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Starr, Jason S.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8674-8102

Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic in Florida

Citations 74

Updated multicenter retrospective analysis of systemic treatments in well-differentiated grade 3 (G3) gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs).
Pirozzi, Angelo , Hoyek, Celine , Collins, Caden, Kounsselie, Edwar , Alsulaiman, Abdullah S, Youssef, Amal, Ahn, Daniel H., Bekaii-Saab, Tanios S., Hobday, T., Starr, Jason S., Jamal, Fares , Ahn, Daniel H. , Bekaii‐Saab, Tanios , Hobday, Timothy J. , Starr, Jason S. , Hálfdánarson, Þorvarður R. , McGarrah, Patrick W. , Sonbol, Mohamad Bassam

Journal of Clinical Oncology | January 12, 2026 | Volume: 44 | Issue: 2_suppl | Pages: 619-619

10.1200/jco.2026.44.2_suppl.619 Get It

619 Background: Well-differentiated G3 GEP-NETs are rare and heterogeneous diseases, limiting phase III trials and definition of clear standards of care. Building upon our preliminary cohort of 76 patients (pts), we present an updated and expanded retrospective analysis across three Mayo Clinic tertiary centers. Methods: We included pts with histologically confirmed well-differentiated G3 GEP-NETs diagnosed since 2017 (new WHO classification) from the three Mayo Clinic sites (Rochester, Phoenix, Jacksonville). Endpoints were ORR, DCR, PFS, and OS across treatment lines. PFS/OS were estimated by Kaplan-Meier. OS was defined from treatment start. Multivariate Cox regression was used to evaluate the association of clinic-pathologic features (age, sex, tumor functionality, Ki-67, primary tumor site, stage at diagnosis, presence of liver metastasis, number of metastatic sites at diagnosis) with OS (p<0.05). Results: 111 pts (median age 62 y, range 22–83). Primary sites were pancreas (58%), small bowel (19%), unknown (9%), and rectum (5%). Most tumors were G3 at diagnosis (88%); the remainder evolved from prior G1/G2. Ki-67 was 20–55% in 83% of cases. Most were nonfunctional (70%); functional subtypes included carcinoid (13%) and gastrinoma (8%). Median plasma 5-HIAA was 38.5 ng/ml (5–1394). Advanced disease was present in 85%. Common metastatic sites included liver (85%), lymph nodes (32%), bone (26%), peritoneum (10%), and lung (9%). Median number of metastatic sites was 1 (range 0–5). Median number of systemic treatment lines was 2 (range 0–8). The most frequent regimens and outcomes are shown in the Table. Insulin-secreting tumors (HR 2.16, 95% CI 1.33–25.73, p=0.019) and ≥2 metastatic sites (HR 2.13, 95% CI 1.05–4.31, p=0.035) were associated with inferior OS. Conclusions: This represents one of the largest real-world datasets of well-differentiated G3 GEP-NETs and provides a deeper evaluation of treatment strategies and prognostic factors. CAPTEM, SSAs, and PRRT with Lu-177 emerged as the most commonly used therapies, with PRRT showing the most favorable outcomes. Insulin secretion and higher metastatic burden were confirmed as adverse prognostic factors. CAPTEM SSAs PRRT Lu-177 Carboplatin plus etoposide FOLFOX Everolimus Sunitinib N of pts (%) 64 (58) 44 (40) 37 (33) 24 (19) 18 (13) 11 (10) 8 (7) Line of therapy (%) First 36 (56.3) 27 (61.4) 5 (13.5) 13 (59.2) 5 (7.2) 1 (9.0) 1 (12.5) Second 15 (23.4) 13 (29.5) 13 (35.2) 3 (13.6) 5 (35.7) 3 (27.3) 2 (37.5) Third or higher 13 (20.3) 4 (9.1) 19 (51.3) 6 (27.2) 8 (57.1) 7 (63.7) 5 (62.5) DCR (%) 60.9 56.8 75.0 52.2 71.4 45.5 37.5 ORR (%) 34.4 13.6 44.4 30.4 35.7 18.2 12.5 mPFS (95% CI) 8.0 (5.3-10.6) 6.2 (2.8-9.5) 11.2 (9.1-13.3) 7.3 (2.8-11.8) 4.4 (2.4-6.4) 3.9 (2.2-5.6) 3.9 (1.54-6.26) mOS (95% CI) 40.1 (23.0-57.2) 50 (22.6-77.4) 76.1 (16.3-135.8) 33.0 (21.0-45.0) 21.1 (15.0-27.2) NE NE
Efficacy of perioperative and neoadjuvant therapies including immunotherapy in resectable gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA): A network meta-analysis (NMA).
Chohan, Yashveer, Anjum, Muhammad Umair , Naqvi, Syed Arsalan Ahmed , Raina, Ammad, Jajja, Salman Ayub, Faisal, Kunwer Sufyan , Segovia, Diana I. , Junior, Pedro Luiz Serrano Uson, George, Ben, Zhu, Mojun, Ahn, Daniel H., Starr, Jason S., Yoon, Harry H. , Bekaii-Saab, Tanios S., Usón, Pedro Luiz Serrano , George, Ben , Ahn, Daniel H. , Starr, Jason S. , Bekaii‐Saab, Tanios , Riaz, Irbaz Bin , Sonbol, Mohamad Bassam

