Clinicopathological and molecular landscape of 5-year IDH-wild-type glioblastoma survivors: A multicentric retrospective study

Five-year glioblastoma (GBM) survivors (LTS) are the minority of the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wild-type GBM patients, and their molecular fingerprint is still largely unexplored. This multicenter retrospective study analyzed a large LTS-GBM cohort from nine Italian institutions and molecularly characterized a subgroup of patients by mutation, DNA methylation (DNAm) and copy number variation (CNV) profiling, comparing it to standard survival GBM. Mutation scan allowed the identification of pathogenic variants in most cases, showing a similar mutational spectrum in both groups, and highlighted TP53 as the most commonly mutated gene in the LTS group. We confirmed DNAm as a valuable tool for GBM classification with a diagnostic refinement by using brain tumor classifier v12.5. LTS were more heterogeneous with more cases classified as diffuse pediatric high-grade glioma subtypes and having peculiar CNVs. We observed a global higher methylation in CpG islands and in gene promoters of LTS with methylation levels of distinct gene promoters correlating with prognosis.

Supramaximal resection: retrospective study on IDH-wildtype Glioblastomas based on the new RANO-Resect classification

BACKGROUND

The prognostic value of the extent of resection in the management of Glioblastoma is a long-debated topic, recently widened by the 2022 RANO-Resect Classification, which advocates for the resection of the non-enhancing disease surrounding the main core of tumors (supramaximal resection, SUPR) to achieve additional survival benefits. We conducted a retrospective analysis to corroborate the role of SUPR by the RANO-Resect Classification in a single center, homogenous cohort of patients.

METHODS

Records of patients operated for WHO-2021 Glioblastomas at our institution between 2007 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed; volumetric data of resected lesions were computed and classified by RANO-Resect criteria. Survival and correlation analyses were conducted excluding patients below near-total resection.

RESULTS

117 patients met the inclusion criteria, encompassing 45 near-total resections (NTR), 31 complete resections (CR), and 41 SUPR. Median progression-free and overall survival were 11 and 15 months for NTR, 13 and 17 months or CR, 20 and 24 months for SUPR, respectively (p < 0.001), with inverse correlation observed between survival and FLAIR residual volume (r -0.28). SUPR was not significantly associated with larger preoperative volumes or higher rates of postoperative deficits, although it was less associated with preoperative neurological deficits (OR 3.37, p = 0.003). The impact of SUPR on OS varied between MGMT unmethylated (HR 0.606, p = 0.044) and methylated (HR 0.273, p = 0.002) patient groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Results of the present study support the validity of supramaximal resection by the new RANO-Resect classification, also highlighting a possible surgical difference between tumors with methylated and unmethylated MGMT promoter.

REGOMA-OSS: a large, Italian, multicenter, prospective, observational study evaluating the efficacy and safety of regorafenib in patients with recurrent glioblastoma

BACKGROUND

In the randomized phase II REGOMA trial, regorafenib showed promising activity in patients with recurrent glioblastoma. We conducted a large, multicenter, prospective, observational study to confirm the REGOMA data in a real-world setting.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The major inclusion criteria were histologically confirmed diagnosis of glioblastoma according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2016 classification and relapse after radiotherapy with concurrent/adjuvant temozolomide treatment, good performance status [Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS 0-1)] and good liver function. Regorafenib was administered at the standard dose of 160 mg/day for 3 weeks on/1 week off. Brain magnetic resonance imaging was carried out within 14 days before starting regorafenib and every 8-12 weeks. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). The secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate, disease control rate (DCR), safety and health-related quality of life. The Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria were used for response evaluation and Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5 for assessment of adverse events (AEs).

RESULTS

From September 2020 to October 2022, 190 patients with recurrent glioblastoma were enrolled from 30 cancer centers in Italy: their median age was 58.5 years [interquartile range (IQR) 53-67 years], 68% were male and 85 (44.7%) were in optimal clinical condition (ECOG PS 0). The number of patients taking steroids at baseline was 113 (60%); the second surgery was carried out in 39 (20.5%). O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) was methylated in 80 patients (50.3%) and 147 (92.4%) of the patients analyzed had isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild type. The median follow-up period was 20 months (IQR 15.6-25.5 months). The median OS was 7.9 months ([95% confidence interval (CI) 6.5-9.2 months] and the median PFS was 2.6 months (95% CI 2.3-2.9 months). Radiological response was partial response and stable disease in 13 (7.3%) and 26 (14.6%) patients, respectively, with a DCR of 21.9%. The median number of regorafenib cycles per patient was 3 (IQR 2.0-4.0). Grade 3-4 drug-related adverse events were reported in 22.6% of patients. A dose reduction due to AEs was required in 36% of patients. No deaths were considered as treatment-related AEs.

CONCLUSIONS

This large, real-world observational study showed similar OS with better tolerability of regorafenib in patients with relapsed glioblastoma compared with the REGOMA study.

The role of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with H3K27 altered diffuse midline gliomas: a multicentric retrospective study

PURPOSE

Adult Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is a very rare disease. DMGs are currently treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy even if only a few retrospective studies assessed the impact on overall survival (OS) of these approaches.

METHODS

We carried out an Italian multicentric retrospective study of adult patients with H3K27-altered DMG to assess the effective role of systemic therapy in the treatment landscape of this rare tumor type.

RESULTS

We evaluated 49 patients from 6 Institutions. The median age was 37.3 years (range 20.1-68.3). Most patients received biopsy as primary approach (n = 30, 61.2%) and radiation therapy after surgery (n = 39, 79.6%). 25 (51.0%) of patients received concurrent chemotherapy and 26 (53.1%) patients received adjuvant temozolomide. In univariate analysis, concurrent chemotherapy did not result in OS improvement while adjuvant temozolomide was associated with longer OS (21.2 vs. 9.0 months, HR 0.14, 0.05-0.41, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed the role of adjuvant chemotherapy (HR 0.1, 95%CI: 0.03-0.34, p = 0.003). In patients who progressed after radiation and/or chemotherapy the administration of a second-line systemic treatment had a significantly favorable impact on survival (8.0 vs. 3.2 months, HR 0.2, 95%CI 0.1-0.65, p = 0.004).

CONCLUSION

In our series, adjuvant treatment after radiotherapy can be useful in improving OS of patients with H3K27-altered DMG. When feasible another systemic treatment after treatment progression could be proposed.

Biomarker and pharmacodynamic activity of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) inhibitor SAR439459 as monotherapy and in combination with cemiplimab in a phase I clinical study in patients with advanced solid tumors

SAR439459, a 'second-generation' human anti-transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) monoclonal antibody, inhibits all TGFβ isoforms and improves the antitumor activity of anti-programmed cell death protein-1 therapeutics. This study reports the pharmacodynamics (PD) and biomarker results from phase I/Ib first-in-human study of SAR439459 ± cemiplimab in patients with advanced solid tumors (NCT03192345). In dose-escalation phase (Part 1), SAR439459 was administered intravenously at increasing doses either every 2 weeks (Q2W) or every 3 weeks (Q3W) with cemiplimab IV at 3 mg/kg Q2W or 350 mg Q3W, respectively, in patients with advanced solid tumors. In dose-expansion phase (Part 2), patients with melanoma received SAR439459 IV Q3W at preliminary recommended phase II dose (pRP2D) of 22.5/7.5 mg/kg or at 22.5 mg/kg with cemiplimab 350 mg IV Q3W. Tumor biopsy and peripheral blood samples were collected for exploratory biomarker analyses to assess target engagement and PD, and results were correlated with patients' clinical parameters. SAR439459 ± cemiplimab showed decreased plasma and tissue TGFβ, downregulation of TGFβ-pathway activation signature, modulation of peripheral natural killer (NK) and T cell expansion, proliferation, and increased secretion of CXCL10. Conversion of tumor tissue samples from 'immune-excluded' to 'immune-infiltrated' phenotype in a representative patient with melanoma SAR439459 22.5 mg/kg with cemiplimab was observed. In paired tumor and plasma, active and total TGFβ1 was more consistently elevated followed by TGFβ2, whereas TGFβ3 was only measurable (lower limit of quantitation ≥2.68 pg/mg) in tumors. SAR439459 ± cemiplimab showed expected peripheral PD effects and TGFβ alteration. However, further studies are needed to identify biomarkers of response.

Brain metastases and next-generation anticancer therapies: a survival guide for clinicians

Historically, patients with brain metastases (BMs) have been characterized by few systemic treatment options and poor prognosis. The recent introduction of next-generation anticancer therapies such as molecular targeted agents and immunotherapy have revolutionized the clinical decision-making process of this sub-population, posing new challenges to physicians. In this review, current evidence for the use of checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies in patients with BMs are discussed, with a focus on lung cancer, breast cancer, melanoma and renal cell carcinoma, providing suggestions and potential workflows for daily clinical practice. Several other on-going and future challenges, such as clinical trials design, ways to improve CNS penetration of novel drugs and unique molecular characteristics of BMs, are also discussed. The aim is producing an updated and easy-to-read guide for physicians, to improve decision-making in clinical practice.

The role of preoperative [11C]methionine PET in defining tumor-related epilepsy and predicting short-term postoperative seizure control in temporal lobe low-grade gliomas

OBJECTIVE

Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for low-grade glioma (LGG)-related epilepsy. However, the goal of achieving both oncological radical resection and seizure freedom can be challenging. PET with [11C]methionine (MET) has been recently introduced in clinical practice for the management of patients with LGGs, not only to monitor the response to treatments, but also as a preoperative tool to define the metabolic tumor extent and to predict tumor grading, type, and prognosis. Still, its role in defining tumor-related epilepsy and postoperative seizure outcomes is limited. The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate the role of MET PET in defining preoperative seizure characteristics and short-term postoperative seizure control in a cohort of patients with newly diagnosed temporal lobe low-grade gliomas (tLGGs).

