Johnson, Peter

Abstract Despite the effectiveness of immuno-chemotherapy, 40% of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) experience relapse or refractory disease. Longitudinal studies have previously focused on the mutational landscape of relapse but fell short of providing a consistent relapse-specific genetic signature. In our study, we have focused attention on the changes in GEP accompanying DLBCL relapse using archival paired diagnostic/relapse specimens from 38 de novo patients with DLBCL. COO remained stable from diagnosis to relapse in 80% of patients, with only a single patient showing COO switching from activated B-cell–like (ABC) to germinal center B-cell–like (GCB). Analysis of the transcriptomic changes that occur following relapse suggest ABC and GCB relapses are mediated via different mechanisms. We developed a 30-gene discriminator for ABC–DLBCLs derived from relapse-associated genes that defined clinically distinct high- and low-risk subgroups in ABC–DLBCLs at diagnosis in datasets comprising both population-based and clinical trial cohorts. This signature also identified a population of <60-year–old patients with superior PFS and OS treated with ibrutinib–R-CHOP as part of the PHOENIX trial. Altogether this new signature adds to the existing toolkit of putative genetic predictors now available in DLBCL that can be readily assessed as part of prospective clinical trials.

Background: While HL is a highly curable cancer, patients (pts) with advanced stage disease experience increased risk of relapse. Delineation of prognosis is desired to compare cohorts and outcomes between trials, and to define groups of pts for whom reduction in treatment may be appropriate or where novel therapeutic approaches are needed. The International Prognostic Score (IPS), which was derived from a discovery set of 1,618 HL pts with complete data, was a seminal publication in the field (Hasenclever and Diehl NEJM 1998). However, these data were published >20 years ago with a significant minority of pts having received chemotherapy regimens no longer in clinical use. More contemporary analyses have shown altered utility of the IPS (e.g., Moccia JCO 2012; Diefenbach BJH 2015). In addition, prior studies identified bulk disease as an adverse prognostic factor in advanced stage HL (Laskar JCO 2004; Johnson JCO 2010). Our objective was to leverage individual pt data (IPD) from HoLISTIC (www.hodgkinconsortium.com) to discover a new, robust, and modern prognostication index for advanced-stage HL pts applicable to diverse settings across the world. Methods: We created a data repository of IPD from clinical trials for newly diagnosed HL pts, which includes 4,085 advanced-stage (III or IV) pts treated in 8 large, prospective studies completed in the modern era (ie, IIL HD9601: Gobbi JCO 2005; Italian HD2000: Federico JCO 2009; ECOG 2496: Gordon JCO 2013; SWOG 0816: Press JCO 2016; IIL HD0801: Zinzani JCO 2016; RATHL: Johnson NEJM 2016; GITIL HD0607: Gallamini JCO 2017; and COG AHOD 0831: Kelly BJH 2019) as well as prominent cancer registries (eg, the Mayo/Iowa Molecular Epidemiologic Resource (MER)). The discovery analysis herein included pts from the ECOG 2496, HD0801 IIL, GITIL HD0607, and SWOG 0816 studies. Furthermore, it was restricted to pts (n=1,279) on these trials with complete data for all 9 covariates of interest: age; sex; advanced stage (III vs IV); B symptoms; any bulk; and values of hemoglobin, white blood count (WBC), lymphocyte count, and albumin. Using Cox proportional hazard (PH) models, we evaluated univariate associations between 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) with the aforementioned prognostic variables. Age was categorized based on plots and optimum model fit (c statistic). Lab values were dichotomized using cut-points from the 1998 IPS. Per convention, treatment factors were not included in the model. To identify independent prognostic factors of PFS and OS, a parsimonious Cox PH model was fit using backward selection of all potential risk factors (P<0.05). Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were reported. Kaplan Meier (KM) plots were also reported for risk factors in the multivariable (MVA) models to visualize differences. Results: Among all pts, characteristics included: median age of 32.9 years (IQR 25.4-44, range 15-83); 55% male; 49% stage IV; 63% B symptoms; 26% bulk >10 cm; 20% hemoglobin <10.5 g/dL; 15% WBC count ≥15,000/mm3; 9% lymphocyte count <600/mm3; and 63% with albumin <4g/dL. For analysis of age, we observed a U-shaped relationship with PFS (Fig A), which helped delineate optimal cut points of 15-24 years (23.1%), 25-49 years (61.4%), and ≥50 years (15.6%). In univariate analysis: age, stage, B symptoms, bulk, anemia, low lymphocyte count, and low albumin were associated with worse survival. In the MVA model, age >50 years, stage IV disease, B symptoms, and bulky disease were associated with worse PFS; and age >50 years, stage IV disease, bulky disease, anemia, and low albumin were associated with worse OS (Fig B). KM plots for age, stage, and bulk are presented in Fig C. Conclusions. In this international, multi-study analysis of advanced stage HL in the modern era, we identified several factors that were associated with both worse PFS and OS on MVA (ie, age, stage IV disease, and bulky disease). The finding of bulky disease as a significant prognostic factor warrants further investigation. In addition, we detected an age-related U-shaped impact on PFS with inferior outcomes for pts ages 15-25 years and ≥50 years, the latter in an increasing linear fashion. Altogether, these data will serve as a training cohort for a modern HL prognostication index that will be augmented and analyzed with