Cetuximab versus methotrexate in first-line treatment of older, frail patients with inoperable recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer (ELAN UNFIT): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: At present, there is no established standard treatment for frail older patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of cetuximab to those of methotrexate (the reference regimen) in this population. METHODS: This randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial was done at 20 hospitals in France. Patients aged 70 years or older, assessed as frail by the ELAN Geriatric Evaluation, with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in the first-line setting and with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-2 were eligible for inclusion. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive cetuximab 500 mg/m2 intravenously every 2 weeks or methotrexate 40 mg/m2 intravenously every week, with minimisation by ECOG performance status, type of disease evolution, Charlson Comorbidity Index score, serum albumin concentration, and geriatrician consultation. To avoid deterministic minimisation and assure allocation concealment, patients were allocated with a probability of 0·80 to the treatment that most reduced the imbalance. Treatment was continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity, whichever occurred first. The primary endpoint was failure-free survival (defined as the time from randomisation to disease progression, death, discontinuation of treatment, or loss of 2 or more points on the Activities in Daily Living scale, whichever occurred first) and was analysed in the intention-to-treat population. 151 failures expected out of 164 patients were required to detect a hazard ratio (HR) of 0·625 with 0·05 alpha error, with 80% power. A futility interim analysis was planned when approximately 80 failures were observed, based on failure-free survival. Safety analyses included all patients who received at least one dose of the study drug. This study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01884623) and was stopped for futility after the interim analysis. FINDINGS: Between Nov 7, 2013, and April 23, 2018, 82 patients were enrolled (41 to the cetuximab group and 41 to the methotrexate group); 60 (73%) were male, 37 (45%) were aged 80 years or older, 35 (43%) had an ECOG performance status of 2, and 36 (44%) had metastatic disease. Enrolment was stopped for futility at the interim analysis. At the final analysis, median follow-up was 43·3 months (IQR 30·8-52·1). At data cutoff, all 82 patients had failure; failure-free survival did not differ significantly between the groups (median 1·4 months [95% CI 1·0-2·1] in the cetuximab group vs 1·9 months [1·1-2·6] in the methotrexate group; adjusted HR 1·03 [95% CI 0·66-1·61], p=0·89). The frequency of patients who had grade 3 or worse adverse events was 63% (26 of 41) in the cetuximab group and 73% (30 of 41) in the methotrexate group. The most common grade 3-4 adverse events in the cetuximab group were fatigue (four [10%] of 41 patients), lung infection (four [10%]), and rash acneiform (four [10%]), and those in the methotrexate group were fatigue (nine [22%] of 41), increased gamma-glutamyltransferase (seven [17%]), natraemia disorder (four [10%]), anaemia (four [10%]), leukopenia (four [10%]), and neutropenia (four [10%]). The frequency of patients who had serious adverse events was 44% (18 of 41) in the cetuximab group and 39% (16 of 41) in the methotrexate group. Four patients presented with a fatal adverse event in the cetuximab group (sepsis, decreased level of consciousness, pulmonary oedema, and death of unknown cause) as did two patients in the methotrexate group (dyspnoea and death of unknown cause). INTERPRETATION: The study showed no improvement in failure-free survival with cetuximab versus methotrexate. Patients with an ECOG performance status of 2 did not benefit from these systemic therapies. New treatment options including immunotherapy should be explored in frail older patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, after an initial geriatric evaluation, such as the ELAN Geriatric Evaluation. FUNDING: French programme PAIR-VADS 2011 (sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, the Fondation ARC and the Ligue Contre le Cancer), GEMLUC, GEFLUC, and Merck Santé. TRANSLATION: For the French translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Randomized phase II study of preoperative afatinib in untreated head and neck cancers: predictive and pharmacodynamic biomarkers of activity.

