Clarke, Jeffrey

e15138 Background: Neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) are poorly characterized due to their innate heterogeneity, thus limiting treatment and clinical trial options for patients. Here, we used whole exome sequencing (WES) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to explore the genetic and microenvironmental landscape of NECs in order to understand the unique features of different NEC types, with the aim of improving treatment modalities. Methods: We analyzed 51 NEC clinical samples morphologically verified by a pathologist: lung NEC (20 small cell NEC and 1 large cell NEC cases), gastroenteropancreatic NEC (GEP, 12 cases), cancer of unknown primary (7 cases), Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC, 5 cases), genitourinary tract NEC (3 cases), and breast NEC (3 cases). Findings on tumor mutational burden (TMB, mut/Mb), microsatellite instability (MSI), gene expression signatures, and tumor microenvironment (TME) profiling were reported. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) subtyping was performed as reported by Gay et al. on the entire NEC cohort. Results: Half of the patients with lung NEC and 84% of those with extrapulmonary NEC satisfied the molecular inclusion criteria for clinical trials, with the most frequent criterion being KRAS G12X or G13X mutations. Among the extrapulmonary NEC samples, 13.7% were deemed eligible for targeted therapy, specifically for cases with BRAF V600E mutation and/or high TMB (> 10 mut/Mb). We detected varying TMB and distinct gene expression features across the entire cohort. Specifically, we found 2 MCC cases to be Merkel cell polyomavirus-positive with low TMB and devoid of UV-associated mutations. One GEP-NEC case exhibited a high MSI (MSI-high) status. We detected 6 SCLC cases (3 non-smokers, 3 former smokers) with surprisingly low levels of tobacco-associated mutations (<10% of all mutations). Two GEP-NEC cases had high levels of mutations associated with tobacco smoking. While TME profiling showed no significant difference in cell population makeup across all samples, transcriptional SCLC subtyping revealed significant differences among the cases. Inflammatory SCLC (SCLC-I) samples showed statistically significant enrichment of all subpopulations of the immune microenvironment (i.e., B cells, T cells, NK cells), supporting the use of immune checkpoint blockade for treatment. The POU2F3+ SCLC (SCLC-P) samples showed low expression of all neuroendocrine diagnostic markers (i.e., INSM1, NCAM1, SYP, CHGA). Conclusions: Given the heterogeneous molecular features across diverse NEC tumors, a uniform treatment strategy is unlikely to benefit all NEC patients. Hence, our ability to detect these unique molecular features is crucial for matching individual NEC patients with specific clinical trials and targeted therapies that may improve their outcomes. Thus, a concerted effort using in-depth genomic, transcriptomic, and TME profiling for NEC tumors is warranted.

9093 Background: Treatment addressing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring EGFR or HER2 exon 20 insertion mutations remains an unmet need. These tumors are associated with a high incidence of CNS metastases and unfavorable survival rates. Poziotinib is a potent, irreversible, tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) with a structure that can overcome the steric hindrance of the exon 20 limited binding pocket. Preclinical data suggest poziotinib CNS penetration, and here we show meaningful poziotinib CNS activity in patients with NSCLC harboring exon 20 insertion mutations in an ongoing multi-cohort, multi-center Phase 2 study (ZENITH20; NCT03318939). Methods: ZENITH20 enrolled previously treated and naïve patients with advanced/metastatic NSCLC and EGFR or HER2 exon 20 insertion mutations in several cohorts: Cohort 1 (C1) EGFR previously treated; Cohort 2 (C2) HER2 previously treated and Cohort 3 (C3) EGFR treatment-naïve. All patients with stable CNS metastases at baseline were included. Poziotinib (16 mg) was administered orally QD, with follow-up for up to 24 months. The primary endpoint was Objective Response Rate (ORR) evaluated centrally using RECIST v1.1 by an independent image review committee. Secondary endpoints included Disease Control Rate (DCR), Duration of Response (DOR), Progression-Free Survival (PFS) and safety. Primary efficacy results have been previously released. Intracranial response was determined based on the modified RECIST criteria. Results: A total of 284 patients across 3 cohorts (C1 n=115; and C2 n=90; and C3 n=79) with a median age of 60.5 years were enrolled. The median follow-up was 7.3, 8.3, and 9.2 months for all patients in C1, C2, and C3, respectively. In NSCLC patients that had baseline CNS lesions (N=36), the analysis showed a patient-based ORR of 22.2% (8/36) and a DCR of 88.9% (32/36). One patient in each cohort had a complete intracranial response and stable disease was 80.6% across 3 cohorts and 92.9% in C2. Two patients each in C1 and C3 had progressive disease (PD) and none had CNS progression in C2 (Table). Conclusions: Poziotinib exhibited clinically meaningful CNS activity in patients with EGFR or HER2 exon 20 mutations in ZENITH20 Cohorts 1-3. The majority of the patients had no CNS progression and 3/36 patients had intracranial complete responses. The preliminary data suggest that poziotinib may provide a meaningful treatment alternative for patients with NSCLC that harbor EGFR or HER2 exon 20 mutations and who present with CNS metastases that have poor prognosis. Clinical trial information: NCT03318939. [Table: see text]

Objectives/HypothesisThe purpose of this study is to develop consensus on key points that would support the use of systemic bevacizumab for the treatment of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), and to provide preliminary guidance surrounding the use of this treatment modality.Study DesignDelphi method‐based survey series.MethodsA multidisciplinary, multi‐institutional panel of physicians with experience using systemic bevacizumab for the treatment of RRP was established. The Delphi method was used to identify and obtain consensus on characteristics associated with systemic bevacizumab use across five domains: 1) patient characteristics; 2) disease characteristics; 3) treating center characteristics; 4) prior treatment characteristics; and 5) prior work‐up.ResultsThe international panel was composed of 70 experts from 12 countries, representing pediatric and adult otolaryngology, hematology/oncology, infectious diseases, pediatric surgery, family medicine, and epidemiology. A total of 189 items were identified, of which consensus was achieved on Patient Characteristics (9), Disease Characteristics (10), Treatment Center Characteristics (22), and Prior Workup Characteristics (18).ConclusionThis consensus statement provides a useful starting point for clinicians and centers hoping to offer systemic bevacizumab for RRP and may serve as a framework to assess the components of practices and centers currently using this therapy. We hope to provide a strategy to offer the treatment and also to provide a springboard for bevacizumab's use in combination with other RRP treatment protocols. Standardized delivery systems may facilitate research efforts and provide dosing regimens to help shape best‐practice applications of systemic bevacizumab for patients with early‐onset or less‐severe disease phenotypes.Level of Evidence5 Laryngoscope, 131:E1941–E1949, 2021