Adding immunotherapy to first-line treatment of advanced and metastatic endometrial cancer

BACKGROUND

Immunotherapy has transformed the endometrial cancer treatment landscape, particularly for those exhibiting mismatch repair deficiency [MMRd/microsatellite instability-hypermutated (MSI-H)]. A growing body of evidence supports the integration of immunotherapy with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment strategy. Recently, findings from ongoing trials such as RUBY (NCT03981796), NRG-GY018 (NCT03914612), AtTEnd (NCT03603184), and DUO-E (NCT04269200) have been disclosed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This paper constitutes a review and meta-analysis of phase III trials investigating the role of immunotherapy in the first-line setting for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.

RESULTS

The pooled data from 2320 patients across these trials substantiate the adoption of chemotherapy alongside immunotherapy, revealing a significant improvement in progression-free survival compared to chemotherapy alone [hazard ratio (HR) 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.62-0.79] across all patient groups. Progression-free survival benefits are more pronounced in MMRd/MSI-H tumors (n = 563; HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.23-0.43). This benefit, albeit less robust, persists in the MMR-proficient/microsatellite stable group (n = 1757; HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.60-0.91). Pooled data further indicate that chemotherapy plus immunotherapy enhances overall survival compared to chemotherapy alone in all patients (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.63-0.89). However, overall survival data maturity remains low.

CONCLUSIONS

The incorporation of immunotherapy into the initial treatment for advanced and metastatic endometrial cancer brings about a substantial improvement in oncologic outcomes, especially within the MMRd/MSI-H subset. This specific subgroup is currently a focal point of investigation for evaluating the potential of chemotherapy-free regimens. Ongoing exploratory analyses aim to identify non-responding patients eligible for inclusion in clinical trials.

Identifying disparities in gynecologic cancer: Results and analysis from a patient preference survey

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Background: Health disparities exist in gynecologic cancers, with data revealing lower survival among certain racial/ethnic groups. Studies suggest underrepresented patients of color with gynecologic cancers may not receive guideline-concordant care to adequately manage their disease, including molecular testing. We conducted a patient preferences survey evaluating treatment choices and provider interactions influencing adherence to guideline-based care. Methods: From July 7 to August 18, 2021, a survey was sent to women with gynecologic cancers who participate in the SMART Patients advocacy group. Survey questions covered topics of preparedness to discuss care with provider, biomarker testing specific to gynecologic tumor type, patients’ considerations informing treatment choices, and confidence to work with providers to improve their clinical and survival outcomes. Information regarding cancer diagnosis, stage, race, ethnicity, treatment, and genetic testing was obtained. Survey responses between non-Hispanic White patients (W) versus non-White (NW) underrepresented patients of color were compared and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 89 women with gynecologic cancers (67% ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal; 21% endometrial; 9% vulvar or vaginal; and 2% cervical) participated in the patient survey. Amongst responders, 55% had localized disease while 36% indicated they had metastatic disease, and 9% did not know. Overall, 86.5% were W and 13.5% were NW (Asian, Black/African American, Native American or Pacific Islander, Hispanic, or mixed race). A higher proportion of NW compared to W patients said they were not at all prepared to discuss cost of treatment (18.2% vs 9.5%), treatment options (12.5% vs 4.5%), and side effects of treatment (20% vs 0%) with their provider; 31% of W patients discussed genetic testing and received resources from their provider compared with only 16.7% of NW patients, and a higher proportion of NW compared to W patients (37.5% vs 28.1%) indicated they were not confident in their ability to work with providers to improve their cancer treatment outcome. Conclusions: While a limitation of this study was low participation from diverse populations, the findings indicate that underrepresented NW patients felt less prepared to discuss treatment-related issues compared to W patients. Moreover, a large proportion of all patients with OC were not informed and/or aware about genetic testing, and approximately a third of participants were not confident in their ability to interact with provider to improve their outcomes. The results highlight opportunities to enhance health care provider education and community outreach to reduce gaps in care delivery.

A pilot phase II study of neoadjuvant fulvestrant plus abemaciclib in women with advanced low-grade serous carcinoma

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Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has demonstrated limited activity in low-grade serous carcinomas (LGSOC) of the ovary, fallopian tube, and peritoneum, with objective response rate of 11% and complete gross resection (CGR) rate of 38% at the time of interval cytoreductive surgery (ICS). LGSOC has many similarities to hormone receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer, including clinical benefit from endocrine therapies in the recurrent and maintenance settings. Based on the activity of antiestrogen plus CDK4/6 inhibitor combination therapy in HR+ breast cancer, we conducted a phase II pilot study to assess the clinical benefit of neoadjuvant treatment with fulvestrant and abemaciclib for women with advanced LGSOC. Methods: Women with unresectable, untreated stage III or IV LGSOC of the ovary, fallopian tube or peritoneum were eligible. Patients received fulvestrant (500 mg IM on day 1 and 15 of the first 28-day cycle, followed by day 1 of subsequent cycles) and abemaciclib 150 mg orally BID. Pre/perimenopausal patients also received goserelin 10.8 mg subcutaneously every 12 weeks for ovarian suppression. Patients continued treatment until deemed resectable by the treating surgeon with imaging re-assessment every 8 weeks using RECIST 1.1. Following ICS, patients receive 4 cycles of adjuvant fulvestrant and abemaciclib and then transition to maintenance letrozole. Patients with progressive disease (PD) were removed from study and received standard of care chemotherapy. Primary endpoint is clinical benefit rate (CBR). Results: Fifteen patients were enrolled and evaluable. At data cutoff date (January 20, 2022), 7 of 15 patients (47%) had partial response (PR) (one patient with radiologic PR had a pathologic complete response at ICS), 5 of 15 (33%) had stable disease (SD), and 3 of 15 (20%) had progressive disease (PD), resulting in a CBR of 80%. Of the 7 patients with PR, 3 have had ICS with CGR, 3 have not yet had ICS, and 1 underwent resection of supraclavicular disease with small volume residual disease in the chest. Of the 5 patients with SD, one underwent ICS with CGR, and two have been on treatment for 8 and 16 weeks with reduction in measurable disease but not yet deemed to be candidates for surgery. Four of the 5 patients (80%) who had ICS, had CGR. Median time on study prior to surgery was 24 weeks. Adverse events (grade 3 or 4) possibly related to abemaciclib occurred in 2 patients (13.3%) and included acute kidney injury (6.7%) and neutropenia (6.7%). Conclusions: Neoadjuvant treatment with fulvestrant and abemaciclib was tolerable and demonstrated unprecedented response and CGR rates in this pilot study. These results compare favorably to published outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in LGSOC. Further studies are planned to explore this new treatment option in a larger study population. Clinical trial information: NCT03531645.

Clinical implications of tumor-based next-generation sequencing in ovarian cancer

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Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer is genetically heterogeneous, both among and within histologic subtypes. Advances in next-generation sequencing have made it feasible to ascertain the somatic genetic signature of each patient, however, critical analysis of population-level sequencing results is required to maximize the potential of this technology. Here, we aimed to assess the clinical relevance of tumor-based next-generation sequencing (tbNGS) in a large cohort of patients with high-grade epithelial ovarian cancer. Methods: Our study population comprised patients with high-grade serous (n = 972), clear cell (n = 33), endometrioid (n = 28), mucinous (n = 4), and mixed (n = 34) or unspecified (n = 21) epithelial ovarian carcinoma diagnosed between April 2013 and September 2021. tbNGS results were identified within the electronic medical record using optical character recognition and natural language processing. Genetic, clinical, and demographic information was collected for patients who had undergone tbNGS. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated from date of first treatment to date of first recurrence and date of death, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate Cox regression models, and clustering analyses. Results: Of 1092 patients in the described population, 409 (37.5%) had tbNGS results identified. Nearly all (96.1%) revealed one or more genetic aberrations. Most patients (74.6%) had an actionable mutation, defined as relaying eligibility for a targeted treatment or clinical trial. The most frequent alterations were TP53, PIK3CA, and NF1 mutations; and CCNE1 amplification. Ten different targeted institutional and commercial panels were employed, covering a range of 35 to 600+ gene loci. The median time from diagnosis to testing was 14.5 months, likely corresponding to time of recurrence. Though no standalone alterations were significantly related to survival, multivariate and clustering analyses identified several genetic patterns which corresponded to patient outcomes. Mutation of BRAF, PIK3R1, NOTCH3, MET, and/or ATR was correlated with shorter PFS (HR 1.84, p = 0.001); mutation of ATM, RB1, CDKN2A, FGFR1, and/or FGFR2 was associated with improved PFS (HR 0.64, p = 0.04), as was mutation of NBN and/or ATRX (HR 0.54, p < 0.05). MYC, NOTCH3, and/or CREBBP mutations were significantly correlated with worse OS (HR 1.95, p = 0.02). In our population, 40 patients (9.78%) were enrolled in genotypically-relevant clinical trials. Conclusions: tbNGS is prevalent at our institution, and often yields actionable information. We identified several mutational patterns that correlate to patient survival. Detailed analysis of population-level tumor genomics may help to identify therapeutic targets and guide development of clinical decision support tools.