a large independent validation cohort (vis-à-vis the remaining HL data in the HoLISTIC consortium), which will be presented at the ASH meeting. Disclosures Parsons: Seattle Genetics: Consultancy. Advani:Astra Zeneca, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Cell Medica, Celgene, Genentech/Roche, Gilead, KitePharma, Kyowa, Portola Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi, Seattle Genetics, Takeda: Consultancy; Celgene, Forty Seven, Inc., Genentech/Roche, Janssen Pharmaceutical, Kura, Merck, Millenium, Pharmacyclics, Regeneron, Seattle Genetics: Research Funding. Federico:Spectrum: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sandoz: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Mundipharma s.r.l.: Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Millennium/Takeda: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Cephalon/Teva: Research Funding. Friedberg:Acerta Pharma - A member of the AstraZeneca Group, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals.: Other; Bayer: Consultancy; Kite Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Portola Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Roche: Other: Travel expenses; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Astellas: Consultancy. Hutchings:Genmab: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy; Genmab: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; Roche: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Daiichi: Research Funding; Sankyo: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Sanofi: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Roche: Honoraria; Genmab: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria. Johnson:MorphoSys: Honoraria; Kymera: Honoraria; Kite Pharma: Honoraria; Incyte: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Epizyme: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria; Oncimmune: Consultancy; Boehringer Ingelheim: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Oncimmune: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Genmab: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers: Honoraria; Epizyme: Consultancy, Research Funding. Radford:Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; ADCT: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; GlaxoSmithKline: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Spouse; AstraZeneca: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Spouse; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Zinzani:MSD: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Sanofi: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; EUSA Pharma: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Sandoz: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Immune Design: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Eusapharma: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Verastem: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Kyowa Kirin: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; TG Therapeutics, Inc.: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Kirin Kyowa: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Servier: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Janssen-Cilag: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Celltrion: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; ADC Therapeutics: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Portola: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Immune Design: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Merck: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Cerhan:NanoString: Research Funding; BMS/Celgene: Research Funding. Evens:Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Honoraria; Research To Practice: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Epizyme: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Merck: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Mylteni: Consultancy, Honoraria.

Abstract Nivolumab, an anti–programmed death-1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody, showed promising activity in relapsed or refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma (FL) in a phase 1 study. We conducted a phase 2 trial to further evaluate its efficacy and safety in patients with R/R FL and to explore biomarkers of response. Patients with R/R FL and at least 2 prior lines of therapy, each containing a CD20 antibody or an alkylating agent, were treated with nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks. The primary end point was objective response rate (ORR) assessed by an independent radiologic review committee. Biomarker analyses included gene expression profiling and multiplex immunofluorescence studies of pretreatment tumor samples. A total of 92 patients were treated. After a minimum follow-up of 12 months, ORR was 4% (4 of 92 patients). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9-3.6 months). Median duration of response was 11 months (95% CI, 8-14 months). Exploratory analyses suggested that responders had significantly higher proportion of CD3+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment than nonresponders, but no significant differences in PD-1 or programmed death-ligand 1 expression were observed. High expression of a set of tumor-associated macrophage genes was associated with reduced PFS (hazard ratio, 3.28; 95% CI, 1.76-6.11; P = .001). The safety profile was consistent with previous reports of nivolumab. In conclusion, nivolumab monotherapy was associated with very limited activity in patients with R/R FL. Better understanding of the immune biology of this disease may facilitate the development of effective checkpoint-based strategies. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02038946.

