PD-1 Blockade in Mismatch Repair-Deficient, Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation followed by surgical resection of the rectum is a standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer. A subset of rectal cancer is caused by a deficiency in mismatch repair. Because mismatch repair-deficient colorectal cancer is responsive to programmed death 1 (PD-1) blockade in the context of metastatic disease, it was hypothesized that checkpoint blockade could be effective in patients with mismatch repair-deficient, locally advanced rectal cancer. METHODS: We initiated a prospective phase 2 study in which single-agent dostarlimab, an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, was administered every 3 weeks for 6 months in patients with mismatch repair-deficient stage II or III rectal adenocarcinoma. This treatment was to be followed by standard chemoradiotherapy and surgery. Patients who had a clinical complete response after completion of dostarlimab therapy would proceed without chemoradiotherapy and surgery. The primary end points are sustained clinical complete response 12 months after completion of dostarlimab therapy or pathological complete response after completion of dostarlimab therapy with or without chemoradiotherapy and overall response to neoadjuvant dostarlimab therapy with or without chemoradiotherapy. RESULTS: A total of 12 patients have completed treatment with dostarlimab and have undergone at least 6 months of follow-up. All 12 patients (100%; 95% confidence interval, 74 to 100) had a clinical complete response, with no evidence of tumor on magnetic resonance imaging, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron-emission tomography, endoscopic evaluation, digital rectal examination, or biopsy. At the time of this report, no patients had received chemoradiotherapy or undergone surgery, and no cases of progression or recurrence had been reported during follow-up (range, 6 to 25 months). No adverse events of grade 3 or higher have been reported. CONCLUSIONS: Mismatch repair-deficient, locally advanced rectal cancer was highly sensitive to single-agent PD-1 blockade. Longer follow-up is needed to assess the duration of response. (Funded by the Simon and Eve Colin Foundation and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04165772.).

A phase 2 study of interleukin-22 and systemic corticosteroids as initial treatment for acute GVHD of the lower GI tract.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality following allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation. In experimental models, interleukin-22 promotes epithelial regeneration and induces innate antimicrobial molecules. We conducted a multicenter single-arm phase 2 study evaluating the safety and efficacy of a novel recombinant human interleukin-22 dimer, F-652, used in combination with systemic corticosteroids for treatment of newly diagnosed lower gastrointestinal acute GVHD. The most common adverse events were cytopenias and electrolyte abnormalities, and there were no dose-limiting toxicities. Out of 27 patients, 19 (70%; 80% confidence interval, 56%-79%) achieved a day-28 treatment response, meeting the prespecified primary endpoint. Responders exhibited a distinct fecal microbiota composition characterized by expansion of commensal anaerobes, which correlated with increased overall microbial α-diversity, suggesting improvement of GVHD-associated dysbiosis. This work demonstrates a potential approach for combining immunosuppression with tissue-supportive strategies to enhance recovery of damaged mucosa and promote microbial health in patients with gastrointestinal GVHD. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02406651.

Spatial effects of infiltrating T cells on neighbouring cancer cells and prognosis in stage III CRC patients.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequently occurring cancers, but prognostic biomarkers identifying patients at risk of recurrence are still lacking. In this study, we aimed to investigate in more detail the spatial relationship between intratumoural T cells, cancer cells, and cancer cell hallmarks as prognostic biomarkers in stage III colorectal cancer patients. We conducted multiplexed imaging of 56 protein markers at single-cell resolution on resected fixed tissue from stage III CRC patients who received adjuvant 5-fluorouracil (5FU)-based chemotherapy. Images underwent segmentation for tumour, stroma, and immune cells, and cancer cell 'state' protein marker expression was quantified at a cellular level. We developed a Python package for estimation of spatial proximity, nearest neighbour analysis focusing on cancer cell-T-cell interactions at single-cell level. In our discovery cohort (Memorial Sloan Kettering samples), we processed 462 core samples (total number of cells: 1,669,228) from 221 adjuvant 5FU-treated stage III patients. The validation cohort (Huntsville Clearview Cancer Center samples) consisted of 272 samples (total number of cells: 853,398) from 98 stage III CRC patients. While there were trends for an association between the percentage of cytotoxic T cells (across the whole cancer core), it did not reach significance (discovery cohort: p = 0.07; validation cohort: p = 0.19). We next utilised our region-based nearest neighbour approach to determine the spatial relationships between cytotoxic T cells, helper T cells, and cancer cell clusters. In both cohorts, we found that shorter distance between cytotoxic T cells, T helper cells, and cancer cells was significantly associated with increased disease-free survival. An unsupervised trained model that clustered patients based on the median distance between immune cells and cancer cells, as well as protein expression profiles, successfully classified patients into low-risk and high-risk groups (discovery cohort: p = 0.01; validation cohort: p = 0.003). © 2024 The Author(s). The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Combined RAF and MEK Inhibition to Treat Activated Non-V600 BRAF-Altered Advanced Cancers.

