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Hasanov M, Acikgoz Y, Davies MA. Melanoma Brain Metastasis: Biology and Therapeutic Advances. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am 2024; 38:1027-1043. [PMID: 38845301 DOI: 10.1016/j.hoc.2024.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/03/2024]
Abstract
Metastasis to the brain is a frequent complication of advanced melanoma. Historically, patients with melanoma brain metastasis (MBM) have had dismal outcomes, but outcomes have improved with the development of more effective treatments, including stereotactic radiosurgery and effective immune and targeted therapies. Despite these advances, MBM remains a leading cause of death from this disease, and many therapies show decreased efficacy against these tumors compared with extracranial metastases. This differential efficacy may be because of recently revealed unique molecular and immune features of MBMs-which may also provide rational new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Hasanov
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Suite 1335, Lincoln Tower, 1800 Cannon Drive, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
| | - Yusuf Acikgoz
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, 13th floor, Lincoln Tower, 1800 Cannon Drive, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Michael A Davies
- Division of Cancer Medicine, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Unit 0430, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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2
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Sloan AE, Winter K, Gilbert MR, Aldape K, Choi S, Wen PY, Butowski N, Iwamoto FM, Raval RR, Voloschin AD, Kamiya-Matsuoka C, Won M, Mehta MP. NRG-BN002: Phase I study of ipilimumab, nivolumab, and the combination in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Neuro Oncol 2024; 26:1628-1637. [PMID: 38874333 PMCID: PMC11376446 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noae058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have efficacy in several solid tumors but limited efficacy in glioblastoma (GBM). This study evaluated the safety of anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 ICIs alone or in combination in newly diagnosed GBM after completion of standard radiochemotherapy with the subsequent intent to test combinatorial ICIs in this setting. METHODS The primary endpoint was dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) for adults with unifocal, supratentorial newly diagnosed GBM after resection and chemoradiation. Ipilimumab and nivolumab were tested separately and in combination with a planned expansion cohort dependent upon DLT results. RESULTS Thirty-two patients were enrolled at 9 institutions: 6 to each DLT assessment cohort and 14 to the expansion cohort. Median age: 55 years, 67.7% male, 83.9% White. Treatment was well tolerated with 16% Grade 4 events; the combination did not have unexpectedly increased toxicity, with no Grade 5 events. One DLT was seen in each single-agent treatment; none were observed in the combination, leading to expanded accrual of the combined treatment. The median follow-up was 19.6 months. For all patients receiving combination treatment, median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 20.7 and 16.1 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS IPI and NIVO are safe and tolerable with toxicities similar to those noted with other cancers when given in combination with adjuvant temozolomide for newly diagnosed GBM. Combination IPI + NIVO is not substantially more toxic than single agents. These results support a subsequent efficacy trial to test the combination of ICIs in Phase II/III for patients with newly diagnosed GBM. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV REGISTRATION NCT02311920.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew E Sloan
- Piedmont Healthcare, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Case Western Reserve University & Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Kathryn Winter
- NRG Oncology Statistics and Data Management Center/ACR, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- American College of Radiology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mark R Gilbert
- Laboratory of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kenneth Aldape
- Laboratory of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Serah Choi
- Case Western Reserve University & Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Patrick Y Wen
- Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Fabio M Iwamoto
- Columbia University Minority Underserved NCORP, New York, New York, USA
| | - Raju R Raval
- Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | | | | | - Minhee Won
- NRG Oncology Statistics and Data Management Center/ACR, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Case Western Reserve University & Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Walsh N, Stephens R, Tan A, Durandt V, McLachlan J, Jordan J, Gregory K, Sutton S, Barrow C, Wong ANM. Real-World Outcomes of Immunotherapy for Melanoma Brain Metastases in New Zealand. JCO Oncol Pract 2024:OP2400208. [PMID: 39052949 DOI: 10.1200/op.24.00208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Melanoma brain metastases (BMs) are associated with poor survival. Combination immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) with anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA-4 are the international standard-of-care treatment. Most landmark clinical trials excluded real-world patients with symptomatic disease, poor performance status (PS), and steroid use. Despite the high incidence of melanoma in New Zealand (NZ), the only publicly funded systemic treatment is anti-PD1 monotherapy. The real-world outcomes for BMs after ICIs in NZ are unknown. METHODOLOGY Medical records of patients with melanoma BMs in seven cancer centers across NZ between September 1, 2016, and September 1, 2020, were evaluated. Clinicopathologic characteristics, treatment, intracranial (IC) tumor response rates, IC progression-free survival, and overall survival (OS) are reported. RESULTS One hundred and forty-four patients received at least one dose of ICI. One hundred and thirty-three (93%) patients received anti-PD1 monotherapy. Almost a quarter of patients had poor baseline PS, 56% were symptomatic, and 33% had corticosteroids. Patients also received local therapies: 61 (42%) patients underwent surgery, 42 (29%) received whole brain radiation, and 47 (33%) received stereotactic radiation. The median OS was 15 months, and a third of patients were alive at 2 years. The toxicity of ICIs was at 28% and 15% for Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grade 1-2 and 3-4 events, respectively. Of the patients who are still alive, 76% of patients remained symptomatic neurologically at last follow-up. CONCLUSION Most patients in this NZ real-world study were symptomatic and received anti-PD1 monotherapy. Approximately one-third of treated patients are alive at 2 years, but most patients remained symptomatic. This highlights the need for more effective treatment and prospective management of their neurologic rehabilitation needs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alvin Tan
- Health New Zealand, New Zealand (National institution)
| | | | | | - Jody Jordan
- Health New Zealand, New Zealand (National institution)
| | - Kate Gregory
- Health New Zealand, New Zealand (National institution)
| | - Sean Sutton
- Health New Zealand, New Zealand (National institution)
| | | | - Annie N M Wong
- Wellington Blood & Cancer Centre, Wellington, New Zealand
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Khan B, Qahwaji RM, Alfaifi MS, Mobashir M. Nivolumab and Ipilimumab Acting as Tormentors of Advanced Tumors by Unleashing Immune Cells and Associated Collateral Damage. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:732. [PMID: 38931856 PMCID: PMC11207028 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16060732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Combining immune checkpoint inhibitors, specifically nivolumab (anti-PD-1) and ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4), holds substantial promise in revolutionizing cancer treatment. This review explores the transformative impact of these combinations, emphasizing their potential for enhancing therapeutic outcomes across various cancers. Immune checkpoint proteins, such as PD1 and CTLA4, play a pivotal role in modulating immune responses. Blocking these checkpoints unleashes anticancer activity, and the synergy observed when combining multiple checkpoint inhibitors underscores their potential for enhanced efficacy. Nivolumab and ipilimumab harness the host's immune system to target cancer cells, presenting a powerful approach to prevent tumor development. Despite their efficacy, immune checkpoint inhibitors are accompanied by a distinct set of adverse effects, particularly immune-related adverse effects affecting various organs. Understanding these challenges is crucial for optimizing treatment strategies and ensuring patient well-being. Ongoing clinical trials are actively exploring the combination of checkpoint inhibitory therapies, aiming to decipher their synergistic effects and efficacy against diverse cancer types. This review discusses the mechanisms, adverse effects, and various clinical trials involving nivolumab and ipilimumab across different cancers, emphasizing their transformative impact on cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bushra Khan
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India;
| | - Rowaid M. Qahwaji
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22233, Saudi Arabia;
- Hematology Research Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mashael S. Alfaifi
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health and Health Informatics, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Mohammad Mobashir
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institute, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
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Kraft T, Grützmann K, Meinhardt M, Meier F, Westphal D, Seifert M. Personalized identification and characterization of genome-wide gene expression differences between patient-matched intracranial and extracranial melanoma metastasis pairs. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:67. [PMID: 38671536 PMCID: PMC11055243 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01764-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer that frequently spreads to other organs of the human body. Especially melanoma metastases to the brain (intracranial metastases) are hard to treat and a major cause of death of melanoma patients. Little is known about molecular alterations and altered mechanisms that distinguish intra- from extracranial melanoma metastases. So far, almost all existing studies compared intracranial metastases from one set of patients to extracranial metastases of an another set of melanoma patients. This neglects the important facts that each melanoma is highly individual and that intra- and extracranial melanoma metastases from the same patient are more similar to each other than to melanoma metastases from other patients in the same organ. To overcome this, we compared the gene expression profiles of 16 intracranial metastases to their corresponding 21 patient-matched extracranial metastases in a personalized way using a three-state Hidden Markov Model (HMM) to identify altered genes for each individual metastasis pair. This enabled three major findings by considering the predicted gene expression alterations across all patients: (i) most frequently altered pathways include cytokine-receptor interaction, calcium signaling, ECM-receptor interaction, cAMP signaling, Jak-STAT and PI3K/Akt signaling, (ii) immune-relevant signaling pathway genes were downregulated in intracranial metastases, and (iii) intracranial metastases were associated with a brain-like phenotype gene expression program. Further, the integration of all differentially expressed genes across the patient-matched melanoma metastasis pairs led to a set of 103 genes that were consistently down- or up-regulated in at least 11 of the 16 of the patients. This set of genes contained many genes involved in the regulation of immune responses, cell growth, cellular signaling and transport processes. An analysis of these genes in the TCGA melanoma cohort showed that the expression behavior of 11 genes was significantly associated with survival. Moreover, a comparison of the 103 genes to three closely related melanoma metastasis studies revealed a core set of eight genes that were consistently down- or upregulated in intra- compared to extracranial metastases in at least two of the three related studies (down: CILP, DPT, FGF7, LAMP3, MEOX2, TMEM119; up: GLDN, PMP2) including FGF7 that was also significantly associated with survival. Our findings contribute to a better characterization of genes and pathways that distinguish intra- from extracranial melanoma metastasis and provide important hints for future experimental studies to identify potential targets for new therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Kraft
- Institute for Medical Informatics and Biometry (IMB), Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Konrad Grützmann
- Institute for Medical Informatics and Biometry (IMB), Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Matthias Meinhardt
- Department of Pathology, Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Friedegund Meier
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- Skin Cancer Center at the University Cancer Center (UCC) Dresden and the National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden (NCT), Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Dana Westphal
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden (NCT), Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Seifert
- Institute for Medical Informatics and Biometry (IMB), Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
- National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden (NCT), Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
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Boutros A, Croce E, Ferrari M, Gili R, Massaro G, Marconcini R, Arecco L, Tanda ET, Spagnolo F. The treatment of advanced melanoma: Current approaches and new challenges. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024; 196:104276. [PMID: 38295889 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.104276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, advances in melanoma treatment have renewed patient hope. This comprehensive review emphasizes the evolving treatment landscape, particularly highlighting first-line strategies and the interplay between immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and targeted therapies. Ipilimumab plus nivolumab has achieved the best median overall survival, exceeding 70 months. However, the introduction of new ICIs, like relatlimab, has added complexity to first-line therapy decisions. Our aim is to guide clinicians in making personalized treatment decisions. Various features, including brain metastases, PD-L1 expression, BRAF mutation, performance status, and prior adjuvant therapy, significantly impact the direction of advanced melanoma treatment. We also provide the latest insights into the treatment of rare melanoma subtypes, such as uveal melanoma, where tebentafusp has shown promising improvements in overall survival for metastatic uveal melanoma patients. This review provides invaluable insights for clinicians, enabling informed treatment choices and deepening our understanding of the multifaceted challenges associated with advanced melanoma management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Boutros
- Skin Cancer Unit, U.O. Oncologia Medica 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy; Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Sciences (DiMI), School of Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
| | - Elena Croce
- Skin Cancer Unit, U.O. Oncologia Medica 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy
| | - Marco Ferrari
- Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana, Medical Oncology Unit, Pisa, Italy
| | - Riccardo Gili
- Skin Cancer Unit, U.O. Oncologia Medica 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy; Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Sciences (DiMI), School of Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Giulia Massaro
- Unit of Medical Oncology, Careggi University-Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Riccardo Marconcini
- Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana, Medical Oncology Unit, Pisa, Italy
| | - Luca Arecco
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Sciences (DiMI), School of Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy; Department of Medical Oncology, U.O.C. Clinica di Oncologia Medica, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy
| | - Enrica Teresa Tanda
- Skin Cancer Unit, U.O. Oncologia Medica 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy
| | - Francesco Spagnolo
- Skin Cancer Unit, U.O. Oncologia Medica 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy; Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics (DISC), Plastic Surgery Division, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
