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McWilliams, Robert R.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8199-5040

Mayo Clinic

OSF HealthCare

Citations 187

A phase 2, open-label study of rucaparib in patients with pancreatic cancer and a known deleterious BRCA mutation.
Hendifar, Andrew , Shroff, Rachna T. , Leichman, Lawrence P., Epelbaum, Ron, Geva, Ravit , Kim, George P., Wolff, Robert A. , Allen, Andrew R., Giordano, Heidi, Raponi, Mitch , Isaacson, Jeffrey D., Rolfe, Lindsey, Vonderheide, Robert H. , Domchek, Susan M. , McWilliams, Robert R. , Alberts, Steven R. , Biankin, Andrew V.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | January 3, 2019 | Volume: 32 | Issue: 15_suppl | Pages: TPS4161-TPS4161

10.1200/jco.2014.32.15_suppl.tps4161 Get It

A phase I study of DMOT4039A, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting mesothelin (MSLN), in patients (pts) with unresectable pancreatic (PC) or platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (OC).
Weekes, Colin D. , Lamberts, Laetitia E., Voortman, Johannes, Yue, Huibin, Scales, Suzie J. , Samineni, Divya , Wood, Katie, Brunstein, Flávia, Maslyar, Daniel, Kim, George P., Borad, Mitesh J. , McWilliams, Robert R. , Diamond, Jennifer R. , Vries, Elisabeth G.E. de , Verheul, Henk M.W. , Lieu, Christopher H. , Wang, Yulei

Journal of Clinical Oncology | January 3, 2019 | Volume: 32 | Issue: 15_suppl | Pages: 2529-2529

10.1200/jco.2014.32.15_suppl.2529 Get It

Trial in progress: A multicenter phase II study of pembrolizumab in patients with advanced small bowel adenocarcinomas.
Overman, Michael J. , Foster, Nathan R. , Kim, Sunnie S., Murphy, Janet E., Höchster, Howard S. , Hálfdánarson, Þorvarður R. , Welch, Jack, Halfdanarson, Thorvardur R , Pedersen, Katrina S. , Bekaii‐Saab, Tanios , Boland, Patrick M. , Wilson, Richard H. , McWilliams, Robert R.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | January 2, 2019 | Volume: 36 | Issue: 4_suppl | Pages: TPS535-TPS535

10.1200/jco.2018.36.4_suppl.tps535 Get It

TPS535 Background: Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a rare malignancy, possibly because of the high rate of immunosurveillance in baseline small bowel function, and is frequently diagnosed in late stages. Due to these factors, there is no consistent standard of care for metastatic disease beyond first-line where several prospective studies have confirmed activity of FOLFOX/CAPOX. Historically, second-line treatment of SBA has been extrapolated from colon/gastric cancer. Recent studies suggest that SBA has a distinct genomic profile, including higher incidence of microsatellite instability, compared to gastric and colon cancers. Additionally, the tumor microenvironment reflects a greater degree of PD-L1 expression and infiltration by lymphocytes. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have not previously been tested in SBA unselected for MSI status. Methods: The study is a phase 2, multicenter, single-arm clinical trial of pembrolizumab (200 mg IV every 3 weeks) for patients with unresectable or metastatic SBA refractory to first-line chemotherapy. Forty patients with any tumor mismatch repair status will be enrolled at 8 US sites as part of the ACCRU network and International Rare Cancer Initiative (IRCI) with a primary objective to assess the confirmed response rate (H0 p < 10%, HA: p > 30%) to pembrolizumab. Secondary endpoints include PFS, OS, and adverse events. Correlative aims include assessing blood and tissue biomarkers (i.e. PD-L1, MSI-H/MSS status, cfDNA, mutation burden, etc.) for association with clinical benefit. An interim analysis will be performed to assess efficacy after 18 patients become evaluable. The study is open with 16 patients enrolled at time of submission. Clinical trial information: NCT02949219.
A pilot study of ponatinib in cholangiocarcinoma patients with FGFR2 fusions.
DeLeon, Thomas, Ahn, Daniel H. , Mody, Kabir , Roberts, Lewis R. , Kipp, Benjamin R. , Hálfdánarson, Þorvarður R. , Ramanathan, Ramesh K., Roberts, Lewis R , Halfdanarson, Thorvardur R , Alberts, Steven R. , McWilliams, Robert R. , Hubbard, Joleen M. , Bekaii‐Saab, Tanios , Salomao, Marcela , Murtaza, Muhammed , Dueck, Amylou C. , Borad, Mitesh J.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | January 2, 2019 | Volume: 36 | Issue: 4_suppl | Pages: TPS532-TPS532

