scholarly journals Immunotherapy in the First-Line Setting in Wild-Type NSCLC

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 4457-4470
Author(s):  
Marie-Hélène Denault ◽  
Barbara Melosky
Keyword(s):  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Stage Iv ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Driver Mutations ◽  
First Line ◽  
Treatment Algorithms ◽  
Programmed Death ◽  
Clinical Scenarios ◽  
Line Setting

Treatment algorithms in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) continue to evolve as new therapeutics show positive efficacy improvements. This review article summarizes the data for the use of immunotherapy for treatment in first-line stage IV NSCLC, organized by the following four sections: single-agent immunotherapy, immunotherapy and chemotherapy, dual immunotherapy, and dual immunotherapy and chemotherapy. The results are summarized and tabulated. Finally, application of the trial data is illustrated in four clinical scenarios depending on the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression levels. Single checkpoint inhibitors have become an easy and excellent treatment in patients whose tumors have high PD-L1 expression. Adding chemotherapy to immunotherapy benefits our patients. Immunotherapy, with or without chemotherapy, is now the standard of care in the first-line setting in patients without EGFR, ALK, or ROS driver mutations.

scholarly journals Endometrial Carcinoma: Immune Microenvironment and Emerging Treatments in Immuno-Oncology

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 632
Author(s):  
Sandrine Rousset-Rouviere ◽  
Philippe Rochigneux ◽  
Anne-Sophie Chrétien ◽  
Stéphane Fattori ◽  
Laurent Gorvel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Angiogenesis Inhibitor ◽  
T Cell Response ◽  
Common Disease ◽  
Antiangiogenic Agents ◽  
First Line ◽  
Programmed Death ◽  
Line Setting ◽  
The Impact

Endometrial cancer (EC) can easily be cured when diagnosed at an early stage. However, advanced and metastatic EC is a common disease, affecting more than 15,000 patients per year in the United Sates. Only limited treatment options were available until recently, with a taxane–platinum combination as the gold standard in first-line setting and no efficient second-line chemotherapy or hormone therapy. EC can be split into four molecular subtypes, including hypermutated cases with POLE mutations and 25–30% harboring a microsatellite instability (MSI) phenotype with mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR). These tumors display a high load of frameshift mutations, leading to increased expression of neoantigens that can be targeted by the immune system, including (but not limited) to T-cell response. Recent data have demonstrated this impact of programmed death 1 and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitors on chemo-resistant metastatic EC. The uncontrolled KEYNOTE-158 and GARNET trials have shown high response rates with pembrolizumab and dostarlimab in chemoresistant MSI-high tumors. Most responders experiment long responses that last more than one year. Similar, encouraging results were obtained for MMR proficient (MMRp) cases treated with a combination of pembrolizumab and the angiogenesis inhibitor lenvatinib. Approvals have, thus, been obtained or are underway for EC with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) used as monotherapy, and in combination with antiangiogenic agents. Combinations with other targeted therapies are under evaluation and randomized studies are ongoing to explore the impact of ICI-chemotherapy triplets in first-line setting. We summarize in this review the current knowledge of the immune environment of EC, both for MMRd and MMRp tumors. We also detail the main clinical data regarding PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and discuss the next steps of development for immunotherapy, including various ICI-based combinations planned to limit resistance to immunotherapy.

scholarly journals Optimizing Treatment for Head and Neck Cancers: Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (7.5) ◽  
pp. 982-984
Author(s):  
Robert I. Haddad
Keyword(s):  
Head And Neck ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Routine Practice ◽  
Second Line ◽  
First Line ◽  
Positive Score ◽  
Combined Positive Score ◽  
Line Setting

Immunotherapy has changed the game in the treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC). Practice-changing results from the phase III KEYNOTE-048 trial led to the approval of pembrolizumab immunotherapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of recurrent/metastatic HNC in the first-line setting. Testing for combined positive score (CPS) is now part of routine practice, because patients with CPS ≥1 can be started on single-agent immunotherapy in the first-line. Pembrolizumab replaces the “old” standard of care established by the EXTREME study, as trials looking at targets besides immunotherapy have proved “disappointing.” Additionally, nivolumab and pembrolizumab are both approved for use in the second-line.