Background: Although diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) can be cured using immuno-chemotherapy, 40% of patients experience relapse or refractory disease. Large-scale profiling studies have mainly focused on DLBCL at diagnosis, resolving different outcome groups based on gene expression (e.g. cell-of-origin (COO) or molecular high grade), MYC/BCL2 translocations (double-hit lymphoma) or gene mutations and copy number aberrations (Schmitz et al, NEJM 2018; Chapuy et al, NatureMedicine 2018). In comparison, longitudinal studies have been hindered by the limited availability of sequential biopsy samples. To date, the relapse-specific gene mutations identified are limited and inconsistent across studies. In our study, we have focussed attention on the changes in gene expression profile (GEP) accompanying DLBCL relapse. Methods: We retrospectively collected archival paired diagnostic/relapse formalin fixed paraffin embedded tumor biopsies from 38 de novo DLBCL patients collected from multiple UK sites treated with rituximab-based immuno-chemotherapy, where partial or complete remission was reported following treatment. COO classification was performed by the Lymph2Cx assay on NanoString to distinguish activated B-cell-like (ABC) and germinal center B-cell-like (GCB) subtypes. The Ion AmpliSeq™ Transcriptome Human Gene Expression Kit was used to measure the expression levels of > 20,000 genes on the paired samples. Results: COO remained stable from diagnosis to relapse in 17 ABC-ABC pairs, 11 GCB-GCB pairs and 4 unclassified (UNC)-UNC pairs. Frank COO switching was observed in 6 cases (1 ABC-GCB, 2 ABC-UNC, 2 GCB-UNC, 1 UNC-ABC). Pairs with stable COO were taken forward for further analysis. Gene expression analysis using the limma R package identified 163 and 136 genes as differentially expressed (DE) (p <= 0.01 and absolute log2FC > 1) between the diagnostic and relapse biopsies in ABC and GCB tumors respectively, with only a one gene overlap. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis further suggested that ABC and GCB relapses are mediated via different mechanisms, with tumor growth and proliferation signatures enriched in ABC relapses, whilst adaptive immunity-related signatures accompanied GCB relapses. Next, we aimed to utilise our relapse-specific genes to identify outcome predictors at diagnosis using publicly available GEP datasets. In order to increase our discovery power and accuracy, a larger set of DE genes from the paired differential analysis (796 genes in ABC pairs and 387 from GCB pairs) were selected (p <= 0.05) and subsequently used in a training cohort (GEP from Reddy et al, Cell 2017). The Prediction Analysis for Microarrays R (PAMR) algorithm identified a 30-gene signature within DE genes from ABC pairs (Fig1.A), capable of separating the 249 ABC cases into 136 low and 113 high-risk cases with significantly inferior overall survival (Hazard Ratio (HR)=1.89, log-rank p=0.0017, measure of goodness-of-fit C-index=0.71; Fig1.B). No equivalent signature was found in the GCB cases using this approach. The prognostic significance of this 30-gene discriminator was successfully validated using a linear predictor in two independent GEP datasets: 1) a population-based cohort (Lenz et al, NEJM 2008) with 93 R-CHOP-treated ABC cases identifying 47 low and 46 high-risk cases (HR=1.92, p=0.046, C-index=0.77; Fig1.C) and 2) a clinical trial dataset (REMoDL-B, Davies et al, Lancet Oncol 2019) with 255 ABC cases identifying 110 low and 145 high-risk ABC cases (HR=1.95, p=0.0051, C-index=0.70; Fig1.D). Conclusions: Here we describe a 30-gene discriminator in ABC-DLBCL, derived from genes differentially expressed between diagnosis and relapse, that allowed the definition of clinically distinct high and low risk subgroups in ABC-DLBCLs at diagnosis. The clinical translation of such a tool may be useful to guide therapy for this unfavourable subgroup of ABC-DLBCLs. Validation of this signature is currently underway in additional datasets and further study is required to understand the contribution of these genes in DLBCL pathology. Disclosures Korfi: Roche: Consultancy. Burton:Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Rule:TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Napp: Consultancy; Kite: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sunesis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Astra-Zeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria. Crosbie:Janssen: Honoraria. Scott:Celgene: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; NanoString: Patents & Royalties: Named inventor on a patent licensed to NanoSting [Institution], Research Funding; Roche/Genentech: Research Funding. Rimsza:NanoSting: Patents & Royalties: Named inventor on a patent licensed to NanoSting [Institution]. Davies:Roche: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Gilead: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria, Research Funding; Karyopharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; GSK: Research Funding; Acerta Pharma: Honoraria, Research Funding; ADCT Therapeutics: Honoraria, Research Funding; BioInvent: Research Funding; Kite Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; MorphoSys AG: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Gribben:Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Acerta/Astra Zeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Okosun:Gilead Sciences: Honoraria, Research Funding. Johnson:Epizyme: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria; Kite: Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria; Boehringer Ingelheim: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria; Genmab: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Incyte: Honoraria. Fitzgibbon:Epizyme: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Gilead: Speakers Bureau.

