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.

Sex and survival outcomes in patients with renal cell carcinoma receiving first-line immune-based combinations.

BACKGROUND: There is an ongoing debate as to whether sex could be associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) benefit. Existing literature data reveal contradictory results, and data on first-line immune combinations are lacking. METHOD: This was a real-world, multicenter, international, observational study to determine the sex effects on the clinical outcomes in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients treated with immuno-oncology combinations as first-line therapy. RESULTS: A total of 1827 mRCC patients from 71 cancer centers in 21 countries were included. The median OS was 38.7 months (95% CI 32.7-44.2) in the overall study population: 40.0 months (95% CI 32.7-51.6) in males and 38.7 months (95% CI 26.4-41.0) in females (p = 0.202). The median OS was higher in males vs. females in patients aged 18-49y (36.9 months, 95% CI 29.0-51.6, vs. 24.8 months, 95% CI 16.8-40.4, p = 0.426, with + 19% of 2y-OS rate, 72% vs. 53%, p = 0.006), in the clear cell histology subgroup (44.2 months, 95% CI 35.8-55.7, vs. 38.7 months, 95% CI 26.0-41.0, p = 0.047), and in patients with sarcomatoid differentiation (34.4 months, 95% CI 26.4-59.0, vs. 15.3 months, 95% CI 8.9-41.0, p < 0.001). Sex female was an independent negative prognostic factor in the sarcomatoid population (HR 1.72, 95% CI 1.15 - 2.57, p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Although the female's innate and adaptive immunity has been observed to be more active than the male's, women in the subgroup of clear cell histology, sarcomatoid differentiation, and those under 50 years of age showed shorter OS than males.

11C-methionine in the diagnostics and management of glioblastoma patients with rapid early progression: nonrandomized, open label, prospective clinical trial (GlioMET).

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain cancer. The treatment of GBM consists of a combination of surgery and subsequent oncological therapy, i.e., radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or their combination. If postoperative oncological therapy involves irradiation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used for radiotherapy treatment planning. Unfortunately, in some cases, a very early worsening (progression) or return (recurrence) of the disease is observed several weeks after the surgery and is called rapid early progression (REP). Radiotherapy planning is currently based on MRI for target volumes definitions in many radiotherapy facilities. However, patients with REP may benefit from targeting radiotherapy with other imaging modalities. The purpose of the presented clinical trial is to evaluate the utility of 11C-methionine in optimizing radiotherapy for glioblastoma patients with REP. METHODS: This study is a nonrandomized, open-label, parallel-setting, prospective, monocentric clinical trial. The main aim of this study was to refine the diagnosis in patients with GBM with REP and to optimize subsequent radiotherapy planning. Glioblastoma patients who develop REP within approximately 6 weeks after surgery will undergo 11C-methionine positron emission tomography (PET/CT) examinations. Target volumes for radiotherapy are defined using both standard planning T1-weighted contrast-enhanced MRI and PET/CT. The primary outcome is progression-free survival defined using RANO criteria and compared to a historical cohort with REP treated without PET/CT optimization of radiotherapy. DISCUSSION: PET is one of the most modern methods of molecular imaging. 11C-Methionine is an example of a radiolabelled (carbon 11) amino acid commonly used in the diagnosis of brain tumors and in the evaluation of response to treatment. Optimized radiotherapy may also have the potential to cover those regions with a high risk of subsequent progression, which would not be identified using standard-of-care MRI for radiotherapy planning. This is one of the first study focused on radiotherapy optimization for subgroup of patinets with REP. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT05608395, registered on 8.11.2022 in clinicaltrials.gov; EudraCT Number: 2020-000640-64, registered on 26.5.2020 in clinicaltrialsregister.eu. Protocol ID: MOU-2020-01, version 3.2, date 18.09.2020.

Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Enzalutamide Monotherapy in Elderly Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: A Case Report.

Introduction: Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. Despite the sharp rise in incidence, mortality is decreasing. ARTA preparations are preferred options for asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients with mCRPC. The use of enzalutamide in elderly patients with mCRPC is risky and depends on a number of factors. An increased risk of falls and fractures has been shown. Case Presentation: We present a case report of an elderly patient with mCRPC treated with enzalutamide with very good long-term tolerance and efficacy. Conclusion: Despite the older age, no reduction of therapy was necessary in the patient due to good tolerance. Administration of enzalutamide in full doses resulted in a very good effect of therapy.

Planned Discontinuation of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Therapy in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: Lessons for the Era of Immunotherapy.