NKTR-214 + nivolumab in first-line advanced/metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC): Updated results from PIVOT-02.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 388-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arlene O. Siefker-Radtke ◽  
Mayer N. Fishman ◽  
Arjun Vasant Balar ◽  
Giovanni Grignani ◽  
Adi Diab ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Target Lesion ◽  
Clinical Activity ◽  
First Line ◽  
Evaluable Population ◽  
Grade 3 ◽  
Tumor Biopsies

388 Background: Single-agent checkpoint inhibitors have changed the mUC treatment landscape; however, unmet need remains in first-line (1L) cisplatin ineligible mUC, particularly for PD-L1 negative (–) patients (pts). NKTR-214 is a CD122-biased agonist designed to provide sustained signaling through the IL-2 βγ receptor. PIVOT-02 is an ongoing study of NKTR-214 + nivolumab (nivo) in pts with advanced cancers, including mUC. Methods: Pts with mUC who were 1L cisplatin ineligible or refused standard of care (SOC) received NKTR-214 IV 0.006 mg/kg + nivo IV 360 mg q3w. Responses were assessed every 8 wks. Matched blood and tumor biopsies were evaluated for biomarkers including PD-L1 expression (assessed by Dako 28-8 PharmaDx IHC; PD-L1+ defined as ≥ 1% tumor cell staining). Results: As of 11 Oct. 2018, 34 pts received ≥ 1 dose of treatment (cisplatin ineligible [n=22]; refused SOC [n=12]). Median age was 70. Of 34 pts, 23 were efficacy evaluable (defined per protocol as having ≥ 1 post-treatment scan), 7 were pending a first scan, 1 pt was excluded for non-eligibility (no target lesion), and 3 discontinued prior to first scan. Thresholds for efficacy were exceeded in all 1L mUC cohorts under a pre-specified Fleming ORR analysis. In the efficacy evaluable population, overall ORR was 48% (11/23; 95% CI 27–69%) with a 17% CR rate (4/23) and 70% (16/23) DCR. The ORR was 50% in PD-L1– pts (5/10; 95% CI 19–81%) and 56% in PD-L1+ pts (5/9; 95% CI 21–86%). PD-L1 status was unknown in 4 efficacy-evaluable pts. The most common treatment-related AEs (TRAE, >30%) were fatigue (59%), pyrexia (38%), chills (32%), and flu-like symptoms (32%). Grade ≥ 3 TRAEs occurred in 18% of pts and 8.8% discontinued due to TRAEs. No G4/G5 TRAEs occurred. 22 pts had available baseline PD-L1 results (PD-L1+ [n=11]; PD-L1– [n=11]). 10 of the 11 PD-L1– baseline samples had matched wk 3 biopsies. Of these, 6/10 (60%) converted to PD-L1+ at wk 3. Updated results will be presented. Conclusions: NKTR-214 + nivo showed encouraging clinical activity, including CRs, and an acceptable preliminary safety profile in pts with mUC. Efficacy appears independent of PD-L1 status with a similar ORR in PD-L1– and + tumors. These data support further evaluation of the combination. Clinical trial information: NCT02983045.

scholarly journals Emerging role of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Medicina ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (10) ◽  
pp. 698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Longo ◽  
Brunetti ◽  
Gnoni ◽  
Licchetta ◽  
Delcuratolo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Primary Liver Cancer ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
First Line ◽  
Dismal Prognosis ◽  
Programmed Death

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary liver cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. A total of 70–80% of patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage with a dismal prognosis. Sorafenib had been the standardcare for almost a decade until 2018 when the Food and Drug Administration approved an alternative first-line agent namely lenvatinib. Cabozantinib, regorafenib, and ramucirumab also displayed promising results in second line settings. FOLFOX4, however, results inan alternative first-line treatment for the Chineseclinical oncology guidelines. Moreover,nivolumab and pembrolizumab,two therapeutics against the Programmed death (PD)-ligand 1 (PD-L1)/PD1 axis have been recently approvedfor subsequent-line therapy. However, similar to other solid tumors, the response rate of single agent targeting PD-L1/PD1 axis is low. Therefore, a lot of combinatory approaches are under investigation, including the combination of different immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), the addition of ICIs after resection or during loco-regional therapy, ICIs in addition to kinase inhibitors, anti-angiogenic therapeutics, and others. This review focuses on the use of ICIs for the hepatocellular carcinoma with a careful assessmentof new ICIs-based combinatory approaches.