BACKGROUND: Cancers with non-V600 BRAF-activating alterations have no matched therapy. Preclinical data suggest that these tumors depend on ERK signaling; however, clinical response to MEK/ERK inhibitors has overall been low. We hypothesized that a narrow therapeutic index, driven by ERK inhibition in healthy (wild-type) tissues, limits the efficacy of these inhibitors. As these mutants signal as activated dimers, we further hypothesized that RAF inhibitors given concurrently would improve the therapeutic index by opposing ERK inhibition in normal tissues and not activate ERK in the already activated tumor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using cell lines and patient-derived xenografts, we evaluated the effect of RAF inhibition, alone and in combination with MEK/ERK inhibitors. We then undertook a phase I/II clinical trial of a higher dose of the MEK inhibitor binimetinib combined with the RAF inhibitor encorafenib in patients with advanced cancer with activating non-V600 BRAF alterations. RESULTS: RAF inhibition led to modest inhibition of signaling and growth in activated non-V600 BRAF preclinical models and allowed higher dose of MEK/ERK inhibitors in vivo for more profound tumor regression. Fifteen patients received binimetinib 60 mg twice daily plus encorafenib 450 mg daily (6 gastrointestinal primaries, 6 genitourinary primaries, 3 melanoma, and 2 lung cancer; 7 BRAF mutations and 8 BRAF fusions). Treatment was well tolerated without dose-limiting toxicities. One patient had a confirmed partial response, 8 had stable disease, and 6 had radiographic or clinical progression as best response. On-treatment biopsies revealed incomplete ERK pathway inhibition. CONCLUSION: Combined RAF and MEK inhibition does not sufficiently inhibit activated non-V600 BRAF-mutant tumors in patients.

Clinicogenomic predictors of outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with immunotherapy.

INTRODUCTION: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) combinations extend overall survival (OS) while anti-PD-1/L1 monotherapy is non-inferior to sorafenib in treatment-naïve, patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Clinicogenomic features are posited to influence patient outcomes. METHODS: The primary objective of this retrospective study was to define the clinical, pathologic, and genomic factors associated with outcomes to ICI therapy in patients with HCC. Patients with histologically confirmed advanced HCC treated with ICI at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center from 2012 to 2022 were included. Association between clinical, pathological, and genomic characteristics were assessed with univariable and multivariable Cox regression model for progression-free survival (PFS) and OS. RESULTS: Two-hundred and forty-two patients were treated with ICI-based therapy. Patients were predominantly male (82%) with virally mediated HCC (53%) and Child Pugh A score (70%). Median follow-up was 28 months (0.5-78.4). Median PFS for those treated in 1st line, 2nd line and ≥ 3rd line was 4.9 (range: 2.9-6.2), 3.1 (2.3-4.0), and 2.5 (2.1-4.0) months, respectively. Median OS for those treated in 1st line, 2nd line, and ≥ 3rd line was 16 (11-22), 7.5 (6.4-11), and 6.4 (4.6-26) months, respectively. Poor liver function and performance status associated with worse PFS and OS, while viral hepatitis C was associated with favorable outcome. Genetic alterations were not associated with outcomes. CONCLUSION: Clinicopathologic factors were the major determinates of outcomes for patients with advanced HCC treated with ICI. Molecular profiling did not aid in stratification of ICI outcomes. Future studies should explore alternative biomarkers such as the level of immune activation or the pretreatment composition of the immune tumor microenvironment.

Computed Tomography-Based Radiomics with Machine Learning Outperforms Radiologist Assessment in Estimating Colorectal Liver Metastases Pathologic Response After Chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to assess computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM), extracted from posttreatment scans in estimating pathologic treatment response to neoadjuvant therapy, and to compare treatment response estimates between CT-based radiomics and radiological response assessment by using RECIST 1.1 and CT morphologic criteria. METHODS: Patients who underwent resection for CRLM from January 2003-December 2012 at a single institution were included. Patients who did not receive preoperative systemic chemotherapy, or without adequate imaging, were excluded. Imaging characteristics were evaluated based on RECIST 1.1 and CT morphologic criteria. A machine-learning model was designed with radiomic features extracted from manually segmented posttreatment CT tumoral and peritumoral regions to identify pathologic responders (≥ 50% response) versus nonresponders. Statistical analysis was performed at the tumor level. RESULTS: Eighty-five patients (median age, 62 years; 55 women) with 95 tumors were included. None of the subjectively evaluated imaging characteristics were associated with pathologic response (p > 0.05). Inter-reader agreement was substantial for RECIST categorical response assessment (K = 0.70) and moderate for CT morphological group response (K = 0.50). In the validation cohort, the machine learning model built with radiomic features obtained an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.87 and outperformed subjective RECIST assessment (AUC = 0.53, p = 0.01) and morphologic assessment (AUC = 0.56, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Radiologist assessment of oligometastatic CRLM after neoadjuvant therapy using RECIST 1.1 and CT morphologic criteria was not associated with pathologic response. In contrast, a machine-learning model based on radiomic features extracted from tumoral and peritumoral regions had high diagnostic performance in assessing responders versus nonresponders.

Validation of a Clinical Calculator Predicting Freedom From Colon Cancer Recurrence After Surgery on the Basis of Molecular and Clinical Variables.

