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We reviewed response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) of 207 patients with diagnoses of lung or head and neck cancer treated with chemotherapy/ICI combination therapy and ICI monotherapy between 2015 and 2020 at one of three clinical pavilions associated with the Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX). Two of these pavilions (Harris Health System and the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center) serve large minority populations and provide equal access to care regardless of means. 174 patients had a diagnosis of lung cancer (non–small cell or small cell) and 33 had a diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). 38% self-identified as Black, 45% as non-Hispanic White, and 18% as Hispanic. The objective response rate (ORR) was similar for patients with lung cancer (35.057%) and HNSCC (30.3%; P = 0.894). The ORR for Hispanic and Black patients was lower compared with non-Hispanic White patients (H 27.0%, B 32.5%, W 38.7%; H vs. W P = 0.209; B vs. W P = 0.398). When considering only patients treated with ICI monotherapy, the ORR for Hispanic patients dropped further to 20.7% while the ORR of Black and non-Hispanic White patients remained about the same (B 29.3% and W 35.9%, H vs. W P = 0.133; B vs. W P = 0.419). Immune-related adverse events were the lowest in the Hispanic population occurring in only 30% of patients compared with 40% of patients in the Black cohort and 50% of the non-Hispanic White cohorts. Significance: To our knowledge, this report is the first to compare ICI effectiveness within a diverse patient population with a substantial Black and Hispanic NSCLC and HNSCC patient population treated in the context of equal access to care. The data presented in this article suggests reduced effectiveness of ICI monotherapy in Hispanic patients and thereby underscores the need for improved access and representation of racial/ethnic minority patients in ICI clinical trials.

Immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has revolutionized treatment for those with advanced disease, and recent data have emerged providing evidence for its benefits in earlier stages of the disease. Several pivotal clinical trials provide compelling data that adaptive immune cells may be highly effective and possibly even curative for NSCLC. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can unleash highly reactive memory immune responses to tumor antigens with durable effects against advanced or recurrent disease. Despite these encouraging results, many critical questions remain in the field including, for example, how to identify the subsets of NSCLC patients who most benefit from ICI treatment, and how ICI efficacy might be enhanced by utilizing combinations or sequencing of agents. A deeper understanding of biological mechanisms involved in lung cancer offers a unique opportunity to further explore the interaction between the adaptive immune landscape and NSCLC. Given the high incidence of lung cancer in Veterans and many Veterans being treated with immunotherapy for this disease, it is timely to have their adequate representation in future clinical trials. New clinical trials focused on Veterans can assist in exploring ways to mitigate resistant mechanisms as well as to investigate predictive and prognostic biomarkers for response to ICIs and other treatments. This paper will review current data and indications for immunotherapy in NSCLC, introduce new areas of research within immunotherapy, and discuss its applicability to the Veteran population.

Combined supplementary data file.

We reviewed response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) of 207 patients with diagnoses of lung or head and neck cancer treated with chemotherapy/ICI combination therapy and ICI monotherapy between 2015 and 2020 at one of three clinical pavilions associated with the Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX). Two of these pavilions (Harris Health System and the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center) serve large minority populations and provide equal access to care regardless of means. 174 patients had a diagnosis of lung cancer (non–small cell or small cell) and 33 had a diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). 38% self-identified as Black, 45% as non-Hispanic White, and 18% as Hispanic. The objective response rate (ORR) was similar for patients with lung cancer (35.057%) and HNSCC (30.3%; P = 0.894). The ORR for Hispanic and Black patients was lower compared with non-Hispanic White patients (H 27.0%, B 32.5%, W 38.7%; H vs. W P = 0.209; B vs. W P = 0.398). When considering only patients treated with ICI monotherapy, the ORR for Hispanic patients dropped further to 20.7% while the ORR of Black and non-Hispanic White patients remained about the same (B 29.3% and W 35.9%, H vs. W P = 0.133; B vs. W P = 0.419). Immune-related adverse events were the lowest in the Hispanic population occurring in only 30% of patients compared with 40% of patients in the Black cohort and 50% of the non-Hispanic White cohorts.Significance:To our knowledge, this report is the first to compare ICI effectiveness within a diverse patient population with a substantial Black and Hispanic NSCLC and HNSCC patient population treated in the context of equal access to care. The data presented in this article suggests reduced effectiveness of ICI monotherapy in Hispanic patients and thereby underscores the need for improved access and representation of racial/ethnic minority patients in ICI clinical trials.

