Search

Supplementary Fig 2. Change in overall (A) and specific (B) plasma antibody titres against tumour antigens from baseline (D0) to 6 weeks of treatment (6W), n=8 patients.

Supplementary Fig 3. Hierarchical clustering of plasma antibody profiles after 6 weeks of study treatment, using the Spearman rank correlation method with average linkage. Patient ID (0n) at the 6-week time point (best tumour response, PFS).

Supplementary tables 1-3

Supplementary Legend

Supplementary Fig 1. (A) PFS in plasma VEGF-C subgroups, (B) OS in plasma Ang-2 subgroups.

Ibrutinib plus venetoclax, given with an ibrutinib lead-in, has shown encouraging clinical activity in early phase studies in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). The ongoing phase 3 SYMPATICO study evaluates the safety and efficacy of concurrently administered, once-daily, all-oral ibrutinib plus venetoclax in patients with relapsed/refractory MCL. A safety run-in (SRI) cohort was conducted to inform whether an ibrutinib lead-in should be implemented for the randomized portion. Patients received concurrent ibrutinib 560 mg continuously plus venetoclax in a 5-week ramp-up to venetoclax 400 mg for up to 2 years. The primary endpoint was occurrence of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) and dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs). The SRI cohort enrolled 21 patients; six and 15 were in low- or increased-risk categories for TLS, respectively. During the 5-week venetoclax ramp-up, three patients had DLTs, and one patient at increased risk for TLS had a laboratory TLS; no additional TLS events occurred during follow-up. With a median follow-up of 31 months, the overall response rate was 81% (17/21); 62% (13/21) of patients had a complete response. SRI data informed that the randomized portion should proceed with concurrent ibrutinib plus venetoclax, with no ibrutinib lead-in. Ibrutinib plus venetoclax demonstrated promising efficacy; no new safety signals were observed.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03112174. Registered 13 April 2017, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03112174.

Background Prompt and accurate diagnosis of lymphadenopathy is important, yet there is wide variability in clinical approach and referral patterns, leading to unnecessary investigations and delays in diagnosis. To address this, a lymph node diagnostic clinic (LNDC) was established at our tertiary referral center. Patients and Methods We retrospectively analyzed data from 320 consecutive patients referred to the LNDC from March 2008 to March 2020, to describe their management and outcomes. Results The most common diagnoses were reactive (57%) and malignant lymphadenopathy (28%). In those with reactive lymphadenopathy, 33% did not undergo further investigations, 37% underwent imaging only, and 29% underwent biopsy. For malignant lymphadenopathy, diagnosis was made at a median (interquartile range) of 9 (6-16) days from first LNDC review, with the decision to biopsy made at the first LNDC review in 95% of cases. Clinical features significantly associated with malignancy included age > 45, B symptoms, history of malignancy, and lymphadenopathy that was ≥ 2 cm, in multiple regions, bilateral, multiple nodes, or supraclavicular. At least 3 of these features were present in 88% of patients with malignant lymphadenopathy. Ultrasound had a sensitivity of 98% and negative predictive value of 97% for detecting malignant lymphadenopathy. Conclusion A dedicated LNDC in a tertiary referral center facilitates rapid assessment and diagnosis of lymphadenopathy through a risk-stratified model of management. Ultrasonography, as well as the presence of defined clinical risk factors, were most useful to differentiate benign from malignant lymphadenopathy.

Background Lymphoma is a malignancy of lymphocytes and lymphoid tissues comprising a heterogeneous group of diseases, with up to 80 entities now described. Lymphoma is the 6th most common cancer in Australia, affecting patients of all ages, with rising incidence rates. With the proliferation of efficacious novel agents, therapeutic strategies are increasingly diverse and survival is improving. There is a clear need for contemporary robust and detailed data on diagnostic, investigational and management strategies for this disease in Australia, New Zealand and worldwide, to inform and benchmark local and international standards of care. Clinical quality registries can provide these data, and support development of strategies to address variations in management, including serving as platforms for clinical trials and research. The Lymphoma and Related Diseases Registry (LaRDR) was developed to capture details of patient demographics, disease characteristics, and management throughout their disease course and therapy and to develop outcome benchmarks nationally and internationally for lymphoma. This report describes the aims, development and implementation of the LaRDR, as well as challenges addressed in the process.Methods The LaRDR was established in 2016 as a multicentre, collaborative project at sites across Australia with a secure online database which collects prospective data on patients with a new diagnosis of lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). LaRDR development required multidisciplinary participation including specialist haematology, information technology, and biostatistical support, as well as secure funding. Here we describe the database development, data entry, ethics approval process, registry governance and support for participating sites and the coordinating centre.Results To date more than 4,700 patients have been enrolled from 27 sites. Multiple challenges arose during the development, which we describe, along with approaches used to overcome them. Several confirmed international collaborations are now in place, and the registry is providing valuable data for clinicians, researchers, industry and government, including through presentations of results at major national and international conferences.Conclusion Challenges in establishing the LaRDR have been successfully overcome and the registry is now a valuable resource for lymphoma clinicians, researchers, health economists and others in Australia and globally.

PURPOSE: Patients with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL) undergo regular active surveillance in between treatment periods to detect disease relapse or progression. As part of surveillance, international guidelines recommend regular routine blood testing, which is based on consensus rather than evidence of utility. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients older than age 16 years diagnosed with grade 1-3A follicular or marginal zone lymphoma between 2008 and 2017 from 2 Australian cancer centers to assess the utility of full blood examination, lactate dehydrogenase, and β2-microglobulin in detecting progression events, defined as either disease relapse or progression of disease. RESULTS: One hundred eighty patients attended 1,757 outpatient appointments (median follow-up, 36 months). Routine blood tests (RBTs) were performed before 83% of appointments. Seventy-four progression events occurred in 62 patients. Only 2 events (3%) were detected by RBTs alone, both of which occurred in treatment-naïve patients who subsequently developed symptoms within 3 weeks. The remainder of progression events were suspected clinically (88%) or detected by imaging (9%). RBT results were frequently abnormal in asymptomatic patients (19%), with abnormal results leading to either additional investigations or an increased surveillance frequency in 8% of cases. The overall sensitivity and positive predictive value of abnormal RBT results in detecting progression events were 39% and 9%, respectively. CONCLUSION: RBTs have poor performance characteristics and rarely detect clinically significant disease progression or relapse in asymptomatic patients with iNHL.

Introduction/Background Combination therapy with atezolizumab, bevacizumab, carboplatin and paclitaxel (ABCP) is a recently approved treatment for patients with metastatic non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It is essential for prescribers to be aware of its potential toxicity profile, including rare but possible fatal events. Herein we describe a case of fatal intestinal perforation, likely the product of sequential stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) and ABCP. Case Report A 66-year-old man was diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC harbouring an exon 19 epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation in September 2013. He experienced oligometastatic disease progression on targeted therapies and in October 2017, he received SABR to a coeliac axis lymph node. Further disease progression with in the lungs lead to him commencing ABCP therapy in July 2018, with rapid resolution of his disease-related symptoms. However, after two cycles of therapy, he developed upper abdominal post-prandial pain with resultant anorexia. This was ultimately diagnosed as resulting from an area of localised perforation at the gastro-esophageal junction, which subsequently culminated in a fatal bleeding event. Conclusion Given the increasing uptake of both SABR and bevacizumab-based therapy for NSCLC, clinicians should be cautious of the potentially increased risk of gastrointestinal toxicity when combining these modalities.

