Citations 357

Clinical activity of systemic VSV-IFNβ-NIS oncolytic virotherapy in patients with relapsed refractory T-cell lymphoma.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 2, 2021 | Volume: 39 | Issue: 15_suppl | Pages: 2500-2500

10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.2500

2500 Background: Oncolytic virotherapy is a novel immunomodulatory therapeutic approach for relapsed refractory hematologic malignancies. The Indiana strain of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus was engineered to encode interferon beta (IFNβ) and sodium iodine symporter (NIS) to produce VSV-IFNβ-NIS. Virally encoded IFNβ serves as an index of viral proliferation and enhances host anti-tumor immunity. NIS was inserted to noninvasively assess viral biodistribution using SPECT/PET imaging. We present the results of the phase 1 clinical trial NCT03017820 of systemic administration of VSV-IFNβ-NIS among patients (pts) with relapsed refractory Multiple Myeloma (MM), T cell Lymphoma (TCL) and Acute myeloid Leukemia (AML). Methods: VSV-IFNβ-NIS was administered at 5x109 TCID50 (50% tissue culture infectious dose) dose level 1 to dose level 4, 1.7x1011 TCID50. The primary objective was to determine the maximum tolerated dose of VSV-IFNβ-NIS as a single agent. Secondary objectives were determination of safety profile and preliminary efficacy of VSV-IFNβ-NIS. Correlative objectives included monitoring viremia and virus shedding. Adverse events (AEs) are reported based on CTCAE V4; cytokine release syndrome (CRS) grading was based on Lee (Blood 2014) criteria. Results: 15 pts received VSV-IFNβ-NIS: MM (7), TCL(7) and AML(1); 3 pts were treated at each dose level (DL) 1 through 3 (respectively 0.05, 0.17, and 0.5 x 1011 TCID50), & 6 pts were treated at dose level 4 (1.7x1011 TCID50). There were no dose limiting toxicities. The most frequent grades 3 & 4 AEs were hematologic: lymphopenia (46.6 & 26.6%), neutropenia (13.3% & 6.7%). CRS grades 1 (6.7%) and 2 (46.6%) were the non-hematologic AEs of note; mostly at DL 4. Only 1 pt required transient pressor support. Responses were seen in pts with T cell lymphoma. At DL2, there was a partial response (PR) lasting 3 months in a pt, post 12 prior lines of therapy. At DL4 there was a 6 month PR in a pt with PTCL and another pt with cutaneous relapse of PTCL who enjoys an ongoing CR, more than 1 year post VSV infusion; both pts received 5 prior lines of therapy. Viremia was detected in all pts at the end of infusion only up to 72 hrs post infusion; no infectious virus was recovered in buccal swabs or urine. Neutralizing anti-VSV antibodies were present by day 29. IFN levels were detectable within 30 mins of infusion, peaking between 4 & 48 hrs. TCL pts mounted higher hIFNβ levels within 48 hrs; the pt with CR mounted peak hIFNβ response of 18213.3pg/ml at 48 hrs post infusion, 15-fold higher than any other pt. Conclusions: VSV-IFNβ-NIS can be safely administered by IV infusion among heavily pretreated pts with hematologic malignancies. VSV-IFNβ-NIS as a single agent appears to be most effective at DL4 among patients with TCL, with an ongoing CR in a patient at DL4 more than 1 year post administration. Future trials of combination strategies with immune-modulatory drugs are currently being planned. Clinical trial information: NCT03017820.
Changes in Quality of Life in Indolent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 3 Years after Diagnosis