There is no strong and reliable predictive biomarker in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) for EGFR inhibitors. We aimed to identify predictive and pharmacodynamic biomarkers of efficacy of afatinib, a pan-HER tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in a window-of-opportunity trial (NCT01415674). Multi-omics analyses were carried out on pre-treatment biopsy and surgical specimen for biological assessment of afatinib activity. Sixty-one treatment-naïve and operable HNSCC patients were randomised to afatinib 40 mg/day for 21-28 days versus no treatment. Afatinib produced a high rate of metabolic response. Responders had a higher expression of pERK1/2 (P = 0.02) and lower expressions of pHER4 (P = 0.03) and pRB1 (P = 0.002) in pre-treatment biopsy compared to non-responders. At the cellular level, responders displayed an enrichment of tumor-infiltrating B cells under afatinib (P = 0.02). At the molecular level, NF-kappa B signaling was over-represented among upregulated genes in non-responders (P < 0.001; FDR = 0.01). Although exploratory, phosphoproteomics-based biomarkers deserve further investigations as predictors of afatinib efficacy.

Regorafenib in patients with advanced Ewing sarcoma: results of a non-comparative, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre Phase II study.

BACKGROUND: The REGOBONE multi-cohort study explored the efficacy and safety of regorafenib for patients with advanced bone sarcomas; this report details the Ewing sarcoma (ES) cohort. METHODS: Patients with relapsed ES progressing despite prior standard therapy, were randomised (2:1) to receive regorafenib or placebo. Patients on placebo could crossover to receive regorafenib after centrally confirmed progression. The primary endpoint was the progression-free rate at 8 weeks. With one-sided α of 0.05, and 80% power, at least 14/24 progression-free patients at 8 weeks were needed for success. RESULTS: From September 2014 to November 2019, 41 patients were accrued. 36 patients were evaluable for efficacy: 23 on regorafenib and 13 on placebo. Thirteen patients (56%; one-sided 95% CI [37.5%-[)) were progression-free at 8 weeks on regorafenib vs. 1 (7.7%; 95% CI [0.4%-[) on placebo. Median PFS was 11.4 weeks on regorafenib, and 3.9 weeks on placebo. Ten placebo patients crossed over to receive regorafenib after progression. The most common grade ≥3 regorafenib-related adverse events were pain (22%), asthenia (17%), thrombocytopenia (13%) and diarrhoea (13%). CONCLUSION: Although the primary endpoint was not met statistically in this randomised cohort, there is evidence to suggest that regorafenib might modestly delay tumour progression in relapsed ES after failure of prior chemotherapy.

Pembrolizumab in patients with rare and ultra-rare sarcomas (AcSé Pembrolizumab): analysis of a subgroup from a non-randomised, open-label, phase 2, basket trial.