Significant morbidity and expense result from frequent recurrences of nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) after standard treatment, and carcinoma in situ (Tis) is a poor prognostic factor. Predicated on observational and preclinical data strongly supporting cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the pathogenesis, and the activity of COX-2 inhibitors, in bladder cancer, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine whether celecoxib could reduce the time-to-recurrence (TTR) in NMIBC patients at high risk for recurrence. A total of 146 patients were randomized to celecoxib (200 mg) or placebo orally twice daily for at least 12 months. The average treatment duration was 1.25 years. Primary intent-to-treat analysis revealed celecoxib did not statistically significantly prolong TTR compared with placebo (P = 0.17, log rank) with a median follow-up of 2.49 years. The recurrence-free rate at 12 months with celecoxib was 88% (95% CI: 0.81–0.96) versus 78% (95% CI: 0.69–0.89) with placebo. After controlling for covariates with Cox regression analysis, recurrence rates did not differ between the two study arms (HR = 0.69; 95% CI: 0.37–1.29). However, celecoxib had a marginally significant effect on reducing metachronous recurrences (vs. placebo) with HR of 0.56 (95% CI: 0.3–1.06; P = 0.075). Celecoxib was well tolerated, with similar adverse events and quality-of-life in both arms. Our clinical trial results do not show a clinical benefit for celecoxib in preventing NMIBC recurrence but further investigation of COX-2 inhibitors in this setting is warranted. Cancer Prev Res; 4(10); 1580–9. ©2011 AACR.

Supplementary figure legends and materials

Supplementary Table 1 from Identification of Genes Correlated with Early-Stage Bladder Cancer Progression

Perspective on This Article from A Randomized Controlled Trial of Celecoxib to Prevent Recurrence of Nonmuscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

Supplementary Figure 1 from Mortality in the Randomized, Controlled Lung Intergroup Trial of Isotretinoin

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder ranks fourth in incidence of all cancers in the developed world, yet the mechanisms of its origin and progression remain poorly understood. There are also few useful diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers for this disease. We have combined a transgenic mouse model for invasive bladder cancer (UPII-SV40Tag mice) with DNA microarray technology to determine molecular mechanisms involved in early TCC development and to identify new biomarkers for detection, diagnosis, and prognosis of TCC. We have identified genes that are differentially expressed between the bladders of UPII-SV40Tag mice and their age-matched wild-type littermates at 3, 6, 20, and 30 weeks of age. These are ages that correspond to premalignant, carcinoma in situ, and early-stage and later stage invasive TCC, respectively. Our preliminary analysis of the microarray data sets has revealed ∼1,900 unique genes differentially expressed (≥3-fold difference at one or more time points) between wild-type and UPII-SV40Tag urothelium during the time course of tumor development. Among these, there were a high proportion of cell cycle regulatory genes and a proliferation signaling genes that are more strongly expressed in the UPII-SV40Tag bladder urothelium. We show that several of the genes upregulated in UPII-SV40Tag urothelium, including RacGAP1, PCNA, and Hmmr, are expressed at high levels in superficial bladder TCC patient samples. These findings provide insight into the earliest events in the development of bladder TCC as well as identify several promising early-stage biomarkers. Cancer Prev Res; 3(6); 776–86. ©2010 AACR.

Supplementary figure 1-2: Fig. S1. Fas mRNA in HCC cell lines and the effects of HuR knockdown on alternative Fas splicing. Fig S2. Effect of HuR knock-down on FasL-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells.