Central nervous system (CNS) relapse in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is usually fatal. Risk stratification of patients has historically been poorly defined, and CNS prophylaxis with high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) can be associated with multiple toxicities. The CNS International Prognostic Index (IPI) defines three patient risk groups for CNS disease. The aims of this study were to evaluate the toxicity of HDMTX and describe outcomes in HDMTX and non-HDMTX patients according to the CNS-IPI. 205 patients diagnosed with DLBCL between 2004 and 2014, initially treated with RCHOP-like chemotherapy and considered for HDMTX CNS prophylaxis were identified by pharmacy records at two teaching hospitals. Patient records were retrospectively reviewed for HDMTX toxicity, CNS-IPI calculation and CNS relapse. 28 patients with DLBCL were selected for two doses of HDMTX. Two of 28 patients received only one dose, and three had their second dose reduced due to renal impairment. 28% of patients experienced nephrotoxicity. 24 HDMTX and 122 non-HDMTX patients were evaluable for the CNS-IPI. No significant difference in the CNS-IPI distribution between the two groups was identified (p = 0.695). Five patients had CNS relapse, two who received HDMTX and three who did not. No significant difference in CNS relapse rate was identified between 24 HDMTX patients propensity-matched to 24 non-HDMTX patients. HDMTX was well-tolerated by patients. Application of the CNS-IPI identifies a different population of candidates for CNS prophylaxis compared to traditional criteria.

Background : Ibrutinib (ibr) is a once-daily Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor approved in the US for patients (pts) with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who have received ≥1 prior therapy. Venetoclax (ven) is a BCL-2 inhibitor approved for pts with CLL or previously untreated AML. Ibr + ven have shown synergistic antitumor activity in preclinical models and complementary clinical activity in early phase studies (Zhao Br J Haematol 2015; Tam NEJM 2018; Jain NEJM 2019). The ongoing phase 3 SYMPATICO study (PCYC-1143-CA, NCT03112174) evaluates the safety and efficacy of ibr + ven in pts with relapsed/refractory (R/R) MCL. A safety run-in (SRI) was conducted to inform whether a 1-month (mo) ibr lead-in would be implemented for the randomized portion of the study; initial data from the SRI evaluating tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) events and dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) concluded that the study would proceed with concurrent ibr + ven, with no ibr lead-in (Wang ICML 2019). Updated safety and efficacy from the SRI are presented. Methods : The phase 3 SYMPATICO study is comprised of an open-label SRI and a double-blind randomized period. Key eligibility criteria were pathologically confirmed MCL with measurable disease, 1-5 prior therapies, and no prior treatment with BTK or BCL inhibitors. In the SRI, pts received oral, once-daily 560 mg ibr + ven in a 5-week ramp-up to 400 mg ven. Ibr + ven are dosed concurrently for 2 years; thereafter, ven is discontinued in all pts and ibr is continued until progressive disease (PD) or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint of the SRI was occurrence of TLS events and DLTs. Secondary endpoints included complete response (CR) and partial response (PR) per the 2014 Lugano criteria, progression-free survival (PFS), and duration of response (DOR). Rates of undetectable minimal residual disease (MRD) were assessed in bone marrow and peripheral blood. Efficacy and safety were analyzed by TLS risk (low or high). TP53 mutational status was determined by next-generation sequencing. Results: Twenty-one pts were enrolled in the SRI, with a median time on study of 22 (range, 2-31) mo. The median age was 68 (range, 53-84) years, and the median number of prior therapies was 2 (range, 1-4); 6 pts were considered at low risk for TLS and 15 pts were considered at high risk for TLS. All pts had at least 1 lesion >2 cm at baseline; 11/21 (52%) had baseline detectable MRD in peripheral blood or bone marrow. Of the 11 pts with available TP53 mutation data, 4 (36%) had mutated TP53. Median time on treatment was 18 (range, Conclusions : Ibr + ven is an all-oral, once-daily, chemotherapy-free regimen being studied for treatment of pts with R/R MCL. With a median of 22 mo on study, no new safety signals were observed; TLS events and DLTs were rare. Ibr + ven had sustained efficacy, with an ORR of 81%, CR rate of 62%, and the median PFS not reached. All MRD-assessable pts achieved undetectable MRD. The ongoing randomized portion of the SYMPATICO study is evaluating the efficacy and safety of ibr + ven compared with ibr + placebo in pts with R/R MCL; additionally, a single-arm, open-label cohort in previously untreated pts, including pts with TP53 mutations, is ongoing. Disclosures Tam: AbbVie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; BeiGene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Honoraria. Ramchandren:Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding. Chen:Autolus Therapeutics: Current Employment. Karlin:Sanofi: Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel support, personal fees; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel support, personal fees; Celgene/Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel support; AbbVie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel support; Celgene: Other: Personal fees; GlaxoSmithKline: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel support, personal fees. Chong:Hutchison Medipharma: Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Research Funding; Servier: Research Funding; Isofol: Research Funding; Merck Serono: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding. Jurczak:AstraZeneca, Epizyme: Consultancy; BeiGene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sandoz Novartis: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Acerta: Consultancy; Loxo: Consultancy; TG Therapeutics, Acerta, Bayer, MeiPharma: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company,: Research Funding; Roche: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding. Bishton:AbbVie: Research Funding; Gilead: Other: Travel/accomodations/expenses, Research Funding; Roche: Other: Travel/accommodations/expenses, Research Funding; Takeda: Other: Travel/accommodations/expenses, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy. Collins:Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celleron: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Taekda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel, accommodations, expenses, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; MSD: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: travel, accommodations, expenses , Speakers Bureau; BeiGene: Consultancy. Szafer-Glusman:Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Current Employment. Lee:AbbVie: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Current Employment. Eckert:Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Current Employment; AbbVie: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Neuenburg:Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Current Employment; AbbVie: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Wang:Targeted Oncology: Honoraria; InnoCare: Consultancy; Oncternal: Consultancy, Research Funding; Nobel Insights: Consultancy; Guidepoint Global: Consultancy; Dava Oncology: Honoraria; Acerta Pharma: Research Funding; Verastem: Research Funding; OMI: Honoraria, Other: Travel, accommodation, expenses; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel, accommodation, expenses, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel, accommodation, expenses, Research Funding; Molecular Templates: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel, accommodation, expenses, Research Funding; OncLive: Honoraria; Lu Daopei Medical Group: Honoraria; Beijing Medical Award Foundation: Honoraria; MoreHealth: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Other: Travel, accommodation, expenses, Research Funding; Loxo Oncology: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pulse Biosciences: Consultancy; Kite Pharma: Consultancy, Other: Travel, accommodation, expenses, Research Funding; Juno: Consultancy, Research Funding; VelosBio: Research Funding; BioInvent: Research Funding. OffLabel Disclosure: Ibrutinib in combination with venetoclax is not approved in any indication

