scholarly journals Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinomas: Current Knowledge and Future Directions

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 4341
Author(s):  
Jonathan Thouvenin ◽  
Nieves Martínez Chanzá ◽  
Omar Alhalabi ◽  
Hervé Lang ◽  
Nizar M. Tannir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Immune Microenvironment ◽  
Upper Tract ◽  
Molecular Alterations ◽  
Urothelial Carcinomas

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) represents a rare and aggressive malignancy arising from the renal pelvis or ureter. It can develop sporadically or have a hereditary origin, such as Lynch syndrome, caused by DNA mismatch repair deficiency, leading to microsatellite instability phenotype. According to molecular characterization studies, UTUC presents different mutational profiles as compared to urinary bladder urothelial carcinomas. In particular, it has been reported that UTUC harbored a higher level of FGFR3 alterations associated with a T-cell depleted immune microenvironment. The therapeutic landscape in urothelial carcinoma is rapidly evolving, with immune checkpoint inhibitors forming part of the standard of care. A greater understanding of the molecular alterations and immune microenvironment leads to the development of new treatment combinations and targeted therapy. This review summarizes the available evidence concerning the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors and the biological rationale underlying their use in high-grade UTUC.

scholarly journals Prognostic and Predictive Factors in Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Review of the Current Evidence

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 5517
Author(s):  
Sara Elena Rebuzzi ◽  
Giuseppe Luigi Banna ◽  
Veronica Murianni ◽  
Alessandra Damassi ◽  
Emilio Francesco Giunta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Concomitant Medications ◽  
Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma

In recent years, the treatment landscape of urothelial carcinoma has significantly changed due to the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), which are the standard of care for second-line treatment and first-line platinum-ineligible patients with advanced disease. Despite the overall survival improvement, only a minority of patients benefit from this immunotherapy. Therefore, there is an unmet need to identify prognostic and predictive biomarkers or models to select patients who will benefit from ICIs, especially in view of novel therapeutic agents. This review describes the prognostic and predictive role, and clinical readiness, of clinical and tumour factors, including new molecular classes, tumour mutational burden, mutational signatures, circulating tumour DNA, programmed death-ligand 1, inflammatory indices and clinical characteristics for patients with urothelial cancer treated with ICIs. A classification of these factors according to the levels of evidence and grades of recommendation currently indicates both a prognostic and predictive value for ctDNA and a prognostic relevance only for concomitant medications and patients’ characteristics.

scholarly journals Immunotherapy in urothelial cancer: recent data and perspectives

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 16-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. I. Volkova ◽  
Ya. V. Gridneva ◽  
A. S. Ol’shanskaya
Keyword(s):  
Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Significant Survival ◽  
Programmed Death ◽  
Programmed Death 1 ◽  
Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma

Immune-checkpoint inhibitors blocking the programmed death 1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyteassociated protein 4 (CTLA-4) have shown a prominent anti-tumor activity with long-term responses and an acceptable toxicity profile  in clinical trials. Pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, nivolumab, avelumab, and durvalumab are anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents that redefine the standard of care for advanced urothelial carcinoma. CTLA-4 inhibitors are also under investigation in this setting. Phase III trial KEYNOTE-045 has demonstrated significant survival benefit in patients treated with pembrolizumab comparing with the standard second-line chemotherapy. Atezolizumab, nivolumab, avelumab, and durvalumab were also recommended for platinum-pretreated urothelial carcinoma patients based on phase II data. Following investigations of biomarkers such as PD-L1 expression are needed to determine high-responders to immunotherapy. This review article describes the advances in immunotherapy with immune-checkpoint inhibitors.

PD-L1 Tumor Cell Expression in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinomas is Associated with Higher Pathological Stage

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Ward ◽  
Daniel Albertson ◽  
Larissa V. Furtado ◽  
Georgios Deftereos
Keyword(s):  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Scoring Systems ◽  
Pathological Stage ◽  
Upper Tract ◽  
Urothelial Carcinomas ◽  
Positive Score ◽  
Combined Positive Score