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Knox A, Wang T, Shackleton M, Ameratunga M. Symptomatic brain metastases in melanoma. Exp Dermatol 2024; 33:e15075. [PMID: 38610093 DOI: 10.1111/exd.15075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Although clinical outcomes in metastatic melanoma have improved in recent years, the morbidity and mortality of symptomatic brain metastases remain challenging. Response rates and survival outcomes of patients with symptomatic melanoma brain metastases (MBM) are significantly inferior to patients with asymptomatic disease. This review focusses upon the specific challenges associated with the management of symptomatic MBM, discussing current treatment paradigms, obstacles to improving clinical outcomes and directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Knox
- Department of Medical Oncology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Tim Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mark Shackleton
- Department of Medical Oncology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Malaka Ameratunga
- Department of Medical Oncology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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Namikawa K, Nakano E, Ogata D, Yamazaki N. Long-term survival with systemic therapy in the last decade: Can melanoma be cured? J Dermatol 2024; 51:343-352. [PMID: 38358050 DOI: 10.1111/1346-8138.17147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been shown to prolong survival of patients with several types of cancer, and the finding was first established in melanoma. Previously, systemic therapy for advanced melanoma aimed only at tumor control and palliation of symptoms. However, in recent years, some patients who received systemic therapy have achieved a complete response and survived without continuous treatment for more than several years. This review discusses the long-term survival rates achieved with currently used systemic therapies and their future perspectives. Long-term survival is currently most likely to be achieved with the use of the standard-dose combination of nivolumab plus ipilimumab, however, this regimen is associated with a high frequency of serious or persistent immune-related adverse events. Several new anti-PD-1-based combination therapies with a better risk-benefit balance are currently under development. Although the acral and mucosal subtypes tend to be less responsive to immune checkpoint inhibitors, anti-PD-1-based combination therapy should continue to be investigated for these subtypes owing to its potential for better long-term survival. With the development of efficacious immunotherapy and targeted therapy, it is important to determine the optimal duration of systemic therapy to avoid unnecessary health and financial burdens as well as to improve efforts to support long-term cancer survivors. As the goal of systemic therapy shifts from tumor control to long-term survival, in future clinical trials, long-term clinical outcomes should be evaluated to assess the benefits of novel agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenjiro Namikawa
- Department of Dermatologic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Eiji Nakano
- Department of Dermatologic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Dai Ogata
- Department of Dermatologic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoya Yamazaki
- Department of Dermatologic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
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Nayyar N, de Sauvage MA, Chuprin J, Sullivan EM, Singh M, Torrini C, Zhang BS, Bandyopadhyay S, Daniels KA, Alvarez-Breckenridge C, Dahal A, Brehm MA, Brastianos PK. CDK4/6 Inhibition Sensitizes Intracranial Tumors to PD-1 Blockade in Preclinical Models of Brain Metastasis. Clin Cancer Res 2024; 30:420-435. [PMID: 37611074 PMCID: PMC10872577 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-0433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Brain metastases are associated with high morbidity and are often resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitors. We evaluated whether CDK4/6 inhibitor (CDKi) abemaciclib can sensitize intracranial tumors to programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibition in mouse models of melanoma and breast cancer brain metastasis. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Treatment response was evaluated in vivo using immunocompetent mouse models of brain metastasis bearing concurrent intracranial and extracranial tumors. Treatment effect on intracranial and extracranial tumor-immune microenvironments (TIME) was evaluated using immunofluorescence, multiplex immunoassays, high-parameter flow cytometry, and T-cell receptor profiling. Mice with humanized immune systems were evaluated using flow cytometry to study the effect of CDKi on human T-cell development. RESULTS We found that combining abemaciclib with PD-1 inhibition reduced tumor burden and improved overall survival in mice. The TIME, which differed on the basis of anatomic location of tumors, was altered with CDKi and PD-1 inhibition in an organ-specific manner. Combination abemaciclib and anti-PD-1 treatment increased recruitment and expansion of CD8+ effector T-cell subsets, depleted CD4+ regulatory T (Treg) cells, and reduced levels of immunosuppressive cytokines in intracranial tumors. In immunodeficient mice engrafted with human immune systems, abemaciclib treatment supported development and maintenance of CD8+ T cells and depleted Treg cells. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight the distinct properties of intracranial and extracranial tumors and support clinical investigation of combination CDK4/6 and PD-1 inhibition in patients with brain metastases. See related commentary by Margolin, p. 257.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naema Nayyar
- Program in Molecular Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | | | - Jane Chuprin
- Program in Molecular Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | - Emily M Sullivan
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Mohini Singh
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Consuelo Torrini
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Britney S Zhang
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Sushobhana Bandyopadhyay
- Program in Molecular Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
- Gene Therapy Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Keith A Daniels
- Program in Molecular Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | - Christopher Alvarez-Breckenridge
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Ashish Dahal
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Michael A Brehm
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Priscilla K Brastianos
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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Meng L, Wu H, Wu J, Ding P, He J, Sang M, Liu L. Mechanisms of immune checkpoint inhibitors: insights into the regulation of circular RNAS involved in cancer hallmarks. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:3. [PMID: 38177102 PMCID: PMC10766988 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06389-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Current treatment strategies for cancer, especially advanced cancer, are limited and unsatisfactory. One of the most substantial advances in cancer therapy, in the last decades, was the discovery of a new layer of immunotherapy approach, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), which can specifically activate immune cells by targeting immune checkpoints. Immune checkpoints are a type of immunosuppressive molecules expressed on immune cells, which can regulate the degree of immune activation and avoid autoimmune responses. ICIs, such as anti-PD-1/PD-L1 drugs, has shown inspiring efficacy and broad applicability across various cancers. Unfortunately, not all cancer patients benefit remarkably from ICIs, and the overall response rates to ICIs remain relatively low for most cancer types. Moreover, the primary and acquired resistance to ICIs pose serious challenges to the clinical application of cancer immunotherapy. Thus, a deeper understanding of the molecular biological properties and regulatory mechanisms of immune checkpoints is urgently needed to improve clinical options for current therapies. Recently, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have attracted increasing attention, not only due to their involvement in various aspects of cancer hallmarks, but also for their impact on immune checkpoints in shaping the tumor immune microenvironment. In this review, we systematically summarize the current status of immune checkpoints in cancer and the existing regulatory roles of circRNAs on immune checkpoints. Meanwhile, we also aim to settle the issue in an evidence-oriented manner that circRNAs involved in cancer hallmarks regulate the effects and resistance of ICIs by targeting immune checkpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingjiao Meng
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050035, China
- Research Center and Tumor Research Institute, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, China
| | - Haotian Wu
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050011, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Comprehensive Treatment of Gastric Cancer, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Jiaxiang Wu
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050011, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Comprehensive Treatment of Gastric Cancer, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Ping'an Ding
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050011, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Comprehensive Treatment of Gastric Cancer, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Jinchen He
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050011, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Comprehensive Treatment of Gastric Cancer, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Meixiang Sang
- Research Center and Tumor Research Institute, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, China.
- Science and Education Department, Shanghai Electric Power Hospital, Shanghai, 20050, China.
| | - Lihua Liu
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050035, China.
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Zhou D, Gong Z, Wu D, Ma C, Hou L, Niu X, Xu T. Harnessing immunotherapy for brain metastases: insights into tumor-brain microenvironment interactions and emerging treatment modalities. J Hematol Oncol 2023; 16:121. [PMID: 38104104 PMCID: PMC10725587 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-023-01518-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain metastases signify a deleterious milestone in the progression of several advanced cancers, predominantly originating from lung, breast and melanoma malignancies, with a median survival timeframe nearing six months. Existing therapeutic regimens yield suboptimal outcomes; however, burgeoning insights into the tumor microenvironment, particularly the immunosuppressive milieu engendered by tumor-brain interplay, posit immunotherapy as a promising avenue for ameliorating brain metastases. In this review, we meticulously delineate the research advancements concerning the microenvironment of brain metastases, striving to elucidate the panorama of their onset and evolution. We encapsulate three emergent immunotherapeutic strategies, namely immune checkpoint inhibition, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell transplantation and glial cell-targeted immunoenhancement. We underscore the imperative of aligning immunotherapy development with in-depth understanding of the tumor microenvironment and engendering innovative delivery platforms. Moreover, the integration with established or avant-garde physical methodologies and localized applications warrants consideration in the prevailing therapeutic schema.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dairan Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, 415 Fengyang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, 200003, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenyu Gong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675, Germany
| | - Dejun Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Ma
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijun Hou
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, 415 Fengyang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, 200003, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaomin Niu
- Department of Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 241 Huaihai West Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200030, People's Republic of China.
| | - Tao Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, 415 Fengyang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, 200003, People's Republic of China.
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12
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Su M, Yang Y, Wang P. Efficacy and safety of the combined use of ipilimumab and nivolumab for melanoma patients with brain metastases: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 2023; 45:761-769. [PMID: 37228242 DOI: 10.1080/08923973.2023.2215403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Immune checkpoint inhibitors have advanced immunotherapy for melanoma patients.Objective: This study evaluates efficacy and safety of ipilimumab and nivolumab combination (IN) for melanoma brain metastases (MBM) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Literature search was conducted in electronic databases and studies were included if they reported efficacy and safety of IN in MBM patients or prognostic information related to brain metastases. Outcomes evaluated were objective response rate (ORR), complete remission/stable disease/progressive disease rates, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), incidence rates of adverse events, and hazard ratios of disease progression or mortality between IN-treated patients with and without brain metastasis. RESULTS Intracranial ORR was higher in IN-treated MBM patients than with control therapies (nivolumab or ipilimumab plus fotemustine). IN treatment led to longer PFS and OS in than control treatments. Five-year OS of IN-treated MBM patients was up to 51% compared to 34% for nivolumab. Outcomes were better for treatment naïve and asymptomatic patients. Whereas many studies reported significantly higher mortality or progression risk with IN treatment in MBM patients compared to non-MBM melanoma patients, many others did not find this risk significant. Incidence of grade 3/4 adverse events in IN-treated MBM patients was: diarrhea or colitis (16%), hepatitis (15%), rash (8%), increased alanine transaminase (8%), increased aspartate aminotransferase (7%), increased lipase (6%), increased amylase (4%), fatigue (3%), hypophysitis (2%), pneumonitis (2%), headache (2%), nausea or vomiting (1%), and neutropenia (1%). CONCLUSION IN is an efficacious and safer treatment option for MBM patients, especially for asymptomatic and treatment naïve patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengmeng Su
- Department of Radiotherapy, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yuyan Yang
- Department of Radiotherapy, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Radiotherapy, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, China
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13
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Kumthekar P, Le Rhun E. Brain Metastases and Leptomeningeal Disease. Continuum (Minneap Minn) 2023; 29:1727-1751. [PMID: 38085896 DOI: 10.1212/con.0000000000001354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Central nervous system (CNS) metastases include brain parenchymal, spinal cord, and leptomeningeal metastases. This article discusses the diagnostic and therapeutic advances of the last decade that have improved outcomes for patients with these CNS metastases. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS The diagnostic tools for CNS metastases, particularly leptomeningeal disease, have evolved over the past decade with respect to advancements in CSF analysis. Multiple medical therapies are now available for brain metastasis treatment that have shown CNS efficacy, including targeted therapies and antibody-drug conjugates. Molecular testing for CNS metastases has become more common and the repertoire of molecularly targeted therapies continues to expand. Advancements in radiation therapy, including improvements in stereotactic radiation techniques, whole-brain radiation with hippocampal avoidance, and proton beam radiation, have changed the radiation management of patients with CNS metastases. New intrathecal agents are currently being tested for the management of leptomeningeal metastases. ESSENTIAL POINTS CNS metastases are far more common than primary brain tumors and are increasing in prevalence in the setting of improved treatments and prolonged survival in patients with systemic cancers. There have been many changes in the diagnostics and treatment of CNS metastases, yielding subsequent improvements in patient outcomes with further advancements on the horizon.
