scholarly journals Prediction of overall survival and response to immune checkpoint inhibitors: An immune-related signature for gastric cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 101082
Author(s):  
Zheng Wang ◽  
Xiang Li ◽  
Ying Xu
2021 ◽  
pp. 96-107
Author(s):  
N. S. Besova

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumours both in Russia and in the world. The drug therapy with consistent use of several therapy lines is the main method for treatment. The number of chemotherapy drugs, which are effective for the treatment of this type of malignant tumours, is limited; the range of targeted drugs is also narrow and includes trastuzumab in the first-line regimen for the treatment of HER2-positive gastric cancer and ramucirumab in the second-line regimen. Immune checkpoint inhibitors made a revolution in the treatment of many cancers. The efficacy of nivolumab, T cell inhibitory receptor of PD-L1, has been proven in the third-line regimen in disseminated gastric cancer. The ATTRACTION-2 randomized study showed that nivolumab significantly increased the median overall survival (from 4.14 to 5.26 months, p < 0.0001), progression-free survival (from 1.45 to 1.61 months, p < 0.0001); objective response with a median duration of 9.5 months was achieved in 11.2% of patients, stable disease in 29.1%. The median time to progression was 1.61 months. The toxicity of the treatment was quite low and led to discontinuation of treatment in only 1% (n = 4) of patients, who had previously received massive chemotherapy. Only patients from Asia took part in the ATTRACTION-2 study. However, its results were confirmed in the CheckMate-032 study in the non-Asian patient population: the objective response rate was 12%, the median DOR was 7.1 months, the median progressionfree survival was 1.4 months, and the median overall survival was 6.1 months. Nivolumab was effective for the treatment of MSI-H and MSS, PD-L1-positive and PD-L1-negative tumours. Nivolumab is a recognized and well-tolerated standard of late-line therapy in disseminated gastric cancer. The range of indications for its prescription will be expanded in the nearest future.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giandomenico Roviello ◽  
Silvia Paola Corona ◽  
Alberto D’Angelo ◽  
Pietro Rosellini ◽  
Stefania Nobili ◽  
...  

Immunotherapy has recently changed the treatment of several cancers. We performed a literature-based meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials to assess the efficacy of the novel immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in metastatic gastric cancer. The main outcome was overall survival. Based on age (cut-off agreed at 65 years), tumour location (gastric vs. gastro-oesophageal junction), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) status, sex and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status (1 vs. 0), we scheduled a subgroup analysis for the overall survival. Three studies were included in the analysis for a total of 1456 cases (811 cases were in the experimental group and 645 cases in the control group). The pooled analysis showed improved overall survival in the experimental arm in the absence of statistical significance (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.64–1.18; p = 0.37). The subgroup of patients with PD-L1-positive tumours (HR = 0.82 vs. 1.04) and gastro-oesophageal junction cancer (HR = 0.82 vs. 1.04) showed a statistically significant advantage of overall survival. This study supports the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the subgroup of patients with metastatic gastric cancer with PD-L1-positive and gastro-oesophageal junction tumour location. Future studies are needed with the aim of identifying reliable predictive biomarkers of ICI efficacy.


Author(s):  
Zuoyou Ding ◽  
Ran Li ◽  
Jun Han ◽  
Diya Sun ◽  
Lei Shen ◽  
...  

Immune microenvironment in gastric cancer is closely associated with patient’s prognosis. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as key regulators of immune responses. In this study, we aimed to construct a prognostic model based on immune-related lncRNAs (IRLs) to predict the overall survival and response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) of gastric cancer (GC) patients. The IRL signature was constructed through a bioinformatics method, and its predictive capability was validated. A stratification analysis indicates that the IRL signature can distinguish different risk patients. A nomogram based on the IRL and other clinical variables efficiently predicted the overall survival of GC patients. The landscape of tumor microenvironment and mutation status partially explain this signature’s predictive capability. We found the level of cancer-associated fibroblasts, endothelial cells, M2 macrophages, and stroma cells was high in the high-risk group, while the number of CD8+ T cells and T follicular helper cells was high in the low-risk group. Immunophenoscore (IPS) is validated for ICI response, and the IRL signature low-risk group received higher IPS, representing a more immunogenic phenotype that was more inclined to respond to ICIs. In addition, we found RNF144A-AS1 was highly expressed in GC patients and promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasive capacity of GC cells. We concluded that the IRL signature represents a novel useful model for evaluating GC survival outcomes and could be implemented to optimize the selection of patients to receive ICI treatment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1412
Author(s):  
Michele Ghidini ◽  
Angelica Petrillo ◽  
Andrea Botticelli ◽  
Dario Trapani ◽  
Alessandro Parisi ◽  
...  