10.1200/jco.2018.36.4_suppl.tps532 Get It

TPS532 Background: Recent studies have shown that FGFR2 fusions may represent recurrent (prevalence ~10-15% in larger cohorts) driver events amenable to therapeutic targeting in patients with advanced, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Methods: This single arm pilot study (NCT02265341) is being conducted at 3 centers (Mayo Clinic Arizona, Mayo Clinic Florida and Mayo Clinic Rochester; enrollment initiated December 2014). Next-generation sequencing based assays and a FISH-break apart assay are used to identify tumors with FGFR2 fusions. Patients must additionally have histologically/cytologically confirmed cholangiocarcinoma, ECOG performance score 0-2, measurable disease, preserved hematologic/renal and hepatic function and absence of cardiac events/stroke in the preceding 6 months. Ponatinib is administered at 45 mg once daily. Patients will be treated until disease progression, intolerable toxicity or patient decision to not pursue further therapy. The primary objective of the study is to estimate the clinical benefit rate (defined as composite of partial response rate, complete response rate and stable disease rate ≥ 4 months; as defined by RECIST criteria v1.1). Secondary endpoints include estimation of progression-free survival, overall survival, CA19-9 response rate (defined as > 50% reduction from baseline) and evaluation of the overall adverse event profile of ponatinib in this patient population. Translational objectives include serial circulating DNA (ct-DNA) monitoring, target knockdown assessments in tumor tissue (p-FGFR2, p-FRS2, p-Akt and p-ERK) and evaluation of mechanisms of resistance through comparison of baseline and progression biopsy samples using multi-platform sequencing (exome, RNA-Seq and methyl-Seq). Additionally, quality of life assessments will be evaluated using EORTC-QLQ-C30 and BIL21 tools. A total of 30 patients will be enrolled into the study (12 of 30 patients have been enrolled). The trial is designed using an underlying assumption of clinical benefit rate (CBR) of 5% with significance level of 0.15 and 80% power to detect a 20% CBR. Clinical trial information: NCT02265341.
Germline BRCA1/2, PALB2, and ATM mutations in 3,030 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma: Survival analysis of carriers and noncarriers.
Petersen, Gloria M. , Kasi, Pashtoon Murtaza , Couch, Fergus J. , Bamlet, William R. , Hu, Chunling , Hart, Steven N. , Polley, Eric C. , McWilliams, Robert R.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | January 2, 2019 | Volume: 36 | Issue: 4_suppl | Pages: 280-280