BACKGROUND: Sarcoma is a heterogeneous group of diseases with few treatment options. Immunotherapy has shown little activity in studies including unselected sarcomas, but immune checkpoint blockers have shown activity in specific histotypes. We evaluated the activity of pembrolizumab in rare and ultra-rare sarcomas. METHODS: AcSé Pembrolizumab is an ongoing phase 2, basket, multitumour study investigating the activity of pembrolizumab monotherapy in rare cancers. Here, we report the results obtained in patients with selected histotypes of rare sarcomas (incidence of less than one case per 1 000 000 people per year) recruited at 24 French hospitals. Key inclusion criteria were age 15 years or older, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1, and advanced disease that was untreated and resistant to treatment. Patients were given pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenously on day 1 of every 21-day cycle for a maximum of 24 months. The primary endpoint was objective response rate at week 12 using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours version 1.1, assessed by local investigators. The primary endpoint and safety were analysed in the intention-to-treat population. The AcSé Pembrolizumab study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03012620. FINDINGS: Between Sept 4, 2017, and Dec 29, 2020, 98 patients were enrolled, of whom 97 received treatment and were included in analyses (median age 51 years [IQR 35-65]; 53 [55%] were male; 44 [45%] were female; no data were collected on race or ethnicity). 34 (35%) patients had chordomas, 14 (14%) had alveolar soft part sarcomas, 12 (12%) had SMARCA4-deficient sarcomas or malignant rhabdoid tumours, eight (8%) had desmoplastic small round cell tumours, six (6%) had epithelioid sarcomas, four (4%) had dendritic cell sarcomas, three (3%) each had clear cell sarcomas, solitary fibrous tumours, and myxoid liposarcomas, and ten (10%) had other ultra-rare histotypes. As of data cutoff (April 11, 2022), median follow-up was 13·1 months (range 0·1-52·8; IQR 4·3-19·7). At week 12, objective response rate was 6·2% (95% CI 2·3-13·0), with no complete responses and six partial responses in the 97 patients. The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were anaemia (eight [8%] of 97), alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase increase (six [6%]), and dyspnoea (five [5%]). 86 serious adverse events were reported in 37 patients. Five deaths due to adverse events were reported, none of which were determined to be related to treatment (two due to disease progression, two due to cancer, and one due to unknown cause). INTERPRETATION: Our data show the activity and manageable toxicity of pembrolizumab in some rare and ultra-rare sarcoma histotypes, and support the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway as a potential therapeutic target in selected histotypes. The completion of the basket study will provide further evidence regarding the activity and toxicity of pembrolizumab in identified rare types of cancer. FUNDING: The Ligue contre le cancer, INCa, MSD. TRANSLATION: For the French translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Efficacy of second-line chemotherapy or immune checkpoint inhibitors for patients with a prolonged objective response (≥ 6 months) after first-line therapy for recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M-HNSCC) have a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are effective in patients with tumor progression < 6 months following first-line, platinum-based chemotherapy (PBC), but data are missing for patients with progression ≥ 6 months after the last platinum dose. METHODS: Retrospective analysis (six French centers, 2008-2019) of all consecutive R/M-HNSCC patients. treated first-line with PBC and tumor progression ≥ 6 months after the last platinum dose. PRIMARY ENDPOINT: progression-free survival after second-line therapy (PFS2). Additional endpoints: overall survival from Day 1 of first-line (OS1) and second-line (OS2) therapy. RESULTS: R/M-HNSCC patients (n = 144) received cisplatinum (n = 67, 47%) or carboplatinum (n = 77, 53%) first-line. Response after first-line: complete response (CR; n = 16, 11%); partial response (PR; n = 77, 53%); stable disease (n = 22, 15%). Second-line therapy: PBC (n = 95, 66%); platinum-free regimen (PFR) (n = 25, 17%); ICI (n = 24, 17%). Median [95% confidence interval] PFS (months): PBC 5.0 [3.8-6.2]; PFR 4.0 [1-7.0]; ICI 2.0 [0.4-3.6] (p = 0.16). For PBC, PFR, and ICI, respectively: OS1 30, 23, and 29 months (p = 1.02); OS2 14, 10, and 16 months (p = 0.25); PR, 26%, 16%, and 21% patients; CR, 0%, 8%, and 4% patients. For subsequent lines, ICIs were administered for PBC (n = 11, 12%) and PFR (n = 2, 8%). No predictive factor for efficacy (PFS, OS) was identified. CONCLUSIONS: Our retrospective study suggests similar efficacy regarding OS2 for second-line chemotherapy or ICI in R/M-HNSCC patients with progression ≥ 6 months after the last first-line platinum dose.

Enteral Nutrition during Radiotherapy for Oropharyngeal Cancers: Prevalence and Prognostic Factors Based on HPV Status (A GETTEC Study).

Nutritional support during radiotherapy is crucial to tolerating and completing oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) treatment. The impact of HPV status on nutritional support is debated. The objective was to evaluate the rate of Reactive Feeding Tube (RFT) use and determine its prognostic factors during definitive radiotherapy for OPSCC. All OPSCC patients treated from 2009 to 2014 were included in this multicentric retrospective study. The impact of tumor p16 status on the risk of RFT was assessed through multivariate analyses. Among the 543 patients, 103 patients required an RFT (19.0%). The use of RFT differed between centers (5% to 32.4%). In multivariate analysis, only tongue base involvement and concurrent chemotherapy were significantly associated with RFT (OR = 2.18 and 3.7, respectively). Tongue base involvement and concomitant chemotherapy were prognostic factors for RFT. HPV status was not a prognostic factor for enteral nutrition during radiotherapy for OPSCC.

