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ASCO Rapid Recommendations Updates highlight revisions to select ASCO guideline recommendations as a response to the emergence of new and practice-changing data. The rapid updates are supported by an evidence review and follow the guideline development processes outlined in the ASCO Guideline Methodology Manual. The goal of these articles is to disseminate updated recommendations, in a timely manner, to better inform health practitioners and the public on the best available cancer care options.

PURPOSE The College of American Pathologists (CAP) has developed a guideline on testing for mismatch repair (MMR) and microsatellite instability (MSI) for patients considered for immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. ASCO has a policy and set of procedures for endorsing clinical practice guidelines that have been developed by other professional organizations. METHODS The CAP guideline was reviewed for developmental rigor by methodologists. An ASCO Endorsement Panel subsequently reviewed the content and the recommendations. RESULTS The ASCO Endorsement Panel determined that the recommendations from the CAP guideline, published on August 3, 2022, are clear, thorough, and based on the most relevant scientific evidence. ASCO endorses Mismatch Repair and Microsatellite Instability Testing for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: Guideline From the College of American Pathologists in Collaboration With the Association for Molecular Pathology and Fight Colorectal Cancer. RECOMMENDATIONS Within the guideline, MMR immunohistochemistry (IHC), MSI polymerase chain reaction, and MSI next-generation sequencing are all recommended testing options for colorectal cancer, MMR-IHC and MSI-polymerase chain reaction for gastroesophageal and small bowel cancer, and only MMR-IHC for endometrial cancer. No recommendation in favor of any testing method over another could be made for any other cancer. Tumor mutational burden was not recommended as a surrogate for DNA MMR deficiency. If MMR deficiency consistent with Lynch syndrome is detected, it should be communicated to the treating physician. Additional information is available at www.asco.org/molecular-testing-and-biomarkers-guidelines .

The development of rapid genome sequencing has greatly enhanced our understanding of the molecular biology underlying many malignancies. Whole exome sequencing has highlighted the individualistic nature of malignancies on a patient-to-patient basis and begun to revolutionize therapeutic approaches. In recent years, whole genome sequencing of urothelial malignancies has identified a host of somatic mutations which contribute to growth, progression, and metastasis of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder and upper tract urothelial carcinoma. As genetic sequencing continues, additional targets will be identified, allowing development of novel therapeutic agents targeting cancer on a molecular level, with the goal of delivering highly individualized care based on the underlying mutational profile of the patient's malignancy. In this review, we aim to discuss known genetic alterations of urothelial malignancy and the implications these mutations carry in terms of prognostication and development of targeted therapeutic agents. We will focus on RNA-expression profiling and genomic DNA profiling, with a focus on comprehensive whole exome and whole genome sequencing relative to selected urothelial carcinoma-associated genes and circulating tumor DNA analysis.

As geographical location can impact the gut microbiome, it is important to study region-specific microbiome signatures of various diseases. Therefore, we profiled the gut microbiome of breast cancer (BC) patients of the Midwestern region of the United States. The bacterial component of the gut microbiome was profiled utilizing 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. Additionally, a gene pathway analysis was performed to assess the functional capabilities of the bacterial microbiome. Alpha diversity was not significantly different between BC and healthy controls (HC), however beta diversity revealed distinct clustering between the two groups at the species and genera level. Wilcoxon Rank Sum test revealed modulation of several gut bacteria in BC specifically reduced abundance of those linked with beneficial effect such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Machine learning analysis confirmed the significance of several of the modulated bacteria found by the univariate analysis. The functional analysis showed a decreased abundance of SCFA (propionate) production in BC compared to HC. In conclusion, we observed gut dysbiosis in BC with the depletion of SCFA-producing gut bacteria suggesting their role in the pathobiology of breast cancer. Mechanistic understanding of gut bacterial dysbiosis in breast cancer could lead to refined prevention and treatment.

696 Background: Hypomethylating agents (HMA) can augment the anti-tumor immune response. Guadecitabine (G) is a novel HMA shown to induce a dose-dependent decrease of global DNA and gene-specific methylation in pre-clinical models. Methods: This is phase Ib/II clinical trial of Guadecitabine (G) and Durvalumab (D) in advanced ccRCC. Phase Ib tested two doses of G, de-escalated from 60 mg/m2 to 45 mg/m2 in combination with standard dose of D. Followed by two cohorts in phase II. Cohort 1 (C1, CPI naïve) allowed up to one prior line of treatment and Cohort 2 (C2, CPI refractory) enrolled patients with up to two prior systemic therapies including at least one CPI. Primary endpoint in phase 1b was safety, primary endpoint in phase II was overall response rate (ORR) and secondary endpoint of progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) and biomarkers evaluation. Results: Fifty-seven patients were enrolled, 42 were in C1 and 15 in C2. One dose limiting toxicity (DLT) of grade 3 neutropenia was noted with G 60 mg/m2. The combination of G 45 mg/m2 on days 1-5 along with D at 1500 mg on day 8, was deemed safe and the recommended phase II dose. Asymptomatic neutropenia was the most common adverse event (AE). Other AEs included thyroid dysfunction, diarrhea, pneumonitis, myalgia, and hepatotoxicity. No treatment-related deaths were reported. The ORR for C1 and C2 were 26% and 7% respectively. The median PFS for C1 and C2 were 18.4 and 3.9 months respectively. Median OS was not reached. Flow cytometry on peripheral blood (PB) collected before treatment demonstrated myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) to be inversely associated with response, showing the highest levels in progressive disease (PD) and the lowest in partial response (PR). Responders to treatment had the highest expression of IFN γ, IL-17 and RORyt in CD8+ T cells and lower Foxp3 expression in CD4+ T cells compared to non-responders. We observed a significant increase in serum CXCL9/CXCL10 with the study combination (p 0.00003 and p 0.000005 respectively) and this increase correlated with better clinical outcome. Conclusions: The combination of D and G has an acceptable toxicity profile and promising efficacy mainly PFS in CPI naïve ccRCC patients, that is worth further investigation in larger randomized clinical trial. Clinical trial information: NCT03308396 .

