Single Cell Analysis of Treatment-Resistant Prostate Cancer: Implications of Cell State Changes for Cell Surface Antigen Targeted Therapies.

Targeting cell surface molecules using radioligand and antibody-based therapies has yielded considerable success across cancers. However, it remains unclear how the expression of putative lineage markers, particularly cell surface molecules, varies in the process of lineage plasticity, wherein tumor cells alter their identity and acquire new oncogenic properties. A notable example of lineage plasticity is the transformation of prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) to neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC)--a growing resistance mechanism that results in the loss of responsiveness to androgen blockade and portends dismal patient survival. To understand how lineage markers vary across the evolution of lineage plasticity in prostate cancer, we applied single cell analyses to 21 human prostate tumor biopsies and two genetically engineered mouse models, together with tissue microarray analysis (TMA) on 131 tumor samples. Not only did we observe a higher degree of phenotypic heterogeneity in castrate-resistant PRAD and NEPC than previously anticipated, but also found that the expression of molecules targeted therapeutically, namely PSMA, STEAP1, STEAP2, TROP2, CEACAM5, and DLL3, varied within a subset of gene-regulatory networks (GRNs). We also noted that NEPC and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) subtypes shared a set of GRNs, indicative of conserved biologic pathways that may be exploited therapeutically across tumor types. While this extreme level of transcriptional heterogeneity, particularly in cell surface marker expression, may mitigate the durability of clinical responses to novel antigen-directed therapies, its delineation may yield signatures for patient selection in clinical trials, potentially across distinct cancer types.

Postradical prostatectomy prostate-specific antigen outcomes after 6 versus 18 months of perioperative androgen-deprivation therapy in men with localized, unfavorable intermediate-risk or high-risk prostate cancer: Results of part 2 of a randomized phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with localized, unfavorable intermediate-risk and high-risk prostate cancer have an increased risk of relapse after radical prostatectomy (RP). The authors previously reported on part 1 of this phase 2 trial testing neoadjuvant apalutamide, abiraterone, prednisone, plus leuprolide (AAPL) or abiraterone, prednisone, and leuprolide (APL) for 6 months followed by RP. The results demonstrated favorable pathologic responses (tumor <5 mm) in 20.3% of patients (n = 24 of 118). Herein, the authors report the results of part 2. METHODS: For part 2, patients were randomized 1:1 to receive either AAPL for 12 months (arm 2A) or observation (arm 2B), stratified by neoadjuvant therapy and pathologic tumor classification. The primary end point was 3-year biochemical progression-free survival. Secondary end points included safety and testosterone recovery (>200 ng/dL). RESULTS: Overall, 82 of 118 patients (69%) enrolled in part 1 were randomized to part 2. A higher proportion of patients who were not randomized to adjuvant therapy had a favorable prostatectomy pathologic response (32.3% in nonrandomized patients compared with 17.1% in randomized patients). In the intent-to-treat analysis, the 3-year biochemical progression-free survival rate was 81% for arm 2A and 72% for arm 2B (hazard ratio, 0.81; 90% confidence interval, 0.43-1.49). Of the randomized patients, 81% had testosterone recovery in the AAPL group compared with 95% in the observation group, with a median time to recovery of <12 months in both arms. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, because 30% of patients declined adjuvant treatment, part B was underpowered to detect differences between arms. Future perioperative studies should be biomarker-directed and include strategies for investigator and patient engagement to ensure compliance with protocol procedures.