Several regimens combining immunotherapy and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have recently been validated for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). While immunotherapy is typically discontinued after 2 years in patients who neither progress nor experience limiting toxicity, according to the protocols of most recent phase III clinical trials, TKIs are to be continued until disease progression or the emergence of limiting toxicity. However, the prolonged use of TKIs is associated with significant toxicity and financial costs. This has sparked considerable debate about whether TKIs can be safely discontinued, particularly in mRCC patients who have achieved a verified complete response. This concise review examines the available evidence on TKI discontinuation in the context of mRCC management.

Impact of Immunotherapy on Real-World Survival Outcomes in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Treatment options for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) are rapidly expanding, and immunotherapy using checkpoint inhibitors is a first- or second-line option for most patients. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present retrospective analysis was to explore the real-world impact of checkpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapy compared with therapy using other types of targeted therapies using a large real-world database. METHODS: RenIS, a registry of patients with mRCC was used as a data source. Outcomes were compared for cohorts treated with TKIs or mTOR inhibitors only [targeted therapy (TT) cohort] versus patients who received immunotherapy (IO) using a checkpoint inhibitor in any line of treatment (IO cohort). Data from a total of 1981 patients were extracted from the registry, including 1767 patients in the TT cohort and 214 patients in the IO cohort. RESULTS: The median overall survival from the initiation of first-line treatment was 24.5 months versus not reached (p < 0.001) in the TT cohort versus the IO cohort, respectively [HR 0.23, 95% CI (0.17-0.31), p < 0.001]. The probability of 5-year survival was 24.2 versus 67.9% in the TT cohort versus the IO cohort, respectively. Immunotherapy in any line of treatment was associated with a lower risk of death. Overall survival was superior for patients receiving immunotherapy as the first or second treatment line compared with patients treated with non-immunological targeted therapy. CONCLUSION: In real-world patients with mRCC, immunotherapy is associated with significant survival benefit. The present retrospective analysis shows the real-world benefit of second-line immunotherapy in patients previously treated with tyrosine-kinase inhibitors.

Long non-coding RNAs enable precise diagnosis and prediction of early relapse after nephrectomy in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Renal cell carcinoma belongs among the deadliest malignancies despite great progress in therapy and accessibility of primary care. One of the main unmet medical needs remains the possibility of early diagnosis before the tumor dissemination and prediction of early relapse and disease progression after a successful nephrectomy. In our study, we aimed to identify novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers using next-generation sequencing on a novel cohort of RCC patients. METHODS: Global expression profiles have been obtained using next-generation sequencing of paired tumor and non-tumor tissue of 48 RCC patients. Twenty candidate lncRNA have been selected for further validation on an independent cohort of paired tumor and non-tumor tissue of 198 RCC patients. RESULTS: Sequencing data analysis showed significant dysregulation of more than 2800 lncRNAs. Out of 20 candidate lncRNAs selected for validation, we confirmed that 14 of them are statistically significantly dysregulated. In order to yield better discriminatory results, we combined several best performing lncRNAs into diagnostic and prognostic models. A diagnostic model consisting of AZGP1P1, CDKN2B-AS1, COL18A1, and RMST achieved AUC 0.9808, sensitivity 95.96%, and specificity 90.4%. The model for prediction of early relapse after nephrectomy consists of COLCA1, RMST, SNHG3, and ZNF667-AS1 and achieved AUC 0.9241 with sensitivity 93.75% and specificity 71.07%. Notably, no combination has outperformed COLCA1 alone. Lastly, a model for stage consists of ZNF667-AS1, PVT1, RMST, LINC00955, and TCL6 and achieves AUC 0.812, sensitivity 85.71%, and specificity 69.41%. CONCLUSION: In our work, we identified several lncRNAs as potential biomarkers and developed models for diagnosis and prognostication in relation to stage and early relapse after nephrectomy.

Biomarker Dynamics and Long-Term Treatment Outcomes in Breast Cancer Patients with Residual Cancer Burden after Neoadjuvant Therapy.