Blood | April 6, 2021 | Volume: 130 | Issue: Suppl_1 | Pages: 917-917

10.1182/blood.v130.suppl_1.917.917

Abstract Background: Most indolent non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) are considered incurable and are characterized by relapse and remission. Quality of life (QOL) can be affected by disease burden, side effects of treatment, and psychosocial effects of living with an incurable cancer. However, little is known about QOL in this population. We sought to describe QOL at diagnosis, change in QOL over time, and determinants of QOL in patients with indolent NHL. Methods: Newly diagnosed lymphoma patients were prospectively enrolled within 9 months of diagnosis in the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic SPORE Molecular Epidemiology Resource. Eligibility criteria included age ≥18 years; exclusion criteria included HIV-positive, non-US residency, and inability to complete surveys in English. All pathology was reviewed by a hematopathologist. Patients with indolent B-cell NHL were included in this analysis. QOL was measured at baseline (BL) and 3 year follow-up (FU3) with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General scale (FACT-G), which measures 4 QOL domains: physical, social/family, emotional, and functional well-being (WB), and a single item Linear Analogue Self-Assessment (LASA) for measuring overall QOL. Patients who did not complete ≥80% of FACT-G questions were excluded. Clinical data were abstracted according to a standard protocol and patients were systematically followed for events (progression, re-treatment, and death). CLL patients were excluded for event analysis due to differing definitions of outcome (progression/retreatment vs. time to first treatment). Treatment was defined as any systemic therapy (including chemotherapy, targeted agents, or antibody therapy) or radiation. QOL scores were transformed to a 0-100 scale with 100 representing the best WB or QOL for analysis. Change in QOL was assessed using the raw difference in QOL scores (i.e., FU3-BL) on the 0-100 scale with positive change scores representing improvements; minimally important difference was defined as 7 points on the transformed FACT-G subscales per previously established cutoffs (Yost and Eton, Eval & Health Prof. 2005 Jun;28:172-91). Changes in QOL from BL to FU3 were assessed using one-sample t-test of change scores vs zero. Results: 1050 patients with indolent NHL enrolled between 9/02-12/2012 and with both pre-treatment and 3 year QOL were included. QOL was collected after initiation of therapy in 215 patients (20%) and prior to therapy in 835 (80%). Subtype was 41% CLL/SLL, 32% grade 1-2 FL, 14% extranodal marginal zone, and 13% other (lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma and other). Median age was 62 years and 55% were male. At the FU3 assessment, 577 patients (55%) had received treatment, 42 (4%) transformed, and 53 (25%) had an event. Emotional WB significantly improved from BL to FU3 (mean +5.9, SD 13.3, p<0.001) while social/family WB significantly decreased (mean -4.8, SD 20.5, p<0.001). Functional WB, physical WB, overall FACT-G, and overall QOL LASA were not significantly different at FU3. These findings were similar in those who were treated vs. those who were observed. We also assessed the results stratified by non-CLL patients who had progression or retreatment between BL and FU3. In patients with an event in the first 3 years, emotional WB had a significant improvement from BL to FU3 (mean +3.6, SD 13.6, p=0.002) and overall QOL LASA decreased (mean -4.0, SD 20.0, p=0.01). In patients without an event, improvements were reported in functional WB (mean +2.1, SD 18.2, p=0.01), physical WB (mean +2.5, SD 13.9, p=0.001), emotional WB (mean +7.0, SD 15.0, p<0.001), and overall QOL LASA (mean +1.1, SD 11.4, p=0.03), while social/family WB decreased (mean -6.2, SD 20.3, p<0.001). Sensitivity analysis showed that results were consistent in the subset of patients who had BL QOL collected prior to initiating therapy. While many changes were statistically significant, they were small in magnitude; only the improvement in emotional WB in the entire cohort approached clinical significance and met that criterion in those without an event. Conclusions: In this large sample of patients with indolent lymphoma, QOL generally remained stable from diagnosis to FU3 while emotional WB showed improvement, suggesting psychosocial adaptation by the patient. Mean score changes in functional WB, physical WB, emotional WB, social/family WB, and overall QOL were more pronounced in patients without an event in the first 3 years since diagnosis. Disclosures Shanafelt: Hospira: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; GlaxoSmithKline: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Jannsen: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding.
Abstract PD2-03: Treatment exposure and discontinuation in the PALLAS trial: PALbociclib CoLlaborative Adjuvant Study of palbociclib with adjuvant endocrine therapy for HR+/HER2- early breast cancer

Cancer Research | February 15, 2021 | Volume: 81 | Issue: 4_Supplement | Pages: PD2-03-PD2-03

