Olson, Daniel J.

Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma constitute 36% of all primary bone cancers. However, these 2 subtypes represent the most commonly diagnosed bone cancer types in the pediatric and adolescent population. Although still largely unknown, certain genetic mutations, rearrangements, and/or predisposition syndromes likely play a role in the pathogenesis of bone cancer. Osteosarcoma may also develop as a direct result of the long-term side effects of radiation therapy. With the implementation of a multimodality approach to treatment, including multiagent neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy regimens, targeted therapy options, surgery, and radiation, individuals with Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma are showing higher cure rates and improved overall survival. The NCCN Guidelines for Bone Cancer provide a consensus and evidence-based framework for the workup, management, and surveillance of local and recurrent/metastatic disease.

The NCCN Guidelines for Cutaneous Melanoma (termed Melanoma: Cutaneous ) provide multidisciplinary recommendations for diagnostic workup, staging, and treatment of patients. These NCCN Guidelines Insights focus on the update to neoadjuvant systemic therapy options and summarize the new clinical data evaluated by the NCCN panel for the recommended therapies in Version 2.2024 of the NCCN Guidelines for Cutaneous Melanoma.

Uveal melanoma is a rare form of melanoma with particularly poor outcomes in the metastatic setting. In contrast with cutaneous melanoma, uveal melanoma lacks BRAF mutations and demonstrates very low response rates to immune-checkpoint blockade. Our objectives were to study the transcriptomics of metastatic uveal melanoma with the intent of assessing gene pathways and potential molecular characteristics that might be nominated for further exploration as therapeutic targets. We initially analyzed transcriptional data from The Cancer Genome Atlas suggesting PI3K/mTOR and glycolysis as well as IL6 associating with poor survival. From tumor samples collected in a prospective phase II trial (A091201), we performed a transcriptional analysis of human metastatic uveal melanoma observing a novel role for epithelial-mesenchymal transition associating with survival. Specifically, we nominate and describe initial functional validation of neuropillin-1 from uveal melanoma cells as associated with poor survival and as a mediator of proliferation and migration for uveal melanoma in vitro. These results immediately nominate potential next steps in clinical research for patients with metastatic uveal melanoma.

Abstract Purpose: The surface receptor MET is highly expressed on primary uveal melanoma; MET inhibitors demonstrated early clinical signals of efficacy in slowing uveal melanoma growth. The primary objective of our study was to compare the progression-free survival rate at 4 months (PFS4) of patients with uveal melanoma treated with cabozantinib or chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: Patients with metastatic uveal melanoma and RECIST measurable disease were randomized 2:1 to receive either cabozantinib (arm 1) versus temozolomide or dacarbazine (arm 2) with restaging imaging every two cycles. Cross-over from arm 2 to cabozantinib after progression was allowed (arm 2X). Available tumor specimens were analyzed by whole-exome sequencing (WES) and results were correlated with outcome. Results: Forty-six eligible patients were accrued with 31, 15, and 9 in arms 1, 2, and 2X, respectively. Median lines of prior therapy, including hepatic embolization, were two. Rates of PFS4 in arm 1 and arm 2 were 32.3% and 26.7% (P = 0.35), respectively, with median PFS time of 60 and 59 days (P = 0.964; HR = 0.99). Median overall survival (OS) was 6.4 months and 7.3 months (P = 0.580; HR = 1.21), respectively. Grade 3–4 Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events were present in 61.3%, 46.7%, and 37.5% in arms 1, 2, and 2X, respectively. WES demonstrated a mean tumor mutational burden of 1.53 mutations/Mb and did not separate OS ≤ or >1 year (P = 0.14). Known mutations were identified by WES and novel mutations were nominated. Conclusions: MET/VEGFR blockade with cabozantinib demonstrated no improvement in PFS but an increase in toxicity relative to temozolomide/dacarbazine in metastatic uveal melanoma.

9506 Background: Survival is poor in mUM and treatment options are limited. MET kinase is over-expressed on UM and the MET inhibitor cabo showed activity in an early trial. Methods: A091201 was a 2:1 randomized phase II study testing progression-free survival (PFS) of cabo (60 mg daily) vs chemo (DTIC/TMZ). We studied baseline metastatic tumor samples (n = 19; 1 lung, 18 liver) by whole exome sequencing (WES) and RNAseq. We correlated data with OS and made comparisons for mUM vs. primary tumors from TCGA (n = 80). Results: 46 patients were accrued with 96% and 63% with liver metastases and elevated LDH, respectively. Toxicities were similar to prior reports of cabo and chemo. The trial stopped at interim analysis due to no difference in PFS (p = 0.964; HR = 0.99) or OS (p = 0.580; HR = 1.21). WES showed tumor mutational burden of 46±4 (mean±SEM) and did not separate OS at 1 year (p = 0.14, two-sided Wilcoxon rank sum test) in A091201. Recurrent known mutations included GNAQ/11, SF3B1, BAP1; novel mutations included GOLGA6L10, PKD1L3, and FAM228B. Gene expression signatures differed significantly between A091201 and TCGA cohorts including MET signaling (p = 7.87e-22), T cell-inflamed (p = 0.004), homologous recombination deficiency (p = 0.004), proliferation (p = 0.009) and hypoxia (p = 5.2e-10) (two-sided Student’s t-test). Tumor immune cell enrichment analysis revealed significant differences with lower M1:M2 macrophage (p = 1.2e-10) and higher Tregs (p = 6.0E-21) in mUM relative to TCGA (two-sided Wilcoxon rank sum test). Epithelial-mesenchymal transition gene expression signature was significantly associated with worse OS in A091201 (p = 0.02) with angiogenesis signature trending toward significance (p = 0.21) (log-rank test). OS separated by differentially expressed genes with OS ≤ 1 year associating with increased expression of the angiogenesis/immune-associated molecule neuropilin 1. Conclusions: These results provide insights between primary and mUM indicating potential novel therapeutic approaches. Support: U10CA180821, U10CA180882, T32GM007019, Exelixis. https://acknowledgments.alliancefound.org ; Clinical trial information: NCT01835145.