BACKGROUND: The Memorial Sloan Kettering clinical calculator for estimating the likelihood of freedom from colon cancer recurrence on the basis of clinical and molecular variables was developed at a time when testing for microsatellite instability was performed selectively, based on patient age, family history, and histologic features. Microsatellite stability was assumed if no testing was done. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to validate the calculator in a cohort of patients who had all been tested for microsatellite instability. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort analysis. SETTINGS: Comprehensive cancer center. PATIENTS: This study included consecutive patients who underwent curative resection for stage I, II, or III colon cancer between 2017 and 2019. INTERVENTION: Universal testing of mircrosatellite phenotype in all cases. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The calculator's predictive accuracy was assessed using the concordance index and a calibration plot of predicted versus actual freedom from recurrence at 3 years after surgery. For a secondary sensitivity analysis, the presence of a tumor deposit(s) (disease category N1c) was considered equivalent to one positive lymph node (category N1a). RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 32 months among survivors, the concordance index for the 745 patients in the cohort was 0.748 (95% CI, 0.693-0.801), and a plot of predicted versus observed recurrences approached the 45° diagonal, indicating good discrimination and calibration. In the secondary sensitivity analysis for tumor deposits, the concordance index was 0.755 (95% CI, 0.700-0.806). LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by its retrospective, single-institution design. CONCLUSIONS: These results, based on inclusion of actual rather than imputed microsatellite stability status and presence of tumor deposits, confirm the predictive accuracy and reliability of the calculator. See Video Abstract . VALIDACIN DE UNA CALCULADORA CLNICA QUE PREDICE LA AUSENCIA DE RECURRENCIA POSTQUIRURGICA DEL CNCER DE COLON SOBRE LA BASE DE VARIABLES MOLECULARES Y CLNICAS: ANTECEDENTES:La calculadora clínica del Memorial Sloan Kettering para la estimación de la probabilidad de ausencia de recurrencia del cáncer de colon sobre la base de variables clínicas y moleculares, se desarrolló en un momento en que las pruebas para la inestabilidad de microsatélites se realizaban de forma selectiva, basadas en la edad del paciente, los antecedentes familiares y las características histológicas. Se asumía la estabilidad micro satelital si no se realizaba ninguna prueba.OBJETIVO:El objetivo de este estudio fue validar la calculadora en una cohorte de pacientes a los que se les había realizado la prueba de inestabilidad de microsatélites.DISEÑO:Análisis de cohorte retrospectivo.AJUSTE:Centro integral de cáncer.PACIENTES:Pacientes consecutivos con cáncer de colon que fueron sometidos a resección curativa por cáncer de colon en estadios I, II o III entre los años 2017 y 2019.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:La precisión predictiva de la calculadora fue evaluada mediante el índice de concordancia y un gráfico de calibración de la ausencia de recurrencia predecida versus la real a los 3 años tras la cirugía. A los efectos de un análisis secundario de sensibilidad, la presencia de depósito(s) tumoral(es) (categoría de enfermedad N1c) se consideró equivalente a un ganglio linfático positivo (categoría N1a).RESULTADOS:Con una mediana de seguimiento de 32 meses entre los supervivientes, el índice de concordancia para los 745 pacientes de la cohorte fue de 0,748 (intervalo de confianza del 95 %, 0,693 a 0,801), y una gráfica de recurrencias previstas versus observadas se acercó a la diagonal de 45°, indicando una buena discriminación y calibración. En el análisis secundario de sensibilidad para depósitos tumorales, el índice de concordancia fue de 0,755 (intervalo de confianza del 95 %, 0,700 a 0,806).LIMITACIONES:Diseño retrospectivo, institución única.CONCLUSIONES:Estos resultados, basados en la inclusión real del estado de estabilidad de microsatélites en lugar de imputado y la presencia de depósitos tumorales, confirman la precisión predictiva y la confiabilidad de la calculadora. (Traducción-Dr Osvaldo Gauto ).

Tumour deposits are independently associated with recurrence in colon cancer.

AIM: Tumour deposits are focal aggregates of cancer cells in pericolic fat and mesentery, distinct from vessels, nerves and lymphatics. Their presence upstages lymph node negative patients but is ignored in lymph node positive patients. We investigated the clinicopathological factors associated with tumour deposits and their impact on recurrence in lymph node positive and negative patients. METHOD: Clinicopathological variables were collected from the medical records of patients with Stage I-III colon cancer who underwent resection in 2017-2019. Pathology was reviewed by a gastrointestinal pathologist. Patients with rectal cancer, metastasis, and concurrent malignancy were excluded. RESULTS: Tumour deposits were noted in 69 (9%) of 770 patients. They were associated with the presence of lymph node metastasis, advanced T category, poorly differentiated tumours, microsatellite stable subtype and lymphovascular and perineural invasion (p < 0.05). The presence of tumour deposits (hazard ratio 2.48, 95% CI 1.49-4.10) and of lymph node metastasis (hazard ratio 3.04, 95% CI 1.72-5.37) were independently associated with decreased time to recurrence. There was a weak correlation (0.27) between the number of tumour deposits and the number of positive lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: Tumour deposits are associated with more advanced disease and high-risk pathological features. The presence of tumour deposits and lymph node metastasis were found to be independent risk factors for decreased time to recurrence. A patient with both lymph node metastasis and tumour deposits is more than twice as likely to have recurrence compared with a patient with only lymph node metastasis. Tumour deposits independently predict recurrence and should not be ignored in lymph node positive patients.

