Citations

614 Background: A consensus interpretation of the IDEA colon cancer study results suggested that risk categories based on T/N stage grouping be used to guide decision-making for duration (3 vs 6 months) of adjuvant FOLFOX or CapeOX chemotherapy. Given the prognostic potential of immune biomarkers, we examined the immunoscore and individual T and B lymphocyte markers in low and high risk T/N subsets of stage III colon carcinoma patients (N=600) treated with adjuvant FOLFOX. Methods: Immunoscore (CD3+, CD8+) and individual T-cell and CD20+ B-cell immunostain densities in central tumor (CT) and invasive margin (IM) of FFPE sections were quantified by image analysis. A predetermined immunoscore categorization was used [high (2-4) vs low (0-1)]. Individual markers were analyzed by backwards selection wherein CD3+ IM was most robust for prognosis and an optimized cutoff was then determined. Associations with disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed by multivariable Cox regression adjusting for age, T/N stage, sidedness, KRAS/BRAF, and DNA mismatch repair. Results: In low and high risk T/N patient subsets, the immunoscore and CD3+ IM were each significantly discriminant for prognosis. Among low risk (T1-3N1) patients, a high vs low immunoscore was associated with a 91% vs 77% 3-year DFS [HR 0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34-0.95, adjusted (adj) P= 0.026]. Among high risk (T4 or N2) patients, a high vs low immunoscore was associated with a 68% vs 54% 3-year DFS (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.42-0.98, Padj= 0.034]. Similarly, a high vs low intratumoral CD3+ density at the invasive margin (IM) was significantly associated with prognosis in low risk [HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.21- 0.66), Padj< 0.0003] and in high risk [HR 0.47, 95% CI, 0.27- 0.80), Padj< 0.0028] patient subsets. Conclusions: Immunoscore and CD3+ IM were shown to prognostically stratify FOLFOX-treated patients within both low and high risk T/N subsets. These data underscore limitations of the T/N risk classification for adjuvant treatment decisions in stage III patients, and demonstrate the ability of T-cell markers to enhance prognostication to guide clinical decision-making.

The prevalence of Lynch syndrome (LS) varies significantly in different populations, suggesting that ethnic features might play an important role. We enrolled 3330 consecutive Chinese patients who had surgical resection for newly diagnosed colorectal cancer. Universal screening for LS was implemented, including immunohistochemistry for mismatch repair (MMR) proteins, BRAFV600E mutation test and germline sequencing. Among the 3250 eligible patients, MMR protein deficiency (dMMR) was detected in 330 (10.2%) patients. Ninety‐three patients (2.9%) were diagnosed with LS. Nine (9.7%) patients with LS fulfilled Amsterdam criteria II and 76 (81.7%) met the revised Bethesda guidelines. Only 15 (9.7%) patients with absence of MLH1 on IHC had BRAFV600E mutation. One third (33/99) of the MMR gene mutations have not been reported previously. The age of onset indicates risk of LS in patients with dMMR tumors. For patients older than 65 years, only 2 patients (5.7%) fulfilling revised Bethesda guidelines were diagnosed with LS. Selective sequencing of all cases with dMMR diagnosed at or below age 65 years and only of those dMMR cases older than 65 years who fulfill revised Bethesda guidelines results in 8.2% fewer cases requiring germline testing without missing any LS diagnoses. While the prevalence of LS in Chinese patients is similar to that of Western populations, the spectrum of constitutional mutations and frequency of BRAFV600E mutation is different. Patients older than 65 years who do not meet the revised Bethesda guidelines have a low risk of LS, suggesting germline sequencing might not be necessary in this population.

Abstract Purpose: Colorectal cancers with deficient DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) are presumed to uniformly have dense lymphocytic infiltration that underlies their favorable prognosis and is critical to their responsiveness to immunotherapy, as compared with MMR-proficient (pMMR) tumors. We examined T-cell densities and their potential heterogeneity in a large cohort of dMMR tumors. Experimental Design: CD3+ and CD8+ T-cell densities were quantified at the invasive margin (IM) and tumor core (CT) in 561 stage III colon cancers (dMMR, n = 278; pMMR, n = 283) from a phase III adjuvant trial (N0147). Their association with overall survival (OS) was determined using multivariable Cox analysis. Results: Although CD3+ and CD8+ T-cell densities in the tumor microenvironment were higher in dMMR versus pMMR tumors overall, intertumoral heterogeneity in densities between tumors was significantly higher by 30% to 88% among dMMR versus pMMR cancers (P &lt; 0.0001 for all four T-cell subtypes [CD3+IM, CD3+CT, CD8+IM, CD8+CT]). A substantial proportion of dMMR tumors (26% to 35% depending on the T-cell subtype) exhibited T-cell densities as low as that in the bottom half of pMMR tumors. All four T-cell subtypes were prognostic in dMMR with CD3+IM being the most strongly prognostic. Low (vs. high) CD3+IM was independently associated with poorer OS among dMMR (HR, 4.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.43–15.87; P = 0.0019) and pMMR tumors (P = 0.0103). Conclusions: Tumor-infiltrating T-cell densities exhibited greater intertumoral heterogeneity among dMMR than pMMR colon cancers, with CD3+IM providing robust stratification of both dMMR and pMMR tumors for prognosis. Potentially, lower T-cell densities among dMMR tumors may contribute to immunotherapy resistance.

