Patnaik, Akash

Abstract Purpose: B7-H3 (CD276) represents a promising therapeutic target tested in high-risk localized and treatment-refractory metastatic prostate cancer. To guide therapeutic development and treatment strategies, we examined prostate tumors and evaluated expression, molecular features, and overall survival (OS), accounting for tissue site, hormone sensitivity status, and race. Experimental Design: A total of 8,157 prostate cancer samples with paired DNA/RNA were analyzed based on annotations by tissue site, self-reported race, and disease state: hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (HSPC), castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), or neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). Expression quartiles were B7-H3–high (>75th percentile) or B7-H3–low (<25th percentile). The OS was evaluated using Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards models. Results: B7-H3 expression was broadly maintained but varied by tumor site, hormone sensitivity status, and race. High expression aligned with AR-associated transcription factors (HOXB13 and FOXA1), AR-associated pathogenic dysregulations (AR-V7, SPOP, FOXA1, and TMPRSS2:ERG fusions), and actionable surface antigens (TROP2 and NECTIN-4). Weak correlations were found for lineage-plastic program regulators (EZH2, SOX2, and ASCL1) and NEPC-associated surface antigens (DLL3 and CEACAM5). High B7-H3 expression in primary tumors and HSPCs portended adverse OS [hazard ratio (HR), 1.342 and 1.30; confidence interval (CI), 1.19–1.512 and 1.15–1.46; q < 0.0001] although it was favorable in metastatic tumors (HR, 0.823; CI, 0.719–0.942; q = 0.0048). No significant differences in OS were observed among CRPCs and NEPCs, although OS varied by race, with the poorest survival in Asian/Pacific Islander patients with metastatic prostate cancer (HR, 3.72; CI, 1.49–9.29; q = 0.012). Conclusions: Maintained B7-H3 expression in various prostate cancer settings supports its viability as a target. The associations with AR-related molecular factors, surface antigens, and investigative targets for cell therapy or antibody–drug conjugates suggest potential dual-targeting strategies. See related article by Sharma et al., p. 3365

Abstract Natural killer (NK) cells represent key effectors of antitumor immunity, yet emerging evidence highlights populations with distinct roles in cancer. Despite such expanded diversity within the NK cell repertoire, we lack an understanding of how this heterogeneity affects immune responses and downstream clinical outcomes. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we systematically profiled NK cells across cancer and uncovered a dichotomous phenotypic and functional landscape of tumor-infiltrating NK cells shaped by opposing intrinsic signaling programs that drive the expression of IFNG or TGFB1. These divergent programs are associated with distinct transcription factor circuits that integrate cues within the tumor microenvironment and skew NK cells toward proinflammatory or suppressive functions. We found that the capacity for NK cells to engage in either functional direction is intrinsically linked to their phenotypic identity. Canonical NK cells recruited from circulation predominantly directed suppressive TGFB1 signals toward effector CD8+ T cells in tumors. Of note, these subsets exhibited higher TGFB1 expression than intratumoral myeloid cells across tumor types. In contrast, a tissue-resident (TR) adaptive subset exhibited exclusively proinflammatory IFNG-driven profiles and was associated with prolonged survival in both primary and metastatic tumor settings. Moreover, these TR adaptive NK cells, but not other subsets, were linked to response to immune checkpoint blockade. Collectively, our study reveals a previously unrecognized regulatory axis in NK cells that shapes NK cell diversity and augments broader antitumor immune responses.

