Effectiveness, safety and utilization of cobimetinib and vemurafenib in patients with BRAF V600 mutant melanoma with and without cerebral metastasis under real-world conditions in Germany: the non-interventional study coveNIS

Cobimetinib/vemurafenib combination therapy is approved for treatment of adults with unresectable or metastatic BRAF V600 mutated malignant melanoma (mM). The non-interventional post-authorisation safety study coveNIS collected real-world data on cobimetinib/vemurafenib treatment focussing on overall survival (OS), safety and utilization. MM patients with brain metastases are usually excluded from clinical studies. coveNIS observed 2 cohorts: mM patients without (Cohort A) and with cerebral metastases (Cohort B), aiming to close the data gap for the latter population. A direct comparison of the 2 cohorts was not intended. The primary effectiveness objective was OS; the safety objective was the incidence of all and of serious adverse events (AEs). Secondary objectives included progression-free survival (PFS), time to development of cerebral metastasis (Cohort A) and time to central nervous system relapse (Cohort B). All statistical analyses were descriptive. Between 2017 and 2021, 95 patients were included (Cohort A: 54, Cohort B: 41 patients) at 32 sites in Germany. Median OS was 21.6 months in Cohort A, 7.4 months in Cohort B. Median PFS was 6.9 months in Cohort A, 5.2 months in Cohort B. The proportion of patients experiencing any AEs was 83.3% (Cohort A) and 87.8% (Cohort B). The two most common AEs in Cohort A were 'diarrhoea' (37%), 'vomiting' (20.4%) and 'pyrexia' (20.4%); in Cohort B 'diarrhoea' (36.6%) and 'fatigue' (22%). In conclusion, the OS rates in Cohort A and Cohort B of coveNIS are in line with the OS data from other trials with BRAF/MEK inhibitors for mM. No new safety signals were observed.

Brain metastasis and survival outcomes after first-line therapy in metastatic melanoma: a multicenter DeCOG study on 1704 patients from the prospective skin cancer registry ADOREG

BACKGROUND

Despite the availability of effective systemic therapies, a significant number of advanced melanoma patients develops brain metastases. This study investigated differences in incidence and time to diagnosis of brain metastasis and survival outcomes dependent on the type of first-line therapy.

METHODS

Patients with metastatic, non-resectable melanoma (AJCCv8 stage IIIC-V) without brain metastasis at start of first-line therapy (1L-therapy) were identified from the prospective multicenter real-world skin cancer registry ADOREG. Study endpoints were incidence of brain metastasis, brain metastasis-free survival (BMFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Of 1704 patients, 916 were BRAF wild-type (BRAFwt) and 788 were BRAF V600 mutant (BRAFmut). Median follow-up time after start of 1L-therapy was 40.4 months. BRAFwt patients received 1L-therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) against CTLA-4+PD-1 (n=281) or PD-1 (n=544). In BRAFmut patients, 1L-therapy was ICI in 415 patients (CTLA-4+PD-1, n=108; PD-1, n=264), and BRAF+MEK targeted therapy (TT) in 373 patients. After 24 months, 1L-therapy with BRAF+MEK resulted in a higher incidence of brain metastasis compared with PD-1±CTLA-4 (BRAF+MEK, 30.3%; CTLA-4+PD-1, 22.2%; PD-1, 14.0%). In multivariate analysis, BRAFmut patients developed brain metastases earlier on 1L-therapy with BRAF+MEK than with PD-1±CTLA-4 (CTLA-4+PD-1: HR 0.560, 95% CI 0.332 to 0.945, p=0.030; PD-1: HR 0.575, 95% CI 0.372 to 0.888, p=0.013). Type of 1L-therapy, tumor stage, and age were independent prognostic factors for BMFS in BRAFmut patients. In BRAFwt patients, tumor stage was independently associated with longer BMFS; ECOG Performance status (ECOG-PS), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and tumor stage with OS. CTLA-4+PD-1 did not result in better BMFS, PFS, or OS than PD-1 in BRAFwt patients. For BRAFmut patients, multivariate Cox regression revealed ECOG-PS, type of 1L-therapy, tumor stage, and LDH as independent prognostic factors for PFS and OS. 1L-therapy with CTLA-4+PD-1 led to longer OS than PD-1 (HR 1.97, 95% CI 1.122 to 3.455, p=0.018) or BRAF+MEK (HR 2.41, 95% CI 1.432 to 4.054, p=0.001), without PD-1 being superior to BRAF+MEK.

