthroplasty.

INTRODUCTION: Blood transfusion is often required in total knee replacement (TKR); several methods of blood preservation are commonly used but the ideal solution is to reduce the blood loss during and after surgery. Aim of the study was to evaluate the hemostatic efficacy and safety of intravenous use of tranexamic acid in patients receiving TKR (cemented). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five patients after TKR receive treatment with tranexamic acid (TXA, treatment group), and 45 were managed with fibrin tissue adhesive (control group). Hemoglobin values decrease and transfusions in both groups were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed with Student t test and χ (2) test. A statistical model was elaborated to evaluate together all variables and to underline what data can increase transfusions need. RESULTS: A significant reduction was detected in hemoglobin values in the first 3 days after surgery in the treatment group. The difference in all cases was significant. When tranexamic acid was administered, the need for transfusions was lower (difference statistically significant). No major adverse events were recorded in our series. The use of autologous blood preparation before surgery led to a higher transfusion rate. CONCLUSION: Tranexamic acid reduced blood loss in TKR and significantly reduced the blood transfusion need also when compared to fibrin tissue adhesive. The use of tranexamic acid is safe and in future may avoid preparation of autologous blood unit before surgery with a decrease of cost and medical figures involved.

Assessing the effectiveness and safety of lenvatinib and everolimus in advanced renal cell carcinoma: insights from the RELIEVE study's analysis of heavily pretreated patients.

Background: The treatment of heavily pretreated patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) represents an unmet medical need and is still challenging. Objectives: The primary objective was to assess the effectiveness of the lenvatinib plus everolimus combination and the secondary objective was the toxicity profile of this combination. Design: We conducted a longitudinal retrospective study examining mRCC patients pre-treated with one or more lines of therapy among different cancer centers in Italy. Methods: The study included patients who received the combination of lenvatinib plus everolimus as either a second-line treatment or beyond. We assessed progression-free survival (PFS), time to treatment failure (TTF), overall survival (OS), response rate (RR), and toxicity profile. In addition, we explored the potential relationship between treatment effectiveness and clinical and laboratory parameters. Results: In all, 33 patients were assessed, the median age was 60 years, 57% had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 1-2 and. 63% received ⩾ 3 prior lines of therapy. 62% were 'intermediate risk' according to the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium and 30% were 'poor risk'. The RR was 42% (no complete response), 18% stable disease. Median OS was 11.2 months (95% CI 6.8-19.9), median PFS was 6.7 months (95% CI 0.6-30.8), and median TTF was 6.7 months (95% CI 4.8-16.6). A shorter OS was significantly associated with lymph node metastases (p = 0.043, 95% CI), neutrophils/ lymphocytes ratio (NLR) ⩾ 3 (p = 0.007), hemoglobin/red cell distribution width ratio cutoff value <0.7 was significant (p = 0.03) while a shorter PFS was associated with lung (p = 0.048) and brain metastases (p = 0.023). The most frequent G1 toxicity was diarrhea (24%), G2 was fatigue (30%), and hypertension and skin toxicity (6%) for G3. Conclusion: Our findings suggest a clinically relevant effectiveness of lenvatinib plus everolimus combination with an acceptable toxicity profile for heavily pretreated patients with mRCC.

Prognostic value of type of prior TKI in pretreated metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients receiving nivolumab.

Aim: To define the prognostic significance of first-line TKI in mRCC patients receiving nivolumab.Materials and methods: A total of 571 mRCC patients who received ≥second line nivolumab were included in this subanalysis. The correlation between prior TKI (sunitinib vs. pazopanib) and overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate, progression-free survival and overall survival were investigated. Additionally, the impact of TKI choice according to the International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium prognostic score was examined.Results: There was no significant difference between sunitinib and pazopanib groups in terms of mPFS, mOS, overall response rate and disease control rate. Moreover, no difference between sunitinib and pazopanib was found according to the International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium prognostic score.Conclusion: There is no conclusive evidence favoring pazopanib or sunitinib treatment before initiating nivolumab therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients.

[Box: see text].

Avelumab Plus Intermittent Axitinib in Previously Untreated Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma. The Tide-A Phase 2 Study.

