Validation of a multiomic model of plasma extracellular vesicle PD-L1 and radiomics for prediction of response to immunotherapy in NSCLC

BACKGROUND

Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have showed unprecedent efficacy in the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, not all patients manifest clinical benefit due to the lack of reliable predictive biomarkers. We showed preliminary data on the predictive role of the combination of radiomics and plasma extracellular vesicle (EV) PD-L1 to predict durable response to ICIs.

MAIN BODY

Here, we validated this model in a prospective cohort of patients receiving ICIs plus chemotherapy and compared it with patients undergoing chemotherapy alone. This multiparametric model showed high sensitivity and specificity at identifying non-responders to ICIs and outperformed tissue PD-L1, being directly correlated with tumor change.

SHORT CONCLUSION

These findings indicate that the combination of radiomics and EV PD-L1 dynamics is a minimally invasive and promising biomarker for the stratification of patients to receive ICIs.

Small cells - big issues: biological implications and preclinical advancements in small cell lung cancer

Current treatment guidelines refer to small cell lung cancer (SCLC), one of the deadliest human malignancies, as a homogeneous disease. Accordingly, SCLC therapy comprises chemoradiation with or without immunotherapy. Meanwhile, recent studies have made significant advances in subclassifying SCLC based on the elevated expression of the transcription factors ASCL1, NEUROD1, and POU2F3, as well as on certain inflammatory characteristics. The role of the transcription regulator YAP1 in defining a unique SCLC subset remains to be established. Although preclinical analyses have described numerous subtype-specific characteristics and vulnerabilities, the so far non-existing clinical subtype distinction may be a contributor to negative clinical trial outcomes. This comprehensive review aims to provide a framework for the development of novel personalized therapeutic approaches by compiling the most recent discoveries achieved by preclinical SCLC research. We highlight the challenges faced due to limited access to patient material as well as the advances accomplished by implementing state-of-the-art models and methodologies.

Spatial transcriptomics reveals heterogeneity of histological subtypes between lepidic and acinar lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Patients who possess various histological subtypes of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) have considerably diverse prognoses. The simultaneous existence of several histological subtypes reduces the clinical accuracy of the diagnosis and prognosis of early-stage LUAD due to intratumour intricacy.

METHODS

We included 11 postoperative LUAD patients pathologically confirmed to be stage IA. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was carried out on matched tumour and normal tissue. Three formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded cases were randomly selected for 10× Genomics Visium analysis, one of which was analysed by digital spatial profiler (DSP).

RESULTS

Using DSP and 10× Genomics Visium analysis, signature gene profiles for lepidic and acinar histological subtypes were acquired. The percentage of histological subtypes predicted for the patients from samples of 11 LUAD fresh tissues by scRNA-seq showed a degree of concordance with the clinicopathologic findings assessed by visual examination. DSP proteomics and 10× Genomics Visium transcriptomics analyses revealed that a negative correlation (Spearman correlation analysis: r = -.886; p = .033) between the expression levels of CD8 and the expression trend of programmed cell death 1(PD-L1) on tumour endothelial cells. The percentage of CD8+ T cells in the acinar region was lower than in the lepidic region.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings illustrate that assessing patient histological subtypes at the single-cell level is feasible. Additionally, tumour endothelial cells that express PD-L1 in stage IA LUAD suppress immune-responsive CD8+ T cells.

The role of anti-EGFR therapies in EGFR-TKI-resistant advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are the current recommended option for the first-line treatment of patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Resistance to first-generation TKIs led to the development of second- and third-generation TKIs with improved clinical outcomes. However, sequential administration of TKIs has led to the emergence of new EGFR resistance mutations and persistent tumor cell survival. This evidence highlights the potential role of EGFR in transducing growth signals in NSCLC tumor cells. Therefore, dual inhibition of EGFR using combinations of anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and EGFR-TKIs may offer a unique treatment strategy to suppress tumor cell growth. Several clinical studies have demonstrated the benefits of dual blockade of EGFR using anti-EGFR mAbs coupled with EGFR-TKIs in overcoming treatment resistance in patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC. However, a single treatment option may not result in the same clinical benefits in all patients with acquired resistance. Biomarkers, including EGFR overexpression, EGFR gene copy number, EGFR and KRAS mutations, and circulating tumor DNA, have been associated with improved clinical efficacy with anti-EGFR mAbs in patients with NSCLC and acquired resistance. Further investigation of biomarkers may allow patient selection for those who could benefit from anti-EGFR mAbs in combination with EGFR-TKIs. This review summarizes findings of recent studies of anti-EGFR mAbs in combination with EGFR-TKIs for the treatment of patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC, as well as clinical evidence for potential biomarkers towards personalized targeted medicine.

Genomic profiling of tissue and blood predicts survival outcomes in patients with resected pleural mesothelioma

PURPOSE

Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is an aggressive tumor still considered incurable, in part due to the lack of predictive biomarkers. Little is known about the clinical implications of molecular alterations in resectable PM tissues and blood. Here, we characterized genetic alterations to identify prognostic and predictive biomarkers in patients with resected PM.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Targeted next-generation sequencing was performed in retrospective pleural tumor tissue and paired plasma samples from stage IB-IIIB resected PM. Association between prognosis and presence of specific mutations was validated in silico.

RESULTS

Thirty PM tissues and paired blood samples from 12 patients were analyzed. High tissue tumor mutational burden (TMB) (>10 mutations/Mb), tissue median minor allele frequency (MAF) (>9 mutations/Mb), and blood TMB (>6 mutations/Mb), tissue KMT2C, PBRM1, PKHD1,EPHB1 and blood LIFR mutations correlated with longer disease-free survival and/or overall survival. High concordance (>80%) between tissue and blood was found for some mutations.

CONCLUSIONS

Tissue TMB and MAF, blood TMB, and specific mutations correlated with outcomes in patients with resected PM and should be further studied to validate their role as prognostic biomarkers and potentially predictive factors for combinations with immune-checkpoint inhibitors. This suggest that molecular profiling could identify longer survivors in patients with resected PM.

An IL-4 signalling axis in bone marrow drives pro-tumorigenic myelopoiesis

Myeloid cells are known to suppress antitumour immunity1. However, the molecular drivers of immunosuppressive myeloid cell states are not well defined. Here we used single-cell RNA sequencing of human and mouse non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) lesions, and found that in both species the type 2 cytokine interleukin-4 (IL-4) was predicted to be the primary driver of the tumour-infiltrating monocyte-derived macrophage phenotype. Using a panel of conditional knockout mice, we found that only deletion of the IL-4 receptor IL-4Rα in early myeloid progenitors in bone marrow reduced tumour burden, whereas deletion of IL-4Rα in downstream mature myeloid cells had no effect. Mechanistically, IL-4 derived from bone marrow basophils and eosinophils acted on granulocyte-monocyte progenitors to transcriptionally programme the development of immunosuppressive tumour-promoting myeloid cells. Consequentially, depletion of basophils profoundly reduced tumour burden and normalized myelopoiesis. We subsequently initiated a clinical trial of the IL-4Rα blocking antibody dupilumab2-5 given in conjunction with PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockade in patients with relapsed or refractory NSCLC who had progressed on PD-1/PD-L1 blockade alone (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT05013450 ). Dupilumab supplementation reduced circulating monocytes, expanded tumour-infiltrating CD8 T cells, and in one out of six patients, drove a near-complete clinical response two months after treatment. Our study defines a central role for IL-4 in controlling immunosuppressive myelopoiesis in cancer, identifies a novel combination therapy for immune checkpoint blockade in humans, and highlights cancer as a systemic malady that requires therapeutic strategies beyond the primary disease site.

Artificial Intelligence-Powered Assessment of Pathologic Response to Neoadjuvant Atezolizumab in Patients With NSCLC: Results From the LCMC3 Study

INTRODUCTION

Pathologic response (PathR) by histopathologic assessment of resected specimens may be an early clinical end point associated with long-term outcomes with neoadjuvant therapy. Digital pathology may improve the efficiency and precision of PathR assessment. LCMC3 (NCT02927301) evaluated neoadjuvant atezolizumab in patients with resectable NSCLC and reported a 20% major PathR rate.

METHODS

We determined PathR in primary tumor resection specimens using guidelines-based visual techniques and developed a convolutional neural network model using the same criteria to digitally measure the percent viable tumor on whole-slide images. Concordance was evaluated between visual determination of percent viable tumor (n = 151) performed by one of the 47 local pathologists and three central pathologists.

RESULTS

For concordance among visual determination of percent viable tumor, the interclass correlation coefficient was 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.84-0.90). Agreement for visually assessed 10% or less viable tumor (major PathR [MPR]) in the primary tumor was 92.1% (Fleiss kappa = 0.83). Digitally assessed percent viable tumor (n = 136) correlated with visual assessment (Pearson r = 0.73; digital/visual slope = 0.28). Digitally assessed MPR predicted visually assessed MPR with outstanding discrimination (area under receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.98) and was associated with longer disease-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.09-0.97, p = 0.033) and overall survival (HR = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.02-1.06, p = 0.027) versus no MPR. Digitally assessed PathR strongly correlated with visual measurements.

