Case Report: Addition of PD-1 Antibody Camrelizumab Overcame Resistance to Trastuzumab Plus Chemotherapy in a HER2-Positive, Metastatic Gallbladder Cancer Patient

HER2 amplification/overexpression is a common driver in a variety of cancers including gallbladder cancer (GBC). For patients with metastatic GBC, chemotherapy remains the standard of care with limited efficacy. The combination of HER2 antibody trastuzumab plus chemotherapy is the frontline treatment option for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and gastric cancer. Recently, this regime also showed antitumor activity in HER2-positive GBC. However, resistance to this regime represents a clinical challenge. Camrelizumab is a novel PD-1 antibody approved for Hodgkin lymphoma and hepatocellular carcinoma in China. In this study, we presented a HER2-positive metastatic GBC patient who was refractory to trastuzumab plus chemotherapy but experienced significant clinical benefit after the addition of camrelizumab. Our case highlights the potential of immunotherapy in combination with HER2-targeted therapy in HER2-positive GBC. We also demonstrated that two immune-related adverse events (irAEs) associated with camrelizumab can be managed with an anti-VEGF agent apatinib. This case not only highlights the importance of irAE management in patients treated with camrelizumab, but also demonstrates the potential of PD-1 antibody plus trastuzumab in HER2-positive GBC patients who have developed resistance to chemotherapy and trastuzumab-based targeted therapy.

New Era for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: Updates on Therapeutic Options

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare malignancy with few treatment options. Recent advances have led to US Food and Drug Administration approvals and changes in the standard of care with a novel biomedical device approved for use with platinum-pemetrexed, and also for immunotherapy agents to be included as a frontline treatment option in unresectable disease. Although predictive biomarkers for systemic therapy are not currently in use in clinical practice, it is essential to correctly identify the MPM histology to determine an optimal treatment plan. Patients with nonepithelioid MPM may have a greater magnitude of benefit to dual immunotherapy checkpoint inhibitors and this regimen should be preferred in the frontline setting for these patients. However, all patients with MPM can derive benefit from immunotherapy treatments, and these agents should ultimately be used at some point during their treatment journey. There are ongoing studies in the frontline unresectable setting that may further define the frontline therapy space, but a critical area of research will need to focus on the immunotherapy refractory population. This review article will describe the new developments in the areas of biology with genomics and chromothripsis, and also focus on updates in treatment strategies in radiology, surgery, radiation, and medical oncology with cellular therapies. These recent innovations are generating momentum to find better therapies for this disease.

Recent Developments in Targeting RAS Downstream Effectors for RAS-Driven Cancer Therapy

Aberrant activity of oncogenic rat sarcoma virus (RAS) protein promotes tumor growth and progression. RAS-driven cancers comprise more than 30% of all human cancers and are refractory to frontline treatment strategies. Since direct targeting of RAS has proven challenging, efforts have been centered on the exploration of inhibitors for RAS downstream effector kinases. Two major RAS downstream signaling pathways, including the Raf/MEK/Erk cascade and the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, have become compelling targets for RAS-driven cancer therapy. However, the main drawback in the blockade of a single RAS effector is the multiple levels of crosstalk and compensatory mechanisms between these two pathways that contribute to drug resistance against monotherapies. A growing body of evidence reveals that the sequential or synergistic inhibition of multiple RAS effectors is a more convenient route for the efficacy of cancer therapy. Herein, we revisit the recent developments and discuss the most promising modalities targeting canonical RAS downstream effectors for the treatment of RAS-driven cancers.

Upfront therapy: the case for continuous treatment

Both BTKi and BCL2i are regarded as standards of care for frontline treatment of CLL. In this paper, I present the arguments for favoring BTKi as initial therapy. Venetoclax-based regimens have the advantage of being fixed in duration, but patients with select high-risk features may experience inferior PFS relative to those without high-risk features.

Controversies in the management of early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma

Positron emission tomography (PET)–adapted chemotherapy and radiotherapy approaches are currently used for the initial treatment of early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) with progression-free survival and overall survival exceeding 85% and 95%, respectively. However, despite general agreement on the prognostic value of interim PET in HL, frontline treatment approaches vary among institutions with respect to how pretreatment clinical risk factors determine treatment selection, the definition of PET negativity, which chemotherapy regimen to initiate and how many cycles to administer, and when to incorporate radiation. Furthermore, as recent trials have confirmed improved efficacy and manageable toxicity when brentuximab and checkpoint inhibitors are combined with frontline regimens such as doxorubicin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine in advanced-stage HL, these agents are now under evaluation as frontline therapy in early-stage HL. A number of issues will affect the use of these agents in early-stage HL, including the costs, early and late toxicities with these agents, patient population (favorable or unfavorable risk groups), how to incorporate them (concurrently or sequentially), and whether they can ultimately replace cytotoxic therapy with similar efficacy and fewer late effects. Future treatment paradigms for early-stage HL may change significantly once randomized studies are completed incorporating these agents into frontline therapy. Ideally, frontline use of brentuximab and checkpoint inhibitors in early-stage HL will result in improved outcomes compared with current PET-adapted approaches with decreased risks of late toxicities that continue to afflict long-term survivors of HL.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in older adults: curtain call for conventional chemotherapy?