Journal of Clinical Oncology | January 12, 2026 | Volume: 44 | Issue: 2_suppl | Pages: 399-399

10.1200/jco.2026.44.2_suppl.399 Get It

399 Background: The standard of care for resectable GEA adenocarcinomas is perioperative chemotherapy with the FLOT (fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, docetaxel) regimen. Recent studies investigating the addition of checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) to perioperative chemotherapy have shown mixed results. An NMA can leverage both direct and indirect comparisons to evaluate the relative efficacies of available regimens in this setting. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science and CENTRAL were searched until August 27th, 2025. Eligible studies included phase 3 randomized trials evaluating perioperative or neoadjuvant chemotherapy +/- CPIs ± radiation in resectable GEA. The primary outcomes were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using a frequentist NMA framework. Results: Fifteen trials including 8072 patients were analyzed. For DFS, perioperative durvalumab + FLOT (dFLOT) ranked highest (P-score = 0.99), followed by FLOT (P-score = 0.84) (HR for dFLOT vs. FLOT was 0.71, 95% CI 0.58-0.86). dFLOT also ranked higher than perioperative pembrolizumab + cisplatin and fluorouracil/capecitabine (KN-585), though this comparison was not statistically significant (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.40-1.04). Compared with CROSS, dFLOT showed superior DFS (HR of 0.48, 95% CI 0.36-0.63). For OS, dFLOT ranked the highest (P-score=0.95) and was superior to CROSS (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.42-0.77). While dFLOT appeared favorable versus FLOT (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.62-0.98), this finding was primarily driven by MATTERHORN, which did not meet its prespecified OS significance boundary (P = 0.03 vs threshold P < 0.0001), and the proportional hazards assumption was violated. Similarly, no significant OS difference was observed between dFLOT and the KN-585 arms (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.45-1.23). Conclusions: In this NMA, perioperative FLOT remained the benchmark regimen for resectable GEA. dFLOT has shown promising early results, ranking the highest for DFS and showing favorable, but not statistically definitive OS trends in comparison to FLOT. Importantly, the network enabled indirect comparisons not tested in head-to-head trials, demonstrating that dFLOT ranked above pembrolizumab+CF/CX (KN-585) without reaching statistical significance, and also outperformed CROSS. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution, as they are primarily driven MATTERHORN data in which OS did not cross the prespecified threshold and proportional hazards assumptions were violated. Perioperative immunotherapy combinations appear promising, but final MATTERHORN results and further confirmatory studies are needed before dFLOT can be considered as a new standard of care.
ACCRU-GI-1810: Trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD-TPI) or paclitaxel (PAC) in combination with ramucirumab (RAM) for patients (pts) with previously treated advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA)—An investigator-initiated, randomized non-inferiority phase
Peersen, Anina, Ahn, D., Starr, Jason S., Jaslowski, Anthony J., Nagarajan, Arun , Iqbal, S. , Gibson, Michael K., Bekaii-Saab, Tanios S., Sonbol, Mohamad Bassam , Ulrich, Angela, Ou, Fang‐Shu , Starr, Jason S. , Bekaii‐Saab, Tanios

Journal of Clinical Oncology | January 12, 2026 | Volume: 44 | Issue: 2_suppl | Pages: 392-392