Marital Status, Living Arrangement, and Survival among Individuals with Advanced Prostate Cancer in the International Registry for Men with Advanced Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown improved survival among individuals with cancer with higher levels of social support. Few studies have investigated social support and overall survival (OS) in individuals with advanced prostate cancer in an international cohort. We investigated the associations of marital status and living arrangements with OS among individuals with advanced prostate cancer in the International Registry for Men with Advanced Prostate Cancer (IRONMAN). METHODS: IRONMAN is enrolling participants diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer (metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, mHSPC; castration-resistant prostate cancer, CRPC) from 16 countries. Participants in this analysis were recruited between July 2017 and January 2023. Adjusting for demographics and tumor characteristics, the associations were estimated using Cox regression and stratified by disease state (mHSPC, CRPC), age (<70, ≥70 years), and continent of enrollment (North America, Europe, Other). RESULTS: We included 2,119 participants with advanced prostate cancer, of whom 427 died during up to 5 years of follow-up (median 6 months). Two-thirds had mHSPC. Most were married/in a civil partnership (79%) and 6% were widowed. Very few married participants were living alone (1%), while most unmarried participants were living alone (70%). Married participants had better OS than unmarried participants [adjusted HR: 1.44; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02-2.02]. Widowed participants had the worst survival compared with married individuals (adjusted HR: 1.89; 95% CI: 1.22-2.94). CONCLUSIONS: Among those with advanced prostate cancer, unmarried and widowed participants had worse OS compared with married participants. IMPACT: This research highlighted the importance of social support in OS within this vulnerable population.

Phase 1b study of enzalutamide plus CC-115, a dual mTORC1/2 and DNA-PK inhibitor, in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

BACKGROUND: CC-115, a dual mTORC1/2 and DNA-PK inhibitor, has promising antitumour activity when combined with androgen receptor (AR) inhibition in pre-clinical models. METHODS: Phase 1b multicentre trial evaluating enzalutamide with escalating doses of CC-115 in AR inhibitor-naive mCRPC patients (n = 41). Primary endpoints were safety and RP2D. Secondary endpoints included PSA response, time-to-PSA progression, and radiographic progression. RESULTS: Common adverse effects included rash (31.7% Grades 1-2 (Gr); 31.7% Gr 3), pruritis (43.9% Gr 1-2), diarrhoea (37% Gr 1-2), and hypertension (17% Gr 1-2; 9.8% Gr 3). CC-115 RP2D was 5 mg twice a day. In 40 evaluable patients, 80% achieved ≥50% reduction in PSA (PSA50), and 58% achieved ≥90% reduction in PSA (PSA90) by 12 weeks. Median time-to-PSA progression was 14.7 months and median rPFS was 22.1 months. Stratification by PI3K alterations demonstrated a non-statistically significant trend towards improved PSA50 response (PSA50 of 94% vs. 67%, p = 0.08). Exploratory pre-clinical analysis suggested CC-115 inhibited mTOR pathway strongly, but may be insufficient to inhibit DNA-PK at RP2D. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of enzalutamide and CC-115 was well tolerated. A non-statistically significant trend towards improved PSA response was observed in patients harbouring PI3K pathway alterations, suggesting potential predictive biomarkers of response to a PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitor. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02833883.

Pain and Its Association with Survival for Black and White Individuals with Advanced Prostate Cancer in the United States.

Bone pain is a well-known quality-of-life detriment for individuals with prostate cancer and is associated with survival. This study expands previous work into racial differences in multiple patient-reported dimensions of pain and the association between baseline and longitudinal pain and mortality. This is a prospective cohort study of individuals with newly diagnosed advanced prostate cancer enrolled in the International Registry for Men with Advanced Prostate Cancer (IRONMAN) from 2017 to 2023 at U.S. sites. Differences in four pain scores at study enrollment by race were investigated. Cox proportional hazards models and joint longitudinal survival models were fit for each of the scale scores to estimate HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association with all-cause mortality. The cohort included 879 individuals (20% self-identifying as Black) enrolled at 38 U.S. sites. Black participants had worse pain at baseline compared with White participants, most notably a higher average pain rating (mean 3.1 vs. 2.2 on a 10-point scale). For each pain scale, higher pain was associated with higher mortality after adjusting for measures of disease burden, particularly for severe bone pain compared with no pain (HR, 2.47; 95% CI: 1.44-4.22). The association between pain and all-cause mortality was stronger for participants with castration-resistant prostate cancer compared with those with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer and was similar among Black and White participants. Overall, Black participants reported worse pain than White participants, and more severe pain was associated with higher mortality independent of clinical covariates for all pain scales. SIGNIFICANCE: Black participants with advanced prostate cancer reported worse pain than White participants, and more pain was associated with worse survival. More holistic clinical assessments of pain in this population are needed to determine the factors upon which to intervene to improve quality of life and survivorship, particularly for Black individuals.