10.1158/1538-7445.sabcs20-pd2-03

Abstract Background:Adherence to and tolerability of oral agents for the treatment of hormone receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer in the adjuvant setting may be challenging and can limit drug exposure. Palbociclib (P) is an oral CDK4/6 inhibitor; P in combination with endocrine therapy (ET) has demonstrated efficacy in HR+/HER-2 negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The global PALLAS study (NCT02513394) was designed to determine if the addition of P to adjuvant ET improves outcomes over ET alone in early breast cancer. The goal of this analysis is to describe P exposure and discontinuation in PALLAS, and explore any impact on study endpoints. Methods:Pts with stage II-III HR+/HER2- disease were randomized to receive 2 years of P (starting dose 125 mg daily, 3 weeks on, 1 week off) in combination with adjuvant ET (Arm A) or ET alone (Arm B). The primary objective was to compare invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) between arms; secondary endpoints included safety, quality of life, adherence, and translational science. Dose adjustments were defined per protocol in the setting of emergent toxicity. Continuous monitoring of toxicity, dose modifications, and early discontinuations was performed throughout the trial. Statistical analysis included tabulation of dose levels/reductions and reasons for treatment discontinuation, as well as landmark analysis comparing iDFS between those receiving > 12 months (mo) vs < 12 mo of P. Ongoing analyses include exploration of relative dose intensity and modeling of P dose intensity/duration and impact on iDFS. Results:A total of 5760 pts were randomized; 83% had received prior chemotherapy; 68% initiated aromatase inhibitor and 33% tamoxifen, with or without ovarian suppression. Grade 3/4 neutropenia was more common in Arm A vs B (62% vs 0.4%); febrile neutropenia was uncommon (1%). Other all-grade adverse events (AEs) more common in Arm A included other hematologic toxicity, fatigue, upper respiratory infection, nausea, diarrhea, and alopecia. A total of 55% of pts required P dose reduction to 100mg, and 34% to 75 mg, at some point during treatment. At a median follow-up of 23.7 mo at the second interim analysis, no significant difference in iDFS was observed between the arms (3-year iDFS of 87.9% vs 88.4%, HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.76, 1.15); consequently, pts in Arm A stopped P, and all pts moved to long-term follow-up. At time of data cut-off, 32% had completed the planned 2 years of P, 26% were still receiving P, and 42% had discontinued P prematurely. P discontinuation was 18% at 6 mo, 30% at 12 mo, 38% at 18 mo, and 45% projected at 24 mo. A total of 27% of Arm A pts (770 of 2840) discontinued therapy due to AEs, primarily neutropenia (460, 16%) and fatigue (71, 3%). Other reasons for P discontinuation included non-compliance (128, 5%), recurrent disease or second malignancy (104, 4%), or withdrawal of consent (100, 3%). Last observed dose level was 125mg, 100mg, and 75mg for 45%, 22%, and 33% pts, respectively. Among those discontinuing due to AEs, dose level at time of discontinuation was 75mg for 62%, suggesting some discontinuations occurred without maximum dose reduction. Pts who received > 12 mo of P had a 2-year iDFS of 96.6%; those receiving <12 mo had 2-year iDFS of 95.7% (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.55-1.34). Conclusions:An early analysis of PALLAS has demonstrated that 2 years of adjuvant P in combination with adjuvant ET did not improve iDFS when compared with ET alone in pts with HR+/HER2- breast cancer. While 2 years of adjuvant P was feasible for the majority of pts, 42% discontinued P early, primarily for AEs. Further data examining drug discontinuations and relationships between drug exposure and clinical outcomes will be presented, expanding upon initial point estimates suggestive of a possible explanation of trial results. Citation Format: Erica L. Mayer, Christian Fesl, Amylou Dueck, Michael Gnant, Angela DeMichele, on behalf of the PALLAS study team. Treatment exposure and discontinuation in the PALLAS trial: PALbociclib CoLlaborative Adjuvant Study of palbociclib with adjuvant endocrine therapy for HR+/HER2- early breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PD2-03.
Body Mass Index and Weight Change in Patients With HER2-Positive Early Breast Cancer: Exploratory Analysis of the ALTTO BIG 2-06 Trial

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network | February 9, 2021 | Volume: 19 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 181-189