METHODS

Patients with newly diagnosed and histologically proven temporal lobe grade 2/3 gliomas (2021 WHO CNS tumor classification) who underwent resection at the authors' institution between July 2011 and March 2021 were included in this retrospective study. MET PET images were acquired, fused with MRI scans, and qualitatively and semiquantitatively analyzed. Any eventual PET/MRI involvement of the temporomesial area, seizure characteristics, and 1-year seizure outcomes were reported.

RESULTS

A total of 52 patients with tLGGs met the inclusion criteria. MET PET was positive in 41 (79%) patients, with a median metabolic tumor volume of 14.56 cm3 (interquartile range [IQR] 6.5-28.2 cm3). The median maximum and mean tumor-to-background ratio (TBRmax, TBRmean) were 2.24 (IQR 1.58-2.86) and 1.53 (IQR 1.37-1.70), respectively. The metabolic tumor volume was found to be related to the presence of seizures at disease onset, but only in noncodeleted tumors (p = 0.014). Regarding patients with uncontrolled seizures at surgery, only the temporomesial area PET involvement showed a statistical correlation both in the univariate (p = 0.058) and in the multivariate analysis (p = 0.030). At 1-year follow-up, seizure control was correlated with MET PET-derived semiquantitative data. Particularly, higher TBRmax (p = 0.0192) and TBRmean (p = 0.0128) values were statistically related to uncontrolled seizures 1 year after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

This preliminary study suggests that MET PET may be used as a preoperative tool to define seizure characteristics and outcomes in patients with tLGGs. These findings need to be further validated in larger series with longer epileptological follow-ups.

T Cell Features in Glioblastoma May Guide Therapeutic Strategies to Overcome Microenvironment Immunosuppression

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and lethal primary brain tumor, bearing a survival estimate below 10% at five years, despite standard chemoradiation treatment. At recurrence, systemic treatment options are limited and the standard of care is not well defined, with inclusion in clinical trials being highly encouraged. So far, the use of immunotherapeutic strategies in GBM has not proved to significantly improve patients' prognosis in the treatment of newly diagnosed GBM, nor in the recurrent setting. Probably this has to do with the unique immune environment of the central nervous system, which harbors several immunosuppressive/pro-tumorigenic factors, both soluble (e.g., TGF-β, IL-10, STAT3, prostaglandin E2, and VEGF) and cellular (e.g., Tregs, M2 phenotype TAMs, and MDSC). Here we review the immune composition of the GBMs microenvironment, specifically focusing on the phenotype and function of the T cell compartment. Moreover, we give hints on the therapeutic strategies, such as immune checkpoint blockade, vaccinations, and adoptive cell therapy, that, interacting with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, might both target in different ways the tumor microenvironment and potentiate the activity of standard therapies. The path to be followed in advancing clinical research on immunotherapy for GBM treatment relies on a twofold strategy: testing combinatorial treatments, aiming to restore active immune anti-tumor responses, tackling immunosuppression, and additionally, designing more phase 0 and window opportunity trials with solid translational analyses to gain deeper insight into the on-treatment shaping of the GBM microenvironment.

Refining patient selection for next-generation immunotherapeutic early-phase clinical trials with a novel and externally validated prognostic nomogram

Introduction

Identifying which patient may benefit from immunotherapeutic early-phase clinical trials is an unmet need in drug development. Among several proposed prognostic scores, none has been validated in patients receiving immunomodulating agents (IMAs)-based combinations.

Patients and methods

We retrospectively collected data of 208 patients enrolled in early-phase clinical trials investigating IMAs at our Institution, correlating clinical and blood-based variables with overall survival (OS). A retrospective cohort of 50 patients treated with IMAs at Imperial College (Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK) was used for validation.

Results

A total of 173 subjects were selected for analyses. Most frequent cancers included non-small cell lung cancer (26%), hepatocellular carcinoma (21.5%) and glioblastoma (13%). Multivariate analysis (MVA) revealed 3 factors to be independently associated with OS: line of treatment (second and third vs subsequent, HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.40-0.93, p 0.02), serum albumin as continuous variable (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.36-0.91, p 0.02) and number of metastatic sites (<3 vs ≥3, HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.48-0.98, p 0.04). After splitting albumin value at the median (3.84 g/dL), a score system was capable of stratifying patients in 3 groups with significantly different OS (p<0.0001). Relationship with OS reproduced in the external cohort (p=0.008). Then, from these factors we built a nomogram.

Conclusions

Prior treatment, serum albumin and number of metastatic sites are readily available prognostic traits in patients with advanced malignancies participating into immunotherapy early-phase trials. Combination of these factors can optimize patient selection at study enrollment, maximizing therapeutic intent.

Abstract PD18-05: MEN1611, a PI3K inhibitor, combined with trastuzumab ± fulvestrant for HER2+/PIK3CA mutant advanced or metastatic breast cancer: updated safety and efficacy results from the ongoing phase 1b study (B-PRECISE-01)

Background: MEN1611 (MEN) is an oral PI3K inhibitor active on the p110α mutant and wild type, β and γ isoforms, while sparing the δ. B-PRECISE-01 is an open-label, 2-arm, phase 1b study investigating MEN1611 in combination with trastuzumab ± fulvestrant in patients with HER2 positive/PIK3CA mutated metastatic breast cancer (MBC). No dose-limiting toxicities were observed during the dose-escalation step and MEN1611 48 mg BID was selected as the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) for cohort expansion (CE). Methods: Eligible patients had HER2+/PIK3CA-mutated MBC and were treated with at least 2 prior lines of anti-HER2-based therapy in the advanced/metastatic setting including trastuzumab. Patients received MEN1611 + trastuzumab (MEN+T); hormone receptor positive (HR+) postmenopausal women received M+ T + fulvestrant (MEN+T+F). Recruitment was closed in December 2021. Pooled safety and efficacy data from the two subpopulations of CE are presented herein. Results: As of June 2022, 62 female patients were treated: 56 of them with MEN1611 48 mg BID (25 MEN+T and 31 MEN+T+F). Median age 55.5 years (range 34-78), 21% premenopausal, ECOG PS 0-1: 95.2%. Median metastatic regimens 4; 71.0% had prior pertuzumab and 91.9% had prior T-DM1. Common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs, ≥20%) were diarrhea 66.1%, nausea 45.2%, hyperglycemia 43.6%, anemia 35.5%, asthenia 29.0%, decreased appetite 27.4%, rash 25.8%, aspartate aminotransferase increased 22.6%, vomiting 22.6%, and pyrexia 22.6%. Common TEAEs with CTCAE grade ≥3 (≥10%) were hyperglycemia (22.6%) and diarrhea (11.3%). Most treatment-related AEs (TRAEs) were reversible and manageable by supportive care. TEAEs leading to permanent treatment discontinuation occurred in 9 patients (14.5%), the only TEAE occurring in more than one patient was lipase increased (3.2%). TEAEs caused temporary treatment interruptions in 32 patients (51.6%), the most common being hyperglycemia (21.0%) and diarrhea (9.7%). TEAEs leading to dose reduction occurred in 14 patients (22.6%), the most common being diarrhea (6.5%), hyperglycemia (3.2%) and stomatitis (3.2%). Serious TRAEs were experienced by 12 patients (19.4%): hyperglycemia 6 patients, diarrhea 3 patients, anemia, general physical health deterioration, generalized edema, lipase increased, ketoacidosis and pneumonitis (1 patient each). In the efficacy-evaluable population at the RP2D (n=41) 14 patients (34.1%) showed partial response (MEN+T 5/15, MEN+T+F 9/26), 1 patient (2.4%) had a complete response (MEN+T 1/15) and 23 patients (56.1%) had stable disease (MEN+T 6/15, MEN+T+F 17/26) as best response. At the RP2D, the median (95% CI) overall survival (OS) was 21.9 (11.9, NE) months and the median (95% CI) progression free survival (PFS) 5.6 (3.7, 7.2) months. In the MEN+T group, the median OS was 11.9 (5.7, NE) months and median PFS 3.9 (2.3, 6.7) months. In the MEN+T+F group the median OS was 21.9 (16.9, NE) months and median PFS 5.7 (3.7, 11.5) months. Five patients continue on treatment. Conclusions: Updated results from B-PRECISE-01 demonstrated that MEN1611 combined with trastuzumab ± fulvestrant continued to show a manageable safety profile with encouraging anti-tumor activity and duration of response in heavily pre-treated patients with HER2+/PIK3CA-mutated advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

Citation Format: Martine Piccart, Audrey Hennequin, Manuel Ruiz Borrego, Santiago Escrivá-de-Romani, Anja Williams, Begoña Jiménez Rodríguez, Gianluca Del Conte, Sacha J. Howell, Michela Palleschi, Matteo Simonelli, Francois P. Duhoux, Diego Tosi, Bernard Doger de Speville Uribe, Yolanda Jerez Gilarranz, Pierfrancesco Tassone, Giuseppe Curigliano, Simon Waters, Philippe Aftimos, Hans Wildiers, Simona Scartoni, Bartomeu Piza Vallespir, Ram Charan Shankaraiah, Krzysztof Grzegorzewski, Nassir Habboubi. MEN1611, a PI3K inhibitor, combined with trastuzumab ± fulvestrant for HER2+/PIK3CA mutant advanced or metastatic breast cancer: updated safety and efficacy results from the ongoing phase 1b study (B-PRECISE-01) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr PD18-05.

Liquid biopsy of cerebrospinal fluid enables selective profiling of glioma molecular subtypes at first clinical presentation

PURPOSE

Current glioma diagnostic guidelines call for molecular profiling to stratify patients into prognostic and treatment subgroups. In case the tumor tissue is inaccessible, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has been proposed as a reliable tumor DNA source for liquid biopsy. We prospectively investigated the use of CSF for molecular characterization of newly diagnosed gliomas.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

We recruited two cohorts of newly diagnosed glioma patients, one (n=45) providing CSF collected in proximity of the tumor, the other (n=39) CSF collected by lumbar puncture. Both cohorts provided tumor tissues by surgery concomitant with CSF sampling. DNA samples retrieved from CSF and matched tumors were systematically characterized and compared by comprehensive (NGS) or targeted (ddPCR) methodologies. Conventional and molecular diagnosis outcomes were compared.