Supplementary Figure 2B from Mortality in the Randomized, Controlled Lung Intergroup Trial of Isotretinoin

Supplementary Table 2 from Identification of Genes Correlated with Early-Stage Bladder Cancer Progression

We previously showed that low-dose fenretinide (200 mg/d) had limited activity in retinoid-resistant oral leukoplakia (34% response rate) possibly because serum drug levels were insufficient to induce retinoid receptor–independent apoptosis. Therefore, we designed the single-arm phase II trial reported here to investigate whether higher-dose fenretinide would improve leukoplakia response over that of our previous study. Leukoplakia patients received fenretinide (900 mg/m2 twice daily) in four 3-week cycles (1 week on drug followed by 2 weeks off). At week 12, clinical responses were determined and blood samples were collected for serum drug level assessments. A planned interim futility analysis led to early trial closure after the initial 15 (of 25 planned) patients because only 3 (20%) had a partial response (stopping rule: ≤4 responses in first 16 patients). Fenretinide was well tolerated—only one grade 3 adverse event (diarrhea) occurred. Serum fenretinide levels changed from 0 (baseline) to 0.122 ± 0.093 μmol/L (week 12). In correlative in vitro studies, high-dose fenretinide inhibited the growth of head and neck cancer cells more and oral leukoplakia cells less than did lower doses of fenretinide. This result is consistent with our clinical finding that high-dose fenretinide did not improve on the historical response rate of lower-dose fenretinide in our previous oral leukoplakia trial.

Perspective on this Article from High-Dose Fenretinide in Oral Leukoplakia

Supplementary Figure 3B from Mortality in the Randomized, Controlled Lung Intergroup Trial of Isotretinoin

Supplementary Figure Legends 1-3 from Mortality in the Randomized, Controlled Lung Intergroup Trial of Isotretinoin

Supplementary Figures S1-S3 from Effects of mTOR Inhibitor Everolimus (RAD001) on Bladder Cancer Cells

Purpose: We investigated the effect of the mTOR inhibitor RAD001 (everolimus) on human bladder cancer (BC) cells in vitro and in vivo.Experimental Design: The effect of RAD001 on the growth of UM-UC-3, UM-UC-6, UM-UC-9, and UM-UC-14 BC cells were assessed by crystal violet and [3H]thymidine incorporation assays. Flow cytometric cell-cycle analyses were done to measure the apoptotic cell fraction. Protein synthesis was measured using tritium-labeled leucine incorporation assays. The effects of RAD001 on the mTOR pathway were analyzed by Western blotting. To test the effects of RAD001 in vivo, UM-UC-3, UM-UC-6, and UM-UC-9 cells were subcutaneously implanted into nude mice. Tumor-bearing mice were treated orally with RAD001 or placebo. Tumors were harvested for immunohistochemical analysis.Results:In vitro, RAD001 transiently inhibited BC cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was augmented by re-treatment of cells after 3 days. UM-UC-14 cells were the most sensitive to RAD001, whereas UM-UC-9 cells were the least sensitive. After re-treatment with RAD001, only sensitive cell lines showed G1-phase arrest, with no evidence of apoptosis. RAD001 significantly inhibited the growth of tumors that were subcutaneously implanted in mice. Inhibition of protein synthesis through the S6K and 4EBP1 pathways seems to be the main mechanism for the RAD001-induced growth inhibition. However, inhibition of angiogenesis was the predominant mechanism of the effect of RAD001 on UM-UC-9 cells.Conclusions: The mTOR inhibitor RAD001 inhibits growth of BC cells in vitro. RAD001 is effective in treating BC tumors in an in vivo nude mouse model despite the heterogeneity of in vitro responses. Clin Cancer Res; 17(9); 2863–73. ©2011 AACR.