10.6004/jnccn.2020.7606 | PMID 33401235

Background: The association between obesity and prognosis in HER2-positive early breast cancer remains unclear, with limited data available. This study aimed to determine the impact of body mass index (BMI) at baseline and weight change after 2 years on outcomes of patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer. Methods: ALTTO was a randomized phase III trial in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer. BMI was collected at randomization and 2 years after. WHO BMI categories were used: underweight, <18.5 kg/m2; normal weight, 18.5 to <25 kg/m2; overweight, ≥25 to <30 kg/m2; and obese ≥30 kg/m2. A weight change from baseline of ≥5.0% and ≤5.0% was categorized as weight gain and weight loss. The impact of BMI at randomization and of weight change on disease-free survival (DFS), distant disease-free survival (DDFS), and overall survival (OS) were investigated with multivariate analyses, adjusting for baseline patients and tumor characteristics. Results: A total of 8,381 patients were included: 187 (2.2%), 3,797 (45.3%), 2,690 (32.1%), and 1,707 (20.4%) were underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese at baseline, respectively. Compared with normal weight, being obese at randomization was associated with a significantly worse DDFS (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.25; 95% CI, 1.04–1.50) and OS (aHR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.01–1.60), but no significant difference in DFS (aHR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.97–1.32). Weight loss ≥5.0% at 2 years after randomization was associated with significantly poorer DFS (aHR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.05–1.71), DDFS (aHR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.07–1.98), and OS (aHR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.18–2.84). Hormone receptor and menopausal status but not anti-HER2 treatment type influenced outcomes. Toxicities were more frequent in obese patients. Conclusions: In patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer, obesity at baseline is a poor prognostic factor. Weight loss during treatment and follow-up negatively impacts clinical outcomes. Dietary counseling should be part of survivorship care programs.
Impact of COVID19 Pandemic on an International MPN Patient Population: Survey Results from 1560 MPN Patients

Blood | February 8, 2021 | Volume: 136 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 1-3