CONCLUSIONS

Artificial intelligence-powered digital pathology exhibits promise in assisting pathologic assessments in neoadjuvant NSCLC clinical trials. The development of artificial intelligence-powered approaches in clinical settings may aid pathologists in clinical operations, including routine PathR assessments, and subsequently support improved patient care and long-term outcomes.

Disparities in outcomes between Black and White patients in North America with thoracic malignancies and COVID-19 infection (TERAVOLT)

BACKGROUND

Patients with thoracic malignancies who develop COVID-19 infection have a higher hospitalization rate compared to the general population and to those with other cancer types, but how this outcome differs by race and ethnicity is relatively understudied.

METHODS

The TERAVOLT database is an international, multi-center repository of cross-sectional and longitudinal data studying the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with thoracic malignancies. Patients from North America with thoracic malignancies and confirmed COVID-19 infection were included for this analysis of racial and ethnic disparities. Patients with missing race data or races and ethnicities with fewer than 50 patients were excluded from analysis. Multivariable analyses for endpoints of hospitalization and death were performed on these 471 patients.

RESULTS

Of the 471 patients, 73% were White and 27% were Black. The majority (90%) were non-Hispanic ethnicity, 5% were Hispanic, and 4% were missing ethnicity data. Black patients were more likely to have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status ≥ 2 (p-value = 0.04). On multivariable analysis, Black patients were more likely than White patients to require hospitalization (Odds Ratio (OR): 1.69, 95% CI: 1.01-2.83, p-value = 0.044). These differences remained across different waves of the pandemic. However, no statistically significant difference in mortality was found between Black and White patients (OR 1.29, 95% CI: 0.69-2.40, p-value = 0.408).

CONCLUSIONS

Black patients with thoracic malignancies who acquire COVID-19 infection are at a significantly higher risk of hospitalization compared to White patients, but there is no significant difference in mortality. The underlying drivers of racial disparity among patients with thoracic malignancies and COVID-19 infection require ongoing investigation.

Longitudinal nucleocapsid antibody testing reveals undocumented SARS-CoV-2 infections in patients with lung cancer

Patients diagnosed with lung cancer (LC) exhibit increased susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Rodilla et al. monitor the levels of plasma anti-nucleocapsid antibodies within a cohort of fully vaccinated LC patients and reveal that the actual infection rate is nearly twice the documented rate, indicating a significant prevalence of unreported cases.

Clinical insights into small cell lung cancer: Tumor heterogeneity, diagnosis, therapy, and future directions

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is characterized by rapid growth and high metastatic capacity. It has strong epidemiologic and biologic links to tobacco carcinogens. Although the majority of SCLCs exhibit neuroendocrine features, an important subset of tumors lacks these properties. Genomic profiling of SCLC reveals genetic instability, almost universal inactivation of the tumor suppressor genes TP53 and RB1, and a high mutation burden. Because of early metastasis, only a small fraction of patients are amenable to curative-intent lung resection, and these individuals require adjuvant platinum-etoposide chemotherapy. Therefore, the vast majority of patients are currently being treated with chemoradiation with or without immunotherapy. In patients with disease confined to the chest, standard therapy includes thoracic radiotherapy and concurrent platinum-etoposide chemotherapy. Patients with metastatic (extensive-stage) disease are treated with a combination of platinum-etoposide chemotherapy plus immunotherapy with an anti-programmed death-ligand 1 monoclonal antibody. Although SCLC is initially very responsive to platinum-based chemotherapy, these responses are transient because of the development of drug resistance. In recent years, the authors have witnessed an accelerating pace of biologic insights into the disease, leading to the redefinition of the SCLC classification scheme. This emerging knowledge of SCLC molecular subtypes has the potential to define unique therapeutic vulnerabilities. Synthesizing these new discoveries with the current knowledge of SCLC biology and clinical management may lead to unprecedented advances in SCLC patient care. Here, the authors present an overview of multimodal clinical approaches in SCLC, with a special focus on illuminating how recent advancements in SCLC research could accelerate clinical development.

Unfolding the secrets of small cell lung cancer progression: Novel approaches and insights through rapid autopsies

The understanding of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) biology has increased dramatically in recent years, but the processes that allow SCLC to progress rapidly remain poorly understood. Here, we advocate the integration of rapid autopsies and preclinical models into SCLC research as a comprehensive strategy with the potential to revolutionize current treatment paradigms.

Role of Lactate in the Regulation of Transcriptional Activity of Breast Cancer-Related Genes and Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Proteins: A Compassion of MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 Cancer Cell Lines

The Warburg Effect is characterized by accelerated glycolytic metabolism and lactate production and under fully aerobic conditions is a hallmark of cancer cells. Recently, we have demonstrated the role of endogenous, glucose-derived lactate as an oncometabolite which regulates gene expression in the estrogen receptor positive (ER+) MCF7 cell line cultivated in glucose media. Presently, with the addition of a triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line, MDA-MB-231, we further confirm the effect of lactate on gene expression patterns and extend results to include lactate effects on protein expression. As well, we report effects of lactate on the expression of E-cadherin and vimentin, proteins associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Endogenous lactate regulates the expression of multiple genes involved in carcinogenesis. In MCF7 cells, lactate increased the expression of EGFR, VEGF, HIF-1a, KRAS, MIF, mTOR, PIK3CA, TP53, and CDK4 as well as decreased the expression of ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, E2F1, MET, MYC, and RAF mainly after 48h of exposure. On the other hand, in the MDA-MB-231 cell line, lactate increased the expressions of PIK3CA, VEGF, EGFR, mTOR, HIF-1α, ATM, E2F1, TP53 and decreased the expressions of BRCA1, BRCA2, CDK4, CDK6, MET, MIF, MYC, and RAF after 48h of exposure. In response to endogenous lactate, changes in protein expression of representative genes corroborated changes in mRNA expressions. Finally, lactate exposure decreased E-cadherin protein expression in MCF7 cells and increased vimentin expression in MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, by genetically silencing LDHA in MCF7 cells, we show suppression of protein expression of EGFR and HIF-1α, while full protein expression occurred under glucose and glucose + exogenous lactate exposure. Hence, endogenous, glucose-derived lactate, and not glucose, elicited changes in gene and protein expression levels. In this study, we demonstrate that endogenous lactate produced under aerobic conditions (Warburg Effect) elicits important changes in gene and protein expression in both ER+ and TNBC cell lines. The widespread regulation of multiple genes by lactate and involves those involved in carcinogenesis including DNA repair, cell growth, proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Furthermore, lactate affected the expression of two relevant EMT biomarkers, E-cadherin and vimentin, which could contribute to the complex process of EMT and a shift towards a more mesenchymal phenotype in the two cancer cell lines studied.

Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer

The emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) as a pillar of cancer treatment has emphasized the immune system's integral role in tumor control and progression through cancer immune surveillance. ICIs are being investigated and incorporated into the treatment paradigm for lung cancers across stages and histology. To date, definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by consolidative durvalumab is the only National Comprehensive Cancer Network's recommended treatment paradigm including radiotherapy with ICI in lung cancers, although there are other recommendations for ICI with chemotherapy and/or surgery. This narrative review provides an overall view of the evolving integration and synergistic role of immunotherapy and radiotherapy and outlines the use of immunotherapy with radiotherapy for the management of small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. It also reviews selected, practice-changing clinical trials that led to the current standard of care for lung cancers.

The presence of circulating genetically abnormal cells in blood predicts risk of lung cancer in individuals with indeterminate pulmonary nodules

PURPOSE

Computed tomography is the standard method by which pulmonary nodules are detected. Greater than 40% of pulmonary biopsies are not lung cancer and therefore not necessary, suggesting that improved diagnostic tools are needed. The LungLB™ blood test was developed to aid the clinical assessment of indeterminate nodules suspicious for lung cancer. LungLB™ identifies circulating genetically abnormal cells (CGACs) that are present early in lung cancer pathogenesis.

METHODS

LungLB™ is a 4-color fluorescence in-situ hybridization assay for detecting CGACs from peripheral blood. A prospective correlational study was performed on 151 participants scheduled for a pulmonary nodule biopsy. Mann-Whitney, Fisher's Exact and Chi-Square tests were used to assess participant demographics and correlation of LungLB™ with biopsy results, and sensitivity and specificity were also evaluated.

RESULTS

Participants from Mount Sinai Hospital (n = 83) and MD Anderson (n = 68), scheduled for a pulmonary biopsy were enrolled to have a LungLB™ test. Additional clinical variables including smoking history, previous cancer, lesion size, and nodule appearance were also collected. LungLB™ achieved 77% sensitivity and 72% specificity with an AUC of 0.78 for predicting lung cancer in the associated needle biopsy. Multivariate analysis found that clinical and radiological factors commonly used in malignancy prediction models did not impact the test performance. High test performance was observed across all participant characteristics, including clinical categories where other tests perform poorly (Mayo Clinic Model, AUC = 0.52).