10.1200/jco.2026.44.2_suppl.392 Get It

392 Background: PAC+RAM is the standard second-line therapy for advanced GEA. However, PAC-related neuropathy is a major challenge, particularly since many pts have pre-existing neuropathy from prior platinum exposure. An effective “neuropathy-free” regimen remains an unmet need. We evaluated FTD-TPI+RAM as an alternative to PAC+RAM. Methods: This multi-center, randomized, phase II study enrolled GEA pts who progressed on or were intolerant to fluoropyrimidine+ platinum therapy. Pts were randomized to FTD-TPI+RAM (Arm A) or PAC+RAM (arm B) at a 1:1 ratio. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), defined as time interval between randomization date and the date of disease progression or death; Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and adverse events (AEs). The design hypothesized non-inferiority (NI) of Arm A to Arm B with a NI margin of hazard ratio 1.19. 90 PFS events from 116 pts provide 80% power with a one-sided alpha of 0.15. The interim futility analysis, conducted in December 2024 with 20 events, did not cross the futility boundary (Z statistic ≥ 1.172 ) and continued enrolling pts. The trial closed enrollment in March 2025 due to slow accrual. At the time of interim analysis, 20 events had occurred and the Z statistic was 0.4532. Final analysis included the 29 pts that were eligible, consented, randomized, and received any protocol treatment. Results: Among 29 pts (15 Arm A; 14 Arm B), baseline characteristics were balanced (in Arms A vs B, median age 64 vs 63; 80% vs 85.7% male; 86.7%% vs 78.6% White; 80% vs 78.6% ECOG 1). At data freeze of 8/4/2025, 26 PFS events were reported. Median PFS was 3.2 vs. 3.9 months in Arm A vs. Arm B (HR 1.37, 95% CI 0.61-3.02). NI was not demonstrated (Z =0.34, threshold for NI<-1.036). Median OS was 8.4 vs. 10.7 months, in Arms A and B, respectively. Grade ≥3 AEs occurred in 93% (Arm A) vs 71% (Arm B) with hematologic AEs occurring more frequently in Arm A than Arm B (53% vs 29%). Peripheral sensory neuropathy (any grade) occurred more frequently in Arm B (86%) vs. Arm A (47%). Conclusions: Although NI was not achieved due to early closure and small sample size, FTD-TPI+RAM was relatively safe and associated with less neuropathy compared with PAC+RAM. This regimen warrants further evaluation for pts in whom neuropathy limits taxane use. Clinical trial information: NCT04660760 .
Leveraging large language models (LLM) to guide adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) recommendations in stage III colorectal cancer (CRC).
Mohammed, Arshad, Alsulaiman, Abdullah, Ayub, Umair , Jin, Zhaohui, Starr, Jason S., Sinicrope, Frank A., Zhu, Mojun, Wu, Christina, Bekaii-Saab, Tanios S., Ahn, Daniel H., Zhou, Ben, Mohammed, Arshad, Jamal, Fares , Alsulaiman, Abdullah , Nahhat, Fouad , Jin, Zhaohui , Jones, Jeremy C , Starr, Jason S. , Hálfdánarson, Þorvarður R. , Sinicrope, Frank A. , Borad, Mitesh J. , Xie, Hao , Pedersen, Katrina S. , Bekaii-Saab, Tanios S., Ahn, Daniel H. , Riaz, Irbaz Bin , Sonbol, Mohamad Bassam

Journal of Clinical Oncology | January 12, 2026 | Volume: 44 | Issue: 2_suppl | Pages: 103-103