10.1182/blood-2020-138953

Background: The COVID pandemic has resulted in significant changes many aspects of daily living. To understand the impact that COVID-19 has had on the myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) patient population, we conducted an internet based survey. Methods: Survey: This survey was hosted Mayo Clinic's secured REDCap system for online surveys with a link to the survey alongside a brief description posted via the www.mpnqol.com website, as well as other MPN organizational partners. Survey responses were completely anonymous. Questions included MPN-Total symptom score (TSS), NCCN distress thermometer (NCCN-DT), questions regarding impact on medical care, and questions from CDC COVID-19 community survey question bank regarding the impact of social distancing as well as changes in health behaviors. Distress thermometer, MPN-TSS, and/or questions related to the impact of COVID-19 on MPN treatment were analyzed by: MPN diagnosis, among those with ET, PV, or MF diagnoses; medication status; stay at home order; community spread; and country. Associations were tested using Kruskal-Wallis or Wilcoxon rank sum tests (for continuous variables) or Fisher Exact tests (for categorical variables). Analysis: Results: Patient Demographics (Table 1): 1560 people responded to the survey, 1217 were eligible for analysis. Median age was 62 (range: 21-93), and 298 (24.6%) respondents were male. There were respondents from USA, Australia, Canada, Netherlands, Ireland, and UK. 233 patients (19.2%) have myelofibrosis, 419 (34.6%) polycythemia vera and 543 (44.8%) essential thrombocythemia. At the time of the COVID outbreak, 1026 (84.3%) were on MPN directed medical therapy, including ruxolitinib (15.3%), interferon (14.7%), hydroxyurea (42.7%) and ASA (47.7%). 165 (13.6%) respondents received COVID testing, of which 5 had positive tests. Impact on MPN Care (Table 2): We sought to understand how patient's clinical care changed. Over half respondents who spoke to their MPN doctor had a telemedicine visit after COVID19 (57.1%). 422 (36.5%) patients spaced out visits, of which 99 (22.7%) felt there were consequences. A change in therapy due to COVID-1 occurred in only 5.4% of patients. MPN Symptom Burden and QoL: Data captured on the NCCN-DT had a median of 4 (0-10). MPN-SAF-TSS composite score was collected in 1150 respondents, median score was 26 (0-90). These scores are higher than those previously reported. Pandemic Impact on Lifestyle (Table 1): 595 (49.5%) of patients report living in a community where there is significant COVID-19 spread. 946 (78.9%) reported that COVID-19 has impacted their day to day life. 198 (17.2%) of patients agreed, or strongly agreed that COVID had a significant impact on their finances. 799 (67.8%) had a stay at home order. Of those who quarantined (112), the median duration was 30d (1-120). The majority of people increased hand-washing, and cleaning habits. 954 (81.7%) respondents reported wearing masks in public. 908 (76.8%) reported increased stress from social distancing. The majority of respondents report using healthy coping habits, such as reaching out to friends/loved ones, breathing and relaxation, as well as healthy diet. Less than 15% of patients report unhealthy coping strategies, such as use of opioids, benzodiazepines, alcohol, or cannabis Factors associated with response: There were no differences in responses based on type of MPN. If a patient was on medication, they were more likely to have spoken to their provider (p&lt;0.001). If there was a stay at home order in place, there was a higher MPN-TSS score (p&lt;0.001). If the respondent lived in an area of high community spread, they had a higher NCCN-DT score (p&lt;0.001). Patients in the USA had a higher NCCN-DT score (p=0.001), were more likely to stretch out the duration of time between visits (p&lt;0.001) and less likely to have a telemedicine visit (p&lt;0.001). Although fewer respondents in the USA thought COVID-19 was a serious disease (p=0.02), a higher percentage of respondents wore masks (p &lt;0.001). Conclusions: In our survey of MPN patients, there were many changes noted in clinical care. The use of telemedicine was common, and at least a third had significant changes in their care. Most experienced increased stress, however, employed healthy coping strategies. Only a minority of patients had a COVID test, and only 5 were positive, further data will be needed to understand the impact of COVID infection. Figure 1 Disclosures Harrison: Roche: Honoraria; Incyte Corporation: Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Sierra Oncology: Honoraria; Promedior: Honoraria; Shire: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Speakers Bureau; Gilead Sciences: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; CTI Biopharma Corp: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Pemmaraju:Affymetrix: Other: Grant Support, Research Funding; Plexxikon: Research Funding; Incyte Corporation: Honoraria; Roche Diagnostics: Honoraria; Blueprint Medicines: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; SagerStrong Foundation: Other: Grant Support; DAVA Oncology: Honoraria; Samus Therapeutics: Research Funding; Cellectis: Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria; AbbVie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Stemline Therapeutics: Honoraria, Research Funding; MustangBio: Honoraria; LFB Biotechnologies: Honoraria; Pacylex Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy. Vannucchi:Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Blueprint: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene/BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Gupta:Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol MyersSquibb: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy. Mascarenhas:Celgene, Prelude, Galecto, Promedior, Geron, Constellation, and Incyte: Consultancy; Incyte, Kartos, Roche, Promedior, Merck, Merus, Arog, CTI Biopharma, Janssen, and PharmaEssentia: Other: Research funding (institution). Shimoda:Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd.: Research Funding; Pfizer Inc.: Research Funding; Otsuka Pharmaceutical: Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria; Perseus Proteomics: Research Funding; PharmaEssentia Japan: Research Funding; AbbVie Inc.: Research Funding; Astellas Pharma: Research Funding; Merck & Co.: Research Funding; CHUGAI PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD.: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Shire plc: Honoraria; Asahi Kasei Medical: Research Funding; Japanese Society of Hematology: Research Funding; The Shinnihon Foundation of Advanced Medical Treatment Research: Research Funding. Kiladjian:AOP Orphan: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Komatsu:AbbVie: Other: member of safety assessment committee in M13-834 clinical trial.; Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shire Japan KK, Novartis Pharma KK, PharmaEssentia Japan KK, Fuso Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd., Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Corporation, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutica: Research Funding; Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd.: Patents & Royalties: PCT/JP2020/008434, Research Funding; PPMX: Consultancy, Research Funding; Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., PharmaEssentia Japan KK, AbbVie GK, Celgene KK, Novartis Pharma KK, Shire Japan KK, Japan Tobacco Inc: Consultancy; Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Novartis Pharma KK, Shire Japan KK: Speakers Bureau. Abello:Takeda: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Dr. Reddy's: Consultancy, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Research Funding. Gomez-Almaguer:Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Celgene/BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Scherber:Incyte Corporation: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Mauro:Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel, Accommodation, Expenses, Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel, Accommodation, Expenses, Research Funding; Sun Pharma/SPARC: Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel, Accommodation, Expenses, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel, Accommodation, Expenses, Research Funding. Mesa:Samus Therapeutics: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Genentech: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding; CTI BioPharma: Research Funding; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy; LaJolla Pharmaceutical Company: Consultancy; Promedior: Research Funding.
Financial Toxicity and Impact on Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Plasma Cell Disorders

Blood | February 8, 2021 | Volume: 136 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 20-21