10.1200/jco.2018.36.4_suppl.280 Get It

280 Background: Patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) can have mutations in breast cancer associated genes ( BRCA1/2) and other homologous recombination (HR) pathway genes. The therapeutic significance of these mutations for PDAC patients is not yet established. We performed a comprehensive survival analysis of 3,030 unselected PDAC patients comparing non-carriers and carriers of BRCA1/2, PALB2, and ATM mutations. Methods: We analyzed germline DNA samples and outcomes from confirmed PDAC patients recruited from 1999-2014 into the Mayo Clinic SPORE in Pancreatic Cancer registry. A total of 3,046 genomic DNA samples were analyzed by next generation sequencing. All pathogenic variants were validated by Sanger sequencing. Survival analysis of PDAC patients with and without BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, or ATM germline mutations was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests. Hazard ratios (HR) were calculated using Cox proportional hazard modeling adjusted for co-variates including age, sex, and stage. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Pre- and post-FOLFIRINOX eras were defined as before and after June 1, 2011. Results: A total of 139 (4.6%) patients were noted to have deleterious mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, or ATM genes. After exclusion of patients with missing data, final analysis was restricted to 2,452 PDAC patients. Overall survival was slightly better (14.2 months versus 11.3 months) in patients with mutations as compared to those without mutations, although this finding was not statistically significant (p = 0.07). When stratified by FOLFIRINOX era, 40 patients with these mutations in the post-FOLFIRINOX era had better outcomes than 668 non-carriers (adjusted HR 0.62; 95% CI 0.43-0.89; p = 0.0062). Conclusions: Deleterious germline BRCA1/2, PALB2, and ATM mutations were seen in approximately 5% of patients with PDAC. Post-FOLFIRINOX era patients with these mutations had improved outcomes, possibly secondary to exposure to DNA-damaging chemotherapies. Germline screening of PDAC patients and development of trials incorporating this information (e.g., PARP inhibitors) has potential value for PDAC patients.
Single institutional analysis of pancreatic cancer survival trends based on BMI.
Wiisanen, Jeff, McWilliams, Robert R. , Bamlet, William R.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | January 2, 2019 | Volume: 36 | Issue: 4_suppl | Pages: 234-234

10.1200/jco.2018.36.4_suppl.234 Get It

234 Background: Body mass index (BMI) has been reported to determine risk for pancreatic cancer in addition to outcome, as those with higher BMI have decreased survival. Since May 2011, therapy for pancreatic cancer has improved with the addition of FOLFIRINOX. This study looks at overall survival in relation to BMI since the advent of the FOLFIRINOX. Methods: 2,277 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma were identified through the Mayo Clinic SPORE pancreatic cancer registry from 2000-14. Usual adult and BMI at time of enrollment were utilized as a binary variable ( < 30, ≥30 kg/m2). These were analyzed for association with survival using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: For the 2000-11 and 2011-14 groups, stage distribution was 4.4%, 34.7%, 21.6%, 39.2% and 1.2%, 39%, 22.2%, 37.6%, respectively for stage 1-4. Since pancreatic cancer commonly causes weight loss, more patients were in the higher usual adult BMI (34.6%) compared to enrollment (17.1%). For the period 2000-11, 33.8% of patients had a usual adult BMI of 30+ vs 37.8% for the 2011-14 patients. As previously reported, there was a difference in survival by BMI for the period 2000-May 2011, however, this was not seen for the period June 2011-14. Conclusions: Based on this cohort of patients, the previously reported detrimental effect of elevated BMI on survival in pancreatic cancer patients is no longer seen. This corresponds with the time period of improvement in pancreatic cancer treatment with FOLFIRINOX. Further studies should be performed to confirm our findings and to identify the causality of this association. [Table: see text]
EUS fine-needle pancreatic core biopsy can determine eligibility for tumor-agnostic immunotherapy
Gleeson, Ferga C. , Levy, Michael J. , Roden, Anja C. , Boardman, Lisa A., Zhang, Lizhi , McWilliams, Robert R. , Boardman, Lisa A., Sinicrope, Frank A.

Endoscopy International Open | October 8, 2018 | Volume: 06 | Issue: 10 | Pages: E1278-E1282

10.1055/a-0650-4447 Get It

Abstract Background and study aims The US FDA recently approved a cancer treatment with pembrolizumab based upon the tumor biomarker status of deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) rather than a specific disease-based approach. We sought to determine if endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) could determine dMMR and quantification of PD-L1 expression to potentially guide the delivery of tumor agnostic immunotherapy. Patients and methods Immunohistochemistry was performed on archived pancreas core biopsy specimens. Tumors with absent nuclear staining of DNA mismatch repair proteins represented dMMR. Tumors were considered to have any or high PD-L1 expression, if expressed in ≥ 1 % or ≥ 50 % of tumor cells. Results Histologic specimen adequacy for MMR status assessment was satisfactory in 97.2 % of tumors. dMMR and high PD-L1 expression was identified in 3 % and 8.1 % of the cohort. Conclusion In the setting of tumor type agnostic immunotherapy, it is projected that at least 3 % of malignant pancreas lesions will be sensitive to pembrolizumab and up to 8 % sensitive to the family of immune checkpoint inhibitors. This highlights the expanding role of EUS-FNB in the field of precision immuno-oncology.
The Mayo Clinic experience in patients with metastatic melanoma who have failed previous pembrolizumab treatment.
Yan, Yiyi , Failing, Jarrett, Leontovich, Alexey A. , Block, Matthew S. , Kottschade, Lisa A. , Dronca, Roxana , Markovic, Svetomir, McWilliams, Robert R. , Markovic, Svetomir N.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | September 6, 2018 | Volume: 34 | Issue: 15_suppl | Pages: e21014-e21014