PURPOSE This Provisional Clinical Opinion update presents a clinically pragmatic approach to hepatitis B virus (HBV) screening and management. PROVISIONAL CLINICAL OPINION All patients anticipating systemic anticancer therapy should be tested for HBV by 3 tests—hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) total immunoglobulin (Ig) or IgG, and antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen—but anticancer therapy should not be delayed. Findings of chronic HBV (HBsAg-positive) or past HBV (HBsAg-negative and anti-HBc–positive) infection require HBV reactivation risk assessment. Patients with chronic HBV receiving any systemic anticancer therapy should receive antiviral prophylactic therapy through and for minimum 12 months following anticancer therapy. Hormonal therapy alone should not pose a substantial risk of HBV reactivation in patients with chronic HBV receiving hormonal therapy alone; these patients may follow noncancer HBV monitoring and treatment guidance. Coordination of care with a clinician experienced in HBV management is recommended for patients with chronic HBV to determine HBV monitoring and long-term antiviral therapy after completion of anticancer therapy. Patients with past HBV infection undergoing anticancer therapies associated with a high risk of HBV reactivation, such as anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies or stem-cell transplantation, should receive antiviral prophylaxis during and for minimum 12 months after anticancer therapy completion, with individualized management thereafter. Careful monitoring may be an alternative if patients and providers can adhere to frequent, consistent follow-up so antiviral therapy may begin at the earliest sign of reactivation. Patients with past HBV undergoing other systemic anticancer therapies not clearly associated with a high risk of HBV reactivation should be monitored with HBsAg and alanine aminotransferase during cancer treatment; antiviral therapy should commence if HBV reactivation occurs. Additional information is available at www.asco.org/supportive-care-guidelines .

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of both lung cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma demonstrating clear benefit over traditional chemotherapy alone in the metastatic setting. While the overwhelming majority of ICI trial participants have been White patients, results of these trials have been broadly applied to patients of all ethnic/racial backgrounds. It has, therefore, not been well defined if response to ICIs differs between ethnic/racial populations or socio-economic groups.We reviewed response to ICI of 208 patients with diagnoses of lung or head and neck cancers treated with ICI between 2015 and 2020 at one of three clinical pavilions associated with the Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Two of these pavilions (Harris Health System and the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center) serve large minority patient populations and provide equal access of care to patients regardless of means. Of the 208 patients, 175 had a diagnosis of lung cancer [non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) or small cell lung cancer (SCLC)] and 33 had a diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC); 38% self-identified as Black, 45% as non-Hispanic White, and 18% as Hispanic. The objective response rate (ORR) was similar for lung cancer (31.4%) and HNSCC patients (27.3%) (p=0.894). Statistically, the ORR for Hispanic and Black patients did not differ compared to non-Hispanic White patients (H 23.7%, B 28.6%, W 35.5%; H vs. W p=0.189; B vs. W p=0.338). When considering patients treated with ICI monotherapy, the ORR for Hispanic patients dropped to 13.3% and was significantly lower than the ORR of the non-Hispanic White patients while the ORR of Black and non-Hispanic White patients remained about the same (B 29.3% and W 34.6%, H vs. W p=0.0285; B vs. W p=0.5131). Immune related adverse events (irAEs) were the lowest in the Hispanic population occurring in only 30% of patients compared to 50% of patients exhibiting irAEs in the Black and non-Hispanic white cohorts.ICIs demonstrate comparable anti-tumor effects in lung cancer (NSCLC + SCLC) and HNSCC during routine clinical practice regardless of race or ethnicity. The significantly lower ORR observed in our cohort for Hispanic patients, particularly when used as monotherapy, is an unexpected finding and will require additional study to identify potential biological and non-biological confounders which could contribute to reduced ICI effectiveness in this patient population.