Elderly patients may be heterogeneous in their abilities to tolerate immunochemotherapy-associated toxicities. We describe the morbidity of rituximab-chemotherapy combinations among 205 newly-diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients aged ≥60 years from 3 tertiary hospitals between 2009 and 2016, and explore the utility of retrospectively-assigned baseline Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) in predicting these toxicities. Seventy-three percent (146/201) experienced grade ≥3 toxicities, 81% (163/201) needed admission, 52% (107/205) had ≥2 unplanned admissions, 82/201 (41%) required dose reductions (DR) subsequent to Cycle 1, 39/166 (23%) had chemotherapy delays and 26/198 (13%) ceased therapy early. CGA was associated with pre-emptive baseline DR and perhaps because of this, did not predict grade ≥3 toxicities, ≥2 unplanned admissions or subsequent DR. Three-year overall survival (OS) of CGA-fit, CGA-unfit and CGA-frail patients was 82%, 60% and 53%, respectively. Three-year progression-free survival (PFS) of CGA-fit, CGA-unfit and CGA-frail patients was 66%, 58% and 46%, respectively. OS of CGA-fit patients was not statistically different from CGA-unfit patients, but was superior to CGA-frail patients (hazard ratio 2·892, 95% confidence interval 1·275-6·559, P = 0·011). PFS differences were not statistically significant. Baseline DR and early therapy cessation were associated with inferior OS and PFS independent of CGA. Prospective studies are needed to confirm if CGA-adapted treatment strategies minimize morbidity and improves survival.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy and safety of dual antiangiogenesis agents, bevacizumab plus trebananib, without chemotherapy, in first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Patients and Methods: This open-label phase II study enrolled patients with unresectable mCRC with no prior systemic treatment. All patients received bevacizumab 7.5 mg/kg 3-weekly and trebananib 15 mg/kg weekly. The primary endpoint was disease control [stable disease, partial response (PR), or complete response (CR)] at 6 months (DC6m). Secondary endpoints included toxicity, overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Exploratory biomarkers in plasma angiogenesis–related proteins, tumor gene expression, and plasma antibodies to tumor antigens were examined. Results: Forty-five patients were enrolled from four Australian sites. DC6m was 63% [95% confidence interval (CI), 47–77]. ORR was 17% (95% CI, 7–32), comprising of seven PRs. Median duration of response was 20 months (range, 10–48 months). Median PFS was 8.4 months and median OS 31.4 months. Grade 1–2 peripheral edema and joint-related symptoms were common. Overall incidence of grade 3–4 adverse events (AE) of any type was 33% (n = 15). Expected AEs of bevacizumab treatment did not appear to be increased by the addition of trebananib. Conclusions: In a first-line mCRC population, the dual antiangiogenic combination, bevacizumab plus trebananib, without chemotherapy, was efficacious with durable responses. The toxicity profile of the combination was manageable and did not exceed that expected with bevacizumab +/− chemotherapy. Exploratory biomarker results raise the hypothesis that the antiangiogenic combination may enable the antitumor immune response in immunotolerant colorectal cancer.

Patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have adverse outcomes. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor copanlisib in patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL and assessed the relationship between efficacy and DLBCL cell of origin (COO; activated B-cell like [ABC] and germinal center B-cell like [GCB]) and other biomarkers. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) in DLBCL COO subgroups (ABC, GCB, and unclassifiable) and by CD79B mutational status (NCT02391116). Sixty-seven patients received copanlisib (ABC DLBCL, n = 19; GCB DLBCL, n = 30; unclassifiable, n = 3; missing, n = 15). The ORR was 19.4%; 31.6% and 13.3% in ABC and GCB DLBCL patients, respectively. ORR was 22.2%/20.0% for patients with/without CD79B mutations (wild type, n = 45; mutant, n = 9; missing, n = 13). Overall median progression-free survival and duration of response were 1.8 and 4.3 months, respectively. Adverse events included hypertension (40.3%), diarrhea (37.3%), and hyperglycemia (32.8%). Aberrations were detected in 338 genes, including BCL2 (53.7%) and MLL2 (53.7%). A 16-gene signature separating responders from nonresponders was identified. Copanlisib treatment demonstrated a manageable safety profile in patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL and a numerically higher response rate in ABC vs. GCB DLBCL patients.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a heterogeneous disease with variable outcomes. Despite the majority of patients being cured with combination chemoimmunotherapy, up to 30% eventually succumb to the disease. Until recently, baseline prognostic assessment has centred on the International Prognostic Index (IPI), although this index is yet to impact strongly on treatment choice. Molecular features such as cell of origin, MYC and BCL-2 genetic alterations and protein overexpression were identified over a decade ago, yet their prognostic value is still not fully elucidated. Adding complexity are the plethora of new clinical, biological and molecular prognostic markers described in the recent literature, most of which lack independent validation, likely act as surrogate markers for those already in common use and have yet to substantially impact on therapeutic decision making. This review comprehensively assesses the value of individual prognostic markers in the clinical setting and their potential to predict response to novel agents, and ways to optimise their use in future research.

Background Patients with aggressive lymphoma achieving complete remission (CR) after first-line combination chemotherapy undergo regular surveillance to detect relapse. Current international guidelines recommend routine follow-up blood tests in this context, but evidence supporting this practice is limited. Methods We conducted a multi-centre retrospective analysis of all patients diagnosed with aggressive lymphoma treated with curative-intent chemotherapy who achieved CR for at least 3 months between 2000 and 2015. An abnormal blood test was defined as any new and unexplained abnormality for full blood examination, lactate dehydrogenase or erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Results Three hundred and forty-six patients attended a total of 3084 outpatient visits; blood tests were performed at 90% of these appointments. Fifty-six (16%) patients relapsed. Routine laboratory testing detected relapse in only three patients (5% of relapses); in the remaining patients, relapse was suspected clinically (80%) or detected by imaging (15%). The sensitivity of all blood tests was 42% and the positive predictive value was 9%. No significant difference in survival was shown in patients who underwent a routine blood test within 3 months prior to relapse versus those who did not (p = 0.88). Conclusions Routine blood tests demonstrate unacceptably poor performance characteristics, have no impact on survival and thus have limited value in the detection of relapse in routine surveillance.

BACKGROUND: Routine chest X-ray (CXR) is recommended for neutropenic fever (NF) management however its role is relatively understudied in haematology patients. AIM: To investigate the utility of CXR in the diagnosis and management of patients with haematological conditions complicated by NF. METHODS: Retrospective, single-centre analysis of haematology patients admitted with NF between January 2011 and December 2015. Baseline demographics, treatment details and outcomes were collected from electronic patient records. CXR underwent independent radiology review. Primary endpoints were a proportion of NF episodes in which CXR detected a probable chest infection in the absence of respiratory symptoms/signs and/or resulted in a change in antibiotic management. RESULTS: Four hundred and thirty-five episodes were identified; CXR was performed in 75% of patients (65% within 2 days of NF). In 4 of 164 (2.4%) asymptomatic patients, CXR was consistent with infection, in contrast to 19 of 119 (16%) patients with clinical signs of respiratory infection. Only 3 of 283 (1.1%) CXR resulted in a change to antibiotics. CXR consistent with infection was not associated with increased mortality or increased admission length, although there was an association with intensive care unit admission (odds ratios: 7.61, 95% confidence interval: 2.04-28.31). CONCLUSION: In haematology patients with NF, CXR rarely detected chest infection or changed management in patients with no respiratory symptoms or signs. CXR in our institution is no longer part of routine assessment of NF in the absence of these features.