229 Background: Aberrant Wnt signaling has been implicated in prostate cancer tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis in preclinical models. While studies have identified recurrent molecular alterations in the Wnt signaling components in about 20% of aPC pts, the clinical significance of these alterations has been incompletely characterized. Methods: PROMISE is a multi-institutional, retrospective, clinical-genomic database - inclusive of aPC pts who had tissue and/or blood-based genomic testing by commercially available CLIA-certified platforms. We evaluated outcomes in pts with alterations leading to the activation of the canonical Wnt pathway, specifically activating mutations in CTNNB1 or RSPO2 or inactivating mutations in APC, RNF43, or ZNRF3 (Wnt altered), compared to those lacking such alterations (Wnt wild type). Multiple endpoints were evaluated, including the frequency of metastatic disease to different sites and co-occurring alterations. Results: 1596 pts with aPC were included with a median age of 63 years at diagnosis. Wnt pathway alterations were identified in 12.4% (198/1596). Wnt altered pts had a statistically significant increase in liver and lung metastases compared with Wnt wild type pts at diagnosis (4.5% vs 2.1%, p=0.0438; 6.1% vs 2.9%, p=0.0292), at first metastatic disease (11.6% vs 5.4%, p= 0.0015; 14.8% vs 6.6%, p

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) remains a cornerstone of treatment for advanced prostate cancer. Few men elect for surgical castration via bilateral orchiectomy. We sought to compare the relative difference in financial charges between chemical and surgical ADT in men.Billing data was obtained for patients with metastatic prostate cancer receiving chemical ADT and who had bilateral orchiectomy from 2014-2019. Men had chosen intervention based on personal preference. We compared charges of ADT administration for chemical ADT and overall charges for bilateral orchiectomy. We determined the time chemical ADT patient charges surpassed those of surgical charges, as well as the net present value (NPV) of hypothetical savings for electing surgery over various ADT agents.One hundred and thirty-seven patients receiving chemical ADT and 7 patients who had undergone bilateral orchiectomy were analyzed. Median and mean surgical charges were $13,000. By 38 weeks following treatment initiation, 50% of chemical ADT patients had surpassed surgical charges, with 95% at 2 years. The NPV in savings for a median patient varied between ADT agent and was highest at $167,000 for leuprolide.In less than a year, the median chemical ADT patient charges were greater than surgical castration. The NPV of electing surgery over ADT was the highest with leuprolide. Despite under-utilization, surgical castration remains a medically appropriate and cost-effective option for permanent ADT.

Dysregulated fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) signaling is associated with several cancers, including urothelial carcinoma. Preclinical studies with FGFR inhibitors have shown significant antitumor activity, which has led to clinical evaluation of multiple FGFR inhibitors. Recently, erdafitinib was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for advanced urothelial carcinoma with FGFR gene alterations as the first molecularly targeted therapy. Additional ongoing clinical trials with other types of FGFR inhibitors have shown encouraging results. This review summarizes the oncogenic signaling of FGFR alterations, completed and ongoing clinical trials of FGFR inhibitors, and resistance patterns. Implications for Practice Dysregulated fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) signaling is associated with several cancers, including urothelial carcinoma. Preclinical studies with FGFR inhibitors have shown significant antitumor activity, which has led to clinical evaluation of multiple FGFR inhibitors. Most recently, erdafitinib was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for advanced urothelial carcinoma with FGFR gene alterations as the first molecularly targeted therapy. Additional ongoing clinical trials with other types of FGFR inhibitors have shown encouraging results. This review summarizes the oncogenic signaling of FGFR alterations, completed and ongoing clinical trials of FGFR inhibitors, and resistance patterns., Focusing on urothelial malignancies, this review summarizes the oncogenic signaling of FGFR alterations, clinical trials of FGFR inhibitors, and resistance patterns.

Checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) have become standard of care for multiple types of malignancies and while end-stage renal disease is not a contraindication, these patients are frequently excluded from clinical trials. As a result, there is limited data regarding the safety and efficacy of CPI use in this patient population. In this case series, we report outcomes and adverse events in 8 patients on hemodialysis treated with CPIs. Treatment was overall well-tolerated with adverse events in 3 of 8 (37.5%) patients, with 1 (12.5%) having a grade 4 adverse event, which is comparable to the rate reported in literature for the overall population receiving CPI. No treatment related deaths were seen. Because of small sample size, efficacy data is limited. Further studies are needed in this patient population to elucidate the true incidence of adverse events and antitumor activity.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of advanced malignancies, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These agents have improved clinical outcomes and have become quite an attractive alternative alone or combined with other treatments. Although ICIs are tolerated better, they also lead to unique toxicities, termed immune-related adverse events (irAEs). A reconstituted immune system may lead to dysregulation in normal immune self-tolerance and cause inflammatory side effects (irAEs). Although any organ system can be affected, immune-related adverse events most commonly involve the gastrointestinal tract, endocrine glands, skin, and liver. They can occur anytime during the treatment course and rarely even after completion. Owen and colleagues showed that approximately 30% of patients with NSCLC treated with ICIs develop irAEs. Kichenadasse et al. conducted a thorough evaluation of multiorgan irAEs, which is of particular interest because information regarding these types of irAEs is currently sparse. It is important to delineate between infectious etiologies and symptom progression during the management of irAEs. Close consultation with disease-specific subspecialties is encouraged. Corticosteroids are the mainstay of treatment of most irAEs. Early intervention with corticosteroids is crucial in the general management of immune-mediated toxicity. Grade 1–2 irAEs can be closely monitored; hypothyroidism and other endocrine irAEs may be treated with hormone supplementation without the need for corticosteroid therapy. Moderate- to high-dose steroids and other additional immunosuppressants such as tocilizumab and cyclophosphamide might be required in severe, grade 3–4 cases. Recently, increasing research on irAEs after immunotherapy rechallenge has garnered much attention. Dolladille and colleagues assessed the safety in patients with cancer who resumed therapy with the same ICIs and found that rechallenge was associated with about 25–30% of the same irAEs experienced previously (4). However, such data should be carefully considered. Further pooled analyses may be required before we conclude about ICIs’ safety in rechallenge.

INTRODUCTION Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is often used in the treatment of prostate cancer. Specific factors affecting testosterone recovery after cessation of ADT have not been well-characterized in existing literature.We retrospectively reviewed patients at our institution who received ADT between 1999 and 2018. Patients with at least one course of ADT and subsequent testosterone level within 12 months of cessation of ADT were included. Patients received at least one of the following four agents: leuprolide, goserelin, triptorelin, and degarelix. Cox regression models were utilized to estimate the effect of patient and treatment characteristics on time to testosterone recovery(≥ 240 ng/dL) after ADT cessation. Patients without testosterone recovery were censored at last testosterone evaluation. To account for the possible dependency between multiple ADT courses within a patient, we used a robust sandwich variance estimate.Severty-six patients were included. Mean age was 64 +/- 8 years. Median duration of ADT was 15 months, with a median time to recovery of 19 months. On univariable analysis, age and duration of ADT were significant; a trend towards significance was noted for hypertension, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, goserelin and bicalutamide. Patient age, duration of ADT, and treatment with the agent goserelin were significantly associated with prolonged hypogonadism on multivariable analysis (p0.01).Increasing age and duration of ADT therapy are associated with decreased likelihood to recover normal testosterone levels after cessation of therapy. The use of the ADT agent goserelin was also associated with decreased testosterone recovery for unclear reasons.

5002 Background: In the phase 3 VISION study, gallium (68Ga) gozetotide (68Ga-PSMA-11) PET/CT imaging was used to determine eligibility for lutetium (177Lu) vipivotide tetraxetan (177Lu-PSMA-617). Given that 177Lu-PSMA-617 targets PSMA, we assessed the association between quantitative PSMA imaging parameters and treatment outcomes. Methods: In VISION, adults with mCRPC with ≥ 1 PSMA-positive (+) and no PSMA-negative lesions meeting the exclusion criteria were enrolled. In this sub-study, the association between imaging data from pre-enrollment 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT scans of pts in the 177Lu-PSMA-617 group and clinical outcomes was assessed. Imaging data meeting quality requirements were analyzed for 548/551 pts. PSMA expression was quantified by 5 PET parameters: PSMA+ lesions by region, mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean), maximum SUV (SUVmax), PSMA+ tumor volume, and tumor load (PSMA+ tumor volume × SUVmean). Parameters were extracted from the whole body and 4 regions. Association between PET parameters and radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS; primary objective), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), and prostate–specific antigen 50 (PSA50) response was assessed. Results: Most pts (92.7%) had PSMA uptake in bone. In both the whole-body and regional analyses, statistically significant associations of PSMA PET parameters to clinical outcomes were observed (whole-body data shown in Table). Higher whole-body SUVmean was associated with improved clinical outcomes; pts in the highest quartile (SUVmean: rPFS, ≥ 10.2; OS, ≥ 9.9) had a median rPFS and OS of 14.1 and 21.4 months, vs 5.8 and 14.5 months for those in the lowest quartile (< 6.0; < 5.7), respectively. Absence of PSMA+ lesions in bone, liver, and lymph node, and lower PSMA+ tumor load, were indicators of good prognosis. Conclusions: Higher SUVmean is strongly associated with improved outcomes with 177Lu-PSMA-617; clinical efficacy for different SUV levels vs the SoC arm is being assessed. Data support use of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT scan to identify pts who will benefit from PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy.[Table: see text]

