Citations

AbstractThe clinical significance of the tumor‐immune interaction in breast cancer is now established, and tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have emerged as predictive and prognostic biomarkers for patients with triple‐negative (estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2‐negative) breast cancer and HER2‐positive breast cancer. How computational assessments of TILs might complement manual TIL assessment in trial and daily practices is currently debated. Recent efforts to use machine learning (ML) to automatically evaluate TILs have shown promising results. We review state‐of‐the‐art approaches and identify pitfalls and challenges of automated TIL evaluation by studying the root cause of ML discordances in comparison to manual TIL quantification. We categorize our findings into four main topics: (1) technical slide issues, (2) ML and image analysis aspects, (3) data challenges, and (4) validation issues. The main reason for discordant assessments is the inclusion of false‐positive areas or cells identified by performance on certain tissue patterns or design choices in the computational implementation. To aid the adoption of ML for TIL assessment, we provide an in‐depth discussion of ML and image analysis, including validation issues that need to be considered before reliable computational reporting of TILs can be incorporated into the trial and routine clinical management of patients with triple‐negative breast cancer. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Abstract INTRODUCTION Lung cancer is the most common tumor to metastasize to the brain, as 40% of patients develop brain metastasis (BM). Once diagnosed, survival is only 6.5-10 months. A potential target to prevent BM is circulating tumor cells (CTCs). The mechanisms that mediate a CTCs adaptation to the harsh environment of circulation and BM have not been elucidated. We have demonstrated that primary lung cancer cells (LCCs) subjected to circulation have increased migration across brain endothelial cell monolayers, increased side population, and decrease survival in rodents when injected intracardially vs plated controls. METHODS We engineered a microfluidic device capable of subjecting tumor cells to prolonged circulatory shear stress (CSS) that allows the isolation/modeling of CTC-like cells. Primary LCCs (A549, H1563) were subjected to circulation, suspension, or plated (2D) for 72h as controls. At this time point, LCCs were collected, and total mRNA was extracted. Samples were submitted for RNA sequencing. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WCGNA) and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis were performed. (FC >2 and p-value <0.05). RESULTS Transcriptomic analysis indicates that cells subjected to CSS activate specific gene networks involved in cell survival, migration, invasion, adhesion of tumor cells, and cytoskeletal reorganization (z-score: >2, p-value: 0.05). Canonical pathways in CTCs included ILK-signaling and Xenobiotic Metabolism. LCCs exposed to CSS had increased expression of multidrug resistance pumps ABCC2, ABCF2 (P:<0.001), and side population on flow cytometry (P: <0.05). The top differentially expressed genes in CTC-like cells (MMP1, ANGPTL4, and CEMIP) were involved in the invasion, angiogenesis, and pre-metastatic niche (PMN) formation of BM. CONCLUSION LCCs that survive CSS have increased expression of genes associated with migration, invasion, and chemoresistance compared to 2D controls. Targeting genes in CTCs that mediate survival and preparation of the PMN may be useful in preventing BM.

SIGNIFICANCE This pilot randomized trial, the first to evaluate a specific base‐in relieving prism treatment strategy for childhood intermittent exotropia, did not support proceeding to a full‐scale clinical trial. Defining and measuring prism adaptation in children with intermittent exotropia are challenging and need further study. PURPOSE This study aimed to determine whether to proceed to a full‐scale trial of relieving base‐in prism spectacles versus refractive correction alone for children with intermittent exotropia. METHODS Children 3 years old to those younger than 13 years with distance intermittent exotropia control score of ≥2 points on the Intermittent Exotropia Office Control Scale (Strabismus 2006;14:147–150; 0 [phoria] to 5 [constant]), ≥1 episode of spontaneous exotropia, and 16 to 35∆ by prism‐and‐alternate‐cover test, who did not fully prism adapt on a 30‐minute in‐office prism‐adaptation test were randomized to base‐in relieving prism (40% of the larger of distance and near exodeviations) or nonprism spectacles for 8 weeks. A priori criteria to conduct a full‐scale trial were defined for the adjusted treatment group difference in mean distance control: “proceed” (≥0.75 points favoring prism), “uncertain” (>0 to <0.75 points favoring prism), or “do not proceed” (≥0 points favoring nonprism). RESULTS Fifty‐seven children (mean age, 6.6 ± 2.2 years; mean baseline distance control, 3.5 points) received prism (n = 28) or nonprism (n = 29) spectacles. At 8 weeks, mean control values were 3.6 and 3.3 points in prism (n = 25) and nonprism (n = 25) groups, respectively, with an adjusted difference of 0.3 points (95% confidence interval, −0.5 to 1.1 points) favoring nonprism (meeting our a priori “do not proceed” criterion). CONCLUSIONS Base‐in prism spectacles, equal to 40% of the larger of the exodeviations at distance or near, worn for 8 weeks by 3‐ to 12‐year‐old children with intermittent exotropia did not yield better distance control than refractive correction alone, with the confidence interval indicating that a favorable effect of 0.75 points or larger is unlikely. There was insufficient evidence to warrant a full‐scale randomized trial.