Unlike younger adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), older adults are rarely cured due to a combination of intrinsic disease resistance and treatment-related toxicities. Novel therapeutics such as inotuzumab ozogamicin, blinatumomab, venetoclax, and ABL kinase inhibitors have high activity in ALL and are well tolerated by older adults. Frontline treatment regimens for older adults using novel therapeutics with reduction or omission of conventional chemotherapy are being developed with early results demonstrating high remission rates and lower toxicity, but long-term efficacy and toxicity data are lacking. Collaboration between academic and pharmaceutical stakeholders is needed to develop clinical trials to define the optimal treatment regimens for older adults with ALL.

Stratification for RRMM and Risk-Adapted Therapy: Sequencing of Therapies in RRMM

The treatment landscape for relapsed multiple myeloma (RRMM) has experienced an unprecedented wave of innovation. Implementation of numerous new substances and drug classes with different modes of action is made possible in routine clinical practice. Next generation proteasome inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, as well as first in class agents such as selinexor and venetoclax have widened the therapeutic spectrum. This has led to an increase in progression-free and overall survival. Consequently, new challenges for treating physicians in choosing the right treatment at the right stage of the disease have been generated. Several trials support the use of novel agents in the frontline treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. The use of lenalidomide or bortezomib as a backbone in the first-line setting, requires strategies for treatment once these patients relapse and are refractory to these drugs. Despite the variety of options, selecting the optimal treatment strategy is difficult, since multiple factors have to be considered: patient-specific factors such as age and co-morbidities, as well as myeloma/tumor specific factors such as cytogenetics and relapse kinetics. This review intends to summarize the existing data and guidelines regarding the optimal sequencing of treatments of RRMM using already approved agents as well as agents under investigation.

Survival in mantle cell lymphoma after frontline treatment with Rbendamustine, R-CHOP and the Nordic MCL2 regimen – a real world study on patients diagnosed in Sweden 2007-2017

Not available.

Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents (ESAS) in Supportive Care of Low-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Recamds Registry FINAL Results

Erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) are the frontline treatment in low-risk anemic MDS patients and an employment of this therapy in the earlier stage of the disease can delay the need for RBC transfusion, hypothetically by slowing the disease course. It's matter of debate whether the clinical response is a result of proliferation and maturation of the dysplastic clone or stimulation of residual normal erythropoiesis by ESAs. Macrocytosis is one of the cytological hallmarks of dyserithropoiesis in MDS: an analysis of the erythropoietic response to ESAs therapy in a cohort of anemic non trasfusion-dependent MDS patients, enrolled in a retrospective register, RECAMDS, subgroup of Italian register, was performed. 183 patients, treated with standard-dose ESAs, have been retrospectively analyzed. Data analysis was performed, according to IWG 2006 criteria, at the baseline, after 3 and 6 months of continuous treatment, with a subanalysis of the patients according to WHO and R-IPSS risk stratification. ESAs were started at mean Hb concentration of 9.31 g/dl, mean serum EPO concentration: 51 mU/L, after a mean time from diagnosis of 6 months (r.1-118). ORR was 83.6% (153/183), no difference among WHO and IPSS subgroups was found: 132/183 (72.1%) achieved response after 3 months of treatment, while other 21/183 (11.2%) after 6 months. 19 patients with stable disease (non-responders, according to IWG criteria), in which treatment was continued, achieved response after 9 months. In the macrocytic-responders group 83.2% exhibits again macrocytosis after 3 months, while 16.8% become normocytic. In the normocytic-responders group 89.8% exhibits again normocytosis, while 10.2% become macrocytic: in these patients, after 3 months, there was a contemporary worsening in neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, with transfusion-dependence, regarded as first signs of progression of disease. Non-responders were 30/183 (16.3%): in the macrocytic non-responders group 89% exhibit again macrocytosis after 3 months, while 11% become normocytic; in the normocytic group 76% exhibits again macrocytosis, while 24% become normocytic. These preliminary data can suggest that, in the majority of MDS patients responsive to ESAs, the increase of Hb concentration occurs mainly stimulating erythroid production in MDS clones; in the minority of patients probably it happens recruiting residual polyclonal erythropoiesis. It is interesting to note that stimulating effects of ESAs last even when the expression of dysplasia progresses. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Martinelli: Roche: Consultancy; Stemline Therapeutics: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Celgene /BMS: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Consultancy; Daichii Sankyo: Consultancy; Astellas: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau.