Pretreatment clinical and hematologic prognostic factors of metastatic urothelial carcinoma treated with pembrolizumab: a systematic review and meta-analysis

C-Reactive Protein-Albumin Ratio Predicts Objective Response to Enfortumab Vedotin in Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Enfortumab vedotin (EV), an antibody-drug conjugate that targets Nectin-4, is used for patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma who have experienced progression on platinum-based chemotherapy and checkpoint inhibitors. Despite the widespread use of the drug, evidence remains scarce regarding clinical indicators that can predict the response to EV treatment.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to explore the predictive value of clinical indicators derived from peripheral blood tests for treatment responses to EV.

METHODS

We utilized records of 109 patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma treated by EV from our multi-institutional dataset. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses for predicting objective responses including several indicators from blood examinations, such as C-reactive protein-albumin ratio (CAR), hemoglobin, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-lymphocyte ratio, and lactate dehydrogenase, were performed. The optimal cutoff points were determined by the Youden index. Logistic regression analyses for achieving objective responses to EV treatment were performed among these indicators.

RESULTS

The median age of the cohort was 74 years, and the median follow-up duration was 10 months for the entire group. Median overall survival and progression-free survival from the initiation of EV were 12 and 6 months, respectively. The objective response rate and disease control rate were 48% and 70%, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis aimed at predicting the achievement of an objective response to EV showed that the concordant index for the CAR was 0.774, significantly surpassing other indicators such as hemoglobin level, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-lymphocyte ratio, and serum lactate dehydrogenase. The Youden index identified an optimal cutoff value of 1 for CAR (mg/L for C-reactive protein and g/dL for serum albumin level) in predicting the objective response to EV treatment. Using the cutoff value for the CAR, the cohort was divided into 32 patients (29%) with lower CAR and 77 patients (71%) with higher CAR. The objective response rate was observed to be 84% in the lower CAR group and 32% in the higher CAR group (p < 0.0001). A logistic regression analysis revealed that an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status ≥1 (p = 0.04) and a CAR ≥1 (p < 0.001) were identified as independent predictors for the objective response to EV.

CONCLUSIONS

The evaluation of the CAR from a concise blood examination at the initiation of EV could effectively predict the treatment response to EV in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma after the progression of platinum-based chemotherapy and checkpoint inhibitors.

Association of pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio with clinical outcomes in cancer immunotherapy: An evidence synthesis from 30 meta-analyses

BACKGROUND

The Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) holds relevance in cancer immunotherapy outcomes, yet its validation remains limited. Thus, we conducted an umbrella review to comprehensively assess the association between pretreatment NLR and immunotherapy outcomes, along with evaluating their credibility and strength.

METHODS

Electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane, were systematically searched for eligible systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Quality assessment and evidence grading utilized AMSTAR, GRADE, and additional classification criteria, following PRISMA and PRIOR guidelines.

RESULTS

Thirty unique meta-analyses were included, with 24 associations (80%) exhibiting statistical significance. Notably, associations between pretreatment NLR and the prognosis of renal cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, melanoma, and non-small cell lung cancer garnered highly suggestive or convincing evidence grading.

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated pretreatment NLR correlates with poor outcomes in cancer immunotherapy, suggesting its potential as a biomarker for identifying appropriate treatment populations and predicting clinical outcomes. Nevertheless, further validation through prospective cohort studies is warranted.

Association between comorbidities and survival in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma treated with pembrolizumab

BACKGROUND

This study aims to investigate the relationship between comorbidities and survival in patients with mUC treated with pembrolizumab as a second-line treatment.

METHODS

From February 2018 to October 2021, we analyzed the data of 185 consecutive patients with metastatic UC who received pembrolizumab as second-line therapy at The Jikei University Hospital and five affiliated hospitals. We used the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to assess the comorbidities. The outcomes of interest were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). To compare the survival differences, inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW)-adjusted Kaplan-Meier curves and the IPTW-adjusted Cox regression hazards model were used.