Correlation of HRD status with clinical and survival outcomes in patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer

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Background: Nearly 50% of patients with high grade ovarian cancer (HGOC) harbor a germline or somatic mutation in BRCA1/BRCA2 or have tumors characterized by homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). HRD is associated with response to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) in HGOC. Although PARPi show great promise, there is interest in investigating how HRD status affects outcomes and can be used to objectively tailor other treatment strategies. We aimed to compare clinical and survival outcomes in HGOC stratified by HRD status. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all advanced HGOC from April 2013 to June 2019. Patients were included if germline BRCA and HRD status was known. Clinical outcomes were analyzed and stratified by (1) germline BRCA+ (2) germline BRCA - and somatic BRCA/HRD+, or (3) BRCA-/HRD-. Progression free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods stratified by HRD status and modeled via Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: 1271 patients with advanced HGOC presented during the study period of which 187 met inclusion criteria. 106 patients had germline BRCA mutation, 26 somatic BRCA/HRD+, and 55 BRCA/HRD-. Patients who had HRD- tumor had older median age at diagnosis (63 vs. 54 and 60 years, p<0.001), white race (89% vs. 74% and 68%), non-serous histology (20% vs. 6% and 0%, p=0.04), required more NACT chemotherapy cycles (4 vs. 3 and 3 cycles, p=0.03), and less complete gross resection (R0) at tumor reductive surgery (TRS) (60% vs. 83% and 77%, p=0.02). Patients who had BRCA/HRD- tumor had worse PFS (14.9 months) compared to germline BRCA+ (23.5 months) or somatic BRCA/HRD+ (20.2 months, p<0.001). Patients with BRCA/HRD- disease also had worse OS (42.3 months) compared to germline BRCA+ (68.8 months) or somatic BRCA/HRD+ (69.2 months). Multivariate analysis for PFS revealed that age (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.04), p=0.01), stage (HR 5.7, 95% CI 1.39-23.4, p=0.02), R0 resection at TRS (HR 0.41, 95% CI 0.21-0.83, p=0.01), and BRCA/HRD- status (HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.07-2.48, p=0.02) were significant factors impacting PFS. Multivariate analysis for OS revealed that age (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.03-1.10, p<0.001) and R0 resection at TRS (HR 0.19, 95% CI 0.08-0.44, p<0.001) were significant factors impacting OS. Conclusions: Germline BRCA-mutant, somatic BRCA/HRD+ HGOC was associated with improved PFS and OS regardless of primary TRS or NACT. BRCA-/HRD- was a negative prognostic factor for survival in HGOC.

Phase II trial of MEDI0457 and durvalumab for patients with recurrent/metastatic HPV-associated cancers

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Background: Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 or 18 drives oncogenesis for the majority of patients (pts) with cervical, anal, and some penile cancers via viral oncoproteins E6 and E7. While anti-PD1/PD-L1 antibodies have activity in pts with HPV-associated cancers, the majority do not derive benefit from these agents as monotherapy. MEDI0457, a therapeutic DNA vaccine containing plasmids for E6 and E7 oncogenes for HPV-16/18 and IL-12 adjuvant, has been shown to be safe and to provoke an immune response against the expressed antigens. We tested MEDI0457 with the anti-PD-L1 antibody durvalumab for pts with recurrent or metastatic HPV-associated cancers with the goal of improving anti-tumor activity. Methods: Pts with HPV-16/18 cervical cancer or rare (anal, penile, vaginal, or vulvar) HPV- associated cancers that were recurrent and/or metastatic following standard therapies were eligible. No prior immunotherapy was allowed. Pts received 7 mg of MEDI0457 intramuscularly (weeks 1, 3, 7, 12, and every 8 weeks thereafter) and durvalumab 1500 mg intravenously every 4 weeks starting at week 4. The primary endpoint was best overall response according to RECIST 1.1. Adverse events (AE) were assessed using CTCAE v4.03. A Simon two-stage phase 2 trial (Ho: p <.15; Ha: p≥.35) using a one-sided alpha =.05 and beta =.20 was conducted. ≥2 responses were needed in both the “cervical” and non-cervical cohorts during the first stage in order for the trial to proceed. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated via Kaplan-Meier. Results: 41 pts were screened between 11/2018-10/2020. 21 pts (12 cervical, 7 anal, 2 penile) were treated. All 21 were evaluable for toxicity and 19 for response. Median age was 49 years (range, 29-75), and 18 (86%) were female. There were 17 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and 4 cervical adenocarcinomas. Grade ≥3 AEs occurred in 3 (14%) pts and included transaminitis, elevated lipase/amylase, hyponatremia, and neutropenia. No AE required study discontinuation. Overall response rate (ORR) was 21% (95% CI, 6-46%) and disease control rate (DCR) was 42% (95% CI, 20-67%). There was one patient with a complete response, 3 with partial response, and 4 with stable disease. All responses were noted among SCCs (1 cervical, 2 anal, 1 penile). Median duration of response among responders is 16 months (range, 11-27). Median PFS was 3.7 months (95% CI, 2.8-9.2), and median OS was 13.5 months (95% CI, 10.1-NA). 6-month PFS rate was 36% (95% CI, 20-65). Conclusions: The combination of MEDI0457 and durvalumab demonstrated acceptable safety/tolerability in pts with advanced HPV-16/18 cancers. Despite a clinically meaningful DCR, the low ORR among pts with cervical cancer led to study discontinuation for futility. Correlative studies are ongoing to characterize pts with prolonged disease control with study treatment. Clinical trial information: NCT03439085.

Selinexor in combination with weekly paclitaxel in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors: Results of an open label, single-center, multiarm phase 1b study

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Background: Selinexor is a first-in-class novel, oral potent selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE) which blocks Exportin-1 (XPO1) leading to nuclear accumulation and activation of tumor suppressor proteins and prevention of translation of proto-oncogenes. Weekly paclitaxel is a standard chemotherapy regimen used in various tumor types. Preclinical models show that selinexor with paclitaxel exerts antitumor activity against multiple solid tumors. Our objective was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended phase II dose (RP2D) of selinexor and weekly paclitaxel. Methods: This was an open label, single-center, multi-arm phase 1b study utilizing a “3 + 3” design and a “basket type” expansion. Selinexor (twice weekly orally) and weekly paclitaxel (80mg IV 2 week on, 1 week off) was employed as one of 13 parallel arms. Two dose levels (DL) of selinexor were explored: DL1 selinexor 60mg; DL2 selinexor 80mg. Patients (pts) with advanced or metastatic solid tumors were eligible if they had adequate bone marrow and organ function. There was no limit on prior lines of therapy. Efficacy was evaluated using RECIST 1.1. Progression free survival (PFS) was defined as time from treatment until disease progression or death. Results: Of 35 pts treated, all were evaluable for toxicity, and 31 (88%) were evaluable for response. Pt diagnoses included ovarian (n = 28), breast (n = 4), prostate (n = 2), and cervical (n = 1) cancer. Pts had a median of four prior therapies (range 1-10), and 47% had a prior taxane. All pts with ovarian cancer had platinum resistant/refractory disease; high grade serous histology was most common. There were no DLTs and DL1 was chosen as the RP2D given its long term tolerability. 97% of pts had at least one treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE) and the most common TEAEs were anemia (74%), nausea (57%), fatigue (51%), leukopenia (51%), neutropenia (49%), thrombocytopenia (46%), and vomiting (31%). The most prevalent grade ≥ 3 TEAE were neutropenia (46%), anemia (31%), leukopenia (17%), and fatigue (9 %). Partial responses (PR) were noted in 4 pts (13%); 10 pts (32%) achieved stable disease for > 4 months for a clinical benefit rate (CBR) of 45%. 16 pts (47%) had prior exposure to a taxane, including 1 pt who achieved PR. Among 24 evaluable pts with ovarian cancer, response rate was 17%, CBR was 58%, and PFS was 6.83 months (95% CI 3.73, not reached (NR)). Median duration of clinical benefit in ovarian cancer was 7.57 months (95% CI: 4.43, NR). Conclusions: Oral selinexor in combination with weekly paclitaxel demonstrated promising clinical activity with manageable toxicity, and further evaluation with once weekly selinexor is warranted. This combination should be considered for further exploration in a randomized study, especially in ovarian malignancies. Clinical trial information: NCT02419495.