Despite extensive research efforts, advanced gastric cancer still has a dismal prognosis with conventional treatment options. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized the treatment landscape for many solid tumors. Amongst gastric cancer subtypes, tumors with microsatellite instability and Epstein Barr Virus positive tumors provide the strongest rationale for responding to immunotherapy. Various predictive biomarkers such as mismatch repair status, programmed death ligand 1 expression, tumor mutational burden, assessment of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and circulating biomarkers have been evaluated. However, results have been inconsistent due to different methodologies and thresholds used. Clinical implementation therefore remains a challenge. The role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in gastric cancer is emerging with data from monotherapy in the heavily pre-treated population already available and studies in earlier disease settings with different combinatorial approaches in progress. Immune checkpoint inhibitor combinations with chemotherapy (CT), anti-angiogenics, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, anti-Her2 directed therapy, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors or dual checkpoint inhibitor strategies are being explored. Moreover, novel strategies including vaccines and CAR T cell therapy are also being trialed. Here we provide an update on predictive biomarkers for response to immunotherapy with an overview of their strengths and limitations. We discuss clinical trials that have been reported and trials in progress whilst providing an account of future steps needed to improve outcome in this lethal disease.


Author(s):  
Dalibey H ◽  
◽  
Hansen TF ◽  
Zedan AH ◽  
◽  
...  

Background: The development of immunotherapy has shown promising results in several malignant diseases, including prostate cancer, calling for a systematic review of the current literature. This review aims to evaluate the present data and prospects of immune checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC). Methods: Articles were identified via a systematic search of the electronic database Pubmed, in accordance with the PICO process and following the PRISMA guidelines. Articles in English studying immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with mCRPC published between March 2010 and March 2020 were eligible for inclusion. Endpoints of interest were Overall Survival (OS), Progression-Free Survival (PFS), clinical Overall Response Rate (ORR), and Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) response rate. Results: Ten articles were identified as eligible for inclusion. The studies primarily explored the use of Ipilimumab, a CTLA-4 inhibitor, and Pembrolizumab, a PD-1 inhibitor. These drugs were both used either as monotherapy or in combination with other treatment modalities. The largest trial included in the review demonstrated no significant difference in overall survival between the intervention and placebo. However, two studies presented promising data combing immunotherapy and immune vaccines. Grade 3 and 4 adverse events ranging from 10.1% to 82.3%, whit diarrhea, rash, and fatigue were the most frequently reported. Forty relevant ongoing trials were identified exploring immunotherapy with or without a parallel treatment modality. Conclusion: Overall, the current data shows that the effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors as monotherapy may have limited impact on mCRPC, and the results from ongoing combinational trials are eagerly awaited.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 175628481880807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron C. Tan ◽  
David L. Chan ◽  
Wasek Faisal ◽  
Nick Pavlakis

Metastatic gastric cancer is associated with a poor prognosis and novel treatment options are desperately needed. The development of targeted therapies heralded a new era for the management of metastatic gastric cancer, however results from clinical trials of numerous targeted agents have been mixed. The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors has yielded similar promise and results from early trials are encouraging. This review provides an overview of the systemic treatment options evaluated in metastatic gastric cancer, with a focus on recent evidence from clinical trials for targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors. The failure to identify appropriate predictive biomarkers has hampered the success of many targeted therapies in gastric cancer, and a deeper understanding of specific molecular subtypes and genomic alterations may allow for more precision in the application of novel therapies. Identifying appropriate biomarkers for patient selection is essential for future clinical trials, for the most effective use of novel agents and in combination approaches to account for growing complexity of treatment options.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A840-A840
Author(s):  
Lindsey Shantzer ◽  
Sean Dougherty ◽  
Wendy Novicoff ◽  
John Melson ◽  
Daniel Reed ◽  
...  

BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become the backbone of treatment for most driver-mutation negative, advanced non-small cell lung cancers. ICIs have been approved both as monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy for front line management. While ICIs are generally regarded as well-tolerated, an unintended activation of the immune system can result in a variety of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which can limit their use in severe cases. In patients with NSCLC treated with ICI monotherapy, the occurrence of an irAE and the development of multisystem irAEs have been associated with improved clinical outcomes, suggesting irAE occurrence could have prognostic implications.1–4 However, in patients treated with combination immunotherapy plus chemotherapy, the correlation between irAEs and survival has not been completely elucidated.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective chart review of 94 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with a combination of ICI plus chemotherapy between 2015 and 2021 to evaluate for a correlation between irAE occurrence and overall survival (OS). Patients were divided into two groups: those who experienced at least one irAE and those who did not experience an irAE. To account for immortal time bias, we conducted landmark analyses at 12 and 24 weeks. We additionally investigated the impact of multisystem irAEs on clinical outcomes and described the profile of irAEs observed at our institution.ResultsAmong the 94 evaluable patients identified in our population, 43.6% experienced at least one irAE. Of those patients who experienced an irAE, 26 (63.4%) experienced a single irAE, 9 (22.0%) experienced 2 irAEs, and 6 (14.6%) experienced 3 or more irAEs. The most commonly observed irAEs were dermatitis followed by pneumonitis and colitis. In our cohort, patients with at least one irAE had significantly longer median OS (16.8 mos vs 9.8 mos) compared to those who did not experience an irAE (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.43–0.76, p=0.011) (figure 1). Landmark survival analyses at 12 and 24 weeks continued to support significant differences in median OS based on presence or absence of an irAE (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.24–0.46, and HR 0.45, 95% CI 0.21–0.60 respectively). Among patients with at least one irAE, the subset of patients who experienced multiple irAEs had further improved median OS compared to those with a single irAE.ConclusionsIn patients with advanced NSCLC treated with combination ICI plus chemotherapy, the occurrence of an irAE is associated with improved overall survival.ReferencesTeraoka S, Fujimoto D, Morimoto T, et al. Early Immune-related adverse events and association with outcome in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with Nivolumab: a prospective cohort study. Journal of Thoracic Oncology : Official Publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2017;12(12):1798–1805. doi:10.1016/j.jtho.2017.08.022.Ricciuti B, Genova C, De Giglio A, et al. Impact of immune-related adverse events on survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with nivolumab: long-term outcomes from a multi-institutional analysis. Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology 2019;145(2):479–485. doi:10.1007/s00432-018-2805-3.Toi Y, Sugawara S, Kawashima Y, et al. Association of immune-related adverse events with clinical benefit in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with nivolumab. The Oncologist. 2018;23(11):1358–1365. doi:10.1634/theoncologist.2017-0384.Shankar B, Zhang J, Naqash AR, et al. Multisystem immune-related adverse events associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors for treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. JAMA Oncol 2020;6(12):1952–1956. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.5012Ethics ApprovalThis research study obtained ethics approval by the institutional review board at the University of Virginia, IRB# 19083.Abstract 803 Figure 1Overall Survival by presence or absence of an irAE in patients with advanced lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors plus chemotherapy


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 565-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koji Kono ◽  
Shotaro Nakajima ◽  
Kosaku Mimura

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e15064-e15064
Author(s):  
Adam Biedny ◽  
Susan Szpunar ◽  
Ahmed Abdalla ◽  
Zyad Kafri ◽  
Tarik H. Hadid

e15064 Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors are used in treatment of advanced neoplasms. Immunotherapy agents create a potent pro-inflammatory effect in cancer. The efficacy of immunotherapy may negatively be impacted by the use of anti-inflammatory agents. An anti-inflammatory effect of cannabinoids has been described in literature in several models. Recent data suggests a negative impact of cannabis on tumor response to immunotherapy. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of all patients with metastatic cancer who received at least 2 months of immune checkpoint inhibitors between August 2014 and August 2018. The patients were stratified by use of cannabis (cannabis vs non-cannabis users). Baseline patients’ characteristics were compared. Overall survival was estimated and compared between the two groups. An analysis was performed using analysis of variance, Student's t-test, correlation, chi-squared test, and logrank test. All data were analyzed with SPSS v. 26.0 and a p-value less than 0.05 was set to indicate statistical significance. Results: A total of 104 patients with advanced-stage malignancy met the inclusion criteria. The median age was 63.9±10.5 years, 48.1% males and 81.7% Caucasians. 41.3% of patients has lung adenocarcinoma, 20.3% has squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, 11.5% has squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and 26.9% have other tumor types. Twenty patients (19.2%) had brain metastasis and twenty-three patients (22.1%) had bone metastasis. Seventy patients (66.8%) received Nivolumab, and twenty-seven patients (26%) received Pembrolizumab. The mean duration of immunotherapy use was 10.2 months. Characteristics of patients were similar between the groups except for a higher prevalence of tobacco use in the cannabis group. Twenty-eight patients (26.9%) reported concomitant cannabis use during immunotherapy treatment, 23 were prescribed (dronabinol) and 5 used it recreationally (smoking marijuana/cannabis oil). Non-cannabis users had significantly longer overall survival (OS) compared to cannabis users (40 months vs 16 months, p = 0.004). Conclusions: This study shows significant association between the use of cannabis during immunotherapy treatment and worse OS. This can be explained by an anti-inflammatory effect of cannabis, which may decrease response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. This observation should be further investigated in randomized trials. Health care professionals should be aware of the potentially harmful effect of cannabis on cancer care.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document