Chemotherapy postimmunotherapy for recurrent metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Clinical data on salvage chemotherapy used after checkpoints inhibitors in oncology are reviewed, with a special focus on recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC). RECENT FINDINGS: Converging evidence is emerging about high response and/or disease control rates associated with salvage chemotherapy after immunotherapy failure in advanced solid tumours. This phenomenon is mainly reported in retrospective studies for "hot tumours" such as R/M HNSCC, melanoma, lung, urothelial or gastric cancers, but also in haematological malignancies. Some physiopathological hypotheses have been raised. SUMMARY: Several independent series show increased response rates associated with postimmuno chemotherapy when compared with retrospective series in similar settings. Several mechanisms could be involved such as a "carry-over" allowed by a persistence of the checkpoint inhibitor, a modulation of tumour microenvironment components but also an intrinsic immunomodulatory effect of chemotherapy, increased by a specific immunologic state induced by the therapeutic pressure of checkpoint inhibitors. These data establish a rationale for prospectively evaluating the features of postimmunotherapy salvage chemotherapy.

Targeting Harvey rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog in head and neck cancer: how to move forward?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Despite recent advances, treatment personalization remains an issue for recurrent metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (RM HNSCC) patients. After human papilloma virus (HPV) and programmed death ligand 1 (PDL1) expression, Harvey rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (HRAS) appears as an emerging target in this field. In this review, we summarize the features of HRAS -mutated HNSCC and its targeting by farnesyl transferase inhibitors. RECENT FINDINGS: HRAS mutations define a small subgroup of RM HNSCC patients with a poor prognosis and often refractory to the standard treatments. Posttranslational processing of HRAS being dependent on farnesylation, farnesyl transferase inhibitors have been evaluated in HRAS -mutated tumors. Tipifarnib, a first in class farnesyl transferase inhibitor, has shown efficacy in phase 2 trials with HRAS -mutated tumors. Despite reported high response rates in selected population, the efficacy of Tipifarnib is inconsistent and always transient, probably because of limiting hematological toxicities leading to dose reduction and occurrence of secondary resistance mutations. SUMMARY: Tipifarnib is the first in the class of farnesyl transferase inhibitors to show efficacy in HRAS -mutated RM HNSCC. The understanding of mechanisms of resistance will pave the way for the design of second-generation farnesyl transferases inhibitors.

Bintrafusp Alfa, a Bifunctional Fusion Protein Targeting TGF-ß and PD-L1, in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Resistant or Refractory to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: Bintrafusp alfa is a first-in-class bifunctional fusion protein composed of the extracellular domain of transforming growth factor beta receptor II (a TGF-ß "trap") fused to a human immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody blocking programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1). We report the efficacy and safety in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that progressed following anti-PD-(L)1 therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this expansion cohort of NCT02517398-a global, open-label, phase I trial-adults with advanced NSCLC that progressed following chemotherapy and was primary refractory or had acquired resistance to anti-PD-(L)1 treatment received intravenous bintrafusp alfa 1200 mg every 2 weeks until confirmed progression, unacceptable toxicity, or trial withdrawal. The primary endpoint was best overall response (by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 adjudicated by independent review committee); secondary endpoints included safety. RESULTS: Eighty-three eligible patients (62 [74.7%] treated with ≥3 prior therapies) received bintrafusp alfa. Four patients (3 primary refractory, 1 acquired resistant) had confirmed partial responses (objective response rate, 4.8%; 95% CI, 1.3%-11.9%), and 9 had stable disease. Tumor cell PD-L1 expression was not associated with response. Nineteen patients (22.9%) experienced grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events, most commonly asthenia (3 [3.6%]) and fatigue, eczema, and pruritus (2 each [2.4%]). One patient had grade 4 amylase increased. One patient died during treatment for pneumonia before initiation of bintrafusp alfa. CONCLUSION: Although the primary endpoint was not met, bintrafusp alfa showed some clinical activity and a manageable safety profile in patients with heavily pretreated NSCLC, including prior anti-PD-(L)1 therapy. Tumor responses occurred irrespective of whether disease was primary refractory or had acquired resistance to prior anti-PD-(L)1 therapy.

Targeting of c-MET and AXL by cabozantinib is a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with head and neck cell carcinoma.