Patients with advanced solid cancers treated with ERK inhibitors exhibit pseudo-progession in lymphatic nodes

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Background: ERK1/2 signaling is often overactivated in cancer, especially in patients with molecular alterations activating the MAPK pathway. MAPK pathway inhibition can result in the increase of CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells and decreased expression of immunosuppressive cytokines. Methods: This is a retrospective study of 52 patients with advanced solid cancers and oncogenic alterations in the MAPK pathway, who were treated in phase I/II clinical trials with five different single agent ERK1/2 inhibitors at MD Anderson Cancer Center. We reviewed serial PET and/or CT imaging obtained before therapy, on therapy, and after therapy completion. We evaluated dynamic changes in the lymphatic nodes (LN) in the context of overall response per RECIST 1.1 and other outcomes. Results: Of the 52 patients, 19 (37%) patients were evaluated with serial PET/CT and 33 (63%) with serial CT imaging only. Of the 19 patients evaluated with PET/CT, 12 (63%) demonstrated increased FDG uptake in LN compared to pre-treatment imaging (LN enlargement, n = 9; no LN enlargement, n = 3) discrepant from the known target and non-target lesions. These 12 patients were on therapy with ERK inhibitors (11 at doses > recommended phase 2 dose [RP2D]) for a median of 3.6 months (range, 1.8-12 months) with a best response per RECIST 1.1. as follows: partial response, n = 1; stable disease (SD), n = 10; progressive disease (PD), n = 1. Of interest, in 6 of those 12 patients, FDG uptake in LN decreased or resolved after treatment discontinuation. Further, one patient had a biopsy of an emerged LN, which showed lymphocytic infiltrate without tumor cells. Of the 33 patients evaluated with CT only, 5 (15%) demonstrated increased size of LN discrepant from the known target and non-target lesions compared to pre-treatment imaging. These 5 patients were on therapy with ERK inhibitors (all at doses < RP2D) for a median of 1.4 months (range, 1.1-3.5 months) with a best response per RECIST 1.1. as follows: SD, n = 2; PD, n = 3. Of interest, in 2 of those 5 patients, size of LN decreased or resolved after treatment discontinuation. In addition, one patient had a biopsy of an emerged LN, which showed lymphoid aggerates without tumor cells. Conclusions: Our data suggest that treatment with ERK inhibitors can result in activation of the lymphatic nodes, which can manifest as pseudo-progression. This can lead to an inconclusive assessment of their therapeutic benefit and further suggests exploration of the potential synergistic effects with immune therapy.

EFFORT: EFFicacy Of adavosertib in parp ResisTance: A randomized two-arm non-comparative phase II study of adavosertib with or without olaparib in women with PARP-resistant ovarian cancer

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Background: Wee1 phosphorylates and inhibits cyclin-dependent kinases 1 and 2 and is involved in regulation of the intra-S and G2/M cell cycle checkpoint arrest for premitotic DNA repair. The Wee1 inhibitor, adavosertib, has demonstrated activity alone and in combination with olaparib in PARP inhibitor (PARPi)-resistant preclinical models. We sought to evaluate efficacy of adavosertib (A) with or without olaparib (O) in a phase II noncomparative study of recurrent PARPi-resistant ovarian cancer. Methods: Women with recurrent ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer with documented progressive disease on a PARPi were eligible. All patients (pts) had measurable disease and adequate end organ function. On the A arm, pts received A 300mg PO daily on days 1-5 and 8-12 of a 21-day cycle. On the A/O arm, pts received A 150mg PO BID on days 1-3 and 8-10 and O 200mg PO BID on days 1-21 of a 21-day cycle. Primary endpoint was objective response per RECIST 1.1 and was assessed every 2 cycles. Clinical benefit rate (CBR) was defined as proportion of pts with objective response or stable disease > 16 weeks. Progression free survival (PFS) was assessed using the Kaplan Meier method and calculated from date of treatment initiation to earliest date of progression, death, or last visit. Results: 116 pts were screened with 80 pts enrolled and randomized (A: n=39, A/O: n=41). Median age was 60 years (range 36-76) and the majority of pts had platinum resistant disease (64%) and high grade serous histology (98%). Pts received a median of 4 prior therapies (range 1-11) and 48% had germline or somatic BRCA mutations. There were 35 pts evaluable for response in each arm. Table demonstrates efficacy data. On the A arm, Grade 3/4 toxicities occurred in 51% of pts, most commonly neutropenia (13%), thrombocytopenia (10%), and diarrhea (8%). 28 (72%) pts required at least one dose interruption and 20 (51%) required dose reduction. On the A/O arm, Grade 3/4 toxicities occurred in 76% of pts, most commonly thrombocytopenia (20%), neutropenia (15%), diarrhea (12%), fatigue (12%), and anemia (10%). 36 (88%) of pts required at least one dose interruption, 29 (71%) required dose reduction, and 4 (10%) did not restart due to toxicity. Conclusions: A given alone and in combination with O demonstrated efficacy in pts with PARPi-resistant ovarian cancer. Although grade 3 and 4 toxicities were observed on both arms, these were generally manageable with supportive care, dose interruptions and dose reductions as needed. Additional translational analyses are ongoing to clarify which pts received clinical benefit. Clinical trial information: NCT03579316. [Table: see text]

Futility and toxicity monitoring without halting for interim analyses

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Background: Many trial designs with futility or toxicity monitoring require that accrual halt to wait for currently enrolled patients to complete their assessment window. However, logistics often prevent this. In these cases, the performance of those designs might be compromised. This study examines the performance of 2 popular designs when enrollment is not halted at interim. Methods: Simulations were run to examine the effect of continuous enrollment on the operating characteristics (OCs) of a Simon’s 2-stage design for futility monitoring and a design using Bayesian posterior probabilities for toxicity monitoring. Both sets of 10,000 simulations examined the OCs when accrual rate was 0.5, 1.5, 3 and 5 patients/month with an assessment window of 30, 60 and 180 days. Results: The first scenario examined the OCs of a Simon design with 12 patients in the first stage and 21 at the end of the second stage. Regardless of accrual rate, the expected number of patients (EN0) increased and probability of early termination (PET0) decreased under the null hypothesis. Rate of change increased as assessment window increased. EN0 was 16 and PET0 was 54% when halting enrollment between stages. With continuous enrollment, EN0 ranged from 16-19, 17-21, and 18-21 patients for the 30-, 90- and 180-day assessment windows. PET0 ranged from 54%-50% with a 30-day assessment window. It halved to 24% with 3 patients/month enrolled and a 90-day window. PET0 was essentially 0 with a 180-day window and an enrollment of 3 patients/month. OCs for toxicity monitoring were examined for the early stopping rule Pr(toxicity rate > 0.3 | data) > 0.85 with toxicity rate ̃ beta(1, 1) with a maximum sample size of 20 and cohort size of 5. Expected number of patients (EN) increased and probability of early termination (PET) decreased as accrual rate increased, with rate of change increasing as assessment window increased. When the true probability of toxicity was 50% and enrollment halted between cohorts, EN was 10 patients and PET was 78%. EN was 17 and PET 54% with an assessment window of 30 days and 5 patients were enrolled per month. With a 90-day assessment window and 3 patients/month enrolled, EN was 16 and PET 59%. EN was 20 and PET was 12% with a 180-day assessment window and 3 patients were enrolled per month. Similar results were noted for cohorts of size 10 and a maximum number of 40 patients. Conclusions: The performance of designs that require halting enrollment while waiting for results of an interim analysis can be compromised by continuous accrual when assessment windows are lengthy and the accrual is fast. In these circumstances, consideration should be given to designs, such as Bayesian multiple imputation for delayed outcomes (Cai et al Stat Med 2014) and TOP2 (Lin et al JNCI 2019), that do not require accrual halt to make real-time interim analysis in the presence of pending patients, which protects patients from excessive toxicity or a futile intervention.

Abstract IA005: DNA damaging agents in endometrial cancer

The time for “one size fits all” treatment is over in endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer has a number of potential targetable molecular aberrations, including those that predict response to DNA damaging agents such as PARP inhibitors. This talk will explore the preclinical and clinical data to support DNA damaging agents, alone and in combination, in the treatment of endometrial cancer. Biomarkers for response will be critically reviewed.

Citation Format: Shannon Neville Westin. DNA damaging agents in endometrial cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference: Endometrial Cancer: New Biology Driving Research and Treatment; 2020 Nov 9-10. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2021;27(3_Suppl):Abstract nr IA005.

Pathologic distribution at the time of interval tumor reductive surgery informs personalized surgery for high-grade ovarian cancer

INTRODUCTION

The surgical approach for interval debulking surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been extrapolated from primary tumor reductive surgery for high-grade ovarian cancer. The study objective was to compare pathologic distribution of malignancy at interval debulking surgery versus primary tumor reductive surgery.

