Timing of steroid initiation and response rates to immune checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic cancer

Impact of previous corticosteroid exposure on outcomes of patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND

Immunosuppressive dosing of corticosteroids at the start of treatment impairs immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) efficacy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Previous cumulative dose and intake modality of corticosteroids may result in different levels of immunosuppression. We sought to determine whether these aspects could predict disease control and survival in NSCLC patients receiving ICIs.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective single-center study, including patients treated with ICI as second-line therapy at our institution between July 2015 and February 2021. A prednisone equivalent threshold of 700 mg defined low (LCD) or high (HCD) cumulative dosing during the 90 days before starting ICIs. At least one 5-day course of ≥ 10 mg prednisone equivalent determined whether the intake was pulse (PCD, ≤ 5 days) or continuous (CCD, > 5 days).

RESULTS

We included 113 consecutive patients. Durable control benefit and no clinical benefit (NCB) were reported in 53 (47%) and 60 (53%) of the cases, respectively. ECOG PS 1-2, negative PD-L1 expression, HCD, and CCD were significantly related to NCB in multivariate analysis. The median PFS was 4.6 months (95%CI: 3.9-6.3) and median OS was 6.9 months (95% CI: 6.0-8.9) after a median follow-up time of 43.5 months (95% CI: 32.6-54.4). Multivariate analysis of survival confirmed ECOG PS 1-2 (p = 0.005), negative PD-L1 expression (p = 0.002), and CCD (p = 0.001) significantly correlated with an increased risk of mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings imply that immunosuppressive corticosteroid dosing before ICIs, even of short duration, might affect survival. The constraints of this study and lack of reliable comparisons suggest a hypothesis-generating value of these results.

Multimodality Advanced Cardiovascular and Molecular Imaging for Early Detection and Monitoring of Cancer Therapy-Associated Cardiotoxicity and the Role of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data

Cancer mortality has improved due to earlier detection via screening, as well as due to novel cancer therapies such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitions. However, similarly to older cancer therapies such as anthracyclines, these therapies have also been documented to cause cardiotoxic events including cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, myocarditis, arrhythmia, hypertension, and thrombosis. Imaging modalities such as echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are critical in monitoring and evaluating for cardiotoxicity from these treatments, as well as in providing information for the assessment of function and wall motion abnormalities. MRI also allows for additional tissue characterization using T1, T2, extracellular volume (ECV), and delayed gadolinium enhancement (DGE) assessment. Furthermore, emerging technologies may be able to assist with these efforts. Nuclear imaging using targeted radiotracers, some of which are already clinically used, may have more specificity and help provide information on the mechanisms of cardiotoxicity, including in anthracycline mediated cardiomyopathy and checkpoint inhibitor myocarditis. Hyperpolarized MRI may be used to evaluate the effects of oncologic therapy on cardiac metabolism. Lastly, artificial intelligence and big data of imaging modalities may help predict and detect early signs of cardiotoxicity and response to cardioprotective medications as well as provide insights on the added value of molecular imaging and correlations with cardiovascular outcomes. In this review, the current imaging modalities used to assess for cardiotoxicity from cancer treatments are discussed, in addition to ongoing research on targeted molecular radiotracers, hyperpolarized MRI, as well as the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data in imaging that would help improve the detection and prognostication of cancer-treatment cardiotoxicity.

Treatment of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Special Populations

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) may develop in patients with dysregulated immune activation (pre-existing autoimmune diseases or immunosuppression due to hematopoietic/solid organ transplant recipients), patients with a compromised immune function (long-term immunosuppression), and patients carrying chronic viral infections, or those affected by lymphoproliferative diseases. It should be also considered that patients presenting with immunosuppression have a high incidence of cSCC (65-250-times higher than general population), highlighting the central role played by the immune system in the development of cSCC. All these cases must be considered as "special populations" for treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), as the safety and activity of these drugs have not been studied on these specific cases, since these patients were excluded from clinical trials leading to approval of ICIs. It is therefore important to gain as much information as possible from the analysis of real-life data, to derive an indication to be adopted in everyday clinical setting. Moreover, therapeutic alternatives other than ICIs are scarce, mainly consisting in chemotherapy and anti-EGFR agents, whose activity is lower than immunotherapy and whose toxicity (particularly with chemotherapy) are not sustainable by this frail population. Here, we describe the current evidence of treatment with ICIs in special populations and conclude that it is necessary to find a balance between treatment risks (toxicities) and benefits (efficacy), as well as engaging a multidisciplinary team of experts to thoroughly manage and treat these patients.