scholarly journals Second-Line Therapies in the Changing Landscape of First-Line Therapies for Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Cancer

ONCOLOGY ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 306-310
Author(s):  
Tiffany Shaw ◽  
Hannah Lee ◽  
Robert Figlin
Keyword(s):  
Renal Cell ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Cell Cancer ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Second Line ◽  
First Line ◽  
Line Setting

In recent years, first-line therapies for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) have shifted to a combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors or a combination of antiangiogenesis tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immunotherapy. This has led to a need to address standard-of-care treatment in the second-line setting. Our review presents an analysis of current and upcoming data to guide treatment decisions. After progression on nivolumab plus ipilimumab, current data favor monotherapy TKI with cabozantinib or axitinib. Current literature for second-line therapy given after combination TKI plus immunotherapy shows the strongest evidence for either single-agent cabozantinib or combination everolimus with lenvatinib. Investigations are ongoing for the role of TKIs with immunotherapy in the second-line setting. Novel agents, such as HIF2α inhibitors, are currently being studied as single agents and in combination with other treatment modalities in efforts to improve patient outcomes in mRCC.

scholarly journals Under-Treatment of Older Patients with Newly Diagnosed Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Remains an Issue

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 952
Author(s):  
Lucy Dumas ◽  
Rebecca Bowen ◽  
John Butler ◽  
Susana Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Older Women ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
First Line ◽  
Care Treatment ◽  
Platinum Based Chemotherapy ◽  
Standard Of Care Treatment

Older women with ovarian cancer have disproportionately poorer survival outcomes than their younger counterparts and receive less treatment. In order to understand where the gaps lie in the treatment of older patients, studies incorporating more detailed assessment of baseline characteristics and treatment delivery beyond the scope of most cancer registries are required. We aimed to assess the proportion of women over the age of 65 who are offered and receive standard of care for first-line ovarian cancer at two UK NHS Cancer Centres over a 5-year period (December 2009 to August 2015). Standard of care treatment was defined as a combination of cytoreductive surgery and if indicated platinum-based chemotherapy (combination or single-agent). Sixty-five percent of patients aged 65 and above received standard of care treatment. Increasing age was associated with lower rates of receiving standard of care (35% > 80 years old versus 78% of 65–69-year-olds, p = 0.000). Older women were less likely to complete the planned chemotherapy course (p = 0.034). The oldest women continue to receive lower rates of standard care compared to younger women. Once adjusted for Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status and first-line treatment received, age was no longer an independent risk factor for poorer overall survival. Optimisation of vulnerable patients utilising a comprehensive geriatric assessment and directed interventions to facilitate the delivery of standard of care treatment could help narrow the survival discrepancy between the oldest patients and their younger counterparts.

scholarly journals CTIM-15. PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A PHASE II STUDY OF NIVOLUMAB WITH HYPOFRACTIONATED RE-RADIATION AND BEVACIZUMAB FOR RECURRENT MGMT METHYLATED GLIOBLASTOMA

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii36-ii36
Author(s):  
Christian Grommes ◽  
Minesh Mehta ◽  
Alexandra Miller ◽  
Mariza Daras ◽  
Anna Piotrowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Ii ◽  
Phase Ii Study ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Progression Free Survival ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Disease Recurrence ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Significant Finding ◽  
Trial Treatment