METHODS

Patients with a diagnosis of high-grade serous or mixed, non-mucinous, epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy or primary tumor reductive surgery and had at least 6 months of follow-up were identified through tumor registry at a single institution from January 1995 to April 2016. Pathologic involvement of organs was categorized as macroscopic, microscopic, or no tumor. Statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney and Fisher's exact tests.

RESULTS

Of 918 patients identified, 366 (39.9%) patients underwent interval debulking surgery and 552 (60.1%) patients underwent primary tumor reductive surgery. Median age was 62.3 years (range 25.3-92.5). The majority of patients in the interval debulking surgery group were unstaged (261, 71.5%). In the patients who had a primary tumor reductive surgery, 406 (74.6%) had stage III disease. In both groups, the majority of patients had serous histology: 325 (90%) and 435 (78.8%) in the interval debulking and primary tumor reductive surgery groups, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between disease distribution on the uterus between the groups; 31.4% of the patients undergoing interval debulking surgery had no evidence of uterine disease compared with 22.1% of primary tumor reductive surgery specimens (p<0.001). In the adnexa, there was macroscopic disease present in 253 (69.2%) and 482 (87.4%) of cases in the interval vs primary surgery groups, respectively (p<0.001). Within the omentum, no tumor was present in the omentum in 52 (14.2%) in the interval surgery group versus 91 (16.5%) in the primary surgery group (p<0.001). In the interval surgery group, there was no tumor involving the small and large bowel in 49 (13.4%) and 28 (7.7%) pathologic specimens, respectively. This was statistically significantly different from the small and large bowel in the primary surgery group, of which there was no tumor in 20 (3.6%, p<0.001) and 16 (2.9%, p<0.001) of cases, respectively.

CONCLUSION

In patients undergoing interval debulking surgery, there was less macroscopic involvement of tumor in the uterus, adnexa and bowel compared with patients undergoing primary cytoreductive surgery.

DUO-E/GOG-3041/ENGOT-EN10: a randomized phase III trial of first-line carboplatin (carb) and paclitaxel (pac) in combination with durvalumab (durva), followed by maintenance durva with or without olaparib (ola), in patients (pts) with newly diagnosed (nd) advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer (EC)

TPS6108

Background: There is a high unmet need for advances in EC treatment that provide progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) benefits. EC tumors are sensitive to carb/pac (Pectasides et al. Gynecol Oncol 2008). Maintenance therapy with the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) ola (with or without bevacizumab) led to significant PFS benefits in advanced ovarian cancer pts with either nd (SOLO1, Moore et al. NEJM 2018; PAOLA-1, Ray-Coquard et al. NEJM 2019) or recurrent (SOLO2, Pujade-Lauraine et al. Lancet Oncol 2017; Study 19, Friedlander et al. Br J Cancer 2018) platinum-sensitive disease, regardless of BRCA mutation status (PAOLA-1; Study 19), and in BRCA-mutated metastatic pancreatic cancer pts (POLO, Golan et al. NEJM 2019). Molecular features of EC could predict sensitivity to PARPi (de Jonge et al. Clin Cancer Res 2019; Auguste et al. Mod Pathol 2018). PARPi has been shown to prime the immune microenvironment in a preclinical BRCA1 mutant ovarian model (Higuchi et al. Cancer Immunol Res 2015). Clinical trials have demonstrated antitumor activity of the anti-programmed cell death ligand-1 (anti-PD-L1) blocker durva (Antill et al. J Clin Oncol 2019) and anti-programmed cell death-1 (anti-PD-1) antibody therapies (Makker et al. ESMO 2019; Oaknin et al. SGO 2019) in EC pts. The DUO-E trial (EUDRACT 2019-004112-60, D9311C00001, NCT04269200) will investigate whether the addition of durva to carb/pac, followed by durva (with or without ola) maintenance treatment, improves PFS in pts with nd advanced or recurrent EC. Methods: Eligible pts for this multicenter, double-blind, Phase III trial must have nd Stage III/IV or recurrent EC and be naïve to first-line chemotherapy. Pts will be randomized (1:1:1; n=~233 per arm) to: arm A) carb/pac + placebo (pbo) (q3w for six cycles) followed by pbo maintenance treatment; arm B) carb/pac + durva (1120 mg; q3w for six cycles) followed by maintenance treatment with durva (1500 mg q4w) + pbo (tablets bid); or arm C) carb/pac + durva (1120 mg; q3w for six cycles) followed by maintenance treatment with durva (1500 mg q4w) + ola (300 mg bid tablets). Pts received maintenance treatment until disease progression. Primary endpoint: investigator-assessed PFS (RECIST 1.1) of arm B vs. arm A. Key secondary endpoints: PFS of arm C vs. arm A; OS of arm B vs. arm A, and of arm C vs. arm A. Enrollment began in Q1 2020. Clinical trial information: 2019-004112-60.

Social media and gynecologic cancers: The impact of Twitter #GYNCSM

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Background: Patients (pts) with gynecologic malignancies look for support and information outside traditional clinical settings. We report the results of a needs assessment of the GYN Cancer Social Media (#gyncsm) Twitter community. Methods: An online needs assessment was publicized on Twitter using the #gyncsm hashtag in 2019 for 23 days. Percentages were calculated to provide observational data. Results: Of 33 respondents, 26 (79%) were pts, 7 (21%) healthcare providers, 2 (6%) cancer researchers, and 1 (3%) caregiver. 15 (60%) pts reported having ovarian cancer; 6 (24%) endometrial/uterine cancer; 2 (8%) sarcoma; 2 (8%) breast cancer; and 1 (4%) vulvar cancer. Participating providers were gynecologic oncologists 3 (21%); pharmacists 2 (14%); medical and radiation oncologist, researcher, social worker therapist and genetic counselor 1 (7%) each. 41% (13) reported tweeting and retweeting #gyncsm tweets; 22% (11) read the blog posts or transcripts of a twitter chat; 28% (9) followed or participated in a twitter chat. Chat topics with importance are shown in the Table. Pts reported that #gyncsm twitter chat helped them advocate for themselves (9, 60%); learn about genetic testing (7, 46%); and investigate clinical trials (4, 26%). Conclusions: Social media has a role in healthcare, especially in pt education and empowerment. Side effects, toxicity, and communication were topics of interest. Inclusion of cervical cancer pts and rare malignancies should be a priority. [Table: see text]

Results of a deep-dive survey on practice patterns of oncologists and advanced practice providers utilizing PARP inhibitors as maintenance therapy for patients with ovarian cancer

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Background: Often diagnosed at an advanced stage, most patients with ovarian cancer will relapse. As several PARP inhibitors (PARPi) have recently been approved as maintenance, patients are presented with treatment options that extend the interval of disease remission. However, novel challenges exist as oncology teams are apprehensive of integrating PARPi in practice. Emphasis on building this competence is essential for patients to obtain the maximum benefit of maintenance PARP therapy. Methods: Oncology teams were invited to participate in a 1-hour live and online education activity broadcast from 2018-2019 at OMedLive.com for 12 months. The activity addressed clinical data on the use of PARPi as maintenance therapy, management of adverse events, and emerging strategies utilizing PARP inhibition. A deep-dive survey, including structured and open-ended questions, was conducted 2 to 4 months after participation and focused on changes in practice, barriers to change, and observed patient outcomes. Results: In total, 915 clinicians participated in the video-based activity. Sixty physicians and advanced practitioners opted to complete the deep-dive survey, 70% of whom have used PARP inhibitors as maintenance therapy. Practice improvements were reported for identifying patients likely to benefit from PARPi (90%), differentiating among approved PARPi (86%), counseling patients (85%), and team-based side effect management (95%). The top 3 barriers to utilization of PARPi were lack of reimbursement (23%), inability to anticipate patient outcomes (15%), and unfamiliarity with clinical guidelines (15%). Variations in responses to open-ended questions included persistent questions (n = 47) in need of responses before adopting PARPi, data needed to better inform decision-making (n = 49), major concerns about PARPi (n = 55), and the most challenging aspects of current patient management with PARPi (n = 39). Conclusions: Patient education yielded improvements in practical application and management of PARP inhibitors for patients with ovarian cancer. The thematic variations in open-ended responses may inform the design of tailored interventions to improve clinical integration of PARP inhibitors as maintenance therapy and different lines of treatment.