Neoplasia risk in patients with Lynch syndrome treated with immune checkpoint blockade.

Metastatic and localized mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) tumors are exquisitely sensitive to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). The ability of ICB to prevent dMMR malignant or pre-malignant neoplasia development in patients with Lynch syndrome (LS) is unknown. Of 172 cancer-affected patients with LS who had received ≥1 ICB cycles, 21 (12%) developed subsequent malignancies after ICB exposure, 91% (29/32) of which were dMMR, with median time to development of 21 months (interquartile range, 6-38). Twenty-four of 61 (39%) ICB-treated patients who subsequently underwent surveillance colonoscopy had premalignant polyps. Within matched pre-ICB and post-ICB follow-up periods, the overall rate of tumor development was unchanged; however, on subgroup analysis, a decreased incidence of post-ICB visceral tumors was observed. These data suggest that ICB treatment of LS-associated tumors does not eliminate risk of new neoplasia development, and LS-specific surveillance strategies should continue. These data have implications for immunopreventative strategies and provide insight into the immunobiology of dMMR tumors.

Quality of life in the year after new diagnosis with advanced prostate cancer for Black and White individuals living in the US.

PURPOSE: To assess differences in baseline and longitudinal quality of life among Black and White individuals in the US with advanced prostate cancer. METHODS: Secondary analysis of data from the International Registry for Men with Advanced Prostate Cancer (IRONMAN) including US participants newly diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and identifying their race as Black or White from 2017 to 2023. Participants completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 Quality of Life (QoL) Survey at study enrollment and every 3 months thereafter for up to 1 year of follow-up reporting 15 scale scores ranging from 0 to 100 (higher functioning and lower symptom scores represent better quality of life). Linear mixed effects models with race and month of questionnaire completion were fit for each scale, and model coefficients were used to assess differences in baseline and longitudinal QoL by race. RESULTS: Eight hundred and seventy-nine participants were included (20% identifying as Black) at 38 US sites. Compared to White participants at baseline, Black participants had worse constipation (mean 6.3 percentage points higher; 95% CI 2.9-9.8), financial insecurity (5.7 (1.4-10.0)), and pain (5.1 (0.9-9.3)). QoL decreased over time similarly by race; most notably, role functioning decreased by 0.7 percentage points (95% CI -0.8, -0.5) per month. CONCLUSION: There are notable differences in quality of life at new diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer for Black and White individuals, and quality of life declines similarly in the first year for both groups. Interventions that address specific aspects of quality of life in these patients could meaningfully improve the overall survivorship experience.

External Validation of a Prognostic Model of Overall Survival in Men With Chemotherapy-Naïve Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: We have previously developed and externally validated a prognostic model of overall survival (OS) in men with metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) treated with docetaxel. We sought to externally validate this model in a broader group of men with docetaxel-naïve mCRPC and in specific subgroups (White, Black, Asian patients, different age groups, and specific treatments) and to classify patients into validated two and three prognostic risk groupings on the basis of the model. METHODS: Data from 8,083 docetaxel-naïve mCRPC men randomly assigned on seven phase III trials were used to validate the prognostic model of OS. We assessed the predictive performance of the model by computing the time-dependent area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (tAUC) and validated the two-risk (low and high) and three-risk prognostic groups (low, intermediate, and high). RESULTS: The tAUC was 0.74 (95% CI, 0.73 to 0.75), and when adjusting for the first-line androgen receptor (AR) inhibitor trial status, the tAUC was 0.75 (95% CI, 0.74 to 0.76). Similar results were observed by the different racial, age, and treatment subgroups. In patients enrolled on first-line AR inhibitor trials, the median OS (months) in the low-, intermediate-, and high-prognostic risk groups were 43.3 (95% CI, 40.7 to 45.8), 27.7 (95% CI, 25.8 to 31.3), and 15.4 (95% CI, 14.0 to 17.9), respectively. Compared with the low-risk prognostic group, the hazard ratios for the high- and intermediate-risk groups were 4.3 (95% CI, 3.6 to 5.1; P < .0001) and 1.9 (95% CI, 1.7 to 2.1; P < .0001). CONCLUSION: This prognostic model for OS in docetaxel-naïve men with mCRPC has been validated using data from seven trials and yields similar results overall and across race, age, and different treatment classes. The prognostic risk groups are robust and can be used to identify groups of patients for enrichment designs and for stratification in randomized clinical trials.