Background: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the only nationally integrated healthcare delivery system in the United States. The vertical and horizontal integration of the VHA make it an ideal environment for development of tools designed to streamline cancer diagnosis and treatment. Head and neck cancer (HNC) remains a difficult disease to diagnose and treat. Delivery of multimodality treatment for advanced HNC is challenging at both academic centers and in the community setting. This problem is magnified by the increased incidence of HNC, powered by an epidemic increase in the incidence of human papilloma virus (HPV)–associated oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). Objective: To develop a non–resource-intensive approach to improving: (1) time to treatment initiation and (2) compliance with optimal treatment package time for HNC patients. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 300 patients with a diagnosis of HNC from the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) was used to generate baseline data (2000–2010) for: (1) time to treatment (surgery, 24 days; radiation, 48 days) and (2) treatment package time Results: Implementation of the tracking tool reduced diagnosis to treatment start (mean, 44 days; median, 26 days). Compliance with treatment package time Conclusions: It is possible to improve: (1) time to diagnosis, (2) time to treatment initiation, and (3) treatment completion rates for complex HNC requiring multimodality treatment without additional resource utilization. However, appropriate implementation requires a robust multidisciplinary treatment team, with appropriate “buy in” from all participants and is facilitated by the presence of a fully integrated health care delivery system.

Objectives Veterans with laryngeal and oropharyngeal cancer remain an understudied patient population despite a high incidence of disease and decreased survival compared to the general population. Our objective was to evaluate treatment patterns for laryngeal and oropharyngeal cancer in patients treated at one of the Veterans Health Administration's busiest cancer centers in order to generate some basic benchmarks for treatment delivery in the veteran population. Methods We reviewed 338 patients treated at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center between 2000 and 2012. Results Oropharyngeal site and advanced age were associated with worse overall and disease-free survival. Treatment periods (mean) were as follows: 1) referral-diagnosis, 26 days; 2) diagnosis-surgery, 29 days; and 3) diagnosis-radiation, 58 days. Adjuvant radiation was initiated within 6 weeks of surgery in 42% of patients and 68% of patients had a total treatment package time ≤100 days. Time from diagnosis to treatment initiation, surgery to adjuvant radiation interval and total treatment package time did not impact survival. Conclusions This study establishes basic benchmarks for laryngeal and oropharyngeal cancer treatment delivery in veterans. Additional efforts are warranted to improve consistency and provide treatment in line with NCCN recommendations and literature consensus. Level of Evidence 2b.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have dramatically expanded the therapeutic landscape of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In a previous study, gender, smoking history, and PD-L1 status were found to influence the efficacy of single-agent ICI in NSCLC. This meta-analysis evaluated the clinical and molecular factors that could predict a benefit from adding ICIs to first-line chemotherapy in metastatic NSCLC. Patients and Methods: The pooled hazard ratio (HR) of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) among the selected subgroups were analyzed using the random effects model. The correlation between PD-L1 expression and outcome was analyzed by meta-regression. Results: Seven phase III randomized controlled trials comparing chemo-immunotherapy (CIT) with chemotherapy in untreated stage 4 NSCLC were included. CIT evenly improved PFS irrespective of age, gender, histology, smoking history, and performance status. Among patients with baseline hepatic metastasis treated with Atezolizumab-containing CIT, PFS improvement was only detected with the addition of Bevacizumab. Whereas patients with EGFR/ALK-driven cancer exhibited greater PFS with the addition of ICI to a Bevacizumab (BEV)-based regimen, the derived benefit was no longer statistically significant among those treated with non-BEV-based regimens. Although the superior PFS conferred by CIT was noticeable across all PD-L1 expression subgroups, this benefit correlated with PD-L1 level and was more pronounced in the "PD-L1 high" cohort. Except for patients harboring EGFR/ALK aberrations or squamous histology, CIT consistently improved OS across the other selected subgroups. Conclusions: The survival advantage associated with first-line CIT in metastatic NSCLC was observed in different patient populations, including those for which single-agent ICI has marginal therapeutic benefit. Our findings support the role of chemotherapy with or without VEGF blockade as enhancers of ICI activity in NSCLC.