CONCLUSION

Early clinical performance of the LungLB™ test supports a role in the discrimination of benign from malignant pulmonary nodules. Extended studies are underway.

Serological Response to SARS-CoV-2 after COVID-19 Vaccination in Lung Cancer Patients: Short Review

In comparison to the general population, lung cancer patients are more likely to suffer from severe Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and associated mortality. Considering this increased risk, and in order to prevent symptoms and severe disease, patients with lung cancer have been prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination primary and booster doses. Despite this, the pivotal clinical trials did not include these patients, which leaves open questions regarding vaccine efficacy and humoral immune response. This review outlines the findings of recent investigations into the humoral responses of lung cancer patients to COVID-19 vaccination, particularly the primary doses and first boost.

Predictive Capability of PD-L1 Protein Expression for Patients With Advanced NSCLC: Any Differences Based on Histology?

Lung cancer is responsible for 1.8 million annual deaths. Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) represent 85% of lung cancer tumors. While surgery is an effective early-stage treatment, the majority of newly identified US lung cancer cases are stage III/IV. Immunotherapy, using programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) or programmed death 1 (PD-1) receptor antibody therapeutics, has increased survival for patients with NSCLC. PD-L1 protein expression is widely used as a predictive biomarker informing treatment decisions. However, only a minority of patients (27%-39%) respond to PD-L1/PD-1 treatment. PD-L1 protein expression by immunohistochemistry assay has deficiencies in identifying responding and refractory patients. Given the different characteristics of squamous and nonsquamous NSCLC, the predictability of PD-L1 levels in determining which patients would benefit from immunotherapy could vary between the 2 histologies. We analyzed 17 phase-III clinical studies and a retrospective study to determine if the predictive capability of PD-L1 expression varies between squamous and nonsquamous NSCLC. For patients with NSCLC treated with mono or dual-immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), PD-L1 expression was more predictive of benefit for patients with nonsquamous NSCLC than squamous NSCLC. Patients with nonsquamous histology and PD-L1 high tumor proportion scores (TPS) survived 2.0x longer compared to those with low TPS, when treated with monotherapy ICI. Among patients with squamous NSCLC, that difference was 1.2 to 1.3x. For patients treated with ICIs and chemotherapy, there was no clear difference in the predictive value of PD-L1 levels between histologies. We encourage future researchers to analyze the predictability of PD-L1 biomarker expression separately for squamous and nonsquamous NSCLC.

Abstract 798: SeroNet Pooling Project of immunocompromised populations

Introduction: COVID-19 vaccination substantially reduces morbidity and mortality associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and severe illness. However, despite effective COVID-19 vaccines many questions remain about the efficacy of vaccines and the durability and robustness of immune responses, especially in immunocompromised persons. The NCI-funded Serological Sciences Network (SeroNet) is a coordinated effort including 11 sites to advance research on the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination among diverse and vulnerable populations. The goals of the Pooling Project are: (1) to conduct real-world data (RWD) analyses using electronic medical records (EMR) data from four health care systems (Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Northwell Health, Veterans Affairs-Case Western, and Cedars-Sinai) to determine vaccine effectiveness in (a) cancer patients; (b) autoimmune diseases and (c) solid organ transplant recipients (SOTR); (2) to conduct meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies from eight SeroNet institutions (Cedars-Sinai, Johns Hopkins, Northwell Health, Emory University, University of Minnesota, Mount Sinai, Yale University) to determine post-vaccine immune responses in (a) lung cancer patients; (b) hematologic cancers/hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients; (c) SOTR; (d) lupus.

Methods: For our RWD analyses, data is extracted from EMR using standardized algorithms using ICD-10 codes to identify immunocompromised persons (hematologic and solid organ malignancy; SOTR; autoimmune disease, including inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and SLE). We use common case definitions to extract data on demographic, laboratory values, clinical co-morbidity, COVID-19 vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19, and disease-specific variables. In addition, we pool individual-level data from prospective cohorts enrolling patients with cancer and other immunosuppressed conditions from across network. Surveys and biospecimens from serology and immune profiling are collected at pre-specified timepoints across longitudinal cohorts.

Results: Currently, we have EMR data extracted from 4 health systems including >715,000 cancer patients, >9,500 SOTR and >180,000 with autoimmune conditions. Prospective cohorts across the network have longitudinal data on >450 patients with lung cancer, >1,200 patients with hematologic malignancies, >400 SOTR and >400 patients with lupus. We will report results examining vaccine effectiveness for prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection, severe COVID-19 and post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PAS-C or long COVID) in cancer patients compared to other immunocompromised conditions.

Conclusion: Our goal is to inform public health guidelines on COVID-19 vaccine and boosters to reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe illness in immunocompromised populations.

Citation Format: Elham Kazemain, Jane Figueiredo, Jacek Skarbinski, Russell McBride, Viviana Simon, Amy B. Karger, F. Eun-Hyung Lee, Fred R. Hirsch, Andrea Cox, Sabra Klein, Rong Fan, Stephanie Halene, David A. Zidar, James M. Crawford, Bharat Thyagarajan, Charles Gleason, Alex Mathson, Komal Srivastava, Puleng Moshele, Toby Amoss, Martin Runnstrom, Susanne Linderman, Ananda M. Rodilla, Philip C. Mack, Yu Shyr, Anna Yin, Patrick Shea, Jennifer VanOudenhove, Hinnah Siddiqui, Brigid M. Wilson, Eric P. Elkin, Crystal A. Hsiao, Yonah Ziemba, Cheryl B. Schleicher, Sharon Fox, Lawrence H. Kushi, Karen Reckamp, Akil Merchant, Noah Merin. SeroNet Pooling Project of immunocompromised populations [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 798.

Protein Expression of immune checkpoints STING and MHCII in small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

SCLC is an aggressive malignancy where immunotherapies show limited efficacy. We aimed to characterize the SCLC microenvironment according to the expression patterns of SCLC subtype markers and novel immune checkpoints to identify therapeutic vulnerabilities.

METHODS

We included SCLC tissue samples from 219 surgically resected, limited-stage patients in this cross-sectional study. We performed immunohistochemistry for STING and MHCII, as well as for the novel subtype markers (ASCL1, NEUROD1, POU2F3, YAP1). Moreover, we assessed CD45 + , CD8 + and CD68 + immune cell infiltration.

RESULTS

36% of SCLC tumors showed significant stromal or intraepithelial CD45 + immune cell infiltration. These patients exhibited significantly increased overall survival (OS) (vs. patients with immune-deserted tumors). High CD8 expression was associated with increased median OS. We found STING expression on cancer-associated fibroblasts in the stroma and on T-cells and macrophages in both tumorous and stromal compartments. STING expression positively correlated with immune cell infiltration. Increased STING-positivity in tumor nests was an independent favorable prognosticator for OS. ASCL1 was the most frequently expressed subtype-specific protein. Concomitant expression of three or four subtype-defining markers was seen in 13.8% of the included samples, whereas 24.1% of the cases were classified as quadruple negative tumors. YAP1 expression was associated with increased immune infiltrates. Tumor cell MHCII expression positively correlated with immune cell infiltration and with STING- and YAP1 expressions.

CONCLUSIONS

STING and MHCII are expressed in SCLC. The majority of immune-infiltrated SCLCs exhibit increased STING expression. Immune infiltration and STING expression are prognostic in limited-stage SCLC, making STING a potential therapeutic target.

Baseline extracellular vesicle TGF-β is a predictive biomarker for response to immune checkpoint inhibitors and survival in non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are an effective therapeutic strategy, improving the survival of patients with lung cancer compared with conventional treatments. However, novel predictive biomarkers are needed to stratify which patients derive clinical benefit because the currently used and highly heterogenic histological PD-L1 has shown low accuracy. Liquid biopsy is the analysis of biomarkers in body fluids and represents a minimally invasive tool that can be used to monitor tumor evolution and treatment effects, potentially reducing biases associated with tumor heterogeneity associated with tissue biopsies. In this context, cytokines, such as transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), can be found free in circulation in the blood and packaged into extracellular vesicles (EVs), which have a specific delivery tropism and can affect in tumor/immune system interaction. TGF-β is an immunosuppressive cytokine that plays a crucial role in tumor immune escape, treatment resistance, and metastasis. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the predictive value of circulating and EV TGF-β in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer receiving ICIs.

METHODS

Plasma samples were collected in 33 patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer before and during treatment with ICIs. EV were isolated from plasma by serial ultracentrifugation methods and circulating and EV TGF-β expression levels were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

Baseline high expression of TGF-β in EVs was associated with nonresponse to ICIs as well as shorter progression-free survival and overall survival, outperforming circulating TGF-β levels and tissue PD-L1 as a predictive biomarker.

CONCLUSION

If validated, EV TGF-β could be used to improve patient stratification, increasing the effectiveness of treatment with ICIs and potentially informing combinatory treatments with TGF-β blockade.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Treatment with immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has improved the survival of some patients with lung cancer. However, the majority of patients do not benefit from this treatment, making it essential to develop more reliable biomarkers to identify patients most likely to benefit. In this pilot study, the expression of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in blood circulation and in extracellular vesicles was analyzed. The levels of extracellular vesicle TGF-β before treatment were able to determine which patients would benefit from treatment with ICIs and have a longer survival with higher accuracy than circulating TGF-β and tissue PD-L1, which is the currently used biomarker in clinical practice.