Niraparib and Abiraterone Acetate for Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) remains a lethal disease with current standard-of-care therapies. Homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene alterations, including BRCA1/2 alterations, can sensitize cancer cells to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibition, which may improve outcomes in treatment-naïve mCRPC when combined with androgen receptor signaling inhibition. METHODS: MAGNITUDE (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03748641) is a phase III, randomized, double-blinded study that evaluates niraparib and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (niraparib + AAP) in patients with (HRR+, n = 423) or without (HRR-, n = 247) HRR-associated gene alterations, as prospectively determined by tissue/plasma-based assays. Patients were assigned 1:1 to receive niraparib + AAP or placebo + AAP. The primary end point, radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) assessed by central review, was evaluated first in the BRCA1/2 subgroup and then in the full HRR+ cohort, with secondary end points analyzed for the full HRR+ cohort if rPFS was statistically significant. A futility analysis was preplanned in the HRR- cohort. RESULTS: Median rPFS in the BRCA1/2 subgroup was significantly longer in the niraparib + AAP group compared with the placebo + AAP group (16.6 v 10.9 months; hazard ratio [HR], 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.79; P = .001). In the overall HRR+ cohort, rPFS was significantly longer in the niraparib + AAP group compared with the placebo + AAP group (16.5 v 13.7 months; HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.96; P = .022). These findings were supported by improvement in the secondary end points of time to symptomatic progression and time to initiation of cytotoxic chemotherapy. In the HRR- cohort, futility was declared per the prespecified criteria. Treatment with niraparib + AAP was tolerable, with anemia and hypertension as the most reported grade ≥ 3 adverse events. CONCLUSION: Combination treatment with niraparib + AAP significantly lengthened rPFS in patients with HRR+ mCRPC compared with standard-of-care AAP.[Media: see text].

Gene-based Confirmatory Germline Testing Following Tumor-only Sequencing of Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Tumor-only genomic profiling is an important tool in therapeutic management of men with prostate cancer. Since clinically actionable germline variants may be reflected in tumor profiling, it is critical to identify which variants have a higher risk of being germline in origin to better counsel patients and prioritize genetic testing. OBJECTIVE: To determine when variants found on tumor-only sequencing of prostate cancers should prompt confirmatory germline testing. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Men with prostate cancer who underwent both tumor and germline sequencing at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center from January 1, 2015 to January 31, 2020 were evaluated. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Tumor and germline profiles were analyzed for pathogenic and likely pathogenic ("pathogenic") variants in 60 moderate- or high-penetrance genes associated with cancer predisposition. The germline probability (germline/germline + somatic) of a variant was calculated for each gene. Clinical and pathologic factors were analyzed as potential modifiers of germline probability. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Of the 1883 patients identified, 1084 (58%) had a somatic or germline pathogenic variant in one of 60 cancer susceptibility genes, and of them, 240 (22%) had at least one germline variant. Overall, the most frequent variants were in TP53, PTEN, APC, BRCA2, RB1, ATM, and CHEK2. Variants in TP53, PTEN, or RB1 were identified in 746 (40%) patients and were exclusively somatic. Variants with the highest germline probabilities were in PALB2 (69%), MITF (62%), HOXB13 (60%), CHEK2 (55%), BRCA1 (55%), and BRCA2 (47%), and the overall germline probability of a variant in any DNA damage repair gene was 40%. Limitations were that most of the men included in the cohort had metastatic disease, and different thresholds for pathogenicity exist for somatic and germline variants. CONCLUSIONS: Of patients with pathogenic variants found on prostate tumor sequencing, 22% had clinically actionable germline variants, for which the germline probabilities varied widely by gene. Our results provide an evidenced-based clinical framework to prioritize referral to genetic counseling following tumor-only sequencing. PATIENT SUMMARY: Patients with advanced prostate cancer are recommended to have germline genetic testing. Genetic sequencing of a patient's prostate tumor may also identify certain gene variants that are inherited. We found that patients who had variants in certain genes, such as ones that function in DNA damage repair, identified in their prostate tumor sequencing, had a high risk for having an inherited cancer syndrome.