e20564 Background: Malignant mesothelioma (MM) patients historically have poor outcomes, but immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown promising results in certain patients. We aimed to retrospectively assess efficacy and safety with use of anti-PD-1 monotherapy (aPD-1 Tx) in patients with MM at our institution from Dec 2015 to Dec 2020. Methods: We identified patients with MM treated with nivolumab or pembrolizumab. Clinical details including demographics, efficacy, and toxicity were collected. Efficacy was characterized based on overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Survival curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and intergroup comparisons were performed with the log-rank test. Univariable Cox regression analysis was used to determine whether variables were associated with survival. Results: We identified 61 patients treated with aPD-1 Tx for MM. Majority of patients (90%) had malignant pleural mesothelioma. Forty-two (69%) patients were male. The median age of initiation was 65 years (range: 30-84). Most patients (66%) had an ECOG performance status (PS) of 0-1. Known asbestos exposure was noted in 19 (31%) patients. Most patients had received prior chemotherapy (74%) and treated with nivolumab (89%). Only 66% of patients with known PD-L1 had positive expression ( > = 1%). There were 43 (70%) patients with epithelioid histology. Median follow-up was 22.2 months. ORR was 33% with stable disease in 25% of patients. In first-line aPD-1 Tx, ORR was 50%. PFS and OS at 12 months were 26% and 65%, respectively. The median PFS and OS were 5.1 and 15.6 months, respectively. PD-L1 positivity was not associated with improved PFS or OS. Univariable analysis demonstrated that ECOG PS 0-1 had significantly better OS with hazard ratio (HR) 0.40 (95% CI 0.20 – 0.83; p = 0.01). Immune-related adverse events (irAE) were seen in 33% of patients with 13 patients with grade 3 or higher (nephritis, pneumonitis, arthritis, leukocytosis, dermatitis, colitis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, tongue angioedema, and thrombocytopenia). One patient had grade 5 irAE due to severe thrombocytopenia. Patients who developed an irAE had significantly improved median OS (32.1 vs 12.1 months, p = 0.01). Conclusions: Anti-PD-1 monotherapy showed clinical efficacy and safety in malignant mesothelioma as both a first-line treatment and in pre-treated patients based on our real-world experience. The development of irAE may predict benefit, although fatal side effects can occur.

Checkpoint inhibitors have become standard therapy for multiple cancers, and their use will increase in the next year as regulatory approvals for additional indications are expected. It is essential for clinicians to be aware of the potential for rare immune-related adverse effects. Here, we report the case of a new diagnosis of myasthenia gravis (MG) after the use of nivolumab for squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder. A review the literature identified 10 cases of MG diagnosed after programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitor therapy. This is the first case, to our knowledge, reported in association with bladder cancer. The precise diagnosis of MG has important implications on management, as treatment with steroids can transiently worsen myasthenia in nearly 50% of cases.

Nivolumab is a standard treatment option in several advanced malignancies, but safety and efficacy are still unknown in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We describe a case series of people living with HIV (PLWH) receiving nivolumab in the Veterans Health Administration (VA) and report responses and toxicities. We identified all PLWH who received nivolumab at any VA facility since 2000 in the Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW), which provides nationwide research access to VA electronic medical records. We identified 16 HIV-infected nivolumab recipients. The median number of nivolumab doses received was 6 (range, 1-32). Changes in CD4 count during therapy were variable, with 70% (7/10) of patients experiencing increases. Half of PLWH were treated for non-small-cell lung cancer; 2 for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), 2 for renal cell carcinoma, and 4 for off-label cancers. For non-small-cell lung cancer, 7 patients had evaluable responses. Although 5 of 7 patients immediately progressed, 1 had a partial response and 1 had stable disease, which were both durable. Two of 16 (14%) PLWH had complete responses; both with HL (2/2 HL, 100%). The prevalence of immune-related adverse effects was 40% overall (6/15); 27% (4/15) had pneumonitis. To our knowledge, this is the largest case series reporting outcomes with nivolumab in PLWH. Outcomes were comparable with those seen in studies of HIV-uninfected patients, and particularly interesting for HL. The reason for the high proportions of immune-related adverse effects is unclear, but needs to be confirmed in larger studies.

Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) show resistance to chemotherapy and have blunt response to apoptotic stimuli. HCC cell lines express low levels of the Fas death receptor and are resistant to FasL stimulation, whereas immortalized hepatocytes are sensitive. The variable Fas transcript levels and consistently low Fas protein in HCC cells suggest posttranscriptional regulation of Fas expression. The 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of Fas mRNA was found to interact with the ribonucleoprotein Human Antigen R (HuR) to block mRNA translation. Silencing of HuR in HCC cells increased the levels of cell surface Fas and sensitized HCC cells to FasL. Two AU-rich domains within the 3′-UTR of Fas mRNA were identified as putative HuR-binding sites and were found to mediate the translational regulation in reporter assay. Hydrodynamic transfection of HuR plasmid into mice induced downregulation of Fas expression in livers and established functional resistance to the killing effects of Fas agonist. Human HCC tumor tissues showed significantly higher overall and cytoplasmic HuR staining compared with normal liver tissues, and the high HuR staining score correlated with worse survival of patients with early-stage HCC. Combined, the protumorigenic ribonucleoprotein HuR blocks the translation of Fas mRNA and effectively prevents Fas-mediated apoptosis in HCC, suggesting that targeting HuR would sensitize cells to apoptotic stimuli and reverse tumorigenic properties. Implications: Demonstrating how death receptor signaling pathways are altered during progression of HCC will enable the development of better methods to restore this potent apoptosis mechanism. Mol Cancer Res; 13(5); 809–18. ©2015 AACR.

e20595 Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have changed the landscape of NSCLC therapy. In previous study, gender, smoking history, and PD-L1 status were found to influence the efficacy of ICI monotherapy in NSCLC. This meta-analysis evaluated the clinical and molecular factors predictive of benefit from the addition of ICIs to first-line (1L) chemotherapy in metastatic NSCLC. Methods: Using the random effect model, we computed and compared the pooled hazard ratio (HR) of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) among the selected subgroups. The correlation between PD-L1 expression level and outcome was analyzed by meta-regression. Results: 7 phase III randomized trials comparing CIT vs. chemo in the 1L treatment of stage 4 NSCLC were included. CIT evenly improved the PFS irrespective of age, gender, histology, smoking history and ECOG performance status (PS). While patients (pts) with liver metastasis or ALK/EGFR aberration had greater PFS with the addition of ICI to Bevacizumab (BEV) based chemo regimen, the derived benefit was no longer statistically significant among pts treated with non-BEV-based regimens. Whereas the PFS superiority conferred by CIT was noticed across all PD-L1 expression subgroups, the benefit correlated with PD-L1 level and was more pronounced in the “PD-L1 high” subset. Except for pts with EGFR/ALK abnormalities, squamous histology or liver metastasis, CIT yielded a consistent amelioration of OS across the other selected subgroups. Conclusions: Survival advantage associated with 1L CIT in metastatic NSCLC was observed in different pts population including those for which single-agent ICI has limited therapeutic benefit. Our findings support the role of chemo +/- VEGF blockade as enhancer of ICIs activity even in “less immunogenic” context. [Table: see text]