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14
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Dummer R, Queirolo P, Gerard Duhard P, Hu Y, Wang D, de Azevedo SJ, Robert C, Ascierto PA, Chiarion-Sileni V, Pronzato P, Spagnolo F, Mujika Eizmendi K, Liszkay G, de la Cruz Merino L, Tawbi H. Atezolizumab, vemurafenib, and cobimetinib in patients with melanoma with CNS metastases (TRICOTEL): a multicentre, open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study. Lancet Oncol 2023; 24:e461-e471. [PMID: 37459873 DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(23)00334-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Targeted therapy and immunotherapy have shown intracranial activity in melanoma with CNS metastases, but there remains an unmet need, particularly for patients with symptomatic CNS metastases. We aimed to evaluate atezolizumab in combination with cobimetinib or vemurafenib plus cobimetinib in patients with melanoma with CNS metastases. METHODS TRICOTEL was a multicentre, open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study done in two cohorts: a BRAFV600 wild-type cohort and a BRAFV600 mutation-positive cohort, recruited at 21 hospitals and oncology centres in Brazil, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older with previously untreated metastatic melanoma, brain metastases of 5 mm or larger in at least one dimension, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2 or less. Patients in the BRAFV600 wild-type cohort received intravenous atezolizumab (840 mg, days 1 and 15 of each 28-day cycle) plus oral cobimetinib (60 mg once daily, days 1-21). Patients in the BRAFV600 mutation-positive cohort received intravenous atezolizumab (840 mg, days 1 and 15 of each 28-day cycle) plus oral vemurafenib (720 mg twice daily) plus oral cobimetinib (60 mg once daily, days 1-21); atezolizumab was withheld in cycle 1. Treatment was continued until progression, toxicity, or death. The primary outcome was intracranial objective response rate confirmed by assessments at least 4 weeks apart, as assessed by independent review committee (IRC) using modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours version 1.1. Because of early closure of the BRAFV600 wild-type cohort, the primary endpoint of intracranial objective response rate by IRC assessment was not done in this cohort; intracranial objective response rate by investigator assessment was reported instead. Efficacy and safety were analysed in all patients who received at least one dose of study medication. This trial is closed to enrolment and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03625141. FINDINGS Between Dec 13, 2018, and Dec 7, 2020, 65 patients were enrolled in the BRAFV600 mutation-positive cohort; the BRAFV600 wild-type cohort was closed early after enrolment of 15 patients. Median follow-up was 9·7 months (IQR 6·3-15·0) for the BRAFV600 mutation-positive cohort and 6·2 months (3·5-23·0) for the BRAFV600 wild-type cohort. Intracranial objective response rate was 42% (95% CI 29-54) by IRC assessment in the BRAFV600 mutation-positive cohort and 27% (95% CI 8-55) by investigator assessment in the BRAFV600 wild-type cohort. Treatment-related grade 3 or worse adverse events occurred in 41 (68%) of 60 patients who received atezolizumab plus vemurafenib plus cobimetinib in the BRAFV600 mutation-positive cohort, the most common of which were lipase increased (15 [25%] of 60 patients) and blood creatine phosphokinase increased (11 [18%]). Eight (53%) of 15 patients treated with atezolizumab plus cobimetinib in the BRAFV600 wild-type cohort had treatment-related grade 3 or worse adverse events, most commonly anaemia (two [13%]) and dermatitis acneiform (two [13%]). Treatment-related serious adverse events occurred in 14 (23%) of 60 patients who received triplet therapy in the BRAFV600 mutation-positive cohort and two (13%) of 15 in the BRAFV600 wild-type cohort. No treatment-related deaths occurred. INTERPRETATION Atezolizumab plus vemurafenib and cobimetinib provided intracranial activity in patients with BRAFV600-mutated melanoma with CNS metastases. FUNDING F Hoffmann-La Roche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, Skin Cancer Center, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | | | | | - Youyou Hu
- F Hoffman-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dao Wang
- F Hoffman-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Jobim de Azevedo
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Unidade de Pesquisa Clinica em Oncologia, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Caroline Robert
- Gustave Roussy and Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif-Paris, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Luis de la Cruz Merino
- Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Clinical Oncology Department and Medicine Department, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Hussein Tawbi
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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15
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Long GV, Swetter SM, Menzies AM, Gershenwald JE, Scolyer RA. Cutaneous melanoma. Lancet 2023:S0140-6736(23)00821-8. [PMID: 37499671 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)00821-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 116.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma is a malignancy arising from melanocytes of the skin. Incidence rates are rising, particularly in White populations. Cutaneous melanoma is typically driven by exposure to ultraviolet radiation from natural sunlight and indoor tanning, although there are several subtypes that are not related to ultraviolet radiation exposure. Primary melanomas are often darkly pigmented, but can be amelanotic, with diagnosis based on a combination of clinical and histopathological findings. Primary melanoma is treated with wide excision, with margins determined by tumour thickness. Further treatment depends on the disease stage (following histopathological examination and, where appropriate, sentinel lymph node biopsy) and can include surgery, checkpoint immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or radiotherapy. Systemic drug therapies are recommended as an adjunct to surgery in patients with resectable locoregional metastases and are the mainstay of treatment in advanced melanoma. Management of advanced melanoma is complex, particularly in those with cerebral metastasis. Multidisciplinary care is essential. Systemic drug therapies, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors, have substantially increased melanoma survival following a series of landmark approvals from 2011 onward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina V Long
- Melanoma Institute Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Mater Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Susan M Swetter
- Department of Dermatology and Pigmented Lesion and Melanoma Program, Stanford University Medical Center and Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Dermatology, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Alexander M Menzies
- Melanoma Institute Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Mater Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jeffrey E Gershenwald
- Department of Surgical Oncology and Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Richard A Scolyer
- Melanoma Institute Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia; NSW Health Pathology, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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16
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Goodman RS, Johnson DB, Balko JM. Corticosteroids and Cancer Immunotherapy. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:2580-2587. [PMID: 36648402 PMCID: PMC10349688 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-3181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Despite revolutionizing cancer management, immunotherapies dysregulate the immune system, leading to immune-mediated adverse events. These common and potentially dangerous toxicities are often treated with corticosteroids, which are among the most prescribed drugs in oncology for a wide range of cancer and noncancer indications. While steroids exert several mechanisms to reduce immune activity, immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), are designed to enhance the immune system's inherent antitumor activity. Because ICI requires an intact and robust immune response, the immunosuppressive properties of steroids have led to a widespread concern that they may interfere with antitumor responses. However, the existing data of the effect of systemic steroids on immunotherapy efficacy remain somewhat conflicted and unclear. To inform clinical decision-making and improve outcomes, we review the impact of steroids on antitumor immunity, recent advances in the knowledge of their impact on ICI efficacy in unique populations and settings, associated precautions, and steroid-sparing treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Douglas B. Johnson
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Justin M. Balko
- Department of Medicine, Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
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17
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van Zeijl MCT, van Breeschoten J, de Wreede LC, Wouters MWJM, Hilarius DL, Blank CU, Aarts MJB, van den Berkmortel FWPJ, de Groot JWB, Hospers GAP, Kapiteijn E, Piersma D, van Rijn RS, Stevense-den Boer MA, van der Veldt AAM, Vreugdenhil G, Boers-Sonderen MJ, Suijkerbuijk KPM, Haanen JBAG, van den Eertwegh AJM. Real-world Outcomes of Ipilimumab Plus Nivolumab Combination Therapy in a Nation-wide Cohort of Advanced Melanoma Patients in the Netherlands. J Immunother 2023; 46:197-204. [PMID: 37103470 DOI: 10.1097/cji.0000000000000468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
In phase III trials, ipilimumab plus nivolumab combination therapy is highly efficacious for advanced melanoma, despite many treatment-related grades 3-4 adverse events. Here, we report real-world safety and survival outcomes of ipilimumab plus nivolumab for advanced melanoma. Patients with advanced melanoma who received first-line ipilimumab plus nivolumab between January 1, 2015 and June 30, 2021 were selected from the Dutch Melanoma Treatment Registry. We evaluated response status at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. OS and PFS were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Separate analyses were performed for patients with or without brain metastases and for patients who met the inclusion criteria of the Checkmate-067 trial. In total, 709 patients received first-line ipilimumab plus nivolumab. Three hundred sixty (50.7%) patients experienced grade 3-4 adverse events, with 211 of the (58.6%) patients requiring hospital admission. The median treatment duration was 42 days (IQR = 31-139). At 24 months, disease control was achieved in 37% of patients. Median PFS since the start of treatment was 6.6 months (95% CI: 5.3-8.7), and median OS was 28.7 months (95% CI: 20.7-42.2). CheckMate-067 trial-like patients had a 4-year OS of 50% (95% CI: 43-59). Among patients with no asymptomatic or symptomatic brain metastases, the 4-year OS probabilities were 48% (95% CI: 41-55), 45% (95% CI: 35-57), and 32% (95% CI: 23-46). Ipilimumab plus nivolumab can achieve long-term survival in advanced melanoma patients in a real-world setting, including patients not represented in the CheckMate-067 trial. However, the proportion of patients with disease control in the real world is lower compared with clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel C T van Zeijl
- Scientific Department, Dutch Institute for Clinical Auditing
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Centre
| | - Jesper van Breeschoten
- Scientific Department, Dutch Institute for Clinical Auditing
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC-location VUmc, Cancer Center Amsterdam
| | - Liesbeth C de Wreede
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Michel W J M Wouters
- Scientific Department, Dutch Institute for Clinical Auditing
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute
| | | | - Christian U Blank
- Divisions of Medical Oncology and Molecular Oncology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam
| | - Maureen J B Aarts
- Department of Medical Oncology, GROW-School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht
| | | | | | - Geke A P Hospers
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen
| | - Ellen Kapiteijn
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Centre
| | - Djura Piersma
- Department of Internal Medicine, Medisch Spectrum Twente, Enschede
| | | | | | - Astrid A M van der Veldt
- Department of Medical Oncology and Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam
| | | | | | | | - John B A G Haanen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Centre
- Divisions of Medical Oncology and Molecular Oncology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam
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18
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Galldiks N, Lohmann P, Fink GR, Langen KJ. Amino Acid PET in Neurooncology. J Nucl Med 2023; 64:693-700. [PMID: 37055222 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.122.264859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
For decades, several amino acid PET tracers have been used to optimize diagnostics in patients with brain tumors. In clinical routine, the most important clinical indications for amino acid PET in brain tumor patients are differentiation of neoplasm from nonneoplastic etiologies, delineation of tumor extent for further diagnostic and treatment planning (i.e., diagnostic biopsy, resection, or radiotherapy), differentiation of treatment-related changes such as pseudoprogression or radiation necrosis after radiation or chemoradiation from tumor progression at follow-up, and assessment of response to anticancer therapy, including prediction of patient outcome. This continuing education article addresses the diagnostic value of amino acid PET for patients with either glioblastoma or metastatic brain cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Galldiks
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany;
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Research Center Juelich, Juelich, Germany
- Center for Integrated Oncology, Universities of Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, and Duesseldorf, Germany; and
| | - Philipp Lohmann
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Research Center Juelich, Juelich, Germany
| | - Gereon R Fink
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Research Center Juelich, Juelich, Germany
| | - Karl-Josef Langen
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Research Center Juelich, Juelich, Germany
- Center for Integrated Oncology, Universities of Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, and Duesseldorf, Germany; and
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
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19
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Alimonti P, Gonzalez Castro LN. The Current Landscape of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Immunotherapy for Primary and Metastatic Brain Tumors. Antibodies (Basel) 2023; 12:antib12020027. [PMID: 37092448 PMCID: PMC10123751 DOI: 10.3390/antib12020027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibodies against immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of multiple aggressive malignancies, including melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer. ICIs for the treatment of primary and metastatic brain tumors have been used with varying degrees of success. Here, we discuss the available evidence for the use of ICIs in the treatment of primary and metastatic brain tumors, highlighting challenges and opportunities for furthering this type of cancer immunotherapy in neuro-oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Alimonti
- Department of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina, 58, 20132 Milano, Italy
| | - L Nicolas Gonzalez Castro
- Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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20
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Nikoo M, Rabiee F, Mohebbi H, Eghbalifard N, Rajabi H, Yazdani Y, Sakhaei D, Khosravifarsani M, Akhavan-Sigari R. Nivolumab plus ipilimumab combination therapy in cancer: Current evidence to date. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 117:109881. [PMID: 37012882 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.109881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer immunotherapy, yielding significant antitumor responses across multiple cancer types. Combination ICI therapy with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies outperforms either antibody alone in terms of clinical efficacy. As a consequence, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4) plus nivolumab (anti-PD-1) as the first-ever approved therapies for combined ICI in patients with metastatic melanoma. Despite the success of ICIs, treatment with checkpoint inhibitor combinations poses significant clinical challenges, such as increased rates of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and drug resistance. Thus, identifying optimal prognostic biomarkers could help to monitor the safety and efficacy of ICIs and identify patients who may benefit the most from these treatments. In this review, we will first go over the fundamentals of the CTLA-4 and PD-1 pathways, as well as the mechanisms of ICI resistance. The results of clinical findings that evaluated the combination of ipilimumab and nivolumab are then summarized to support future research in the field of combination therapy. Finally, the irAEs associated with combined ICI therapy, as well as the underlying biomarkers involved in their management, are discussed.