Abstract Background and study aims The US FDA recently approved a cancer treatment with pembrolizumab based upon the tumor biomarker status of deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) rather than a specific disease-based approach. We sought to determine if endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) could determine dMMR and quantification of PD-L1 expression to potentially guide the delivery of tumor agnostic immunotherapy. Patients and methods Immunohistochemistry was performed on archived pancreas core biopsy specimens. Tumors with absent nuclear staining of DNA mismatch repair proteins represented dMMR. Tumors were considered to have any or high PD-L1 expression, if expressed in ≥ 1 % or ≥ 50 % of tumor cells. Results Histologic specimen adequacy for MMR status assessment was satisfactory in 97.2 % of tumors. dMMR and high PD-L1 expression was identified in 3 % and 8.1 % of the cohort. Conclusion In the setting of tumor type agnostic immunotherapy, it is projected that at least 3 % of malignant pancreas lesions will be sensitive to pembrolizumab and up to 8 % sensitive to the family of immune checkpoint inhibitors. This highlights the expanding role of EUS-FNB in the field of precision immuno-oncology.

TPS3630 Background: In metastatic colorectal cancer with deficient DNA mismatch repair (MMR), anti-PD-1 antibody monotherapy produced high tumor response rates and extended progression-free survival compared to lack of benefit for proficient MMR tumors (Le, M, et al, NEJM 2016). We propose a phase III randomized trial to determine if the addition of the anti-PD-L1 antibody, atezolizumab (Genentech™), to adjuvant FOLFOX can improve patient disease-free survival (DFS) vs FOLFOX alone in patients with stage III colon cancers with dMMR or microsatellite instability (MSI). By blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction, atezolizumab may activate T cells, thereby, restoring their ability to detect and attack tumor cells. Limited data suggest that FOLFOX may increase intratumoral cytotoxic CD8+ T cells that may serve as ‘immune priming.’ Methods: Patients with curatively resected stage III colon carcinomas with evidence of dMMR or MSI will be randomized to modified FOLFOX6 for 6 months (12 cycles) alone or combined with atezolizumab (840 mg IV q2 wk) continued as monotherapy for an additional 6 months (total duration of 12 months). Patients will be stratified by T, N stage and tumor sidedness. Local testing for MSI or MMR proteins is allowed. Atezolizumab must begin by/with cycle 2. The targeted accrual goal of 700 patients provides 90% power to detect an effect size expressed as hazard ratio of 0.6 for the primary endpoint DFS at two-sided alpha of 0.05. Interim analyses are planned at 50% and 75% of events. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, treatment tolerability, and quality of life. This study will be conducted by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. The protocol has been approved by NCI CTEP and is expected to be activated in mid 2017. Clinical trial information: NCT02912559.

3604 Background: Limited research has investigated the role of variation in the host genome as a determinant of colon carcinoma (CC) outcomes, including toxicity due to therapeutic agents. We examined the relationship between germline genetic factors and treatment-associated serious adverse events (SAEs) in a population of CC patients in which treatment was standardized and follow-up for outcomes was uniformly conducted. Methods: Using existing biospecimens from CC patients with resected stage III disease in a phase III randomized trial of FOLFOX adjuvant chemotherapy with and without cetuximab (NCCTG N0147), genome-wide genotyping arrays were conducted for 2200 patients for a total of ~20 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Using logistic regression models we assessed SNP-specific associations with SAEs, utilizing a discovery-based approach to search the genome in an unbiased manner. Detailed information on SAEs was collected using the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE, v3.0). Analyses evaluating associations with specific classes of common grade ≥3 SAEs were performed, including gastrointestinal toxicities, neutropenia, and paresthesias. A threshold of P < 5x10-8was used to denote genome-wide significance. Results: Among patients who received FOLFOX, several SNPs on chr 15 near the ANP32A gene and on chr 2 near the CD207 gene were statistically significantly associated with grade ≥3 neuropathy. The strongest SNP-specific associations in these regions were in the range of odds ratio (OR) = 1.3, P = 2.8×10−10 and OR = 1.5, P = 2.7×10−10, respectively. Conclusions: Findings from this genome-wide analysis demonstrate the potential importance of germline genetic variation in influencing CC patients’ experience of specific toxicities to FOLFOX regimens. These results highlight two genomic regions of potential interest for understanding the biological mechanism for such toxicities, although further evaluation and replication is needed. Support: U10CA180821, U10CA180882, U10CA180820, U10CA180863, U10CA180888, CCSRI 021039, R01CA176272, Eli Lilly & Co, Pfizer, Sanofi. Clinical trial information: NCT00079274 .