Citations

52 Background: When combination medical therapy incorporates both IV and oral anti-cancer agents, patients may experience compound side effects and face challenges with treatment adherence. To assess how community cancer programs may improve care coordination for patients receiving combination IV/oral systemic therapy, the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) conducted a mixed-methods study that involved healthcare professionals (HCPs), patients and caregivers. Methods: The study followed a sequential quantitative-qualitative design to answer questions around the barriers or challenges associated with combination IV/oral systemic therapy. The quantitative phase included an online survey of HCPs (by ACCC) and a survey of patients and caregivers (by Edge Research, in collaboration with several patient advocacy organizations). In the quantitative phase, the survey results were contextualized through two HCP focus groups and individual HCP interviews. Results: Comparing and contrasting the patient survey (n = 113) and HCP survey (n = 157) results revealed insights around the following themes: Top Challenges: Patients felt their top challenges were side effects (57.5%); inconvenience going to medical appointments (37.2%); and financial burden (36.3%). HCPs perceived top challenges as cost of care to the patient (24.0%); coordination and delivery of oral agents (22.1%); and health insurance coverage (21.9%). In focus groups, HCPs explained how they were investing significant staffing resources to prevent and mitigate financial toxicity, especially for patients receiving oral therapies. Methods of Communication: 35.4% of patients “highly preferred” using email to communicate with HCPs about their combination regimens. However, HCPs felt that email was one of the least effective methods of communicating with patients. In focus groups, HCPs agreed that email is convenient when communicating about non-urgent matters. However, they were concerned that some patients may use email to communicate about urgent issues. Treatment-related AEs: When patients experienced treatment-related AEs, 30.1% said their clinicians tried a dose modification or hold. HCPs had mixed perceptions regarding the effectiveness of dose holidays. Those who felt this was highly effective included: advanced practice providers (42.9%), nurses (28.1%); oncologists (16.7%); and pharmacists (16.7%). Conclusions: This study identifies opportunities to improve care coordination for patients receiving combination IV/oral systemic anti-cancer regimens. These findings may inform the creation and dissemination of effective practices and quality improvement projects. These results may also help cancer programs tailor resources and incorporate proactive steps to address some of the key challenges patients may face.

Until recently, most patients with sentinel lymph node-positive (SLN+) melanoma underwent a completion lymph node dissection (CLND), as mandated in published trials of adjuvant systemic therapies. Following multicenter selective lymphadenectomy trial-II, most patients with SLN+ melanoma no longer undergo a CLND prior to adjuvant systemic therapy. A retrospective analysis of clinical outcomes in SLN+ melanoma patients treated with adjuvant systemic therapy after July 2017 was performed in 21 international cancer centers. Of 462 patients who received systemic adjuvant therapy, 326 patients received adjuvant anti-PD-1 without prior immediate (IM) CLND, while 60 underwent IM CLND. With median follow-up of 21 months, 24-month relapse-free survival (RFS) was 67% (95% CI 62% to 73%) in the 326 patients. When the patient subgroups who would have been eligible for the two adjuvant anti-PD-1 clinical trials mandating IM CLND were analyzed separately, 24-month RFS rates were 64%, very similar to the RFS rates from those studies. Of these no-CLND patients, those with SLN tumor deposit >1 mm, stage IIIC/D and ulcerated primary had worse RFS. Of the patients who relapsed on adjuvant anti-PD-1, those without IM CLND had a higher rate of relapse in the regional nodal basin than those with IM CLND (46% vs 11%). Therefore, 55% of patients who relapsed without prior CLND underwent surgery including therapeutic lymph node dissection (TLND), with 30% relapsing a second time; there was no difference in subsequent relapse between patients who received observation vs secondary adjuvant therapy. Despite the increased frequency of nodal relapses, adjuvant anti-PD-1 therapy may be as effective in SLN+ pts who forego IM CLND and salvage surgery with TLND at relapse may be a viable option for these patients.

