Pharmacogenetic study in gastric cancer patients treated with adjuvant fluorouracil/leucovorin or epirubicin/cisplatin/fluorouracil before and after chemoradiation on CALGB 80101 (Alliance)
There is a lack of pharmacogenetic predictors of outcome in gastric cancer patients. The aim of this study was to assess previously identified candidate genes associated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), cisplatin, or epirubicin toxicity or response in a cohort of resected gastric cancer patients treated on CALGB (Alliance) 80101. Gastric or gastroesophageal cancer patients randomized to adjuvant 5-FU/leucovorin or epirubicin/cisplatin/5-FU before and after 5-FU chemoradiation were genotyped for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GSTP1 (rs1695), ERCC1 (rs11615 and rs3212986), XRCC1 (rs25487), UGT2B7 (rs7439366) and the 28 base-pair tandem repeats in TYMS (rs34743033). Logistic regression and log rank tests were used to assess the association between each SNP and incidence of grade 3/4 neutropenia and leukopenia, overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), respectively. Toxicity endpoint analyses were adjusted for the treatment arm, while OS and PFS were also adjusted for performance status, sex, age, lymph node involvement, and primary tumor site and size. Of 281 subjects with successful genotyping results and available clinical (toxicity and efficacy) data, 166 self-reported non-Hispanic White patients were included in the final analysis. There was a lack of evidence of an association among any SNPs tested with grade 3/4 neutropenia and leukopenia or OS and PFS. Age, lymph node involvement, and primary tumor size were significantly associated with OS and PFS. This study failed to confirm results of previous gastric cancer pharmacogenetic studies.
Comparison of Clinical Features and Outcomes Between Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the United States
Background and Aims Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are the most common primary liver cancers (PLCs). Differences in their clinical features and outcomes are open for investigation in a large‐scale study. We aim to investigate the differences in clinical features and outcomes between iCCA and HCC. Approach and Results The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program 18 Database (2000‐2017) was used to extract demographic and clinical features of HCC and iCCA patients. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with iCCA diagnosis versus HCC. Cox regression analysis was used to assess factors affecting overall survival (OS). There were 13,611 iCCA and 96,151 HCC patients. Half of iCCA (50.7%) and three quarters of HCC (76.3%) patients were male. Diagnosis in recent year, age (<50 or ≥65), female sex, non‐Hispanic White race, higher income, rural area, and higher tumor burden were independently associated with iCCA diagnosis versus HCC. Patients with iCCA had worse OS than those with HCC (9 vs. 13 months; P < 0.001). However, OS was comparable between iCCA and HCC in multivariable analysis (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.02; 95% CI = 0.99‐1.05). In subgroup analyses, iCCA was associated with better OS than HCC in patients with tumor ≥5 cm (aHR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.80‐0.86), lymph node involvement (aHR = 0.76; 95% CI = 0.72‐0.81), distant metastasis (aHR = 0.76; 95% CI = 0.73‐0.79), poorly/undifferentiated tumors (aHR = 0.88; 95% CI = 0.83‐0.94), and those receiving noncurative treatment (aHR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.93‐0.98). Conclusions We identified the demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical features associated with iCCA diagnosis over HCC among patients with PLC. Although iCCA patients presented at an advanced stage, OS was similar between iCCA and HCC in multivariable analysis. iCCA was associated with longer OS for subgroups with poor prognostic features.
SGNTGT-001: A phase 1 study of SEA-TGT, an effector-function enhanced monoclonal antibody (mAb), in advanced malignancies (trial in progress).
TPS2657 Background: T-cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT) is an inhibitory immune checkpoint receptor expressed on subsets of T cells and NK cells. SEA-TGT is an effector-function enhanced human mAb that targets TIGIT with pico-molar affinity and blocks TIGIT’s interaction with CD155 and CD112. SEA-TGT was developed to have amplified binding to and engagement of Fcγ receptors. Enhanced effector function increases TIGIT+ T-regulatory cell depletion, enhances innate immune cell activation, and augments naïve and memory CD8+ T-cell responses. Preclinically, SEA-TGT elicits superior anti-tumor immune responses compared to other TIGIT mAbs without effector-enhanced backbones, with curative anti-tumor activity as monotherapy and in combination with other immune-modulators. Methods: This phase 1, open-label, multicenter, dose-escalation/expansion study (NCT04254107) is assessing the safety, tolerability and preliminary activity of SEA-TGT monotherapy in up to 205 adults (≥18 years) with histologically or cytologically confirmed relapsed, refractory, or progressive metastatic solid tumors (non-small cell lung, gastric/GE junction carcinomas, cutaneous melanoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, bladder cancer, ovarian cancer or triple-negative breast cancer) or lymphomas (classical Hodgkin lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, or peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified). SEA-TGT will be infused on Day 1 of 21-day cycles. In Part A, the safety and tolerability of SEA-TGT will be assessed in ̃25 subjects to identify the maximum tolerated dose and recommended phase II dose (RP2D). In Part B, the safety and antitumor activity of the RP2D will be assessed in ̃180 subjects in disease-specific expansion cohorts. Primary endpoints are adverse events, laboratory abnormalities, dose-limiting toxicities, and dose-level safety and activity. Secondary endpoints are objective response (OR) rates, duration of OR, complete response, progression-free survival, overall survival, PK, and antidrug antibodies. Exploratory biomarkers of SEA-TGT-mediated pharmacodynamic (PD) effects, PK-PD correlations, and correlative analyses of predictive and PD measurements with response, toxicity, and resistance will be explored. The study was opened April 2020 and is enrolling across sites in North America and Europe. Clinical trial information: NCT04254107.