First-line regorafenib with nivolumab and chemotherapy in advanced oesophageal, gastric, or gastro-oesophageal junction cancer in the USA: a single-arm, single-centre, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: The addition of nivolumab to chemotherapy improves survival in patients with advanced oesophagogastric (oesophageal, gastric, or gastro-oesophageal junction) adenocarcinoma; however, outcomes remain poor. We assessed the safety and activity of regorafenib in combination with nivolumab and chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of advanced oesophagogastric adenocarcinoma. METHODS: This investigator-initiated, single-arm, phase 2 trial in adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with previously untreated, HER2-negative, metastatic oesophagogastric adenocarcinoma was done at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY, USA). Eligible patients had measurable disease or non-measurable disease that was evaluable (defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours [RECIST] version 1.1) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1. Patients received FOLFOX chemotherapy (fluorouracil [400 mg/m2 bolus followed by 2400 mg/m2 over 48 h], leucovorin [400 mg/m2], and oxaliplatin [85 mg/m2]) and nivolumab (240 mg) intravenously on days 1 and 15, and oral regorafenib (80 mg) on days 1-21 of a 28-day cycle. Treatment was continued until disease progression (defined by RECIST version 1.1), unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal of consent. The primary endpoint was 6-month progression-free survival in the per-protocol population (ie, all participants who received a dose of all study treatments). The regimen would be considered worthy of further investigation if at least 24 of 35 patients were progression free at 6 months. Safety was assessed in all participants who received at least one dose of any study treatment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04757363, and is now complete. FINDINGS: Between Feb 11, 2021, and May 4, 2022, 39 patients were enrolled, received at least one dose of study drug, and were included in safety analyses. 35 patients were evaluable for 6-month progression-free survival. Median age was 57 years (IQR 52-66), nine (26%) patients were women, 26 (74%) were men, 28 (80%) were White, and seven (20%) were Asian. At data cutoff (March 3, 2023), median follow-up was 18·1 months (IQR 12·7-20·4). The primary endpoint was reached, with 25 (71%; 95% CI 54-85) of 35 patients progression free at 6 months. Nine (26%) of 35 patients had disease progression and one (3%) patient died; the death was unrelated to treatment. The most common adverse event of any grade was fatigue (36 [92%] of 39). The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events were decreased neutrophil count (18 [46%]), hypertension (six [15%]), dry skin, pruritus, or rash (five [13%]), and anaemia (four [10%]). Serious treatment-related adverse events occurred in ten (26%) patients, which were acute kidney injury (three [8%]), hepatotoxicity (two [5%]), sepsis (two [5%]), dry skin, pruritus, or rash (one [3%]), nausea (one [3%]), and gastric perforation (one [3%]). There were no treatment-related deaths. INTERPRETATION: Regorafenib can be safely combined with nivolumab and chemotherapy and showed promising activity in HER2-negative metastatic oesophagogastric cancer. A randomised, phase 3 clinical trial is planned. FUNDING: Bristol Myers Squibb, Bayer and National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute.

Surgical Margin of Resected Colorectal Liver Metastases:: How Accurate is Surgeon Prediction?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the surgeon's ability to accurately predict the margin following resection of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The decision to resect CRLM is based on the surgeon's ability to predict tumor free resection margins. However, to date, no study has evaluated the accuracy of surgeon margin prediction. METHODS: In this single-institution prospective study, the operating attending and fellow independently completed a preoperative and postoperative questionnaire describing their expected resection margin in 100 consecutive cases (200 assessments) of colorectal liver metastasis resections. In cases with multiple metastases, the closest margin was assessed as the margin of interest for the primary outcome. Surgeon assessments were compared to the gold-standard histopathologic assessment. RESULTS: After excluding aborted cases, 190 preoperative and 190 postoperative assessments from 95 cases were included in the analysis. The pathologic margin was noted to be wide (≥1 cm), 1 mm to 1 cm, narrow (<1 mm), and positive in 28 (29.5%), 55 (57.9%), 5 (5.3%), and 7 (7.4%) cases, respectively. The 88 cases with negative margins were all predicted to be negative. None of the cases with positive margins were predicted to be positive. Ninety-one (48%) preoperative and 104 (55%) postoperative predictions were accurate. The sensitivity of predicting a margin <1 mm was 8.3% preoperatively and 16.7% postoperatively. The positive predictive value for preoperative and postoperative predictions of margin <1 mm was 18.2% and 26.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons are inaccurate at predicting positive and close surgical margins following resection of CRLM. A predicted close margin should not necessarily preclude resection.

Extramural Venous Invasion and Tumor Deposit at Diffusion-weighted MRI in Patients after Neoadjuvant Treatment for Rectal Cancer.