Decision analysis for secondline maintenance treatment of platinum sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer: a review

Most women with ovarian cancer experience disease relapse, presenting numerous treatment challenges for clinicians. Maintenance therapy in the relapsed setting aims to extend the time taken for a cancer to progress, thus delaying the need for additional treatments. Four therapies are currently approved in the USA for secondline maintenance treatment of platinum sensitive, recurrent ovarian cancer: one antivascular endothelial growth factor agent (bevacizumab) and three poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (olaparib, niraparib, and rucaparib). In addition to efficacy, maintenance therapies must have a good tolerability profile and no significant detrimental impact on quality of life, as patients who receive maintenance are generally free from cancer related symptoms. Data from key bevacizumab trials (OCEANS, NCT00434642; GOG-0213, NCT00565851; MITO16B, NCT01802749) and PARP inhibitor trials (Study 19, NCT00753545; SOLO2, NCT01874353; NOVA, NCT01847274; ARIEL3, NCT01968213) indicate that bevacizumab and the PARP inhibitors are effective in patients with platinum sensitive, recurrent ovarian cancer but differ in their tolerability profiles. In addition, the efficacy of PARP inhibitors is dependent on the presence of homologous recombination repair deficiency, with patients with the deficiency experiencing greater responses from treatment compared with those who are homologous recombination repair proficient. Allowing for caveats of cross trial comparisons, we advise that clinicians account for the following points when choosing whether and when to administer a secondline maintenance treatment for a specific patient: presence of a homologous recombination repair deficient tumor; the patient's baseline characteristics, such as platelet count and blood pressure; mode of administration of therapy; and consideration of future treatment options for thirdline and later therapy.

Clinical Cancer Advances 2020: Annual Report on Progress Against Cancer From the American Society of Clinical Oncology

A MESSAGE FROM ASCO’S PRESIDENT

Shortly before I was elected President of ASCO, I attended the 65th birthday party of a current patient. She had been diagnosed 10 years earlier with metastatic breast cancer and hadn't been sure she wanted to move forward with further treatment. With encouragement, she elected to participate in a clinical trial of an investigational drug that is now widely used to treat breast cancer. Happily, here we were, celebrating with her now-married daughters, their husbands, and three beautiful grandchildren, ages 2, 4, and 8. Such is the importance of clinical trials and promising new therapies.Clinical research is about saving and improving the lives of individuals with cancer. It's a continuing story that builds on the efforts of untold numbers of researchers, clinicians, caregivers, and patients. ASCO's Clinical Cancer Advances report tells part of this story, sharing the most transformative research of the past year. The report also includes our latest thinking on the most urgent research priorities in oncology.ASCO's 2020 Advance of the Year-Refinement of Surgical Treatment of Cancer-highlights how progress drives more progress. Surgery has played a fundamental role in cancer treatment. It was the only treatment available for many cancers until the advent of radiation and chemotherapy. The explosion in systemic therapies since then has resulted in significant changes to when and how surgery is performed to treat cancer. In this report, we explore how treatment successes have led to less invasive approaches for advanced melanoma, reduced the need for surgery in renal cell carcinoma, and increased the number of patients with pancreatic cancer who can undergo surgery.Many research advances are made possible by federal funding. With the number of new US cancer cases set to rise by roughly a third over the next decade, continued investment in research at the national level is crucial to continuing critical progress in the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.While clinical research has translated to longer survival and better quality of life for many patients with cancer, we can't rest on our laurels. With ASCO's Research Priorities to Accelerate Progress Against Cancer, introduced last year and updated this year, we've identified the critical gaps in cancer prevention and care that we believe to be most pressing. These priorities are intended to guide the direction of research and speed progress.Of course, the effectiveness or number of new treatments is meaningless if patients don't have access to them. High-quality cancer care, including clinical trials, is out of reach for too many patients. Creating an infrastructure to support patients is a critical part of the equation, as is creating connections between clinical practices and research programs. We have much work to do before everyone with cancer has equal access to the best treatments and the opportunity to participate in research. I know that ASCO and the cancer community are up for this challenge.Sincerely,Howard A. "Skip" Burris III, MD, FACP, FASCOASCO President, 2019-2020.

Body mass index and attitudes towards health behaviors among women with endometrial cancer before and after treatment

INTRODUCTION

Some experts have argued that obesity-related malignancies such as endometrial cancer are a "teachable moment" that lead to meaningful changes in health behaviors. It is unclear if endometrial cancer survivors lose weight following treatment. Our goal with this investigation was to evaluate post-treatment changes in body mass index (BMI) and attitudes towards health behaviors in endometrial cancer survivors.

METHODS

Incident endometrial cancer cases undergoing surgery between 2009-2015 were identified in the Marketscan Commercial database and linked with BMI data and health behavior questionnaires from the Marketscan Health Risk Assessment database. Patients were excluded for insufficient BMI data. Standard statistical methods, including the two-sample Wilcoxon rank sum test, χ² test, and McNemar's test, were used.

RESULTS

655 patients with a median age of 54 (IQR 49-58) were identified and analyzed. Median duration of follow-up was 595 days (IQR 360-1091). Mean pre- and post-treatment BMI was 35.5 kg/m² (median 35.0; IQR 27.0-42.3) and 35.6 kg/m² (median 34.3; IQR 28.0-42.0), respectively. Median BMI change in the entire cohort was 0 kg/m² (IQR -1.0 to 2.0). Weight gain (n=302; 46.1%) or no change in weight (n=106; 16.2%) was seen in most patients. Among the 302 patients who gained weight, the mean pre-treatment BMI was 34.0 kg/m² and mean increase was 2.8 kg/m² (median 2.0; IQR 1.0-3.4). Among the 247 cases who lost weight, the mean pre-treatment BMI was 38.6 kg/m² and mean decrease was 3.2 kg/m² (median 2.0; IQR 1.0-4.0). No pre- to post-treatment differences were observed in health behavior questionnaires regarding intention to better manage their diet, exercise more, or lose weight.

DISCUSSION

Most endometrial cancer survivors gain weight or maintain the same weight following treatment. No post-treatment changes in attitudes regarding weight-related behaviors were observed. The systematic delivery of evidence-based weight loss interventions should be a priority for survivors of endometrial cancer.

Discrepancy in calculated and measured glomerular filtration rates in patients treated with PARP inhibitors

OBJECTIVE

To describe discrepancies in calculated and measured glomerular filtration rate in patients using PARP (poly ADP ribose polymerase) inhibitors who had an elevation in serum creatinine levels.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort, single center study. Patients included were those with ovarian or endometrial cancer taking olaparib, rucaparib or niraparib, and in in whom an increased serum creatinine was identified. The study cohort included those who also underwent technetium-99m radioisotope renography (glomerular filtration rate (GFR) scan). The main objective is to describe the discrepancies in calculated glomerular filtration rate using the Cockcroft-Gault method and measured glomerular filtration rate using a GFR scan.

RESULTS

211 patients were included in the study; 64 (30%) had on-treatment elevated serum creatinine, and 23 (36%) underwent a GFR scan. 32 GFR scans were performed (six patients had more than one scan). Using a clinical cut-off ≥50 mL/min as normal renal function, both calculated and estimated glomerular filtration rates were below normal in 6 of 32 GFR scans. In those patients undergoing a GFR scan, serum creatinine had risen a median 49% (IQR 20-66%, range 0-144%) above baseline. Discordance between a calculated low glomerular filtration rate and an estimated normal glomerular filtration rate occurred in 63% (range of glomerular filtration rate discrepancy: -46% to +237%). Despite increases in serum creatinine on therapy and a subsequent significant decline in the per patient calculated creatinine clearance (mean 65.6 mL/min vs 43.4 mL/min; p<0.0001), the estimated glomerular filtration rate from the renal scan was nearly identical to the patient's baseline (65.6 mL/min vs 66.1 mL/min; p=0.89).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum creatinine elevation in patients taking PARP inhibitors may not be associated with a true decrease in glomerular filtration rate. A high index of suspicion should be maintained for alternative causes of elevated serum creatinine in patients treated with PARP inhibitors who lack other sources of renal injury.