Phase I Study of the CD47 Blocker TTI-621 in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Hematologic Malignancies
Abstract Purpose: TTI-621 (SIRPα-IgG1 Fc) is a novel checkpoint inhibitor that activates antitumor activity by blocking the CD47 “don't eat me” signal. This first-in-human phase I study (NCT02663518) evaluated the safety and activity of TTI-621 in relapsed/refractory (R/R) hematologic malignancies. Patients and Methods: Patients with R/R lymphoma received escalating weekly intravenous TTI-621 to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). During expansion, patients with various malignancies received weekly single-agent TTI-621 at the MTD; TTI-621 was combined with rituximab in patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) or with nivolumab in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. The primary endpoint was the incidence/severity of adverse events (AEs). Secondary endpoint included overall response rate (ORR). Results: Overall, 164 patients received TTI-621: 18 in escalation and 146 in expansion (rituximab combination, n = 35 and nivolumab combination, n = 4). On the basis of transient grade 4 thrombocytopenia, the MTD was determined as 0.2 mg/kg; 0.1 mg/kg was evaluated in combination cohorts. AEs included infusion-related reactions, thrombocytopenia, chills, and fatigue. Thrombocytopenia (20%, grade ≥3) was reversible between doses and not associated with bleeding. Transient thrombocytopenia that determined the initial MTD may not have been dose limiting. The ORR for all patients was 13%. The ORR was 29% (2/7) for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and 25% (8/32) for T-cell NHL (T-NHL) with TTI-621 monotherapy and was 21% (5/24) for DLBCL with TTI-621 plus rituximab. Further dose optimization is ongoing. Conclusions: TTI-621 was well-tolerated and demonstrated activity as monotherapy in patients with R/R B-NHL and T-NHL and combined with rituximab in patients with R/R B-NHL.
1136. Trends in Speaker Representation at the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) IDWeek Conference, 2013-2019
Abstract Background Over the last decade, there have been sustained efforts to diversify the healthcare workforce. In 2016, the IDWeek Program Committee was charged to ensure gender equity in speaker sessions. Whether this intervention also resulted in more opportunities for underrepresented speakers has not been determined. Methods This project was supported by IDSA, who provided demographic information on IDWeek speakers (excluding poster sessions) from 2013-2019. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics, and chi-square analysis evaluated changes over time. Each speaker slot was considered an independent event. Data was combined for 2013-2016 (≤2016) and 2017-2019 (>2016). IDSA membership demographics were available from 2014 for gender, race/ethnicity, from 2016 for age, and from 2018 for professional degree. Results A total of 3640 speaker slots were filled by 2504 individuals from 2013-2019. A larger proportion of speaker slots were filled by women >2016 (51%) vs ≤ 2016 (43%), with a linear increase from 38.6% in 2013 to 52.1% in 2019 (p< 0.001). Averaged across 2013-2019, IDSA membership was 67.5% White, 20.6% Asian, 7.7% Latinx, 3.9% Black, and 0.4% Other. IDWeek Speakers during that timeframe were 77.7% White, 13.9% Asian, 4.7% Latinx, 2.7% Black, and 1.0% Other; a larger proportion of slots were filled by Asian speakers >2016 (16.3%) vs ≤ 2016 (12.8%) (p=0.005). The proportion of pharmacist speakers increased over time; 5.1% of speakers in 2019 reflected IDSA pharmacist membership (5.4%). The proportion of individuals invited to speak more than once differed by age (19% in < 40yo, 28% 40-49yo, 32% 50-59yo, and 22% >60yo; p< 0.001), and professional degree (28% physicians, 18% pharmacists, 9% other doctorates, and 7% non-doctorate speakers; p< 0.001). Figure 1: Trends in Gender Distribution of IDWeek Speakers and IDSA Members, 2013-2019 Figure 2: Trends in Race/Ethnicity Distribution of IDWeek Speakers and IDSA Members, 2013-2019 Conclusion Intentional consideration of gender equity by the Program Committee significantly improved equitable gender representation of invited speakers at IDWeek. This effort has not resulted in increased diversity of invited speakers from groups underrepresented in IDSA membership. To ensure that invited speakers represent the membership of IDSA/IDWeek partner organizations and more importantly, the communities we serve, we call for continued application of the principles of Inclusion, Diversity, Access, and Equity at IDWeek. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures
Contemporary Multi-Institutional Cohort of 550 Cases of Phyllodes Tumors (2007-2017) Demonstrates a Need for More Individualized Margin Guidelines