Local or metastatic relapse following surgery, radiotherapy, and cisplatin is the leading cause of death in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Our study shows overexpression of c-MET and AXL in HNSCC cells and patients resistant to radiotherapy and cisplatin. We demonstrate that cabozantinib, an inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), c-MET, and AXL, decreases migration, invasion, and proliferation and induces mitotic catastrophe and apoptotic cell death of naive and radiotherapy- and cisplatin-resistant HNSCC cells. Cabozantinib inhibits the growth and metastatic spread of experimental HNSCC in zebrafish and the growth of experimental HNSCC in mice by blocking tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis. The efficacy of cabozantinib is also confirmed on viable sections of surgically removed specimens of human HNSCC and on a patient who relapses after five lines of treatment. These results suggest that cabozantinib is relevant for the treatment of patients with HNSCC after relapse under radiotherapy and cisplatin.

Final Safety and Health-Related Quality of LIfe Results of the Phase 2/3 Act.In.Sarc Study With Preoperative NBTXR3 Plus Radiation Therapy Versus Radiation Therapy in Locally Advanced Soft-Tissue Sarcoma.

PURPOSE: Act.In.Sarc (NCT02379845) demonstrated that the first-in-class radioenhancer NBTXR3, activated by preoperative radiation therapy (RT), doubled the rate of pathologic complete response after resection compared with preoperative RT alone in adult patients with locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma of the extremity or trunk wall (16.1% vs 7.9%, P = .045), and more patients achieved R0 resections (77.0% vs 64.0%, P = .042). These are the toxicity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) results. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Act.In.Sarc randomized eligible patients 1:1 to either NBTXR3 (single intratumoral injection, volume equivalent to 10% of baseline tumor volume, at 53.3 g/L) activated by external-beam RT (arm A) or external-beam RT alone (arm B) (50 Gy in 25 fractions), followed by surgery in both arms. Here, we report the safety analyses in the all-treated population with a long-term follow-up of at least 2 years, and HRQoL in the intention-to-treat full analysis set. RESULTS: During the on-treatment period, serious adverse events (SAEs) of all grades related to NBTXR3 occurred in 10.1% (9/89) of patients (arm A), and SAEs related to RT occurred in 5.6% (5/89) (arm A) versus 5.6% (5/90) (arm B); postsurgery hospitalization owing to SAEs occurred in 15.7% (14/89) (arm A) versus 24.4% (22/90) (arm B). During the follow-up period, posttreatment SAEs (regardless of relationship) occurred in 13.5% (12/89) (arm A) versus 24.4% (22/90) (arm B). NBTXR3 did not negatively affect HRQoL; during the follow-up period, there was an improvement in most mean Toronto extremity salvage, EuroQoL 5-dimension (EQ-5D), EQ5D02-EQ visual analog scale, reintegration to normal living index, and musculoskeletal tumor rating scale scores. CONCLUSIONS: NBTXR3 did not negatively affect safety or HRQoL. Long-term safety results reinforce the favorable benefit-risk ratio of NBTXR3 plus RT.

Systemic treatment of recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck: what is the best therapeutic sequence?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The treatment of recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients is revolutionized by the advent of anti-PD1 checkpoint inhibitors. RECENT FINDINGS: Indeed, Pembrolizumab is approved as monotherapy or used in combination with platin and fluorouracil for first-line patients with tumors expressing PD-L1. Nivolumab and Pembrolizumab are also approved in second line of recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Moreover, the substitution of fluorouracil for a taxane in the TPEx regimen has shown improvement in safety profile when compared with EXTREME regimen. SUMMARY: Here we carry out a review of the main results of pivotal trials and discuss the pros and cons of the three possible scenarios when considering the therapeutic sequence (first and second line).

PD-1 Blockade in Solid Tumors with Defects in Polymerase Epsilon.