5013 Background: Black men have been underrepresented in large-scale molecular prostate cancer (PC) surveys, despite having higher PC incidence and mortality. Since molecular profiling to guide the use of targeted agents is increasingly important in mCRPC, we compared precision medicine data and utilization in a cohort of black and white men with mCRPC. Methods: The PROMISE precision medicine database is an academic collaboration to compile clinical and genomic data from men with PC. All patients have had germline and/or somatic genetic testing performed. Eligibility criteria for this analysis included a diagnosis of mCRPC with available race and biomarker data. The primary outcome was the proportion of non-Hispanic black (NHB) and non-Hispanic white (NHW) men with actionable molecular data, defined as the presence of mismatch repair deficiency (MMRd/MSI-H), homologous recombination repair deficiency (HRRd), tumor mutational burden (TMB) ≥ 10 mut/MB, or AR-V7. Secondary outcomes included the proportion of NHB and NHW men with other alterations, the type and timing of genomic testing performed, and the use of targeted therapy. Results: A total of 962 mCRPC patients (21.2% NHB; 78.8% NHW) met inclusion criteria of 1619 in the overall database. Median age (NHB/NHW) was 61/63; 77.5/68.8% had Gleason 8-10; 52.5/56.7% presented with de novo metastatic disease (33.8/29.9% LN, 36.2/32.2% bone and 8.3/6.1% viscera). The median time from diagnosis to first molecular result was 56.3 mo for NHB v 58.7 mo for NHW (p = 0.45). Use of blood-based molecular testing was more common in NHB men (48.7% v 36.4%, p < 0.001). Overall, 32.8% of NHB men harbored actionable molecular data compared to 30.3% of NHW men (Table). MMRd/MSI-H was more common in NHB men (9.1 v 4.9%, p = 0.04). Other than PTEN (12.7/23.8% NHB/NHW, p = 0.0001), no significant differences were seen in the 15 most frequently mutated genes, including TP53, AR, CDK12, RB1, and PIK3CA. Tumor suppressor co-mutations (PTEN/TP53/RB1) were found in 13.1% of NHB and 18.0% NHW (p = 0.13). Delivery of targeted therapy was reported in 19.6% of NHB and 23.7% of NHW men (p = 0.25) after a median of 2 CRPC lines. Median OS from development of mCRPC was 41.5 mo (95% CI, 34.7-51.3) and 44.7 mo (95% CI, 41.1-51.5) for NHB and NHW men, respectively (p = 0.14). Conclusions: In a real-world mCRPC molecular profiling cohort, we found similar overall rates of actionable molecular alterations in NHB and NHW men, but higher rates of MMRd/MSI-H and lower frequency of PTEN alterations in NHB men. We did not find differences in delivery of targeted therapy. [Table: see text]

Purpose Prostate cancer is a heterogeneous disease with variable clinical outcomes. Despite numerous recent approvals of novel therapies, castration-resistant prostate cancer remains lethal. A “real-world” clinical-genomic database is urgently needed to enhance our characterization of advanced prostate cancer and further enable precision oncology. Methods The Prostate Cancer Precision Medicine Multi-Institutional Collaborative Effort (PROMISE) is a consortium whose aims are to establish a repository of de-identified clinical and genomic patient data that are linked to patient outcomes. The consortium structure includes a (1) bio-informatics committee to standardize genomic data and provide quality control, (2) biostatistics committee to independently perform statistical analyses, (3) executive committee to review and select proposals of relevant questions for the consortium to address, (4) diversity/inclusion committee to address important clinical questions pertaining to racial disparities, and (5) patient advocacy committee to understand patient perspectives to improve patients’ quality of care. Results The PROMISE consortium was formed by 16 academic institutions in early 2020 and a secure RedCap database was created. The first patient record was entered into the database in April 2020 and over 1000 records have been entered as of early 2021. Data entry is proceeding as planned with the goal to have over 2500 patient records by the end of 2021. Conclusions The PROMISE consortium provides a powerful clinical-genomic platform to interrogate and address data gaps that have arisen with increased genomic testing in the clinical management of prostate cancer. The dataset incorporates data from patient populations that are often underrepresented in clinical trials, generates new hypotheses to direct further research, and addresses important clinical questions that are otherwise difficult to investigate in prospective studies.

Background Patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) have poor prognosis, so further development of novel combinations for these patients is needed. Objective To assess the safety and efficacy of eribulin mesylate (eribulin) with avelumab in mUC. Design, setting, and participants This was an open-label, phase 1b study in which patients with mUC who were cisplatin-ineligible and treatment-naive or platinum-resistant were treated with eribulin and avelumab. A 3 + 3 design was used. The study was prematurely terminated because the free study drug became unavailable, but we performed extended follow-up for patients enrolled in the study. Intervention Patients received eribulin 1.1 mg/m2 plus avelumab 10 mg/kg on days 1 and 15 in every 28-d cycle in cohort 0, or eribulin 1.4 mg/m2 plus avelumab 10 mg/kg on days 1 and 15 in every 28-d cycle in cohort +1. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis The primary objectives were to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of eribulin with avelumab and assess the objective response rate. A key secondary endpoint was to assess efficacy by evaluating the disease control rate. Exploratory endpoints included PD-1 expression on T cells in peripheral blood and in tumor cells, and tumor DNA sequencing. Results and limitations A total of six patients were enrolled in the MTD group (n = 3 in cohort 0 and n = 3 in cohort +1). No dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was observed in cohort 0, whereas two DLT events were observed in cohort +1. Two patients in cohort 0 had a partial response that was durable, with one patient having a durable response for 7.8 mo. Disease control was observed in 4/6 patients (66.7%). Owing to the early termination, MTD could not be determined. Conclusions While early termination of this trial precludes any definitive conclusions, the combination of eribulin and avelumab shows promise in mUC. We observed that treatment was better tolerated and efficacious at lower doses of eribulin. Further research is warranted for this combination in mUC. Patient summary We evaluated different doses of eribulin (a chemotherapy drug) in combination with a fixed dose of avelumab (an antibody used to treat several different cancers) in a small group of patients with metastatic cancer of the urinary tract. The lower dose of eribulin was easier to tolerate and the combination had an anti-cancer effect. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT03502681.