Predictive Biomarkers for Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer: Perspective from the IASLC Pathology Committee

Immunotherapy including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has become the backbone of treatment for the majority of lung cancers with advanced or metastatic disease. In addition, they have increasingly been used for early-stage tumors in neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings. Unfortunately, however, only a subset of patients experiences meaningful response to ICIs. While PD-L1 protein expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) has played a role as the principle predictive biomarker for immunotherapy, its performance may not be optimal, and it suffers multiple practical issues with different companion diagnostic assays approved. Similarly, tumor mutation burden (TMB) has multiple technical issues as a predictive biomarker for ICIs. Now, ongoing research on tumor and host immune-specific factors has identified immunotherapy biomarkers that may provide better response and prognosis prediction, in particular in a multimodal approach. This review by the IASLC Pathology Committee provides an overview of various immunotherapy biomarkers including updated data on PD-L1 IHC and TMB, and assesssments of neoantigens, genetic and epigenetic signatures, immune microenvironment by IHC and transcriptomics, as well as microbiome and pathological response to neoadjuvant immunotherapies. The aim of this review is to underline the efficacy of new individual or combined predictive biomarkers beyond PD-L1 IHC and TMB.

Circulating Tumor DNA Kinetics Predict Progression-Free and Overall Survival in EGFR TKI-Treated Patients with EGFR-Mutant NSCLC (SWOG S1403)

PURPOSE

Dynamic changes in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) are under investigation as an early indicator of treatment outcome.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Serial plasma ctDNA (baseline, 8 weeks, and at progression) was prospectively incorporated into the SWOG S1403 clinical trial of afatinib ± cetuximab in tyrosine kinase inhibitor-naïve, EGFR mutation tissue-positive non-small cell lung cancer.

RESULTS

EGFR mutations were detected in baseline ctDNA in 77% (82/106) of patients, associated with the presence of brain and/or liver metastases and M1B stage. Complete clearance of EGFR mutations in ctDNA by 8 weeks was associated with a significantly decreased risk of progression, compared with those with persistent ctDNA at Cycle 3 Day 1 [HR, 0.23; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.12-0.45; P < 0.0001], with a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 15.1 (95% CI, 10.6-17.5) months in the group with clearance of ctDNA versus 4.6 (1.7-7.5) months in the group with persistent ctDNA. Clearance was also associated with a decreased risk of death (HR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.21-0.90), P = 0.02; median overall survival (OS): 32.6 (23.5-not estimable) versus 15.6 (4.9-28.3) months.

CONCLUSIONS

Plasma clearance of mutant EGFR ctDNA at 8 weeks was highly and significantly predictive of PFS and OS, outperforming RECIST response for predicting long-term benefit.

Supporting Patients with Cancer after Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization

In the context of cancer, whether or not to choose pregnancy termination represents a difficult and multifaceted decision. In this editorial, members of The Oncologist editorial team attempt to contextualize the potential implications of the recent Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organizationfor patients with cancer.

The Armed Conflict and the Impact on Patients With Cancer in Ukraine: Urgent Considerations

On February 24, 2022, a war began within the Ukrainian borders. At least 3.0 million Ukrainian inhabitants have already fled the country. Critical infrastructure, including hospitals, has been damaged. Children with cancer were urgently transported to foreign countries, in an effort to minimize interruption of their life-saving treatments. Most adults did not have that option. War breeds cancer—delaying diagnosis, preventing treatment, and increasing risk. We project that a modest delay in care of only 4 months for five prevalent types of cancer will lead to an excess of over 3,600 cancer deaths in the subsequent years. It is critical that we establish plans to mitigate that risk as soon as possible.

Ukraine conflict may cost 3600 lives or more because of a delay and lack of access for patients with cancer.

Abstract CT205: A phase I/Ib trial of intratumoral Poly-ICLC in resectable malignant pleural mesothelioma

Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is usually fatal, though multimodality therapy— now including immunotherapy— has improved survival. Recurrence after surgery is close to 100%, even with adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation. Our collaborators have performed deep immunophenotyping of treatment-naïve MPM lesions using mass cytometry (CyTOF) and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) to define the tumor microenvironment. A population of rare CD141+ dendritic cells (DC1) is disproportionately represented in some MPM lesions analyzed. These DC1 cells— which express high levels of Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)— are among the most potent cross-presenters of antigen and are key to priming anti-tumor CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses. Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid stabilized with polylysine and carboxymethylcellulose (poly-ICLC), is a double-stranded RNA host-targeted therapeutic viral-mimic. Poly-ICLC activates multiple innate immune receptors including TLR3 and melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5), leading to cross-presentation of antigen to T cells and induction of strong Th1 response. We hypothesize that injection of poly-ICLC prior to surgical resection may activate intratumoral (IT) DC1s, increase tumor antigen presentation to cytotoxic T cells, and induce tumor-specific immune surveillance.

Methods: This is a phase I/Ib study to evaluate the safety of IT poly-ICLC prior to surgical resection for patients with MPM (NCT04525859). The primary endpoint is safety as assessed by frequency and severity of toxicities by CTCAE 5.0. Secondary endpoints are objective response as measured by RECIST 1.1 and recurrence free survival measured from the time of first poly-ICLC injection. Exploratory endpoints include evaluation of circulating immune cells (including regulatory T cells and NK cells), evaluation of immune cell infiltration in pre-injection tumor biopsy and surgically resected tissue, as well as characterization of immune parameters such as local B cell specificity. The protocol features a Simon’s two-stage design, with six patients enrolled in a phase I safety cohort, proceeding to a phase Ib expansion cohort (additional 13 patients) if no more than 1 dose limiting toxicity occurs. Eligible patients must have MPM deemed operable by the treating thoracic surgeon. Eligible subjects may not have uncontrolled immunocompromised states or autoimmune disorders. After enrollment, patients undergo biopsies at which time 2mg poly-ICLC is injected across two sites in the tumor. Patients then undergo resection of the tumor (pleurectomy/decortication or extra pleural pneumonectomy per standard of care) at day 21+/- 7 after poly-ICLC injection. Blood is drawn at three points (prior to poly-ICLC injection, at time of surgery, and at a post-operative visit) for immune profiling. At the time of submission six patients have been treated and phase Ib accrual is continuing as planned. Interim analysis of phase I safety and exploratory endpoints will be reported in late 2022.

Citation Format: Bailey G. Fitzgerald, Thomas U. Marron, Robert Sweeney, Jorge Gomez, Nicole Hall, Daniel O'Grady, Christian Rolfo, Raj Veluswamy, Deborah Doroshow, John Mandeli, David Yankelevitz, Nina Bhardwaj, Sacha Gnjatic, Fred R. Hirsch, Miriam Merad, Alexander Tsankov, Raja Flores, Andrea Wolf. A phase I/Ib trial of intratumoral Poly-ICLC in resectable malignant pleural mesothelioma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr CT205.

Extracellular vesicle PD-L1 dynamics predict durable response to immune-checkpoint inhibitors and survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) changed the therapeutic landscape of patients with lung cancer. However, only a subset of them derived clinical benefit and evidenced the need to identify reliable predictive biomarkers. Liquid biopsy is the non-invasive and repeatable analysis of biological material in body fluids and a promising tool for cancer biomarkers discovery. In particular, there is growing evidence that extracellular vesicles (EVs) play an important role in tumor progression and in tumor-immune interactions. Thus, we evaluated whether extracellular vesicle PD-L1 expression could be used as a biomarker for prediction of durable treatment response and survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing treatment with ICIs.

METHODS

Dynamic changes in EV PD-L1 were analyzed in plasma samples collected before and at 9 ± 1 weeks during treatment in a retrospective and a prospective independent cohorts of 33 and 39 patients, respectively.

RESULTS

As a result, an increase in EV PD-L1 was observed in non-responders in comparison to responders and was an independent biomarker for shorter progression-free survival and overall survival. To the contrary, tissue PD-L1 expression, the commonly used biomarker, was not predictive neither for durable response nor survival.

CONCLUSION

These findings indicate that EV PD-L1 dynamics could be used to stratify patients with advanced NSCLC who would experience durable benefit from ICIs.

Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) clinical practice guideline on immunotherapy for the treatment of lung cancer and mesothelioma

Immunotherapy has transformed lung cancer care in recent years. In addition to providing durable responses and prolonged survival outcomes for a subset of patients with heavily pretreated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)— either as monotherapy or in combination with other ICIs or chemotherapy—have demonstrated benefits in first-line therapy for advanced disease, the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings, as well as in additional thoracic malignancies such as small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and mesothelioma. Challenging questions remain, however, on topics including therapy selection, appropriate biomarker-based identification of patients who may derive benefit, the use of immunotherapy in special populations such as people with autoimmune disorders, and toxicity management. Patient and caregiver education and support for quality of life (QOL) is also important to attain maximal benefit with immunotherapy. To provide guidance to the oncology community on these and other important concerns, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) convened a multidisciplinary panel of experts to develop a clinical practice guideline (CPG). This CPG represents an update to SITC’s 2018 publication on immunotherapy for the treatment of NSCLC, and is expanded to include recommendations on SCLC and mesothelioma. The Expert Panel drew on the published literature as well as their clinical experience to develop recommendations for healthcare professionals on these important aspects of immunotherapeutic treatment for lung cancer and mesothelioma, including diagnostic testing, treatment planning, immune-related adverse events, and patient QOL considerations. The evidence- and consensus-based recommendations in this CPG are intended to give guidance to cancer care providers using immunotherapy to treat patients with lung cancer or mesothelioma.

A phase 1b/2 trial of dupilumab given in conjunction with PD-(L)1 blockade in the treatment of relapsed/refractory metastatic NSCLC

TPS9139

Background: Although tumor microenvironments may contain chronic inflammatory cells, this milieu can lead to immune evasion and may contribute to resistance to immunotherapy. Dendritic cells are one of the most potent cross presenters of tumor antigen, and their function is crucial to tumor-directed adaptive immune responses. In the KP mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma (KrasG12D; Tp53-/-), we recently identified interleukin-4 (IL-4)-driven suppression of tumor-antigen charged dendritic cells, which was similarly seen in human lung cancer lesions (Maier, B., et al., A conserved dendritic-cell regulatory program limits antitumour immunity. Nature, 2020.580[7802]:257-262). In the mouse model IL-4 blockade resulted in an increase in IL-12, IFNg and TNF in CD8+ T cells and decreased tumor burden, and further antitumor activity was seen when combined with PD-L1 blockade. Dupilumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that blocks the IL-4 receptor alpha subunit which disrupts signaling through receptors for both IL-4 and IL-13; it is FDA approved for patients with multiple atopic conditions, in whom series adverse effects are rare. Based on this pre-clinical data, we hypothesize that the addition of dupilumab to anti PD-(L)1 therapy will be well tolerated, and will rescue the anti-tumor effect of immune checkpoint blockade. Methods: This is a phase Ib/II trial. Patients with relapsed/refractory NSCLC who have received prior anti PD-(L)1 treatment are eligible for enrollment. In a phase Ib safety run-in, six patients will be enrolled in a modified set-dose 3+3 design. If no more than 1 DLT is observed during this phase, the trial will proceed to phase II. Phase II will enroll a further 15 patients in a minimax design with early stopping for futility to a maximum total of 21 patients. Patients will undergo pre-treatment biopsies and peripheral blood sampling prior to receiving 3 doses of dupilumab, administered every three weeks, in conjunction with continuing standard-of-care anti-PD-(L)1 therapy. Patients will undergo repeat biopsies 4 weeks after starting therapy. After completion of dupilumab (at 9 weeks) patients will undergo repeat staging. The primary endpoint of phase 1b is safety as measured by frequency and severity of adverse effects. The primary endpoint of phase II is overall response rate as assessed using RECIST 1.1 criteria at the time of post-dupilumab imaging. Exploratory endpoints include analysis of peripheral blood by CyTOF and O-link, and tissue biopsies will be analyzed by multiplex-IHC and bulk-RNA-sequencing. T cell receptor sequencing will be performed on tumor and matched peripheral blood samples, and circulating tumor DNA will be assessed at multiple time points. Phase 1b is currently enrolling as planned. Clinical trial information: NCT05013450.

Real-World longitudinal practice patterns in the use of PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors as First-Line therapy in patients with Non-Small cell lung cancer in the United States

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the programmed cell death protein‐1 (PD‐1) and programmed death ligand‐1 (PD‐L1) axis (collectively referred to as PD[L]1i) have demonstrated clinical benefits in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The purpose of this United States‐based real‐world study is to examine changes in the landscape of first‐line therapies for NSCLC since the introduction of PD(L)1i.

Methods

Patients with NSCLC initiating first‐line treatment between May 1, 2017, and October 31, 2020, were identified in the IBM MarketScan® database. Patients were assigned groups based on first‐line therapy: PD(L)1i monotherapy, chemotherapy alone, PD(L)1i with chemotherapy, or targeted therapy for patients with actionable driver mutations.

Results

A total of 5431 patients with NSCLC starting first‐line treatment were identified: chemotherapy alone 2568 (47%), PD(L)1i with chemotherapy 1364 (25%), PD(L)1i monotherapy 790 (15%), and targeted therapy 709 (13%). The use of PD(L)1i monotherapy and targeted therapy remained consistent, while the percentage of patients receiving PD(L)1i with chemotherapy more than doubled. Over a third of patients in 2019 and 2020 received chemotherapy alone. Patients aged ≥65 years (odds ratio [OR]: 0.80; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.68–0.95), females (OR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.74–0.98), and those with respiratory (OR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.71–0.94) or kidney (OR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.40–0.77) disease were less likely to have received PD(L)1i with chemotherapy than patients that received chemotherapy alone.

Conclusions

Since the approval of PD(L)1i for NSCLC, their use has significantly increased for first‐line treatment, especially when used in combination with chemotherapy. A significant proportion of patients received chemotherapy alone.

COVID-19 Outcomes, Patient Vaccination Status, and Cancer-Related Delays during the Omicron Wave: A Brief Report from the TERAVOLT Analysis

Introduction

The Thoracic Centers International coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Collaboration (TERAVOLT) registry found approximately 30% mortality in patients with thoracic malignancies during the initial COVID-19 surges. Data from South Africa suggested a decrease in severity and mortality with the Omicron wave. Our objective was to assess mortality of patients with thoracic malignancies with the Omicron-predominant wave and evaluate efficacy of vaccination.

Methods

A prospective, multicenter observational study was conducted. A total of 28 institutions contributed data from January 14, 2022, to February 4, 2022. Inclusion criteria were any thoracic cancer and a COVID-19 diagnosis on or after November 1, 2021. End points included mortality, hospitalization, symptomatic COVID-19 infection, asymptomatic COVID-19 infection, and delay in cancer therapy. Analysis was done through contingency tables and a multivariable logistic model.

Results

We enrolled a total of 346 patients. Median age was 65 years, 52.3% were female, 74.2% were current or former smokers, 86% had NSCLC, 72% had stage IV at time of COVID-19 diagnosis, and 66% were receiving cancer therapy. Variant was unknown for 70%; for those known, Omicron represented 82%. Overall mortality was 3.2%. Using multivariate analysis, COVID-19 vaccination with booster compared with no vaccination had a protective effect on hospitalization or death (OR = 0.30, confidence interval: 0.15–0.57, p = 0.0003), whereas vaccination without booster did not (OR = 0.64, confidence interval: 0.33–1.24, p = 0.1864). Cancer care was delayed in 56.4% of the patients.

Conclusions

TERAVOLT found reduced patient mortality with the most recent COVID-19 surge. COVID-19 vaccination with booster improved outcomes of hospitalization or death. Delays in cancer therapy remain an issue, which has the potential to worsen cancer-related mortality.

Expression patterns and prognostic relevance of subtype-specific transcription factors in surgically resected small cell lung cancer: an international multicenter study

The tissue distribution and prognostic relevance of subtype‐specific proteins (ASCL1, NEUROD1, POU2F3, YAP1) present an evolving area of research in small‐cell lung cancer (SCLC). The expression of subtype‐specific transcription factors and P53 and RB1 proteins were measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 386 surgically resected SCLC samples. Correlations between subtype‐specific proteins and in vitro efficacy of various therapeutic agents were investigated by proteomics and cell viability assays in 26 human SCLC cell lines. Besides SCLC‐A (ASCL1‐dominant), SCLC‐AN (combined ASCL1/NEUROD1), SCLC‐N (NEUROD1‐dominant), and SCLC‐P (POU2F3‐dominant), IHC and cluster analyses identified a quadruple‐negative SCLC subtype (SCLC‐QN). No unique YAP1‐subtype was found. The highest overall survival rates were associated with non‐neuroendocrine subtypes (SCLC‐P and SCLC‐QN) and the lowest with neuroendocrine subtypes (SCLC‐A, SCLC‐N, SCLC‐AN). In univariate analyses, high ASCL1 expression was associated with poor prognosis and high POU2F3 expression with good prognosis. Notably, high ASCL1 expression influenced survival outcomes independently of other variables in a multivariate model. High POU2F3 and YAP1 protein abundances correlated with sensitivity and resistance to standard‐of‐care chemotherapeutics, respectively. Specific correlation patterns were also found between the efficacy of targeted agents and subtype‐specific protein abundances. In conclusion, we investigated the clinicopathological relevance of SCLC molecular subtypes in a large cohort of surgically resected specimens. Differential IHC expression of ASCL1, NEUROD1, and POU2F3 defines SCLC subtypes. No YAP1‐subtype can be distinguished by IHC. High POU2F3 expression is associated with improved survival in a univariate analysis, whereas elevated ASCL1 expression is an independent negative prognosticator. Proteomic and cell viability assays of human SCLC cell lines revealed distinct vulnerability profiles defined by transcription regulators. © 2022 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Mission, Organization and Future Direction of the Serological Sciences Network for COVID-19 (SeroNet) Epidemiologic Cohort Studies