Poly-ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitor use in ovarian cancer: expanding indications and novel combination strategies

The use of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition is transforming care for the treatment of ovarian cancer, with three different PARP inhibitors (PARPi) gaining US Food and Drug Administration approval since 2014. Given the rapidly expanding use of PARPi, this review aims to summarize the key evidence for their use and therapeutic indications. Furthermore, we provide an overview of the development of PARPi resistance and the emerging role of PARPi combination therapies, including those with anti-angiogenic and immunotherapeutic agents.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of laparoscopic disease assessment in ovarian cancer

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Background: Laparoscopic assessment of disease resectability can be useful for treatment planning for patients [pts] with advanced ovarian cancer [OC] but may be associated with added cost. Methods: We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis from a payer perspective to compare (1) a conventional strategy, where standard new pt evaluation was used to assign pts to either primary cytoreduction [PCS] or neoadjuvant chemotherapy with interval cytoreduction [NACT], and (2) an alternative approach, where pts considered candidates for PCS would undergo laparoscopy to evaluate disease resectability using a validated scoring system, who were then triaged to either PCS or NACT based on this evaluation. Diagnostic work-up, surgical and adjuvant treatment, perioperative complications, and progression-free survival [PFS] were included in the model. We derived model parameters from the literature and our institution’s experience with laparoscopic triage. Utility estimates for health states related to primary treatment were assessed prospectively and taken from the literature. Costs were estimated using Medicare reimbursement. Effectiveness was defined in quality-adjusted progression-free life years [QPFLYs]. We performed multiple sensitivity analyses. Results: Under baseline model parameters, the expected cost of treating one pt under the conventional and alternative strategies was $26,539 and $26,653, respectively. The expected quality-adjusted progression-free survival for pts in the conventional and alternative strategies was 0.70 and 0.94 QPFLYs, respectively. The calculated incremental cost-effectiveness was $473.97 per QPFLY saved. The alternative strategy became cost saving if pts found to have resectable disease by laparoscopy underwent cytoreduction during the same procedure. The conventional strategy may be preferred if PCS increased PFS over NACT by ≥5 months. Conclusions: For newly-diagnosed advanced stage OC pts, laparoscopic assessment of disease resectability prior to PCS was a cost-effective strategy. A conventional strategy may be preferred if PCS produced substantially longer PFS. Sensitivity analysis suggests the benefit of utilizing laparoscopic triage is influenced by mitigation of serious perioperative morbidity and associated costs.

Risk factors for progression or death in ovarian cancer patients who completed first-line platinum treatment

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Background: Limited real-world information is available in ovarian cancer (OC) regarding prognostic factors for disease progression or death after initial treatment. Here, we assessed potential prognostic risk factors in OC patients (pts) who completed first-line (1L) platinum-based chemotherapy (CT) using real-world data. Methods: This retrospective study identified 5535 pts diagnosed with OC from January 2011–October 2018 from the Flatiron database, a longitudinal, demographically and geographically diverse database derived from health records from > 265 cancer clinics and > 2 million US cancer pts. Stage III/IV OC pts who completed 1L platinum-based CT after primary debulking or interval debulking surgery were included. Pts who received a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) in 1L treatment or as maintenance therapy after 1L treatment were excluded. Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the association between baseline factors (neoadjuvant CT, disease stage, residual disease, BRCA status, ECOG, age, platelet count, hemoglobin, and neutrophil count) and time to next treatment (TTNT; a proxy for progression-free survival) or overall survival (OS) in these pts. Results: 1064 of 5535 pts were eligible per our inclusion/exclusion criteria. Neoadjuvant treatment, stage of disease, residual disease after surgery, and BRCA mutation ( BRCAmut) status were significant prognostic factors for either TTNT or OS. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy pts had a shorter TTNT (hazard ration [HR] = 1.37; P= .001) and OS (HR = 1.64; P= .0002) than pts who underwent primary surgery after adjusting for other covariates. Stage IV pts had a shorter TTNT (HR = 1.26; P= .01) and OS (HR = 1.24; P= .09) than stage III pts. OS was also worse in pts with vs without residual disease (HR = 1.27; P= .04) and worse in BRCAwt than BRCAmut pts (HR = 1.37; P= .10). Conclusions: In this retrospective analysis of a real-world data set, BRCAwt status was associated with higher risk of death. Receipt of neoadjuvant CT, higher stage of disease at diagnosis, or presence of residual disease after surgery were also associated with a shorter TTNT or higher risk of death. These real-world data confirm previously identified prognostic factors.

Correlation of surgeon radiology assessment with laparoscopic scoring in patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer

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Background: To determine the correlation between surgeon radiology assessment and laparoscopic scoring in patients with newly diagnosed advanced stage ovarian cancer. Methods: Following IRB approval, 14 gynecologic oncologists from a single institution performed a blinded review of radiology imaging from 20 patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer. All patients previously underwent laparoscopic scoring assessment to determine primary resectability at tumor reductive surgery (TRS) using a validated scoring method from April 2013 to December 2017. The patients with predictive index value (PIV) scores < 8 were offered primary surgery and those with a score ≥8 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). Surgeons viewed contrasted CT imaging reports and images from all patients in a blinded fashion and recorded PIV scores using the same validated scoring method. Linear mixed models were conducted to calculate the correlation between radiology and laparoscopic score for each surgeon and as a group. Once the model was fit, the inter-class correlation (ICC) and 95% confidence interval was calculated. Results: Radiology review was performed on 20 patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer who underwent laparoscopic scoring assessment. Most patients had stage IIIC disease (85%) and median laparoscopic score was 9 (range 0-14). Surgeon faculty rank included Assistant Professor (n = 5), Associate Professor (n = 4), and Professor (n = 5). Median surgeon experience during the study period with laparoscopic assessment was 13 cases (range 1-28) and TRS was 22.5 cases (range 2-48). The kappa inter-rater agreement was -0.017 (95% CI 0.023 to -0.005) indicating low inter-rater agreement between radiology review and actual laparoscopic score. The ICC in this model was 0.06 (0.02-0.21) indicating that surgeons do not score the same across all the images. When using a clinical cutoff of PIV of 8, the probability of agreement between radiology and actual laparoscopic score was 0.56 (95% CI: 0.49-0.73). Number of laparoscopic cases, TRS cases, or faculty rank was not significantly associated with agreement. Conclusions: Surgeon radiology review did not correlate highly with actual laparoscopic scoring assessment findings in patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer. 44% of patients in our study may have been inadequately triaged by radiology review alone, which may have led to suboptimal TRS. Our study highlights the utility of laparoscopic scoring assessment to determine resectability over radiology assessment alone in ovarian cancer.

Phase Ib clinical investigation of intraperitoneal ipilimumab and nivolumab in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis due to gynecologic malignancy

TPS5606

Background: The peritoneal cavity is a frequent site of metastasis and recurrence for gynecologic malignancy, including approximately 80% of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) that presents with peritoneal involvement. These observations have led to the use of intraperitoneal (IP) route of administration for traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy. IP immunotherapy is a recognized but under explored area of clinical investigation with many potential advantages. Indeed, IP administered antibodies in both animals and human subjects are associated with absent or much lower peripheral blood concentrations. In addition to higher local and lower systemic exposure, other theoretical advantages include preferential binding to intraperitoneal and intratumoral immune cells, and absorption through the draining lymphatics of the peritoneal cavity. These pelvic and peri-aortic lymph nodes represent the most relevant lymphoid organs and as such may be the ideal site for T cell activation and trafficking back to the peritoneal tumor. Methods: The trial (NCT03508570) is a single-institution phase Ib trial to determine the recommended phase II dosing (RP2D) of IP administration of nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab. For the purpose of dose finding, the assessment period for dose limiting toxicity (DLT) is 12 weeks. The trial starts with a safety lead-in to confirm the safety of IP nivolumab before combining it with ipilimumab. A maximum sample size of 12 will be used to find the RP2D for nivolumab, up to 24 patients for the combination, and a planned expansion will be carried out such that at least 12 EOC patients are treated at RP2D of the intraperitoneal combination strategy. The secondary objectives are to describe the pharmacokinetics and toxicities, and to estimate the clinical benefit rate for the expansion cohort. Translational objectives include description of immunologic and biologic changes in serial blood and IP fluid collections as well as pre and on-treatment biopsies. Eligibility criteria include recurrent or progressive biopsy-confirmed platinum resistant EOC or other gynecologic cancer with measurable peritoneal disease, and no exposure to prior treatment with checkpoint inhibition. Enrollment began in January of 2019 with 3 subjects enrolled to date. Accrual update will be provided at the annual meeting. Clinical trial information: NCT03508570.

Bevacizumab beyond progression: Impact of subsequent bevacizumab retreatment in patients with ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancer after progression

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Background: The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of bevacizumab for treatment of recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal carcinoma (OC) in combination with chemotherapy. This study evaluates whether patients immediately retreated with bevacizumab derive benefit after progressing on a bevacizumab-containing regimen. Methods: This multi-institutional, retrospective study compared patients with high grade non-mucinous epithelial OC who received bevacizumab followed directly by another bevacizumab-containing treatment regimen to patients who received bevacizumab followed by a regimen that did not contain bevacizumab (or received no further treatment). All patient retreated with bevacizumab had stable or progressive disease on prior bevacizumab containing regimen. Progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan and Meier product-limit estimator and modeled via Cox proportional hazards regression. PFS was measured from the date of first bevacizumab treatment to the date of first progression, date of death or date of last clinic visit. OS was measured from the date of first bevacizumab treatment after progression to the date of death or date of last contact/clinic visit. Statistical significance was defined at the 0.05 level. Results: 275 patients received bevacizumab, of which 226 were evaluable; 102 received sequential treatment with bevacizumab and 124 received a bevacizumab containing regimen followed by a non-bevacizumab containing regimen at the time of progression. There was no significant difference between tumor grade, stage, or BRCA mutation. Median follow-up for all subjects was 17 months (range: 1.2-138.2 months). Median PFS was 10.21 months (95%CI: 8.05 - 11.79) and median OS was 22.14 months (95%CI: 17.1 – 27.4). Median PFS for patients who received bevacizumab without retreatment was 5.1 months (95%CI: 4.3 – 6.3) and 17.6 months (95%CI: 14.3 – 21.3) for patients who received sequential bevacizumab retreatment (p < 0.001). Median OS for patients who received bevacizumab without retreatment was 12.9 months (95%CI: 9.3 – 16.7) and 30.1 months (95%CI: 26.1 – 35.4) for patients who received sequential bevacizumab retreatment (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our study shows OC patients treated with bevacizumab-containing regimens sequentially at the time of progression have significantly prolonged survival outcomes compared to those patients who received no re-treatment with bevacizumab.