Missense mutations in the polymerase epsilon (POLE) gene have been reported to generate proofreading defects resulting in an ultramutated genome and to sensitize tumors to checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. However, many POLE-mutated tumors do not respond to such treatment. To better understand the link between POLE mutation variants and response to immunotherapy, we prospectively assessed the efficacy of nivolumab in a multicenter clinical trial in patients bearing advanced mismatch repair-proficient POLE-mutated solid tumors. We found that only tumors harboring selective POLE pathogenic mutations in the DNA binding or catalytic site of the exonuclease domain presented high mutational burden with a specific single-base substitution signature, high T-cell infiltrates, and a high response rate to anti-PD-1 monotherapy. This study illustrates how specific DNA repair defects sensitize to immunotherapy. POLE proofreading deficiency represents a novel agnostic biomarker for response to PD-1 checkpoint blockade therapy. SIGNIFICANCE: POLE proofreading deficiency leads to high tumor mutational burden with high tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and predicts anti-PD-1 efficacy in mismatch repair-proficient tumors. Conversely, tumors harboring POLE mutations not affecting proofreading derived no benefit from PD-1 blockade. POLE proofreading deficiency is a new tissue-agnostic biomarker for cancer immunotherapy. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1397.

Human papilloma virus integration sites and genomic signatures in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

A prevalence of around 26% of human papillomavirus (HPV) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has been previously reported. HPV induced oncogenesis mainly involving E6 and E7 viral oncoproteins. In some cases, HPV viral DNA has been detected to integrate with the host genome and possibly contributes to carcinogenesis by affecting the gene expression. We retrospectively assessed HPV integration sites and signatures in 80 HPV positive patients with HNSCC, by using a double capture-HPV method followed by next-generation Sequencing. We detected HPV16 in 90% of the analyzed cohort and confirmed five previously described mechanistic signatures of HPV integration [episomal (EPI), integrated in a truncated form revealing two HPV-chromosomal junctions colinear (2J-COL) or nonlinear (2J-NL), multiple hybrid junctions clustering in a single chromosomal region (MJ-CL) or scattered over different chromosomal regions (MJ-SC) of the human genome]. Our results suggested that HPV remained episomal in 38.8% of the cases or was integrated/mixed in the remaining 61.2% of patients with HNSCC. We showed a lack of association of HPV genomic signatures to tumour and patient characteristics, as well as patient survival. Similar to other HPV associated cancers, low HPV copy number was associated with worse prognosis. We identified 267 HPV-human junctions scattered on most chromosomes. Remarkably, we observed four recurrent integration regions: PDL1/PDL2/PLGRKT (8.2%), MYC/PVT1 (6.1%), MACROD2 (4.1%) and KLF5/KLF12 regions (4.1%). We detected the overexpression of PDL1 and MYC upon integration by gene expression analysis. In conclusion, we identified recurrent targeting of several cancer genes such as PDL1 and MYC upon HPV integration, suggesting a role of altered gene expression by HPV integration during HNSCC carcinogenesis.

Rare bone sarcomas: A retrospective analysis of 145 adult patients from the French Sarcoma Group.

The benefit of chemotherapy (CT) in rare bone sarcomas is not documented in prospective studies. Our retrospective study from the French sarcoma network for bone tumors ResOs was performed in adult patients (pts) from 1976 to 2014, with histologically verified diagnosis of leiomyosarcomas (LMS), undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) or radiation-associated sarcomas of bone. The median follow-up was 4.7 years (95% CI: 3.7-6.5). Clinical features, treatment modalities and outcomes were recorded and analyzed from 145 pts (median age 53 years [range 20-87]). Site of disease was extremities (66%) or axial skeleton (34%), 111 (77%) presented with localized and potentially resectable disease. The most common histological subtypes were UPS (58%) and LMS (33%); 58% were high-grade tumors. Surgery was performed in 127 pts. In the 111 localized pts, 28 pts (25%) underwent upfront surgery or exclusive radiotherapy (RT; >50 Gy) without CT, whereas 83 pts (75%) received either neoadjuvant (n = 26) or adjuvant CT (n = 13) or both (n = 44). Neoadjuvant and adjuvant CT was mostly doxorubicin-based (95%/86%) and cisplatin-based (67%/63%). R0 resection was achieved in 59 pts, and a good histological response in 15 patients (25%). Adjuvant RT was performed in 24 (22%) pts. For the whole cohort (n = 145), the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 53% [42; 62]. In univariate analysis, age ≤ 60 was associated with a longer disease-free survival (DFS) (P = .0436). Neoadjuvant and adjuvant CT tended to be associated with better DFS (P = .056) with no significant impact on OS in this retrospective series.