Background In the United States, melanoma is the fifth leading cancer in men and the seventh in women. Immunotherapy has improved antitumor activity and survival. Overall response rate (ORR) with single agent PD-1 inhibitor is 35%, and 55% with the combination of PD-1/CTLA-4 inhibitors but with significant grade 3–4 toxicity.1 2 Cabozantinib inhibits multiple receptor tyrosine kinases, including c-MET and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), and has been shown to have immunomodulatory effects in vitro and in murine models.3 In addition, c-Met has been found to induce overexpression of PD-L1.4 We hypothesize that combination treatment with these two drugs has the potential to improve response rate in metastatic or recurrent melanoma, without significant regimen-limiting toxicities. Methods This trial in progress is an open-label, single center Phase 1b/2 study of the combination of cabozantinib and pembrolizumab in patients with advanced melanoma. Eligible patients have stage IV or recurrent/medically inoperable melanoma, treatment naive for immunotherapy. Prior BRAF and MEK inhibitor is allowed in metastatic setting. Exclusion criteria includes those with ocular or mucosal melanoma or uncontrolled CNS metastases. The trial is currently recruiting.The phase 1b study is based on a 3+3 design with a fixed dose of pembrolizumab (200 mg IV every 3 weeks) and three dose levels of cabozantinib (40, 20 and 60 mg), administered orally daily. The primary endpoint of the phase 1b study is safety of the combination in metastatic melanoma patients. The phase 2 study will be conducted in two stages to evaluate the preliminary efficacy of combination cabozantinib and pembrolizumab, with up to a total of 44 subjects. The study will be terminated early if five or fewer subjects respond in the first stage; otherwise, additional subjects will be accrued. The primary endpoint is best ORR. The secondary endpoints are disease control rate (DCR), duration of DCR, time to response, progression-free survival and overall survival. Exploratory endpoints include assessing biomarkers as a measure of clinical efficacy. Results N/A Conclusions N/A Trial Registration NCT03957551 Ethics Approval The study was approved by The University of Iowa’s Institutional Review Board, approval number 201904712. References Hodi FS, Chesney J, Pavlick AC, et al. Combined nivolumab and ipilimumab versus ipilimumab alone in patients with advanced melanoma: 2-year overall survival outcomes in a multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 2 trial. The Lancet Oncology 2016;17:1558–68. Boutros C, Tarhini A, Routier E, et al. Safety profiles of anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies alone and in combination. Nature reviews Clinical oncology 2016;13:473–86. Ilangumaran S, Villalobos-Hernandez A, Bobbala D, Ramanathan S. The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-MET receptor tyrosine kinase signaling pathway: Diverse roles in modulating immune cell functions. Cytokine 2016;82:125–39. Balan M, Mier y Teran E, Waaga-Gasser AM, et al. Novel roles of c-Met in the survival of renal cancer cells through the regulation of HO-1 and PD-L1 expression. The Journal of biological chemistry 2015;290:8110–20.

Recently antibiotic exposure has been associated with worse outcomes in patients undergoing treatment with antibodies directed against programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1). We reviewed data of 1264 patients enrolled at Melanoma Skin and Ocular Tissue Repositories at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinic. Reviewed data included patient demographics, prior medical history, baseline hematologic and disease parameters and outcomes including progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Cox regression models were used to determine predictive markers. Overall, 169 patients with advanced cutaneous melanoma received anti-PD-1 based therapies. Median follow up was 18.46 (range 0.89 to 62.52) months. On multivariable analysis brain metastasis, higher absolute neutrophil count (ANC) and lower absolute lymphocyte count were associated with poorer PFS while brain and liver metastasis and lower albumin were associated with poorer OS. Prior antibiotics, radiation as well as age, gender, basal metabolic index (BMI), smoking status, BRAF mutation, line of therapy (first or latter), prior treatments (ipilimumab or BRAF inhibitors), hemoglobin, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, white blood cell, platelet and eosinophil counts were not associated with PFS or OS in multivariable analysis. Contrary to some prior studies BMI, radiation, and antibiotics were not associated with PFS or OS.