Treatment of patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer for whom platinum is still an option

BACKGROUND

Ovarian cancer remains the most deadly gynecologic cancer with the majority of patients relapsing within 3 years of diagnosis. Traditional treatment paradigms linked to platinum sensitivity or resistance are currently being questioned in the setting of new diagnostic methods and treatment options.

DESIGN

Authors carried out review of the literature on key topics in treatment of recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) when platinum is still an option; including secondary surgical cytoreduction, chemotherapy, novel treatment options, and maintenance therapy. A treatment algorithm is proposed.

RESULTS

Molecular characterization of EOC is critical to help guide treatment decisions. The role of secondary cytoreductive surgery is currently being evaluated with results from Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) 213 and anticipated results from DESKTOP III clinical trials. Chemotherapy backbone has remained relatively unchanged but utilizing non-platinum-based regimens is under investigation. In addition, maintenance therapy with anti-angiogenic therapy and Poly (ADP-ribose) Polymerase (PARP) inhibitors has emerged as the standard of care. Novel combinations, including immunotherapy and anti-angiogenesis agents, may further change the current landscape.

CONCLUSIONS

The treatment of recurrent EOC is rapidly changing. Clinical trial design will need to continue to evolve as many novel therapies move to the upfront setting. Ultimately, the treatment of patients with recurrent EOC must incorporate individual patient and tumor factors.

A systematic process to enhance selection of a prepared medical decision maker

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Background: Selecting a prepared medical decision maker (MDM) is an integral component of advance care planning (ACP), an interdisciplinary process supported by prognostic awareness. ASCO’s Quality Initiative recommends providers discuss ACP or advance directives (AD) with all new patients with invasive malignancy (NP) by the third office visit (OV). In this quality improvement project, our goal was to increase documented social work (SW), counseling, and education regarding selection of a prepared MDM to 70% and to increase scanned MPOA in EHR 2x by 3R OV. Methods: All SW received institutional training regarding important elements to include when providing counseling and education regarding selection of a prepared MDM. We collected data from EHR of all NP of five gynecologic oncologist champions, including responses to patient needs survey (PNS), AD questions at first OV and ACP physician/Advanced Practice Provider (MD/APP), and SW ACP notes derived from templates with structured elements. Data were collected during baseline and three intervention cycles (C). C1: coaching RN to ask PNS AD questions from a “culture of yes”, C2: NP viewing brief video about importance of MPOA; C3: providing cards with simple definitions of AD to use with NP. Results are presented for C1-3 versus baseline. Results: Total NP=351 (baseline 133, C1-3 218). Intervention group (IG) patients requested more assistance with AD (15 vs. 5%, p=.005) and wanted more information (16 vs. 8%, p=.02) than baseline. Documented social work ACP notes by the third OV were less frequent in the IG (30 vs. 48%, p=.001); there were fewer documented SW ACP notes in those without scanned MPOA (72 vs. 58% without note, p=.01), and no increase in scanned MPOA (13 vs. 11%, p=.516). Physician documentation of MPOA discussion increased (38 vs. 8%, P.000), but discussion of treatment goals did not (84 vs. 68%, p=.112). Conclusions: Interventions resulted in increased MD/APP discussions of importance of MPOA and NP requests for discussion, but fewer SW ACP discussions. There was no increase in scanned MPOA. Current processes reach only a minority of NP and do not effectively engage NP in selecting a prepared MDM. More proactive approaches systematically incorporating ACP discussions into care in an iterative manner are needed.

Clinical Cancer Advances 2018: Annual Report on Progress Against Cancer From the American Society of Clinical Oncology

A MESSAGE FROM ASCO'S PRESIDENT I remember when ASCO first conceived of publishing an annual report on the most transformative research occurring in cancer care. Thirteen reports later, the progress we have chronicled is remarkable, and this year is no different. The research featured in ASCO's Clinical Cancer Advances 2018 report underscores the impressive gains in our understanding of cancer and in our ability to tailor treatments to tumors' genetic makeup. The ASCO 2018 Advance of the Year, adoptive cell immunotherapy, allows clinicians to genetically reprogram patients' own immune cells to find and attack cancer cells throughout the body. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy-a type of adoptive cell immunotherapy-has led to remarkable results in young patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and in adults with lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Researchers are also exploring this approach in other types of cancer. This advance would not be possible without robust federal investment in cancer research. The first clinical trial of CAR T-cell therapy in children with ALL was funded, in part, by grants from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and researchers at the NCI Center for Cancer Research were the first to report on possible CAR T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma. These discoveries follow decades of prior research on immunology and cancer biology, much of which was supported by federal dollars. In fact, many advances that are highlighted in the 2018 Clinical Cancer Advances report were made possible thanks to our nation's support for biomedical research. Funding from the US National Institutes of Health and the NCI helps researchers pursue critical patient care questions and addresses vital, unmet needs that private industry has little incentive to take on. Federally supported cancer research generates the biomedical innovations that fuel the development and availability of new and improved treatments for patients. We need sustained federal research investment to accelerate the discovery of the next generation of cancer treatments. Another major trend in this year's report is progress in precision medicine approaches to treat cancer. Although precision medicine offers promise to people with cancer and their families, that promise is only as good as our ability to make these treatments available to all patients. My presidential theme, "Delivering Discoveries: Expanding the Reach of Precision Medicine," focuses on tackling this formidable challenge so that new targeted therapies are accessible to anyone who faces a cancer diagnosis. By improving access to high-quality care, harnessing big data on patient outcomes from across the globe, and pursuing innovative clinical trials, I am optimistic that we will speed the delivery of these most promising treatments to more patients. Sincerely, Bruce E. Johnson, FASCO ASCO President, 2017 to 2018.

Selecting a prepared medical decision maker

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Background: Selection and preparation of a medical decision maker (MDM) is key to person-centered advance care planning (ACP). ASCO’s Quality Practice Oncology Initiative recommends that all new patients (pts) discuss advance directives or ACP by the third office visit (OV). Methods: We collected baseline data from 9/8/16-12/31/16 for all new pts presenting with invasive malignancy to 4 gynecologic oncologists. A patient needs survey (PNS) was conducted at the 1st OV to evaluate if pts had completed a medical power of attorney (MPOA) & pt desire for additional assistance with advance directives (AD) or ACP. Electronic health records (EHR) were reviewed for the 1st 3 OV to determine disease status, presence of scanned MPOA and nature and type of ACP notes, including documentation of MD/advance practice provider (MD/APP) discussion of MPOA, social work (SW) MPOA counseling & elements suggesting selection of a prepared MDM. Pearson Chi-Square or Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparisons, as appropriate. Results: Of 150 women, disease status was available for 133 (91%). Data presented are for pts with known status. Median (range) number of visits was 2 (1-3). 29% reported having an AD, but only 11% had a MPOA in the EHR. (See Table). Conclusions: Our data suggest that current processes do not successfully capture the majority of already completed MPOA, most pts do not perceive the relevance of selecting a prepared MDM and that most named MDMs have not been well prepared. Other than for visit #, there were no significant differences by disease status. Future QI cycles will focus on more active pt engagement. [Table: see text]

Dual progestin therapy for fertility-sparing treatment of grade 2 endometrial adenocarcinoma

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A case of grade 2 endometrial adenocarcinoma in a young woman desiring fertility-sparing treatment

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Successful conservative management of refractory endometrial adenocarcinoma with dual progestin therapy

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A brief review of conservative management in endometrial adenocarcinoma