CONCLUSIONS

In BRAFmut patients 1L-therapy with PD-1±CTLA-4 ICI resulted in a delayed and less frequent development of brain metastasis compared with BRAF+MEK TT. 1L-therapy with CTLA-4+PD-1 showed superior OS compared with PD-1 and BRAF+MEK. In BRAFwt patients, no differences in brain metastasis and survival outcomes were detected for CTLA-4+PD-1 compared with PD-1.

MAPKinase inhibition after failure of immune checkpoint blockade in patients with advanced melanoma - An evaluation of the multicenter prospective skin cancer registry ADOREG

OBJECTIVES

Forty to sixty percent of patients with advanced melanoma show primary resistance to PD-1-based immunotherapy, 30-40% of initial responders also progress. Here, we evaluated the outcome of second-line targeted therapy (TT) after progression on PD-1-based immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) in BRAFV600-mutated melanoma. In addition, we report data on the activity of re-exposure with PD-1-based regimes.

METHODS

Patients with advanced (non-resectable stage III or IV, AJCC 2017, 8th edition) melanoma progressing on PD-1-based ICI (nivolumab, pembrolizumab or ipilimumab plus nivolumab) and receiving second-line BRAF plus MEK inhibition were identified from the prospective multicenter skin cancer registry ADOREG.

RESULTS

We identified 108 patients with unresectable stage III or stage IV melanoma progressing on first-line ICI (nivolumab, pembrolizumab or ipilimumab plus nivolumab) and receiving second-line combined BRAF/MEK inhibition. Seventy-three percent of the cohort presented with primary PD-1 resistant disease. Median progression-free survival (PFS) on ICI was 2.6 (95% CI 2.2-2.9) months. Median PFS on subsequent TT was 6.6 (95% CI 5.4-7.8) months. Median OS from start of second-line TT was 16.0 (95% CI 11.2-20.8) months. The 3-year PFS and OS rates on second-line TT were 16% and 30%. The objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) to TT were 42.6% and 55.6%. In patients with brain metastases, the ORR and DCR were 31.4% and 43.1%. Patients without brain metastases showed an ORR and DCR of 52.6% and 66.7%, respectively. Response to first-line ICI was associated with a numerically higher ORR and DCR to second-line TT and improved OS on TT. Twenty-three patients received third-line ICI of whom two patients showed an objective response.

CONCLUSIONS

BRAF plus MEK inhibition shows meaningful activity and outcome in patients with advanced melanoma resistant to anti-PD-1-based immunotherapy. Rates of long-term benefit and survival in our study were similar to those reported for treatment-naïve patients receiving first-line MAPKi.

Wie wird man Uniklinikum? Neue Wege des Medizinstudiums in Deutschland

Die Nachfrage nach Studienplätzen der Humanmedizin übersteigt seit vielen Jahren deutlich das Angebot der staatlichen Medizinfakultäten in Deutschland. Durch den zunehmenden Ärztemangel steigt auf der anderen Seite der Bedarf an ausgebildeten Medizinerinnen und Medizinern. Um diese Lücke zu schließen, wurden in den letzten Jahren zahlreiche Möglichkeiten neu eröffnet, in Deutschland Humanmedizin zu studieren. Neben Neugründungen von Fakultäten sind insbesondere Kooperationen von Kliniken mit europäischen Universitäten und Privatuniversitäten zu nennen. Dieser Beitrag gibt eine Übersicht über die Optionen und Rahmenbedingungen.

Electrochemotherapy in advanced skin tumors and cutaneous metastases - a retrospective multicenter analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Once classic treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy have been exhausted, only few therapeutic options remain for extensive skin tumors or cutaneous metastases. In such cases, electrochemotherapy may be considered as alternative therapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this retrospective study, clinical features, treatment response, and adverse effects were evaluated in 56 patients treated with electrochemotherapy at six German dermatology departments.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patient cohort (14 men, 42 women) was 69.3 years. Included were 20 patients with skin metastasis of advanced malignant melanoma, 13 patients with breast cancer metastases, 15 patients with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the skin or cutaneous metastases of other carcinoma types, and 8 patients with cutaneous lymphoma or sarcoma. The overall response rate was 44.6% (10.7% complete response; 33.9% partial response). By contrast, 31 (55.4%) patients did not respond (12.5% had stable disease; 42.9%, tumor progression). Patients with melanoma and cutaneous lymphoma or sarcoma responded significantly better than those with carcinoma. Roughly one quarter of patients showed an improvement in tumor-related exudation, fetor, and chronic bleeding.

CONCLUSION

Showing only few adverse effects, electrochemotherapy was effective in about one half of the patients with advanced tumors. Treatment response appears to depend on the tumor entity.