RESULTS

We report that tumor DNA is abundant in CSF close to the tumor, but scanty and mostly below NGS sensitivity threshold in CSF from lumbar puncture. Indeed, tumor DNA is 15 mostly released by cells invading liquoral spaces, generating a gradient that attenuates by departing from the tumor. Nevertheless, in >60% of lumbar puncture CSF samples, tumor DNA is sufficient to assess a selected panel of genetic alterations (IDH and TERT promoter mutations, EGFR amplification, CDKN2A/B deletion: ITEC protocol) and MGMT methylation that, combined with imaging, enable tissue-agnostic identification of main glioma molecular subtypes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows potentialities and limitations of CSF liquid biopsy in achieving molecular characterization of gliomas at first clinical presentation and proposes a protocol to maximize diagnostic information retrievable from CSF DNA.

Perioperative corticosteroid treatment impairs tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells in patients with newly diagnosed adult-type diffuse gliomas

Introduction

Adult-type diffuse gliomas are malignant primary brain tumors characterized by very poor prognosis. Dendritic cells (DCs) are key in priming antitumor effector functions in cancer, but their role in gliomas remains poorly understood.

Methods

In this study, we characterized tumor-infiltrating DCs (TIDCs) in adult patients with newly diagnosed diffuse gliomas by using multi-parametric flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing.

Results

We demonstrated that different subsets of DCs are present in the glioma microenvironment, whereas they are absent in cancer-free brain parenchyma. The largest cluster of TIDCs was characterized by a transcriptomic profile suggestive of severe functional impairment. Patients undergoing perioperative corticosteroid treatment showed a significant reduction of conventional DC1s, the DC subset with key functions in antitumor immunity. They also showed phenotypic and transcriptional evidence of a more severe functional impairment of TIDCs.

Discussion

Overall, the results of this study indicate that functionally impaired DCs are recruited in the glioma microenvironment. They are severely affected by dexamethasone administration, suggesting that the detrimental effects of corticosteroids on DCs may represent one of the mechanisms contributing to the already reported negative prognostic impact of steroids on glioma patient survival.

CTIM-03. PEMBROLIZUMAB MONOTHERAPY FOR MICROSATELLITE INSTABILITY-HIGH (MSI-H) OR MISMATCH REPAIR DEFICIENT (DMMR) RECURRENT GLIOMAS: RESULTS FROM THE MULTICOHORT PHASE 2 KEYNOTE-158 STUDY

BACKGROUND

Patients with recurrent glioma have limited treatment options. The anti‒ PD-1 monoclonal antibody pembrolizumab demonstrated antitumor activity as monotherapy in a subset of patients with PD-L1–positive recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) in the KEYNOTE-028 study; and durable clinical benefit in patients with previously treated unresectable/metastatic MSI-H/dMMR non-colorectal tumors in the multicohort KEYNOTE-158 (NCT02628067) study. We report outcomes with pembrolizumab in patients with MSI-H/dMMR recurrent glioma enrolled in KEYNOTE-158.

METHODS

Adults with MSI-H/dMMR recurrent glioma, measurable disease per RECIST v1.1, ECOG PS 0/1, and tumor sample for biomarker analysis were eligible for cohort K (any MSI-H/dMMR advanced solid tumor, except colorectal cancer; local, prospective determination of MSI-H/dMMR status by PCR and/or IHC). Patients received pembrolizumab 200 mg Q3W for up to 35 cycles or until PD/unacceptable AEs (clinically stable patients could continue treatment until PD confirmed after ≥ 4 weeks). Primary endpoint was ORR per RECIST v1.1 by independent central review.

RESULTS

Among 21 enrolled patients, all received prior temozolomide, 12 (57%) received prior bevacizumab, and 14 (67%) received ≥ 2 prior lines of therapy. 14 (67%) patients had GBM, 4 (19%) had oligodendroglioma/oligoastrocytoma, and 3 (14%) had glioma NOS. Median time from first dose to data cutoff (January 12, 2022): 50.0 months; 19 (90%) patients discontinued treatment. 1 patient with GBM had PR (ORR, 4.8% [95%CI, 0.1%‒23.8%]); duration of response was 18.9 months, PFS 29.2 months, and OS 32.7 months. 3 (14%) patients had SD; PFS was 23.2, 14.5, and 3.3 months; OS was 23.2, 15.1, and 9.1 months. Overall, median PFS and OS (95%CI) were 1.4 (1.0‒2.1) months and 5.6 (2.6‒16.2) months. Treatment-related AEs occurred in 7 (33%) patients (grade 3/4, n = 1; no grade 5) and led to discontinuation in 1 (5%) patient.

CONCLUSIONS

Pembrolizumab demonstrated antitumor activity with manageable toxicity in a small subset of patients with relapsing/refractory MSI-H/dMMR glioma.

CTNI-21. TROTABRESIB (CC-90010) IN COMBINATION WITH CONCOMITANT TEMOZOLOMIDE PLUS RADIOTHERAPY AND ADJUVANT TEMOZOLOMIDE IN PATIENTS WITH NEWLY DIAGNOSED GLIOBLASTOMA: UPDATED RESULTS FROM A PHASE 1B/2 STUDY

Trotabresib, a novel bromodomain and extraterminal protein inhibitor, has demonstrated antitumor activity and blood–brain barrier penetration in patients with high-grade gliomas, and enhanced the antiproliferative effects of temozolomide in preclinical models. CC-90010-GBM-002 (NCT04324840) is a phase 1b/2 study investigating the addition of trotabresib to standard-of-care (SOC) concomitant temozolomide plus radiotherapy and adjuvant temozolomide, followed by maintenance trotabresib, in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. The design of the dose escalation (part A) has been described previously (Vieito M, et al. SNO 2021. Abstract CTNI-51). Primary objectives of part A were to establish the safety, tolerability, and maximum tolerated dose/recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of trotabresib. In part A, addition of trotabresib to SOC was safe and well tolerated in the concomitant (N = 14) and adjuvant (N = 18) cohorts; the most frequent grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse event was thrombocytopenia (7/14 and 9/18 patients, respectively). The RP2D for trotabresib was 30 mg/day 4 days on/24 days off in both settings. At data cutoff (February 20, 2022), median duration of treatment was 34 weeks (concomitant cohort) and 33 weeks (adjuvant cohort); progression-free survival data are not yet mature. Trotabresib plasma pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics were consistent with monotherapy. At last follow-up, 6 and 5 patients remained on treatment in the concomitant and adjuvant dose-escalation cohorts, respectively, including 1 patient in cycle 20 with ongoing complete response. The ongoing randomized phase 2 dose expansion (part B; planned N = 162) is comparing concomitant trotabresib at the RP2D + SOC followed by adjuvant trotabresib at the RP2D + SOC, followed by maintenance trotabresib 45 mg/day 4 days on/24 days off, versus SOC alone in patients with newly diagnosed IDH–wild-type glioblastoma. Key objectives are to compare progression-free and overall survival, safety, and tolerability. Longer follow-up from part A and the first disclosure of data from part B will be presented.

Trotabresib (CC90010) in combination with adjuvant temozolomide or concomitant temozolomide plus radiotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma

Background

Standard-of-care treatment for newly diagnosed glioblastoma (ndGBM), consisting of surgery followed by radiotherapy (RT) and temozolomide (TMZ), has improved outcomes compared with RT alone; however, prognosis remains poor. Trotabresib, a novel bromodomain and extraterminal inhibitor, has demonstrated antitumor activity in patients with high-grade gliomas.

Methods

In this phase Ib, dose-escalation study (NCT04324840), we investigated trotabresib 15, 30, and 45 mg combined with TMZ in the adjuvant setting and trotabresib 15 and 30 mg combined with TMZ+RT in the concomitant setting in patients with ndGBM. Primary endpoints were to determine safety, tolerability, maximum tolerated dose, and/or recommended phase II dose (RP2D) of trotabresib. Secondary endpoints were assessment of preliminary efficacy and pharmacokinetics. Pharmacodynamics were investigated as an exploratory endpoint.

Results

The adjuvant and concomitant cohorts enrolled 18 and 14 patients, respectively. Trotabresib in combination with TMZ or TMZ+RT was well tolerated; most treatment-related adverse events were mild or moderate. Trotabresib pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in both settings were consistent with previous data for trotabresib monotherapy. The RP2D of trotabresib was selected as 30 mg 4 days on/24 days off in both settings. At last follow-up, 5 (28%) and 6 (43%) patients remain on treatment in the adjuvant and concomitant settings, respectively, with 1 patient in the adjuvant cohort achieving complete response.

Conclusions

Trotabresib combined with TMZ in the adjuvant setting and with TMZ+RT in the concomitant setting was safe and well tolerated in patients with ndGBM, with encouraging treatment durations. Trotabresib 30 mg was established as the RP2D in both settings.

Need for a competency-based approach for the Public Health Workforce training: the ISS proposal

Issue

The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst for a reconsidering health care professional workforce (HCPW) competency needed to face future public health challenges, in line with the recent WHO “Global Competency and Outcomes Framework for UHC” document. In this context, in the Italian G20 Presidency framework, the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), launched a program named “Laboratorium” - recognised in the G20 Declarations of Ministers of Health and Leaders - aimed to the development of training tools suitable for distance learning in whatever context they are placed.

Description of the problem

Common competencies and needs of the HCPW have to be fulfilled through cross-sectional and multilevel training, to overcome the current emergency and be able to face future challenges. The aim is to provide a modular educational approach that is finalized to actively involve the participant: health professionals step in their training pathway according to their knowledge gaps, identify their specific learning objectives and, through a problem-based learning approach, acquire the proper skills for their function and tasks.

Results

We propose a two-tiered approach to training: the development of competence based courses oriented to active learning. A pilot course on Epidemic Intelligence design according to this model is ready to be released. At the same time, a repository of everything available on the web systematically selected from authorised sources by a scientific committee was created to support the training objective. It is characterised by a detailed multilevel tagging that allows an effective modularisation to reach only the content useful for its user.