Abstract Background Upper tract urothelial carcinomas (UTUCs) are a rare and unique subset of urothelial carcinoma (UC). Immune checkpoint inhibitors are showing promise in the treatment of UC of the bladder and UTUC alike. While several large studies have looked at PD-L1 expression in UC in general, most have not investigated UTUC as a separate group. Moreover, comparison between studies of PD-L1 expression is challenging as the different immune checkpoint inhibitors require different PD-L1 scoring systems and cutoffs (i.e. tumor proportion score, combined positive score, and immune cell score). Methods This is a retrospective study of 37 cases of resected UTUC. Representative tissue from each case was compiled into tissue microarrays and immunohistochemical stains for PD-L1 (Dako antibody clones 223C and 28 − 8) were performed. PD-L1 staining was evaluated using several established scoring systems: tumor proportion score (TPS), combined positive score (CPS) and immune cell (IC) score. Associations between PD-L1 expression and clinicopathologic features were investigated. Results Overall expression of PD-L1 in UTUC was 29.7% when using a TPS cutoff of ≥ 1%. 55.6% of cases with higher pathological stage (pT3 or pT4) were positive for PD-L1, compared to only 5.3% of cases with lower pathological stage (pTis, pT1, or pT2; p = 0.0011). When using a CPS cutoff of ≥ 10, there was no significant association between tumor stage and PD-L1 expression. There was no association between PD-L1 positivity and tumor grade, tumor location, gender, or age. There was 100% concordance between 22C3 and 28 − 8 in terms of positivity rate. Conclusions Our study shows that 29.7% of UTUCs are positive for PD-L1 TPS expression, comparable to the 20–30% reported in UC literature. Our study also shows that PD-L1 expression in UTUC is more often associated with high pathological stage, which may reflect an immune response evasion mechanism that UC cells acquire later in disease progression. Finally, PD-L1 22C3 and 28 − 8 clones show similar overall patterns of staining in this setting.

Atezolizumab-induced myositis and myocarditis in a patient with metastatic urothelial carcinoma

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. e236357
Author(s):  
Mary Sessums ◽  
Siva Yarrarapu ◽  
Pramod K Guru ◽  
Devang K Sanghavi
Keyword(s):  
Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Malignant Neoplasms ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
History Of ◽  
Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Acute Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionised cancer therapy in the past decade. Although they have been indicated to treat a diverse range of malignant neoplasms, they are also associated with various immune-related adverse effects. We report the case of a 74-year-old man with a history of urothelial carcinoma who had atezolizumab-induced myocarditis and myositis resulting in acute hypercapnic respiratory failure, despite the discontinuation of atezolizumab and aggressive treatment with corticosteroids. This case highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach for early diagnosis and treatment of immune-related adverse events. Physicians must be aware of the risks associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors and have a basic knowledge regarding their management.

scholarly journals Development of secondary urothelial carcinoma following complete response to immune checkpoint inhibitors

2021 ◽  
pp. 101762
Author(s):  
Jean-Michel Lavoie ◽  
Gillian Vandekerkhove ◽  
Andrew J. Murtha ◽  
Gang Wang ◽  
Alexander W. Wyatt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Complete Response

TERT promoter mutation as a prognostic marker in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (6_suppl) ◽  
pp. 476-476
Author(s):  
Ivan de Kouchkovsky ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Errol Philip ◽  
Francis Wright ◽  
Daniel Myung Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Genomic Profiling ◽  
Clinical Variables ◽  
Tert Promoter ◽  
Visceral Metastases

476 Background: Reliable predictive markers are lacking in patients (pts) with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (aUC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). We sought to determine whether specific genomic alterations could be used to predict overall survival (OS) in this patient population. Methods: We undertook a retrospective cohort study of pts with aUC who received ICI and underwent genomic profiling by next-generation sequencing (NGS). All patients underwent NGS using commercially available platforms (e.g. Foundation Medicine, Strata, Invitae), or testing on the CLIA-certified institutional panel UCSF500. Associations between the 20 most frequently altered genes and OS were first examined by Cox regression. Genes with a p <0.1 on univariate analysis and relevant clinical variables were then included in a multivariable analysis. Results: We identified 78 pts treated with ICI for aUC with available genomic profiling results. Median age at ICI initiation was 71; the majority of patients had visceral metastases (70.5%), ECOG performance status ≤1 (62.8%) and received ICI in the post-platinum setting (52.6%). Objective response rate in this cohort was 35.9%, median progression free survival was 4.0 months (95% CI 2.6-10.5) and median OS was 17.5 months (95% CI 14.1-NR) from ICI start. The most commonly altered genes were the TERT promoter (TERTp) (61%), TP53 (52%), RB1 (31%), CDKN2A(29%) and CDKN2B (27%). On univariable analysis there was a trend towards longer OS in pts with TERTp mutations (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.27-1.06, p = 0.07), and shorter OS in pts with CDKN2B mutations (HR 1.91, 95% CI 0.98-3.73, p = 0.06). Both mutations were included in a multivariable analysis. After adjusting for known prognostic variables (ECOG PS, visceral metastases, albumin, hemoglobin, body mass index [BMI], neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio [NLR], and histology), the presence of a TERTp mutation was significantly associated with improved OS (HR 0.30, 95% CI 0.10-0.93, p = 0.04; Table). Conclusions: The presence of a TERTp mutation was an independent predictor of improved OS in a cohort of aUC pts treated with ICI. Other common mutations and clinical variables were not associated with OS on a multivariable analysis. These findings are hypothesis-generating and prospective validation is needed. [Table: see text]