Background: Most DLBCL & FL responds well to first line treatment, yet relapsed disease outcomes are poor. Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) with PD/PD1 inhibitors (PD1i) yield high response rates in some lymphomas; though single agent PD1i yields a disappointing ORR of 10% in heavily pre-treated DLBCL, some responses are durable. RT stimulates anti-tumour immunity through several mechanisms and may enhance response to ICI. Concurrent ICI & RT is synergistic in preclinical studies & solid tumours, improving local & distant (abscopal) response. RT to multiple disease sites may broaden the spectrum of tumour antigen release and overcome clonal variation between disease sites to further augment the immune response. A dose-response relationship between RT and antigen release has yet to be established. This phase I dose escalation study aims to determine the safety profile of RT in combination with durvalumab, an anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody, in relapsed/refractory DLBCL and FL. Study Design and Methods: RaDD (NCT03610061) is a phase I dose escalation study to determine the safety profile of escalating dose and number of sites of RT in combination with durvalumab in relapsed/refractory (RR) DLBCL & FL. Eligible patients (pts) have received ≥ 1 prior line of therapy and are ineligible for or relapsed after autologous stem cell transplant (auto-SCT). Pts with active autoimmune disease, CNS involvement, prior allogeneic-SCT or chronic steroid use are excluded. RT dose and site escalation proceeds according to a 3+3 design with 6 dose levels (cohorts 1-6). Treatment comprises external beam RT to target site(s) daily for 5 days (Cohorts 1-5); Cohort 6 receives a further 5 daily fractions (max 30Gy). Durvalumab 1500mg IV commences day 2 of RT and continues 4-weekly until disease progression. Pts can continue until a second radiological progression if clinical benefit is ongoing. The dose limiting toxicity period is 28 days from start of RT. The primary endpoint is the toxicity, drug pharmacokinetics, maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended phase two dose (RP2D) of simultaneous RT and durvalumab. Secondary endpoints include response rates, progression-free survival and overall survival. Correlative studies will examine the tumour-immune system interaction; an exploratory PET substudy with novel tracers for durvalumab (89Zr-Durvalumab) & CD8+ T cells (89Zr -Df-IAB22M2C) will also be performed. Projected enrolment for determination of the MTD and RP2D is 6-30 pts pending toxicity. Recruitment will continue to 36 pts for secondary endpoint analysis. 22 pts are enrolled to date in the main study, with 2 patients enrolled in the PET-substudy. Acknowledgements: Victorian Cancer Agency (grant funding - TRP16006), Astra Zeneca (durvalumab and funding), Celgene (funding), Imaginab (89Zr -Df-IAB22M2C). Citation Format: Kate Manos, Richard Khor, Geoffrey Chong, Jodie Palmer, Michael MacManus, Colm Keane, Andrew M. Scott, Jake Shortt, David Ritchie, Leonid Churilov, Laura Johnston, Tom Witkowski, Allison Barraclough, Sze Ting Lee, Wendi Lin, Rachel Koldej, Eliza Hawkes. Phase I Dose Escalation Study of Radiotherapy and Durvalumab (MEDI4736) in Relapsed or Refractory Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL): The RaDD Study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr CT208.

Background: Novel strategies are needed to improve upon the 60% cure rate of upfront R-CHOP in advanced DLBCL. Single-agent immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) has limited efficacy in heavily pre-treated DLBCL (response rate Avelumab (Av) is an anti-PDL1 monoclonal antibody with antibody dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity which acts synergistically with rituximab (R) in vitro. We report the results of a phase II single arm study assessing safety of 1st line sequential AvR induction, R-CHOP & Av maintenance for DLBCL. Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years, ECOG 0-2 with untreated stage II-IV DLBCL and no active autoimmune disease were treated with AvR induction x2 cycles q2-weekly (Av 10mg/kg IV + R 375mg/m2 IV), followed by R-CHOP21 x 6 cycles then Av 10mg/kg x 6 cycles q2-weekly if in complete metabolic response (CMR) post R-CHOP. The primary endpoint was the rate of grade 3/4 immune-related adverse events (irAE). Secondary endpoints included overall response rate (ORR), failure free survival (FFS), overall survival (OS) and overall toxicity. Response was determined centrally by PET-CT (Lugano 2014 criteria). CMR rates by PET-CT post AvR induction and post C2 R-CHOP were exploratory endpoints. Genomic analysis was performed including next generation sequencing (NGS) based sequence variant detection, copy number analysis and structural variant detection. Results: 28 pts were enrolled from Dec 2017 to Oct 2019. Key baseline characteristics included median age 54 yrs (range 20-79); stage III/IV disease 68%; elevated LDH 61%; IPI ≥2 25%. Histology included 21 DLBCL NOS (75%; 14 GCB, 7 non-GCB by Hans algorithm), 6 primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL; 21%) and 1 EBV positive DLBCL (4%). The study met its pre-specified primary endpoint of G3/4 irAE ORR post R-CHOP was 89% (all CR) (Figure 1). The ORR to 2 cycles of induction AvR was 60%, including 6 CMR (21%) across all diagnostic/histologic subgroups (n=1 PMBCL, n=2 non-GCB DLBCL, n=3 GCB DLBCL; Figures 1 and 2). Six pts (21%) progressed during AvR induction (with 1 pt completing only 1 x AvR cycle); all subsequently responded to R-CHOP. With a median follow-up of 16 months, 1-year FFS was 76% and OS 89%. Treatment was discontinued early in 5 pts; 2 during R-CHOP due to progressive disease and 3 during Av maintenance (n=1 immune hepatitis; n=1 pulmonary embolism initially reported as pneumonitis; n=1 progressive disease). Alterations in the CD274/PDCDLG2 locus were identified by NGS in 3 of 27 evaluable pts (n=2 PMBCL, n=1 EBV+ DLBCL). Full genomic analysis to identify factors associated with response will be presented. Conclusion: Sequential AvR induction, R-CHOP and Av maintenance in pts with newly diagnosed DLBCL is feasible with a manageable toxicity profile and a high CR rate. Responses to AvR alone were higher than expected based on the relapsed/refractory population and may suggest superior efficacy of ICI in the frontline setting. These results support ongoing sequential studies of immune priming with PD1/PDL1 inhibition prior to R-CHOP in DLBCL. Acknowledgements: Merck KgA for avelumab plus funding. Tour de Cure Scott Canning Early Career Grant (E Hawkes) and Wilson Centre for Lymphoma Genomics for biomarker testing. Disclosures Hawkes: Astra Zeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; BMS celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Janssen-Cilag: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Speakers Bureau; Merck Sharpe &Dohme: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; takeda: Speakers Bureau; Merck KgA: Research Funding. Chong:Merck Serono: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Hutchison Medipharma: Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Research Funding; Servier: Research Funding; Isofol: Research Funding. Blombery:Novartis: Consultancy; Janssen: Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy; Invivoscribe: Honoraria. Barraclough:Roche: Other: Conference sponsorship. Keane:Celgene: Honoraria, Other: Travel; BMS: Research Funding; Roche: Honoraria, Other: Travel, Speakers Bureau; MSD Oncology: Honoraria, Other: Travel; Gilead: Honoraria, Other: Travel, Speakers Bureau. Fong:Pfizer: Honoraria; Astellas: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Honoraria; AbbVie: Honoraria. Manos:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Other: Conference sponsorship. OffLabel Disclosure: Avelumab is an anti-PDL1 monoclonal antibody. Inhibition of the PD1/PDL1 pathway stimulates anti-tumour immunity.

A renal transplant recipient 7 years post-transplantation, diagnosed with locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma developed thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) after treatment with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel. Gemcitabine was the most likely cause for TMA and was ceased. He received methylprednisolone and plasma exchange with fresh frozen plasma and albumin. Despite plasma exchange, his renal allograft function worsened, and he had persistent haematological evidence of haemolysis. Eculizumab was commenced with resolution-significant improvement in his renal and haematological markers. This case highlights an unusual occurrence of progressive gemcitabine-induced TMA in a renal allograft that had an excellent response to eculizumab. The clinical response also demonstrates involvement of complement dysregulation in gemcitabine-induced TNA.