Lessons

Accessibility to health-related training materials is a required necessity at every level of HCPW. Profiles within healthcare are increasingly heterogeneous and there is a need to focus on disseminating tools that can provide knowledge to address different healthcare scenarios and common purposes.

Key messages

• Future public health challenges underline a need for a competencies-based learning approach in Healthcare Workforce training.

• Italian National Institute of Health propose two methods within the ‘Laboratorium’ project to enable this type of learning: specifically designed courses and a structured document repository.

Isatuximab plus atezolizumab in patients with advanced solid tumors: results from a phase I/II, open-label, multicenter study

BACKGROUND

The anti-CD38 antibody isatuximab is approved for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, but there are no data on its efficacy in solid tumors. This phase I/II study (NCT03637764) assessed the safety and activity of isatuximab plus atezolizumab (Isa + Atezo), an anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibody, in patients with immunotherapy-naive solid tumors: epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), glioblastoma (GBM), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Phase I assessed safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and the recommended phase II dose (RP2D) of isatuximab 10 mg/kg intravenously (i.v.) every week for 3 weeks followed by once every 3 weeks + atezolizumab 1200 mg i.v. every 3 weeks. Phase II used a Simon's two-stage design to assess the overall response rate or progression-free survival rate at 6 months (GBM cohort). Interim analysis was carried out at 6 months following first dose of the last enrolled patient in each cohort. Pharmacodynamic biomarkers were tested for CD38, PD-L1, tumor-infiltrating immune cells, and FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME).

RESULTS

Overall, 107 patients were treated (EOC, n = 18; GBM, n = 33; HCC, n = 27; SCCHN, n = 29). In phase I, Isa + Atezo showed an acceptable safety profile, no dose-limiting toxicities were observed, and RP2D was confirmed. Most patients experienced ≥1 treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE), with ≤48.5% being grade ≥3. The most frequent TEAE was infusion reactions. The study did not continue to stage 2 based on prespecified targets. Tumor-infiltrating CD38+ immune cells were reduced and almost cleared after treatment. Isa + Atezo did not significantly modulate Tregs or PD-L1 expression in the TME.

CONCLUSIONS

Isa + Atezo had acceptable safety and tolerability. Clinical pharmacodynamic evaluation revealed efficient target engagement of isatuximab via treatment-mediated reduction of CD38+ immune cells in the TME. Based on clinical data, CD38 inhibition does not improve responsiveness to PD-L1 blockade in these patients.

P07.08.B Surgical management of recurrent lower-grade gliomas: analysis of oncological and functional outcomes and associated factors

Background

Presently, there are no clear evidence-based recommendations for the surgical management of progressive or recurrent lower-grade gliomas (LGGs). In our work, we evaluated the oncological (PFS, OS) and functional (neurological, neuropsychological, quality of life evaluation) outcomes of a series of LGGs treated in a 5-year period. The aim was to identify clinical, imaging, and molecular factors, associated with better outcomes, to be implemented in the treatment decision making process.

Material and Methods

In our retrospective analysis, 738 recurrent LGGs were included (follow-up 7.9 years; IQR:6-9); 550 were surgically treated, 495 with open resection (with brain mapping techniques), and 55 with tumor biopsy (with frameless stereotactic technique).

Results

Overall, 521 patients (70.6%) recurred. Of those treated with open resection 63.5% relapsed. Tumor progression was histologically confirmed in 72.5% of cases, no valuable tumor (effect of treatment) in 27.5% of cases (particularly in cases previously treated with RT and CHT), histo-molecular conversion (astrocytoma instead of oligodendroglioma diagnosis) in 7.5% of cases, malignant transformation in 38.7% of cases. Among the clinical (patient functional status, previous PFS, previous EOR, previous CHT and duration of CHT, previous RT), imaging (type of recurrence, i.e. typical versus atypical, speed of growth, contrast enhancement), and molecular (IDH, codeletion, ATRX, MGMT, tumor grade, CDNK status) factors analyzed, longest PFS of recurrent tumors was associated with patient functional status, previous PFS, previous EOR, speed of growth (&gt;6 mm/year), atypical type of recurrence, tumor grade, presence of codeletion, and CDNK status. Best functional outcome associated with surgical resection, EOR, and tumor grade; worst functional outcome with RT and malignant transformation. Longest OS associated with previous EOR, surgical resection, tumor grade, presence of co-deletion. Malignant transformation was associated to previous EOR. Among patients submitted solely to tumor biopsy, changes in MGMT methylation status and in IDH status were observed in 65.3% and 5% of cases, respectively. Modification in IDH status was associated with atypical (distant) type of recurrence. New histo-molecular profile helped in the treatment decision making process.

Conclusion

Surgical resection of recurrent LGGs is associated with longer PFS and OS. Tumor biopsy should be considered, when surgery considered unfeasible, to tailor adjuvant treatment.

JS09.7.A Reirradiation for recurrent high grade glioma (HGG) patients: results of a single arm prospective phase 2 study

Background

Standard of care for recurrent high grade glioma (HGG) is missing. Several treatment options have been investigated including re-irradiation (re-RT). Results are promising but provided by retrospective studies. We designed a single arm prospective phase II study aiming to evaluate efficacy, and toxicity of re-irradiation.

Material and Methods

Adults patients with good performance status, HGG diagnosis reclassified according to the new 2021 fifth edition WHO CNS classification, an interval time (IT) from previous RT ≥ 6 months were included. Outcome was evaluated by MRI imaging at 1 month, and every 3 months thereafter. Toxicities were evaluated in terms of radionecrosis occurrence, and neurocognitive status.

Results

Ninety recurrent HGG patients were treated, 11 oligodendroglioma grade 3, 18 astrocytoma grade 3 and 4, and 61 glioblastoma grade 4. The median age was 54 years, and majority had KPS 90-100. The median IT between first-RT and re-RT was 24 months. Re-surgery has been performed in 56.6%, and chemotherapy in 53.3%. The median follow up time was 64 months; median overall survival (OS) time,1,2,3-year OS rates were 17 months (95%CI 14-19), 66.7%±4.9, 32.6%±5.0, and 22.2 ± 4.7. Prognostic factors impacting on survival were age (p = 0.0154), IT between first RT and re-RT (p = 0.0051), glioma grade (p = 0.0090), and IDH status (p = 0.0001). Radionecrosis grade 2-3 occurred in 9 (10%) patients; neurocognitive functions remained stable until disease progression.

Conclusion

Re-RT proved to be a safe and feasible treatment option with low toxicity. Younger patients with grade 3 IDH mutated gliomas, and a longer IT had the better outcome.

Abstract CT119: A randomized, double-blind phase 2 evaluation of the anti-IL-8 monoclonal antibody BMS-986253 + nivolumab + ipilimumab vs nivolumab + ipilimumab in patients with advanced melanoma that progressed on/after anti-PD-(L)1 therapy

Purpose: This phase 1/2 trial evaluates the novel immunotherapy BMS-986253 in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (NCT03400332). Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is an immunosuppressive chemokine often elevated in the serum of patients with cancer. High serum IL-8 concentration is associated with poor prognoses and resistance to immunotherapies, including anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) and anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) agents (Schalper et al. Nat Med 2020;26:688). The addition of anti-IL-8 therapy to anti-PD-1 nivolumab (NIVO) and anti-CTLA-4 ipilimumab (IPI) may sensitize patients with high serum IL-8 levels to immune checkpoint inhibition. BMS-986253, a fully human IgG1 anti-IL-8 monoclonal antibody, in combination with NIVO ± IPI is under investigation in a phase 1/2 trial of patients with advanced solid tumors. Initial results from part 1 indicate BMS-986253 + NIVO was well tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities (Davar et al. J Immunother Cancer 2020;8. Abstract 394). Preliminary antitumor activity was observed, including partial responses in 5 of 28 patients with melanoma that had progressed on or after prior anti-PD-(L)1 therapy, a population with high unmet medical need. Part 2 is a randomized, double-blind phase 2 study comparing the efficacy of BMS-986253 in combination with NIVO + IPI vs NIVO + IPI in patients with advanced melanoma that progressed on or after prior anti-PD-(L)1 therapy.

Trial Design: Patients eligible for part 2 have histologically confirmed, unresectable, stage III/IV melanoma, have progressed on or after anti-PD-(L)1 treatment, had an anti-PD-(L)1 agent as their most recent therapy, and have not received anti-CTLA-4 treatment. PD-L1 and BRAFV600 mutation status (wild-type and BRAF mutations permitted) must be documented, and serum IL-8 levels will be measured at screening. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to receive BMS-986253 + NIVO + IPI or placebo + NIVO + IPI and stratified by serum IL-8 level, BRAF V600E status, and lactate dehydrogenase level. The dose and frequency of BMS-986253, NIVO, and IPI will be determined by part 1 data. Treatment with BMS-986253 or placebo and NIVO will continue ≤ 3 years or until disease progression or intolerance. The primary objective is to compare progression-free survival (PFS) by blinded independent central review (BICR) per RECIST v1.1 between treatment arms in patients with baseline serum IL-8 levels &gt; 10 pg/mL. Secondary objectives include PFS by BICR in all randomized patients, overall response rates by BICR per RECIST v1.1, overall survival, safety, pharmacokinetic profile, immunogenicity of BMS-986253, and associations of baseline factors with response. Recruitment will continue until ≈170 patients are enrolled.

Citation Format: Matteo Simonelli, Emiliano Calvo, Diwakar Davar, Jason Melear, Donald Richards, Matthew Dallos, Martin Gutierrez, Victor Moreno, Thomas Marron, Sylvie Rottey, Angela Orcurto, Susana Barriga, Jessy Fan, Elizabeth Gibson, Santanu Dutta, Vivek Arora, Ignacio Melero. A randomized, double-blind phase 2 evaluation of the anti-IL-8 monoclonal antibody BMS-986253 + nivolumab + ipilimumab vs nivolumab + ipilimumab in patients with advanced melanoma that progressed on/after anti-PD-(L)1 therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr CT119.