Background Diffusion-weighted (DW) imaging is useful in detecting tumor in the primary tumor bed in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) after neoadjuvant therapy, but its value in detecting extramural venous invasion (EMVI) and tumor deposit is not well validated. Purpose To evaluate diagnostic accuracy and association with patient prognosis of viable EMVI and tumor deposit on DW images in patients with LARC after neoadjuvant therapy using whole-mount pathology specimens. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy and surgery from 2018 to 2021. Innovative five-point Likert scale was used by two radiologists to independently evaluate the likelihood of viable EMVI and tumor deposit on restaging DW MRI scans in four axial quadrants (12 to 3 o'clock, 3 to 6 o'clock, 6 to 9 o'clock, and 9 to 12 o'clock). Diagnostic accuracy was assessed at both the per-quadrant and per-patient level, with whole-mount pathology as the reference standard. Weighted κ values for interreader agreement and Cox regression models for disease-free survival and overall survival analyses were used. Results A total of 117 patients (mean age, 56 years ± 12 [SD]; 70 male, 47 female) were included. Pathologically proven viable EMVI and tumor deposit was detected in 29 of 117 patients (25%) and in 44 of 468 quadrants (9.4%). Per-quadrant analyses showed an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.75 (95% CI: 0.68, 0.83), with sensitivity and specificity of 55% and 96%, respectively. Good interreader agreement was observed between the radiologists (κ = 0.62). Per-patient analysis showed sensitivity and specificity of 62% and 93%, respectively. The presence of EMVI and tumor deposit on restaging DW MRI scans was associated with worse disease-free survival (hazard ratio [HR], 5.6; 95% CI: 2.4, 13.3) and overall survival (HR, 8.9; 95% CI: 1.6, 48.5). Conclusion DW imaging using the five-point Likert scale showed high specificity and moderate sensitivity in the detection of viable extramural venous invasion and tumor deposits in LARC after neoadjuvant therapy, and its presence on restaging DW MRI scans is associated with worse prognosis. Published under a CC BY 4.0 license. Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Méndez and Ayuso in this issue.

Multi-Institutional Study of Pathologist Reading of the Programmed Cell Death Ligand-1 Combined Positive Score Immunohistochemistry Assay for Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer.

The assessment of the expression of programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) using immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been controversial since its introduction. The methods of assessment and the range of assays and platforms contribute to confusion. Perhaps the most challenging aspect of PD-L1 IHC is the combined positive score (CPS) method of interpretation of IHC results. Although the CPS method is prescribed for more indications than any other PD-L1 scoring system, its reproducibility has never been rigorously assessed. In this study, we collected a series of 108 gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer cases, stained them using the Food and Drug Administration-approved 22C3 assay, scanned them, and then circulated them to 14 pathologists at 13 institutions for the assessment of interpretative concordance for the CPS system. We found that higher cut points (10 or 20) performed better than a CPS of <1 or >1. We used the Observers Needed to Evaluate Subjective Tests algorithm to assess how the CPS system might perform in the real-world setting and found that the cut points of <1 or >1 showed an overall percent agreement of only 30% among the pathologist raters, with a plateau occurring at 8 raters. The raters performed better at higher cut points. However, the best cut point of <20 versus that of >20 was still disappointing, with a plateau at an overall percent agreement of 70% (at 7 raters). Although there is no ground truth for CPS, we compared the score with quantitative messenger RNA measurement and showed no relationship between the score (at any cut point) and messenger RNA amount. In summary, we showed that CPS shows high subjective variability among pathologist readers and is likely to perform poorly in the real-world setting. This system may be the root cause of the poor specificity and relatively low predictive value of IHC companion diagnostic tests for PD-1 axis therapies that use the CPS system.

Lymph Node Metastases and Associated Recurrence-Free Survival in Microsatellite Stable and Unstable Colon Cancer.

BACKGROUND: In contrast to microsatellite stable (MSS) colon cancer, predictors of lymph node metastases and their association with recurrence are not well-defined in microsatellite instability (MSI) colon cancer. METHODS: A cohort of nonmetastatic colon cancer patients undergoing surgery between 2015 and 2021 were evaluated for predictors of lymph node metastases (LNMs) and their association with recurrence-free survival (RFS). RESULTS: Of 1466 patients included in the analyses, 361 (25 %) had MSI. Compared with MSS, MSI was associated with earlier stage, fewer LNMs in the patients with N1 or N2 disease, and fewer high-risk features. Compared with the T3-T4 MSS patients, the odds ratios for LNM were 0.52 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38-0.71) for the T3-T4 MSI patients, 0.27 (95% CI, 0.38-0.71) for the T1-T2 MSS patients, and 0.15 (95 % CI, 0.08-0.26) for the T1-T2 MSI patients. In both groups, LNMs were associated with T category, patient age, and venous, lymphatic, or perineural invasion. In the MSS patients, LNMs were additionally associated with patient sex and histologic grade. Compared with the MSS patients, the MSI patients with N0 and N1 disease had a better 3-year RFS. However, the MSI patients with N2 disease had a lower rate of 3-year RFS than the MSS patients (hazard ratio, 19.75 vs 4.49). CONCLUSIONS: In MSI colon cancer, LNMs are 50 % less prevalent, but the factors associated with LNM are like those in MSS colon cancer. The improved prognosis traditionally associated with early-stage MSI colon cancers dissipates with four or more LNMs. These findings should be taken into consideration by clinicians selecting the most appropriate course of treatment for MSI colon cancer.