RESULTS

After IPTW adjustment, patient characteristics were well-balanced between patients with high CCI and those with low CCI. The IPTW-adjusted Kaplan-Meier curves of PFS and OS based on CCI revealed that the patients with high CCI (2 or more) had a shorter PFS (median, 1.6 vs. 2.8 months) and a shorter OS (median, 12.4 vs. 18.8 months) (0-1). Similarly, in the IPTW-adjusted Cox regression hazards model, patients with high CCI had significantly shorter PFS [HR, 1.84 (95% CI 1.26-2.68; p = 0.002)] and OS [HR, 1.98 (95% CI 1.20-3.27; p = 0.008)] than those with lower CCI.

CONCLUSIONS

High CCI was associated with a higher risk of disease progression as well as overall mortality in mUC patients treated with second-line pembrolizumab.

Prognostic factors for overall survival in clinical node-positive patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma

BACKGROUND

There is sparse evidence regarding optimal management and prognosticators for oncologic outcomes in patients with clinical node-positive (cN+) upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the data from 105 UTUC patients with cN1-2M0 between June 2010 and June 2022 at multiple institutions affiliated with our university. At the time of diagnosis, all patients received standard-of-care treatment including radical nephroureterectomy (RNU), chemotherapy, and/or palliative care. We employed a Cox regression model to analyze the prognostic importance of various factors on overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Of 105 patients, 54 (51%) underwent RNU, while 51 (49%) did not. RNU was likely to be selected in patients with younger and higher G8 score, resulting in better median OS in patients who underwent RNU than in those who did not (42 months vs. 15 months, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis among the entire cohort revealed that low G8 score (≤14) (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.07, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-3.99), elevated pretreatment C-reactive protein (CRP) (HR: 3.35, 95%CI: 1.63-6.90), and failure to perform RNU (HR: 2.16, 95%CI: 1.06-4.42) were independent prognostic factors for worse OS. In the subgroup analyses of cohorts who did not undergo RNU, elevated pretreatment CRP was the only independent prognostic factor for worse OS in cN+ UTUC patients.

CONCLUSIONS

RNU seems to be a reasonable treatment option in cN+ UTUC patients where applicable. Elevated pretreatment CRP appears to be a reliable prognosticator of worse OS and may be helpful in optimizing candidate selection for intensified treatment in this setting.

Prognostic impact of radiological tumor burden in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma treated with pembrolizumab

PURPOSE

Radiological tumor burden has been reported to be prognostic in many malignancies in the immunotherapy era, yet whether it is prognostic in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) treated with pembrolizumab remains uninvestigated. We sought to assess the predictive and prognostic value of radiological tumor burden in patients with mUC.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of 308 patients with mUC treated with pembrolizumab. Radiological tumor burden was represented by baseline tumor size (BTS) and baseline tumor number (BTN). Optimal cut-off value of BTS was determined as 50 mm using the Youden index (small BTS: n = 194, large BTS: n = 114). Overall (OS), cancer-specific (CSS), progression-free survival (PFS), and objective response rate (ORR) were compared. Non-linear associations between BTS and OS and CSS were evaluated using restricted cubic splines.

RESULTS

Patients with large BTS were less likely to have undergone the surgical resection of the primary tumor (P = 0.01), and more likely to have liver metastasis (P < 0.001) and more metastatic lesions (P < 0.001). On multivariable analyses controlling for the effects of confounders (resection of primary tumor, metastatic site, number of metastases and lactate dehydrogenase level), large BTS and high BTN were independently associated with worse OS (HR 1.52; P = 0.015, and HR 1.69; P = 0.018, respectively) and CSS (HR 1.59; P = 0.01, and HR 1.66; P = 0.031, respectively), but not PFS. Restricted cubic splines revealed BTS was correlated with OS and CSS in linear relationships. Additionally, large BTS was significantly predictive of lower ORR and complete response rate on univariable analyses (P = 0.041 and P = 0.032, respectively), but its association disappeared on multivariable analyses.

CONCLUSION

Radiological tumor burden has independent prognostic value with a linear relationship in pembrolizumab-treated patients with mUC and might help drive the earlier introduction of second-line pembrolizumab and/or switching to subsequent therapies.

The impact of body mass index on survival endpoints among patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma undergoing treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors: A real-world multicenter analysis

BACKGROUND

Studies on the correlation between high body mass index (BMI) and extended survival among patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been made, although findings have shown variability. Our research explored the phenomenon of the "obesity paradox" in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) undergoing treatment with ICIs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with mUC who received a minimum of one cycle of ICI treatment at two medical centers in Taiwan from September 2015 to January 2023. Features of patients' clinicopathologic factors, including age, sex, primary or metastatic location, treatment line, and BMI were examined. The primary outcome were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), which were assessed utilizing the Kaplan-Meier method. We employed the Cox-regression model to adjust for multiple covariates.

RESULTS

A total of 215 patients were included, with 128 (59.5%) being male, and the median age was 70 years. In the obese group (BMI ≥25 kg/m2 ), patients demonstrated significantly better median OS compared to the non-obese group (BMI <25 kg/m2 ) (21.9 vs. 8.3 months; p = 0.021). However, there was no significant difference in median PFS between the high and low BMI groups (4.7 vs. 2.8 months; p = 0.16). Post-hoc subgroup revealed a survival benefit from ICI treatment in male patients within the BMI ≥25 kg/m2 group (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.30-0.81, p = 0.005).

CONCLUSION

Based on real-world data from the Asia-Pacific region, there appears to be a correlation between obesity and prolonged OS in patients receiving ICI treatment for mUC.

Prognostic Factors of Platinum-Refractory Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma Treated with Pembrolizumab

INTRODUCTION

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has significantly improved the prognosis of some patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC), but it does not provide high therapeutic efficacy in all patients. Therefore, identifying predictive biomarkers is crucial in determining which patients are candidates for ICI treatment. This study aimed to identify the predictors of ICI treatment response in patients with platinum-refractory advanced UC treated with pembrolizumab.

METHODS

Patients with platinum-refractory advanced UC who had received pembrolizumab at two hospitals in Japan were included. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify biomarkers for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Forty-one patients were evaluable for this analysis. Their median age was 75 years, and the vast majority of the patients were male (85.4%). The objective response rate was 29.3%, with a median overall survival (OS) of 17.8 months. On multivariate analysis, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS) ≥ 2 (HR = 6.33, p = 0.03) and a baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) > 3 (HR = 2.79, p = 0.04) were significantly associated with poor OS. Antibiotic exposure did not have a significant impact on either PFS or OS.

CONCLUSIONS

ECOG-PS ≥ 2 and baseline NLR > 3 were independent risk factors for OS in patients with platinum-refractory advanced UC treated with pembrolizumab. Antibiotic exposure was not a predictor of ICI treatment response.

Immune mediators as predictive biomarkers for anti-PD-1 antibody therapy in urothelial carcinoma

Introduction: This study aimed to identify immune mediators, including cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors, in the plasma for predicting treatment efficacy and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in advanced urothelial carcinoma (aUC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Methods: We enrolled 57 patients with aUC who were treated with the anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) antibody pembrolizumab after the failure of platinum-based chemotherapy between February 2018 and December 2020. Plasma levels of 73 soluble immune mediators were measured before and 6 weeks after initiating pembrolizumab therapy. The association of estimated soluble immune mediators with clinical outcomes, including overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), anti-tumor responses, and irAEs, were statistically evaluated. Results: In the multivariate analysis, levels of 18 factors at baseline and 12 factors during treatment were significantly associated with OS. Regarding PFS, baseline levels of 17 factors were significantly associated with PFS. Higher levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (sTNF-R1), and IL-12 (p40), both at baseline and post-treatment, were significantly associated with worse OS. Conversely, low IL-6 and high TWEAK levels at baseline were associated with irAEs. Among identified factors, interferon (IFN) γ and IL-12 (p40) were repeatedly identified; high baseline levels of these factors were risk factors for worse OS and PFS, as well as progressive disease. Notably, using correlation and principal component analysis, factors significantly associated with clinical outcomes were broadly classified into three groups exhibiting similar expression patterns. Discussion: Measuring plasma levels of soluble immune mediators, such as IL-6, IL-8, sTNF-R1, IFNγ, and IL-12 (p40), could be recommended for predicting prognosis and irAEs in ICI-treated patients with aUC.

Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for advanced urothelial carcinoma in real-life clinical practice: results of a multicentric, retrospective study

Clinical trials revealed significant antitumor activity for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC). Due to their strict eligibility criteria, clinical trials include selected patient cohorts, and thus do not necessarily represent real-world population outcomes. In this multicentric, retrospective study, we investigated real-world data to assess the effectiveness of pembrolizumab and atezolizumab and to evaluate the prognostic value of routinely available clinicopathological and laboratory parameters. Clinical and follow-up data from mUC patients who received ICIs (01/2017-12/2021) were evaluated. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and duration of response (DOR) were used as endpoints. Patients' (n = 210, n = 76 atezolizumab and 134 pembrolizumab) median OS and PFS were 13.6 and 5.9 months, respectively. Impaired ECOG-PS, the presence of visceral, liver or bone metastases, and hemoglobin levels were independently associated with poor OS and DCR. Furthermore, Bellmunt risk factors and the enhanced Bellmunt-CRP score were shown to be prognostic for OS, PFS and DCR. In conclusion, ICIs are effective treatments for a broad range of mUC patients. Our results confirmed the prognostic value of numerous risk factors and showed that Bellmunt risk scores can further be improved when adding CRP to the model.

Treatment impact of newly approved therapeutic agents for metastatic urothelial carcinoma in Japan: a single-center retrospective study

Although recent clinical trials of new therapeutic agents for metastatic urothelial carcinoma have shown prolonged overall survival, there are few real-world evidence. To assess the impact of new therapeutic agents, we performed retrospective analysis for consecutive 158 metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients who performed systemic therapy in our institution between May 2008 and August 2023. We defined a period from May 2008 to December 2017, when pembrolizumab was first introduced to the clinical setting in the new therapeutic agents for metastatic urothelial carcinoma in Japan, as "pre new drug era" and a period from January 2018 to August 2023 as "post new drug era". We compared overall survival between pre- and post- new drug era using Kaplan-Meier method with log rank test. Median overall survival of pre- and post- new drug era were 14.5 months (95% confidence intervals: 11.6-16.7) and 23.1 months (95% confidence intervals: 14.5-NA), respectively (p < 0.001). Five-year survival rate of pre- and post- new drug era was 7.0% (95% confidence intervals: 2.3-15.3) and 36.3% (95% confidence intervals: 21.4-51.5), respectively. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis of factors associated with overall survival showed that enfortumab vedotin administration, administration of second-line or more systemic therapy, best overall response of SD, PR and CR in first-line systemic therapy, higher serum albumin and lower CRP were factors for overall survival prolongation. Introduction of new therapeutic agents for metastatic urothelial carcinoma contributed to the improvement of overall survival in comparison with the era without these agents.

Predictors of Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Patients With Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Several programmed death ligand-1 (PD1/L1) immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are approved in urothelial carcinoma (UC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

To address the need for predictors of the efficacy of ICIs in metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC), randomized controlled trials of PD1/L1 inhibitors alone or in combination with chemotherapy in this patient population were systematically reviewed, and differences in ICI-associated survival outcomes according to available baseline variables were quantitatively assessed.

RESULTS

The quantitative analysis included 6524 patients with mUC. No visceral metastatic site (HR 0.67; 95% CI, 0.76-0.90) and high PDL-1 expression (HR 0.74; 95% CI, 0.640.87) were significantly associated with a reduced risk of death.

CONCLUSION

Treatment with an ICI-containing regimen was associated with a reduced risk of death in mUC patients, which was associated with PDL-1 expression and metastatic site. Further research is warranted.

Impact of performance status on efficacy of systemic therapy for prostate cancer: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of systemic therapies in patients with worse performance status (PS) treated for high-risk non-metastatic prostate cancer (PCa), metastatic hormone-sensitive PCa (mHSPC), and non-metastatic/metastatic castration-resistant PCa (nmCRPC/mCRPC), as there is sparse pooled data showing the effect of PS on oncological outcomes in patients with PCa.

METHODS

Three databases were queried in June 2022 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) analysing patients with PCa treated with systemic therapy (i.e., adding androgen receptor signalling inhibitor [ARSI] or docetaxel [DOC] to androgen-deprivation therapy [ADT]). We analysed the oncological outcomes of patients with PCa with worse PS, defined as Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group PS ≥ 1, treated with combination therapies and compared these to patients with good PS. The main outcomes of interest were overall survival (OS), metastasis-free survival (MFS), and progression-free survival.