A residual cancer burden after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) for breast cancer (BC) is associated with worse treatment outcomes compared to patients who achieved pathologic complete remission. This single-institutional retrospective study of 767 consecutive patients, including 468 patients with assessable residual cancer burden (aRCB) after NAT, with a median follow-up of 36 months, evaluated the biomarkers assessed before NAT from a biopsy and after NAT from a surgical specimen, their dynamics, and effect on long-term outcomes in specific breast cancer subtypes. The leading focus was on proliferation index Ki-67, which was significantly altered by NAT in all BC subtypes (p < 0.001 for HER2 positive and luminal A/B HER2 negative and p = 0.001 for TNBC). Multivariable analysis showed pre-NAT and post-NAT Ki-67 as independent predictors of survival outcomes for luminal A/B HER2 negative subtype. For TNBC, post-NAT Ki-67 was significant alone, and, for HER2 positive, the only borderline association of pre-NAT Ki-67 was observed in relation to the overall survival. Steroid and HER2 receptors were re-assessed just in a portion of the patients with aRCB. The concordance of both assessments was 92.9% for ER status, 80.1% for PR, and 92.2% for HER2. In conclusion, these real-world data of a consecutive cohort confirmed the importance of biomarkers assessment in patients with aRCB, and the need to consider specific BC subtypes when interpreting their influence on prognosis.

LncRNA PVT1 is increased in renal cell carcinoma and affects viability and migration in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Renal cell carcinoma is difficult to diagnose and unpredictable in disease course and severity. There are no specific biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis estimation feasible in clinical practice. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as potent regulators of gene expression in recent years. Aside from their cellular role, their expression patterns could be used as a biomarker of ongoing pathology. METHODS: In this work, we used next-generation sequencing for global lncRNA expression profiling in tumor and non-tumor tissue of RCC patients. The four candidate lncRNAs have been further validated on an independent cohort. PVT1, as the most promising lncRNA, has also been studied using functional in vitro tests. RESULTS: Next-generation sequencing showed significant dysregulation of 1163 lncRNAs; among them top 20 dysregulated lncRNAs were AC061975.7, AC124017.1, AP000696.1, AC148477.4, LINC02437, GATA3-AS, LINC01762, LINC01230, LINC01271, LINC01187, LINC00472, AC007849.1, LINC00982, LINC01543, AL031710.1, and AC019197.1 as down-regulated lncRNAs; and SLC16A1-AS1, PVT1, LINC0887, and LUCAT1 as up-regulated lncRNAs. We observed statistically significant dysregulation of PVT1, LUCAT1, and LINC00982. Moreover, we studied the effect of artificial PVT1 decrease in renal cell line 786-0 and observed an effect on cell viability and migration. CONCLUSION: Our results show not only the diagnostic but also the therapeutic potential of PVT1 in renal cell carcinoma.

A large-scale assay library for targeted protein quantification in renal cell carcinoma tissues.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents 2.2% of all cancer incidences; however, prognostic or predictive RCC biomarkers at protein level are largely missing. To support proteomics research of localized and metastatic RCC, we introduce a new library of targeted mass spectrometry assays for accurate protein quantification in malignant and normal kidney tissue. Aliquots of 86 initially localized RCC, 75 metastatic RCC and 17 adjacent non-cancerous fresh frozen tissue lysates were trypsin digested, pooled, and fractionated using hydrophilic chromatography. The fractions were analyzed using LC-MS/MS on QExactive HF-X mass spectrometer in data-dependent acquisition (DDA) mode. A resulting spectral library contains 77,817 peptides representing 7960 protein groups (FDR = 1%). Further, we confirm applicability of this library on four RCC datasets measured in data-independent acquisition (DIA) mode, demonstrating a specific quantification of a substantially increased part of RCC proteome, depending on LC-MS/MS instrumentation. Impact of sample specificity of the library on the results of targeted DIA data extraction was demonstrated by parallel analyses of two datasets by two pan human libraries. The new RCC specific library has potential to contribute to better understanding the RCC development at molecular level, leading to new diagnostic and therapeutic targets.

Patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with cabozantinib in the Czech Republic: analysis of four cancer centers.

AIM: The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze treatment outcomes and tolerance in patients in whom cabozantinib was used after previous targeted therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cabozantinib was administered in dose 60 mg/day, a subset of patients received initial dose of 40 mg/day. The treatment was administered until to progression or unacceptable toxicity. CT scans were assessed according to the RECIST 1.1 and toxicity of treatment was assessed based on the CTCAE (version 4). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to calculate progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). We performed a multivariate analysis of risk factors for treatment outcomes (PFS, OS) by Cox regression analysis. All statistics were evaluated at the significance level alpha = 0.05. RESULTS: 54 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) were evaluated. Median PFS in all patients treated with cabozantinib was 9.3 months (95% CI 5.3 - 13.3). One-year survival was 85.2% (95% CI 72.9 - 93.4%). Treatment response was observed in 45.9% of cases, including one complete remission. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that presence of subsequent treatment was the only factor with a significant effect on OS (P=0.008). Adverse events occurred in 88.9% of patients, grade 3 - 4 in 46.3%. CONCLUSION: The analysis of our cohort of patients treated with cabozantinib in the second or higher lines of treatment showed that cabozantinib represents an effective and safe therapy and contributes to longer survival of our mRCC patients.

