scholarly journals Early Antibiotic Exposure Is Not Detrimental to Therapeutic Effect from Immunotherapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Liver Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Petros Fessas ◽  
Muntaha Naeem ◽  
Matthias Pinter ◽  
Thomas U. Marron ◽  
David Szafron ◽  
...  

<b><i>Background and Rationale:</i></b> Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is an expanding therapeutic option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Antibiotics (ATB) taken prior to or early during ICI therapy can impact immunotherapy efficacy across indications; however, the effect of ATB is undefined in HCC. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In a large international cohort of 450 ICI recipients from Europe, North America, and Asia, we categorized patients according to timing of ATB focusing on exposure within −30 to +30 days from ICI (early immunotherapy period [EIOP]). EIOP was evaluated in association with overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and best radiologic response using RECIST 1.1 criteria. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Our study comprised mostly cirrhotic (329, 73.3%) males (355, 79.1%) with a Child-Turcotte Pugh class of A (332, 73.9%), receiving ICI after 1 therapy line (251, 55.9%) for HCC of Barcelona clinic liver cancer stage C (325, 72.4%). EIOP (<i>n</i> = 170, 37.9%) was independent of baseline clinicopathologic features of HCC and correlated with longer PFS (6.1 vs. 3.7 months, log-rank <i>p</i> = 0.0135). EIOP+ patients had similar OS, overall response, and disease control rates (DCRs) compared to EIOP. The effect of EIOP persisted in landmark time analyses and in multivariable models, confirming the independent predictive role of EIOP in influencing PFS following adjustment for covariates reflective of tumor burden, liver function, and ICI regimen administered. In patients receiving programmed cell death-1 receptor/ligand inhibitors monotherapy, EIOP was also associated with higher DCRs (61.4% vs. 50.9%, <i>p</i> = 0.0494). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Unlike other oncological indications, ATB in the 30 days before or after ICI initiation is associated with improved benefit from immunotherapy, independent of disease and treatment-related features. Evaluation of the immune microbiologic determinants of response to ICI in HCC warrants further investigation.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 531-531
Author(s):  
David James Pinato ◽  
Ahmed Omar Kaseb ◽  
Yinghong Wang ◽  
Anwaar Saeed ◽  
David Szafron ◽  
...  

531 Background: The impact of corticosteroid treatment (CT) on the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is undefined. We evaluated whether CT administered at baseline (bCT) or concurrently to ICI (cCT) influences clinical outcomes of HCC patients treated with ICI. Methods: This retrospective, multi-center observational study was conducted across 9 tertiary academic referral centers collected 341 HCC patients who received ICI across 3 continents between January 1, 2016 and April 1, 2019. Outcome measures included overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) calculated from time of ICI commencement and overall response rates (ORR) defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (v1.1) on 6-8 weekly periodic restaging. Results: Of 331 eligible patients, 254 (76%) had BCLC-C stage HCC and received mostly PD(L)-1 ICI monotherapy (n=250, 85%). Median OS was 12.1 months (95%CI 9.2-15.0 months) and median PFS was 8.1 months (95%CI 6.3-10 months). In total 81 patients (24%) received >10 mg prednisone equivalent daily either as bCT (n=15, 4%) or cCT (n=66, 20%). Indications for CT included procedure/prophylaxis (n=37, 45%), management of irAE (n=31, 37%), cancer-related symptoms (n=5, 2%) or comorbidities (n=8, 3%). Neither overall CT, bCT nor cCT predicted for worse OS, PFS nor ORR in uni- and multi-variable analyses (p>0.05). CT for cancer-related indications predicted for shorter PFS (2.4 vs. 11.3 months, p=0.01), OS (4.5 vs. 12.8 months, p=0.05) and reduced ORR (p=0.03) compared to cancer-unrelated indications. Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate that neither bCT nor cCT appear to influence response and OS following ICI in HCC. Worse survival and ORR in CT recipients for cancer-related indications appears driven by the poor prognosis associated with symptomatic HCC.


Oncology ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Takeshi Hatanaka ◽  
Atsushi Naganuma ◽  
Mitsuhiko Shibasaki ◽  
Tatsuya Kohga ◽  
Yosuke Arai ◽  
...  