[Angioendotheliomatosis proliferans systematizata]

Angioendotheliomatosis proliferans systematisata comprises two different entities; a malignant and benign (reactive) form. The more common malignant form with a fatal prognosis should be termed intravascular or angiotropic lymphoma and is a multifocal systemic disease, which affects especially the small and middle-sized blood vessels of the skin and central nervous system. Reactive angioendotheliomatosis is a benign disease, often associated with an infectious disease (predominantly with subacute bacterial endocarditis). We report a 38-year-old woman with a reactive angioendotheliomatosis and a 68-year-old man diagnosed as having the rare T-cell type of intravascular lymphoma.

[Oral contraceptives in prophylaxis of acute exacerbations of intermittent porphyria (author's transl)]

Out of 14 women with acute intermittent porphyria seven were treated for an average of five years with ovulation inhibitors. In another two cases a bilateral surgical oophorectomy and a radiotherapeutic castration were performed. Five untreated women formed the control group. In contrast to the control group there were no further acute exacerbations in the group treated with oral contraceptives. The two patients with oophorectomy and irradiation castration died following multiple acute exacerbations. In four of the women treated with oral contraceptives the development of persistent, and in some cases severe, arterial hypertension was observed. The pathogenesis cannot be explained.

[Acute intermittent porphyria: report on 17 patients with 49 attacks (author's transl)]

In 17 patients (15 women, 2 men) with acute intermittent porphyria in the incidence of 23 clinical symptoms during 49 attacks was calculated. The most frequent symptoms in percentage of attacks were: Red colour of the urine 100%, abdominal pain 92%, tachycardia 88%, hypertension 75%, vomiting 54%, peripheral neuropathy 50%. In 35% of acute attacks a transient normochromic, normocytic anemia developed which is probably due to a disturbance of heme synthesis. Oliguria was found in 25%, azotemia in 12.5% of attacks. 4 patients with an average of 5 preceding acute attacks showed a persistent reduction of renal function during the symptom-free interval, in contrast to 12 patients with an average of 1.7 previous attacks and normal renal function. During the observation period from 1960-1974 3 (= 18%) of the 17 patients died.

[Isolation of influenza virus "A/Hong Kong/1/68 (H3N2)" from liquor cerebrospinalis of patients with CNS involvement (author's transl)]

Liquor cerebrospinalis of eight patients with central nervous symptoms were tested for influenza virus during the influenza virus epidemic 1971/72. In three of these cases influenza virus (A/Hong Kong/1/68 (H3N2) was isolated from spinal fluid in the embryonated hen egg. These patients showed after influenza like prodromi meningo-encephalitis, encephalitis or paranoid psychosis. Possible pathomechanisms are discussed.

[Influence of spontaneous collaterals on the fibrillation threshold of the heart following acute coronary occlusion]

Fibrillation threshold (FS) were determined in 27 mongrel dogs by direct electrical stimulation of the myocardium by 50 Hz AC impulses of 0.20-0.28 sec during the vulnerable period. The FS is the current which just suffices to produce ventricular fibrillation. Sinus rhythm was restored 10 sec after onset of ventricular fibrillation by defibrillation. Determinations of FS were carried out for each animal repeatedly before and 3 min after acute ligation of the circumflex ramus respectively the descendens ramus of the left coronary artery. Post mortem selective coronary angiography was performed in all cases and the extent of spontaneous collateral vessels was estimated by the rate of retrograde contrast radiography of the ligated coronary artery. The FS fell appreciably following acute ligation of both the circumflex ramus and the sescendens ramus. Beside the size of the ligated area (the circumflex ramus supplies a larger area of the myocardium in the dog than the ramus descendens) the extent of collateral supply was the determining factor for the reductions of the FS: Following coronary ligation of the circumflex ramus the FS fell on the average from 24.0 mA to 4.1 mA if no collateral vessels were detectable; in the animals with well developed collaterals the FS was reduced from 24.8 to only 14.1 mA. After acute occlusion of the descendens ramus the FS fell from 27.9 mA to 11.5 mA in the group with not sufficient collateral supply and from 31.2 mA to only 21.5 mA in the group with well developed collaterals. The comparison of the different decreases of the FS after coronary occlusion clearly shows that the influence of the in size differing ischemic areas on the decrease of the FS is particularly evident if no collateral vessels are existent. If collateral vessels are well developed this difference is not significant. These results demonstrate that the influence of well developed collaterals on the decrease of the FS after coronary occlusion exceeds the dependence on the size of the ischemic area.