The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of nivolumab in the HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected veteran populations. WHAT IS NEW: Most clinical trials highlighting checkpoint inhibitors excluded people living with HIV (PLWH). This is the first study to report equivalent nivolumab tumor response rates in PLWH, but higher rates of pneumonitis.METHODS: We searched the Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW) to identify all HIV-positive patients who used the Veterans Health Administration (VA) between 2000 and 2016. For this cohort of 46,916 PLWH, we obtained a 4:1 age-matched HIV-negative control cohort. We used pharmacy database to identify all nivolumab recipients through July 26, 2017. We reviewed patients' electronic medical records using Compensation and Pension Records Interchange (CAPRI) to obtain age, sex, geographic location, cancer type, number of nivolumab doses received, previous cancer therapy, adverse events, and response to therapy. We calculated summary descriptive measures for both groups and compared the proportion of patients experiencing adverse event or pneumonitis in groups by HIV status, using chi-square or Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Sixteen PLWH and 68 HIV-negative controls received nivolumab during the study period. Only 51 controls had accessible data. Median age at nivolumab initiation was 65 years in both groups (range, 47-85 [IQR, 59-68] in PLWH; range, 42-79 [IQR 59-68] in controls); all patients were male. Overall, 63% received nivolumab for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): 8/16 (50%) in PLWH, 34/51 (67%) in controls. Other indications in PLWH included renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (2/16 [13%]), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) (2/16 [13%]), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (2/16 [13%]). Other indications in controls were RCC (9/51 [18%]), melanoma (5/51, [10%]), and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (3/51 [6%]).Regardless of HIV status, the median number of prior lines of therapy was 1, median number of nivolumab doses received was 6, and median progression-free survival (PFS) in NSCLC was 2.75 months. Half of each NSCLC group received radiation; fewer PLWH had COPD (50%, vs. 82% of controls). PLWH had a trend towards more adverse events (AEs) (6/15 [40%], vs. 13/51 [26%] of controls, p=0.28). A significantly higher proportion of PLWH experienced pneumonitis (4/15 [27%], vs. 2/51 [4%] of controls, p=0.007).Other AEs among PLWH were rash, hypothyroidism, and autoimmune diabetes mellitus. Other AEs among controls were fatigue, colitis, rash, hypothyroidism, arthritis, and hepatitis (1-3 patients each). CONCLUSION: Among veteran PLWH, rates of nivolumab administration, and PFS in NSCLC, were comparable to those of HIV-uninfected counterparts. Pneumonitis was significantly more frequent in PLWH. Further studies should investigate the mechanism of pneumonitis in this population, confirm the high frequency in larger cohorts of PLWH, and identify clinical risk factors for pneumonitis. Citation Format: Elaine Chang, Aaron P. Thrift, Donna L. White, Jennifer Kramer, Anita L. Sabichi, Christine Hartman, Kathryn E. Royse, Peter A. Richardson, Elizabeth Y. Chiao. Nivolumab efficacy and safety in veterans with and without HIV infection [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 617.

e15091Background: Given the recent clinical introduction of ICIs, their application, efficacy, predictive markers, and adverse effects are actively being elucidated. Here we describe the use, respo...

e21110Background: Anti-programmed cell death (anti–PD-1) response in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) varies greatly. Higher neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) or lower adva...

Purpose This updated provisional clinical opinion presents a revised opinion based on American Society of Clinical Oncology panel consensus in the context of an evolving database. Context Despite the 2010 provisional clinical opinion recommendation, there is still evidence of suboptimal hepatitis B virus (HBV) screening among patients at high risk for HBV infection or HBV reactivation after chemotherapy. This updated provisional clinical opinion introduces a risk-adaptive strategy to identify and treat patients with HBV infection to reduce their risk of HBV reactivation. Provisional Clinical Opinion Medical providers should screen by testing patients for HBV infection before starting anti-CD20 therapy or hematopoietic cell transplantation. Providers should also screen patients with risk factors for HBV infection. Screening should include both hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc), because reactivation can occur in patients who are HBsAg positive/anti-HBc positive or HBsAg negative/anti-HBc positive. Either total anti-HBc or anti-HBc immunoglobulin G (not immunoglobulin M) test should be used. Clinicians should start antiviral therapy for HBsAg-positive/anti-HBc–positive patients before or contemporaneously with cancer therapy and monitor HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc–positive patients for reactivation with HBV DNA and ALT levels, promptly starting antivirals if reactivation occurs. Clinicians can initiate antivirals for HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc–positive patients anticipating cancer therapies associated with a high risk of reactivation, or they can monitor HBV DNA and ALT levels and initiate on-demand antivirals. For patients who neither have HBV risk factors nor anticipate cancer therapy associated with a high risk of reactivation, current evidence does not support HBV screening before initiation of cancer therapy. Two panel members provided a minority viewpoint, involving a strategy of universal HBsAg and selective anti-HBc testing.