TPS8075 Background: Most DLBCL & FL responds well to first line treatment, yet relapsed disease outcomes are poor. PD1/PDL1 inhibitors yield high response rates in some lymphomas, but single agent therapy in heavily pre-treated pts are disappointing. RT stimulates anti-tumor immunity through several mechanisms and may enhance response to immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI). Concurrent ICI & RT is synergistic in preclinical studies & solid tumors, improving local & distant (abscopal) response. RT to multiple disease sites may broaden the spectrum of tumor antigen release and overcome clonal variation between disease sites to further augment the immune response. Methods: RaDD (NCT03610061) is a phase I, 3+3 dose escalation study to determine the safety profile of escalating dose & number of sites of RT in combination with Durvalumab (anti-PD-L1 antibody) in RR DLBCL & FL. Eligible pts (i.e. ≥1 prior therapy, ineligible for auto-SCT, no contraindication to PDL1i) receive 5 fractions of external beam RT to target site(s). 5 RT dose & site levels are included (dose range 2.5Gy-20Gy to 1-3 sites). Durvalumab 1500mg IV commences day 2 of RT and continues 4-weekly until confirmed disease progression. The DLT period is 28 days from start of RT. Primary endpoint is the recommended phase two dose (RP2D) of RT in combination with durvalumab. Secondary endpoints include response rates, PFS & OS. Correlative studies will examine the tumour-immune system interaction; an exploratory PET substudy with novel tracers for durvalumab (89Zr-Durvalumab) & CD8+ T cells (89Zr -Df-IAB22M2C) will also be performed. Projected enrollment for determination of maximum tolerated dose (MTD) & RP2D is 6-30 pts pending toxicity. Recruitment will continue to 36 pts for secondary endpoint analysis. 9 pts are enrolled across cohorts 1-3 to date. Clinical trial information: NCT03610061 .

Conventional synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) have been used in the treatment of inflammatory arthritis (IA) for many years. More recently, biologic (bDMARDs) and targeted synthetic (tsDMARDs) DMARDs have further improved treatment. Due to increased patient longevity and effective oncology treatment, rheumatologists often encounter patients with IA and previous malignancy. The immunosuppressive effect of DMARDs causes concern regarding impaired tumour surveillance with a potential increased risk of malignancy. We reviewed the literature regarding the risk of malignancy in patients on cs-/b-/tsDMARDS and sought to provide practical advice regarding use of these drugs in patients with previous malignancy. Data from randomised controlled trials is limited as patients with pre-existing malignancy are often excluded. Reassuringly, an increasing range of “real world” data from various national b/tsDMARD registries has not provided a convincing signal that these drugs increase tumour recurrence. Nevertheless, awareness of, and adherence to, national screening guidelines for malignancy is important. Given the improvement in quality of life achieved with these novel and well-tolerated therapeutic agents, the benefit/risk profile remains overwhelmingly favourable in most patients.

Purpose CS-1008 (tigatuzumab) is a humanized, monoclonal immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) agonistic antibody to human death receptor 5. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of CS-1008 dose on the biodistribution, quantitative tumor uptake, and antitumor response in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Patients and Methods Patients with mCRC who had received at least one course of chemotherapy were assigned to one of five dosage cohorts and infused with a weekly dose of CS-1008. Day 1 and day 36 doses were trace-labeled with indium-111 (111In), followed by whole-body planar and regional single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging at several time points over the course of 10 days. Results Nineteen patients were enrolled. 111In-CS-1008 uptake in tumor was observed in only 12 patients (63%). 111In-CS-1008 uptake and pharmacokinetics were not affected by dose or repeated drug administration. 111In-CS-1008 biodistribution showed gradual blood-pool clearance and no abnormal uptake in normal tissue. No anti–CS-1008 antibody development was detected. One patient achieved partial response (3.7 months duration), eight patients had stable disease, and 10 patients had progressive disease. Clinical benefit rate (stable disease + partial response) in patients with 111In-CS-1008 uptake in tumor was 58% versus 28% in patients with no uptake. An analysis of individual lesions showed that lesions with antibody uptake were one third as likely to progress as those without antibody uptake (P = .07). Death-receptor–5 expression in archived tumor samples did not correlate with 111In-CS-1008 uptake (P = .5) or tumor response (P = .6). Conclusion Death-receptor–5 imaging with 111In-CS-1008 reveals interpatient and intrapatient heterogeneity of uptake in tumor, is not dose dependent, and is predictive of clinical benefit in the treatment of patients who have mCRC.

e19027 Background: Pts with iNHL undergo active surveillance to detect disease relapse or progression. International guidelines recommend regular RBTs for surveillance but evidence for this practice is lacking. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of pts aged ≥16 yrs from 2008-17 undergoing routine surveillance at 2 Australian centres for grade 1-3a follicular lymphoma (FL) or marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), to assess the utility of full blood count, lactate dehydrogenase & beta-2-microglobulin to detect progression events; (i.e relapse or progression) or to change management. Abnormal results were defined as acute deviations from local laboratory normal ranges not explained by a concurrent medical condition. Eligible pts were either treatment-naive or had achieved a response to lymphoma-directed therapy, had ≥6 mths follow up and an absence of progression events within 3 mths of prior therapy. Demographic data were collected as well as treatment, follow up appointment (appt) details including presence of signs/symptoms, RBT results, survival status & further therapy. The study was ethically approved. Results: 180 eligible pts (FL:142, MZL:38) underwent 1757 follow up appts (median follow up 38 months). RBTs were done at 83% of appts. 74 progression events occurred in a total of 62 pts; 48/74 (65%) had immediate therapy. 2/74 (3%) were detected by RBTs alone, (both treatment naïve pts); 88% by signs/symptoms & 9% by routine imaging. 20/243 (8%) of abnormal RBTs in asymptomatic pts led to a change in subsequent management (10 had imaging; 8 earlier appts; 2 repeat RBTs alone). The sensitivity & positive predictive value of abnormal RBTs to detect progression events were 39% & 9% respectively. In asymptomatic patients, the number of RBTs required to change management and to detect a progression event were 64 and 644 respectively. Conclusions: RBTs rarely detect clinically significant disease progression or relapse and seldom solely lead to a change in management in asymptomatic pts with iNHL. Clinical signs/symptoms are far more likely to detect progression or relapse. Guidelines should reflect the benefit & risk of RBTs in the clinical setting.