10.1200/jco.2026.44.2_suppl.103 Get It

103 Background: Clinicians spend significant time extracting and synthesizing information to risk-stratify and make adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) recommendations for CRC. By automating parts of this process, LLMs could help reduce documentation burden and variability in decision-making. Methods: We selected 144 stage III, pMMR CRC patients treated at Mayo Clinic (2017–2021). HIPAA-compliant Gemini-2.0-Flash-001 and GPT-4o extracted clinical variables (age, neuropathy grade, pathological stage) from EHRs and generated AC recommendations. Two approaches were compared: (1) a rule-based algorithm with nested if/else statements translating variables into NCCN-based recommendations, and (2) a dynamic LLM agent generating recommendations using a structured prompt informed by NCCN guidelines. Concordance with treating physicians was assessed, with disagreements reviewed by a blinded GI oncologist. Results: The dataset included 144 patients with median age 67 (IQR 66–68), 48.6% female. The LLM pipeline extracted neuropathy grade with 100% accuracy and pathological T/N stages with 99.3% accuracy. Concordance with physician recommendations was 93.1% for the rule-based algorithm and 62.5% for the LLM agent. In discordant cases, blinded adjudication by a GI oncologist favored the algorithm and LLM agent over physicians in most cases (Table 1). Conclusions: This exploratory work shows LLM agents can reliably extract variables and generate evidence-based treatment recommendations for stage III CRC. The high rate of expert preference for LLM recommendations in discordant cases is intriguing but limited by small sample size and possible adjudicator bias. Discordant physician recommendations reflect the complexity of decision-making, including patient preferences, performance status, comorbidities, and subtle findings not fully captured in EHRs. Rather than replacing judgment, we envision LLMs as decision support tools—analogous to an advanced trainee reviewing charts and presenting evidence-based recommendations to the attending physician with ultimate authority. Larger multi-institutional studies with multiple adjudicators are needed to validate these findings and clarify AI’s role in oncology. Patient characteristics, LLM extraction accuracy, and concordance with physician recommendations. Metric Result Total patients 144 Median age (IQR) 67 (66-68) Female (%) 48.6% LLM extraction accuracy – Neuropathy grade 100% LLM extraction accuracy – Pathological T and N stages 99.3% Primary Concordance – Rule-based algorithm vs. physician 93.1% Adjudicator preference of rule-based algorithm over treating physician for discordant cases 100% Concordance – LLM agent vs. physician 62.5% Adjudicator preference of LLM agent over treating physician for discordant cases 82.0%
Comparative efficacy of systemic therapies in malignant insulinoma
Koch, Regina M. , Vella, Adrian, Shah, Pankaj, Hobday, Timothy J. , Sonbol, Mohamed Bassam, Starr, Jason S. , Eiring, Rachel A. , McKenzie, Travis J. , Sada, Alaa , Koch, Regina , Starr, Jason , Gudmundsdottir, Hallbera , Eiring, Rachel A , McGarrah, Patrick W. , Shah, Pankaj, Starlinger, Patrick , Gudmundsdottir, Hallbera , Hálfdánarson, Þorvarður R.

Endocrine-Related Cancer | May 29, 2025 | Volume: 32 | Issue: 6 | Pages: No page available

10.1530/erc-25-0091 Get It

Abstract Malignant insulinomas are rare pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors characterized by excessive insulin secretion and a high propensity for metastasis, leading to challenging management. This study retrospectively analyzed 57 patients treated for malignant insulinoma at Mayo Clinic sites between 1992 and 2024, focusing on the efficacy of systemic therapies in improving hypoglycemic control and survival outcomes. The most commonly used therapies included somatostatin analogs (SSA), everolimus, capecitabine-temozolomide (CAPTEM), and peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT). PRRT demonstrated the highest efficacy in controlling hypoglycemia (93%), followed by CAPTEM (68%) and everolimus (62%). SSA, chemotherapy, and streptozocin were less effective, with hypoglycemic improvement seen in 37.5, 33.3, and 28.6% of patients, respectively. Overall survival (OS) was longest with SSA at 84.67 months, followed by CAPTEM at 81.67 months and everolimus at 74.07 months. PRRT demonstrated a median OS of 49.73 months. In contrast, chemotherapy and streptozocin-based therapies had significantly shorter OS times of 15.23 and 8.35 months, respectively. These findings highlight significant variability in systemic therapy efficacy for malignant insulinoma, with PRRT emerging as a promising treatment for refractory hypoglycemia and long survival. Cox regression analysis identified primary tumor resection and a history of benign insulinoma as associated with longer OS. Optimal sequencing of therapies remains unclear, and individualized treatment plans based on hypoglycemic burden and tumor characteristics are critical for improving survival and quality of life in these patients.
Efficacy of perioperative and neoadjuvant therapies in gastric and gastroesophageal (GEJ) adenocarcinoma (AC): A network meta-analysis.
Anjum, Muhammad Umair , Naqvi, Syed Arsalan Ahmed , Jajja, Salman Ayub, Raina, Ammad, Afzal, Muhammad Umar, Faisal, Kunwer Sufyan , Segovia, Diana I. , Yoon, Harry H. , Starr, Jason S. , Ahn, Daniel H. , Afzal, Muhammad Umar, Jin, Zhao-Hui , Usón, Pedro Luiz Serrano , Bekaii‐Saab, Tanios , Riaz, Irbaz Bin , Sonbol, Mohamad Bassam