Characteristics of Mismatch Repair-Deficient Colon Cancer in Relation to Mismatch Repair Protein Loss, Hypermethylation Silencing, and Constitutional and Biallelic Somatic Mismatch Repair Gene Pathogenic Variants.

BACKGROUND: Mismatch repair-deficient colon cancer is heterogeneous. Differentiating inherited constitutional variants from somatic genetic alterations and gene silencing is important for surveillance and genetic counseling. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the extent to which the underlying mechanism of loss of mismatch repair influences molecular and clinicopathologic features of microsatellite instability-high colon cancer. DESIGN: This is a retrospective analysis. SETTINGS: This study was conducted at a comprehensive cancer center. PATIENTS: Patients with microsatellite instability-high colon cancer of stage I, II, or III were included. INTERVENTION: Patients underwent a curative surgical resection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measures were hypermethylation of the MLH1 promoter, biallelic inactivation, constitutional pathogenic variants, and loss of specific mismatch repair proteins. RESULTS: Of the 157 identified tumors with complete genetic analysis, 66% had hypermethylation of the MLH1 promoter, 18% had constitutional pathogenic variants, (Lynch syndrome), 11% had biallelic somatic mismatch repair gene pathogenic variants, and 6% had unexplained high microsatellite instability. The distribution of mismatch repair loss was as follows: MLH1 and PMS2 co-loss, 79% of the tumors; MSH2 and MSH6 co-loss, 10%; MSH6 alone, 3%; PMS2 alone, 2%; other combinations, 2%; no loss, 2%. Tumor mutational burden was lowest in MLH1- and PMS2-deficient tumors. MSH6-deficient tumors had the lowest levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, lowest MSI scores, and fewest frameshift deletions. Patients with MLH1 promoter hypermethylation were significantly more likely to be older and female and to have right-sided colon lesions than patients with biallelic inactivation. Mutation was the most prevalent second hit in tumors with biallelic inactivation and tumors of patients with Lynch syndrome. LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by potential selection or referral bias, missing data for some patients, and relatively small sizes of some subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical characteristics of mismatch repair-deficient colon cancer vary with the etiology of microsatellite instability, and its molecular characteristics vary with the affected mismatch repair protein. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B984 . CARACTERSTICAS DEL CNCER DE COLON CON DEFICIENCIA EN LA REPARACIN DE ERRORES DE EMPAREJAMIENTO EN RELACIN CON LA PRDIDA DE PROTENAS MMR, SILENCIAMIENTO DE LA HIPERMETILACIN Y LAS VARIANTES PATGENAS SOMTICAS DE GENES MMR CONSTITUCIONAL Y BIALLICO: ANTECEDENTES:El cáncer de colon deficiente en la reparación de errores de emparejamiento es heterogéneo. La diferenciación de las variantes constitucionales heredadas de las alteraciones genéticas somáticas y el silenciamiento de genes es importante para la vigilancia y el asesoramiento genético.OBJETIVO:Determinar hasta qué punto el mecanismo subyacente de pérdida de reparación de desajustes influye en las características moleculares y clinicopatológicas del cáncer de colon con alta inestabilidad de microsatélites.DISEÑO:Análisis retrospectivo.ESCENARIO:Centro integral de cáncer.PACIENTES:Pacientes con cáncer de colon con inestabilidad de microsatélites alta en estadio I, II, o III.INTERVENCIÓN:Resección quirúrgica con intención curativa.PRINCIPALES RESULTADOS Y MEDIDAS:Hipermetilación del promotor MLH1, inactivación bialélica, variante patógena constitucional y pérdida de proteínas específicas reparadoras de desajustes.RESULTADOS:De los 157 tumores identificados con un análisis genético completo, el 66 % tenía hipermetilación del promotor MLH1, el 18 % tenía una variante patogénica constitucional (síndrome de Lynch), el 11 % tenía variantes patogénicas somáticas bialélicas de algún gen MMR y el 6 % tenía una alta inestabilidad de microsatélites sin explicación. La distribución de la pérdida según la proteína de reparación del desajuste fue la siguiente: pérdida conjunta de MLH1 y PMS2, 79 % de los tumores; co-pérdida de MSH2 y MSH6, 10%; MSH6 solo, 3%; PMS2 solo, 2%; otras combinaciones, 2%; sin pérdida, 2%. La carga mutacional del tumor fue más baja en los tumores deficientes en MLH1 y PMS2. Los tumores con deficiencia de MSH6 tenían los niveles más bajos de linfocitos infiltrantes de tumores, las puntuaciones más bajas del sensor de IMS y la menor cantidad de deleciones por cambio de marco. Los pacientes con hipermetilación del promotor MLH1 tenían significativamente más probabilidades de ser mayores y mujeres y de tener lesiones en el colon derecho que los pacientes con inactivación bialélica. La mutación fue el segundo golpe más frecuente en tumores con inactivación bialélica y tumores de pacientes con síndrome de Lynch.LIMITACIONES:Sesgo potencial de selección o referencia, datos faltantes para algunos pacientes y tamaños relativamente pequeños de algunos subgrupos.CONCLUSIONES:Las características clínicas del cáncer de colon deficiente en reparación de desajustes varían con la etiología de la inestabilidad de microsatélites, y sus características moleculares varían con la proteína de reparación de desajustes afectada. Vea Resumen de video en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B984 . (Traducción-Dr. Felipe Bellolio ).