129 Background: Pathogenic HRR gene mutations may confer sensitivity to PARP inhibitors (PARPi) and/or platinum chemotherapy (chemo). While pts harboring mutations in BRCA1/2 appear to benefit from these DNA damaging therapeutics, outcomes data for those with non- BRCA1/2 mutations are less robust. We evaluated outcomes in men with HRR gene-mutated PC who received treatment with PARPi and/or platinum-based chemo stratified by type of HRR alteration. Methods: Retrospective data from the PROMISE Consortium was utilized (PMID: 34363009). PC pts with pathogenic HRR mutations who received PARPi and/or platinum-based chemo were included. Differences in PSA progression-free survival (PFS), clinical/radiographic PFS (rPFS), and overall survival (OS) between those with BRCA1/ 2 mutations (Cohort A) and those with mutations in HRR genes that do not directly interact with the BRCA complex (Cohort B: ATM, CDK12, CHEK1, CHEK2, FANCL) were evaluated. We also evaluated outcomes in pts with HRR gene mutations known to interact with the BRCA complex aside from BRCA1/2 (Cohort C: RAD51B/C/D, RAD54L2, BARD1, GEN1, PALB2, FANCA, BRIP1). Results: Of 361 pts identified with HRR gene alterations, 89 received PARPi and 70 received platinum-based chemo. Prior therapy and metastatic disease sites were similar between cohorts. PSA PFS, rPFS, and OS were significantly improved in Cohort A vs. Cohort B with PARPi but not platinum-based chemo (Table). Sample size in cohort C was too small to allow for statistical comparison, although PSA PFS, PFS and OS were reasonably long. Conclusions: PC pts with BRCA1/2 mutations had improved outcomes to PARPi compared to those with mutations in HRR genes not directly interacting with the BRCA complex. Platinum-based chemo appeared effective regardless of which HRR gene was affected. [Table: see text]

503 Background: Metastatic urothelial cancer is aggressive and associated with dismal 5-yr overall survival. Platinum-based chemotherapy and checkpoint inhibitors are standard first-line options with enfortumab vedotin, sacituzumab govitecan, and erdafitinib (in select FGFR altered tumors) subsequently utilized upon disease progression. However, despite these options, long-term outcomes remain poor, and novel strategies are needed to improve oncologic outcomes. We hypothesized that combining avelumab (anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy) with docetaxel is safe and will enhance cancer cell death by releasing neoantigens and potentiating anti-tumor immune-mediated cytotoxicity. Methods: This is a phase 1b, single-arm, open-label prospective clinical trial evaluating the combination of avelumab with docetaxel in adult subjects with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma with disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy or within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant platinum-containing chemotherapy. There are two phases. In Phase 1b, dose de-escalation of docetaxel (Level 0: 75, Level -1: 60 or Level -2: 45 mg/m2) with standard dose avelumab (10 mg/kg) aimed to establish the phase 2 dose in a standard 3+3 design. In dose-expansion, avelumab with the RP2D of docetaxel was evaluated for efficacy. The combination therapy is administered every 3 weeks for 6 cycles, and then avelumab alone is continued every 2 weeks. The primary endpoint is safety. Efficacy endpoints include objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: At the cutoff date of 10/8/2021, 21 patients were enrolled in the study. Only one of the 6 patients treated with level 0 dose of docetaxel had dose-limiting toxicity (neutropenic fever). Docetaxel at 75 mg/m2 along the avelumab was deemed safe for dose expansion cohort. An additional 15 patients were enrolled in the dose-expansion cohort. Of the 20 evaluable patients, ORR (CR+PR) was seen in 70% of subjects. (CR: 30%, PR: 40%, SD: 5%, PD: 25%, and 1 patient was not evaluable). The median PFS was 9.2 months (range: 1.5 – 25.8 months), and median OS was not reached. The most common Grade 3 or 4 AEs were febrile neutropenia, transaminitis, diarrhea, anemia, and neutropenia. No treatment-related deaths were noted. Conclusions: The combination of avelumab with docetaxel is safe with promising efficacy that is worth further studying in patients with platinum-refractory or ineligible metastatic urothelial cancer. Clinical trial information: NCT03575013.

138 Background: AR alterations such as ligand binding domain mutations and amplification evolve under the selective pressure of testosterone suppression and AR targeted agents (ARTA) such as abiraterone or enzalutamide, but their relevance to ARTA treatment outcomes remain unclear. Methods: PROMISE is a multi-institutional retrospective clinical-genomic database inclusive of aPC pts who had tissue and/or blood based genomic testing by commercially available CLIA-certified platforms. We analyzed men who received second generation ARTA and stratified patients according to genomic testing timing (pre-/post-ARTA), castration resistance, type of AR alteration, and PSA decline ≥50% on first ARTA. Time to progression (TTP) from first ARTA initiation was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and differences between subgroups defined by AR alteration status were assessed using the log-rank test. Results: 854 pts who received ARTA and had tissue-based (n = 600) or blood-based (n = 335) genomic testing were included. Median age was 62 (range, 33-93). Pre- and post-ARTA genomic testing was available in 387 and 467 pts, respectively. AR alterations were identified in 16% (61/387) of pre-ARTA and 48% (226/467) of post-ARTA pts with AR amplifications in 10% (38/387) and 35% (161/467) of the pts, respectively. 15/52 pts who had pre- and post-ARTA testing developed a new AR alteration. In pre-ARTA cohort; castration status, median TTP, and PSA response for 1st ARTA according to alteration status are summarized in the table. In the post-ARTA group, the most common AR mutations were L702H (53%), followed by T878A (33%); whereas, in the pre-ARTA group, the H875Y (26%) mutation was most common. AR mutations in post-ARTA group were seen at similar rates regardless of prior docetaxel exposure (14.3% vs 18.0%, p = 0.46) and following first abiraterone vs enzalutamide/apalutamide exposure (48.6% vs 48.3%, p = 1.0). Conclusions: AR mutations, unlike amplifications, were associated with shorter TTP on abiraterone. Genomic testing should be considered before second line ARTA.[Table: see text]