Safety and efficacy results from the expansion phase of the first-in-human study evaluating TGFβ inhibitor SAR439459 alone and combined with cemiplimab in adults with advanced solid tumors

2524

Background: SAR439459 (SAR459) is a human anti-TGFβ monoclonal antibody that neutralizes all isoforms of TGFβ. In preclinical models, combining SAR459 with an anti-PD-1 showed improved anti-tumor activity compared to SAR459 single agent. In the dose escalation, acceptable tolerability was observed, the MTD was not reached and the preliminary RP2D was 22.5mg/kg Q3W when combined with cemiplimab (CEMI; S. Williamson et al. J Clin Oncol 39, 2021[suppl 15; #2510]). Reduction of plasma TGFβ was ≥90% at doses ≥0.25mg/kg Q2W, with a trend of a decrease in intra-tumoral TGFβ (D. Robbrecht et al. JITC 2021;9 [suppl 2; #250]). Here we report safety and efficacy results of the dose expansion. Methods: The expansion phase of this open-label, phase 1/1b study aimed to determine the optimal dose of SAR459 (7.5 mg/kg or 22.5 mg/kg Q3W) in patients (pts) with advanced melanoma (MEL) resistant to anti-PD(L)1 therapy (Part 2A); and the ORR (confirmed responses) in all treated pts with SAR459 22.5 mg/kg + CEMI 350 mg Q3W in pts with MEL, Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), or Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), resistant to anti-PD(L)1; as well as in pts with mesenchymal Colorectal Cancer (CRC) or Urothelial Cancer (UC), anti-PD(L)1 naïve (Part 2B). Results: From October 2019 to September 2021, 109 pts with ECOG PS 0-1 enrolled in Part 2A (14) and Part 2B (95). Overall, the median age was 63 years and 83% of pts received up to 3 prior treatment lines for advanced disease (range 1-8). Based on preliminary data, the ORR in Part 2B was 8% (Table). No significant association between clinical response and plasma TGFb level at baseline or modulation upon treatment was observed. The correlation between tumor TGFb level and clinical benefit is inconclusive due to limited number of tumor biopsies. No response was observed in Part 2A. Overall, 100% of pts had at least one treatment emergent adverse event (AE), 67% were G≥3, 34% related G≥3, 17% G5, and 4% related G5. The limited number of patients treated with SAR459 alone at the RP2D did not allow to demonstrate added toxicity due to the combination. Overall, 51 pts (47%) reported hemorrhagic AE of any grade, 8 pts (7%) had G≥3 and 5 pts (5%) had fatal outcome. The rate of bleeding and severe hemorrhagic AE was higher in HCC pts compared to the other cohorts: 11/14 (79%) pts had a hemorrhagic AE, of which 3 (21%) G≥3 and fatal. An exploratory analysis showed a trend for higher frequency of any grade SAR459-related and fatal hemorrhagic AE in patients with higher exposure. Conclusions: The NCT03192345 study was discontinued due to a lack of efficacy, and a high bleeding risk particularly in pts with HCC. Clinical trial information: NCT03192345. [Table: see text]

First-in-human (FIH) phase I study of the highly selective phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor delta (PI3Kδ) inhibitor IOA-244 in patients with advanced cancer: Safety, activity, pharmacokinetic (PK), and pharmacodynamic (PD) results

3107

Background: T regulatory (Tregs) cells contribute to immune suppression in cancer. The highly selective inhibitor of PI3Kδ, IOA-244, blocks the activity of Tregs among other things, thus reprograms the anti-tumor immune response. Methods: IOA-244 was investigated in a two-part FIH study. Part A explored the continuous daily dosing of IOA-244 at 10, 20, 40 and 80 mg. Part B consists of expansion cohorts of specific tumor indications, including pre-treated uveal melanoma patients (pts). Primary objective: safety of the anticipated biologically effective dose (BED), or the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). Secondary objectives: PK; PD (e.g., inhibition of CD63 expression on basophils, changes in immune cell subsets in peripheral blood); RECIST 1.1.-based responses; PFS and OS. Exploratory studies: changes in circulating immune cells by Cytometry by Time of Flight (CyTOF); response assessments by radiomics Results: Part A Solid Tumor (completed): Sixteen pts were treated in 4 cohorts each with 4 pts. Pts characteristics: uveal melanoma (9/16; 56%), cutaneous melanoma (5/16; 31%) and pleural mesothelioma (2/16; 13%). Four pts had at least one serious TEAE, none considered related to IOA-244. There was no treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE) leading to study drug discontinuation, immune related toxicity or Dose Limiting Toxicity. CTCAE v5 Grade 1 and 2 were observed, including 2 cases of transient diarrhoea and 2 of AST/ALT elevation. Part A (Completed) – Subgroup Uveal Melanoma Pts (progressed ≥1 line prior therapy): 9 pts treated (3/9 pts ongoing). Mean time on treatment: 7.7 mo (range: 1.8-16.0 mo with 3 pts ongoing). ORR (RECIST 1.1): CR+PR: 0/9 (0%); SD: 6/9 (67%). Median OS: 5.4 mo - not determined (% alive at 1 year: 44% with 3 pts ongoing). CT images from 7/9 patients were assessed for changes in their metastatic lesions by radiomics (baseline and Week 8). Based on 147 matched lesions, 19% had complete responses and 16% had new lesions. In the liver, non-progressive disease was observed in 61% of all lesions, including 42% with either complete response or volume reduction of more than 30%. Using CyTOF, circulating Tregs were reduced while CD8 and NK cells were increased. Part B Uveal Melanoma Expansion Cohort (ongoing): 7 patients (7/7 pts ongoing); mean time on treatment 3.7 mo. ORR (RECIST 1.1): SD in 4/7 pts (57%). Part A Follicular Lymphoma Cohort (ongoing): At 20 mg: 4/4 pts. No DLT. At 80 mg: recruiting. Conclusions: In addition to being well tolerated, IOA-244 at the 80 mg dose shows reduction in peripheral blood Tregs and anti-tumor responses based on radiomics. Therefore, RECIST 1.1.-derived SD may underestimate anti-tumor activity of IOA-244 in treatment-resistant uveal melanoma. Additional patients will be treated to further refine this radiomics-based observation. Clinical trial information: NCT04328844.

Definition of the Prognostic Role of MGMT Promoter Methylation Value by Pyrosequencing in Newly Diagnosed IDH Wild-Type Glioblastoma Patients Treated with Radiochemotherapy: A Large Multicenter Study

Background. O6-methylguanine (O6-MeG)-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) methylation status is a predictive factor for alkylating treatment efficacy in glioblastoma patients, but its prognostic role is still unclear. We performed a large, multicenter study to evaluate the association between MGMT methylation value and survival. Methods. We evaluated glioblastoma patients with an assessment of MGMT methylation status by pyrosequencing from nine Italian centers. The inclusion criteria were histological diagnosis of IDH wild-type glioblastoma, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG-PS) ≤2, and radio-chemotherapy treatment with temozolomide. The relationship between OS and MGMT was investigated with a time-dependent Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve and Cox regression models. Results. In total, 591 newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients were analyzed. The median OS was 16.2 months. The ROC analysis suggested a cut-off of 15% for MGMT methylation. The 2-year Overall Survival (OS) was 18.3% and 51.8% for MGMT methylation <15% and ≥15% (p < 0.0001). In the multivariable analysis, MGMT methylation <15% was associated with impaired survival (p < 0.00001). However, we also found a non-linear association between MGMT methylation and OS (p = 0.002): median OS was 14.8 months for MGMT in 0−4%, 18.9 months for MGMT in 4−40%, and 29.9 months for MGMT in 40−100%. Conclusions. Our findings suggested a non-linear relationship between OS and MGMT promoter methylation, which implies a varying magnitude of prognostic effect across values of MGMT promoter methylation by pyrosequencing in newly diagnosed IDH wild-type glioblastoma patients treated with chemoradiotherapy.

Precision Oncology in Lower-Grade Gliomas: Promises and Pitfalls of Therapeutic Strategies Targeting IDH-Mutations

Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)1 and its homolog IDH2 are considered an earliest "driver" genetic event during gliomagenesis, representing now the molecular hallmark of lower-grade gliomas (LGGs). IDH-mutated genes encode for a neomorphic enzyme that converts α-ketoglutarate to the oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG), which accumulates to high concentrations and alters cellular epigenetics and metabolism. Targeting IDH mutations is the first attempt to apply "precision oncology" in LGGs. Two distinct strategies have been proposed so far and are under intense clinical investigation: (i) reducing the amount of intratumoral 2-HG by directly blocking the function of mutant IDH enzyme; (ii) exploiting the selective epigenetic and metabolic cellular vulnerabilities as a consequence of 2-HG accumulation. The present review describes the physiopathological mechanisms by which IDH mutations lead to tumorigenesis, discussing their prognostic significance and pivotal role in the gliomas diagnostic classification system. We critically review preclinical evidence and available clinical data of first-generation mutant-selective IDH inhibitors and novel IDH-targeted vaccines. Finally, as an alternative and attractive approach, we present the rationale to take advantage of selective 2-HG related epigenetic and metabolic weaknesses. The results of ongoing clinical trials will help us clarify the complex scenario of IDH-targeted therapeutic approaches in gliomas.

First-In-Human Phase I Study of a Next-Generation, Oral, TGFβ Receptor 1 Inhibitor, LY3200882, in Patients with Advanced Cancer

PURPOSE

A novel, selective, next-generation transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) receptor type-1 small molecule inhibitor, LY3200882, demonstrated promising preclinical data. This first-in-human trial evaluated safety, tolerability, recommended phase II dose (RP2D), pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary antitumor activity of LY3200882 as monotherapy or with other anticancer agents in patients with advanced cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This phase I multicenter study of oral LY3200882 (NCT02937272) comprised dose escalation, monotherapy expansion in grade 4 glioma, and combination therapy in solid tumors (LY3200882 and PD-L1 inhibitor LY3300054), pancreatic cancer (LY3200882, gemcitabine, and nab-paclitaxel), and head and neck squamous cell cancer (LY3200882, cisplatin, and radiation).