INTRODUCTION: Colorectal cancer (CRC) and its treatments can cause distressing sequelae. We conducted a multicenter randomized controlled trial aiming to improve psychological distress, supportive care needs (SCNs), and quality of life (QOL) of patients with CRC. The intervention, called SurvivorCare (SC), comprised educational materials, needs assessment, survivorship care plan, end-of-treatment session, and three follow-up telephone calls. METHODS: At the end of treatment for stage I-III CRC, eligible patients were randomized 1:1 to usual care (UC) or to UC plus SC. Distress (Brief Symptom Inventory 18), SCNs (Cancer Survivors' Unmet Needs measure), and QOL (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer [EORTC] QOL questionnaires C30 and EORTC CRC module CR29) were assessed at baseline and at 2 and 6 months (follow-up 1 [FU1] and FU2, respectively). The primary hypothesis was that SC would have a beneficial effect on distress at FU1. The secondary hypotheses were that SC would have a beneficial effect on (a) SCN and QOL at FU1 and on (b) distress, SCNs, and QOL at FU2. A total of 15 items assessed experience of care. RESULTS: Of 221 patients randomly assigned, 4 were ineligible for the study and 1 was lost to FU, leaving 110 in the UC group and 106 in the SC group. Patients' characteristics included the following: median age, 64 years; men, 52%; colon cancer, 56%; rectal cancer, 35%; overlapping sites of disease, 10%; stage I disease, 7%; stage II, 22%; stage III, 71%. Baseline distress and QOL scores were similar to population norms. Between-group differences in distress at FU1 (primary outcome) and at FU2, and SCNs and QOL at FU1 and FU2 were small and nonsignificant. Patients in the SC group were more satisfied with survivorship care than those in the UC group (significant differences on 10 of 15 items). CONCLUSION: The addition of SC to UC did not have a beneficial effect on distress, SCNs, or QOL outcomes, but patients in the SC group were more satisfied with care. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Some survivors of colorectal cancer report distressing effects after completing treatment. Strategies to identify and respond to survivors' issues are needed. In a randomized controlled trial, the addition of a nurse-led supportive care package (SurvivorCare) to usual posttreatment care did not impact survivors' distress, quality of life, or unmet needs. However, patients receiving the SurvivorCare intervention were more satisfied with survivorship care. Factors for consideration in the design of subsequent studies are discussed.

Aims: Benefits to patients from systemic anti-cancer therapies (SACT) occur at a cost of significant toxicities that can be life threatening. Published data of SACT mortality outside clinical trials is limited with no published Australia data. We aim to establish local outcomes at a regional Victorian oncology center to allow comparison with limited international data. Methods: An audit was undertaken at Ballarat Health Services to analyze all deaths occurring within 30 and 60 days of receiving SACT (cytotoxic chemotherapy and targeted therapy) for epithelial malignancies and hematological malignancies (excluding acute leukemia), over a 12-month period. Hormonal therapy was excluded. Results: Between 1 January and 31 December 2008, 378 patients received SACT. In total 13 deaths (3.4%) occurred within 30 days following SACT. Three deaths (23%) were definitely treatment-related – neutropenic sepsis, pneumocystis pneumonia and bowel perforation, respectively. Eight deaths (62%) were definitely unrelated to treatment. Most deaths were due to disease progression (six patients) For two patients (15%), the cause of death was unknown. Most patients were treated with palliative intent. Most patients were receiving first-line treatment (seven patients, 50%). A further five deaths (1.3%) occurred 31–60 days after SACT, four of which were due to disease progression. Conclusion: Our local outcome data are comparable to limited current international data. This type of audit reviews local outcomes and identifies factors contributing to mortality in order to improve standards of care. We encourage similar audits to establish national benchmarks of 30-day mortality rate.

Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) is a critical terminal enzyme in the B-cell antigen receptor (BCR) pathway. BTK activation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of certain B-cell malignancies. Targeting this pathway has emerged as a novel target in B-cell malignancies, of which ibrutinib is the first-in-class agent. A few other BTK inhibitors (BTKi) are also under development (e.g., acalabrutinib). While the predominant action of BTKi is the blockade of B-cell receptor pathway within malignant B-cells, increasing the knowledge of off-target effects as well as a potential role for B-cells in proliferation of solid malignancies is expanding the indication of BTKi into non-hematological malignancies. In addition to the expansion of the role of BTKi monotherapy, combination therapy strategies utilizing ibrutinib with established regimens and combination with modern immunotherapy compounds are being explored.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the longitudinal impact of stoma formation on the health-related quality of life of rectal cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: Health-related quality of life data was prospectively collected in a randomized trial designed to compare 24 weeks of bolus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin with 12 weeks of continuous 5-fluorouracil in patients with resected Dukes B and C colorectal cancer. Health-related quality of life data was collected at baseline, during adjuvant treatment, and at one and three years after completion of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Between 1993 and 2003, 186 rectal cancer patients were enrolled. One hundred thirty-nine patients had anterior resection, of whom 46 had a temporary defunctioning colostomy. Forty-seven patients had abdominoperineal resection with formation of a permanent colostomy. There was no significant difference in global health-related quality of life between patients with and patients without a stoma at any time point. However, during adjuvant treatment, role (P = 0.04) and social (P = 0.005) functioning were significantly worse in stoma patients than in nonstoma patients. Moreover, the impairment in social functioning persisted at one (P = 0.03) and three years (P = 0.04) after adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate important adverse effects of either temporary or permanent stoma formation on subsequent health-related quality of life in patients with rectal cancer.

Purpose: We report a first-in-man trial of a humanized antibody (hu3S193) against the Ley antigen. Experimental Design: Patients with advanced Ley-positive cancers received four infusions of hu3S193 at weekly intervals, with four dose levels (5, 10, 20, and 40 mg/m2). The first infusion of hu3S193 was trace labeled with Indium-111, and biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, tumor uptake, and immune response were evaluated in all patients. Results: A total of 15 patients (7 male/8 female; age range, 42-76 years; 6 breast, 8 colorectal cancer, and 1 non–small-cell lung cancer) were entered into the study. Transient grade 1 to 2 nausea and vomiting was observed following infusion of hu3S193 at the 40mg/m2 dose level only. There was one episode of dose-limiting toxicity with self-limiting Common Toxicity Criteria grade 3 elevated alkaline phosphatase observed in one patient with extensive liver metastases. The biodistribution of 111In-hu3S193 showed no evidence of any consistent normal tissue uptake, and 111In-hu3S193 uptake was observed in cutaneous, lymph node, and hepatic metastases. Hu3S193 displayed a long serum half-life (T1/2β = 189.63 ± 62.17 h). Clinical responses consisted of 4 patients with stable disease and 11 patients with progressive disease, although one patient experienced a 89% decrease in a lymph node mass, and one patient experienced inflammatory symptoms in cutaneous metastases, suggestive of a biological effect of hu3S193. No immune responses (human anti-human antibody) to hu3S193 were observed. Conclusion: Hu3S193 is well tolerated and selectively targets tumors, and the long half-life and biological function in vivo of this antibody makes it an attractive potential therapy for patients with Ley-expressing cancers.

This is the first report of the combination of gemcitabine, cisplatin and methylprednisolone (GEM-P) with Rituximab (GEM-PR) for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Thirty-nine patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL in this study received GEM-P with (n = 24) or without Rituximab (n = 15) 64% patients had Stage III/IV disease. The overall response rate (ORR) was 59% (95% CI 42.1-74.4); 11/39 (28%) patients attained complete response. Patients received a median of two cycles (1-4) of treatment. For GEM-PR group, the ORR was 67% (95% CI 45-84%) compared to 47% (95% CI 21-73%) in GEM-P alone. one-year progression-free survival was 51% (95% CI 28-69%) in GEM-PR group compared to 27% (95% CI 8-49%) in GEM-P alone (P = 0.04). GEM-P is an effective second-line regimen in patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL and the addition of Rituximab appears to further improve outcomes.