Global efforts are needed to elucidate the epidemiology of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the underlying cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) including seroprevalence, risk factors and long-term sequelae, as well as immune responses following vaccination across populations and the social dimensions of prevention and treatment strategies. In the U.S., the National Cancer Institute in partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, established the SARS-CoV-2 Serological Sciences Network (SeroNet) as the nation’s largest coordinated effort to study COVID-19. The network is comprised of multidisciplinary researchers bridging gaps and fostering collaborations between immunologists, epidemiologists, virologists, clinicians and clinical laboratories, social and behavioral scientists, policy makers, data scientists, and community members. In total, 49 institutions form the SeroNet consortium to study individuals with cancer, autoimmune disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, cardiovascular diseases, HIV, transplant recipients, as well as otherwise healthy pregnant women, children, college students, and high-risk occupational workers (including health care workers and first responders). Several studies focus on underrepresented populations, including ethnic minorities and rural communities. To support integrative data analyses across SeroNet studies, efforts are underway to define common data elements for standardized serology measurements, cellular and molecular assays, self-reported data, treatment, and clinical outcomes. In this paper, we discuss the overarching framework for SeroNet epidemiology studies, critical research questions under investigation, and data accessibility for the worldwide scientific community. Lessons learned will help inform preparedness and responsiveness to future emerging diseases.

International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Study of the Impact of COVID-19 on International Lung Cancer Clinical Trials

INTRODUCTION

To evaluate the effects of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on lung cancer trials, we surveyed investigators and collected aggregate enrollment data for lung cancer trials across the world before and during the pandemic.

METHODS

A Data Collection Survey collected aggregate monthly enrollment numbers from 294 global lung cancer trials for 2019 to 2020. A 64-question Action Survey evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on clinical trials and identified mitigation strategies implemented.

RESULTS

Clinical trial enrollment declined from 2019 to 2020 by 14% globally. Most reductions in enrollment occurred in April to June where we found significant decreases in individual site enrollment (p = 0.0309). Enrollment was not significantly different in October 2019 to December of 2019 versus 2020 (p = 0.25). The most frequent challenges identified by the Action Survey (N = 172) were fewer eligible patients (63%), decrease in protocol compliance (56%), and suspension of trials (54%). Patient-specific challenges included access to trial site (49%), ability to travel (54%), and willingness to visit the site (59%). The most frequent mitigation strategies included modified monitoring requirements (47%), telehealth visits (45%), modified required visits (25%), mail-order medications (25%), and laboratory (27%) and radiology (21%) tests at nonstudy facilities. Sites that felt the most effective mitigation strategies were telehealth visits (85%), remote patient-reported symptom collection (85%), off-site procedures (85%), and remote consenting (89%).

CONCLUSIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic created many challenges for lung cancer clinical trials conduct and enrollment. Mitigation strategies were used and, although the pandemic worsened, trial enrollment improved. A more flexible approach may improve enrollment and access to clinical trials, even beyond the pandemic.

Loss of STING expression is prognostic in non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Stimulator of interferon (IFN) genes (STING) is a protein that promotes type I IFN production essential for T-cell activation. In this study, we aim to characterize STING expression comprehensively using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, cell lines, and patient tumor samples stained with immunohistochemistry.

METHODS

Two cohorts were evaluated comprising 721 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and 55 NSCLC cell lines for STING and cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) expression using immunohistochemistry. Moreover, an independent cohort of n = 499 patients from the TCGA database was analyzed. Methylation was evaluated on STING and cGAS in five STING-negative NSCLC cell lines.

RESULTS

STING RNA expression positively correlates with T cell function and development genes, negatively correlates with cell proliferation and associated with increased survival (5-year-overall survival [OS] 47.3% vs. 38.8%, p = 0.033). STING protein expression is significantly higher in adenocarcinoma (AC) and is lost with increasing stages of AC. STING-positivity is significantly higher in mutant EGFR and KRAS tumors. STING-positive NSCLC patients identified with immunohistochemistry (H-score > 50) have increased survival (median OS: 58 vs. 35 months, p = 0.02). Treatment of STING-negative cell lines with a demethylating agent restores STING expression.

CONCLUSIONS

STING is ubiquitously expressed in NSCLC and associated with T cell function genes, AC histology, EGFR, and KRAS mutations and improved overall survival.

EGFR High Copy Number Together With High EGFR Protein Expression Predicts Improved Outcome for Cetuximab-based Therapy in Squamous Cell Lung Cancer: Analysis From SWOG S0819, a Phase III Trial of Chemotherapy With or Without Cetuximab in Advanced NSCLC

BACKGROUND

The phase III S0819 trial investigated addition of cetuximab to first-line chemotherapy (CT) in NSCLC. Subgroup analyses suggested an OS benefit among patients with EGFR copy number gain in squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), (HR = 0.58 [0.39-0.86], P = .0071). A more detailed model based on EGFR FISH, EGFR IHC and KRAS mutation status was evaluated to yield a more precise predictive paradigm of cetuximab-based therapy in advanced NSCLC.

METHODS

FISH was performed using the Colorado Scoring Criteria; H-Score was used to quantify EGFR IHC expression (cut-off ≥ 200). A Cox model was used to assess treatment effects for OS and PFS within biomarker and clinical subgroups. KRAS mutation was analyzed using Therascreen. The false discovery rate controlled for multiple comparisons. S0819 ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00946712.

RESULTS

Of 1,313 eligible patients, assay results were obtained for FISH on 976 patients (41% positive), for IHC on 945 patients (31% positive), and KRAS mutation status on 627 patients (26% positive). In SCC patients, OS was significantly improved with addition of cetuximab when both EGFR FISH and EGFR IHC were positive (N = 58), (OS HR: 0.32 [95% CI 0.18-0.59]; P = .0002, q = 0.08), median 12.6 versus 4.6 months. The results were independent of KRAS mutation status. In Non-SCC, no predictive value of EGFR IHC, EGFR FISH status and/or KRAS status was seen.

CONCLUSIONS

In NSCLC SCC, a combination index of EGFR FISH plus EGFR IHC results was associated with improved OS when cetuximab was added to CT, representing a potential predictive molecular paradigm for patients suitable for EGFR-antibody therapy.

OUP accepted manuscript

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusion

CCL19 associates with lymph node metastasis and inferior prognosis in patients with small cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a systemic disease and most patients have metastases at diagnosis. Better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of SCLC metastasis may provide potential approach to improve clinical outcome.

METHODS

HTG Edge-seq was used to identify the differential gene expression between primary SCLC lesions and paired metastatic lymph nodes (LN). Overall survival (OS) analysis was performed in patients with different levels of plasma CCL19 concentration. Invasion, migration, proliferation, apoptosis and angiogenesis ability of SCLC cells and function of CD8 + T cells were evaluated in vitro to investigate the mechanism of CCL19 in promoting metastasis.

RESULTS

Four chemokines (CCL19, CCL21, CCL8, CCR1) were the most differentially expressed between primary lesions and metastatic LN. CCL19 was further investigated because its mRNA and protein level expression were also validated in four SCLC cell lines (H446, H69, H82, H196). Higher plasma CCL19 was associated with late lymph node (N3) metastasis (training cohort P = 0.044, validation cohort P = 0.020) and shorter OS (training cohort P = 0.040, validation cohort P = 0.047) in SCLC patients. Silencing CCL19 inhibited SCLC cell migration, invasion, proliferation and HUVECs tube formation. Furthermore, we found that CCL19 could decrease percentage of CD8 + Ki67 + and CD8 + GZMB + T cells and increase proportion of CD8 + PD1 + T cells.

CONCLUSION

CCL19 was associated with LN metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with SCLC. Its expression promoted tumor progression and metastasis and impaired the function of CD8 + T cells, suggesting CCL19 might be a potential target for SCLC.

Lung Cancer and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection: Identifying Important Knowledge Gaps for Investigation

Patients with lung cancer are especially vulnerable to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with a greater than sevenfold higher rate of becoming infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) COVID-19, a greater than threefold higher hospitalization rate with high complication rates, and an estimated case fatality rate of more than 30%. The reasons for the increased vulnerability are not known. In addition, beyond the direct impact of the pandemic on morbidity and mortality among patients with lung cancer, COVID-19, with its disruption of patient care, has also resulted in substantial impact on lung cancer screening and treatment/management.COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in people with lung cancer. On the basis of the available data, patients with lung cancer should continue their course of cancer treatment and get vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. For unknown reasons, some patients with lung cancer mount poor antibody responses to vaccination. Thus, boosting vaccination seems urgently indicated in this subgroup of vulnerable patients with lung cancer. Nevertheless, many unanswered questions regarding vaccination in this population remain, including the magnitude, quality, and duration of antibody response and the role of innate and acquired cellular immunities for clinical protection. Additional important knowledge gaps also remain, including the following: how can we best protect patients with lung cancer from developing COVID-19, including managing care in patient with lung cancer and the home environment of patients with lung cancer; are there clinical/treatment demographics and tumor molecular demographics that affect severity of COVID-19 disease in patients with lung cancer; does anticancer treatment affect antibody production and protection; does SARS-CoV-2 infection affect the development/progression of lung cancer; and are special measures and vaccine strategies needed for patients with lung cancer as viral variants of concern emerge.