10.1182/blood-2020-140826

BACKGROUND: Advances in novel therapies and supportive care have contributed to improved outcomes for patients with Multiple myeloma (MM) and Light Chain Amyloidosis (AL). This progress comes at a high price; with high financial costs to patients increasing distress, decreasing compliance, and even decreasing survival. Our aim was to screen patients for financial distress and understand its impact on various domains of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). METHODS: We conducted a prospective study of adult patients with MM or AL that received follow-up care at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Financial distress was measured using the validated COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST) questionnaire; high financial distress was defined as a score of 23 or less. HRQOL was measured using the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-29 questionnaire. Baseline demographic information and clinical characteristics were abstracted from the medical record. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Spearman correlations, and comparison of COST scores between groups by Jonckheere-Terpstra, Kruskal-Wallis, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests for ordered, unordered, and binary categorical variables, respectively. RESULTS: Patients: To date 77 patients (MM 64 [83%], AL 13 [17%]) have been enrolled, 55% male, 53% age 65 or older (18% &lt;55), 91% White (5% Black), 92% non-Hispanic, 56% at least some college, 47% income at least US$75K/year (25% &lt;US 50K/year), 36% employed (49% retired), 73% married (14% divorced) and 22% traveled at least 300 miles to clinic. Clinical characteristics included 45% newly diagnosed, 55% relapsed/refractory disease. 66% had been transplanted previously. Insurance types included 52% Medicare (44% private insurance) with 27% overall reporting supplemental insurance. Financial Distress: The mean COST score was 26.5 (SD 10.0) with 42% reporting high financial distress. PROMIS-29 domain descriptive statistics appear in Table 1. Higher financial distress was significantly associated with higher anxiety, depression, and pain (all p&lt;0.05). Group Differences: Financial distress significantly differed by gender, education, marital status, employment status, income, insurance type, and distance traveled reported in Table 2. Financial distress was higher: in women than men (p=0.003); in high school graduates vs those who attended some college or more (p=0.03); in divorced versus married individuals (p=0.02); among unemployed or disabled versus employed versus retired people (p=0.04); in those with income &lt;US$50K/year versus US$50K-&lt;$75K/year versus at least US$75K/year (p&lt;0.001); among those with Medicaid vs private insurance versus Medicare (p=0.02); and for those whose distance from Mayo was at least 300 miles vs &lt; 300 miles (p=0.03). Differences in age neared but failed to reach strict statistical significance (age 35-54: mean 22.4, SD 12.1; age 55-64: mean 26.5, SD 9.5; age 65+: mean 28.0, SD 9.2; p=0.051). Financial distress did not significantly differ by race, ethnicity, diagnosis, disease status (newly diagnosed/relapsed), prior transplant, or supplemental insurance, though some subgroups were small. CONCLUSION: Financial distress was prevalent in this well-educated and high earning MM and AL cohort that is able to receive tertiary care at Mayo Clinic. This financial distress was moderate to strongly associated with anxiety and pain intensity, and mild to moderately associated with depression and pain interference. Longitudinal assessment is ongoing. Disclosures Dispenzieri: Takeda: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Alnylam: Research Funding; Intellia: Research Funding.
Symptom Burden in "Low Risk PV" Frequently Is Problematic and May Justify Earlier Intervention with Cytoreductive Therapy: An MPN-QOL Study Group Study

Blood | February 8, 2021 | Volume: 136 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 47-48