RESULTS

Overall, 25 and 18 RCTs were included for systematic review and meta-analyses/network meta-analyses, respectively. In all clinical settings, combination systemic therapies significantly improved OS in patients with worse PS as well as in those with good PS, while the MFS benefit from ARSI in the nmCRPC setting was more pronounced in patients with good PS than in those with worse PS (P = 0.002). Analysis of treatment ranking in patients with mHSPC revealed that triplet therapy had the highest likelihood of improved OS irrespective of PS; specifically, adding darolutamide to DOC + ADT had the highest likelihood of improved OS in patients with worse PS. Analyses were limited by the small proportion of patients with a PS ≥ 1 (19%-28%) and that the number of PS 2 was rarely reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Among RCTs, novel systemic therapies seem to benefit the OS of patients with PCa irrespective of PS. Our findings suggest that worse PS should not discourage treatment intensification across all disease stages.

Real-world outcomes of pembrolizumab for platinum-refractory advanced urothelial carcinoma: Efficacy, safety, and evidence for trial-unfit patients

Pembrolizumab, monoclonal antibody targeting programmed cell death 1, is widely used for platinum-refractory urothelial carcinoma (UC) patients. Although the survival benefit of pembrolizumab was proven in the well-designed phase III trial, these data represent only a part of patients due to strictly defined eligibility criteria. The patients' characteristics in the clinical practice are much more heterogenous than those of trial participants. The real-world experience is useful to validate the trial result and find suitable candidates for the treatment. Similarly, real-world data plays a significant role in addressing the efficacy and safety of special populations, such as poor performance status or older patients. This review summarizes the real-world evidence on pembrolizumab for platinum-refractory UCs and discusses the clinical risk factors and efficacy for trial-ineligible patients.

Pretreatment Hemoglobin Levels and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Predict Survival Benefit from Pembrolizumab in Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIM

Several prognostic risk factors have been recognized when using cisplatin-based conventional chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC); these include performance status (PS), liver metastasis, hemoglobin (Hb) levels, time from prior chemotherapy (TFPC), and other systemic inflammation scores including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR). However, the benefit of these indicators for predicting outcome of immune checkpoint inhibitors is not fully understood. Here, we investigated the predictive value of the indicators in patients who received pembrolizumab for the treatment of advanced UC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Seventy-five patients who received pembrolizumab treatment for advanced UC were included. The Karnofsky PS, liver metastasis, hemoglobin levels, TFPC, NLR, and PLR were analyzed, and their relationship with overall survival (OS) was determined.

RESULTS

All factors were highlighted as significant prognostic indicators for OS in the univariate proportional regression analysis (p<0.05 for each). Multivariate analysis revealed that Karnofsky PS and liver metastasis were independent prognostic indicators for OS (p<0.01) but were applicable only for a small number of patients. Notably, the combined analysis with low Hb levels and high PLR was significantly associated with OS in patients who could gain less benefit from pembrolizumab at a median of 6.6 [95% confidence interval (CI)=4.2-9.0] versus 15.1 (95% CI=12.4-17.8) months (p=0.002).

CONCLUSION

The combination of Hb levels and PLR may be a broadly applicable indicator for the outcome of pembrolizumab as second-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced UC.

Impact of Performance Status on Oncologic Outcomes in Patients with Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

CONTEXT

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are widely used in the management of patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (aUC). However, its performance in aUC patients with poor performance status (PS) remains unknown.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to assess the impact of patients' performance status on the oncologic outcomes in patients with aUC treated with ICIs.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus from inception until July 2022 to identify studies assessing the association between the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) PS and the oncologic outcomes in patients with aUC treated with ICIs in randomised (RCTs) and nonrandomised (NRCTs) control studies according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement. The outcomes of our interests were overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), progression-free survival (PFS), and objective response rate (ORR).