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21
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Straehla JP, Reardon DA, Wen PY, Agar NYR. The Blood-Brain Barrier: Implications for Experimental Cancer Therapeutics. ANNUAL REVIEW OF CANCER BIOLOGY 2023; 7:265-289. [PMID: 38323268 PMCID: PMC10846865 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cancerbio-061421-040433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier is critically important for the treatment of both primary and metastatic cancers of the central nervous system (CNS). Clinical outcomes for patients with primary CNS tumors are poor and have not significantly improved in decades. As treatments for patients with extracranial solid tumors improve, the incidence of CNS metastases is on the rise due to suboptimal CNS exposure of otherwise systemically active agents. Despite state-of-the art surgical care and increasingly precise radiation therapy, clinical progress is limited by the ability to deliver an effective dose of a therapeutic agent to all cancerous cells. Given the tremendous heterogeneity of CNS cancers, both across cancer subtypes and within a single tumor, and the range of diverse therapies under investigation, a nuanced examination of CNS drug exposure is needed. With a shared goal, common vocabulary, and interdisciplinary collaboration, the field is poised for renewed progress in the treatment of CNS cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joelle P Straehla
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David A Reardon
- Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Patrick Y Wen
- Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nathalie Y R Agar
- Department of Neurosurgery and Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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22
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Tringale KR, Reiner AS, Sehgal RR, Panageas K, Betof Warner AS, Postow MA, Moss NS. Efficacy of immunotherapy for melanoma brain metastases in patients with concurrent corticosteroid exposure. CNS Oncol 2023; 12:CNS93. [PMID: 36802833 PMCID: PMC9996406 DOI: 10.2217/cns-2022-0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) efficacy is undefined for melanoma brain metastases (MBM) with concurrent corticosteroid exposure. Materials & methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients with untreated MBM who received corticosteroids (≥1.5 mg dexamethasone equivalent) within 30 days of ICI. mRECIST criteria and Kaplan-Meier methods defined intracranial progression-free survival (iPFS). The lesion size-response association was evaluated with repeated measures modeling. Results: A total of 109 MBM were evaluated. The patient level intracranial response rate was 41%. Median iPFS was 2.3 months and overall survival was 13.4 months. Larger lesions were more likely to progress, with diameter >2.05 cm most predictive of progression (OR: 18.9; 95% CI: 2.6-139.5; p = 0.004). There was no difference in iPFS with steroid exposure pre- versus post-ICI initiation. Conclusion: In the largest reported ICI+corticosteroid cohort, we identify size dependent MBM response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn R Tringale
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anne S Reiner
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ryka R Sehgal
- Department of Neurosurgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Katherine Panageas
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - Michael A Postow
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Nelson S Moss
- Department of Neurosurgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Multidisciplinary Brain Metastasis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
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23
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Internò V, Sergi MC, Metta ME, Guida M, Trerotoli P, Strippoli S, Circelli S, Porta C, Tucci M. Melanoma Brain Metastases: A Retrospective Analysis of Prognostic Factors and Efficacy of Multimodal Therapies. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:1542. [PMID: 36900333 PMCID: PMC10001111 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15051542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain metastasis in cutaneous melanoma (CM) has historically been considered to be a dismal prognostic feature, although recent evidence has highlighted the intracranial activity of combined immunotherapy (IT). Herein, we completed a retrospective study to investigate the impact of clinical-pathological features and multimodal therapies on the overall survival (OS) of CM patients with brain metastases. A total of 105 patients were evaluated. Nearly half of the patients developed neurological symptoms leading to a negative prognosis (p = 0.0374). Both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients benefited from encephalic radiotherapy (eRT) (p = 0.0234 and p = 0.011). Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels two times higher than the upper limit normal (ULN) at the time of brain metastasis onset was associated with poor prognosis (p = 0.0452) and identified those patients who did not benefit from eRT. Additionally, the poor prognostic role of LDH levels was confirmed in patients treated with targeted therapy (TT) (p = 0.0015) concerning those who received immunotherapy (IT) (p = 0.16). Based on these results, LDH levels higher than two times the ULN at the time of the encephalic progression identify those patients with a poor prognosis who did not benefit from eRT. The negative prognostic role of LDH levels on eRT observed in our study will require prospective evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Internò
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy
- Medical Oncology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Policlinico di Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Sergi
- Medical Oncology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Policlinico di Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Maria Elvira Metta
- Medical Statistic and Biometry Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Michele Guida
- IRCCS, Istituto Tumori Giovanni Paolo II, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Paolo Trerotoli
- Medical Statistic and Biometry Unit, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | | | - Salvatore Circelli
- Medical Oncology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Policlinico di Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Camillo Porta
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy
- Medical Oncology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Policlinico di Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Marco Tucci
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy
- Medical Oncology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Policlinico di Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
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24
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Vasudevan HN, Susko MS, Ma L, Nakamura JL, Raleigh DR, Boreta L, Fogh S, Theodosopoulos PV, McDermott MW, Tsai KK, Sneed PK, Braunstein SE. Mutational Status and Clinical Outcomes Following Systemic Therapy with or without Focal Radiation for Resected Melanoma Brain Metastases. World Neurosurg 2023; 170:e514-e519. [PMID: 36400359 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.11.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Brain metastases occur frequently in advanced melanoma and traditionally require surgery and radiation therapy. New evidence demonstrates that systemic therapies are effective for controlling metastatic melanoma brain metastases. This study evaluated outcomes after resection of melanoma brain metastases treated with systemic therapy, with or without focal radiotherapy. METHODS All patients received immunotherapy or BRAF/MEK inhibitors preoperatively or in the immediate 3 months postoperatively. Resection cavity failure, distant central nervous system progression, and adverse radiation effects were reported in the presence and absence of focal radiotherapy using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS Between 2011 and 2020, 37 resection cavities in 29 patients met criteria for analysis. Of lesions, 22 (59%) were treated with focal radiotherapy, and 15 (41%) were treated with targeted therapy or immunotherapy alone. The 12- and 24-month freedom from local recurrence was 64.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 42.1%-99.8%) and 46.3% (95% CI 24.5%-87.5%), respectively, for systemic therapy alone and 93.3% (95% CI 81.5%-100%) at both time points for focal radiotherapy (P = 0.01). On univariate analysis, focal radiotherapy was the only significant factor associated with reduction of local recurrence risk (hazard ratio 0.10, 95% CI 0.01-0.85; P = 0.04). There were no significant differences in central nervous system progression-free survival or overall survival between patients who received systemic therapy plus focal radiotherapy compared with systemic therapy alone. BRAF mutation status was reviewed for either the brain metastasis (n = 9 patients, 31%) or the primary site (n = 20 patients, 69%), and patients harboring BRAFV600E mutations had worse progression-free survival (P = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS Focal radiotherapy with systemic therapy for resected melanoma brain metastases significantly decreased resection cavity recurrence compared with systemic therapy alone. BRAF mutation status correlated with poorer outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harish N Vasudevan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Matthew S Susko
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Lijun Ma
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jean L Nakamura
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - David R Raleigh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Lauren Boreta
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Shannon Fogh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Philip V Theodosopoulos
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Michael W McDermott
- Miami Neuroscience Institute, Baptist Health South Florida, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Katy K Tsai
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Penny K Sneed
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Steve E Braunstein
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
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25
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Wilmott JS, Tawbi H, Engh JA, Amankulor N, Shivalingam B, Banerjee H, Vergara IA, Lee H, Johansson PA, Ferguson PM, Saiag P, Robert C, Grob JJ, Butterfield LH, Scolyer RA, Kirkwood JM, Long GV, Davies MA. Clinical Features Associated with Outcomes and Biomarker Analysis of Dabrafenib plus Trametinib Treatment in Patients with BRAF-Mutant Melanoma Brain Metastases. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:521-531. [PMID: 36477181 PMCID: PMC9898142 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-2581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to identify baseline clinical features associated with the outcomes of patients enrolled in the COMBI-MB phase II study of dabrafenib and trametinib treatment in patients with V600 BRAF-mutant metastatic melanoma with melanoma brain metastases (MBM). Exploratory biomarker analysis was also conducted as part of the synergistic COMBI-BRV trial (BRV116521), to identify molecular and immunologic changes associated with dabrafenib in MBMs and extracranial metastases (ECM). PATIENTS AND METHODS Post hoc analysis was performed for baseline features of patients (n = 125) enrolled in COMBI-MB. Analyses were performed to identify baseline clinical features associated with intracranial response rate (ICRR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Exploratory biomarker analysis was performed on biospecimen collected in the COMBI-BRV trial in which patients with BRAF-mutant, resectable MBM were treated with dabrafenib for 10 to 14 days prior to craniotomy. Accessible ECM were resected or biopsied at the time of craniotomy. Biospecimens underwent molecular and immunologic profiling for comparative analyses. RESULTS In COMBI-MB baseline treatment with corticosteroids was independently associated with lower ICRR [39% vs. 63%; OR, 0.323; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.105-0.996; P = 0.049] and shorter PFS (HR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.06-3.51; P = 0.031). Additional significant associations identified in the multivariate analysis were improved PFS in patients with a BRAFV600E genotype (HR, 0.565; 95% CI, 0.321-0.996; P = 0.048) and improved OS in patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 0 (HR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.25-0.78; P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS Corticosteroid treatment was associated with reduced ICRR and PFS in COMBI-MB, similar to results with immunotherapy for MBMs. Baseline corticosteroid treatment is a key factor to consider in MBM patient management and clinical trial design/interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James S. Wilmott
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Hussein Tawbi
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Johnathan A Engh
- The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Nduka Amankulor
- The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brindha Shivalingam
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, NSW, Australia
| | - Hiya Banerjee
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ismael A. Vergara
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Hansol Lee
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter A. Johansson
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Peter M Ferguson
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and NSW Health Pathology, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Philippe Saiag
- Dermatology Department, Ambroise Paré Hospital, APHP, Versailles University – Paris-Saclay, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Caroline Robert
- Gustave Roussy and Paris Saclay University, Villejuif, France
| | | | - Lisa H. Butterfield
- The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Richard A. Scolyer
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and NSW Health Pathology, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - John M Kirkwood
- The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Georgina V. Long
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Royal North Shore and Mater Hospitals, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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26
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Castelo-Branco L, Morgan G, Prelaj A, Scheffler M, Canhão H, Van Meerbeeck JP, Awada A. Challenges and knowledge gaps with immune checkpoint inhibitors monotherapy in the management of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer: a survey of oncologist perceptions. ESMO Open 2023; 8:100764. [PMID: 36640544 PMCID: PMC10024152 DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2022.100764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint-inhibitors (ICIs) are changing outcomes in different cancer settings, notably for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). There are, however, still important gaps of evidence for clinical practice when using these novel treatments. In this study, we assessed physicians' opinion and experience on challenges for clinical practice with ICIs monotherapy in NSCLC. METHODS A survey was conducted on experienced physicians treating patients with NSCLC with ICIs. Two rounds of pilot tests were carried out for validation among a group of experts. Topics under analysis were in relation to treatment of elderly populations, performance status, brain metastases, use of steroids or antibiotics, the effects of gut microbiome, autoimmune diseases, human immunodeficiency virus infection, solid organ transplants, use of anti-programmed cell death protein 1 versus anti-programmed death-ligand 1 drugs, atypical tumour responses, predictors of response, duration of treatment and a final open question on additional relevant challenges. RESULTS Two hundred and twenty-one answers were collected, including 106 (48%) valid answers from experts for final analysis (physicians who have treated at least 20 patients with NSCLC with ICIs). The vast majority agreed that the selected topics in this study are important challenges ahead and more evidence is needed. Moreover, predictors of response, treating brain metastasis, shorter duration of treatment, the effects of gut microbiome and concomitant use of steroids were voted the most important topics to be further addressed in prospective clinical research. CONCLUSIONS This survey contributed to understanding which are the main challenges for clinical practice with ICIs monotherapy in NSCLC. It can also contribute to guide further clinical research, considering the opinions and experience of those who regularly treat NSCLC patients with ICIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Castelo-Branco
- NOVA National School of Public Health, NOVA University, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - G Morgan
- Skåne University Hospital, Division of Medical and Radiation Oncology, Lund, Sweden
| | - A Prelaj
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan; Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - M Scheffler
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Cologne, Germany
| | - H Canhão
- EPIDOC Unit, Comprehensive Health Research Center (CHRC), NOVA Medical School, NOVA University, Lisbon; Centro Hospitalar Universitario Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - A Awada
- Oncology Medicine Department, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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27
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Patient-specific identification of genome-wide DNA-methylation differences between intracranial and extracranial melanoma metastases. Sci Rep 2023; 13:444. [PMID: 36624125 PMCID: PMC9829750 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24940-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanomas frequently metastasize to distant organs and especially intracranial metastases still represent a major clinical challenge. Epigenetic reprogramming of intracranial metastases is thought to be involved in therapy failure, but so far only little is known about patient-specific DNA-methylation differences between intra- and extracranial melanoma metastases. Hierarchical clustering of the methylomes of 24 patient-matched intra- and extracranial melanoma metastases pairs revealed that intra- and extracranial metastases of individual patients were more similar to each other than to metastases in the same tissue from other patients. Therefore, a personalized analysis of each metastases pair was done by a Hidden Markov Model to classify methylation levels of individual CpGs as decreased, unchanged or increased in the intra- compared to the extracranial metastasis. The predicted DNA-methylation alterations were highly patient-specific differing in the number and methylation states of altered CpGs. Nevertheless, four important general observations were made: (i) intracranial metastases of most patients mainly showed a reduction of DNA-methylation, (ii) cytokine signaling was most frequently affected by differential methylation in individual metastases pairs, but also MAPK, PI3K/Akt and ECM signaling were often altered, (iii) frequently affected genes were mainly involved in signaling, growth, adhesion or apoptosis, and (iv) an enrichment of functional terms related to channel and transporter activities supports previous findings for a brain-like phenotype. In addition, the derived set of 17 signaling pathway genes that distinguished intra- from extracranial metastases in more than 50% of patients included well-known oncogenes (e.g. PRKCA, DUSP6, BMP4) and several other genes known from neuronal disorders (e.g. EIF4B, SGK1, CACNG8). Moreover, associations of gene body methylation alterations with corresponding gene expression changes revealed that especially the three signaling pathway genes JAK3, MECOM, and TNXB differ strongly in their expression between patient-matched intra- and extracranial metastases. Our analysis contributes to an in-depth characterization of DNA-methylation differences between patient-matched intra- and extracranial melanoma metastases and may provide a basis for future experimental studies to identify targets for new therapeutic approaches.