Survival After Induction Chemotherapy and Chemoradiation Versus Chemoradiation and Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) improves tumor response in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients compared to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy alone. The effect of TNT on patient survival has not been fully investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective case series of patients with LARC at a comprehensive cancer center. Three hundred and eleven patients received chemoradiotherapy (chemoRT) as the sole neoadjuvant treatment and planned adjuvant chemotherapy, and 313 received TNT (induction fluorouracil and oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting). These patients then underwent total mesorectal excision or were entered in a watch-and-wait protocol. The proportion of patients with complete response (CR) after neoadjuvant therapy (defined as pathological CR or clinical CR sustained for 2 years) was compared by the χ2 test. Disease-free survival (DFS), local recurrence-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, and overall survival were assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test. Cox regression models were used to further evaluate DFS. RESULTS: The rate of CR was 20% for chemoRT and 27% for TNT (P=.05). DFS, local recurrence-free survival, metastasis-free survival, and overall survival were no different. Disease-free survival was not associated with the type of neoadjuvant treatment (hazard ratio [HR] 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93-1.80; P = .12). CONCLUSIONS: Although TNT does not prolong survival than neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy plus intended postoperative chemotherapy, the higher response rate associated with TNT may create opportunities to preserve the rectum in more patients with LARC.

Detecting mismatch repair deficiency in solid neoplasms: immunohistochemistry, microsatellite instability, or both?

In managing patients with solid tumors, the value of detecting the status of tumor DNA mismatch repair function is widely recognized. Mismatch repair protein immunohistochemistry and molecular microsatellite instability testing constitute the two major test modalities currently in use, yet each is associated with caveats and limitations that can be consequential. Most notably, the traditional approach of defining mismatch repair protein immunohistochemistry abnormality by complete loss of staining in all tumor cells is evolving. Partial or clonal loss is becoming recognized as a manifestation of gene abnormality; in some cases, such clonal loss is associated with germline pathogenic variants. The current criteria and cutoff values for defining microsatellite instability-high are developed primarily according to colorectal tumors. Non-colorectal cases, and occasionally even colorectal tumors, that are mismatch repair-deficient by immunohistochemistry but not microsatellite instability-high by current standards are being recognized. Emerging data suggest that these immunohistochemistry abnormal / non-microsatellite instability-high cases warrant further genetic workup for Lynch syndrome detection. Whether these tumors respond to immunotherapy is a question still to be addressed. It is imperative that pathologists as well as clinicians and investigators be aware of such intricacies regarding routine immunohistochemistry and microsatellite instability testing and the results they generate. This review summarizes our current understanding of the advantages and limitations of these tests and offer our view on what constitutes the most optimal strategy in test selection and how best to utilize case context to enhance the interpretation of the test results.

Stratification of chemotherapy-treated stage III colorectal cancer patients using multiplexed imaging and single-cell analysis of T-cell populations.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has one of the highest cancer incidences and mortality rates. In stage III, postoperative chemotherapy benefits <20% of patients, while more than 50% will develop distant metastases. Biomarkers for identification of patients at increased risk of disease recurrence following adjuvant chemotherapy are currently lacking. In this study, we assessed immune signatures in the tumor and tumor microenvironment (TME) using an in situ multiplexed immunofluorescence imaging and single-cell analysis technology (Cell DIVETM) and evaluated their correlations with patient outcomes. Tissue microarrays (TMAs) with up to three 1 mm diameter cores per patient were prepared from 117 stage III CRC patients treated with adjuvant fluoropyrimidine/oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) chemotherapy. Single sections underwent multiplexed immunofluorescence staining for immune cell markers (CD45, CD3, CD4, CD8, FOXP3, PD1) and tumor/cell segmentation markers (DAPI, pan-cytokeratin, AE1, NaKATPase, and S6). We used annotations and a probabilistic classification algorithm to build statistical models of immune cell types. Images were also qualitatively assessed independently by a Pathologist as 'high', 'moderate' or 'low', for stromal and total immune cell content. Excellent agreement was found between manual assessment and total automated scores (p < 0.0001). Moreover, compared to single markers, a multi-marker classification of regulatory T cells (Tregs: CD3+/CD4+FOXP3+/PD1-) was significantly associated with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.049 and 0.032) of FOLFOX-treated patients. Our results also showed that PD1- Tregs rather than PD1+ Tregs were associated with improved survival. These findings were supported by results from an independent FOLFOX-treated cohort of 191 stage III CRC patients, where higher PD1- Tregs were associated with an increase overall survival (p = 0.015) for CD3+/CD4+/FOXP3+/PD1-. Overall, compared to single markers, multi-marker classification provided more accurate quantitation of immune cell types with stronger correlations with outcomes.