Urothelial carcinoma in the era of immune checkpoint inhibitors

Immunotherapy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine Khalife ◽  
Claude Chahine ◽  
Manal Kordahi ◽  
Tony Felefly ◽  
Hampig Raphael Kourie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bladder Cancer ◽  
Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Invasive Disease ◽  
Line Treatment ◽  
First Line ◽  
Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Muscle Invasive

Bladder cancer is the seventh most frequent cancer worldwide. The majority of patients present with nonmuscle invasive disease, while 20% of the patients are diagnosed with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The treatment of nonmuscle invasive disease is endoscopic resection followed by intravesical adjuvant treatment for high risk patients. The standard treatment of localized muscle-invasive disease is neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy. Platinum-based chemotherapy is the first-line treatment in locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of metastatic urothelial carcinoma as second-line treatment or first-line in platinum-ineligible patients. Recently, pembrolizumab have been approved in BCG-refractory nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer. This review summarizes the current evidence concerning immunotherapy in the treatment of urothelial carcinoma.

scholarly journals First-Line Chemotherapy Response Is a Predictive Factor for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Treatment in Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma, a Real World Retrospective Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian-Ri Li ◽  
Shian-Shiang Wang ◽  
Kevin Lu ◽  
Chuan-Shu Chen ◽  
Chen-Li Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liver Metastases ◽  
Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
The Other ◽  
Chemotherapy Response ◽  
First Line ◽  
Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Line Chemotherapy

Abstract Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become important tools for the treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma (aUC). However, the clinical strategy using ICIs and chemotherapy is still controversy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of clinical parameters in aUC patients with ICIs treatment.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed aUC patients who received atezolizumab and pembrolizumab between January 2015 and October 2020. The associations between baseline demographics and clinical outcomes were evaluated.Results: Of the 74 included patients, the median age was 67 years. Among them, 53 patients received atezolizumab and the other 21 received pembrolizumab. There were 50 patients receiving first line ICIs therapy and the other 24 received second line monotherapy. Fifty-two (83.87%, 52/62) received cisplatin among all chemotherapy patients. The median progression free survival was 10.94 months and the overall survival was 28.44 months. Poor chemotherapy response or no chemotherapy, liver metastases, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status and higher neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were associated with higher risk of diseases progression (HR=5.70, 95% CI 2.04-15.90, p=0.001, HR=6.08, 95% CI 1.79-20.57, p=0.004; HR=5.40, 95% CI 1.76-16.57, p=0.003; HR=6.08, 95% CI 2.56-14.44, p<0.001 and HR= 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.03, P=0.002 respectively). Liver metastases and WBC before ICI were associated with increased death risk (HR=11.95, 95%CI 3.22-44.34, p<0.001; HR=1.0001, 95% CI 1.00001-1.00002, p=0.036 respectively) while ICI response was associated with decreased death (HR=0.22, 95%CI 0.08-0.62, p=0.004). Chemotherapy responders were associated with better ICI treatment response (OR=6.52, 95%CI 1.45-29.24, p=0.014) while lymph node metastases and poor ECOG was associated with poor ICI response (OR=0.31, 95%CI 0.10-0.94, p=0.038; OR=0.32, 95%CI 0.11-0.95, p=0.040).Conclusions: Our data showed predictive role of first-line chemotherapy response to ICIs treatment efficacy in aUC patients as well as other prognostic factors, such as ECOG status, serum white blood cell count or NLR and liver metastases.

scholarly journals Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Brain Metastases: A Primer for Neurosurgeons

Neurosurgery ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. E281-E288
Author(s):  
Elisa Aquilanti ◽  
Priscilla K Brastianos
Keyword(s):  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer ◽  
Immune Recognition ◽  
Therapeutic Modalities ◽  
Programmed Death 1

Abstract Immune checkpoint inhibitors enhance immune recognition of tumors by interfering with the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA4) and programmed death 1 (PD1) pathways. In the past decade, these agents brought significant improvements to the prognostic outlook of patients with metastatic cancers. Recent data from retrospective analyses and a few prospective studies suggest that checkpoint inhibitors have activity against brain metastases from melanoma and nonsmall cell lung cancer, as single agents or in combination with radiotherapy. Some studies reported intracranial response rates that were comparable with systemic ones. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of clinical data supporting the use of anti-CTLA4 and anti-PD1 agents in brain metastases. We also touch upon specific considerations on the assessment of intracranial responses in patients and immunotherapy-specific toxicities. We conclude that a subset of patients with brain metastases benefit from the addition of checkpoint inhibitors to standard of care therapeutic modalities, including radiotherapy and surgery.

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