A phase II study of monalizumab in patients with recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: The I1 cohort of the EORTC-HNCG-1559 UPSTREAM trial.

PURPOSE: Monalizumab is a monoclonal antibody targeting the inhibitory natural killer group 2A (NKG2A) receptor localised on natural killer (NK) and T cells. Its ligand, the human leukocyte antigen E (HLA-E), is overexpressed in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). By targeting the HLA-E-NKG2A pathway, monalizumab may enhance NK and T cell activity. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The UPSTREAM trial is a biomarker-driven umbrella trial studying targeted therapies and immunotherapies in patients with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) SCCHN progressing after platinum therapy. The immunotherapy 1 (I1) cohort was a phase II, single-arm substudy evaluating monalizumab (10 mg/kg intravenously on day 1 of a 14-day cycle). The primary end-point was the objective response (OR) rate (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours 1.1) over the first 16 weeks. A two-stage Simon design was used (H1 15%, H0 3%, α 8%, power 90%) with pre-planned interruption of accrual if no OR was observed after the first 25 patients. RESULTS: Twenty-six eligible patients were enrolled. Seventeen (65%) patients had received ≥2 previous lines of systemic treatment, and 15 (58%) patients were PD(-L)1 inhibitor pretreated. No OR was observed. Stable disease was observed in 6 patients (23%) with a median duration of 3.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.7-NE). The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 1.7 months (95% CI: 1.5-1.8) and 6.7 months (95% CI: 3.0-9.6), respectively. The most frequent treatment-related adverse event was grade I/II fatigue (19%). CONCLUSIONS: Monalizumab monotherapy has limited activity in R/M SCCHN. The I1 cohort did not meet its primary objective. Monalizumab combined with durvalumab is under investigation within UPSTREAM.

Metachronous second primary neoplasia in oropharyngeal cancer patients: Impact of tumor HPV status. A GETTEC multicentric study.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) display a significant risk to develop a metachronous second primary neoplasia (MSPN). HPV and non-HPV-related OPSCC are 2 distinct entities with biological, clinical and prognostic differences. The aims of our study were to analyze the impact of tumor HPV status and other relevant clinical factors, such as tobacco and/or alcohol (T/A) consumption, on the risk and distribution of MSPN in OPSCC patients and to assess the impact of MSPN on patient survival. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All OPSCC patients treated from 2009 to 2014 were included in this multicentric retrospective study. P16 immunohistochemical expression was used as a surrogate maker of tumor HPV status. The impact of tumor p16 status on the risk of MSPN was assessed in uni- and multivariate analyses. Overall survival (OS) was determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: Among the 1291 patients included in this study, 138 (10.7%) displayed a MSPN which was preferentially located in the head and neck area (H&N), lung and esophagus. Multivariate analyses showed that p16- tumor status (p = 0.003), T/A consumption (p = 0.005) and soft palate tumor site (p = 0.009) were significantly associated with a higher risk of MSPN. We found no impact of p16 tumor status on the median time between index OPSCC diagnosis and MSPN development, but a higher proportion of MSPN arising outside the H&N, lung and esophagus was found in p16 + than in p16- patients. MSPN development had an unfavorable impact (p = 0.04) on OS only in the p16 + patient group. CONCLUSION: P16 tumor status and T/A consumption were the main predictive factors of MSPN in OPSCC patients. This study provides crucial results with a view to tailoring global management and follow-up of OPSCC patients.

Efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in elderly patients (≥70 years) with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