Summary Cancers can evade the host immune system by inducing upregulation of immune inhibitory signals. Anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibodies block these inhibitory signals allowing the host to mount an immune response against malignant cells. This class of drugs is active in solid tumours, where upregulation of cell-surface PD-1 ligand proteins is nearly uniform. Because lymphoma is a malignancy of immune system cells, the role of the PD-1 pathway in these neoplasms is more complex. However, early clinical trials using PD-1 inhibitors have shown significant clinical activity in various subtypes of relapsed lymphoma. In this Review, we assess the scientific literature on the role of the PD-1 pathway in lymphoma, the relevant clinical data for PD-1 inhibition, and future strategies for this next generation of anticancer agents.

Despite improved screening and adjuvant therapy for primary colorectal cancers, synchronous and metachronous liver metastases remain a significant problem for patients with this disease. Approximately 40% of patients who develop metastatic disease have tumor confined to the liver, which has driven interest in regional therapies targeting the liver. These include chemotherapy delivered via hepatic arterial infusion (HAI), destructive therapies such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and surgical metastasectomy. Surgical techniques for liver resection have improved significantly during the last decade; therefore, this has become an attractive method for rendering suitable patients macroscopically disease free. Studies showing prolonged diseasefree survival, overall survival—and possibly cure—in selected patients have demonstrated the efficacy of this approach. Systemic chemotherapy has been shown to downsize a proportion of initially unresectable liver metastases to the point of resectability. Adam et al reported a single-institution series of 872 patients with colorectal liver metastases who were assessed for resectability: 171 (19.6%) had resectable disease initially and underwent immediate surgery; 701 patients who had unresectable disease initially were treated with preoperative chemotherapy, which was mainly oxaliplatin based. After restaging, 95 patients (13.6%) were considered resectable, and underwent surgery. The actuarial 5-year survival for this downstaged group was 34%, with the survival curve almost exactly replicating that of patients who had initially resectable disease who underwent immediate surgery. This nonrandomized, yet innovative comparison has been a major rationale in support of surgery for patients with initially unresectable disease that responds adequately to preoperative chemotherapy. Response to this therapy is also predictive for long-term outcome. Adam et al found that patients who had liver metastasectomy after tumor progression on preoperative chemotherapy had significantly poorer survival than responders or those with tumor stabilization. Postoperative therapy is an accepted and rational component of treatment for patients requiring preoperative downsizing before resection. However, even patients with initially resectable liver metastases may benefit from postoperative therapy. The largest study was performed by the Federation Francophone de Cancerologie Digestive, which randomly assigned 167 patients to intravenous fluorouracil (FU)/leucovorin (LV) or observation after complete liver metastasectomy. Preliminary results suggested a nonstatistically significant trend toward improved disease-free and overall survival. An Intergroup study of 109 patients compared postoperative HAI floxuridine plus continuousinfusion intravenous FU versus observation. Although there was no difference in overall survival, both time to recurrence and time to recurrence in the liver were prolonged in the postoperative therapy arm. Additional support for the notion of more intensive postoperative therapy was provided by a study that demonstrated improved 2-year survival for patients randomly assigned to postoperative HAI floxuridine plus systemic FU versus systemic FU alone. Long-term follow-up has confirmed superior progression-free survival and a trend to improved overall survival for the combination arm. There are few prospective trials of preoperative systemic chemotherapy for patients with unresectable liveronly metastases. Pozzo et al conducted a single-institution nonrandomized study that comprised 40 patients with unresectable disease defined by local criteria. These criteria were more than six metastases (or three per lobe; 14 patients); more than 5 cm diameter of at least one lesion if six metastases (or three per lobe; 10 patients); and contiguity with at least two hepatic veins, inferior vena cava or liver hilum (14 patients). The response rate to irinotecan/FU/ LV) was 47.5%, and 13 (32.5%) patients underwent R0 liver resection. Six cycles of postoperative chemotherapy were administered to all patients who underwent resection JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY E D I T O R I A L VOLUME 23 NUMBER 36 DECEMBER 2

Purpose: Humanized monoclonal antibody A33 (huA33) targets the A33 antigen which is expressed on 95% of colorectal cancers. A previous study has shown excellent tumor-targeting of iodine-131 labeled huA33 (131I-huA33). Therefore, we did a phase I dose escalation trial of 131I-huA33 radioimmunotherapy. Experimental Designs: Fifteen patients with pretreated metastatic colorectal carcinoma each received two i.v. doses of 131I-huA33. The first was an outpatient trace-labeled “scout” dose for biodistribution assessment, followed by a second “therapy” dose. Three patients were treated at 20, 30, and 40 mCi/m2 dose levels, and six patients at 50 mCi/m2 to define the maximum tolerated dose. Results: Hematologic toxicity was 131I dose-dependent, with one episode of grade 4 neutropenia and two episodes of grade 3 thrombocytopenia observed at 50 mCi/m2. The maximum tolerated dose was determined to be 40 mCi/m2. There were no acute infusion-related adverse events, and gastrointestinal toxicity was not observed despite uptake of 131I-huA33 in bowel. Seven patients developed pruritus or rash, which was not related to 131I dose. There was excellent tumor-targeting of 131I-huA33 shown in all patients. The serum T1/2β of 131I-huA33 was (mean ± SD) 135.2 ± 46.9 hours. The mean absorbed tumor dose was 6.49 ± 2.47 Gy/GBq. Four patients developed human anti-human antibodies. At restaging, 4 patients had stable disease, whereas 11 patients had progressive disease. Conclusion: Radioimmunotherapy using 131I-huA33 shows promise in targeting colorectal tumors, and is deliverable at a maximum tolerated dose of 40 mCi/m2. Further studies of 131I-huA33 in combination with chemotherapy are planned.

7536 Background: Relapsed/refractory (r/r) DLBCL patients (pts) are characterized by poor prognosis. Copanlisib is a pan-Class I phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, with modest single-agent activity in unselected DLBCL pts. Here we report the treatment effect of copanlisib in r/r DLBCL pts with regards to cell of origin (COO) and molecular biomarker profiles (NCT02391116). Methods: Patients with r/r DLBCL and ≥1 prior lines of therapy were eligible. Copanlisib (60 mg IV infusion) was administered on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Tumor samples were evaluated for COO, CD79B mutations and > 400 genes by next generation sequencing (NGS). The primary endpoint was objective tumor response rate (ORR; per Lugano Classification, 2014) by COO and CD79B status. Results: The full-analysis (FAS) and per-protocol sets (PPS; ≥3 doses, post-baseline scans and NGS/COO data) included 67 and 40 pts, respectively. Pts were 58% male, median age 69 (range 25-93), ECOG status 0/1/2 22%/57%/21%, and heavily pretreated (median prior lines = 3, range 1-13). In the PPS, COO (and mutant CD79B status) analysis identified 22 GCB DLBCL (2 mutant), 16 ABC DLBCL (6 mutant), and 2 unclassifiable. The ORR in the PPS was 25% (10 of 40), with 5 complete responses (CR) and 5 partial responses (PR); stable disease in 12 pts. The ORR was 13.6% with 1 CR in GCB pts and 37.5% with 4 CRs (25%) in ABC pts. Response to copanlisib was 25% in pts with (2/8) and without (8/32) CD79B mutations. Five of 10 ABC DLBCL-wtCD79B pts and one GCB DLBCL-mCD79B responded (ongoing > 17 cycles). NGS analysis in 54 pts detected 348 mutations; BCL2 (54% of pts), TP53 (41%), BCL6 (30%), MYC (22%), CD79B (19%)/A (6%), MYD88 (19%), TNFAIP3 (17%), CARD11 (13%), and NFKBIA (9%). Response to copanlisib was not significantly different based on BCL2, BCL6, MYC, and MYD88 mutations. With a median of 6 cycles (range 1-29), the most common AEs (% all grade/gr3+4) were diarrhea (36/2), nausea (31/2), fatigue (31/3), fever (21/2) and transient hypertension (40/33) and hyperglycemia (34/31). There were 14 gr5 AEs (none drug-related). Conclusions: Copanlisib treatment of r/r DLBCL pts resulted in encouraging responses, especially in the ABC subtype, with a manageable toxicity. Clinical trial information: NCT02391116.