BackgroundObesity is a major risk factor for renal cancer, yet our understanding of its effects on antitumor immunity and immunotherapy outcomes remains incomplete. Deciphering these associations is critical, given the growing clinical use of immune checkpoint inhibitors for metastatic disease and mounting evidence for an obesity paradox in the context of cancer immunotherapies, wherein obese patients with cancer have improved outcomes.MethodsWe investigated associations between host obesity and anti-programmed cell death (PD-1)-based outcomes in both renal cell carcinoma (RCC) subjects and orthotopic murine renal tumors. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were determined for advanced RCC subjects receiving standard of care anti-PD-1 who had ≥6 months of follow-up from treatment initiation (n=73). Renal tumor tissues were collected from treatment-naive subjects categorized as obese (body mass index, ‘BMI’ ≥30 kg/m2) or non-obese (BMI 2) undergoing partial or full nephrectomy (n=19) then used to evaluate the frequency and phenotype of intratumoral CD8+ T cells, including PD-1 status, by flow cytometry. In mice, antitumor immunity and excised renal tumor weights were evaluated ±administration of a combinatorial anti-PD-1 therapy. For a subset of murine renal tumors, immunophenotyping was performed by flow cytometry and immunogenetic profiles were evaluated via nanoString.ResultsWith obesity, RCC patients receiving anti-PD-1 administration exhibited shorter PFS (p=0.0448) and OS (p=0.0288). Treatment-naive renal cancer subjects had decreased frequencies of tumor-infiltrating PD-1highCD8+ T cells, a finding recapitulated in our murine model. Following anti-PD-1-based immunotherapy, both lean and obese mice possessed distinct populations of treatment responders versus non-responders; however, obesity reduced the frequency of treatment responders (73% lean vs 44% obese). Tumors from lean and obese treatment responders displayed similar immunogenetic profiles, robust infiltration by PD-1int interferon (IFN)γ+CD8+ T cells and reduced myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), yielding favorable CD44+CD8+ T cell to MDSC ratios. Neutralizing interleukin (IL)-1β in obese mice improved treatment response rates to 58% and reduced MDSC accumulation in tumors.ConclusionsWe find that obesity is associated with diminished efficacy of anti-PD-1-based therapies in renal cancer, due in part to increased inflammatory IL-1β levels, highlighting the need for continued study of this critical issue.

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace nutrient required for optimal human health. It has long been suggested that selenium has anti-cancer properties. However, clinical trials have shown inconclusive results on the potential of Se to prevent cancer. The suggested role of Se in the prevention of cancer is centered around its role as an antioxidant. Recently, the potential of selenium as a drug rather than a supplement has been uncovered. Selenium compounds can generate reactive oxygen species that could enhance the treatment of cancer. Transformed cells have high oxidative distress. As normal cells have a greater capacity to meet oxidative challenges than tumor cells, increasing the flux of oxidants with high dose selenium treatment could result in cancer-specific cell killing. If the availability of Se is limited, supplementation of Se can increase the expression and activities of Se-dependent proteins and enzymes. In cell culture, selenium deficiency is often overlooked. We review the importance of achieving normal selenium biology and how Se deficiency can lead to adverse effects. We examine the vital role of selenium in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Finally, we examine the properties of Se-compounds to better understand how each can be used to address different research questions.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE:The overexpression of hypoxia induced factor 1a/2a in ccRCC leads to up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that results in increased angiogenesis, tu...

Cancer is associated with higher morbidity and mortality and is the second leading cause of death in the US. Further, in some nations, cancer has overtaken heart disease as the leading cause of mortality. Identification of molecular mechanisms by which cancerous cells evade T cell-mediated cytotoxic damage has led to the modern era of immunotherapy in cancer treatment. Agents that release these immune brakes have shown activity to recover dysfunctional T cells and regress various cancer. Both cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and Programmed Death-1 (PD-1) play their role as physiologic brakes on unrestrained cytotoxic T effector function. CTLA-4 (CD 152) is a B7/CD28 family; it mediates immunosuppression by indirectly diminishing signaling through the co-stimulatory receptor CD28. Ipilimumab is the first and only FDA-approved CTLA-4 inhibitor; PD-1 is an inhibitory transmembrane protein expressed on T cells, B cells, Natural Killer cells (NKs), and Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSCs). Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) is expressed on the surface of multiple tissue types, including many tumor cells and hematopoietic cells. PD-L2 is more restricted to hematopoietic cells. Blockade of the PD-1 /PDL-1 pathway can enhance anti-tumor T cell reactivity and promotes immune control over the cancerous cells. Since the FDA approval of ipilimumab (human IgG1 k anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody) in 2011, six more immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been approved for cancer therapy. PD-1 inhibitors nivolumab, pembrolizumab, cemiplimab and PD-L1 inhibitors atezolizumab, avelumab, and durvalumab are in the current list of the approved agents in addition to ipilimumab. In this review paper, we discuss the role of each immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI), the landmark trials which led to their FDA approval, and the strength of the evidence per National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), which is broadly utilized by medical oncologists and hematologists in their daily practice.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors targeting DNA repair gene mutations have shown significant clinical benefit in patients with ovarian and breast cancers. In metastatic prostate cancers, the prevalence of DNA repair gene mutations is up to 20%, and early phase studies have shown clinical activity of PARP inhibitors. Numerous clinical trials with either PARP monotherapy or in combination with other therapeutic agents are ongoing in prostate cancer. In this comprehensive review, we provide the rationale, efficacy, and safety data of PARP inhibitors in prostate as well as urothelial cancers.