9573 Background: Mucosal melanoma is a rare, highly aggressive form of melanoma with extremely high recurrence rates, despite definitive surgical resection. Median RFS has been reported to be 5.4m, with RFS rates at 1 and 2 years of 10%, and 0%, respectively (Lian B, Si L, Cui C, et al. Phase II Randomized Trial Comparing High-Dose IFN-α2b with Temozolomide Plus Cisplatin as Systemic Adjuvant Therapy for Resected Mucosal Melanoma. Clinical Cancer Research 2013, 19(16):4488-4498). Currently there is no consensus on recommendations for adjuvant therapy. Data on the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) adjuvantly is lacking. Methods: We performed a single arm, multicenter clinical trial using “flip dose” ipilimumab (1mg/kg q3w x4 cycles),and nivolumab (3 mg.kg q3w x4 cycles), then Nivolumab 480 mg q4w x 11 cycles to complete a year of adjuvant therapy. The primary endpoint was recurrence-free survival (RFS), and the study had 85% power to detect an improvement in RFS between 5.5 and 9.5 months using a one-sided log rank test. Participants must have had R0/R1 resection <90 days prior to registration, and no prior systemic therapy (adjuvant radiation allowed), ECOG 0/1, no uncontrolled significant autoimmune disease or other invasive cancer. Patients were recruited through the Midwest Melanoma Partnership/Hoosier Oncology Network. Results: From 9/17 to 8/21, 44 patients were approached at 6 centers. Of these 9 were ineligible, and 35 were enrolled. Of these, 29 (83%) had R0 resections, and 7 (20%) had adjuvant radiation prior to enrollment. As of Dec 2021, 31 patients have completed the treatment phase. Of the 35 patients treated on study, 20 patients have recurred (7 local, 5 distant, 3 regional, 5 sites unconfirmed), 6 stopped therapy due to adverse effects, and 8 have died. The mean age of patients was 65.8 years and 21 (60.0%) were female. The primary site of disease was vulvovaginal N=12 (32.4%) patients, sinonasal N= 11 (29.7%), anorectal N= 9 (24.3%) and other site N= 5 (13.5%). Adjuvant radiation had been given in 7 pts. Driver mutations were rare, with only 3 (8.6%) patients having a KIT mutation, and one patient (2.9%) each having a NRAS or BRAF mutation. RFS rates at 1 and 2 years were 50% (95% CI 31-66%) and 37% (95% CI 19-55%), with OS rates at 1 and 2 years of 87% (95% CI 68-95%) and 68% (95% CI 46-83%). Median RFS was 10.3 m (95% CI5.7-25.8). Most common grade 3 adverse events were diarrhea (14%), hypertension (14%), hyponatremia (11%), with no grade 4/5 toxicities. Conclusions: Flip dose ipilimumab and nivolumab after resection is associated with outcomes improved over previously reported outcomes in the absence of therapy. Long term follow up is ongoing as are subgroup analyses and correlative studies. Clinical trial information: NCT03241186.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine overall trends and center-level variation in utilization of completion lymph node dissection (CLND) and adjuvant systemic therapy for sentinel lymph node (SLN)-positive melanoma. Summary Background Data: Based on recent clinical trials, management options for SLN-positive melanoma now include effective adjuvant systemic therapy and nodal observation instead of CLND. It is unknown how these findings have shaped practice or how these contemporaneous developments have influenced their respective utilization. Methods: We performed an international cohort study at 21 melanoma referral centers in Australia, Europe, and the United States that treated adults with SLN-positive melanoma and negative distant staging from July 2017 to June 2019. We used generalized linear and multinomial logistic regression models with random intercepts for each center to assess center-level variation in CLND and adjuvant systemic treatment, adjusting for patient and disease-specific characteristics. Results: Among 1109 patients, performance of CLND decreased from 28% to 8% and adjuvant systemic therapy use increased from 29 to 60%. For both CLND and adjuvant systemic treatment, the most influential factors were nodal tumor size, stage, and location of treating center. There was notable variation among treating centers in management of stage IIIA patients and use of CLND with adjuvant systemic therapy versus nodal observation alone for similar risk patients. Conclusions: There has been an overall decline in CLND and simultaneous adoption of adjuvant systemic therapy for patients with SLN-positive melanoma though wide variation in practice remains. Accounting for differences in patient mix, location of care contributed significantly to the observed variation.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can cause pituitary dysfunction due to hypophysitis. We aimed to characterize ICI-induced hypophysitis and examine its association with overall survival in this single-center retrospective cohort study of adult patients with cancer who received an ICI from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2016. A total of 896 patients were identified who received ipilimumab alone (n=120); ipilimumab and nivolumab (n=50); ipilimumab before or after pembrolizumab (n=70); pembrolizumab alone (n=406); and nivolumab alone (n=250). Twenty-six patients (2.9%) developed hypophysitis after a median of 2.3 months. Median age at the start of ICI was 57.9 years and 54% were men. Hypophysitis occurred in 7.9% of patients receiving ipilimumab alone or in combination or sequence with a programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitor; 1.7% after pembrolizumab alone, never after nivolumab alone. Secondary adrenal insufficiency occurred in all hypophysitis cases. Use of ipilimumab alone or in combination was associated with pituitary enlargement on imaging and mass effects more frequently than pembrolizumab alone. Occurrence of hypophysitis was associated with improved overall survival by univariate analysis (median 50.7 vs 16.5 months; p=0.015) but this association was not observed in multivariable landmark survival analysis (HR for mortality 0.75; 95% CI 0.38 to 1.30; p=0.34) after adjusting for age, sex and malignancy type. To conclude, hypophysitis occurred most frequently after ipilimumab and manifested as anterior hypopituitarism affecting the corticotrophs more commonly than thyrotrophs and gonadotrophs. Mass effects and pituitary enlargement occurred more frequently in ipilimumab-induced hypophysitis. The association of hypophysitis with overall survival needs further investigation.