Assessing the association of diabetes with lung cancer risk

BACKGROUND

Diabetes is a well-established risk factor for many cancers, but its relationship with lung cancer incidence remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to assess if diabetes is independently associated with lung cancer risk and histology subtype among participants in a screening study.

METHODS

In a retrospective cohort study using data from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) study, we assessed the association of self-reported diabetes with lung cancer incidence using Poisson regression while adjusting for other established risk factors in the PLCOM2012, a validated lung cancer prediction model. The adjusted association of diabetes and lung cancer cell type was evaluated using nominal regression. Stratified analyses were also conducted according to sex, smoking history, and body mass index categories.

RESULTS

Overall, 140,395 participants were included in our analysis. Diabetes was not significantly associated with lung cancer incidence [incidence rate ratio (IRR): 1.03, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.91-1.17]. Similarly, stratified analyses also did not show significant associations between diabetes and lung cancer risk (all P values >0.05). We found no significant difference in the distribution of lung cancer histology in participants with vs. without diabetes (P=0.30).

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetes was not an independent risk factor for lung cancer in a large cohort of PLCO participants. We did not observe differences in histology according to diabetes status. These results suggest that patients with diabetes do not need more aggressive lung cancer screening. Future research including more detailed metabolic parameters may further elucidate the relationship between metabolic disease and lung cancer risk.

Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab vs Nivolumab for Previously Treated Patients With Stage IV Squamous Cell Lung Cancer: The Lung-MAP S1400I Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Nivolumab plus ipilimumab is superior to platinum-based chemotherapy in treatment-naive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nivolumab is superior to docetaxel in advanced pretreated NSCLC.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the addition of ipilimumab to nivolumab improves survival in patients with advanced, pretreated, immunotherapy-naive squamous (Sq) NSCLC.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

The Lung Cancer Master Protocol (Lung-MAP) S1400I phase 3, open-label randomized clinical trial was conducted from December 18, 2015, to April 23, 2018, randomizing patients in a 1:1 ratio to nivolumab alone or combined with ipilimumab. The median follow-up in surviving patients was 29.5 months. The trial was conducted through the National Clinical Trials Network and included patients with advanced immunotherapy-naive SqNSCLC and a Zubrod score of 0 (asymptomatic) to 1 (symptomatic but completely ambulatory) with disease progression after standard platinum-based chemotherapy. Randomization was stratified by sex and number of prior therapies (1 vs 2 or more). Data were analyzed from May 3, 2018, to February 1, 2021.

INTERVENTIONS

Nivolumab, 3 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks, with or without ipilimumab, 1 mg/kg intravenously every 6 weeks, until disease progression or intolerable toxic effects.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary end point was overall survival (OS). Secondary end points included investigator-assessed progression-free survival (IA-PFS) and response per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) guidelines, version 1.1.

RESULTS

Of 275 enrolled patients, 252 (mean age, 67.5 years [range 41.8-90.3 years]; 169 men [67%]; 206 White patients [82%]) were deemed eligible (125 randomized to nivolumab/ipilimumab and 127 to nivolumab). The study was closed for futility at a planned interim analysis. Overall survival was not significantly different between the groups (hazard ratio [HR], 0.87; 95% CI, 0.66-1.16; P = .34). Median survival was 10 months (95% CI, 8.0-14.4 months) in the nivolumab/ipilimumab group and 11 months (95% CI, 8.6-13.7 months) in the nivolumab group. The IA-PFS HR was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.61-1.03; P = .09); median IA-PFS was 3.8 months (95% CI, 2.7-4.4 months) in the nivolumab/ipilimumab group and 2.9 months (95% CI, 1.8-4.0 months) in the nivolumab alone group. Response rates were 18% (95% CI, 12%-25%) with nivolumab/ipilimumab and 17% (95% CI, 10%-23%) with nivolumab. Median response duration was 28.4 months (95% CI, 4.9 months to not reached) with nivolumab/ipilimumab and 9.7 months with nivolumab (95% CI, 4.2-23.1 months). Grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events occurred in 49 of 124 patients (39.5%) who received nivolumab/ipilimumab and in 41 of 123 (33.3%) who received nivolumab alone. Toxic effects led to discontinuation in 31 of 124 patients (25%) on nivolumab/ipilimumab and in 19 of 123 (15%) on nivolumab.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this phase 3 randomized clinical trial, ipilimumab added to nivolumab did not improve outcomes in patients with advanced, pretreated, immune checkpoint inhibitor-naive SqNSCLC.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02785952.

The Combiome Hypothesis: Selecting Optimal Treatment for Cancer Patients

Existing approaches for cancer diagnosis are inefficient in the use of diagnostic tissue, and decision-making is often sequential, typically resulting in delayed treatment initiation. Future diagnostic testing needs to be faster and optimize increasingly complex treatment decisions. We envision a future where comprehensive testing is routine. Our approach, termed the "combiome," combines holistic information from the tumor, and the patient's immune system. The combiome model proposed here advocates synchronized up-front testing with a panel of sensitive assays, revealing a more complete understanding of the patient phenotype and improved targeting and sequencing of treatments. Development and eventual adoption of the combiome model for diagnostic testing may provide better outcomes for all cancer patients, but will require significant changes in workflows, technology, regulations, and administration. In this review, we discuss the current and future testing landscape, targeting of personalized treatments, and technological and regulatory advances necessary to achieve the combiome.

Phase II study of durvalumab plus tremelimumab as therapy for patients with previously treated anti-PD-1/PD-L1 resistant stage IV squamous cell lung cancer (Lung-MAP substudy S1400F, NCT03373760)

INTRODUCTION

S1400F is a non-match substudy of Lung Cancer Master Protocol (Lung-MAP) evaluating the immunotherapy combination of durvalumab and tremelimumab to overcome resistance to anti-programmed death ligand 1 (PD-(L)1) therapy in patients with advanced squamous lung carcinoma (sq non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC)).

METHODS

Patients with previously treated sqNSCLC with disease progression after anti-PD-(L)1 monotherapy, who did not qualify for any active molecularly targeted Lung-MAP substudies, were eligible. Patients received tremelimumab 75 mg plus durvalumab 1500 mg once every 28 days for four cycles then durvalumab alone every 28 days until disease progression. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (RECIST V.1.1). Primary and acquired resistance cohorts, defined as disease progression within 24 weeks versus ≥24 weeks of starting prior anti-PD-(L)1 therapy, were analyzed separately and an interim analysis for futility was planned after 20 patients in each cohort were evaluable for response.

RESULTS

A total of 58 eligible patients received drug, 28 with primary resistance and 30 with acquired resistance to anti-PD-(L)1 monotherapy. Grade ≥3 adverse events at least possibly related to treatment were seen in 20 (34%) patients. The response rate in the primary resistance cohort was 7% (95% CI 0% to 17%), with one complete and one partial response. No responses were seen in the acquired resistance cohort. In the primary and resistance cohorts the median progression-free survival was 2.0 months (95% CI 1.6 to 3.0) and 2.1 months (95% CI 1.6 to 3.2), respectively, and overall survival was 7.7 months (95% CI 4.0 to 12.0) and 7.6 months (95% CI 5.3 to 10.2), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Durvalumab plus tremelimumab had minimal activity in patients with advanced sqNSCLC progressing on prior anti-PD-1 therapy.Trial registration numberNCT03373760.

Characterization of Tumor-Associated Macrophages and the Immune Microenvironment in Limited-Stage Neuroendocrine-High and -Low Small Cell Lung Cancer

Simple Summary

To date, the therapeutic strategy and guidelines in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) are based on cancer cell-related attributes with no biomarker used in the clinical practice. In the present study, using RNAseq and IHC, we aim to characterize in the frontline the latest biomarkers of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and related critical elements, regulating the anti-tumor immune response. Accordingly, we extensively evaluated the TME associations in primary tumors and matched lymph node metastases in different tumor compartments (stroma and tumor nests) and neuroendocrine (NE) subtypes in limited-stage SCLC. We show the RNA gene enrichment of the most critical molecular pathways based on the Gene Ontology (GO) iteration system using thorough bioinformatics analysis to identify new molecular targets in distinct NE subtypes.