PURPOSE The continuous development of new imaging approaches, molecular phenotyping, genetic subtypes, prognosis assessments, and effective therapies across a range of disease states has created a need to redefine terminology and best practices for clinical trial conduct in patients with advanced prostate cancer. Methods We convened an international expert committee of diverse working groups, the Prostate Cancer Working Group 4 (PCWG4), between 2016 and 2025. Our objective was to formulate updated criteria based on emerging evidence and clinical trial data in a biomarker context to provide guidance for clinical trial design, eligibility, and end point assessments for patients with advanced prostate cancer. RESULTS PCWG4 redefines terminology around the disease state and previous therapies in a patient-centric context and terminology focused on androgen pathway modulation. We consider imaging, with a particular focus on positron emission tomography (PET)–defined disease. New recommendations are provided for disease state terminology, defining eligibility criteria, response and delay/prevent end points, intervals for reassessments including imaging, and patient-reported outcome determination. We provide recommendations in a biomarker-based context of use for the intended indication, reflective of patient benefit for specific interventions. We emphasize the need for development of validated PET imaging and molecular and phenotypic criteria as well as trial designs to appropriately risk stratify patients, predict and assess benefit, and measure post-treatment outcomes reliably in a trial framework. CONCLUSION PCWG4 updates recommendations on patient and tumor characterization, therapy development, and imaging criteria and extends guidance into earlier androgen pathway modulator–naïve/sensitive disease states to reflect an evolving, heterogeneous, and diverse patient population to optimize treatment benefits for all patients.

e14555 Background: Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that engage in direct cytotoxic responses against malignant cells and promote pro-inflammatory tumor microenvironments. While studies have predominantly focused on conventional NK cell subsets, recent findings uncovered adaptive and tissue-resident (TR) subsets with unique functional properties. The influence of distinct NK cell subsets on tumor immunobiology and clinical outcomes remains unknown. Methods: Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) of primary, therapy-naïve tumors from 276 patients across 14 cancer types, as well as 39 patients treated with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), was accessed through publicly available datasets. We employed systematic computational analyses to phenotype and examine intra-tumoral NK cells. Gene signatures for NK cell subsets were applied to bulk RNA-sequencing from 212,105 tumor samples to delineate their associations with clinical outcomes using the Caris CODEai database. Results: Six main subsets of NK cells were identified in solid tumors, including conventional CD56 dim and CD56 bright NK cells, alongside adaptive, TR adaptive, TR CD56 bright , and TR CD56 bright /adaptive subsets. Across cancer, TR adaptive NK cells emerged as the most prognostic subset, with high infiltration conferring significantly longer overall survival (HR[95% CI] = 0.68[0.66-0.69], p < 0.001) than conventional CD56 dim and CD56 bright subsets. This was also observed in cohorts of head and neck, non-small cell lung, and esophageal cancers, particularly those treated with ICB. Notably, elevated TR adaptive NK cell infiltration was more prognostic than high tumor mutational burden in these settings. This was most apparent in ICB-treated head and neck cancers (HR = 0.48[0.41-0.57], p < 0.001 vs HR = 0.90[0.76-1.04], p = 0.16). Additionally, TR adaptive NK cells were strongly correlated to the infiltration of CD8 + T cells and B cells in tumors. Underlying these observations, our scRNA-seq analyses demonstrated that TR adaptive NK cells exhibit the highest immunomodulatory activity of all subsets, expressing high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines ( CCL3 , CXCL13 , and IFNG ) and low levels of immunosuppressive cytokines ( TGFB1 ). Mechanistically, this activity was linked to the upregulation of transcription factors associated with NK cell activation, function, and persistence and downregulation of genes related to stress response and exhaustion. Interestingly, scRNA-seq from paired pre- and post-ICB-treated tumors revealed a unique expansion of cytotoxic GZMB + TR adaptive NK cells after treatment. Conclusions: TR adaptive NK cells represent a novel subset of NK cells that may drive anti-tumor immune responses, particularly in the context of ICB treatment. Features of this unique population may be harnessed to design more effective NK cell-based therapies against solid tumors.