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: No page available

10.1200/jco.2025.43.16_suppl.e16157 Get It

e16157 Background: The optimal treatment for resectable gastric/GEJ AC is unclear due to limited direct comparisons among chemotherapy and chemoradiation regimens. Addressing this gap is critical to improve patient outcomes. We performed this network meta-analysis (NMA) to determine the relative efficacy of multimodality regimens for resectable gastric/GEJ AC. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and CENTRAL were searched from inception till September 20, 2024, to identify phase III trials evaluating perioperative/neoadjuvant systemic therapy ± radiation in resectable gastric/GEJ AC. Primary outcomes were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). A frequentist NMA was conducted to compare hazard ratios (HR) and 95% CI for each outcome. Relative treatment rankings were assessed using P-scores. Results: Fifteen trials (8,072 patients) were analyzed. pFLOT (perioperative fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel) ranked highest for DFS in the overall population (P score 91%) (Table), significantly outperforming surgery alone (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.38-0.60) and nCROSS (neoadjuvant paclitaxel, carboplatin and radiotherapy) (0.67, 0.56-0.81). For OS, nPLF+nCRT(EP) (neoadjuvant cisplatin, leucovorin and fluorouracil for induction, followed by etoposide, cisplatin, and radiotherapy) (P score 90%) and pFLOT (P score 87%) were the top regimens, with pFLOT significantly outperforming surgery alone (0.57, 0.45-0.72), and nCROSS (0.73, 0.60-0.89). Adding neoadjuvant chemoradiation to pFLOT provided no additional OS (1.14, 0.76-1.72) or DFS (1.22, 0.83-1.82) benefit. Similarly, adding pembrolizumab to perioperative chemotherapy (CF/CX) (cisplatin and fluorouracil/capecitabine) was not superior to pFLOT in terms of DFS (1.10, 0.71-1.69) or OS (1.09, 0.69-1.72). Conclusions: pFLOT demonstrated superior efficacy in resectable gastric/GEJ AC, surpassing surgery alone, nCROSS, and other perioperative regimens. The additive role of immunotherapy to pFLOT requires further investigation to refine patient selection and optimize outcomes. Regimen Overall Population GEJ cohort OS DFS OS DFS nPLF+nCRT(EP) 1 (90) 2 (84) 1 (85) NA pFLOT 2 (87) 1 (91) 2 (79) 2 (88) pPembrolizumab+CF/CX 3 (75) 3 (81) 5 (41) - nECX 4 (61) 5 (55) - - pCF 5 (59) 8 (51) 3 (72) - pECF/ECX 6 (47) 6 (55) 7 (40) 3 (57) nECX+aCRT(CX) 7 (45) 7 (52) 9 (31) - nCF 8 (42) 10 (28) 6 (40) - nCROSS 9 (41) 9 (35) 8 (34) 4 (43) pECF/ECX/FLOT+nCRT(F/X) 10 (38) 4 (57) 4 (72) 1 (90) nCRT(CF) 11 (9) 11 (6) - 5 (14) Surgery 12 (7) 12 (5) 10 (5) 6 (9) Data reported as rank (P-score). Abbreviations: n: neoadjuvant; p: perioperative; ECX: epirubicin + cisplatin + capecitabine; CF: cisplatin + fluorouracil; ECF: epirubicin + cisplatin + fluorouracil; aCRT(CX): adjuvant radiotherapy + cisplatin + capecitabine; CRT(F/X): fluorouracil/capecitabine + radiotherapy; CRT(CF): cisplatin + fluorouracil + radiotherapy.
[ 212 Pb]VMT-α-NET therapy in somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) expressing neuroendocrine tumors (NETs): Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) observation participants after 1 year follow-up and preliminary report for expansion part
Sólnes, Lilja B. , Mancini, Brandon Robert, Sibley, Gregory S., Anthony, Lowell , Liao, Chih‐Yi , Starr, Jason S. , Balaraman, Savitha, Prasad, Vikas, Baratto, Lucia , Hanna, Alaa , Yang, Wenjing , Puhlmann, Markus , Hálfdánarson, Þorvarður R. , O’Keefe, Stephen J. , Wahl, Richard L.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 3005-3005