Transgelin Contributes to a Poor Response of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma to Sunitinib Treatment.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents about 2-3% of all cancers with over 400,000 new cases per year. Sunitinib, a vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor, has been used mainly for first-line treatment of metastatic clear-cell RCC with good or intermediate prognosis. However, about one-third of metastatic RCC patients do not respond to sunitinib, leading to disease progression. Here, we aim to find and characterize proteins associated with poor sunitinib response in a pilot proteomics study. Sixteen RCC tumors from patients responding (8) vs. non-responding (8) to sunitinib 3 months after treatment initiation were analyzed using data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry, together with their adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Proteomics analysis quantified 1996 protein groups (FDR = 0.01) and revealed 27 proteins deregulated between tumors non-responding vs. responding to sunitinib, representing a pattern of deregulated proteins potentially contributing to sunitinib resistance. Gene set enrichment analysis showed an up-regulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition with transgelin as one of the most significantly abundant proteins. Transgelin expression was silenced by CRISPR/Cas9 and RNA interference, and the cells with reduced transgelin level exhibited significantly slower proliferation. Our data indicate that transgelin is an essential protein supporting RCC cell proliferation, which could contribute to intrinsic sunitinib resistance.

Administration of Nivolumab in Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer Following Treatment With mTOR Inhibitors.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors is currently considered a cornerstone of metastatic renal clear cell cancer (mRCC) therapy. Despite the general improvement in the survival of patients with mRCC, there are some clinical situations that have not been specifically evaluated in clinical trials, such as the use of everolimus before nivolumab. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis evaluating the efficacy of nivolumab in the real-world setting, including a subset of patients with previous mTOR inhibitor therapy. RESULTS: From a total of 56 patients, 25 were pre-treated with everolimus before receiving nivolumab. The overall progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and objective response rate were 10.3, 21.3 months, and 34%, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in patients who were or were not pre-treated with everolimus. CONCLUSION: mRCC patients should be treated with checkpoint inhibitors and prior use of mTOR inhibitors should not be a definitive exclusion criterium.

Drug interaction profile of TKI alectinib allows effective and safe treatment of ALK+ lung cancer in the kidney transplant recipient.

ALK targeting with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is a highly potent treatment option for the therapy of ALK positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, pharmacokinetics of TKIs leads to clinically significant drug interactions, and the interfering co-medication may hamper the anti-cancer therapeutic management. Here, we present for the first time a drug interaction profile of ALK-TKIs, crizotinib and alectinib, and immunosuppressive agent cyclosporine A in kidney transplant recipients diagnosed with ALK+ lung cancer. Based on therapeutic drug monitoring of cyclosporin A plasma level, the dose of cyclosporine A has been adjusted to achieve a safe and effective therapeutic level in terms of both cancer treatment and kidney transplant condition. Particularly, 15 years upon the kidney transplantation, the stage IV lung cancer patient was treated with the 1st-line chemotherapy, the 2nd-line ALK-TKI crizotinib followed by ALK-TKI alectinib. The successful therapy with ALK-TKIs has been continuing for more than 36 months, including the period when the patient was treated for COVID-19 bilateral pneumonia. Hence, the therapy of ALK+ NSCLC with ALK-TKIs in organ transplant recipients treated with cyclosporine A may be feasible and effective.

The use of cisplatin in patients after kidney transplantation with chronic renal insufficiency: Is the benefit higher than potential risks in therapy of non-seminomatous germ cell tumors?