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

Overall, six RCTs comprising 5428 patients and 32 NRCTs comprising 6069 patients were included. The meta-analysis of the RCTs revealed that patients with ECOG PS = 0 and PS ≥1 had a trend towards better OS with ICIs compared with those treated with chemotherapy (pooled hazard ratio [HR]: 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71-1.04, and HR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.53-1.03, respectively). There was no significant difference in terms of response to ICIs between patients with poor and good PS (I² = 0%, p = 0.46). The meta-analysis of the NRCTs revealed that patients with PS ≥2 had significantly worse OS than those with PS <2 (pooled HR: 2.52, 95% CI: 2.00-3.17), as well as worse CSS (pooled HR: 3.35, 95% CI: 1.90-5.91), PFS (pooled HR: 2.89, 95% CI: 1.67-5.01), and ORR (pooled odds ratio: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.27-0.82). Similarly, patients with PS ≥1 had significantly worse oncologic outcomes than those with PS = 0.

CONCLUSIONS

In the NRCTs, poor PS was correlated with worse oncologic outcomes in aUC patients treated with ICIs. In the RCTs, ICIs performed better than chemotherapy across all PS categories. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to the high heterogeneity across the studies and patient populations. More RCTs including poor PS are needed to assess the impact of PS on ICI therapy outcomes.

PATIENT SUMMARY

Immune therapy for patients with urothelial carcinoma should not be restricted on the grounds of performance status. However, patients with poor performance status should be considered for other factors such as life expectancy and comorbidities.

Prognostic nutritional index of early post-pembrolizumab therapy predicts long-term survival in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma

Pembrolizumab has been widely used to treat advanced urothelial carcinoma that has progressed after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Because its clinical benefits are limited, biomarkers that can predict a good response to pembrolizumab are required. The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), calculated using the serum albumin level and peripheral lymphocyte count, has been evaluated as a predictive biomarker in cancer immunotherapy. The present study investigated the application of PNI as a predictive biomarker for pembrolizumab response in patients with advanced urothelial cancer. A retrospective study was conducted on 34 patients treated with pembrolizumab at Shiga University of Medical Science Hospital between January 2018 and July 2022. The posttreatment PNI (post-PNI) was calculated within 2 months of starting pembrolizumab. The present study investigated the association between post-PNI and objective response, overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The patient cohort was stratified into two categories, high and low post-PNI groups, with a cutoff value of post-PNI at 40. The higher post-PNI group demonstrated a better disease control rate than the lower post-PNI group (complete response + partial response + stable disease, 75 vs. 21%, P=0.004). Regarding median OS, the higher post-PNI group exhibited a significantly longer survival time than the lower post-PNI group (23.1 vs. 2.9 months, P<0.001). Similarly, the higher post-PNI group exhibited a significantly longer PFS than the lower post-PNI group (10.2 vs.1.9 months, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that a higher post-PNI value was an independent predictor for OS (hazard ratio, 0.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.14; P<0.001) and PFS (hazard ratio, 0.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.04-0.35; P<0.001). The present study indicated that the post-PNI was a predictor of favorable clinical outcomes in patients treated with pembrolizumab for advanced urothelial carcinoma.

Focus on the Dynamics of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Cancer Patients Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

Background: A number of studies have reported an association between the dynamics of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and clinical efficacy in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), but there is still a lack of a meta-analysis or systematic review. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched until September 2022 for studies reporting on the association between the change in NLR after ICI treatment and clinical outcomes. Outcome measures of interest included: change in NLR before and after treatment, overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and objective response rate (ORR). Results: A total of 4154 patients in 38 studies were included. The pooled percentage of patients with increased NLR was 49.7% (95CI%: 43.7−55.8%). Six studies discussing the change in NLR in patients with different tumor responses all showed that the NLR level in patients without response to immunotherapy may increase after ICI treatment. The upward trend in NLR was associated with shorter OS (pooled HR: 2.05, 95%CI: 1.79−2.35, p < 0.001) and PFS (pooled HR: 1.89, 95%CI: 1.66−2.14, p < 0.001) and higher ORR (pooled OR: 0.27, 95%CI: 0.19−0.39, p < 0.001), and downward trend in NLR was associated with longer OS (pooled HR: 0.49, 95%CI: 0.42−0.58, p < 0.001) and PFS (pooled HR: 0.55, 95%CI: 0.48−0.63, p < 0.001) and lower ORR (pooled OR: 3.26, 95%CI: 1.92−5.53, p < 0.001). In addition, post-treatment high NLR was associated with more impaired survival than baseline high NLR (pooled HR of baseline high NLR: 1.82, 95%CI: 1.52−2.18; pooled HR of post-treatment high NLR: 2.93, 95%CI: 2.26−3.81), but the NLR at different time points may have a similar predictive effect on PFS (pooled HR of baseline high NLR: 1.68, 95%CI: 1.44−1.97; pooled HR of post-treatment high NLR: 2.00, 95%CI: 1.54−2.59). Conclusions: The NLR level of tumor patients after ICI treatment is stable overall, but the NLR level in patients without response to immunotherapy may increase after ICI treatment. Patients with an upward trend in NLR after ICI treatment were associated with worse clinical outcomes; meanwhile, the downward trend in NLR was associated with better clinical outcomes. Post-treatment high NLR was associated with more impaired survival than baseline high NLR.