10.1182/blood-2020-134583

Background: Historical treatment guidelines for the myeloproliferative neoplasm, polycythemia vera (PV), have generally not recommended cytoreductive therapy for "low risk" PV (age &lt;60 and no prior thrombo-hemorrhagic events (TH)) on the hypothesis that decreasing the risk of TH events is the only goal of therapy for PV. The MPN-QOL Study Group has previously reported on the presence of PV associated symptoms, sometime severe, in PV including "low risk" PV patients. Recently, data from the ongoing "Low PV" interventional trial of RoPEG Interferon (INF) vs. Phlebotomy alone suggests an advantage in symptom control and event free survival in "low risk" PV patients treated on the RoPEG INF cytoreductive arm (LBA EHA 2020). Given this latter trial might alter the approach to managing "low risk" PV patients we sought to assess the symptom burden (with or without cytoreductive treatments) in that population. Methods: MPN patient data was collected prospectively amongst an international cohort of PV patients including symptom burden, demographics, and disease features collected by IRB approved de-identified survey questionnaires (N=2,017, of which 698 had PV). We analyzed data from a subgroup consistent with "low risk PV" (age &lt;60, no prior thrombo-hemorrhagic events). All participants completed the MPN-specific symptom burden questionnaire (MPN-SAF TSS [MPN-10]) and had no prior history of splenectomy. Surveyed symptoms on the MPN-10 included the patient's perceptions of common MPN-related symptoms and overall quality of life (QOL) on a 0 (absent) to 10 (worst imaginable) scale. Results: A total of 211 "low risk" PV patients were identified, of which 140 (66.4%) had received some form of cytoreductive therapy (hydroxyurea = 54%; pegylated interferon = 44%; and anagrelide = 2%), with those patients not on cytoreductive therapy being statistically significantly younger (M=48.2±8.74 years vs. M=50.6±7.41 years), having a shorter duration of an MPN diagnosis (M=4.6±4.82 years vs. M=6.7±6.00 years), and higher hemoglobin (M=16.9±3.26 vs. M=15.2±2.37), higher hematocrit (M=50.6±9.83 vs. M=45.5±7.10), higher leukocyte (M=10.8±4.25 vs. M=7.5±4.72), and higher platelet counts (M=508.1±317.19 vs. M=327.8±190.52) at the time of MPN symptom assessment (Table 1). The entire cohort was quite symptomatic with 87% (n=184/211) of patients endorsing fatigue, but overall the PV patients on cytoreduction were more symptomatic (mean MPN-10 of 24.7 (cytoreduction) vs 18.5 (no cytoreduction) p=0.01) with significantly higher levels of fatigue (p=0.04), bone pain (p=0.04), fever (p=0.001) and weight loss (p=0.04) in cytoreductive group (Table 2). Conclusions: "Low risk" PV patients are frequently symptomatic, and an unselected series from the MPN-QOL Study Group demonstrates significant symptomatic unmet needs in this population potentially supporting the need and potential benefit of cytoreductive therapy. "Low risk" PV patients (even before the impact of the Low PV Study is realized) also have frequently been receiving cytoreductive therapies, even though they have not been included in treatment guidelines, and typically have higher symptom burden despite lower counts, are older, and have longer duration of MPNs. Drivers of the decision to use cytoreductive therapy was not captured, but it is possible longer duration of disease, higher symptom burden, intolerance of phlebotomy might all be contributing factors. These results show there is both unmet need, and frequent heterogeneity amongst "low risk" PV patients, the final results of the Low PV Study are anticipated with great interest. Disclosures Mesa: Novartis: Consultancy; LaJolla Pharmaceutical Company: Consultancy; Samus Therapeutics: Research Funding; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy; Genentech: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding; CTI BioPharma: Research Funding; Promedior: Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding. Barbui:Italfarmaco: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AOP: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.
Validation of a Modified Version of the Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Symptom Assessment Form Total Symptom Score (MPN-SAF TSS)

Blood | February 6, 2021 | Volume: 136 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 26-26