A clinical-grade liquid biomarker detects neuroendocrine differentiation in prostate cancer.

BackgroundNeuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is an aggressive subtype, the presence of which changes the prognosis and management of metastatic prostate cancer.MethodsWe performed analytical validation of a Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) multiplex RNA qPCR assay to identify the limit of quantification (LOQ) in cell lines, synthetic cDNA, and patient samples. We next profiled 116 longitudinal samples from a prospectively collected institutional cohort of 17 patients with metastatic prostate cancer (7 NEPC, 10 adenocarcinoma) as well as 265 samples from 139 patients enrolled in 3 adenocarcinoma phase II trials of androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSIs). We assessed a NEPC liquid biomarker via the presence of neuroendocrine markers and the absence of androgen receptor (AR) target genes.ResultsUsing the analytical validation LOQ, liquid biomarker NEPC detection in the longitudinal cohort had a per-sample sensitivity of 51.35% and a specificity of 91.14%. However, when we incorporated the serial information from multiple liquid biopsies per patient, a unique aspect of this study, the per-patient predictions were 100% accurate, with a receiver-operating-curve (ROC) AUC of 1. In the adenocarcinoma ARSI trials, the presence of neuroendocrine markers, even while AR target gene expression was retained, was a strong negative prognostic factor.ConclusionOur analytically validated CTC biomarker can detect NEPC with high diagnostic accuracy when leveraging serial samples that are only feasible using liquid biopsies. Patients with expression of NE genes while retaining AR-target gene expression may indicate the transition to neuroendocrine differentiation, with clinical characteristics consistent with this phenotype.FundingNIH (DP2 OD030734, 1UH2CA260389, R01CA247479, and P30 CA014520), Department of Defense (PC190039 and PC200334), and Prostate Cancer Foundation (Movember Foundation - PCF Challenge Award).

Clinical annotations for prostate cancer research: Defining data elements, creating a reproducible analytical pipeline, and assessing data quality.

BACKGROUND: Routine clinical data from clinical charts are indispensable for retrospective and prospective observational studies and clinical trials. Their reproducibility is often not assessed. We developed a prostate cancer-specific database for clinical annotations and evaluated data reproducibility. METHODS: For men with prostate cancer who had clinical-grade paired tumor-normal sequencing at a comprehensive cancer center, we performed team-based retrospective data collection from the electronic medical record using a defined source hierarchy. We developed an open-source R package for data processing. With blinded repeat annotation by a reference medical oncologist, we assessed data completeness, reproducibility of team-based annotations, and impact of measurement error on bias in survival analyses. RESULTS: Data elements on demographics, diagnosis and staging, disease state at the time of procuring a genomically characterized sample, and clinical outcomes were piloted and then abstracted for 2261 patients (with 2631 samples). Completeness of data elements was generally high. Comparing to the repeat annotation by a medical oncologist blinded to the database (100 patients/samples), reproducibility of annotations was high; T stage, metastasis date, and presence and date of castration resistance had lower reproducibility. Impact of measurement error on estimates for strong prognostic factors was modest. CONCLUSIONS: With a prostate cancer-specific data dictionary and quality control measures, manual clinical annotations by a multidisciplinary team can be scalable and reproducible. The data dictionary and the R package for reproducible data processing are freely available to increase data quality and efficiency in clinical prostate cancer research.

Effects of metformin and statins on outcomes in men with castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer: Secondary analysis of COU-AA-301 and COU-AA-302.