We present the case of a 65-year-old male with squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic oesophagus on a background of neurofibromatosis type 1. On computed tomography, he was noted to have a large left-sided superior mediastinal mass. Initially, this mass was thought to be metastatic lymphadenopathy; however, it did not display fluorodeoxyglucose uptake on positron emission tomography. Subsequent biopsy confirmed the mass to be a neurofibroma and the patient commenced definitive chemo-radiation. Positron emission tomography had a major impact on management since the presumed lymph node disease was not included in the radiation field. In addition, positron emission tomography altered prognostic stratification since lymph node involvement is a poor prognostic factor in oesophageal cancer. We could only identify one other case in the English literature in which positron emission tomography was used to distinguish metastatic carcinoma from a neurofibroma, although there are a number of reports that describe the utility of positron emission tomography in differentiating benign neurofibromas from malignant connective tissue tumours.

79 Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) and its treatments can cause distressing short and long-term side effects as well as significant functional consequences. Current models of follow-up do not adequately address these issues. We conducted a multi-center RCT of an innovative program (SurvivorCare (SC)); designed to have a beneficial effect on psychological distress, supportive care needs (SCN) and quality of life (QOL). Methods: At the end of active treatment for stage I-III CRC, eligible patients ( =18 years, adequate English) were randomized 1:1 to usual care (UC) or to UC+SC. SC comprised educational materials, needs assessment, an individualized survivorship care plan, nurse-led end-of-treatment session and three follow up (FU) phone calls. Distress (BSI-18), SCN (CaSUN) and QOL (EORTC QLQ-C30, CR29) were assessed at baseline, 2 (FU1) and 6 (FU2) months. Primary hypothesis: SC would have a beneficial effect on distress at FU1. Secondary hypotheses: SC would have a beneficial effect on (1) SCN and QOL at FU1; and (2) distress, SCN and QOL at FU2. 15 items assessed satisfaction with survivorship care. Sample size of 180 (90/arm) was based on 80% power, 2-sided alpha of 0.05, to detect a between groups difference of 3.6 on BSI-18 at FU1. Outcome analysis was ITT. Results: Of 221 patients randomized (111 UC, 110 SC), 4 were ineligible and 1 lost to FU, leaving 110 UC, 106 SC. Groups appeared well balanced. Median age was 64, 52% male, 56% colon, 35% rectal cancer, 10% overlap. Stage I 7%, II 22%, III 71%. Intervention fidelity was acceptable. Baseline distress and QOL were similar to population norms. Between groups differences in distress at FU1 (primary outcome), distress at FU2 and SCN and QOL at FU1 and FU2 were small and non-significant. SC patients were more satisfied with survivorship care than UC patients (significant differences on 10 of 15 items). Conclusions: The addition of SC to UC did not have a beneficial effect on distress, SCN or QOL outcomes but SC patients were more satisfied with survivorship care. Clinical trial information: ACTRN12610000207011.

Background. Oxaliplatin in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin (FOLFOX) is a common chemotherapeutic regimen for advanced colorectal cancer. Here, we present a case of interstitial lung disease associated with FOLFOX therapy. Case report. A 74-year-old man with a history of metastatic colorectal cancer was admitted with a four week history of progressive dyspnoea and evidence of severe respiratory failure. He had recently completed six cycles of FOLFOX chemotherapy in the months prior to presentation. Investigations did not reveal convincing evidence of infection or pulmonary embolism. CT chest demonstrated widespread pulmonary infiltrates and interlobular septal thickening. The patient was commenced on both broad spectrum antibiotic therapy and high dose corticosteroid treatment however his respiratory failure continued to progress. The patient died four days after admission due to progressive respiratory failure. Subsequent post-mortem examination demonstrated evidence of diffuse alveolar damage without evidence of tumour infiltration, infection or pulmonary embolism. Conclusions. Although infrequent, pulmonary toxicity can occur in association with FOLFOX therapy. Cessation of therapy and prompt initiation of corticosteroids may improve outcomes.

The addition of bevacizumab to currently available treatment options for metastatic colorectal cancer has changed the traditional chemotherapy-based paradigm. In this review we cover published clinical trials pertaining to the toxicity and efficacy of bevacizumab for metastatic colorectal cancer. Several randomized trials have studied combinations of irinotecan, oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil or capecitabine with bevacizumab. Efficacy in terms of progression-free survival and overall survival has been improved to varying degrees with the addition of bevacizumab. Bevacizumab’s distinctive toxicity profile has been well demonstrated in these trials, and has been shown to be manageable. However, certain patient groups, such as the elderly, may require particular toxicity considerations with bevacizumab. The optimal timing, dose and duration of bevacizumab-containing therapy have yet to be fully determined. Further randomized data, particularly for patients with potentially resectable liver metastases, are required in order to fully define the role of bevacizumab in the increasingly complex management paradigm for this disease.

We report the case of a 59-year-old man with advanced renal cell carcinoma who developed bilateral papilledema while on therapy with sunitinib, a multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). While papilledema has been reported in association with another TKI (imatinib), the association between sunitinib and papilledema has not previously been reported in the literature.

3533 Background: VEGF-A and Ang play complementary roles in regulation of blood vessel growth, maturation and function. Hence we postulate that combined blockade of VEGF-A and Ang would have clinic...

Purpose: To determine the in vivo characteristics of huA33, a CDR-grafted humanized antibody against the A33 antigen, we have conducted an open-label, dose escalation, biopsy-based phase I trial of huA33 in patients with colorectal carcinoma. Experimental Design: Patients with colorectal carcinoma were infused with [131I]huA33 (400 MBq: 10 mCi) and [125I]huA33 (40 MBq: 1 mCi) 1 week before surgery. There were four huA33 dose levels (0.25, 1.0, 5.0, and 10 mg/m2). Adverse events, pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, tumor biopsies, and immune responses to huA33 were evaluated. Results: There were 12 patients entered into the trial (6 males and 6 females; age range, 39-66 years). No dose-limiting toxicity was observed. The biodistribution of huA33 showed excellent uptake of [131I]huA33 in metastatic colorectal carcinoma. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed no significant difference in terminal half-life (T1/2β) between dose levels (mean ± SD, 86.92 ± 22.12 hours). Modeling of colon uptake of huA33 showed a T1/2 of elimination of 32.4 ± 8.1 hours. Quantitative tumor uptake ranged from 2.1 × 10−3 to 11.1 × 10−3 %ID/g, and tumor/normal tissue and tumor/serum ratios reached as high as 16.3:1 and 4.5:1, respectively. Biosensor analysis detected low-level human anti-human antibody responses in four patients following huA33 infusion. Conclusions: huA33 shows selective and rapid localization to colorectal carcinoma in vivo and penetrates to the center of large necrotic tumors, and colon elimination half-life of huA33 is equivalent to basal colonocyte turnover. The excellent targeting characteristics of this humanized antibody indicate potential for the targeted therapy of metastatic colorectal cancer in future trials.