PURPOSE Phyllodes tumors (PTs) are rare breast neoplasms, which have little granular data on margins. Current guidelines recommend ≥ 1 cm margins; however, recent data suggest narrower margins are sufficient, and for benign PT, a negative margin may not be necessary. METHODS We performed an 11-institution contemporary (2007-2017) review of PT practices. Demographics, surgical, and histopathologic data were captured. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association of select covariates with local recurrence (LR). RESULTS Of 550 PT patients, the majority underwent excisional biopsy (55.3%, n = 302/546) or lumpectomy (wide excision) (38.5%, n = 210/546). Median tumor size was 30 mm, 68.9% (n = 379) were benign, 19.6% (n = 108) borderline, and 10.5% (n = 58) malignant. Surgical margins were positive in 42% (n = 231) and negative in 57.3% (n = 311). A second operation was performed in 38.0% (n = 209) of the total cohort, including 51 patients with an initial negative margin (82.4% with < 2 mm), and 157 with an initial positive margin, with residual disease only found in six (2.9%). Notably, 32.0% (n = 74) of those with an initial positive margin did not undergo a second operation, among whom only 2.7% (n = 2) recurred. Recurrence occurred in 3.3% (n = 18) of the total cohort (n = 15 LR, n = 3 distant), at median follow-up of 36.7 months. LR (all PT grades) was not reduced with wider negative margin width (≥ 2 mm v < 2 mm: odds ratio [OR] = 0.39; 95% CI, 0.07 to 2.10; P = .27) or final margin status (positive v negative: OR = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.26 to 3.52; P = .96). CONCLUSION In current practice, many patients are managed outside of current guidelines. For the entire cohort, a wider margin width was not associated with a reduced risk of LR. We do not recommend re-excision of a negative margin for benign PT, regardless of margin width, as a progressively wider surgical margin is unlikely to reduce LR.
NCCN Guidelines Insights: T-Cell Lymphomas, Version 1.2021
Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL) is a rare subtype of T-cell lymphoma associated with an aggressive clinical course and a worse prognosis. HSTCL develops in the setting of chronic immune suppression or immune dysregulation in up to 20% of cases and is most often characterized by spleen, liver, and bone marrow involvement. Diagnosis and management of HSTCL pose significant challenges given the rarity of the disease along with the absence of lymphadenopathy and poor outcome with conventional chemotherapy regimens. These Guidelines Insights focus on the diagnosis and treatment of HSTCL as outlined in the NCCN Guidelines for T-Cell Lymphomas.
Internal Medicine Physicians and Social media: Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes
Objective Increasing adoption of social media have revolutionized communications between individuals, groups, and organizations This research study was designed to assess the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of internal medicine physicians’ awareness and engagement with social media (sometimes referred to as #SoMe) within the digital landscape of healthcare delivery. Methods An audience-response survey focused on social media “ Social media in Healthcare: Physician Survey,” was administered during the “A Systematic Approach to Medically Unexplained Symptoms” continuing medical education conference. The Conference took place between August 22, 2019 and August 24, 2019. Data was collected on August 23, 2019. A range of 103 (59.5%) to 112 (64.7%) of the total 173 attendees participated in this cross-sectional audience-response survey, depending on the questions answered. Results Most responders were between the ages of 35 and 65 years (79.6%) and female (60.2%). A majority of responders were aware of social media terminology (88.7%), and many had used it personally (46.7%), but only 12% knew how to use social media to search medical topics, 18% used it to network professionally and most (68.9%) had a distrust of social media when it came to the protection of their privacy or their patients’ privacy. Overall, about 29.6% indicated an interest in future continued medical education focused on social media (and 27.4% were neutral). Conclusions Approximately half of the responders used social media but far less engaged its platforms for professional use likely due to privacy related concerns. Distance from academic institutions, where professional social media use is more common likely, played a role in aversion. Awareness of social media’s role in healthcare has increased among physicians in practice, however their participation and knowledge of opportunities remains limited.