<b><i>Aim:</i></b> The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of ramucirumab treatment under real-world conditions and to clarify the role of albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score in predicting outcomes. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Between June 2019 and May 2020, a total of 16 patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with ramucirumab in Gunma Saiseikai Maebashi Hospital and its affiliated hospitals was included. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The median age was 71 (interquartile range [IQR] 65–74) years old, and 12 patients (75.0%) were male. The modified ALBI (mALBI) grade was 1, 2a, and 2b at baseline in 4 (25.0%), 3 (18.8%), and 9 patients (56.3%), respectively. The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage was intermediate and advanced stage in 1 (6.3%) and 15 patients (93.8%), respectively. The serum α-fetoprotein at baseline was 4,911 (IQR 2,091–17,377) ng/mL. The disease control rate in patients with mALBI grade1 + 2a was significantly higher than in those with mALBI grade 2b (100 vs. 28.6%, <i>p</i> = 0.028). The patients with mALBI grade 1 + 2a had a significantly better overall survival (OS) and longer progression-free survival (PFS) than those with mALBI grade 2b (median OS 6.7 vs. 3.0 months; <i>p</i> = 0.036, median PFS 7.5 vs. 1.4 months; <i>p</i> = 0.002). The number of cycles of ramucirumab treatment was significantly correlated with the ALBI score (<i>r</i> = −0.452, <i>p</i> = 0.030). The patients with mALBI grade 1 + 2a showed a low incidence of adverse events (AEs) and discontinuation due to AEs. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Advanced HCC patients with mALBI grade 1 + 2a may be a good indication for ramucirumab treatment.


2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 5034-5034
Author(s):  
Ioana Braicu ◽  
Radoslav Chekerov ◽  
Rolf Richter ◽  
Ignace B. Vergote ◽  
Sven Mahner ◽  
...  

5034 Background: Optimal surgical cytoreduction and response to platinum (P) based chemotherapy (ChTh) remain the cornerstones of therapeutic management of primary EOC. Aim of this study was to analyze the predictive role of HE4 and CA125 as biomarkers (BM) for clinical outcome in primary EOC pts at diagnosis and during subsequent follow-up. Methods: In the European OVCAD project 275 pts with primary EOC were enrolled. Pts were eligible if radical cytoreductive surgery and P-based ChTh were applied. Plasma collected at first diagnosis and 6 months after 1st line ChTh in P-sensitive pts was analyzed for HE4 and CA125 levels using ELISA and Luminex technique, respectively. Results: Complete cytoreduction with no residual tumor disease (RTD) was obtained in 69.9% pts. HE4 and CA125 expression in plasma at first diagnosis correlated with RTD, p = 0.002 and p=0.002, respectively. The sensitivity (SE) and specificity (SP) of the combinative use of both BM in predicting RTD was 64.8% and 73.5%, respectively. Pts having over-expression of both BM in plasma had a 6.1 greater risk for RTD (p<0.001, OR: 6.107, 95% CI 2.41-15.46). P-resistance occurred more frequently when both BM were over-expressed (p=0.028, OR= 3.1, 95%CI 1.13-8.46). Elevated BM levels during follow-up predicted recurrence (SE 90% and SP 71% for CA125 ≥55U/ml; SE 72.7% and SP 81.4% for HE4 ≥150pM) and when HE4 or CA125 were positive, a SE of 86.4% and SP of 72.9% were achieved. Elevated CA125 and HE4 at 6 months following adjuvant therapy was associated with significantly poorer PFS (p<0.001, HR 9.6, 95%CI 3.93-23.44 with elevated HE4 or CA125, and HR=50.52, 95%CI 14.44-176.78, with elevated HE4 and CA125) and OS (p<0.001, HR=7.42 95%CI 1.43-38.42 with elevated HE4 or CA125 and HR=28.38 95%CI 6.50-123.97 with elevated HE4 and CA125). Conclusions: The combinative use of HE4 and CA125 appears to have a significant value in predicting optimal surgical outcome and development of P resistance disease in EOC pts. Elevated plasma levels 6 months after 1st line ChTh significantly correlate with OS and PFS in P-sensitive pts.


Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Facciorusso ◽  
Mohamed A. Abd El Aziz ◽  
Rodolfo Sacco

Regorafenib showed promising results as a second-line agent after sorafenib failure in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of regorafenib in hepatocarcinoma patients. A computerized bibliographic search was performed on the main databases. The primary outcome was overall survival. Secondary outcomes were progression-free survival, tumor response, and the adverse events rate. Outcomes were pooled through a random-effects model and summary estimates were expressed in terms of median and 95% confidence interval or rates, as appropriate. One randomized-controlled trial and seven non-randomized studies with 809 patients were included. The great majority of recruited patients were in Child-Pugh A and ECOG 0 stage. Median overall survival was 11.08 months (9.46–12.71) and sensitivity analyses confirmed this finding, with a median survival ranging from 10.2 to 13.8 months. Duration of regorafenib therapy was 3.58 months, whereas median progression-free survival was 3.24 months (2.68–3.86). The pooled objective response rate was 10.1% (7.8–12.5%) while the disease control rate was 65.5% (61.3–69.7%) with no evidence of heterogeneity (I2 = 0%; Diarrhea, fatigue, and hand-foot skin reaction were the most frequent adverse events. The current meta-analysis shows that regorafenib represents a valuable and relatively safe therapeutic option in intermediate/advanced hepatocellular carcinomapatients who progress on sorafenib.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liyun Zheng ◽  
Shiji Fang ◽  
Fazong Wu ◽  
Weiqian Chen ◽  
Minjiang Chen ◽  
...  

Purpose: The study aims to retrospectively investigate the efficacy and safety of sorafenib combined with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) (TACE+Sor) vs. TACE combined with sorafenib plus immune checkpoint inhibitors (TACE+Sor+ICIs) in treating intermediate and advanced TACE-refractory hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Materials and Methods: This study was approved by the ethics committee of Lisui Hospital, Zhejiang University, China. From January 2016 to June 2020, 51 eligible patients with intermediate or advanced TACE-refractory HCC received TACE+Sor (n = 29) or TACE+Sor+ICIs (n = 22). The differences in tumor response, adverse events (AEs), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were compared between the two groups. Factors affecting PFS and OS were determined by Cox regression.Results: The disease control rate was higher in the TACE+Sor+ICIs group than in the TACE+Sor group (81.82 vs. 55.17%, P = 0.046). Compared with the TACE+Sor group, PFS and OS were prolonged in the TACE+Sor+ICIs group (median PFS: 16.26 vs. 7.30 months, P &lt; 0.001; median OS: 23.3 vs. 13.8 months, P = 0.012). Multivariate analysis showed that BCLC stage, alpha-fetoprotein and treatment were independent factors of PFS; BCLC, Child-Pugh class, ablation after disease progression and treatment were independent predictive factors of OS. Four patients in the TACE+Sor+ICIs group and three patients in the TACE+Sor group suffered from dose reduction or interruption (18.18 vs. 10.34%, P = 0.421). The incidence of ICI-related AEs in the TACE+Sor+ICIs group was well-controlled.Conclusion: The therapeutic schedule of TACE+Sor+ICIs demonstrated efficacy and safety in intermediate and advanced TACE-refractory HCC.


2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-129
Author(s):  
Adriano de Moraes Arantes ◽  
Frederico Saddi Teixeira ◽  
Tathiana Maia Al Ribaie ◽  
Luciana Lobo Duartec ◽  
Cláudia Regina Abreu Silva ◽  
...  

Objective: To report the clinical progress of patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma treated with autologous transplantation after failure or relapse of first-line treatment with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Methods: The results of a retrospective analysis of 31 patients submitted to autologous transplantation as second-line treatment, between April 2000 and December 2008, were analyzed. Fourteen men and seventeen women, with a median age of 27 years, were submitted to autologous transplantation for relapsed (n = 21) or refractory (n = 10) Hodgkin's lymphoma. Results: Mortality related to treatment in the first 100 days after transplant was 3.2%. With a mean follow-up period of 18 months (range: 1 to 88 months), the probability of global survival and progression-free survival in 18 months was 84 and 80%, respectively. The probability of global survival and progression-free survival at 18 months for patients with chemosensitive relapses (n = 21) was 95 and 90%, respectively, versus 60 and 45% for patients with relapses resistant to chemotherapy (n = 10) (p = 0.001 for global survival; p = 0.003 for progression-free survival). In the multivariate analysis, absence of disease or pretransplant disease < 5 cm were favorable factors for global survival (p= 0.02; RR: 0.072; 95%CI: 0.01-0.85) and progression-free survival (p= 0.01; RR: 0.040; 95%CI: 0.007-0.78). Conclusion: Autologous transplantation of stem-cells is a therapeutic option for Hodgkin's lymphoma patients after the first relapse. Promising results were observed in patients with a low tumor burden at transplant.