RESULTS

Overall, 139 patients with advanced cancer were treated. The majority (93.5%) of patients experienced ≥1 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE), with 39.6% LY3200882-related. Grade 3 LY3200882-related toxicities were only observed in combination therapy arms. One patient in the pancreatic cancer arm experienced cardiovascular toxicity. The LY3200882 monotherapy RP2Ds were established in two schedules: 50 mg twice a day 2-weeks-on/2-weeks-off and 35 mg twice a day 3-weeks-on/1-week-off. Four patients with grade 4 glioma had durable Revised Assessment in Neuro Oncology (RANO) partial responses (PR) with LY3200882 monotherapy (n = 3) or LY3200882-LY3300054 combination therapy (n = 1). In treatment-naïve patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, 6 of 12 patients achieved Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1 PR and 3 of 12 patients demonstrated stable disease, for an overall 75% disease-control rate with the combination of LY3200882, gemcitabine, and nab-paclitaxel.

CONCLUSIONS

LY3200882 as monotherapy and combination therapy was safe and well tolerated with preliminary antitumor activity observed in pancreatic cancer. Further studies to evaluate the efficacy of LY3200882 with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel in advanced pancreatic cancer are warranted.

Immunotherapeutic early-phase clinical trials and malignant gliomas: A single-center experience and comprehensive immunophenotyping of circulating leukocytes

Background

Immunotherapeutic early-phase clinical trials (ieCTs) increasingly adopt large expansion cohorts exploring novel agents across different tumor types. High-grade glioma (HGG) patients are usually excluded from these trials.

Methods

Data of patients with recurrent HGGs treated within multicohort ieCTs between February 2014 and August 2019 (experimental group, EG) at our Phase I Unit were retrospectively reviewed and compared to a matched control group (CG) of patients treated with standard therapies. We retrospectively evaluated clinical, laboratory, and molecular parameters through univariate and multivariate analysis. A prospective characterization of circulating leukocyte subpopulations was performed in the latest twenty patients enrolled in the EG, with a statistical significance cutoff of P < .1.

Results

Thirty HGG patients were treated into six ieCTs. Fifteen patients received monotherapies (anti-PD-1, anti-CSF-1R, anti-TGFβ, anti-cereblon), fifteen patients combination regimens (anti-PD-L1 + anti-CD38, anti-PD-1 + anti-CSF-1R). In the EG, median progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) from treatment initiation were 1.8 and 8.6 months; twelve patients survived more than 12 months, and two of them more than 6 years. Univariate analysis identified O⁶-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation and total protein value at six weeks as significantly correlated with a better outcome. Decreased circulating neutrophils and increased conventional dendritic cells levels lead to significantly better OS.

Conclusions

A subgroup of EG patients achieved remarkably durable disease control. MGMT promoter methylation identifies patients who benefit more from immunotherapy. Monitoring dynamic changes of innate immune cell populations may help to predict clinical outcomes.

CTNI-51. ADJUVANT TROTABRESIB, A REVERSIBLE POTENT BROMODOMAIN AND EXTRATERMINAL INHIBITOR, PLUS TEMOZOLOMIDE IN PATIENTS WITH NEWLY DIAGNOSED GLIOBLASTOMA: INTERIM RESULTS FROM A PHASE 1B DOSE-FINDING STUDY

Trotabresib (CC-90010) demonstrated antitumor activity as monotherapy in patients with advanced malignancies (Moreno et al. ESMO 2020. Abstract 5270) and enhanced the antiproliferative effects of temozolomide in preclinical studies. CC-90010-GBM-002 (NCT04324840) is a phase 1B dose-finding study investigating standard-of-care temozolomide + radiotherapy followed by adjuvant trotabresib + temozolomide or concomitant trotabresib + temozolomide + radiotherapy followed by adjuvant trotabresib + temozolomide, post-resection, in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. We present interim results for adjuvant trotabresib + temozolomide. Patients received trotabresib 15, 30, or 45 mg daily (4 days on/24 days off) + temozolomide administered per label for 6 cycles, followed by trotabresib 45 mg monotherapy daily (4 days on/24 days off). Primary objectives are to establish the safety, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), and recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of trotabresib. Preliminary efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics are also being investigated. Of 13 patients enrolled, 5, 6, and 2 received trotabresib 15, 30, and 45 mg, respectively, plus temozolomide. Grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events were reported in 2, 4, and 1 patients receiving trotabresib 15, 30, and 45 mg, respectively. MTD and RP2D are not yet reached; dose limiting toxicity (grade 4 thrombocytopenia) was reported in 1 patient in the 30-mg group. Of 10 evaluable patients, 1 had complete response and 7 had stable disease per RANO criteria. Trotabresib exposure increased proportionally with dose. Day 4 time to peak trotabresib concentration was 0.5–2.0 hours; mean terminal half life was 60–70 hours. Day 4 blood CCR1 RNA 2–4 hours post-dose was downregulated below baseline in the 15-mg group and ≥ 50% in the 30-mg group. Adjuvant trotabresib + temozolomide appears well tolerated, with promising preliminary efficacy. Treatment was ongoing at data cutoff in 9 patients in the adjuvant cohort; enrollment is continuing in the adjuvant and concomitant therapy dose-escalation cohorts.

NKG2A expression identifies a subset of human Vδ2 T cells exerting the highest antitumor effector functions

Human Vδ2 cells are innate-like γδ T effectors performing potent immune surveillance against tumors. The constitutive expression of NKG2A identifies a subset of Vδ2 T cells licensed with an intrinsic hyper-responsiveness against cancer. Indeed, the transcriptomic profiles of NKG2A⁺ and NKG2A^- cells characterize two distinct "intralineages" of Vδ2 T lymphocytes that appear early during development, keep their phenotypes, and show self-renewal capabilities in adult life. The hyper-responsiveness of NKG2A⁺ Vδ2 T cells is counterbalanced by the inhibitory signaling delivered by human leukocyte antigen E (HLA-E) expressed on malignant cells as a tumor-escape mechanism. However, either masking or knocking out NKG2A restores the capacity of Vδ2 T cells to exert the highest effector functions even against HLA-E⁺ tumors. This is highly relevant in the clinic, as the different degrees of engagement of the NKG2A-HLA-E checkpoint in hepatocellular carcinoma, glioblastoma, and non-small cell lung cancer directly impact patients' overall survival. These findings open avenues for developing combined cellular and immunologic anticancer therapies.

Abstract CT154: Isatuximab (Isa) plus atezolizumab (Atezo) in patients (pts) with advanced malignancies: Results from a Phase 1/2 open-label multicenter study

Background: The CD38 monoclonal antibody Isa is approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma, but there are no data on its efficacy in solid tumors. A mechanism of immune resistance to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy caused by CD38 expression in tumor cells has been described in the preclinical setting, providing a rationale for testing a combination of Isa+Atezo (anti-PD-L1 antibody) in the clinic to prevent therapy resistance and further enhance antitumor efficacy. The present study assessed safety and efficacy of Isa+Atezo in pts with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC; n = 18), glioblastoma multiforme (GBM; n = 33), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; n = 27), or squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN; n = 29), not amenable to local therapy with curative intent. Methods: Phase 1 (NCT03637764) assessed safety and confirmed the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of Isa according to a 21-day dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) observation period. Pts received Isa 10 mg/kg intravenously (IV) every week for 3 weeks followed by once every 3 weeks + Atezo 1200 mg IV every 3 weeks. Phase 2 used a Simon's 2-stage design to assess the overall response rate (ORR; EOC, HCC, SCCHN cohorts) or progression-free survival at 6 months (PFS-6; GBM cohort). Interim analysis was performed at 6 months following first treatment of the last enrolled pt in each cohort. Pharmacodynamics (PD), including analysis of CD38, PD-L1 and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment (TME), were also evaluated. Results: In Phase 1, Isa+Atezo had acceptable safety and tolerability, with no new safety signals, in pts with EOC, GBM, HCC, or SCCHN. No DLTs were observed and RP2D were confirmed. Overall, 99% of pts experienced TEAEs, with &gt;40% being Grade ≥3. The most frequently reported TEAE of any grade for all cohorts was infusion-related reactions (EOC, 83.3%; GBM, 54.5%; HCC, 63.0%; SCCHN, 31.0%). In the GBM Phase 2 cohort, the PFS-6 was 3.1%; no patients responded in Stage 1. In the EOC, HCC, and SCCHN Phase 2 cohorts, ORR was 5.6%, 7.4%, and 13.8%, respectively; therefore, the study did not continue to Stage 2. Tumor-infiltrating CD38+ immune cells were reduced by ~20% after treatment. Isa+Atezo did not lead to significant modulation of Tregs or PD-L1 in the TME. Conclusions: Isa+Atezo had acceptable safety and tolerability. Clinical PD evaluation suggested the efficient target engagement effect of Isa by demonstrating treatment-mediated reduction of CD38+ immune cells in the TME. However, significant reduction of CD38+ Tregs and restoration of T-cell proliferation was not observed. Based on clinical data, CD38 inhibition does not seem to influence response to anti-PD-L1 agents in these pts. Although no new safety signals were observed, efficacy did not fulfil criteria to expand enrollment despite the evidence of target engagement of Isa.

Citation Format: Maria Vieito Villar, Matteo Simonelli, Ferry A.L.M. Eskens, Marta Gil-Martin, Chia-Jui Yen, Radka Obermannova, Yee Chao, Vittorina Zagonel, Bohuslav Melichar, Victor Moreno, Ming-Lung Yu, Alberto Bongiovanni, Emiliano Calvo, Sylvie Rottey, Jean-Pascal Machiels, Antonio González-Martín, Luis Paz-Ares, Chih-Long Chang, Warren Mason, Chia-Chi Lin, David Reardon, Elena Garralda, Armando Santoro, Robin Meng, Giovanni Abbadessa, Fatima Menas, Helen Lee, Qianying Liu, Cécile Combeau, Nils Ternes, Christophe Massard. Isatuximab (Isa) plus atezolizumab (Atezo) in patients (pts) with advanced malignancies: Results from a Phase 1/2 open-label multicenter study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr CT154.