5006 Background: The PRESTO trial (NCT03009981) showed that in patients with biochemically relapsed prostate cancer following radical prostatectomy with a PSA doubling time of ≤ 9 months and without evidence of metastatic disease by conventional imaging, intensified androgen receptor blockade for 52 weeks (androgen deprivation therapy [ADT] plus apalutamide [Apa], or ADT plus Apa and abiraterone acetate [Abi] plus prednisone) prolonged PSA progression-free survival compared to ADT alone (Aggarwal et al, JCO 2024). Here we report the HRQOL results. Methods: HRQOL measures included the Hot Flash Related Daily Interference Scale (HFRDIS), Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC)-26 Sexual domain, PROMIS Fatigue Short Form and EQ-5D-5L, which assesses overall HRQOL in the 504 randomized patients. Published minimally important difference thresholds for these HRQOL measures are: HFRDIS 1.66 points, EPIC Sexual 10-12, PROMIS Fatigue 3-5, and EQ-5D-5L 0.06. General linear mixed modeling was used to estimate between-arm mean differences in HRQOL according to an intent-to-treat approach. Results: Mean changes from baseline to end of treatment (EOT) for each arm and for each HRQOL measure are summarized in Table. No statistically significant mean difference was reported between intensified androgen receptor blockade (Arm B, Arm C) vs ADT alone (Arm A) in any HRQOL measure. Further, numerical differences across arms for all HRQOL measures are below published minimally clinically important difference thresholds. Conclusions: Intensified androgen receptor blockade with Apa or Apa/Abi added to 52 weeks of ADT improves PSA progression-free survival without negatively affecting HRQOL. These HRQOL results add further support to intensification of androgen blockade in patients with high-risk biochemically recurrent prostate cancer. Clinical trial information: NCT03009981 . [Table: see text]

PURPOSE Patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer (BRPC) after radical prostatectomy and a short PSA doubling time are at risk for distant metastases. Apalutamide, an androgen receptor antagonist, and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (AAP) prolong survival in the metastatic setting. We evaluated whether intensification of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) improves outcomes in BRPC. PATIENTS AND METHODS PRESTO is a randomized phase III, open-label trial in patients with BRPC and PSA doubling time ≤9 months (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03009981 ). Patients were randomly assigned 1:1:1 to receive a finite 52-week treatment course with ADT control, ADT + apalutamide, or ADT + apalutamide + AAP. The primary end point was PSA progression-free survival (PSA-PFS), defined as serum PSA >0.2 ng/mL after treatment completion. RESULTS Five hundred three patients were enrolled. The median PSA was 1.8 ng/mL (IQR, 1.0-3.6). At the first planned interim analysis, both experimental arms significantly prolonged PSA-PFS compared with the control arm (median, 24.9 months for ADT + apalutamide v 20.3 months for ADT; hazard ratio [HR], 0.52 [95% CI, 0.35 to 0.77]; P = .00047; median, 26.0 months for ADT + apalutamide + AAP v 20.0 months for ADT; HR, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.32 to 0.71]; P = .00008). Median time to testosterone recovery did not differ across treatment arms. The most common grade ≥3 adverse event was hypertension (7.5%, 7.4%, and 18% in ADT, ADT + apalutamide, and ADT + apalutamide + AAP arms, respectively). CONCLUSION Intensified AR blockade for a finite duration prolongs PSA-PFS with a manageable safety profile, without adversely affecting time to testosterone recovery. The addition of apalutamide to ADT should be considered in patients with high-risk BRPC.