Purpose Treatment options are limited for patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Tumor cells can exploit the programmed death-1 checkpoint pathway to evade immune surveillance. In the current study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of programmed death-1 blockade by nivolumab in patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL. Methods In this phase II, open-label study, patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL who were ineligible for autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto-HCT) or who had experienced failure with auto-HCT received nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks. We assessed the efficacy and safety of nivolumab as well as genetic alterations of 9p24.1. Results Among 121 treated patients, patients in the auto-HCT–failed cohort (n = 87) received a median of four nivolumab doses and a median of three doses were administered to those in the auto-HCT–ineligible cohort (n = 34). At a median follow-up of 9 months in the auto-HCT–failed cohort and 6 months in the auto-HCT–ineligible cohort, independently assessed objective response rates were 10% and 3%, and median durations of response were 11 and 8 months, respectively. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 1.9 and 12.2 months in the auto-HCT–failed cohort and 1.4 and 5.8 months in the auto-HCT–ineligible cohort respectively. All three patients with complete remission—3% of the auto-HCT–failed cohort—had durable response (11 or more, 14 or more, and 17 months). Treatment-related grade 3 and 4 adverse events were reported in 24% of patients. The most common were neutropenia (4%), thrombocytopenia (3%), and increased lipase (3%). Of all evaluable samples for 9p24.1 analysis, 16% exhibited low-level copy gain and 3% had amplification. Conclusion Nivolumab monotherapy is associated with a favorable safety profile but a low overall response rate among patients with DLBCL who are ineligible for auto-HCT or who experienced failure with auto-HCT. Genetic alterations of 9p24.1 are infrequent in DLBCL.

Abstract Background. The salivary gland is one of the most common sites involved by nongastric, extranodal marginal zone lymphomas of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). A large series of patients with long-term follow-up has not been documented. This multicenter, international study sought to characterize the clinical characteristics, treatment, and natural history of salivary gland MALT lymphoma. Methods. Patients with biopsy-confirmed salivary gland MALT lymphoma were identified from multiple international sites. Risk factors, treatment, and long-term outcomes were evaluated. Results. A total of 247 patients were evaluated; 76% presented with limited-stage disease. There was a history of autoimmune disorder in 41%, with Sjögren disease being the most common (83%). Fifty-seven percent of patients were initially treated with local therapy with surgery, radiation, or both; 37 of patients were treated with systemic therapy initially, with 47% of those receiving rituximab; and 6% of patients were observed. The median overall survival (OS) was 18.3 years. The median progression-free survival (PFS) following primary therapy was 9.3 years. There was no difference in the outcomes between patients receiving local or systemic therapy in first-line management. On multivariate analysis, age &lt;60 years and low to intermediate international prognostic index were associated with improved OS and PFS; Sjögren disease was associated with improved OS. Conclusion. Salivary gland MALT lymphoma has an excellent prognosis regardless of initial treatment, and patients with Sjögren disease have improved survival. Risks for long-term complications must be weighed when determining initial therapy. Implications for Practice: Patients with salivary gland extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) have an excellent prognosis, particularly those with associated Sjögren's disease. A wide range of available therapies may provide similar durable rates of disease control and survival. Therefore, an important goal in selection of therapy should be to minimize morbidity from treatment. When determining initial therapy for these patients, practitioners should consider the potential side effects and long-term toxicities of treatment.