Importance Lensectomy with primary intraocular lens (IOL) implantation is often used in the management of nontraumatic pediatric cataract, but long-term data evaluating the association of age and IOL location with the incidence of complications are limited. Objective To describe the incidence of complications and additional eye surgeries through 5 years following pediatric lensectomy with primary IOL implantation and association with age at surgery and IOL location. Design, Setting, and Participants This prospective cohort study used Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group cataract registry data from 61 institution- and community-based practices over 3 years (June 2012 to July 2015). Participants were children younger than 13 years without baseline glaucoma who had primary IOL implantation (345 bilateral and 264 unilateral) for nontraumatic cataract. Data analysis was performed between September 2021 and January 2023. Exposures Lensectomy with primary IOL implantation. Main Outcome and Measures Five-year cumulative incidence of complications by age at surgery (&amp;lt;2 years, 2 to &amp;lt;4 years, 4 to &amp;lt;7 years, and 7 to &amp;lt;13 years) and by IOL location (sulcus vs capsular bag) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. Results The cohort included 609 eyes from 491 children (mean [SD] age, 5.6 [3.3] years; 261 [53%] male and 230 [47%] female). Following cataract extraction with primary IOL implantation, a frequent complication was surgery for visual axis opacification (VAO) (cumulative incidence, 32%; 95% CI, 27%-36%). Cumulative incidence was lower with anterior vitrectomy at the time of IOL placement (12%; 95% CI, 8%-16%) vs without (58%; 95% CI, 50%-65%), and the risk of undergoing surgery for VAO was associated with not performing anterior vitrectomy (hazard ratio [HR], 6.19; 95% CI, 3.70-10.34; P &amp;lt; .001). After adjusting for anterior vitrectomy at lens surgery, there were no differences in incidence of surgery for VAO by age at surgery (&amp;lt;2 years, HR, 1.35 [95% CI, 0.63-2.87], 2 to &amp;lt;4 years, HR, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.44-1.68], 4 to &amp;lt;7 years, HR, 1.06 [95% CI, 0.72-1.56]; P = .74) or by capsular bag vs sulcus IOL fixation (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.36-4.17; P = .75). Cumulative incidence of glaucoma plus glaucoma suspect by 5 years was 7% (95% CI, 4%-9%), which did not differ by age after controlling for IOL location and laterality. Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study, a frequent complication following pediatric lensectomy with primary IOL was surgery for VAO, which was associated with primary anterior vitrectomy not being performed but was not associated with age at surgery or IOL location. The risk of glaucoma development across all ages at surgery suggests a need for long-term monitoring.