Abstract

This study aims to characterize tumor-infiltrating macrophages (TAMs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), and the related molecular milieu regulating anti-tumor immunity in limited-stage neuroendocrine (NE)-high and NE-low small cell lung cancer. Primary tumors and matched lymph node (LN) metastases of 32 resected, early-stage SCLC patients were analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) with antibodies against pan-macrophage marker CD68, M2-macrophage marker CD163, and MDSC marker CD33. Area-adjusted cell counting on TMAs showed that TAMs are the most abundant cell type in the TME, and their number in tumor nests exceeds the number of CD3 + T-cells (64% vs. 38% in NE-low and 71% vs. 18% in NE-high). Furthermore, the ratio of CD163-expressing M2-polarized TAMs in tumor nests was significantly higher in NE-low vs. NE-high tumors (70% vs. 31%). TAM density shows a strong positive correlation with CD45 and CD3 in tumor nests, but not in the stroma. fGSEA analysis on a targeted RNAseq oncological panel of 2560 genes showed that NE-high tumors exhibited increased enrichment in pathways related to cell proliferation, whereas in NE-low tumors, immune response pathways were significantly upregulated. Interestingly, we identified a subset of NE-high tumors representing an immune-oasis phenotype, but with a different gene expression profile compared to NE-low tumors. In contrast, we found that a limited subgroup of NE-low tumors is immune-deserted and express distinct cellular pathways from NE-high tumors. Furthermore, we identified potential molecular targets based on our expression data in NE-low and immune-oasis tumor subsets, including CD70, ANXA1, ITGB6, TP63, IFI27, YBX3 and CXCR2.

Artificial intelligence-based analysis for immunohistochemistry staining of immune checkpoints to predict resected non-small cell lung cancer survival and relapse

Background

Conventional analysis of single-plex chromogenic immunohistochemistry (IHC) focused on quantitative but spatial analysis. How immune checkpoints localization related to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) prognosis remained unclear.

Methods

Here, we analyzed ten immune checkpoints on 1,859 tumor microarrays (TMAs) from 121 NSCLC patients and recruited an external cohort of 30 NSCLC patients with 214 whole-slide IHC. EfficientUnet was applied to segment tumor cells (TCs) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), while ResNet was performed to extract prognostic features from IHC images.

Results

The features of galectin-9, OX40, OX40L, KIR2D, and KIR3D played an un-negatable contribution to overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) in the internal cohort, validated in public databases (GEPIA, HPA, and STRING). The IC-Score and Res-Score were two predictive models established by EfficientUnet and ResNet. Based on the IC-Score, Res-Score, and clinical features, the integrated score presented the highest AUC for OS and RFS, which could achieve 0.9 and 0.85 in the internal testing cohort. The robustness of Res-Score was validated in the external cohort (AUC: 0.80–0.87 for OS, and 0.83–0.94 for RFS). Additionally, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) combined with the PD-1/PD-L1 signature established by EfficientUnet can be a predictor for RFS in the external cohort.

Conclusions

Overall, we established a reliable model to risk-stratify relapse and death in NSCLC with a generalization ability, which provided a convenient approach to spatial analysis of single-plex chromogenic IHC.

Comparison of SP142 and 22C3 Immunohistochemistry PD-L1 Assays for Clinical Efficacy of Atezolizumab in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Results From the Randomized OAK Trial

BACKGROUND

This phase III OAK trial (NCT02008227) subgroup analysis (data cutoff, January 9, 2019) evaluated the predictive value of 2 PD-L1 IHC tests (VENTANA SP142 and Dako 22C3) for benefit from atezolizumab versus docetaxel by programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) status in patients with previously treated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

METHODS

PD-L1 expression was assessed prospectively with SP142 on tumor cells (TC) and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (IC) and retrospectively with 22C3 using a tumor proportion score (TPS) based on TC membrane staining. Efficacy was assessed in the 22C3 biomarker-evaluable population (22C3-BEP) (n = 577; 47.1% of SP142-intention-to-treat population) and non-22C3-BEP (n = 648) in PD-L1 subgroups (high, low, and negative) and according to selection by 1 or both assays.

RESULTS

In the 22C3-BEP, overall survival benefits with atezolizumab versus docetaxel were observed across PD-L1 subgroups; benefits were greatest in SP142-defined PD-L1-high (TC3 or IC3: hazard ratio [HR], 0.39 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.25-0.63]) and 22C3-defined PD-L1-high (TPS ≥ 50%: HR, 0.56 [95% CI, 0.38-0.82]) and low (TPS, 1% to < 50%: HR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.37-0.82]) groups. Progression-free survival improved with increasing PD-L1 expression for both assays. SP142 and 22C3 assays identified overlapping and unique patient populations in PD-L1-high, positive, and negative subgroups. Overall survival and progression-free survival benefits favored atezolizumab over docetaxel in double PD-L1-positive and negative groups; patients with both SP142- and 22C3-positive tumors derived the greatest benefit.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite different scoring algorithms and differing sensitivity levels, the SP142 and 22C3 assays similarly predicted atezolizumab benefit at validated PD-L1 thresholds in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Analysis of Real-World Data to Investigate the Impact of Race and Ethnicity on Response to Programmed Cell Death-1 and Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 Inhibitors in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers

Background

Racial disparities among clinical trial participants present a challenge to assess whether trial results can be generalized into patients representing diverse races and ethnicities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of race and ethnicity on treatment response in patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) treated with programmed cell death‐1 (PD‐1) or programmed cell death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) inhibitors through analysis of real‐world data (RWD).

Materials and Methods

A retrospective cohort study of 11,138 patients with lung cancer treated at hospitals within the Mount Sinai Health System was performed. Patients with confirmed aNSCLC who received anti‐PD‐1/PD‐L1 treatment were analyzed for clinical outcomes. Our cohort included 249 patients with aNSCLC who began nivolumab, pembrolizumab, or atezolizumab treatment between November 2014 and December 2018. Time‐to‐treatment discontinuation (TTD) and overall survival (OS) were the analyzed clinical endpoints.

Results

After a median follow‐up of 14.8 months, median TTD was 7.8 months (95% confidence interval, 5.4–not estimable [NE]) in 75 African American patients versus 4.6 (2.4–7.2) in 110 White patients (hazard ratio [HR], 0.63). Median OS was not reached (18.4–NE) in African American patients versus 11.6 months (9.7–NE) in White patients (HR, 0.58). Multivariable Cox regression conducted with potential confounders confirmed longer TTD (adjusted HR, 0.65) and OS (adjusted HR, 0.60) in African American versus White patients. Similar real‐world response rate (42.6% vs. 43.5%) and disease control rate (59.6% vs. 56.5%) were observed in the African American and White patient populations. Further investigation revealed the African American patient group had lower incidence (14.7%) of putative hyperprogressive diseases (HPD) upon anti‐PD‐1/PD‐L1 treatment than the White patient group (24.5%).

Conclusion

Analysis of RWD showed longer TTD and OS in African American patients with aNSCLC treated with anti‐PD‐1/PD‐L1 inhibitors. Lower incidence of putative HPD is a possible reason for the favorable outcomes in this patient population.

Implications for Practice

There is a significant underrepresentation of minority patients in randomized clinical trials, and this study demonstrates that real‐world data can be used to investigate the impact of race and ethnicity on treatment response. In retrospective analysis of patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer treated with programmed cell death‐1 or programmed cell death‐ligand 1 inhibitors, African American patients had significantly longer time‐to‐treatment discontinuation and longer overall survival. Analysis of real‐world data can yield clinical insights and establish a more complete picture of medical interventions in routine clinical practice.

Racial disparities in clinical trials affect whether trial results can be generalized for diverse patient populations. This article evaluates real‐world data to assess the impact of race and ethnicity on treatment response in patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer treated with PD‐1 or PD‐L1 inhibitors.

Phase 2 Study of Talazoparib in Patients With Homologous Recombination Repair-Deficient Squamous Cell Lung Cancer: Lung-MAP Substudy S1400G

PURPOSE

This signal finding study (S1400G) was designed to evaluate the efficacy of talazoparib in advanced stage squamous cell lung cancer harboring homologous recombination repair deficiency.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The full eligible population (FEP) had tumors with a deleterious mutation in any of the study-defined homologous recombination repair genes and without prior exposure to a PARP inhibitor. The primary analysis population (PAP) is a subset of FEP with alteration in ATM, ATR, BRCA1, BRCA2, or PALB2. Treatment consisted of talazoparib 1 mg daily continuously in 21-day cycles. A 2-stage design with exact 93% power and 1-sided 0.07 type I error required enrollment of 40 patients in the PAP in order to rule out an overall response rate (ORR) of 15% or less if the true ORR is ≥ 35%.

RESULTS

The study enrolled 47 patients in the FEP, of whom 24 were in the PAP. The median age for the FEP was 66.7 years; 83% were male and 85% white. ORR in the PAP was 4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0, 21) with disease control rate of 54% (95% CI, 33, 74). Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 2.4 months (95% CI, 1.5-2.8) and 5.2 months (95% CI, 4.0-10), respectively. In the FEP, ORR was 11% (95% CI, 3.6, 23), the disease control rate was 51% (95% CI, 36, 66), and the median duration of response was 1.8 months (95% CI, 1.3, 4.2). Median progression-free and overall survival were 2.5 months and 5.7 months, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

S1400G failed to show sufficient level of efficacy for single agent talazoparib in a biomarker defined subset of squamous lung cancer with homologous recombination repair deficiency.