5077 Background: In the phase 3 PRESTO study, intensified androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with apalutamide (Apa) with or without abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (AAP), administered for a finite treatment period of 52 weeks, prolonged prostate-specific antigen progression-free survival (PSA PFS) in pts with high-risk biochemically relapsed prostate cancer (BRPC). We evaluated the association between PSA nadir within 3 months of treatment initiation with subsequent PSA PFS in this study. Methods: PRESTO is a randomized phase 3, open-label trial in pts with BRPC following radical prostatectomy (RP) and PSA doubling time (PSADT) ≤ 9 months, without distant metastases on conventional imaging (NCT03009981). Pts were randomized 1:1:1 to receive a finite 52-week treatment course with ADT, ADT + Apa, or ADT + Apa + AAP, stratified by PSADT (< 3 vs 3–9 months), with post-treatment follow-up. The association between PSA nadir within the first three months on treatment with subsequent PSA PFS was analyzed in a post hoc fashion. Results: 504 pts were randomized to ADT alone (N = 167), ADT + Apa (N = 168) or ADT + Apa + AAP (N = 169). 463 pts were evaluable for PSA nadir at 3 months. Across the three treatment arms, a PSA nadir of less than 0.1, between 0.1 – 0.2, and ≥ 0.2 ng/mL within the first three months of treatment was observed in 86.3%, 4.4%, and 9.3% of patients, respectively. A PSA nadir of < 0.2 ng/mL was reached within 3 months of treatment initiation in 79.8%, 96.9%, and 95.0% of pts randomized to the ADT, ADT + Apa, and ADT + Apa + AAP arms, respectively. The association between time to PSA nadir and subsequent PSA PFS was -0.30 (standard error = 0.03, Kendall’s tau modified for bivariate censoring), and median time to PSA nadir was 2.0 months (interquartile range 1.12 – 4.76 months). Failure to reach a PSA nadir < 0.2 ng/mL within the first three months of treatment was associated with a significantly shorter PSA PFS compared to pts with a PSA nadir ≤ 0.1 ng/mL (median PSA PFS of 13.9 vs. 22.8 months from 3 months post-treatment initiation; hazard ratio = 5.60, 95% CI: 3.58 – 8.75, p < 0.0001). There was also a significant difference in PSA PFS in those with a three-month PSA nadir between 0.1 – 0.2 vs ≤ 0.1 ng/mL (median PSA PFS 17.4 vs 22.8 months, HR = 2.63, 95:CI: 1.49 – 4.63, p = 0.0008). Conclusions: Using a landmark analysis at 3 months, a failure to reach PSA nadir less than 0.1 ng/mL within three months following initiation of ADT in BRPC is associated with shorter time to subsequent progression following treatment discontinuation. Follow-up is ongoing to integrate genomic profiling of primary prostate cancer tissues and whole blood RNA in pts with suboptimal PSA nadir to identify potential markers of relative androgen pathway inhibitor resistance. Clinical trial information: NCT03009981 .

208 Background: In the Phase 3 PRESTO study, intensified androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with apalutamide (APA) with or without abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (AAP), administered for a finite treatment period of 52 weeks, prolonged prostate-specific antigen progression-free survival (PSA PFS) in pts with high-risk biochemically relapsed prostate cancer (BRPC). We evaluated baseline factors associated with PSA PFS in this study. Methods: PRESTO is a randomized phase 3, open-label trial in pts with BRPC following radical prostatectomy (RP) and PSA doubling time (PSADT) ≤ 9 months (mo), without distant metastases on conventional imaging (NCT03009981). Pts were randomized 1:1:1 to receive a finite 52-week treatment course with ADT, ADT + APA, or ADT + APA + AAP, stratified by PSADT (< 3 vs 3–9 mo), with post-treatment follow-up. Baseline factors associated with PSA PFS including Gleason sum at RP (6-7, 8, ≥ 9) were analyzed in a post hoc fashion. Results: 504 pts were randomized to ADT alone (N = 167), ADT + APA (N = 168) or ADT + APA + AAP (N = 169). Baseline patient characteristics including Gleason sum at diagnosis, serum PSA and PSADT at study entry, time interval from radical prostatectomy, and receipt of prior radiation (none, adjuvant, salvage) were well balanced across the three treatment arms. At the first planned interim analysis, both experimental arms significantly prolonged PSA PFS compared to the control arm (median 24.9 mo for ADT + APA vs 20.3 mo for ADT, HR = 0.52 (95% CI: 0.35–0.77); median 26.0 mo for ADT + APA + AAP vs 20.0 mo for ADT, HR = 0.48 (95% CI: 0.32–0.71)). Across the study cohort, Gleason sum ≥ 9 at diagnosis was associated with shorter PSA PFS (median 21.9 mo for Gleason ≥ 9 vs. 31.1 mo for Gleason 8 vs. 25.2 mo for Gleason 6-7, log-rank p-value = 0.0409). In addition, within each treatment arm, a shorter observed median PSA PFS was detected for patients with Gleason ≥ 9 prostate cancer. Serum PSA and PSADT at study entry, time from prior radical prostatectomy, and prior radiation were not associated with PSA PFS in the overall study cohort or in individual study arms. Conclusions: Gleason sum ≥ 9 prostate cancer at diagnosis was associated with shorter time to PSA progression following subsequent intensified ADT administered for a finite treatment interval in BRPC. Follow-up is ongoing to integrate genomic profiling of primary prostate cancer tissue with these results and validate with longer term endpoints including metastasis-free survival. Clinical trial information: NCT03009981 .