8032 Background: Patients (pts) with TCE RRMM have few treatment (Tx) options and poor HRQoL. Ide-cel, the first in class CAR T cell Tx for pts with TCE RRMM, improved PFS versus standard (std) regimens in the KarMMa-3 trial. We report the PRO results comparing the Tx arms. PROs provide further understanding of Tx benefit of ide-cel from the pts’ perspective. Methods: KarMMa-3 (NCT03651128) is an open-label phase 3 RCT comparing the efficacy and safety of ide-cel with std regimens in pts with TCE RRMM, who had received 2–4 prior regimens. In addition to clinical endpoints, we evaluated the impact of ide-cel compared with std regimens on the changes in HRQoL, measured by the EORTC QLQ-C30, EORTC QLQ-MY20, and the EQ-5D-5L questionnaires. PROs were collected at baseline (screening), day of infusion and monthly from 2–24 months (mo) and thereafter every 3 mo. This interim analysis reports PROs through 20 mo. Comparisons were performed on least squares mean (LSM) changes from baseline over time between arms using constrained longitudinal data analysis (cLDA). Results: In total, 386 pts were randomized (ide-cel, 254; std regimens, 132). PRO compliance was high over time ( > 80%). At baseline, PROs were similar between arms. LSM changes from baseline to 20 mo showed significant differences ( P < 0.05), with effect sizes of 0.3–0.7, in favor of ide-cel for most domains, including global health status/QoL, cognitive functioning, fatigue, and pain (EORTC QLQ-C30); side effects of Tx (EORTC QLQ-MY20); and the EQ-5D-5L VAS. The difference in overall LSM change reached or exceeded the pre-specified between-groups minimal importance difference (MID) for improvement in most domains in favor of ide-cel (Table). Conclusions: Ide-cel showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in HRQoL, including key MM symptoms and functioning, for pts with TCE RRMM compared with std regimens. The PRO data for ide-cel expands upon the clinical outcomes observed in the KarMMa-3 trial. Clinical trial information: NCT03651128 . [Table: see text]

4007 Background: Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis, and current treatment options for advanced BTC are limited, with second-line therapy, FOLFOX and S-1 offering an objective response rate (ORR) of 5.0% and 7.5%, respectively. Up to 20% of BTCs overexpress human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Tucatinib (TUC) is a highly selective HER2-directed TKI approved for HER2-positive (HER2+) metastatic breast and colorectal cancer. Discussed here are the efficacy and safety results of TUC combined with Trastuzumab (Tras) in pts with previously treated HER2+ metastatic BTC. Methods: SGNTUC-019 (NCT04579380) is an open-label phase 2 basket study evaluating efficacy, safety, and tolerability of TUC and Tras in pts with HER2-altered solid tumors. Pts in the BTC cohort had been previously treated with and progressed after ≥1 line of systemic therapy for metastatic disease. Eligible pts had locally determined HER2+ (defined as HER2 overexpression determined by immunohistochemistry [IHC] 3+ or HER2 amplification determined by in situ hybridization assay or next-generation sequencing) metastatic BTC. Pts were treated on a 21-day cycle with TUC (300 mg orally twice a day) and Tras (8 mg/kg IV followed by 6 mg/kg every 3 wks). Disease status was determined based on RECIST v1.1 with assessments performed every 6 wks for 24 wks and every 12 wks thereafter. The primary endpoint is confirmed objective response rate (cORR) per investigator assessment. Secondary endpoints include overall survival (OS), disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and safety. Results: Thirty pts were enrolled in the BTC cohort as of data cutoff date of 30 Nov 2022. The median duration of follow-up was 8.3 months. cORR was 46.7% (90% CI, 30.8, 63.0), with 14 responses including 1 complete and 13 partial responses. Median DOR was 6.0 months (90% CI, 5.5, not estimable). DCR was 76.7% (n=23; 90% CI, 60.6, 88.5), and median PFS was 5.5 months (90% CI, 3.9, 8.1). At data cutoff, 13 (43.3%) patients had died, and the 12-months OS rate was 53.8% (90% CI, 35.2, 69.1%). Overall, the most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) reported were pyrexia (43.3%) and diarrhea (40.0%). Grade ≥3 TEAEs were reported in 18 (60.0%) of 30 pts; however, only 6 (20.0%) and 2 (6.7%) of these pts had Grade ≥3 TEAEs related to TUC and Tras, respectively. Two (6.7%) pts discontinued TUC due to TEAEs, cholangitis and liver disorder. No deaths were due to TEAEs. Conclusions: The combination of TUC and Tras was well tolerated in pts with previously treated HER2+ metastatic BTC. The observed antitumor activity supports the combination of TUC and Tras as a future chemotherapy-free treatment option for this population with historically poor outcomes. Clinical trial information: NCT04579380 .