Sequencing impact and prognostic factors in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients treated with cabazitaxel: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Cabazitaxel is an effective treatment of post-docetaxel metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). We aimed to assess the sequencing impact and identify prognostic factors of oncologic outcomes in mCRPC patients treated with cabazitaxel.

METHODS

PUBMED, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched for articles published before January 2022 according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses) statement. Studies were deemed eligible if they investigated pretreatment clinical or hematological prognostic factors of overall survival (OS) in mCRPC patients with progression after docetaxel treated with available treatments including cabazitaxel.

RESULTS

Overall, 22 studies were eligible for the meta-analysis. In mCRPC patients treated with docetaxel, subsequent treatment with cabazitaxel was associated with better OS compared to that without cabazitaxel (pooled hazard ratio [HR]: 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.56-0.89). Among the patients treated with cabazitaxel, several pretreatment clinical features and hematologic biomarkers were associated with worse OS as follows: poor performance status (PS) (pooled HR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.33-2.77), presence of visceral metastasis (pooled HR: 2.13, 95% CI: 1.62-2.81), symptomatic disease (pooled HR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.25-1.73), high PSA (pooled HR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.27-2.44), high alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (pooled HR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.28-1.65), high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (pooled HR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.00-2.38), high c-reactive protein (CRP) (pooled HR: 4.40, 95% CI: 1.52-12.72), low albumin (pooled HR:1.09, 95% CI: 1.05-1.12) and low hemoglobin (pooled HR:1.55, 95% CI: 1.20-1.99).

CONCLUSIONS

Sequential therapy with cabazitaxel significantly improves OS in post-docetaxel mCRPC patients. In mCRPC patients treated with cabazitaxel, patients with poor PS, visceral metastasis, and symptomatic disease were associated with worse OS. Further, pretreatment high PSA, ALP, LDH or CRP as well as low hemoglobin or albumin, were blood-based prognostic factors for OS. These findings might help guide the clinical decision-making for the use of cabazitaxel and prognostication of its OS benefit.

Management of Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma in Older and Frail Patients: Have Novel Treatment Approaches Improved Their Care?

Patients with urothelial carcinoma tend to be older and frailer with a large number of chronic medical conditions. This is particularly pronounced in those with unresectable locally advanced and metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Prior to 2016, treatment options in advanced urothelial carcinoma were limited to chemotherapy, and as a result, a large number of patients were not receiving disease-directed management. Over the last 6 years, multiple alternative modalities including immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies have been introduced. They are being utilized clinically in older and frail patients, but there are limited studies investigating outcomes in these specific populations. Based upon current evidence, age does not impact the efficacy and tolerance of immune checkpoint inhibitors if patients are fit enough to receive therapy. In frailer patients, immune checkpoint inhibitors appear to be safe, but outcomes from largely retrospective studies demonstrate mixed data regarding their efficacy. Although there are indications from clinical trials that enfortumab vedotin, sacituzumab govitecan, and erdafitinib are also efficacious irrespective of age, there is still not enough evidence to draw definitive conclusions about their use in older and frail patients. Regardless, in all older patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma, it is critical to evaluate for frailty through geriatric screening tools and comprehensive assessments. Combining these evaluations with consideration of an individual patient's goals should be the foundation upon which therapeutic decisions are made in this population of patients.