RATIONALE: The use of cisplatin in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is risky and depends on a number of factors. The optimal procedure in stage I of a non seminomatous germ cell tumor without proven lymphangioinvasion after orchiectomy is controversial and is the subject of a number of discussions due to the lack of randomized studies assessing individual treatment options. The adjuvant method of choice is surveillance or application of cisplatin-based chemotherapy with the risk of treatment related nephrotoxicity. Information about cisplatin safety in renal transplant patients is particularly limited. The aim of this paper is to share the experience with the application of adjuvant chemotherapy Bleomycin, Etoposide, Cisplatin (BEP) in high-risk patient with nonseminoma after kidney transplantation. PATIENT CONCERNS: We report a case report of rare group of high-risk patient with non-seminomatous germ cell testicular tumor (NSGCT) after kidney transplantation before application of adjuvant chemotherapy BEP. Patient presented with month-long discomfort in the scrotal area. Previously, he was treated with chronic kidney disease based on chronic glomerulonephritis, which was treated with repeated kidney transplantation. DIAGNOSIS: The ultrasound examination for a month-long discomfort in the scrotal area found a solid mass of the left testis. Radical inguinal orchiectomy confirmed NSGCT with the presence of lymphovascular invasion (LVI). Postoperative staging with computed tomography of the chest and abdomen did not show obvious dissemination of the disease. INTERVENTIONS: Reducing original dose of chemotherapeutics according to the recommendations of the summary of product characteristics led to only a transient increase in creatinine levels. OUTCOMES: The 5-year risk of relapse in surveillance was reduced to around 3% by applying cisplatin-based chemotherapy. LESSONS: Application of cisplatin-based chemotherapy is safe and effective in patients with CKD and in patients with a kidney transplant.

Clinical Results and Biomarker Analyses of Axitinib and TRC105 versus Axitinib Alone in Patients with Advanced or Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (TRAXAR).

LESSONS LEARNED: The combination of carotuximab with axitinib did not provide a benefit over axitinib monotherapy in patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma who had previously progressed on one or more vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-targeted therapies. Exploratory evaluation of pretreatment circulating biomarkers suggested the combination might benefit patients who have low baseline VEGF levels. BACKGROUND: Endoglin is an angiogenic receptor expressed on proliferating tumor vessels and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) stem cells that is implicated as a mechanism of resistance to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitors. This study evaluated an antiendoglin monoclonal antibody (carotuximab, TRC105) combined with axitinib in patients with advanced or metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC) who had progressed following one or more prior VEGF inhibitors. METHODS: TRAXAR was a multicenter, international randomized 1:1 (stratified by ECOG, 0 vs. 1), phase II study of carotuximab combined with axitinib versus axitinib alone in mccRCC patients who had progressed following one or more prior VEGF inhibitors. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) assessed by independent central review (ICR) per RECIST 1.1 RESULTS: A total of 150 patients were randomized. The combination therapy resulted in shorter median PFS by RECIST 1.1 than axitinib monotherapy (6.7 vs. 11.4 months). The combination was tolerated similarly to axitinib monotherapy, and there were no treatment related deaths. Exploratory evaluation of pretreatment circulating biomarkers suggested the combination might benefit patients who have low baseline VEGF levels. CONCLUSION: The combination of carotuximab with axitinib did not demonstrate additional efficacy over single agent axitinib in patients with mccRCC who progressed following one or more prior VEGF inhibitor treatment.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Evaluation of Early Clinical Response, Pathological Complete Response Rates, and Addition of Platinum Salts Benefit Based on Real-World Evidence.

Pathological complete response (pCR) achievement is undoubtedly the essential goal of neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer, directly affecting survival endpoints. This retrospective study of 237 triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients with a median follow-up of 36 months evaluated the role of adding platinum salts into standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). After the initial four standard NACT cycles, early clinical response (ECR) was assessed and used to identify tumors and patients generally sensitive to NACT. BRCA1/2 mutation, smaller unifocal tumors, and Ki-67 ≥ 65% were independent predictors of ECR. The total pCR rate was 41%, the achievement of pCR was strongly associated with ECR (OR = 15.1, p < 0.001). According to multivariable analysis, the significant benefit of platinum NACT was observed in early responders ≥45 years, Ki-67 ≥ 65% and persisted lymph node involvement regardless of BRCA1/2 status. Early responders with pCR had a longer time to death (HR = 0.28, p < 0.001) and relapse (HR = 0.26, p < 0.001). The pCR was achieved in only 7% of non-responders. However, platinum salts favored non-responders' survival outcomes without statistical significance. Toxicity was significantly often observed in patients with platinum NACT (p = 0.003) but not for grade 3/4 (p = 0.155). These results based on real-world evidence point to the usability of ECR in NACT management, especially focusing on the benefit of platinum salts.