Abstract Purpose: The PARP inhibitor rucaparib is approved in the United States for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and a deleterious germline and/or somatic BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA) alteration. While sequencing of tumor tissue is considered the standard for identifying patients with BRCA alterations (BRCA+), plasma profiling may provide a minimally invasive option to select patients for rucaparib treatment. Here, we report clinical efficacy in patients with BRCA+ mCRPC identified through central plasma, central tissue, or local genomic testing and enrolled in TRITON2. Patients and Methods: Patients had progressed after next-generation androgen receptor–directed and taxane-based therapies for mCRPC and had BRCA alterations identified by central sequencing of plasma and/or tissue samples or local genomic testing. Concordance of plasma/tissue BRCA status and objective response rate and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response rates were summarized. Results: TRITON2 enrolled 115 patients with BRCA+ identified by central plasma (n = 34), central tissue (n = 37), or local (n = 44) testing. Plasma/tissue concordance was determined in 38 patients with paired samples and was 47% in 19 patients with a somatic BRCA alteration. No statistically significant differences were observed between objective and PSA response rates to rucaparib across the 3 assay groups. Patients unable to provide tissue samples and tested solely by plasma assay responded at rates no different from patients identified as BRCA+ by tissue testing. Conclusions: Plasma, tissue, and local testing of mCRPC patients can be used to identify men with BRCA+ mCRPC who can benefit from treatment with the PARP inhibitor rucaparib.

80 Background: The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor rucaparib was granted accelerated approval by the US Food and Drug Administration for patients with BRCA+ mCRPC based on results from the phase 2 TRITON2 study (NCT02952534). The TP53 tumor suppressor gene is among the most frequently mutated genes in human cancers, including mCRPC, and alterations in TP53, PTEN, and RB1 are associated with poor prognosis in patients with prostate cancer and other tumor types. We present data on co-occurring alterations in patients with BRCA+ mCRPC treated with rucaparib in TRITON2. Methods: Patients had progressed on 1–2 lines of androgen receptor-directed therapy and 1 taxane-based chemotherapy and were treated with rucaparib 600 mg BID. Tissue and/or cell-free DNA extracted from plasma samples were profiled comprehensively for genomic alterations using Foundation Medicine, Inc., next-generation sequencing assays. Objective response rate (ORR) was assessed per modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors and Prostate Cancer Working Group 3 criteria by independent radiologic review of patients with measurable disease. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response rate (≥50% decrease from baseline) was assessed in all patients. Results: Tissue and/or plasma samples were available for 114/115 patients with BRCA+ mCRPC (visit cutoff date: Dec. 23, 2019). Among patients with BRCA+ mCRPC who had samples available for comprehensive genomic profiling, 36.8% (42/114) had a co-occurring alteration in TP53. Deleterious alterations in PTEN were observed in 34.2% (39/114) of patients, 44% (17/39) of which were homozygous deletions of PTEN. RB1 loss was observed in 12.3% (14/114) of patients and was seen more frequently in patients with measurable disease (18.0%, 11/61) than in patients with non-measurable disease (5.7%, 3/53). Although patients with and without TP53 mutations had generally similar baseline demographics and disease characteristics, visceral disease was more prevalent in patients with TP53 mutations (54.8%; 23/42) than in those without them (29.2%; 21/72). Similar ORR and PSA response rates were seen in patients with BRCA+ mCRPC with or without TP53 mutation, with a non-significant trend towards lower response rates in patients with co-occurring TP53 alterations. Conclusions: Results from TRITON2 showed antitumor activity for rucaparib in patients with BRCA+ mCRPC associated with or without co-occurring alterations in TP53. Demographics and additional efficacy analyses in genomic subgroups with co-occurring alterations in TP53, PTEN, and RB1 will be reported. Clinical trial information: NCT02952534. [Table: see text]