BACKGROUND: The associations of metformin and statins with overall survival (OS) and prostate specific antigen response rate (PSA-RR) in trials in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether metformin or statins ± abiraterone acetate plus prednisone/prednisolone (AAP) influence OS and PSA-RR. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANT: COU-AA-301 and COU-AA-302 patients were stratified by metformin and statin use. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazards ratio (HR) stratified by concomitant medications, and a random effects model was used to pool HR. We compared PSA-RR using Chi χ2 test. RESULTS: In COU-AA-301-AAP, metformin was associated with improved PSA-RR (41.1% versus 28.6%) but not prolonged OS. In COU-AA-301-placebo-P, there was no association between metformin and prolonged OS or PSA-RR. In COU-AA-302-AAP, metformin was associated with prolonged OS (adjHR 0.69, 95% CI 0.48-0.98) and improved PSA-RR (72.7% versus 60.0%). In COU-AA-302-P, metformin was associated with prolonged OS (adjHR 0.66, 95% CI 0.47-0.93). In pooled analysis, OS was prolonged among those treated with metformin (pooled HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.62-0.95).In COU-AA-301-AAP, statins were associated with an improved OS (adjHR 0.76, 95% CI 0.62-0.93), while there was no difference in COU-AA-301-P. There was no association with statins and OS in either COU-AA-302 groups. When pooling HR, OS was prolonged among those treated with statins (pooled HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.68-0.88). CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of post-hoc sub-analyses, metformin and statins are associated with a prolonged OS and increased PSA-RR, particularly in combination with AAP.

A Phase I Study Investigating AZD8186, a Potent and Selective Inhibitor of PI3Kß/δ, in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors.

PURPOSE: To characterize safety and tolerability of the selective PI3Kß inhibitor AZD8186, identify a recommended phase II dose (RP2D), and assess preliminary efficacy in combination with abiraterone acetate or vistusertib. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This phase I open-label study included patients with advanced solid tumors, particularly prostate cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, and squamous non-small cell lung cancer. The study comprised four arms: (i) AZD8186 monotherapy dose finding; (ii) monotherapy dose expansion; (iii) AZD8186/abiraterone acetate (with prednisone); and (iv) AZD8186/vistusertib. The primary endpoints were safety, tolerability, and identification of the RP2D of AZD8186 monotherapy and in combination. Secondary endpoints included pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics, and tumor and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) responses. RESULTS: In total, 161 patients were enrolled. AZD8186 was well tolerated across all study arms, the most common adverse events being gastrointestinal symptoms. In the monotherapy dose-finding arm, four patients experienced dose-limiting toxicities (mainly rash). AZD8186 doses of 60-mg twice daily [BID; 5 days on, 2 days off (5:2)] and 120-mg BID (continuous and 5:2 dosing) were taken into subsequent arms. The PKs of AZD8186 were dose proportional, without interactions with abiraterone acetate or vistusertib, and target inhibition was observed in plasma and tumor tissue. Monotherapy and combination therapy showed preliminary evidence of limited antitumor activity by imaging and, in prostate cancer, PSA reduction. CONCLUSIONS: AZD8186 monotherapy had an acceptable safety and tolerability profile, and combination with abiraterone acetate/prednisone or vistusertib was also tolerated. There was preliminary evidence of antitumor activity, meriting further exploration of AZD8186 in subsequent studies in PI3Kß pathway-dependent cancers.

Dermatological Adverse Events in Prostate Cancer Patients Treated with the Androgen Receptor Inhibitor Apalutamide.