Open-Label, Single-Arm Phase II Study of Pembrolizumab Monotherapy as First-Line Therapy in Patients With Advanced Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Pembrolizumab, a programmed death 1 inhibitor, demonstrated promising single-agent activity in untreated patients with various cancer types. The phase II KEYNOTE-427 study evaluated efficacy and safety of single-agent pembrolizumab in treatment-naive patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC; cohort A) and advanced non-ccRCC (cohort B). Results of cohort A are reported. METHODS: In this open-label, single-arm phase II study, patients with advanced ccRCC received pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks for ≤ 24 months. The primary end point was objective response rate by RECIST, version 1.1. RESULTS: In the total population (N = 110), median time from enrollment to data cutoff was 35.9 (range, 29.5-40.3) months. Objective response rate was 36.4% with four (3.6%) complete responses and 36 (32.7%) partial responses; disease control rate was 58.2% (95% CI, 48.4 to 67.5). Most patients (68.2%) had a decrease in target lesions, including 30.9% with a reduction ≥ 60%. Median duration of response was 18.9 (range, 2.3-37.6+) months; 64.1% of responders had a response ≥ 12 months (Kaplan-Meier). Median progression-free survival was 7.1 months (95% CI, 5.6 to 11.0). Median overall survival was not reached; 12-month and 24-month overall survival rates were 88.2% and 70.8%, respectively. Durable responses were observed across all International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium categories. Grade 3-5 treatment-related adverse events were reported in 30.0% of patients, of which colitis and diarrhea were most frequent. CONCLUSION: Single-agent pembrolizumab showed promising antitumor activity as a first-line treatment in patients with advanced ccRCC, with durable responses across International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium categories. Safety and tolerability profile of pembrolizumab monotherapy was comparable to what has been previously described in other tumor types.

Cytoreductive Nephrectomy and Overall Survival of Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated with Targeted Therapy-Data from the National Renis Registry.

The role of cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) in treatment of locally advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) in the era of targeted therapies (TT) is still not clearly defined. The study population consisted of 730 patients with synchronous mRCC. The RenIS (Renal carcinoma Information System) registry was used as the data source. The CN/TT cohort included patients having CN within 3 months from the mRCC diagnosis and subsequently being treated with TT, while the TT cohort included patients receiving TT upfront. Median progression-free survival from the first intervention was 6.7 months in the TT arm and 9.3 months in the CN/TT patients (p < 0.001). Median overall survival was 14.2 and 27.2 months, respectively (p < 0.001). Liver metastasis, high-grade tumor, absence of CN, non-clear cell histology, and MSKCC (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center) poor prognosis status were associated with adverse treatment outcomes. According to the results of this retrospective study, patients who underwent CN and subsequently were treated with TT had better outcomes compared to patients treated with upfront TT. The results of the study support the use of CN in the treatment algorithm for mRCC.

Pre-Radiotherapy Progression after Surgery of Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma: Corroboration of New Prognostic Variable.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this retrospective study is to assess the incidence, localization, and potential predictors of rapid early progression (REP) prior to initiation of radiotherapy in newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients and to compare survival outcomes in cohorts with or without REP in relation to the treatment. METHODS: We assessed a consecutive cohort of 155 patients with histologically confirmed irradiated glioblastoma from 1/2014 to 12/2017. A total of 90 patients with preoperative, postoperative, and planning MRI were analyzed. RESULTS: Median age 59 years, 59% men, and 39 patients (43%) underwent gross total tumor resection. The Stupp regimen was indicated to 64 patients (71%); 26 patients (29%) underwent radiotherapy alone. REP on planning MRI performed shortly prior to radiotherapy was found in 46 (51%) patients, most often within the surgical cavity wall, and the main predictor for REP was non-radical surgery (p < 0.001). The presence of REP was confirmed as a strong negative prognostic factor; median overall survival (OS) in patients with REP was 10.7 vs. 18.7 months and 2-year survival was 15.6% vs. 37.7% (hazard ratio HR 0.53 for those without REP; p = 0.007). Interestingly, the REP occurrence effect on survival outcome was significantly different in younger patients (≤ 50 years) and older patients (> 50 years) for OS (p = 0.047) and non-significantly for PFS (p = 0.341). In younger patients, REP was a stronger negative prognostic factor, probably due to more aggressive behavior. Patients with REP who were indicated for the Stupp regimen had longer OS compared to radiotherapy alone (median OS 16.0 vs 7.5; HR = 0.5, p = 0.022; 2-year survival 22.3% vs. 5.6%). The interval between surgery and the initiation of radiotherapy were not prognostic in either the entire cohort or in patients with REP. CONCLUSION: Especially in the subgroup of patients without radical resection, one may recommend as early initiation of radiotherapy as possible. The phenomenon of REP should be recognized as an integral part of stratification factors in future prospective clinical trials enrolling patients before initiation of radiotherapy.