Abstract Standard of standard of care for glioblastoma (GBM) remains unsatisfactory with universal disease recurrence and a median survival of < 2 years. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have shown limited single-agent activity in GBM thus far. GBMs with methylated MGMT promoter and no baseline corticosteroid dependence may be most likely to derive benefit from ICI. The combination of ICIs with radiation has shown promising activity in other human cancers. Combining nivolumab and re-RT/bevacizumab in GBM may augment ICI activity through immunogenic effects of radiation, may reduce the risk of radiation necrosis by addition of bevacizumab at the time of radiation, and may reduce the need for corticosteroids. In this multicenter phase II study, nivolumab is combined with re-irradiation and optional concurrent bevacizumab followed by nivolumab in patients with first recurrence of IDH-wildtype and MGMT methylated glioblastoma. Primary objective is to improve 1-year overall survival (OS) from 33 (based on EORTC 26101) to 50%. Nine-three patients are required to show a significant finding with an α of 0.05 and 81% power. Thirteen of 93 patient (14%) have been enrolled with a median age of 59 (range 42–71) with a median KPS of 90 (range 70–90). Treatment has been tolerated well without any grade ≥ 4 toxicities and only one grade 3 (amylase elevation). The most common adverse events were pruritus and hypothyroidism in 3/13 (23%). The median progression-free survival (PFS) is 7 months with a 6months PFS of 55.6%. The 12months OS is 66.7%. Patients with recurrent MGMT methylated, IDH-wildtype glioblastoma tolerate trial treatment with acceptable toxicities. Clinical efficacy in the first patients enrolled shows a promising effect. Enrollment is ongoing.

scholarly journals Phase II trial of the IDO pathway inhibitor indoximod plus pembrolizumab for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. e002057
Author(s):  
Yousef Zakharia ◽  
Robert R McWilliams ◽  
Olivier Rixe ◽  
Joseph Drabick ◽  
Montaser F Shaheen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Ii ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Objective Response ◽  
Progression Free Survival ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Complete Response ◽  
Advanced Melanoma ◽  
Free Survival ◽  
Programmed Death ◽  
Evaluable Population

BackgroundThe indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) pathway is a key counter-regulatory mechanism that, in cancer, is exploited by tumors to evade antitumor immunity. Indoximod is a small-molecule IDO pathway inhibitor that reverses the immunosuppressive effects of low tryptophan (Trp) and high kynurenine (Kyn) that result from IDO activity. In this study, indoximod was used in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) pembrolizumab for the treatment for advanced melanoma.MethodsPatients with advanced melanoma were enrolled in a single-arm phase II clinical trial evaluating the addition of indoximod to standard of care CPI approved for melanoma. Investigators administered their choice of CPI including pembrolizumab (P), nivolumab (N), or ipilimumab (I). Indoximod was administered continuously (1200 mg orally two times per day), with concurrent CPI dosed per US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved label.ResultsBetween July 2014 and July 2017, 131 patients were enrolled. (P) was used more frequently (n=114, 87%) per investigator’s choice. The efficacy evaluable population consisted of 89 patients from the phase II cohort with non-ocular melanoma who received indoximod combined with (P).The objective response rate (ORR) for the evaluable population was 51% with confirmed complete response of 20% and disease control rate of 70%. Median progression-free survival was 12.4 months (95% CI 6.4 to 24.9). The ORR for Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive patients was 70% compared with 46% for PD-L1-negative patients. The combination was well tolerated, and side effects were similar to what was expected from single agent (P).ConclusionIn this study, the combination of indoximod and (P) was well tolerated and showed antitumor efficacy that is worth further evaluation in selected patients with advanced melanoma.

scholarly journals Front Line Applications and Future Directions of Immunotherapy in Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 506
Author(s):  
Selina K. Wong ◽  
Wade T. Iams
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Small Cell Lung Cancer ◽  
Cell Lung Cancer ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Small Cell ◽  
Small Cell Lung ◽  
First Line ◽  
Limited Stage ◽  
Extensive Stage

After being stagnant for decades, there has finally been a paradigm shift in the treatment of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) with the emergence and application of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Multiple trials of first-line ICI-chemotherapy combinations have demonstrated survival benefit compared to chemotherapy alone in patients with extensive-stage SCLC, establishing this as the new standard of care. ICIs are now being applied in the potentially curative limited-stage setting, actively being investigated as concurrent treatment with chemoradiation and as adjuvant treatment following completion of chemoradiation. This review highlights the evidence behind the practice-changing addition of ICIs in the first-line setting of extensive-stage SCLC, the potentially practice-changing immunotherapy trials that are currently underway in the limited-stage setting, and alternate immunotherapeutic strategies being studied in the treatment of SCLC.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document