PURPOSE: Patients with prostate cancer (PCa) treated with apalutamide frequently develop rash. We aim to characterize apalutamide-related dermatological adverse events (dAEs) and management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We assessed 303 patients with PCa treated with apalutamide. DAE frequency and time to onset were calculated and clinicopathological features and management described. Associations between dAE occurrence and clinical trial participation, as well as abiraterone/prednisone exposure were detected using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Seventy-one (23.4%) patients had all-grade dAE occurring at a median of 77 (IQR: 30-135) days post-exposure. Twenty (6.6%) dAE-related therapy interruptions included: 8 (2.6%) with dose maintained on rechallenge, 7 (2.3%) with dose reduction and 5 (1.7%) with discontinuation. Common dAEs were maculopapular rashes (33.8%) and xerosis (32.4%). Seven (77.8%) of 9 histological analyses of skin biopsies supported a drug reaction. No significant differences in laboratory hematological, hepatic and renal function were detected between dAE and no dAE cohorts. Most treated grade 1/2 dAEs (29, 40.8%) required topical steroids (14, 19.7%); few required oral steroids (3, 4.2%) ± oral antihistamines. Most grade 3 dAEs (8, 11.3%) required oral/topical steroids (5, 7.0%); few required topical steroids (3, 4.2%) ± oral antihistamines. Clinical trial patients (180, 59.4%) were more likely to report dAEs than those in the off-trial setting (OR=5.1 [95% CI 2.55-10.12]; p <0.001). Of clinical trial patients, concomitant abiraterone/prednisone recipients (109 of 180, 60.6%) were more likely to report dAEs (OR=3.1 [95% CI 1.53-6.17]; p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Apalutamide-related dAEs are frequent and can be managed with topical ± oral steroids. With expanded approval of apalutamide, dAE identification and management are essential.

Evaluating the Role of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy With Respect to Androgen Receptor Signaling Inhibitors for Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: Outcomes of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) with respect to androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSI) have not been characterized for oligometastatic prostate cancer. We sought to characterize prostate specific antigen (PSA) response and progression-free survival (PFS) after SBRT among men who have progressed on ARSI therapy in the oligometastatic castration-resistant setting. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A single-institution retrospective analysis was performed for men with ARSI-resistant, oligometastatic, castrate-resistant prostate cancer (omCRPC). Intervention consisted of SBRT. PSA reduction greater than 50% and median PFS (PSA or radiographic progression) as determined by routine care comprised outcome measurements. Cox regression analysis was used to determine factors influencing PFS. RESULTS: Thirty-five men with ARSI-resistant omCRPC and 65 lesions treated with SBRT were followed for a median of 17.2 months. In 63% of men PSA reduction greater than 50% was achieved. Median PFS was 9.0 months. Incomplete ablation (defined as the presence of untreated lesions after SBRT or receipt of prior palliative radiation therapy doses) was associated with worse PFS (hazard ratio 4.21 [1.74-10.19]; P < .01). For a subgroup of 22 men with complete ablation of metastatic sites with SBRT, the median PFS was 13.1 months. One-year overall survival was 93.1% (95% confidence interval, 84.4-100). CONCLUSIONS: SBRT may augment the efficacy of ARSI in omCRPC, provided that all lesions receive ablative radiation doses. Future prospective study of SBRT for men receiving ARSI is warranted.

Atezolizumab with enzalutamide versus enzalutamide alone in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: a randomized phase 3 trial.

Early clinical data indicate that some patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer may benefit from program death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibition, especially with enzalutamide. The IMbassador250 trial (no. NCT03016312) enrolled 759 men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer whose disease progressed on abiraterone. The addition of atezolizumab to enzalutamide in an open-label randomized trial did not meet the primary endpoint of improved overall survival in unselected patients (stratified hazard ratio 1.12, 95% confidence interval (0.91, 1.37), P = 0.28), despite an acceptable safety profile. In archival tumor samples, prostate tumors showed comparatively low expression of key immune biomarkers. DNA damage-response alterations, phosphatase and tensin homolog status and PD-L1 expression levels were similar between hormone-sensitive and castration-resistant prostate cancers. In planned biomarker analysis, longer progression-free survival was seen with atezolizumab in patients with high PD-L1 IC2/3, CD8 expression and established immune gene signatures. Exploratory analysis linked progression-free survival in the atezolizumab arm with immune genes such as CXCL9 and TAP1, together with other potentially relevant biomarkers including phosphatase and tensin homolog alterations. Together these data indicate that the expected biology associated with response to immune checkpoint inhibitors is present in prostate cancer, albeit in fewer patients. Careful patient selection may be required for immune checkpoint inhibitors to identify subgroups of patients who may benefit from this treatment approach.