10.1182/blood-2020-142838

Background Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are faced with severe disease-related fatigue among a range of other constitutional and spleen-related symptoms. The MPN-Symptom Assessment Form (SAF) is recommended for use to characterize symptom burden (Scherber R, et al. Blood 2011). Within the SAF, a profile of 18 symptom items are evaluated ranging in severity from 0 (absent) to 10 (worst imaginable). The SAF is often summarized to the MPN-SAF Total Symptom Score (TSS) for analysis purposes - a single computed sum of the 10 most clinically meaningful symptom scores, including fatigue (Emanuel R, et al. J Clin Oncol 2012). Though the SAF includes a fatigue item, initial deployments of the MPN-SAF TSS incorporated a 0-10 scaled fatigue item taken from the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI; Mendoza T, et al. Cancer 1999). A subsequent version of the MPN-SAF TSS for use within myelofibrosis clinical trials (called the MFSAF v4; Gwaltney C, et al. Leuk Res 2017) employed a harmonized fatigue item. This analysis employing data from two studies was carried out to assess the use of the SAF fatigue item within the MPN-SAF TSS for consistency with the MFSAF v4. Methods Both BFI and SAF fatigue items were included in an initial online survey evaluating disease burden among patients with MPNs. Participants were assigned to survey variants as a function of their age. Survey variants included those to receive 1 instance of either the BFI or SAF fatigue item, instances of both BFI and SAF, or 2 instances of the same fatigue item. Surveying was aimed to assess the worst symptom experience in the patient's last 24 hours. Additionally, an independent survey assessing the impact of COVID-19 among MPN patients was deployed using the SAF fatigue item for the MPN-SAF TSS. This modified version was then used to test internal validity. Pearson correlation (r) and t-tests were used to assess association, Bland-Altman methods were used to evaluate systematic agreement between BFI and SAF fatigue scores, and Cronbach's alpha was used to measure internal consistency. Results There were 229 participants assigned both BFI and SAF fatigue items within the same survey. Among them, 51% (n=117) received the BFI item first and 49% (n=112) the SAF item first. No difference was seen between first and second fatigue scores (mean difference [first-second] = 0.00; 95%CI -0.18, 0.17). BFI and SAF fatigue scores were highly correlated (r=0.88, p&lt;0.001) and showed 88.7% agreement in categorizing severe versus non-severe fatigue (score ≥ 7 versus &lt; 7). Overall concordance in severity category was 73.4% (category [score range]: absent [0]; mild [1-3]; moderate [4-6]; severe [7-10]). Constructing the MPN-SAF TSS using the BFI and SAF fatigue components separately, the original and modified MPN-SAF TSS were nearly identical (r=0.997, p&lt;0.001), and had equivalent internal consistency (both Cronbach's alpha=0.88). The Bland-Altman plot further indicates the 2 fatigue measures have high agreement with no evidence of directional bias and negligible overall bias (Figure 1: regression slope = -0.04, p=0.25; mean difference=0.22; 95%CI 0.05, 0.39). Within the COVID-19 survey (n=1217), the modified version of the MPN-SAF TSS was consistent with known correlates among disease characteristics (Emanuel R, et al. J Clin Oncol 2012). For example, more severe MPN-SAF TSS scores were highly correlated with low quality-of-life (n=1156, r = -0.50, p&lt;0.001), and associated with those reporting spleen enlargement (n=301) versus not (n=617) (p&lt;0.001; mean difference=7.7; 95%CI 5.4, 10.1). Conclusion The BFI and SAF fatigue items are highly consistent in raw score, severity category, and in contribution to the MPN-SAF TSS. There was no order effect seen in which fatigue item was asked first. The independent COVID-19 survey using the modified MPN-SAF TSS was validated and shows high internal consistent. In the ongoing development to capture the symptom experience, this analysis shows disease-related fatigue is equivalently measured using the SAF fatigue survey item in harmonization with the MFSAF v4. Disclosures Mesa: Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; CTI BioPharma: Research Funding; Promedior: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding; Samus Therapeutics: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; LaJolla Pharmaceutical Company: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy.
Benefits of Digital Symptom Monitoring With Patient-Reported Outcomes During Adjuvant Cancer Treatment

Journal of Clinical Oncology | January 28, 2021 | Volume: 39 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 701-703

10.1200/jco.20.03375 | PMID 33507823

Transient expansion of TP53 mutated clones in polycythemia vera patients treated with idasanutlin

Blood Advances | December 3, 2020 | Volume: 4 | Issue: 22 | Pages: 5735-5744

10.1182/bloodadvances.2020002379 | PMID 33216890

AbstractActivation of the P53 pathway through inhibition of MDM2 using nutlins has shown clinical promise in the treatment of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. There is concern, however, that nutlin therapy might stimulate the emergence or expansion of TP53-mutated subclones. We recently published the results of a phase 1 trial of idasanutlin in patients with polycythemia vera (PV) that revealed tolerability and clinical activity. Here, we present data indicating that idasanutlin therapy is associated with expansion of TP53 mutant subclones. End-of-study sequencing of patients found that 5 patients in this trial harbored 12 TP53 mutations; however, only 1 patient had been previously identified as having a TP53 mutation at baseline. To identify the origin of these mutations, further analysis of raw sequencing data of baseline samples was performed and revealed that a subset of these mutations was present at baseline and expanded during treatment with idasanutlin. Follow-up samples were obtained from 4 of 5 patients in this cohort, and we observed that after cessation of idasanutlin, the variant allele frequency (VAF) of 8 of 9 TP53 mutations decreased. Furthermore, disease progression to myelofibrosis or myeloproliferative neoplasm blast phase was not observed in any of these patients after 19- to 32-month observation. These data suggest that idasanutlin treatment may promote transient TP53 mutant clonal expansion. A larger study geared toward high-resolution detection of low VAF mutations is required to explore whether patients acquire de novo TP53 mutations after idasanutlin therapy.