10.1200/jco.2025.43.16_suppl.3005 Get It

3005 Background: [ 212 Pb]VMT-α-NET, a next generation 212 Pb-based, SSTR2-targeted alpha-particle radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT), was designed to achieve superior biodistribution via optimized tumor uptake and retention and rapid renal clearance. Results reported here are from the Phase 1/2a first-in-human study [NCT05636618]. Methods: Safety, pharmacokinetics, dosimetry and efficacy using RECIST v1.1 were investigated in the treatment of participants with [ 212 Pb]VMT-α-NET who had SSTR2-expressing, well-differentiated adult NETs of any grade. Participants received ≥1 prior therapy. No prior peptide receptor radionuclide therapy was allowed. The trial has multiple dose cohorts including 92.5 MBq (2.5 mCi, cohort 1) and 185 MBq (5 mCi, cohort 2) of administered activity based on a Bayesian modified toxicity probability interval (mTPI-2) design. Up to 8 participants per cohort were treated with 4 doses of [ 212 Pb]VMT-α-NET for DLT observation. Cohort 2 enrollment was expanded to further define the safety and efficacy profile at this dose level. Results: Nine (9) gastroenteropancreatic NET participants were enrolled into cohorts 1 and 2 for DLT observation. The ninth of these participants was enrolled more than 1 year prior to presentation of these data. Among these participants at the time of abstract submission, no DLTs were observed, and there were no grade 4, 5 or serious adverse events (SAEs). Specifically, no renal insufficiency or dysphagia were observed. Hematologic AEs were low grade and few in number. No treatment discontinuations due to AE occurred. Three (3) of the 7 cohort 2 participants enrolled for DLT observation achieved investigator-assessed partial responses (PRs). Two PRs were unconfirmed at the time of abstract submission. Durable progression-free survival (PFS) was consistently observed. More than 15 additional participants were enrolled in the cohort 2 expansion. Preliminary data for these patients will be reported at the congress. Conclusions: [ 212 Pb]VMT-α-NET is a well-tolerated, next generation RPT showing signs of clinical activity at early dose-levels in this phase 1/2a study. Based on these clinical data, further dose-escalation and development of this promising therapy are warranted. Clinical trial information: NCT05636618 .
The differential effect of stromal genes on gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (GN) and GN/cisplatin (GCN) outcomes in advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (aPDAC).
Mahadevia, Himil , Wu, Sharon , Starr, Jason S. , O’Donnell, Conor, Ahn, Daniel H. , Xiu, Joanne , Shawa, Hani El, Kulkarni, Ninad , McWilliams, Robert R. , Majeed, Umair , Jones, Jeremy C , Mosalem, Osama , Sledge, George W. , Philip, Philip A. , Goel, Sanjay , Spetzler, David B. , Singh, Harshabad , Borad, Mitesh J. , Bekaii‐Saab, Tanios , Babiker, Hani M.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 4166-4166