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28
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Switzer B, Piperno-Neumann S, Lyon J, Buchbinder E, Puzanov I. Evolving Management of Stage IV Melanoma. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book 2023; 43:e397478. [PMID: 37141553 DOI: 10.1200/edbk_397478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Significant advancements have been made in the treatment of advanced melanoma with the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors, novel immunotherapies, and BRAF/MEK-targeted therapies with numerous frontline treatment options. However, there remains suboptimal evidence to guide treatment decisions in many patients. These include patients with newly diagnosed disease, immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-resistant/ICI-refractory disease, CNS metastases, history of autoimmune disease, and/or immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Uveal melanoma (UM) is a rare melanoma associated with a poor prognosis in the metastatic setting. Systemic treatments, including checkpoint inhibitors, failed to demonstrate any survival benefit. Tebentafusp, a bispecific molecule, is the first treatment to improve overall survival (OS) in patients with HLA A*02:01-positive metastatic UM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Switzer
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
| | | | - James Lyon
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | | | - Igor Puzanov
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
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29
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Tabor JK, Onoichenco A, Narayan V, Wernicke AG, D’Amico RS, Vojnic M. Brain metastasis screening in the molecular age. Neurooncol Adv 2023; 5:vdad080. [PMID: 37484759 PMCID: PMC10358433 DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdad080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of brain metastases (BM) amongst cancer patients has been increasing due to improvements in therapeutic options and an increase in overall survival. Molecular characterization of tumors has provided insights into the biology and oncogenic drivers of BM and molecular subtype-based screening. Though there are currently some screening and surveillance guidelines for BM, they remain limited. In this comprehensive review, we review and present epidemiological data on BM, their molecular characterization, and current screening guidelines. The molecular subtypes with the highest BM incidence are epithelial growth factor receptor-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), BRCA1, triple-negative (TN), and HER2+ breast cancers, and BRAF-mutated melanoma. Furthermore, BMs are more likely to present asymptomatically at diagnosis in oncogene-addicted NSCLC and BRAF-mutated melanoma. European screening standards recommend more frequent screening for oncogene-addicted NSCLC patients, and clinical trials are investigating screening for BM in hormone receptor+, HER2+, and TN breast cancers. However, more work is needed to determine optimal screening guidelines for other primary cancer molecular subtypes. With the advent of personalized medicine, molecular characterization of tumors has revolutionized the landscape of cancer treatment and prognostication. Incorporating molecular characterization into BM screening guidelines may allow physicians to better identify patients at high risk for BM development and improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Vinayak Narayan
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Lenox Hill Hospital, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York, NY, USA
| | - A Gabriella Wernicke
- Department of Radiation Medicine, Lenox Hill Hospital, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York, NY, USA
| | - Randy S D’Amico
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Lenox Hill Hospital, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York, NY, USA
| | - Morana Vojnic
- Corresponding Author: Morana Vojnic, MD, MBA, 210 East 64th Street, Floor 4, New York, NY 10065, USA ()
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30
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Shui IM, Scherrer E, Frederickson A, Li JW, Mynzhassarova A, Druyts E, Tawbi H. Resistance to anti-PD1 therapies in patients with advanced melanoma: systematic literature review and application of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer Immunotherapy Resistance Taskforce anti-PD1 resistance definitions. Melanoma Res 2022; 32:393-404. [PMID: 36223314 DOI: 10.1097/cmr.0000000000000850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Nearly half of advanced melanoma patients do not achieve a clinical response with anti-programmed cell death 1 protein (PD1) therapy (i.e. primary resistance) or initially achieve a clinical response but eventually progress during or following further treatment (i.e. secondary resistance). A consensus definition for tumor resistance to anti-PD1 monotherapy was published by Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer Immunotherapy Resistance Taskforce (SITC) in 2020. A systematic literature review (SLR) of clinical trials and observational studies was conducted to characterize the proportions of advanced melanoma patients who have progressed on anti-PD1 therapies. The SLR included 55 unique studies and the SITC definition of primary resistance was applied to 37 studies that specified disease progression by best overall response. Median and range of patients with primary resistance in studies that specified first-line and second-line or higher anti-PD1 monotherapy was 35.50% (21.19-39.13%; n = 4 studies) and 41.54% (30.00-56.41%, n = 3 studies); median and range of patients with primary resistance in studies that specified first-line and second-line or higher combination therapy was 30.23% (15.79-33.33%; n = 6 studies), and 70.00% (61.10-73.33%; n = 3 studies). Primary resistance to anti-PD1 monotherapies and when in combination with ipilimumab are higher in patients receiving second-line or higher therapies, in patients with acral, mucosal, and uveal melanoma, and in patients with active brain metastases. The percentage of patients with primary resistance was generally consistent across clinical trials, with variability in resistance noted for observational studies. Limitations include applying the SITC definitions to combination therapies, where consensus definitions are not yet available. Future studies should highly consider utilizing the SITC definitions to harmonize how resistance is classified and facilitate meaningful context for clinical activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Joyce W Li
- Pharmalytics Group, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Eric Druyts
- Pharmalytics Group, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Hussein Tawbi
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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31
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The Analysis of Trends in Survival for Patients with Melanoma Brain Metastases with Introduction of Novel Therapeutic Options before the Era of Combined Immunotherapy-Multicenter Italian-Polish Report. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14235763. [PMID: 36497248 PMCID: PMC9737166 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14235763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Stage IV melanoma patients develop melanoma brain metastases (MBM) in 50% of cases. Their prognosis is improving, and its understanding outside the context of clinical trials is relevant. We have retrospectively analyzed the clinical data, course of treatment, and outcomes of 531 subsequent stage IV melanoma patients with BM treated in five reference Italian and Polish melanoma centers between 2014 and 2021. Patients with MBM after 2017 had a better prognosis, with a significantly improved median of overall survival (OS) after 2017 in the worst mol-GPA prognostic groups (mol-GPA ≤ 2): a median OS >6 months and HR 0.76 vs. those treated before 2017 (CI: 0.60−0.97, p = 0.027). In our prognostic model, mol-GPA was highly predictive for survival, and symptoms without steroid use did not have prognostic significance. Local therapy significantly improved survival regardless of the year of diagnosis (treated before or after 2017), with median survival >12 months. Systemic therapy improved outcomes when it was combined with local therapy. Local surgery was associated with improved OS regardless of the timing related to treatment start (i.e., before or after 30 days from MBM diagnosis). Local and systemic treatment significantly prolong survival for the poorest mol-GPA prognosis. Use of modern treatment modalities is justified in all mol-GPA prognostic groups.
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32
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Dummer R, Tawbi H. Symptomatic melanoma CNS metastases in the TRICOTEL study – Authors' reply. Lancet Oncol 2022; 23:e482. [DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(22)00647-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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33
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Serra-Bellver P, Versluis JM, Oberoi HK, Zhou C, Slattery TD, Khan Y, Patrinely JR, Pires da Silva I, Martínez-Vila C, Cook N, Graham DM, Carlino MS, Menzies AM, Arance AM, Johnson DB, Long GV, Pickering L, Larkin JMG, Blank CU, Lorigan P. Real-world outcomes with ipilimumab and nivolumab in advanced melanoma: a multicentre retrospective study. Eur J Cancer 2022; 176:121-132. [PMID: 36215945 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess efficacy and toxicity of combination immunotherapy with ipilimumab plus nivolumab in routine practice in a retrospective multicentre cohort of patients with advanced melanoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS This retrospective analysis included patients with advanced melanoma treated with ipilimumab and nivolumab between October 2015 and January 2020 at six centres in Australia, Europe and the United States of America. We describe efficacy outcomes (overall survival [OS], progression-free survival [PFS] and objective response rate [ORR]) in treatment-naïve and pre-treated patients, with and without brain metastases, plus treatment-related adverse events (trAEs) in all patients treated. RESULTS A total of 697 patients were identified; 472 were treatment-naïve of which 138 (29.2%) had brain metastases, and 225 were previously treated of which 102 (45.3%) had brain metastases. At baseline, 32.3% had stage M1c and 34.4% stage M1d disease. Lactate dehydrogenase was high in 280 patients (40.2%). With a median follow-up of 25.9 months, median OS in the 334 treatment-naïve patients without brain metastases was 53.7 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 40.8-NR) and 38.7 months (95% CI 18.6-NR) for the 138 treatment-naïve patients with brain metastases. For the entire cohort the ORR was 48%, for treatment-naïve patients without brain metastases ORR was 56.6% with a median PFS of was 13.7 months (95% CI 9.6-26.5). Median PFS was 7.9 months (95% CI 5.8-10.4) and OS 38 months (95% CI 31-NR) for the entire cohort. Grade 3-4 trAE were reported in 44% of patients, and 4 (0.7%) treatment-related deaths (1 pneumonitis, 2 myocarditis and 1 colitis) were recorded. CONCLUSION The outcome and toxicity of combination immunotherapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab in a real-world patient population are similar to those reported in pivotal trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricio Serra-Bellver
- Department of Medical Oncology, Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom.