Abstract C074: Presence of crown-like structures in breast adipose tissue and clinical outcomes among African-American and White breast cancer patients
Abstract Background: Crown-like structures in breast adipose tissue (CLS-B), indicative of proinflammatory conditions, are most frequently observed among obese (body mass index, BMI ≥30 kg/m2) women and may contribute to poor prognosis in this group. African-American (AA) women have disproportionately higher rates of obesity than White women, and at least one prior study suggests the prevalence of CLS-B may be higher among AA women. However, most previous studies have examined CLS-B within affected tissues, which may reflect inflammation in the tumor microenvironment, and few have examined the association between CLS-B and clinical outcomes by race. Methods: We examined the presence of CLS-B detected by CD68 immunohistochemistry in normal adjacent breast tissue from a quadrant uninvolved by tumor obtained via mastectomy among 174 African-American women and 168 White women with stage I—III breast cancer diagnosed at Emory University Hospitals (2007—2012). We also investigated associations between CLS-B and other demographic and lifestyle factors at diagnosis (e.g., BMI, smoking status, age at menarche, parity, lactation, menopausal status, hormone replacement therapy use, and family history of breast cancer). Patients were followed for an average of seven years after diagnosis for recurrence and survival. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to compute hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for associations between CLS-B presence and progression-free survival (PFS), controlling for BMI and other potential confounders. Results: Median age at diagnosis for both AA and White women was 54 years, with more than 60% postmenopausal among both groups. AA women were more likely than White women to be obese (52% vs. 24%) and have ER- tumors (30% vs. 12%). Presence of any CLS-B was similar between AA (32%) and White (29%) patients. In multivariable models, we did not find any association between CLS-B and race (HR=1.14, 95% CI: 0.72, 1.82) with the only statistically significant factors being BMI (≥30 vs. 18.5-<25 kg/m2: HR=4.36, 95% CI: 2.17, 8.76) and parity (1+ vs. 0 births: HR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.91). Over follow-up, 46 breast cancer recurrences and 52 deaths (23 from breast cancer) occurred. Overall, the presence of CLS-B was not associated with PFS (multivariable HR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.58, 1.62). When examined by race, there was a difference in the direction of the association between CLS-B and PFS among AA women (HR=1.25, 95% CI: 0.64, 2.46) compared to White women (HR=0.75, 95% CI: 0.33, 1.71), although this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.86). Conclusion: Our results show a strong, positive association between BMI and CLS-B in non-tumor tissue and an inverse association with parity. We did not observe a difference in CLS-B presence by race nor did we find CLS-B to be associated with worse progression-free survival, which is in contrast to previous studies that have examined the presence of CLS-B within specimens in close proximity to the tumor. Citation Format: Aswathy M Cheriyan, Mark E Sherman, Yuan Liu, Keerthi Gogineni, Jiaqi Liu, Jiabei He, Uma Krishnamurti, Ryan Ashiqueali, Jinjing He, Rami Yacoub, Jasmine Miller-Kleinhenz, Lauren E McCullough, Maret L Maliniak. Presence of crown-like structures in breast adipose tissue and clinical outcomes among African-American and White breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr C074.
Infectious Diseases Society of America Guidelines on Infection Prevention for Healthcare Personnel Caring for Patients With Suspected or Known COVID-19 (July 2020)
Abstract Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly transmissible virus that can infect healthcare personnel (HCP) and patients in healthcare settings. Specific care activities, in particular, aerosol-generating procedures, may have a higher risk of transmission. The rapid emergence and global spread of SARS-CoV-2 has created significant challenges in healthcare facilities, particularly with severe shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) used to protect HCP. Evidence-based recommendations for what PPE to use in conventional, contingency, and crisis standards of care are needed. Where evidence is lacking, the development of specific research questions can help direct funders and investigators. Objective Our objective was to develop evidence-based rapid guidelines intended to support HCP in their decisions about infection prevention when caring for patients with suspected or known coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) formed a multidisciplinary guideline panel that included front-line clinicians, infectious diseases specialists, experts in infection control, and guideline methodologists with representation from the disciplines of preventive care, public health, medical microbiology, pediatrics, critical care medicine, and gastroenterology. The process followed a rapid recommendation checklist. The panel prioritized questions and outcomes. Then, a systematic review of the peer-reviewed and gray literature was conducted. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach was used to assess the certainty of evidence and make recommendations. Results The IDSA guideline panel agreed on 8 recommendations and provided narrative summaries of other interventions undergoing evaluations. Conclusions Using a combination of direct and indirect evidence, the panel was able to provide recommendations for 8 specific questions on the use of PPE for HCP who provide care for patients with suspected or known COVID-19. Where evidence was lacking, attempts were made to provide potential avenues for investigation. Significant gaps in the understanding of the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 remain, and PPE recommendations may need to be modified in response to new evidence.