10.1200/jco.2016.34.15_suppl.e21014 Get It

Updates on phase1b/2 trial of the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase pathway (IDO) inhibitor indoximod plus checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of unresectable stage 3 or 4 melanoma.
Drabick, Joseph J. , Khleif, Samir N. , Link, Charles J., Vahanian, Nicholas N., Shaheen, Montaser , Rixe, Olivier , Zakharia, Yousef , McWilliams, Robert R. , Munn, David H. , Kennedy, Eugene Paul , Milhem, Mohammed

Journal of Clinical Oncology | September 6, 2018 | Volume: 34 | Issue: 15_suppl | Pages: 3075-3075

10.1200/jco.2016.34.15_suppl.3075 Get It

Bim and soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) as predictive biomarkers of response to anti-PD-1 therapy in patients with melanoma and lung carcinoma.
Dronca, Roxana , Harrington, Susan M. , Kottschade, Lisa A. , Koo, Chi Wan , Block, Matthew S. , Nevala, Wendy K. , Mansfield, Aaron S. , Liu, Xin , Enninga, Elizabeth Ann L. , McWilliams, Robert R. , Markovic, Svetomir N. , Dong, Haidong

Journal of Clinical Oncology | September 6, 2018 | Volume: 35 | Issue: 15_suppl | Pages: 11534-11534

10.1200/jco.2017.35.15_suppl.11534 Get It

11534 Background: To date, there are no validated blood-based biomarkers of predicting response to PD-1 blockade. We previously reported that Bim is a downstream signaling molecule of the PD-1 pathway, and that measurement of Bim levels in circulating T-cells may predict and monitor responses to anti–PD-1 therapy in melanoma. We have identified the existence of sPD-L1 in cancer patients and showed that the sPD-L1 is biologically active and capable of triggering apoptosis in activated T-cells. Here we evaluated T cell Bim and sPD-L1 in the peripheral blood (PB) as biomarkers of response in a cohort of patients with metastatic melanoma and lung cancer undergoing anti-PD1 therapy. Methods: 60 pts treated with anti-PD-1 had PB collected at baseline and at radiographic tumor evaluation. Frequencies of Bim+ T cells and Bim median fluorescence intensity (MFI) were measured by flow cytometry in gated tumor-reactive CD11ahighPD1+ CD8+ T cells. We also measured levels of sPD-L1 at baseline and serially during treatment with sPD-L1 ELISA. Baseline Bim and sPD-L1 levels and percent change in Bim levels in patients (pts) who had a radiographic response (CR/PR) were compared to those who had progressive disease (PD) at 12 wks. Results: Similarly to previously reported preliminary data, pts with objective response (CR/PR, 15/60) after 4 cycles of anti-PD1 therapy had higher frequency of Bim T cells at baseline compared to pts with PD (16/60) (mean 43% vs. 30%, P = 0.0484). The frequencies of Bim+ T cells decreased significantly after the first 3 months of treatment in responders compared with progressors (mean -16% vs. + 40% P = 0.0111). High baseline sPD-L1 were associated with progression on anti-PD1 therapy (mean 2.8 ng/mL vs. 0.7 ng/mL, p = 0.07, n = 13) and the levels increased by the first tumor assessment in patients resistant to anti-PD-1. Conclusions: Measurements of Bim and sPD-L1 levels may help to select patients who are likely to benefit from anti-PD1 monotherapy versus combinatorial strategies, and provide a new non-invasive way to monitor response to anti-PD-1 blockade. A larger validation study is underway.