| | - Judith M Versluis
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Honey K Oberoi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom; Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cong Zhou
- Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy D Slattery
- Department of Medical Oncology, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yasir Khan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - James R Patrinely
- Department of Medical Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Inês Pires da Silva
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney and the Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Westmead and Blacktown Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - C Martínez-Vila
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Natalie Cook
- Department of Medical Oncology, Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom; Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Donna M Graham
- Department of Medical Oncology, Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom; Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Matteo S Carlino
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney and the Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Westmead and Blacktown Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Alexander M Menzies
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney and the Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Royal North Shore and Mater Hospitals, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ana M Arance
- Institut D'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Douglas B Johnson
- Department of Medical Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Georgina V Long
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney and the Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Royal North Shore and Mater Hospitals, Sydney, Australia
| | - Lisa Pickering
- Department of Medical Oncology, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - James M G Larkin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christian U Blank
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Paul Lorigan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom; Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
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Eroglu Z, Topcu T, Yu H, Margolin K. How I treat brain metastases of melanoma. ESMO Open 2022; 7:100598. [PMID: 36274439 PMCID: PMC9589018 DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2022.100598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain metastases are common in advanced melanoma and cause death in >50% of patients. Until recently, median survival was only ∼4 months. Improved systemic treatment including immune checkpoint inhibitors and combinations of BRAF/MEK inhibitors, however, has significantly improved intracranial tumor response and survival. In addition, advances in radiation therapy have also improved the intracranial outcomes for advanced melanoma patients with brain metastases (MBM). There has long been concern that systemic treatment of the central nervous metastases would be ineffective due to inability of active agents to cross an intact blood-brain barrier. Recent studies have shown, however, that highly active systemic therapy can have significant benefit in these patients. When determining a patient's treatment, the important factors in predicting the likelihood of benefit including the presence of neurologic symptoms, the number and size of brain metastases, performance status/status of extracranial disease, and BRAF mutation status should all be considered. In this review, we will discuss the challenges and treatment options for patients with advanced melanoma and brain metastases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z. Eroglu
- Department of Cutaneous Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, USA,Correspondence to: Prof. Zeynep Eroglu, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 USF Magnolia Dr, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. Tel: +1-813-745-4673
| | - T.O. Topcu
- Department of Cutaneous Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, USA
| | - H.M. Yu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, USA
| | - K.A. Margolin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Providence St. John’s Cancer Institute, Santa Monica, USA
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Derks S, de Joode K, Mulder E, Ho L, Joosse A, de Jonge M, Verhoef C, Grünhagen D, Smits M, van den Bent M, van der Veldt A. The meaning of screening: detection of brain metastasis in the adjuvant setting for stage III melanoma. ESMO Open 2022; 7:100600. [PMID: 36265261 PMCID: PMC9808474 DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2022.100600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incidence of melanoma is increasing and 37% of patients with metastatic melanoma eventually have brain metastasis (BM). Currently, there is no consensus on screening for BM in patients with resected stage III melanoma. However, given the high incidence of BM, routine screening magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain is considered in patients with completely resected stage III melanoma before the start of adjuvant treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the yield of screening for BM in these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS A single-center cohort study was carried out in the Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, a large tertiary referral center for patients with melanoma. Eligible patients with complete resection of stage III melanoma and a screening MRI of the brain, made within 12 weeks after resection and before adjuvant treatment (programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitors, dabrafenib-trametinib), available between 1 August 2018 and 1 January 2021, were included. RESULTS A total of 202 patients were included. Eighteen (8.9%) of 202 patients had extracranial metastasis at screening. Two (1.1%) of the remaining 184 patients had BM at screening, resulting in a switch from adjuvant treatment to ipilimumab-nivolumab. At a median follow-up of 21.2 months, BM was detected in another 4 (2.4%) of 166 patients who started with adjuvant treatment. CONCLUSIONS The yield of screening MRI of the brain is low after complete resection of stage III melanoma, before the start of adjuvant treatment. Therefore, routine screening MRI is not recommended in this setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- S.H.A.E. Derks
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands,Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands,Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - K. de Joode
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands,Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - E.E.A.P. Mulder
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands,Department of Surgical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - L.S. Ho
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - A. Joosse
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M.J.A. de Jonge
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - C. Verhoef
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - D.J. Grünhagen
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M. Smits
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M.J. van den Bent
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - A.A.M. van der Veldt
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands,Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands,Correspondence to: Dr A. A. M. van der Veldt, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, 3015GD Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Tel: +31-010-704 17 54
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Swati K, Agrawal K, Raj S, Kumar R, Prakash A, Kumar D. Molecular mechanism(s) of regulations of cancer stem cell in brain cancer propagation. Med Res Rev 2022; 43:441-463. [PMID: 36205299 DOI: 10.1002/med.21930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Brain tumors are most often diagnosed with solid neoplasms and are the primary reason for cancer-related deaths in both children and adults worldwide. With recent developments in the progression of novel targeted chemotherapies, the prognosis of malignant glioma remains dismal. However, the high recurrence rate and high mortality rate remain unresolved and are closely linked to the biological features of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Research on tumor biology has reached a new age with more understanding of CSC features. CSCs, a subpopulation of whole tumor cells, are now regarded as candidate therapeutic targets. Therefore, in the diagnosis and treatment of tumors, recognizing the biological properties of CSCs is of considerable significance. Here, we have discussed the concept of CSCs and their significant role in brain cancer growth and propagation. We have also discussed personalized therapeutic development and immunotherapies for brain cancer by specifically targeting CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumari Swati
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar, India
| | - Kirti Agrawal
- School of Health Sciences and Technology (SoHST), UPES University, Dehradun, India.,Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| | - Sibi Raj
- School of Health Sciences and Technology (SoHST), UPES University, Dehradun, India.,Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| | - Rajeev Kumar
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| | - Anand Prakash
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar, India
| | - Dhruv Kumar
- School of Health Sciences and Technology (SoHST), UPES University, Dehradun, India.,Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
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Aizer AA, Lamba N, Ahluwalia MS, Aldape K, Boire A, Brastianos PK, Brown PD, Camidge DR, Chiang VL, Davies MA, Hu LS, Huang RY, Kaufmann T, Kumthekar P, Lam K, Lee EQ, Lin NU, Mehta M, Parsons M, Reardon DA, Sheehan J, Soffietti R, Tawbi H, Weller M, Wen PY. Brain metastases: A Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) consensus review on current management and future directions. Neuro Oncol 2022; 24:1613-1646. [PMID: 35762249 PMCID: PMC9527527 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noac118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain metastases occur commonly in patients with advanced solid malignancies. Yet, less is known about brain metastases than cancer-related entities of similar incidence. Advances in oncologic care have heightened the importance of intracranial management. Here, in this consensus review supported by the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO), we review the landscape of brain metastases with particular attention to management approaches and ongoing efforts with potential to shape future paradigms of care. Each coauthor carried an area of expertise within the field of brain metastases and initially composed, edited, or reviewed their specific subsection of interest. After each subsection was accordingly written, multiple drafts of the manuscript were circulated to the entire list of authors for group discussion and feedback. The hope is that the these consensus guidelines will accelerate progress in the understanding and management of patients with brain metastases, and highlight key areas in need of further exploration that will lead to dedicated trials and other research investigations designed to advance the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayal A Aizer
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nayan Lamba
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Kenneth Aldape
- Laboratory of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Adrienne Boire
- Department of Neurology, Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Priscilla K Brastianos
- Departments of Neuro-Oncology and Medical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Paul D Brown
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - D Ross Camidge
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Veronica L Chiang
- Departments of Neurosurgery and Radiation Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Michael A Davies
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Leland S Hu
- Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology Division, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Raymond Y Huang
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Priya Kumthekar
- Department of Neurology at The Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University and The Malnati Brain Tumor Institute at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Keng Lam
- Department of Neurology, Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Eudocia Q Lee
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nancy U Lin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Minesh Mehta
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Miami Cancer Institute, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Michael Parsons
- Departments of Oncology and Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David A Reardon
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jason Sheehan
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Riccardo Soffietti
- Division of Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Hussein Tawbi
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Michael Weller
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Y Wen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Singh K, Saxena S, Khosla AA, McDermott MW, Kotecha RR, Ahluwalia MS. Update on the Management of Brain Metastasis. Neurotherapeutics 2022; 19:1772-1781. [PMID: 36422836 PMCID: PMC9723062 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-022-01312-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain metastases occur in almost one-third of adult patients with solid tumor malignancies and lead to considerable patient morbidity and mortality. The rising incidence of brain metastases has been ascribed to the development of better imaging and screening techniques and the formulation of better systemic therapies. Until recently, the multimodal management of brain metastases focused primarily on the utilization of neurosurgical techniques, with varying combinations of whole-brain radiation therapy and stereotactic radio-surgical procedures. Over the past 2 decades, in particular, the increment in knowledge pertaining to molecular genetics and the pathogenesis of brain metastases has led to significant developments in targeted therapies and immunotherapies. This review article highlights the recent updates in the management of brain metastases with an emphasis on novel systemic therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karanvir Singh
- Division of Medical Oncology, Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida, Miami, FL, 33176, USA
| | - Shreya Saxena
- Division of Medical Oncology, Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida, Miami, FL, 33176, USA
| | - Atulya A Khosla
- Division of Medical Oncology, Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida, Miami, FL, 33176, USA
| | - Michael W McDermott
- Division of Neurosurgery, Miami Neuroscience Institute, Baptist Health South Florida, Miami, FL, 33176, USA
- Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Rupesh R Kotecha
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida, Miami, FL, 33176, USA
- Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Manmeet S Ahluwalia
- Division of Medical Oncology, Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida, Miami, FL, 33176, USA.
- Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA.