Author(s):  
Goutham Venkata Naga Davuluri ◽  
Chien-Chin Chen ◽  
Yen-Cheng Chiu ◽  
Hung-Wen Tsai ◽  
Hung-Chih Chiu ◽  
...  

Galectin-1 (Gal-1) is a secretory lectin with pro-tumor activities and is associated strongly with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. Although Gal-1 is a well-known soluble pro-tumor factor in the tumor microenvironment (TME), the secretion mode of Gal-1 is not clearly defined. On the other hand, in addition to cancer cells, Gal-1 is widely expressed in tumor stromal cells, including tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). TAMs are a significant component of stromal cells in TME; however, their contributions in producing Gal-1 to TME are still not explored. Here we reveal that TAMs can actively secrete Gal-1 in response to stimuli of HCC cells. Gal-1 produced by TAMs leads to an increase of the systemic level of Gal-1 and HCC tumor growth in mice. Mechanistically, TLR2-dependent secretory autophagy is found to be responsible for Gal-1 secretion from TAMs. Gal-1 acts as a cargo of autophagosomes to fuse with multivesicular bodies via Rab11 and VAMP7-mediated vesicle trafficking before being secreted. This autophagy-regulated Gal-1 secretion in TAMs correlates to poor overall survival and progression-free survival rates of HCC patients. Our findings uncover the secretion mode of Gal-1 via secretory autophagy and highlight the pathological role of TAM-produced Gal-1 in HCC progression.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 993
Author(s):  
Lorena Incorvaia ◽  
Daniele Fanale ◽  
Bruno Vincenzi ◽  
Ida De Luca ◽  
Tommaso Vincenzo Bartolotta ◽  
...  

In previous studies on localized GISTs, KIT exon 11 deletions and mutations involving codons 557/558 showed an adverse prognostic influence on recurrence-free survival. In the metastatic setting, there are limited data on how mutation type and codon location might contribute to progression-free survival (PFS) variability to first-line imatinib treatment. We analyzed the type and gene location of KIT and PDGFRA mutations for 206 patients from a GIST System database prospectively collected at an Italian reference center between January 2005 and September 2020. By describing the mutational landscape, we focused on clinicopathological characteristics according to the critical mutations and investigated the predictive role of type and gene location of the KIT exon 11 mutations in metastatic patients treated with first-line imatinib. Our data showed a predictive impact of KIT exon 11 pathogenic variant on PFS to imatinib treatment: patients with deletion or insertion/deletion (delins) in 557/558 codons had a shorter PFS (median PFS: 24 months) compared to the patients with a deletion in other codons, or duplication/insertion/SNV (median PFS: 43 and 49 months, respectively) (p < 0.001). These results reached an independent value in the multivariate model, which showed that the absence of exon 11 deletions or delins 557/558, the female gender, primitive tumor diameter (≤5 cm) and polymorphonuclear leucocytosis (>7.5 109/L) were significant prognostic factors for longer PFS. Analysis of the predictive role of PDGFRA PVs showed no significant results. Our results also confirm the aggressive biology of 557/558 deletions/delins in the metastatic setting and allow for prediction at the baseline which GIST patients would develop resistance to first-line imatinib treatment earlier.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e000726
Author(s):  
David J Pinato ◽  
Ahmed Kaseb ◽  
Yinghong Wang ◽  
Anwaar Saeed ◽  
David Szafron ◽  
...  

The impact of corticosteroid therapy (CT) on efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) is undefined in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We evaluated whether CT administered at baseline (bCT) or concurrently with ICI (cCT) influences overall (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall response rates (ORR) in 341 patients collected across 3 continents. Of 304 eligible patients, 78 (26%) received >10 mg prednisone equivalent daily either as bCT (n=14, 5%) or cCT (n=64, 21%). Indications for CT included procedure/prophylaxis (n=37, 47%), management of immune-related adverse event (n=27, 35%), cancer-related symptoms (n=8, 10%) or comorbidities (n=6, 8%). Neither overall CT, bCT nor cCT predicted for worse OS, PFS nor ORR in univariable and multivariable analyses (p>0.05). CT for cancer-related indications predicted for shorter PFS (p<0.001) and was associated with refractoriness to ICI (75% vs 33%, p=0.05) compared with cancer-unrelated indications. This is the first study to demonstrate that neither bCT nor cCT influence response and OS following ICI in HCC. Worse outcomes in CT recipients for cancer-related indications appear driven by the poor prognosis associated with symptomatic HCC.


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