In the past two decades, there has been a significant improvement in the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC). These insights in the biological pathways have resulted in the development of multiple agents targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), as well as inhibitors of the mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Most recently, checkpoint inhibitors were shown to have excellent clinical efficacy. Although the patients are living longer, durable complete responses are rarely seen. Historically, high dose interleukin 2 (IL2) therapy has produced durable complete responses in 5% to 8% highly selected patients—albeit with significant toxicity. A durable complete response is a surrogate for a long-term response in the modern era of targeted therapy and checkpoint immunotherapy. Numerous clinical trials are currently exploring the combination of immunotherapy with various targeted therapeutic agents to develop therapies with a higher complete response rate with acceptable toxicity. in this study, we provide a comprehensive review of multiple reported and ongoing clinical trials evaluating the combination of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors with either ipilimumab (a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4, CTLA-4 inhibitor) or with anti-VEGF targeted therapy.

Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC) is the third most common type of RCC with distinct biology compared to other kidney cancer subtypes. The heterogeneity between the RCC subtypes is associated with noticeable differences in tumor aggressiveness and risk for the development of metastatic disease. ChRCC is characterized by chromosomal aneuploidy, TP53, PTEN, and mitochondrial gene mutations. Though the therapeutic landscape of clear cell RCC (ccRCC) has significantly evolved over the past decade, limited progress has been seen in chRCC due to its infrequent incidence. In fact, the therapeutic approach for chRCC is often extrapolated from ccRCC treatments or studies that combine several forms of nccRCC subtypes. In the new era of genetic profiling of tumors and targeted therapeutics, this review describes the epidemiology, pathology, molecular characteristics, and current management with ongoing clinical trials for chRCC.

In the past decade, the resurgence of immunotherapy has changed the landscape of cancer therapy. Check point inhibitors targeting CTLA4 (Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4), PD-1 (programmed death1) on lymphocytes and PD-L1 (programmed death ligand1) on tumors cells are currently utilized in the management of several cancers. These agents are double-edged sword with the positive effect being robust anti-tumor response but on the other side they can throttle up the normal immunologic homeostasis in a negative way, leading to adverse autoimmune toxicities. These adverse toxicities are frequent if patients have active auto-immune disorders. Here, we report a rare case of quiescent bullous pemphigoid which flared after initiation of pembrolizumab, a PD-L1 inhibitor.

In the original version of this article, which published in Current Treatment Options in Oncology, Volume 19, Issue 12, December 2018, the surname of the third author was captured incorrectly. The name shown above is correct.

Androgen deprivation therapy is the gold standard for metastatic prostate cancer, which can be achieved either by surgical or medical castration. In this study of 33,585 patients in the National Cancer Database, there was significant decline in the trend of utilization of surgical castration from 8.6% in 2004 to 3.1% in 2014. However, there was no survival difference with surgical castration when compared with medical castration. Increasing the utilization of surgical castration could help reduce health care expenditures. Patients and physicians need to be aware of treatment options and their financial implications. Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the gold standard for metastatic prostate cancer, which can be achieved either by surgical or medical castration. In this study, we evaluated the trends of utilization of surgical castration and also assess the survival differences of patients who underwent surgical castration when compared with those who underwent medical castration. Materials and Methods: The National Cancer Database was used to identify patients with metastatic prostate cancer from 2004 to 2014. Cochran-Armitage tests were used to assess temporal trends in the proportion of patients receiving surgical castration relative to medical castration. Logistic and Cox regression models were utilized to estimate the odds of utilization of surgical castration and the effect of castration on overall survival (OS). Results: A total of 33,585 patients with metastatic prostate cancer were identified; 31,600 (94.1%) had medical castration, and 1985 (5.9%) underwent surgical castration. There was significant decline in the trend of utilization of surgical castration from 8.6% in 2004 to 3.1% in 2014. On multivariable analysis, being of a non-Caucasian race, having lower median income levels, having non-private insurance, and earlier years of diagnosis were found to be associated with increased odds of choosing surgical castration over medical castration. Notably, the odds of surgical castration were lower at academic centers. On univariable analysis, a survival difference between castration modality was evidenced (P < .01); 5-year OS for medical castration and surgical castration were 24.3% and 18.2%, respectively. However, on multivariable analysis, there was no OS difference between surgical castration and medical castration (P = .13). Conclusions: In this large contemporary analysis, the utilization of surgical castration has declined over time, with no OS difference when compared with medical castration. Increasing the utilization of surgical castration could help reduce health care expenditures. With rising health care costs, patients and physicians need to be aware of treatment options and their financial implications.

Checkpoint inhibitors have monumentally transformed the treatment of metastatic urothelial carcinoma. While the efficacy and safety of the different agents are similar in platinum-refractory metastatic urothelial carcinoma, pembrolizumab is the only agent that was superior to chemotherapy in a randomized phase III trial. Pembrolizumab and atezolizumab are also approved as first-line therapies in cisplatin-ineligible metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Several immunotherapy trials are ongoing in non-metastatic setting to maximize responses upfront. Despite the promising responses with immunotherapy, majority of patients do not respond to monotherapy and combination approaches would be the path moving forward to maximize responses. In addition, novel therapies are needed for patients who progress on checkpoint inhibitors. There is still a lot to be done to better understand predictive biomarkers, optimal combination, and sequences to improve clinical outcomes in urothelial carcinoma.