10.1200/jco.2025.43.16_suppl.4166 Get It

4166 Background: GN is a front-line therapy for aPDAC. A Phase I/II study demonstrated that GCN has a higher overall response rate and median overall survival (mOS). Our previous study found no difference in outcomes among patients with DNA damage repair gene mutations; however, stromal gene expression correlated with mOS in patients receiving GCN. Here, we further evaluate differences in the outcomes with GCN and GN by site of biopsy. Methods: PDAC samples (n = 4,463) were analyzed by NGS (NextSeq/NovaSeq) or RNA (NovaSeq) (Caris Life Sciences, Phx, AZ). Expression of stromal and related genes ( ACTA2, ADIRF, HAS2, IL-6, MMP-2, MMP-9, SPARC, STAT3, TBGB1, TGFB2, TGFBR3, IDO1, HLA-DRB4, VEGFB) from different biopsy sites [high expression (H) >50% of RNA transcripts per million] was correlated with outcomes to GCN or GN. mOS was obtained from insurance claims and calculated from first treatment to last contact. The hazard ratio (HR) was calculated by the Cox proportional hazards model, and p-values were calculated using the log-rank test. Results: 4325 patients [primary biopsy (PT), n = 1,878; non-liver metastatic biopsy (N-LM), n = 818; Liver biopsy (LM), n = 1,629] received GN while 138 patients (PT, n = 45; N-LM, n = 28; LM, n = 65) received GCN. GCN was associated with longer mOS than GN [∆: 5.2 months (m), HR: 0.76, 95% CI 0.63-0.92, p = 0.01]. GCN was associated with longer mOS compared to GN in LM (∆: 5.6 m, HR: 0.66, 95% CI 0.50-0.87, p = 0.003), but it was not significant in PT (∆: 4.6 m, p = 0.13) and N-LM (∆: 4.4 m, p = 0.35). Median MMP2 (38.5 vs. 163.1 vs. 162.2), VEGFB (14.4 vs. 16.9 vs. 16.2) and TGFBR3 (11.4 vs. 15 vs. 16.4) expression were lower in LM compared to PT and N-LM while TGFB1 (41.6 vs. 34.5 vs. 39.8) and IL6 (1.61 vs. 1.19 vs. 1.41) expression were highest in LM (p < 0.05). In LM, IL6 -H (∆: -11 m, p = 0.037) and TGFB1 -H (∆: -5.9 m, p = 0.10) were associated with worse post-GCN survival compared to GN (p = 0.82 and p = 0.57). Whereas, in N-LM, TGFBR3 -H trended towards longer post-GCN survival (∆: 12 m, p = 0.18), while ADIRF -H trended towards shorter post-GCN survival (∆: -12 m, p = 0.056) compared to GN (p = 0.42 and p = 0.10). While in PT, MMP2 -H (∆: 11.3m, HR: 0.46, p = 0.16), TGFB1 -H (∆: 11.3 m, HR: 0.33, p = 0.09), HLA-DRB4 -H (∆: 12.9 m, HR: 0.44, p = 0.11) and VEGFB -H (∆: 10.7, HR: 0.34, p = 0.09) trended towards longer post-GCN survival compared to GN ( MMP2 -H, ∆: 3.4 m, p = 0.03, TGFB1 -H, p = 0.661, HLA-DRB4 -H, p = 0.67, VEGFB-H , ∆: 1.3 m, p = 0.03). Conclusions: GCN is associated with improved mOS compared to GN, especially in LM.Stromal gene expression in the liver differs from that in N-LM and the pancreas. While high stromal gene expression trends towards worse post-GCN survival in LM, it is associated with improved survival in N-LM and PT. Further validation is needed to understand the impact of stromal gene expression in different tumor sites on survival outcomes and signature development.
Abstract CT190: A phase I/II pilot trial, single arm, open label, of gemcitabine, cisplatin, protein-bound paclitaxel (GCN) combined with Tumor Treatment Fields (TTFields) in patient with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma
Starr, Jason S. , O’Donnell, Conor, Boni, Jacqueline, Stewart, Lashundra, Cameron, Josh, Kour, Oudom, Mody, Kabir , Ahn, Daniel H. , Bekaii-Saab, Tanios S , Babiker, Hani , Babiker, Hani M. , Jones, Jeremy C , Jones, Robin L. , Boni, Jacqueline, Stewart, Lashundra, Cameron, Josh, McWilliams, Robert R. , Bekaii‐Saab, Tanios , Borad, Mitesh J. , Majeed, Umair

Cancer Research | April 25, 2025 | Volume: 85 | Issue: 8_Supplement_2 | Pages: CT190-CT190