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Johnson AL, Laterra J, Lopez-Bertoni H. Exploring glioblastoma stem cell heterogeneity: Immune microenvironment modulation and therapeutic opportunities. Front Oncol 2022; 12:995498. [PMID: 36212415 PMCID: PMC9532940 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.995498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite its growing use in cancer treatment, immunotherapy has been virtually ineffective in clinical trials for gliomas. The inherently cold tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) in gliomas, characterized by a high ratio of pro-tumor to anti-tumor immune cell infiltrates, acts as a seemingly insurmountable barrier to immunotherapy. Glioma stem cells (GSCs) within these tumors are key contributors to this cold TIME, often functioning indirectly through activation and recruitment of pro-tumor immune cell types. Furthermore, drivers of GSC plasticity and heterogeneity (e.g., reprogramming transcription factors, epigenetic modifications) are associated with induction of immunosuppressive cell states. Recent studies have identified GSC-intrinsic mechanisms, including functional mimicry of immune suppressive cell types, as key determinants of anti-tumor immune escape. In this review, we cover recent advancements in our understanding of GSC-intrinsic mechanisms that modulate GSC-TIME interactions and discuss cutting-edge techniques and bioinformatics platforms available to study immune modulation at high cellular resolution with exploration of both malignant (i.e., GSC) and non-malignant (i.e., immune) cell fractions. Finally, we provide insight into the therapeutic opportunities for targeting immunomodulatory GSC-intrinsic mechanisms to potentiate immunotherapy response in gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L. Johnson
- Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - John Laterra
- Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: John Laterra, ; Hernando Lopez-Bertoni,
| | - Hernando Lopez-Bertoni
- Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: John Laterra, ; Hernando Lopez-Bertoni,
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40
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Dummer R, Queirolo P, Abajo Guijarro AM, Hu Y, Wang D, de Azevedo SJ, Robert C, Ascierto PA, Chiarion-Sileni V, Pronzato P, Spagnolo F, Mujika Eizmendi K, Liszkay G, de la Cruz Merino L, Tawbi H. Atezolizumab, vemurafenib, and cobimetinib in patients with melanoma with CNS metastases (TRICOTEL): a multicentre, open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study. Lancet Oncol 2022; 23:1145-1155. [PMID: 35940183 DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(22)00452-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Targeted therapy and immunotherapy have shown intracranial activity in melanoma with CNS metastases, but there remains an unmet need, particularly for patients with symptomatic CNS metastases. We aimed to evaluate atezolizumab in combination with cobimetinib or vemurafenib plus cobimetinib in patients with melanoma with CNS metastases. METHODS TRICOTEL was a multicentre, open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study done in two cohorts: a BRAFV600 wild-type cohort and a BRAFV600 mutation-positive cohort, recruited at 21 hospitals and oncology centres in Brazil, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older with previously untreated metastatic melanoma, CNS metastases of 5 mm or larger in at least one dimension, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2 or less. Patients in the BRAFV600 wild-type cohort received intravenous atezolizumab (840 mg, days 1 and 15 of each 28-day cycle) plus oral cobimetinib (60 mg once daily, days 1-21). Patients in the BRAFV600 mutation-positive cohort received intravenous atezolizumab (840 mg, days 1 and 15 of each 28-day cycle) plus oral vemurafenib (720 mg twice daily) plus oral cobimetinib (60 mg once daily, days 1-21); atezolizumab was withheld in cycle 1. Treatment was continued until progression, toxicity, or death. The primary outcome was intracranial objective response rate confirmed by assessments at least 4 weeks apart, as assessed by independent review committee (IRC) using modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours version 1.1. Because of early closure of the BRAFV600 wild-type cohort, the primary endpoint of intracranial objective response rate by IRC assessment was not done in this cohort; intracranial objective response rate by investigator assessment was reported instead. Efficacy and safety were analysed in all patients who received at least one dose of study medication. This trial is closed to enrolment and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03625141. FINDINGS Between Dec 13, 2018, and Dec 7, 2020, 65 patients were enrolled in the BRAFV600 mutation-positive cohort; the BRAFV600 wild-type cohort was closed early after enrolment of 15 patients. Median follow-up was 9·7 months (IQR 6·3-15·0) for the BRAFV600 mutation-positive cohort and 6·2 months (3·5-23·0) for the BRAFV600 wild-type cohort. Intracranial objective response rate was 42% (95% CI 29-54) by IRC assessment in the BRAFV600 mutation-positive cohort and 27% (95% CI 8-55) by investigator assessment in the BRAFV600 wild-type cohort. Treatment-related grade 3 or worse adverse events occurred in 41 (68%) of 60 patients who received atezolizumab plus vemurafenib plus cobimetinib in the BRAFV600 mutation-positive cohort, the most common of which were lipase increased (15 [25%] of 60 patients) and blood creatine phosphokinase increased (ten [17%]). Eight (53%) of 15 patients treated with atezolizumab plus cobimetinib in the BRAFV600 wild-type cohort had treatment-related grade 3 or worse adverse events, most commonly anaemia (two [13%]) and dermatitis acneiform (two [13%]). Treatment-related serious adverse events occurred in 14 (23%) of 60 patients in the BRAFV600 mutation-positive cohort and two (13%) of 15 in the BRAFV600 wild-type cohort. One death in the BRAFV600 mutation-positive cohort (limbic encephalitis) was considered to be related to atezolizumab treatment. INTERPRETATION Adding atezolizumab to vemurafenib plus cobimetinib provided promising intracranial activity in patients with BRAFV600-mutated melanoma with CNS metastases. FUNDING F Hoffmann-La Roche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, Skin Cancer Center, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | | | | | - Youyou Hu
- F Hoffman-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dao Wang
- F Hoffman-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Jobim de Azevedo
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Unidade de Pesquisa Clinica em Oncologia, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Caroline Robert
- Gustave Roussy and Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif-Paris, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Luis de la Cruz Merino
- Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Clinical Oncology Department and Medicine Department, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Hussein Tawbi
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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Moss NS, Beal K, Tabar V. Brain Metastasis-A Distinct Oncologic Disease Best Served by an Integrated Multidisciplinary Team Approach. JAMA Oncol 2022; 8:1252-1254. [PMID: 35862025 PMCID: PMC9984120 DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.1928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
This Viewpoint discusses the identification and treatment of brain metastasis as a distinct disease and its management with a multidisciplinary approach to improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson S. Moss
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Metastasis Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kathryn Beal
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiation Oncology and Brain Metastasis Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Viviane Tabar
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Metastasis Center, New York, New York, USA
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Franklin C, Mohr P, Bluhm L, Grimmelmann I, Gutzmer R, Meier F, Garzarolli M, Weichenthal M, Pfoehler C, Herbst R, Terheyden P, Utikal J, Ulrich J, Debus D, Haferkamp S, Kaatz M, Forschner A, Leiter U, Nashan D, Kreuter A, Sachse M, Welzel J, Heinzerling L, Meiss F, Weishaupt C, Gambichler T, Weyandt G, Dippel E, Schatton K, Celik E, Trommer M, Helfrich I, Roesch A, Zimmer L, Livingstone E, Schadendorf D, Horn S, Ugurel S. Impact of radiotherapy and sequencing of systemic therapy on survival outcomes in melanoma patients with previously untreated brain metastasis: a multicenter DeCOG study on 450 patients from the prospective skin cancer registry ADOREG. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-004509. [PMID: 35688555 PMCID: PMC9189852 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite of various therapeutic strategies, treatment of patients with melanoma brain metastasis (MBM) still is a major challenge. This study aimed at investigating the impact of type and sequence of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and targeted therapy (TT), radiotherapy, and surgery on the survival outcome of patients with MBM. METHOD We assessed data of 450 patients collected within the prospective multicenter real-world skin cancer registry ADOREG who were diagnosed with MBM before start of the first non-adjuvant systemic therapy. Study endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS Of 450 MBM patients, 175 (38.9%) received CTLA-4+PD-1 ICB, 161 (35.8%) PD-1 ICB, and 114 (25.3%) BRAF+MEK TT as first-line treatment. Additional to systemic therapy, 67.3% of the patients received radiotherapy (stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS); conventional radiotherapy (CRT)) and 24.4% had surgery of MBM. 199 patients (42.2%) received a second-line systemic therapy. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed the application of radiotherapy (HR for SRS: 0.213, 95% CI 0.094 to 0.485, p<0.001; HR for CRT: 0.424, 95% CI 0.210 to 0.855, p=0.016), maximal size of brain metastases (HR for MBM >1 cm: 1.977, 95% CI 1.117 to 3.500, p=0.019), age (HR for age >65 years: 1.802, 95% CI 1.016 to 3.197, p=0.044), and ECOG performance status (HR for ECOG ≥2: HR: 2.615, 95% CI 1.024 to 6.676, p=0.044) as independent prognostic factors of OS on first-line therapy. The type of first-line therapy (ICB vs TT) was not independently prognostic. As second-line therapy BRAF+MEK showed the best survival outcome compared with ICB and other therapies (HR for CTLA-4+PD-1 compared with BRAF+MEK: 13.964, 95% CI 3.6 to 54.4, p<0.001; for PD-1 vs BRAF+MEK: 4.587 95% CI 1.3 to 16.8, p=0.022 for OS). Regarding therapy sequencing, patients treated with ICB as first-line therapy and BRAF+MEK as second-line therapy showed an improved OS (HR for CTLA-4+PD-1 followed by BRAF+MEK: 0.370, 95% CI 0.157 to 0.934, p=0.035; HR for PD-1 followed by BRAF+MEK: 0.290, 95% CI 0.092 to 0.918, p=0.035) compared with patients starting with BRAF+MEK in first-line therapy. There was no significant survival difference when comparing first-line therapy with CTLA-4+PD-1 ICB with PD-1 ICB. CONCLUSIONS In patients with MBM, the addition of radiotherapy resulted in a favorable OS on systemic therapy. In BRAF-mutated MBM patients, ICB as first-line therapy and BRAF+MEK as second-line therapy were associated with a significantly prolonged OS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Franklin
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Peter Mohr
- Department of Dermatology, Elbe Kliniken Buxtehude, Buxtehude, Germany
| | - Leonie Bluhm
- Department of Dermatology, Elbe Kliniken Buxtehude, Buxtehude, Germany
| | - Imke Grimmelmann
- Department of Dermatology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Ralf Gutzmer
- Department of Dermatology, Muehlenkreiskliniken Minden and Ruhr University Bochum, Minden, Germany
| | - Friedegund Meier
- Skin Cancer Center at the University Cancer Centre Dresden and National Center for Tumor Diseases, Dresden, Germany; Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marlene Garzarolli
- Skin Cancer Center at the University Cancer Centre Dresden and National Center for Tumor Diseases, Dresden, Germany; Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Weichenthal
- Department of Dermatology, Skin Cancer Center, Schleswig-Holstein University Hospital, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Claudia Pfoehler
- Department of Dermatology, Saarland University Medical School, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - Rudolf Herbst
- Department of Dermatology, HELIOS Klinikum Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany
| | | | - Jochen Utikal
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jens Ulrich
- Department of Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center, Harzklinikum Dorothea Christiane Erxleben, Quedlinburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Debus
- Department of Dermatology, Nuremberg General Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Haferkamp
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Martin Kaatz
- Department of Dermatology, SRH Wald-Klinikum Gera, Gera, Germany
| | - Andrea Forschner
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ulrike Leiter
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dorothee Nashan
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital of Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Alexander Kreuter
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, HELIOS St. Elisabeth Klinik Oberhausen, University Witten-Herdecke, Herdecke, Germany
| | - Michael Sachse
- Department of Dermatology, Klinikum Bremerhaven Reinkenheide, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Julia Welzel
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Lucie Heinzerling
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Ludwig-Maximilian University, München, Germany
| | - Frank Meiss
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Carsten Weishaupt
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Thilo Gambichler
- Department of Dermatology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Gerhard Weyandt
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Hospital Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Edgar Dippel
- Department of Dermatology, Ludwigshafen Medical Center, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Kerstin Schatton
- Department of Dermatology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Eren Celik
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Cyberknife Center, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Maike Trommer
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Cyberknife Center, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Iris Helfrich
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen, Germany
| | - Alexander Roesch
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen, Germany
| | - Lisa Zimmer
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Livingstone
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen, Germany
| | - Dirk Schadendorf
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen, Germany
| | - Susanne Horn
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen, Germany.,Rudolf-Schönheimer-Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty of the University Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Selma Ugurel
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen, Germany
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Safety of FOLFIRI + Durvalumab +/− Tremelimumab in Second Line of Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer: A Safety Run-In from the Randomized Phase II Study DURIGAST PRODIGE 59. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10051211. [PMID: 35625947 PMCID: PMC9138589 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10051211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) as monotherapy in 2nd line treatment for gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma is low, with no evaluation of efficacy and safety of ICI combined with chemotherapy. The DURIGAST PRODIGE 59 study is a randomised, multicentre, phase II study designed to assess the efficacy and safety of the combination of FOLFIRI + Durvalumab +/− Tremelimumab as 2nd line treatment of patients with advanced gastric/GEJ adenocarcinoma. Here, we report data from the safety run-in phase with FOLFIRI Durvalumab (arm A) or FOLFIRI Durvalumab and Tremelimumab (arm B). Among the 11 patients included, 63.6% experienced at least one grade 3–4 adverse events (AEs) related to the treatment, most frequently neutropenia (36.4%). There was only one immune-related AE (grade 2 hyperthyroidism). Ten serious AEs were described among six patients, but only two were related to the treatment, due to the chemotherapy. One seizure epilepsy related to a brain metastasis was observed, but was not related by the investigator to the treatment. However, the Independent Data Monitoring Committee recommended brain imaging at inclusion. This safety run-in phase demonstrates an expected safety profile of FOLFIRI with Durvalumab +/− Tremelimumab combination allowing the randomised phase II.
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Melanoma Brain Metastases: An Update on the Use of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Molecularly Targeted Agents. Am J Clin Dermatol 2022; 23:523-545. [PMID: 35534670 DOI: 10.1007/s40257-022-00678-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Brain metastases from melanoma are no longer uniformly associated with dismal outcomes. Impressive tumor tissue-based (craniotomy) translational research has consistently shown that distinct patient subgroups may have a favorable prognosis. This review provides a historical overview of the standard-of-care treatments until the early 2010s. It subsequently summarizes more recent advances in understanding the biology of melanoma brain metastases (MBMs) and treating patients with MBMs, mainly focusing upon prospective clinical trials of BRAF/MEK and PD-1/CTLA-4 inhibitors in patients with previously untreated MBMs. These additional systemic treatments have provided effective complementary treatment approaches and/or alternatives to radiation and craniotomy. The current role of radiation therapy, especially in conjunction with systemic therapies, is also discussed through the lens of various retrospective studies. The combined efficacy of systemic treatments with radiation has improved overall survival over the last 10 years and has sparked considerable research interest regarding optimal dosing and sequencing of radiation treatments with systemic treatments. Finally, the review describes ongoing clinical trials in patients with MBMs.