Role of 11C Methionine Positron Emission Tomography (11CMETPET) for Surgery and Radiation Therapy Planning in Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Patients Enrolled into a Phase II Clinical Study

(1) Background: We investigated the role of [11C]-methionine PET in a cohort of newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients to evaluate whether it could modify the extent of surgical resection and improve radiation therapy volume delineation. (2) Methods: Newly diagnosed GBM patients, ages 18-70, with a Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) ≥ 70 with available MRI and [11C]-methionine PET were included. Patients were treated with different amounts of surgical resection followed by radio-chemotherapy. The role of [11C]-methionine PET in surgical and RT planning was analyzed. A threshold of SUVmax was searched. (3) Results: From August 2013 to April 2016, 93 patients were treated and included in this analysis. Residual tumor volume was detected in 63 cases on MRI and in 78 on [11C]-methionine PET, including 15 receiving gross total resection. The location of uptake was mainly observed in FLAIR abnormalities. [11C]-methionine uptake changed RT volume in 11% of patients. The presence of [11C]-methionine uptake in patients receiving GTR proved to influence survival (p = 0.029). The threshold of the SUVmax conditioning outcome was five. (4) Conclusions: [11C]-methionine PET allowed to detect areas at higher risk of recurrence located in FLAIR abnormalities in patients affected by GBM. A challenging issue is represented by integrating morphological and functional imaging to better define the extent of surgical resection to perform.

Association of supratotal resection with progression-free survival, malignant transformation, and overall survival in lower-grade gliomas

BACKGROUND

Supratotal resection is advocated in lower-grade gliomas (LGGs) based on theoretical advantages but with limited verification of functional risk and data on oncological outcomes. We assessed the association of supratotal resection in molecularly defined LGGs with oncological outcomes.

METHODS

Included were 460 presumptive LGGs; 404 resected; 347 were LGGs, 319 isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutated, 28 wildtype. All patients had clinical, imaging, and molecular data. Resection aimed at supratotal resection without any patient or tumor a priori selection. The association of extent of resection (EOR), categorized on volumetric fluid attenuated inversion recovery images as residual tumor volume, along with postsurgical management with progression-free survival (PFS), malignant (M)PFS, and overall survival (OS) assessed by univariate, multivariate, and propensity score analysis. The study mainly focused on IDH-mutated LGGs, the "typical LGGs."

RESULTS

Median follow-up was 6.8 years (interquartile range, 5-8). Out of 319 IDH-mutated LGGs, 190 (59.6%) progressed, median PFS: 4.7 years (95% CI: 4-5.3). Total and supratotal resection obtained in 39% and 35% of patients with IDH1-mutated tumors. In IDH-mutated tumors, most patients in the partial/subtotal group progressed, 82.4% in total, only 6 (5.4%) in supratotal. Median PFS was 29 months (95% CI: 25-36) in subtotal, 46 months (95% CI: 38-48) in total, while at 92 months, PFS in supratotal was 94.0%. There was no association with molecular subtypes and grade. At random forest analysis, PFS strongly associated with EOR, radiotherapy, and previous treatment. In the propensity score analysis, EOR associated with PFS (hazard ratio, 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01-0.13). MPFS occurred in 32.1% of subtotal total groups; 1 event in supratotal. EOR, grade III, previous treatment correlated to MPFS. At random forest analysis, OS associated with EOR as well.

CONCLUSIONS

Supratotal resection strongly associated with PFS, MPFS, and OS in LGGs, regardless of molecular subtypes and grade, right from the beginning of clinical presentation.

Risks of molecular targeted therapies to fertility and safety during pregnancy: a review of current knowledge and future needs

INTRODUCTION

As the population of young cancer survivors is increasing and a trend toward postponing pregnancy later in life is reported, more efforts are focused toward understanding treatment-induced sequelae, in particular, the effects of cancer and/or treatment on fertility.

AREA COVERED

Whereas the fertility risk of cytotoxic agents for both men and women is well recognized, the impact of molecular-targeted therapy (MTT) on fertility parameters, their teratogenic potential and pregnancy outcome/management in case of an accidental exposure are not established. We update available clinical data on the impact of new MTTs on fertility in both sexes, their potential teratogenic effects and the outcome of pregnancy during accidental exposure. Agents are categorized by class and the potential relevance of their target signaling pathways to gonadal maturation.

EXPERT OPINION

The majority of MTTs have worrying preclinical data discouraging their use during pregnancy and reinforcing the idea that they can induce impairment in gonadal function. However, it does not mean that all MTTs result in permanent infertility and that they should be completely avoided during pregnancy. The current review provides a critical evaluation on the most commonly used MTTs, offering a possible guide for clinicians.

COVID-19 lung injury as a primer for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)-related pneumonia in a patient affected by squamous head and neck carcinoma treated with PD-L1 blockade: a case report

By the beginning of the global pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 infection has dramatically impacted on oncology daily practice. In the current oncological landscape, where immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of several malignancies, distinguishing between COVID-19 and immune-mediated pneumonitis can be hard because of shared clinical, radiological and pathological features. Indeed, their common mechanism of aberrant inflammation could lead to a mutual and amplifying interaction.We describe the case of a 65-year-old patient affected by metastatic squamous head and neck cancer and candidate to an experimental therapy including an anti-PD-L1 agent. COVID-19 ground-glass opacities under resolution were an incidental finding during screening procedures and worsened after starting immunotherapy. The diagnostic work-up was consistent with ICIs-related pneumonia and it is conceivable that lung injury by SARS-CoV-2 has acted as an inflammatory primer for the development of the immune-related adverse event.Patients recovered from COVID-19 starting ICIs could be at greater risk of recall immune-mediated pneumonitis. Nasopharyngeal swab and chest CT scan are recommended before starting immunotherapy. The awareness of the phenomenon could allow an easier interpretation of radiological changes under treatment and a faster diagnostic work-up to resume ICIs. In the presence of clinical benefit, for asymptomatic ICIs-related pneumonia a watchful-waiting approach and immunotherapy prosecution are suggested.

Treatment with pembrolizumab in programmed death ligand 1-positive recurrent glioblastoma: Results from the multicohort phase 1 KEYNOTE-028 trial

BACKGROUND

Current treatments for recurrent glioblastoma offer limited benefit. The authors report the antitumor activity and safety of the anti-programmed death 1 (anti-PD-1) immunotherapy, pembrolizumab, in programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive, recurrent glioblastoma.

METHODS

Adult patients with PD-L1-positive tumors were enrolled in the recurrent glioblastoma cohort of the multicohort, phase 1b KEYNOTE-028 study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT02054806) and received pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks for up to 2 years. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed overall response rate according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1. Archival tumor samples were assessed for PD-L1 expression levels (prospectively) and T-cell-inflamed gene expression profile score (retrospectively).

RESULTS

After a median follow-up of 14 months (range, 2-55 months) among the 26 enrolled patients, the overall response rate was 8% (95% CI, 1%-26%). Two partial responses, lasting 8.3 and 22.8 months, occurred. Progression-free survival (median, 2.8 months; 95% CI, 1.9-8.1 months) rate at 6 months was 37.7%, and the overall survival (median, 13.1 months; 95% CI, 8.0-26.6 months) rate at 12 months was 58%. Correlation of therapeutic benefit to level of PD-L1 expression, gene expression profile score, or baseline steroid use could not be established. Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 19 patients (73%), and 5 patients experienced grade 3 or 4 events (there were no grade 5 events). Immune-mediated adverse events and infusion reactions occurred in 7 patients (27%).

CONCLUSIONS

Pembrolizumab monotherapy demonstrated durable antitumor activity in a subset of patients with manageable toxicity in this small, signal-finding, recurrent glioblastoma cohort. Future studies evaluating rationally designed pembrolizumab combination regimens may improve outcomes in patients with recurrent glioblastoma.

Treatment of patients with glioma during the COVID-19 pandemic: what we learned and what we take home for the future

OBJECTIVE

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has changed the way in which cancer is treated. Patients with high-grade glioma (HGG) are believed to be in a vulnerable category. The aim of this study was to describe the experience of a hub cancer center and the measures that were put in place for treatment of patients with newly diagnosed and recurrent glioma.

METHODS

To prevent in-hospital contagion and preserve the safety of health professionals and patients, specific protocols and strict regulations were introduced. Physical distancing, use of surgical masks, and diligent hand hygiene were adopted. Each case was discussed in a multidisciplinary board meeting before treatment. All patient candidates for surgical procedures were tested for SARS-CoV-2 with a nasopharyngeal swab and a chest CT scan. Indications for surgery were the radiological suspicion of HGG in patients with a good performance status and/or the rapid and progressive occurrence of neurological deficits. Adjuvant treatments were performed only in cases of HGG. This therapy consisted of conventional fractional radiotherapy (RT; 60 Gy/30 fractions) with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide chemotherapy (TMZCHT) in younger patients; in elderly patients, a short course of RT was employed (40.5 Gy/15 fractions). For recurrent HGG, treatments were assessed after a careful evaluation of the patient’s general condition, neurological status, and risk of early impairment in neurological status if not treated. During simulation CT for the RT plan, each patient underwent a chest CT study. In cases in which an imaging study was suspicious for COVID-19 pneumonia, the patient was immediately isolated and rapidly underwent nasopharyngeal swab testing.

RESULTS

Between March 1 and April 30, 2020, 23 HGGs were treated, and these cases are included in the present evaluation. Fifteen patients harboring newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) underwent resection followed by a regimen of chemotherapy and RT, and 3 patients with newly diagnosed anaplastic oligodendroglioma underwent surgery followed by adjuvant RT. Five patients were treated for recurrent GBM, and they received surgery plus adjuvant RT. One patient in whom the simulation CT study was suspicious for COVID pneumonia was tested with a nasopharyngeal swab, which proved positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. No patients contracted COVID-19 during hospitalization for surgery or during RT treatment. Corticosteroid therapy was administered to all patients beginning on the 1st day of RT.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors’ experience during the COVID-19 pandemic showed that patients with HGG can be treated in the most effective manner without a compromise in safety. Careful selection criteria and a multidisciplinary evaluation are pivotal to assessing the optimal therapeutic strategy.