10.1158/1538-7445.am2025-ct190 Get It

Abstract Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a disease with guarded prognosis with a 5-year overall survival (OS) of 3.1% in patients with metastatic disease. The need for innovative treatments for this lethal disease is paramount. TTFields is a novel treatment modality that employs low intensity, alternating, and intermediate frequency electrical fields that abrogates cancer cell proliferation through different mechanisms. These include inhibition of mitosis, disruption of cancer cell membranes, metabolomic dysregulation of cancer cells, and immunogenic activation of the tumor microenvironment (TME). TTFields are approved in glioblastoma multiforme, non-small cell lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma. The PANOVA trial demonstrated promising efficacy for TTFields plus chemotherapy in patients with PDA. A trial of GCN in patients with PDA demonstrated exceptional efficacy in patients with metastatic disease. Here in, we present our ongoing clinical trial investigating the safety and efficacy of TTFields plus GCN in patients with PDA (NCT04605913). Methods: This a phase I/II trial with an initial safety run-in phase followed by the phase II portion. The primary objective of the trial is to determine the safety (CTCAE v 5.0) of GCN plus TTFields. Secondary objectives include determining the 6-month progression free survival (PFS) rate, overall response rate (ORR, RECIST v1.1), 12-month survival rate, OS, and QOL (EORTC QLQ-C30, version 3.0.2.3). Inclusion criteria include PDA with liver metastasis (patients can have additional sites of metastasis), ECOG 0-1, measurable disease, and ability to operate the Novo TTF-100L (P)/Novo TTF-200T system. Treatment consisted of TTFields (150 kHz 18 hours/day) and GCN (G: 1000 mg/m2, C 30 mg/m2, and N: 150 mg/m2 every 2 weeks, 28 days cycle), followed by a maintenance phase after 6 months (G: 1000 mg/m2 every 2 weeks) plus TTFields until progression. Six patients were to be enrolled in the phase I portion and if ≤1/6 patients experienced a dose limiting toxicity (DLT, treatment emergent adverse event, or skin toxicity of Gr4), the plan would be to move to a phase II trial enrolling 34 more patients. If 2/6 patients experienced a DLT, 6 patients would be enrolled in dose level -1 (GCN plus TTFields for 9 hours/day followed by the maintenance treatment) and if tolerated the phase II portion would start with dose level -1 regimen. The phase I portion was completed without any DLTs and the trial is currently enrolling to the phase II portion. The total number of patients (40) was powered to the 6-months PFS rate and ORR (estimated using the lower bound of exact one-sided 90% confidence intervals). The goal is to "reject" a 6-month PFS rate of 66% and an ORR of 71% (based on previous GCN trial). Time-to-event endpoints will be assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Citation Format: Hani M. Babiker, Jason Starr, Jeremy Jones, Conor O’Donnell, Robert Jones, Jacqueline Boni, Lashundra Stewart, Josh Cameron, Oudom Kour, Kabir Mody, Robert R. McWilliams, Daniel H. Ahn, Tanios Bekaii-Saab, Mitesh J. Borad, Umair Majeed. A phase I/II pilot trial, single arm, open label, of gemcitabine, cisplatin, protein-bound paclitaxel (GCN) combined with Tumor Treatment Fields (TTFields) in patient with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 2 (Late-Breaking, Clinical Trial, and Invited Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_2):Abstract nr CT190.
Immunotherapy outcomes in dMMR/MSI-H and/or TMB-H metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) with peritoneal metastases (PM).
Elhariri, Ahmed , Kamatham, Saivaishnavi , Abdel-Razeq, Nayef Hikmat, Jones, Jeremy , Starr, Jason S. , Jones, Jeremy C , Mosalem, Osama , Wiest, Nathaniel E. , Sonbol, Mohamad Bassam , Jin, Zhaohui , Babiker, Hani M. , Bekaii‐Saab, Tanios , Majeed, Umair

Journal of Clinical Oncology | January 27, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 4_suppl | Pages: 163-163

10.1200/jco.2025.43.4_suppl.163 Get It

163 Background: CRC with PM has a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Immunotherapy has shown promise in improving outcomes for patients with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H), mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR), and high tumor mutational burden (TMB-H) tumors. However the peritoneal niche has a unique microenvironment, which can influence the effectiveness of immune check point inhibitors (ICIs). We assessed the impact of ICI on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in CRC patients (pts) and PM, considering key clinical and molecular characteristics. Methods: A retrospective review aiming to identify CRC pts with MSI-H/dMMR and PM treated with immunotherapy between 2015 and 2023 was performed. Data collected included pt demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment details. Responses were evaluated using RECIST v1.1 criteria. Results: 37 pts were included, 9 (24%) had Lynch syndrome. The median age of diagnosis was 61 years and most pts were females (65%). Most pts had MSI-H/dMMR tumors, while one pt was treated based on ultra-hypermutated phenotype (TMB 202) and POLE mutation. Among those with available TMB data, the median TMB was 52 mutations/Mb (0-202). Common mutations were PMS2 (51%), MLH1 (38%), MSH6 (16.2%), and MSH2 (16.2%). Right-sided tumors were in 54%, mucinous histology in 62%, and ascites in 54%. Pts received a median of 11 cycles of ICI (2-52). Pembrolizumab was the most frequently used ICI (78%), while Nivolumab was used either alone (11%) or in combination with Ipilimumab (11%). Median PFS in our cohort was 7.8 months and median OS was 29.9 months. The disease control rate (DCR) was 81%, with an objective response rate (ORR) of 51.3% (9 complete responses, 12 partial responses). At the time of data collection, 30% of pts were off systemic therapy and 5-FU-based chemotherapy combined with a biologic agent was the most common subsequent treatment in 32% who had PD. Univariate analysis showed no significant differences in PFS or OS based on tumor sidedness, isolated PM, liver metastases, mucinous vs. non mucinous histology or BRAF / RAS status (WT vs mutant). Malignant ascites was associated with worse OS(HR 0.3; p= 0.03). Conclusions: Treatment with ICIs in pts with MSI-H/dMMR and/or TMB-H CRC and PM improved disease control in CRC pts with PM, however, as compared to historical controls for patients with MSI-H/d-MMR disease treated with ICI, this group showed less favorable outcomes. Malignant ascites was associated with poorer overall survival. Further research of the immune response and tumor microenvironment in the peritoneal cavity is warranted.