Differences in Prostate Cancer Genomes by Self-reported Race: Contributions of Genetic Ancestry, Modifiable Cancer Risk Factors, and Clinical Factors.

PURPOSE: Black men die from prostate cancer twice as often as White men, a disparity likely due to inherited genetics, modifiable cancer risk factors, and healthcare access. It is incompletely understood how and why tumor genomes differ by self-reported race and genetic ancestry. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Among 2,069 men with prostate cancer (1,841 self-reported White, 63 Asian, 165 Black) with access to clinical-grade sequencing at the same cancer center, prevalence of tumor and germline alterations was assessed in cancer driver genes reported to have different alteration prevalence by race. RESULTS: Clinical characteristics such as prostate-specific antigen and age at diagnosis as well as cancer stage at sample procurement differed by self-reported race. However, most genomic differences persisted when adjusting for clinical characteristics. Tumors from Black men harbored fewer PTEN mutations and more AR alterations than those from White men. Tumors from Asian men had more FOXA1 mutations and more ZFHX3 alterations than White men. Despite fewer TP53 mutations, tumors from Black men had more aneuploidy, particularly chromosome arm 8q gains, an adverse prognostic factor. Genetic ancestry was associated with similar tumor alterations as self-reported race, but also with modifiable cancer risk factors. Community-level average income was associated with chr8q gains after adjusting for race and ancestry. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor genomics differed by race even after accounting for clinical characteristics. Equalizing access to care may not fully eliminate such differences. Therapies for alterations more common in racial minorities are needed. Tumor genomic differences should not be assumed to be entirely due to germline genetics.

Randomized Phase 2 Trial of Abiraterone Acetate Plus Prednisone, Degarelix, or the Combination in Men with Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer After Radical Prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND: Phase 2 trial endpoints that can be utilized in high-risk biochemical recurrence (BCR) after prostatectomy as a way of more rapidly identifying treatments for phase 3 trials are urgently needed. The efficacy of abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (AAP) in BCR is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To compare the rates of complete biochemical responses after testosterone recovery after 8 mo of AAP and degarelix, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist, alone or in combination. DESIGN SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Patients with BCR (prostate-specific antigen [PSA] ≥1.0 ng/ml, PSA doubling time ≤9 mo, no metastases on standard imaging, and testosterone ≥150 ng/dl) after prostatectomy (with or without prior radiotherapy) were included in this study. INTERVENTION: Patients were randomized to AAP (arm 1), AAP with degarelix (arm 2), or degarelix (arm 3) for 8 mo, and monitored for 18 mo. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The primary endpoint was undetectable PSA with testosterone >150 ng/dl at 18 mo. Secondary endpoints were undetectable PSA at 8 mo and time to testosterone recovery. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: For the 122 patients enrolled, no difference was found between treatments for the primary endpoint (arm 1: 5.1% [95% confidence interval {CI}: 1-17%], arm 2: 17.1% [95% CI: 7-32%], arm 3: 11.9% [95% CI: 4-26%]; arm 1 vs 2, p = 0.93; arm 2 vs 3, p = 0.36). AAP therapy showed the shortest median time to testosterone recovery (36.0 wk [95% CI: 35.9-36.1]) relative to degarelix (52.9 wk [95% CI: 49.0-56.0], p < 0.001). Rates of undetectable PSA at 8 mo differed between AAP with degarelix and degarelix alone (p = 0.04), but not between AAP alone and degarelix alone (p = 0.12). Limitations of this study include a lack of long-term follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of undetectable PSA levels with testosterone recovery were similar between arms, suggesting that increased androgen suppression with AAP and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is unlikely to eradicate recurrent disease compared with ADT alone. PATIENT SUMMARY: We evaluated the use of abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (AAP) and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), AAP alone, or ADT alone in men with biochemically recurrent, nonmetastatic prostate cancer. While more men who received the combination had an undetectable prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level at 8 mo on treatment, once men came off treatment and testosterone level rose, there was no difference in the rates of undetectable PSA levels. This suggests that the combination is not able to eradicate disease any better than ADT alone.