BACKGROUND: Recent meta-analysis showed that immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have comparable activity between younger and older patients. However, little is known about efficacy and safety of ICI in elderly patients with relapsed/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M SCCHN). The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of ICI for patients aged ≥70 y to that for younger patients, while taking into account potential confounding factors. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted at four hospitals in France. Patients treated with ICI for R/M SCCHN between September 2014 and December 2018 were eligible. Patients' charts were reviewed for clinical and radiological data as well as oncologic outcomes. RESULTS: We included 226 patients, of whom 67 were aged ≥70 years. Objective response rate (ORR), median overall survival (OS) and median progression-free survival (PFS) were 23%, 9.7 months and 2.7 months, respectively, for elderly patients, compared to 13%, 8.7 months and 1.9 months for younger patients (respective p-values: 0.071, 0.87 and 0.21). After adjustment for performance status, site of progression, number of ICI drugs, time between initial diagnosis and ICI start and number of previous lines, age ≥70 years was significantly associated with a better PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.66; p = 0.021) but not OS (HR, 0.91; p = 0.59). Grade 3-5 adverse events (AEs) occurred in 15% of patients aged ≥70 years and in 8% of younger patients (p = 0.13). CONCLUSION: Patients aged ≥70 years with R/M SCCHN may respond to ICI similarly as younger patients in terms of ORR, OS and PFS, while maintaining comparable rate of AEs.

Phase I trial of copanlisib, a selective PI3K inhibitor, in combination with cetuximab in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background The phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase pathway is often altered in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and is involved in the resistance to EGFR inhibitors. Objective We investigated the dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs), maximum tolerated dose, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of the combination of copanlisib, an intravenous, pan-class I PI3K inhibitor, with the anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody cetuximab in recurrent and/or metastatic HNSCC patients in a phase I dose-escalation trial. Patients and methods Copanlisib was given intravenously on days 1, 8, and 15 of 28-day cycles at the dose of 45 mg and 30 mg, in combination with standard doses of weekly cetuximab (400 mg/m2 loading dose followed by 250 mg/m2 on days 8, 15, and 22, and weekly thereafter). Results Three patients received copanlisib 45 mg, of whom two experienced grade 3 hyperglycemia during Cycle 1 that met the DLT criteria. Eight patients were then treated with copanlisib at the dose of 30 mg. Because of the occurrence of hyperglycemia, a premedication with metformine was introduced on the day of the injections. No DLTs were reported at this dose level. The trial was stopped early because of the unfavourable toxicity profile of the combination. Among eight evaluable patients for response, four patients (50%) had disease stabilization according to RECIST1.1 as best response. Conclusion Copanlisib combined with cetuximab demonstrated unfavorable toxicity and limited efficacy in heavily pretreated recurrent and/or metastatic HNSCC patients.Trial registration NCT02822482, Date of registration: June 2016.

Determinants of the access to remote specialised services provided by national sarcoma reference centres.

BACKGROUND: Spatial inequalities in cancer management have been evidenced by studies reporting lower quality of care or/and lower survival for patients living in remote or socially deprived areas. NETSARC+ is a national reference network implemented to improve the outcome of sarcoma patients in France since 2010, providing remote access to specialized diagnosis and Multidisciplinary Tumour Board (MTB). The IGéAS research program aims to assess the potential of this innovative organization, with remote management of cancers including rare tumours, to go through geographical barriers usually impeding the optimal management of cancer patients. METHODS: Using the nationwide NETSARC+ databases, the individual, clinical and geographical determinants of the access to sarcoma-specialized diagnosis and MTB were analysed. The IGéAS cohort (n = 20,590) includes all patients living in France with first sarcoma diagnosis between 2011 and 2014. Early access was defined as specialised review performed before 30 days of sampling and as first sarcoma MTB discussion performed before the first surgery. RESULTS: Some clinical populations are at highest risk of initial management without access to sarcoma specialized services, such as patients with non-GIST visceral sarcoma for diagnosis [OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.78 to 2.15] and MTB discussion [OR 3.56, 95% CI 3.16 to 4.01]. Social deprivation of the municipality is not associated with early access on NETSARC+ remote services. The quintile of patients furthest away from reference centres have lower chances of early access to specialized diagnosis [OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.31] and MTB discussion [OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.40] but this influence of the distance is slight in comparison with clinical factors and previous studies on the access to cancer-specialized facilities. CONCLUSIONS: In the context of national organization driven by reference network, distance to reference centres slightly alters the early access to sarcoma specialized services and social deprivation has no impact on it. The reference networks' organization, designed to improve the access to specialized services and the quality of cancer management, can be considered as an interesting device to reduce social and spatial inequalities in cancer management. The potential of this organization must be confirmed by further studies, including survival analysis.