BACKGROUND: Combinations of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) plus immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) against PD1/PD-L1 are the standard first-line therapy for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), irrespective of the prognostic class. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility and safety of withdrawing VEGFR-TKI but continuing anti-PD1/PD-L1 in patients who achieve a response to their combination. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a single-arm phase 2 trial in patients with treatment-naïve mRCC with prior nephrectomy, without symptomatic/bulky disease and no liver metastases. INTERVENTION: Enrolled patients received axitinib + avelumab; after 36 wk of therapy those who achieved a tumour response interrupted axitinib and continued avelumab maintenance until disease progression. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The primary endpoint was the rate of patients without progression 8 wk after the axitinib interruption. The secondary endpoints were the median value for progression-free (mPFS) and overall (mOS) survival and the safety in the overall population. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Seventy-nine patients were enrolled and 75 were evaluated for efficacy. A total of 29 (38%) patients had axitinib withdrawn, as per the study design, with 72% of them having no progression after 8 wk and thus achieving the primary endpoint. The mPFS of the overall population was 24 mo, while the mOS was not reached. The objective response rate was 76% (12% complete response and 64% partial response), with 19% of patients having stable disease. In the patients who discontinued axitinib, the incidence of adverse events of any grade was 59% for grade 3 and 3% for grade 4. This study was limited by the lack of a comparative arm. CONCLUSIONS: The TIDE-A study demonstrates that the withdrawal of VEGFR-TKI with ICI maintenance is feasible for selected mRCC patients with evidence of a response to the VEGFR-TKI + ICI combination employed in first-line therapy. Axitinib interruption with avelumab maintenance leads to decreased side effects and should be investigated further as a new strategy to delay tumour progression. PATIENT SUMMARY: We evaluated whether certain patients with advanced kidney cancer treated with the fist-line combination of axitinib plus avelumab can interrupt the axitinib in case of a tumour response after 36 wk of therapy. We found that axitinib interruption improved the safety of the combination, while the maintenance with avelumab might delay tumour progression.

Pembrolizumab in Patients with Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma with ECOG Performance Status 2: A Real-World Study from the ARON-2 Project.

BACKGROUND: The benefit of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for poor performance status patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC) remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: In the present sub-analysis of the ARON-2 study, we investigated the role of pembrolizumab for advanced UC patients with ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status (ECOG-PS) 2. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients aged ≥ 18 years with a cytologically and/or histologically confirmed diagnosis of advanced UC progressing or recurring after platinum-based therapy and treated with pembrolizumab between 1 January 2016 to 1 April 2024 were included. In this sub-analysis we focused on patients with ECOG-PS 2. RESULTS: We included 1,040 patients from the ARON-2 dataset; of these, 167 patients (16%) presented an ECOG-PS 2. The median overall survival (OS) was 14.8 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 12.5-16.1) in the overall study population, 18.2 months (95% CI 15.8-22.2) in patients with ECOG-PS 0-1, and 3.7 months (95% CI 3.2-5.2) in subjects with ECOG-PS 2 (p < 0.001). The median progression-free survival (PFS) in the overall study population was 5.3 months (95% CI 4.3-97.1), 6.2 months (95% CI 5.5-97.1) in patients with ECOG-PS 0-1, and 2.8 months (95% CI 2.1-3.4) in patients with ECOG-PS 2. Among the latter, liver metastases and progressive disease during first-line therapy were significant predictors of OS at both univariate and multivariate analyses. For PFS, univariate and multivariate analyses showed a prognostic role for lung metastases, liver metastases, and progressive disease during first-line therapy. CONCLUSIONS: This large real-world evidence study suggests the effectiveness of second-line pembrolizumab for mUC patients with poor performance status. The presence of liver metastases and progressive disease during first-line therapy is associated with worse clinical outcomes and, thus, should be taken into account when making treatment decisions in clinical practice.

Time to strategy failure and treatment beyond progression in pretreated metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients receiving nivolumab: post-hoc analysis of the Meet-URO 15 study.

Background: Immunotherapies exhibit peculiar cancer response patterns in contrast to chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Some patients experience disease response after initial progression or durable responses after treatment interruption. In clinical practice, immune checkpoint inhibitors may be continued after radiological progression if clinical benefit is observed. As a result, estimating progression-free survival (PFS) based on the first disease progression may not accurately reflect the actual benefit of immunotherapy. Methods: The Meet-URO 15 study was a multicenter retrospective analysis of 571 pretreated metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients receiving nivolumab. Time to strategy failure (TSF) was defined as the interval from the start of immunotherapy to definitive disease progression or death. This post-hoc analysis compared TSF to PFS and assess the response and survival outcomes between patients treatated beyond progression (TBP) and non-TBP. Moreover, we evaluated the prognostic accuracy of the Meet-URO score versus the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) score based on TSF and PFS. Results: Overall, 571 mRCC patients were included in the analysis. Median TSF was 8.6 months (95% CI: 7.0 - 10.1), while mPFS was 7.0 months (95% CI: 5.7 - 8.5). TBP patients (N = 93) had significantly longer TSF (16.3 vs 5.5 months; p < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (34.8 vs 17.9 months; p < 0.001) but similar PFS compared to non-TBP patients. In TBP patients, a median delay of 9.6 months (range: 6.7-16.3) from the first to the definitive disease progression was observed, whereas non-TBP patients had overlapped median TSF and PFS (5.5 months). Moreover, TBP patients had a trend toward a higher overall response rate (33.3% vs 24.3%; p = 0.075) and disease control rate (61.3% vs 55.5%; p = 0.31). Finally, in the whole population the Meet-URO score outperformed the IMDC score in predicting both TSF (c-index: 0.63 vs 0.59) and PFS (0.62 vs 0.59). Conclusion: We found a 2-month difference between mTSF and mPFS in mRCC patients receiving nivolumab. However, TBP patients had better outcomes, including significantly longer TSF and OS than non-TBP patients. The Meet-URO score is a reliable predictor of TSF and PFS.