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Strickland MR, Alvarez-Breckenridge C, Gainor JF, Brastianos PK. Tumor Immune Microenvironment of Brain Metastases: Toward Unlocking Antitumor Immunity. Cancer Discov 2022; 12:1199-1216. [PMID: 35394521 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-21-0976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Brain metastasis (BrM) is a devastating complication of solid tumors associated with poor outcomes. Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have revolutionized the treatment of cancer, but determinants of response are incompletely understood. Given the rising incidence of BrM, improved understanding of immunobiologic principles unique to the central nervous system (CNS) and dissection of those that govern the activity of ICIs are paramount toward unlocking BrM-specific antitumor immunity. In this review, we seek to discuss the current clinical landscape of ICI activity in the CNS and CNS immunobiology, and we focus, in particular, on the role of glial cells in the CNS immune response to BrM. SIGNIFICANCE There is an urgent need to improve patient selection for and clinical activity of ICIs in patients with cancer with concomitant BrM. Increased understanding of the unique immunobiologic principles that govern response to ICIs in the CNS is critical toward identifying targets in the tumor microenvironment that may potentiate antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Justin F Gainor
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Switzer B, Puzanov I, Skitzki JJ, Hamad L, Ernstoff MS. Managing Metastatic Melanoma in 2022: A Clinical Review. JCO Oncol Pract 2022; 18:335-351. [PMID: 35133862 PMCID: PMC9810138 DOI: 10.1200/op.21.00686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma remains the most lethal of the primary cutaneous neoplasms, and although the incidence of primary melanoma continues to rise, the mortality from metastatic disease remains unchanged, in part through advances in treatment. Major developments in immunomodulatory and targeted therapies have provided robust improvements in response and survival trends that have transformed the clinical management of patients with metastatic melanoma. Additional advances in immunologic and cancer cell biology have contributed to further optimization in (1) risk stratification, (2) prognostication, (3) treatment, (4) toxicity management, and (5) surveillance approaches for patients with an advanced melanoma diagnosis. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the historical and future advances regarding the translational and clinical implications of advanced melanoma and share multidisciplinary recommendations to aid clinicians in the navigation of current treatment approaches for a variety of patient cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Switzer
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
| | - Igor Puzanov
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
| | - Joseph J. Skitzki
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
| | - Lamya Hamad
- Department of Pharmacy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
| | - Marc S. Ernstoff
- ImmunoOncology Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD,Marc S. Ernstoff, MD, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD 20850; e-mail:
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Moubarak RS, Koetz-Ploch L, Mullokandov G, Gaziel A, de Pablos-Aragoneses A, Argibay D, Kleffman K, Sokolova E, Berwick M, Thomas NE, Osman I, Brown BD, Hernando E. In Vivo miRNA Decoy Screen Reveals miR-124a as a Suppressor of Melanoma Metastasis. Front Oncol 2022; 12:852952. [PMID: 35480113 PMCID: PMC9036958 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.852952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is a highly prevalent cancer with an increasing incidence worldwide and high metastatic potential. Brain metastasis is a major complication of the disease, as more than 50% of metastatic melanoma patients eventually develop intracranial disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to play an important role in the tumorigenicity of different cancers and have potential as markers of disease outcome. Identification of relevant miRNAs has generally stemmed from miRNA profiling studies of cells or tissues, but these approaches may have missed miRNAs with relevant functions that are expressed in subfractions of cancer cells. We performed an unbiased in vivo screen to identify miRNAs with potential functions as metastasis suppressors using a lentiviral library of miRNA decoys. Notably, we found that a significant fraction of melanomas that metastasized to the brain carried a decoy for miR-124a, a miRNA that is highly expressed in the brain/neurons. Additional loss- and gain-of-function in vivo validation studies confirmed miR-124a as a suppressor of melanoma metastasis and particularly of brain metastasis. miR-124a overexpression did not inhibit tumor growth in vivo, underscoring that miR-124a specifically controls processes required for melanoma metastatic growth, such as seeding and growth post-extravasation. Finally, we provide proof of principle of this miRNA as a promising therapeutic agent by showing its ability to impair metastatic growth of melanoma cells seeded in distal organs. Our efforts shed light on miR-124a as an antimetastatic agent, which could be leveraged therapeutically to impair metastatic growth and improve patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana S. Moubarak
- Department of Pathology, New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group (IMCG), New York University (NYU) Cancer Institute, New York, NY, United States
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University (NYU) Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Lisa Koetz-Ploch
- Department of Pathology, New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group (IMCG), New York University (NYU) Cancer Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Gavriel Mullokandov
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Avital Gaziel
- Department of Pathology, New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group (IMCG), New York University (NYU) Cancer Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ana de Pablos-Aragoneses
- Department of Pathology, New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group (IMCG), New York University (NYU) Cancer Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Diana Argibay
- Department of Pathology, New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group (IMCG), New York University (NYU) Cancer Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kevin Kleffman
- Department of Pathology, New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group (IMCG), New York University (NYU) Cancer Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Elena Sokolova
- Department of Pathology, New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group (IMCG), New York University (NYU) Cancer Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Marianne Berwick
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Preventive Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Nancy E. Thomas
- Department of Dermatology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Iman Osman
- Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group (IMCG), New York University (NYU) Cancer Institute, New York, NY, United States
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University (NYU) Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Brian D. Brown
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eva Hernando
- Department of Pathology, New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group (IMCG), New York University (NYU) Cancer Institute, New York, NY, United States
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University (NYU) Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
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Martínez-García M, Servitja Tormo S, Vilariño Quintela N, Arance Fernández A, Berrocal Jaime A, Cantos Sánchez de Ibargüen B, Del Barco Berrón S, García Campelo R, Gironés Sarrió R, Manuel Sepúlveda-Sánchez J. SEOM-GEINO clinical guideline of systemic therapy and management of brain central nervous system metastases (2021). Clin Transl Oncol 2022; 24:703-711. [PMID: 35258806 PMCID: PMC8986739 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-022-02803-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Central nervous system (CNS) dissemination is a severe complication in cancer and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Brain metastases (BMs) are the most common types of malignant intracranial tumors and are reported in approximately 25% of patients with metastatic cancers. The recent increase in incidence of BMs is due to several factors including better diagnostic assessments and the development of improved systemic therapies that have lower activity on the CNS. However, newer systemic therapies are being developed that can cross the blood-brain barrier giving us additional tools to treat BMs. The guidelines presented here focus on the efficacy of new targeted systemic therapies and immunotherapies on CNS BMs from breast, melanoma, and lung cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Martínez-García
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
- CIOCC HM Delfos, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Noelia Vilariño Quintela
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d’Oncologia L’Hospitalet, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Alfonso Berrocal Jaime
- Medical Oncology Department, Consorcio Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | | | | | - Rosario García Campelo
- Medical Oncology Department, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (CHUAC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Regina Gironés Sarrió
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic la Fe, Valencia, Spain
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Bjørnhart B, Hansen KH, Asmussen JT, Jørgensen TL, Herrstedt J, Schytte T. Effect and Tolerability of Immunotherapy in Patients with NSCLC with or without Brain Metastasis. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14071682. [PMID: 35406453 PMCID: PMC8997168 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sparse data exist on immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) in NSCLC patients with brain metastasis (BM), especially for those with no local therapy (LT) (whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT), stereotactic RT (SRT) or neurosurgery) preceding ICI. Our aims were to investigate the prevalence of BM, rate of intracranial response (ICR), and survival and quality of life (QoL) in real-life patients with advanced NSCLC undergoing palliative ICI. This was a prospective non-randomized study (NCT03870464) with magnetic resonance imaging of the brain (MR-C) performed at baseline resulting in a clinical decision to administer LT or not. ICR evaluation (MR-C) at week 8–9 (mRECIST criteria) for group A (LT) and group B (untreated) was assessed. Change in QoL was assessed using EQ-5D-5L. Of 159 included patients, 45 (28%) had baseline BM. Median follow-up was 23.2 months (IQR 16.4–30.2). Of patients in group A (21) and B (16), 16/37 (43%) had symptomatic BM. ICR was 8/21, 38% (complete or partial response) for group A versus 8/16, 50% for group B. No statistical difference in median overall survival of patients with BM (group A: 12.3 (5.2-NR), group B: 20.5 months (4.9-NR)) and without (22.4 months (95% 16.2–26.3)) was obtained. Baseline QoL was comparable regardless of BM, but an improved QoL (at week 9) was found in those without BM. Patients with NSCLC and BM receiving ICI had long-term survival comparable to those without BM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgitte Bjørnhart
- The Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, 5000 Odense, Denmark; (K.H.H.); (T.S.)
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløvs Vej 19,3, 5000 Odense, Denmark
- OPEN, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network, Odense University Hospital, J.B. Winsløws Vej 9a, 5000 Odense, Denmark
- The Academy of Geriatric Cancer Research (AgeCare), Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, 5000 Odense, Denmark; (T.L.J.); (J.H.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Karin Holmskov Hansen
- The Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, 5000 Odense, Denmark; (K.H.H.); (T.S.)
- OPEN, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network, Odense University Hospital, J.B. Winsløws Vej 9a, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Jon Thor Asmussen
- The Department of Radiology, Odense University Hospital, J.B. Winsløwsvej 4, 5000 Odense, Denmark;
| | - Trine Lembrecht Jørgensen
- The Academy of Geriatric Cancer Research (AgeCare), Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, 5000 Odense, Denmark; (T.L.J.); (J.H.)
| | - Jørn Herrstedt
- The Academy of Geriatric Cancer Research (AgeCare), Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, 5000 Odense, Denmark; (T.L.J.); (J.H.)
- The Department of Clinical Oncology and Palliative Care, Zealand University Hospital Roskilde, Sygehusvej 10, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Tine Schytte
- The Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, 5000 Odense, Denmark; (K.H.H.); (T.S.)
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløvs Vej 19,3, 5000 Odense, Denmark
- The Academy of Geriatric Cancer Research (AgeCare), Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, 5000 Odense, Denmark; (T.L.J.); (J.H.)
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50
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Eggen AC, Hospers GAP, Bosma I, Kramer MCA, Reyners AKL, Jalving M. Anti-tumor treatment and healthcare consumption near death in the era of novel treatment options for patients with melanoma brain metastases. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:247. [PMID: 35247992 PMCID: PMC8897874 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09316-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Effective systemic treatments have revolutionized the management of patients with metastatic melanoma, including those with brain metastases. The extent to which these treatments influence disease trajectories close to death is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to gain insight into provided treatments and healthcare consumption during the last 3 months of life in patients with melanoma brain metastases. Methods Retrospective, single-center study, including consecutive patients with melanoma brain metastases diagnosed between June-2015 and June-2018, referred to the medical oncologist, and died before November-2019. Patient and tumor characteristics, anti-tumor treatments, healthcare consumption, presence of neurological symptoms, and do-not-resuscitate status were extracted from medical charts. Results 100 patients were included. A BRAF-mutation was present in 66 patients. Systemic anti-tumor therapy was given to 72% of patients during the last 3 months of life, 34% in the last month, and 6% in the last week. Patients with a BRAF-mutation more frequently received systemic treatment during the last 3 (85% vs. 47%) and last month (42% vs. 18%) of life than patients without a BRAF-mutation. Furthermore, patients receiving systemic treatment were more likely to visit the emergency room (ER, 75% vs. 36%) and be hospitalized (75% vs. 36%) than those who did not. Conclusion The majority of patients with melanoma brain metastases received anti-tumor treatment during the last 3 months of life. ER visits and hospitalizations occurred more often in patients on anti-tumor treatment. Further research is warranted to examine the impact of anti-tumor treatments close to death on symptom burden and care satisfaction.
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