When advanced ovarian cancer is not ovarian cancer

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Background:Tissue diagnosis of advanced ovarian cancer (OC) is not universally obtained prior to up-front surgery. This study sought to investigate non-OC cases discovered in the systemic laparoscopic (LSC) workup of presumed advanced OC. Methods: A prospective cohort of presumed advanced OC patients (based on elevated CA125 and/or imaging) presenting to our center without confirmed pathologic diagnosis. Patients with non-OC pathology confirmed in workup were characterized and compared to those with confirmed ovarian pathology using standard statistical tests. Results: 365 patients presented between 5/30/12 and 11/16/16. Non-OC was found in 27 cases (7.4%), including benign ovarian pathology (48%), and metastatic uterine (11%), breast (7%) and gastrointestinal (19%) cancers. A majority used diagnostic LSC or assessment at time of up-front surgery (see Table) for diagnosis. Non-OC cases were less likely to be confirmed by FNA or core biopsy, were more common in Asian patients, had better ECOG scores, and had a lower CA125. Only 1 non-OC patient (uterine sarcoma) received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusions: A systematic LSC approach to advanced stage OC minimizes incorrect chemotherapy chemotherapy administration. Asian patients and those with low CA125 values are at highest risk of a false diagnosis of OC, but did not routinely have a diagnostic opportunity prior to systematic LSC. [Table: see text]

A cost-utility analysis of sentinel lymph node mapping, selective lymphadenectomy, and routing lymphadenectomy in the management of low-risk endometrial cancer

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Background: Our objective was to evaluate the cost-utility of 3 lymphadenectomy (LND) strategies in the treatment of low-risk endometrial cancer (EC). Methods: A decision analysis model compared 3 LND strategies in women undergoing minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for EC: 1) routine LND in all pts; 2) selective LND based on intraoperative frozen section, in which 60% of pts undergo LND; and 3) sentinel lymph node mapping (SLN) based on a published algorithm, in which 15% of pts map unilaterally (requiring a contralateral LND) and 5% don’t map (requiring bilateral LND). Costs and outcomes were obtained from published literature and Medicare reimbursement rates. Costs categories consisted of hospital, physician, operating room, pathology, and lymphedema treatment. Effectiveness was defined as 3-year disease-specific survival adjusted for the impact of lymphedema (utility = 0.8) on quality of life. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained were calculated. QALYs and costs were discounted at an annual 3% rate. Results: For the estimated 40,000 women undergoing surgery for low-risk EC each year in the US, the annual cost of routine LND, selective LND, and SLN is $722 million, $681 million, and $656 million respectively. In the base case scenario, routine LND had a cost of $18,041 and an effectiveness of 2.79 QALYs. Selective LND had a cost of $17,036 and an effectiveness of 2.81 QALYs, while SLN had a cost of $16,401 and an effectiveness of 2.87 QALYs. With a difference of $1,005 and 0.02 QALYs, selective LND was both less costly and more effective than routine LND, dominating it. However, with the lowest cost and highest effectiveness, SLN dominated the other modalities and was the most cost-effective strategy. No ICER could be determined. These findings were robust to multiple one- and two-way sensitivity analyses varying the rates of lymphedema and LND, surgical approach (open or MIS), lymphedema utility, and costs. Conclusions: Compared to routine and selective LND, SLN had the lowest cost and highest quality-adjusted survival, making it the most cost-effective strategy in the management of low-risk EC.

Quality of life after radical trachelectomy for early-stage cervical cancer: A 5-year prospective evaluation

OBJECTIVES

To longitudinally assess quality of life (QOL) in women undergoing radical trachelectomy for early-stage cervical cancer.

METHODS

We prospectively enrolled patients with stage IA1-IB1 cervical cancer prior to undergoing radical trachelectomy to complete validated QOL instruments. These instruments included the General Health-Related QOL (SF-12), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cervix (FACT-Cx), MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI), Female Sexual Functioning Index (FSFI), and Satisfaction with Decision scale (SWD). Instruments were filled out at baseline, postoperatively at 6weeks, 6months, 1year, and annually thereafter for 4years.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine patients enrolled in the study, and 32 patients were evaluable. The scores for FSFI-arousal (p=0.0002), lubrication (p<0.0001), orgasm (p=0.006), pain (p=0.01), satisfaction (p=0.03) and total score (p=0.004) showed a significant decline at 6weeks then returned to baseline levels by 6 months. The scores for FACT-Cx functional well-being (p=0.02) and physical well-being (p<0.0001), SF-12 bodily pain (p<0.0001), physical functioning (p<0.0001), role physical (p<0.0001), role emotional (p=0.03), social functioning (p=0.002), and MDASI total (p=0.04) showed significantly worsened symptoms at 6weeks then returned to baseline by 6months. The scores for FACT-Cx emotional well-being showed significant worsening of symptoms that persisted at 6-weeks (p=0.004), 6months (p=0.007), 1year (p=0.001), 2years (p=0.002), and 4 years (p=0.03). There was no difference in SWD.

CONCLUSIONS

Several quality of life assessments decline immediately postoperatively after radical trachelectomy, however, return to baseline thereafter. The long-term emotional impact of this surgery highlights a need for perioperative counseling in these patients.

Evaluation of resource utilization using time-derived, activity-based costing (TDABC) to result in more effective processes and cost reduction

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Background: Current changes in health care economics have led to a focus on value-based health care. TDABC is a systematic method to assess personnel utilization and the associated cost in the delivery of medical care. Based on baseline process maps and cost estimates in our outpatient center, cancer surveillance visits (CSV) were identified as inefficient, lengthy and high cost. The purpose of this study was to determine if reallocation of personnel was feasible, resulted in decrease cost and better value care. Methods: In 2014, a multidisciplinary team developed process maps for each visit type in the outpatient center. Maps included each step of clinical care from registration to check out and the personnel associated with that care. Total personnel costs were based on the estimated time spent with each patient and the average salary of the care provider. In 9/2014, we instituted an advanced practice provider (APP) independent practice initiative where CSV were done by either faculty or APP, no longer both. Billing codes were used to determine the % of CSV seen by APPs only. Patient and staff satisfaction were assessed pre- and post-implementation with validated measures. Results: At baseline, the estimated patient time and personnel cost for a CSV was 98 min and $380.79. The estimated patient time and personnel cost for an APP only CSV was 53 min and $132.60.; resulting in a potential savings of $249/CSV. Prior to 9/14 less than 21% were seen by APP’s only. After implementation of the initiative, the number of APP only visits increased each quarter to Q1 27%, Q2 38%, Q3 40% and Q4 41%. The estimated cost savings based on 4000 CSV/year was $354,000. Patient satisfaction remained the same (Press-Ganey). APP and physician engagement/satisfaction increased by 30% (Gallup Employee Survey). Conclusions: Evaluation of our outpatient clinic using TDABC allowed us to identify low efficiency, high cost processes. After implementation of a new process, patient wait times and personnel costs were significantly reduced resulting in better value care and improved provider satisfaction.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) prescribing patterns among gynecologic oncologists

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Background: Gynecologic cancer survivors have indicated inadequate treatment of their menopausal symptoms; and while HRT can significantly improve quality of life (QOL) its safety is still debated. Our objective was to evaluate HRT practice patterns and identify potential barriers to prescribing HRT among gynecologic oncologists (GO). Methods: SGO members with active electronic mail (n=823) were queried with single answer and Likert-style questions using an internet-based program. Email reminders were sent at 3, 6, and 9 weeks. Results: Of 207 respondents (25%), 123 (59%) were male and 84 (41%) female. Providers identified personal history of blood clot (81.5%) or breast cancer (75.6%) as contraindications to prescribing HRT. More women than men cited breast cancer and personal history of a blood clot (p=0.038, p=0.08) as contraindications. HRT candidates were women with vasomotor symptoms (sx)(96.1%), those at risk for osteoporosis (55.1%), and postmenopausal women (47.8%). Sx considered amenable to HRT were hot flashes (98.5%), vaginal atrophy (89.3%) and osteoporosis (60%). Fewer women than men (p=0.02) thought HRT was acceptable treatment for vaginal atrophy. Most practitioners would recommend HRT for sexual dysfunction (61.5%). Physicians indicated that they would prescribe HRT for ovarian (55.1%) and endometrial (58.7%) cancer survivors in surveillance. Compared to females, males were more likely to prescribe HRT to ovarian cancer patients who were newly diagnosed (p=0.005), disease-free after adjuvant chemotherapy (p=0.004), on surveillance (p<0.001), or with recurrent disease (p=0.008). Similar trends occurred with endometrial cancer patients. 75% of physicians would prescribe HRT for women with cervical, vaginal, or vulvar cancer following definitive treatment. There was no consensus regarding the duration of HRT once initiated for any cancer. Interestingly, 56-71% of respondents cited evidence- based medicine as the basis for their recommendations. Conclusions: Our survey demonstrated a wide spectrum in HRT prescribing patterns of GO. As more emphasis is placed on QOL and survivorship, rigorous study of the outcomes of HRT use in our patients is of paramount importance.