Early age of onset and broad cancer spectrum persist in MSH6- and PMS2-associated Lynch syndrome.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to characterize MSH6/PMS2-associated mismatch repair-deficient (MMR-D)/microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) tumors, given revised guidelines suggesting more modest phenotypes. METHODS: Patients who consented to Institutional Review Board-approved protocols of tumor/germline sequencing or Lynch syndrome registry at a single institution from February 2005 to January 2021 with germline, heterozygous MSH6/PMS2 pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants were identified. Clinical data were abstracted and correlated with MMR/microsatellite instability status using nonparametric tests. RESULTS: We identified 243 patients (133 sequencing, 110 registry) with germline MSH6/PMS2 pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants; 186 (77%) had >1 cancer. Of 261 pooled tumors, colorectal cancer (CRC) and endometrial cancer (EC) comprised 55% and 43% of cancers in MSH6 and PMS2, respectively; 192 tumors underwent molecular assessments and 122 (64%) were MMR-D/MSI-H (77 in MSH6, 45 in PMS2). MMR-D/MSI-H cancers included CRC (n = 56), EC (n = 35), small bowel cancer (n = 6), ovarian cancer (n = 6), urothelial cancer (n = 5), pancreas/biliary cancer (n = 4), gastric/esophageal cancer (n = 3), nonmelanoma skin tumors (n = 3), prostate cancer (n = 2), breast cancer (n = 1), and central nervous system/brain cancer (n = 1). Among MMR-D/MSI-H CRC and EC, median age of diagnosis was 51.5 (range = 27-80) and 55 (range = 39-74) years, respectively; 9 of 56 (16%) MMR-D/MSI-H CRCs were diagnosed at age <35 years. CONCLUSION: MSH6/PMS2 heterozygotes remain at risk for a broad spectrum of cancers, with 16% of MMR-D/MSI-H CRCs presenting before upper threshold of initiation of colonoscopy per guidelines.

Three-Dimensional Vessel Segmentation in Whole-Tissue and Whole-Block Imaging Using a Deep Neural Network: Proof-of-Concept Study.

In the field of pathology, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) has become an attractive imaging modality because it enables full analysis of the three-dimensional characteristics of a tissue sample or organ in a noninvasive manner. However, because of the complexity of the three-dimensional information, understanding would be improved by development of analytical methods and software such as those implemented for clinical CT. As the accurate identification of tissue components is critical for this purpose, we have developed a deep neural network (DNN) to analyze whole-tissue images (WTIs) and whole-block images (WBIs) of neoplastic cancer tissue using micro-CT. The aim of this study was to segment vessels from WTIs and WBIs in a volumetric segmentation method using DNN. To accelerate the segmentation process while retaining accuracy, a convolutional block in DNN was improved by introducing a residual inception block. Three colorectal tissue samples were collected and one WTI and 70 WBIs were acquired by a micro-CT scanner. The implemented segmentation method was then tested on the WTI and WBIs. As a proof-of-concept study, our method successfully segmented the vessels on all WTI and WBIs of the colorectal tissue sample. In addition, despite the large size of the images for analysis, all segmentation processes were completed in 10 minutes.

Local Therapy for Oligoprogression or Consolidation in High Mutational Burden Stage 4 Colorectal Cancer Treated With PD-1 or PD-L1 Blockade.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint blockade (ICI) of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) or PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) can induce durable responses in patients who have colorectal cancer (CRC) with a high tumor mutational burden (TMB). Two recurring clinical dilemmas show how to manage oligoprogressive disease and stable disease after ICI. METHODS: A cohort study was conducted to analyze patients with metastatic CRC who underwent PD-1 or PD-L1 blockade. Tumors were mismatch repair (MMR) deficient or had more than 25 mutations per megabase. Patients were identified who had local therapy (surgery, ablation, or radiotherapy) for one to three sites of progressive disease (PD) or surgery to consolidate SD. The study evaluated clinical and biologic factors associated with patient selection, outcomes, and pathologic response rates. RESULTS: From 2014 to 2020, treatment was administered to 111 patients with ICI. Of these 111 patients, 19 (17%) survived fewer than 6 months, whereas to date, 50 have not had progression of disease. The remaining 42 patients experienced PD, and 16 (38%) were treated with local therapy for oligoprogression. Selection for local therapy was associated with response to ICI. The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) after local therapy was 62%. Finally, 6 of the 50 patients without PD had consolidation of SD, and 5 had complete or near complete pathologic responses. CONCLUSIONS: Oligoprogression, a frequent pattern of failure after ICI, can be managed effectively with local therapy. In contrast, it may not be necessary to consolidate SD for selected patients. Further research is essential to define management algorithms better and to explore heterogeneity in response patterns.