The 70-year-old newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients are older than the 65-year-old? Outcome evaluation of the two categories in a matched case control study with propensity score balancing

BACKGROUND

The standard of care for elderly, newly-diagnosed glioblastoma patients consists, if feasible, of surgical resection followed by a short course of radiation therapy (RT) with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide chemotherapy (TMZCHT). To date, the literature lacks of consistence in the definition of elderly, if older than 65 years, or 70 years. Aim of this study was to explore whether differences exist between these two cohorts, comparing outcomes using a propensity score matched analysis (PSM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two hundred twenty-one elderly newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients were included. All patients received surgery followed by RT with concurrent and adjuvant TMZCHT. The RT dose prescribed was 60 Gy/30 fractions for patients 65-69-year-old or 40.5 Gy/15 fractions for ≥70-year-old. After 1:1 matching there were 86 patients in each group. Distribution of covariates was adequately balanced in the matched data set.

RESULTS

After PSM median PFS time, 1,2,3-year PFS rates were 10 months, 33.3%, 13.1%, and 6.6% for the 65-69-year group, 9 months, 34.7%, 11% and 4.8% for the ≥70-year group (p = 0.530). Median OS time, and 1,2,3-year OS rates were 14 months, 54.1%, 23.4%, 13.9% for the 65-69-year old group, and 12 months, 49.3%, 21.5%, 10% for the ≥70-year group (p = 0.357). No differences were recorded in relation to different groups of age.

CONCLUSIONS

The PSM analyses showed a similar outcome in 65-69-year old patients compared to older ones notwithstanding a more burdensome RT schedule. Hypofractionated RT treatment has to be considered also in this group of younger elderly, newly-diagnosed GBM patients.

Prognostic relevance of temporal muscle thickness as a marker of sarcopenia in patients with glioblastoma at diagnosis

OBJECTIVES

Temporal muscle thickness (TMT) is a surrogate marker of sarcopenia, correlated with survival expectancy in patients suffering from brain metastases and recurrent or treated glioblastoma. We evaluated the prognostic relevance of TMT measured on brain MRIs acquired at diagnosis in patients affected by glioblastoma.

METHODS

We retrospectively enrolled 51 patients in our Institution affected by methylated MGMT promoter, IDH1-2 wild-type glioblastoma, who underwent complete surgical resection and subsequent radiotherapy with concomitant and maintenance temozolomide, from January 1, 2015, to April 30, 2017. The last clinical/radiological follow-up date was set to September 3, 2019. TMT was measured bilaterally on reformatted post-contrast 3D MPRAGE images, acquired on our 3-T scanner no more than 2 days before surgery. The median, 25th, and 75th percentile TMT values were identified and population was subdivided accordingly; afterwards, statistical analyses were performed to verify the association among overall survival (OS) and TMT, sex, age, and ECOG performance status.

RESULTS

In our cohort, the median OS was 20 months (range 3-51). Patients with a TMT ≥ 8.4 mm (median value) did not show a statistically significant increase in OS (Cox regression model: HR 1.34, 95% CI 0.68-2.63, p = 0.403). Similarly, patients with a TMT ≥ 9.85 mm (fourth quartile) did not differ in OS compared to those with TMT ≤ 7 mm (first quartile). The statistical analyses confirmed a significant association among TMT and sex (p = 0.0186), but none for age (p = 0.642) and performance status (p = 0.3982).

CONCLUSIONS

In our homogeneous cohort of patients with glioblastoma at diagnosis, TMT was not associated with prognosis, age, or ECOG performance status.

KEY POINTS

• Temporal muscle thickness (TMT) is a surrogate marker of sarcopenia and has been correlated with survival expectancy in patients suffering from brain metastases and recurrent or treated glioblastoma. • We appraised the correlation among TMT and survival, sex, age at surgery, and performance status, measured on brain MRIs of patients affected by glioblastoma at diagnosis. • TMT did not show any significant correlation with prognosis, age at surgery, or performance status, and its usefulness might be restricted only to patients with brain metastases and recurrent or treated glioblastoma.

Mismatch-Repair Protein Expression in High-Grade Gliomas: A Large Retrospective Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND

DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is a system for repairing errors in DNA replication. Cancer cells with MMR deficiency can have immunohistochemical loss of MMR protein expression leading to a hypermutable phenotype that may correlate with anti-PD1 efficacy. Scant data exist about immunohistochemical loss of MMR protein expression in high-grade gliomas (HGG).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a large multicenter retrospective study to investigate the frequency and the prognostic role of immunohistochemical loss of MMR protein expression in HGG patients; we nevertheless evaluated the association between this status and clinical or molecular characteristics. Immunohistochemical loss of MMR protein expression was recorded as partial or complete loss of at least 1 MMR protein.

RESULTS

We analyzed the expression of MMR proteins in tumor tissue of 355 consecutive patients. Partial and complete immunohistochemical loss of MMR proteins was found in 43/355 samples (12.1%) and among these, 15 cases (4.2%) showed a complete loss of at the least one MMR protein. Alteration of MSH2 expression was found in 55.8%, MSH6 in 46.5%, PMS2 in 34.9%, and MLH1 in 30.2%. Alteration of MMR protein expression was statistically more frequent in anaplastic gliomas, in recurrent disease, in patients treated with temozolomide, and in IDH-mut gliomas. Immunohistochemical loss of MMR proteins was not associated with survival, adjusting for clinically relevant confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

MMR protein expression status did not affect survival in HGG patients. We identified clinical and molecular characteristics correlating with immunohistochemical loss of MMR proteins expression. A large study should be performed to analyze its predictive role of immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy in these subgroups of patients.

Is IDH status the only factor predicting prognosis in newly diagnosed anaplastic glioma patients? Outcome evaluation and prognostic factor analysis in a single-institution large series

OBJECTIVE

Anaplastic gliomas (AGs) are an extremely heterogeneous group of primary brain tumors. More recently, new discoveries have indicated that isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation status is the most important parameter predicting survival. The primary aim of the present analysis was to identify prognostic factors, other than IDH status, that eventually impact survival.

METHODS

Patients with available clinical, imaging, and molecular profile data who were amenable to resection were evaluated. The extent of resection (EOR) was defined as gross-total resection (GTR), near-total resection (NTR), subtotal resection (STR), or partial resection (PR). Residual tumor volume (RTV) was quantified. Following surgery, patients received adjuvant chemotherapy alone, radiation therapy plus concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ), or sequential radio-chemotherapy. Clinical outcome was evaluated by neurological examination and MRI 1 month after treatment and every 4 months thereafter. Tumor progression was defined according to the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) working group.

RESULTS

Among 402 patients referred to the authors' institution for AG, 142 were included in the present analysis. Eighty-eight (62%) were male and 54 (38%) were female, with a median age of 43 years (range 19-70 years). At admission, most patients had a Karnofsky Performance Scale score of 90-100 (84.5%) and were symptomatic (93.7%). Forty-eight (33.8%) patients had newly diagnosed anaplastic oligodendrogliomas (AOs), and 94 (66.2%) had anaplastic astrocytomas (AAs). Most of them had mutant IDH tumors (67.6%) and methylated O 6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter status (71.8%). GTR was performed in more than half of the patients (56.3%). RTV was detected in 83 (58.5%) patients. Following surgery, 72 (50.7%) patients received radiotherapy with concomitant and adjuvant TMZ, 48 (33.8%) received sequential radio-chemotherapy, and 22 (15.5%) received adjuvant chemotherapy alone. The median follow-up time was 40 months (range 16-146 months). The median PFS time and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year PFS rates were 35 months (95% CI 27-76) and 78.9% ± 3.4%, 49.7% ± 4.6%, and 42.7% ± 5.4%, respectively. The median OS time and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 91 months (95% CI 66-95) and 90.1% ± 2.5%, 70.9% ± 4.2%, and 61.8% ± 4.9%, respectively. Prognostic factors predicting survival other than molecular profile were the EOR and the RTV (p < 0.0001). Sequential radio-chemotherapy was the more effective treatment administered.

CONCLUSIONS

In addition to IDH status, EOR and the RTV have proved to statistically impact survival. The pivotal role of adjuvant radiotherapy has been recorded in all AG patients, regardless of tumor features.

Accessibility to health services in Italy and in the world

Background

The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) proposes that an ideal health system must be able to extend the health coverage to the whole population (universality), to guarantee all the necessary services (globality) and to do it without additional direct costs for the people (free of charge). The achievement of the UHC represents the target 3.8 of the Sustainable Developed Goals. The World Health Organization and the World Bank have developed an index to monitor the UHC (an algorithm that contains 16 indicators of essential health services), while for financial protection they rely on the incidence of catastrophic expenditure on health (percentage of families in which the living expenses for health without reimbursement exceed the10% of consumption).

Objectives

To strengthen the Italian operators' knowledge about the accessibility to health services in Italy and in countries around the world utilizing the UHC index and the incidence of catastrophic expenditure.

Results

The National Center for Global Health of the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) collected the documents and the data already produced and validated by the international scientific community. ISS in collaboration with the Department of Public Health and Infectious Disease of Sapienza University of Rome developed a workshop training program to bring the UHC concepts at national level in a simplified manner. This was developed in order to encourage a reflection and to strengthen the understanding of the complexity of the UHC. The framework and the program of the workshop will be presented during the conference.

Conclusions

Studying the UHC means focusing on the inequalities in health care. To increase the sensibility of professionals may be a resource to promote the health coverage for all in the national territory.

Key messages

Encouraging the discussion between professionals is possible to understand the complexity of the UHC. The achievement of the UHC may happen only through the improving of the knowledge about it.