349527 Background: Symptoms are common during cancer care but often go undetected. Digital systems that elicit patient-reported outcomes (PRO) surveys may detect symptoms early and prompt clinicians to intervene, thereby alleviating suffering and averting complications. Methods: In a cluster-randomized trial, U.S.-based community oncology practices were randomized 1:1 to digital symptom monitoring with PRO surveys, or to usual care control. Patients receiving systemic treatment for metastatic cancer were eligible. At PRO practices, participants were invited to complete a weekly survey via web or automated telephone system for up to one year, including questions about nine common symptoms, performance status, and falls. Severe or worsening symptoms triggered electronic alerts to care team nurses, and reports showing longitudinal symptom data were available to oncologists at visits. Pre-specified secondary outcomes included impact on physical function, symptom control, and health-related quality of life (HRQL). The primary outcome of survival is not yet mature. Results: At 52 practices, 1,191 patients were eligible and enrolled (593 PRO; 598 control). Clinically meaningful benefits were experienced in physical function by 13.8% more patients with PRO versus control (P=0.009); symptom control by 16.1% (P=0.003); and HRQL by 13.4% (P=0.006). Mean changes from baseline were superior with PRO versus control for physical function (mean difference 2.47, 95% CI 0.41-4.53; P=0.02), symptom control (2.56, 0.95-4.17; P=0.002), and HRQL (2.43, 0.90-3.96; P=0.002). Patients completed 20,565/22,486 (91.5%) of expected weekly PRO surveys. Conclusions: Digital symptom monitoring during cancer treatment confers clinical benefits. Clinical trial information: NCT03249090.

Abstract The most common adverse event (AE) of dabrafenib and trametinib (DT) is pyrexia, which has been reported to occur in up to 71% of patients. Pyrexia resulted in therapy discontinuation in up to 26% of patients who otherwise were benefiting from the treatment. Little is known about the pathogenesis and optimal management of this common AE. We hypothesized that the etiology of pyrexia in patients treated with DT could be extrapolated from DT-related cutaneous adverse effects in which a paradoxical MAPK pathway activation has been identified. We hypothesized that the mechanism of MAPK pathway activation with DT therapy is similar to that reported in patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), a rare, inherited condition characterized by episodes of fever and rash that responds exceedingly well to colchicine-based therapy. Based on this association, our group explored the use of oral colchicine for the treatment of DT-associated pyrexia in five patients with metastatic melanoma. Citation Format: Jesus Vera, Jonas Paludo, Lisa Kottschade, Matthew Block, Yiyi Yan, Charles Loprinzi, Svetomir Markovic. Dabrafenib-trametinib-induced pyrexia successfully treated with colchicine [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Targeting RAS-Driven Cancers; 2018 Dec 9-12; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2020;18(5_Suppl):Abstract nr B15.