Nivolumab and stereotactic radiosurgery for patients with breast cancer brain metastases: long-term results and biomarker analysis from a non-randomized, open-label, phase Ib study
Background We hypothesized treatment with nivolumab and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) would be feasible, well tolerated, and may improve intracranial tumor control over SRS alone for breast cancer brain metastases (BCBM). Methods The study is a phase Ib trial of nivolumab and SRS for BCBM. Clinical trial information: NCT03807765 . Key eligibility criteria include BCBM of all subtypes, age ≥18, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performace Status (ECOG-PS)≤2 with ≤10 brain metastases. Treatment was initiated with a dose of nivolumab (480 mg intravenously) that was repeated every 4 weeks. The initial dose of nivolumab was followed 1 week later by SRS. Blood was collected at baseline and every 4 weeks for flow cytometry and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) assessment. Results A total of 12 patients received SRS to 17 brain metastases. Breast cancer subtypes included triple negative (50%), hormone receptor (HR)+/HER2− (33%), and HR−/HER2+ (17%). Median follow-up from start of protocol therapy is 56 months. No cases of radionecrosis were noted. Two lesions were noted to undergo local failure, both pathologically confirmed, for a 12-month local control of 94%. Median distant intracranial control was 7.4 months with a 12-month control rate of 33%. Median systemic progression-free survival was 7.7 months with a 12-month rate of 42%. Median overall survival (OS) was 24.7 months with a 12-month OS of 75%. Most patients were noted to have an increase in cfDNA throughout study treatment, at week 5 compared with baseline (83%), week 25 compared with baseline (89%), and 100% at first follow-up. Intracranial control was associated with lower levels of CD4 regulatory T cells (Treg) (p=0.03) and higher levels of CD4 T effector memory (p=0.04). Conclusions Nivolumab and SRS is a safe and feasible treatment option in BCBM. Long-term follow-up revealed no cases of radiation necrosis. Trial registration number NCT03807765 .
Phase II trial of rifaximin in patients with early-stage HER2 positive breast cancer with gastrointestinal toxicities related to pertuzumab-based therapy.
e24161 Background: Pertuzumab-induced gastrointestinal toxicities (PIGT), particularly diarrhea, is the most common adverse event reported in over 70% of patients receiving pertuzumab in combination with chemotherapy. PIGT can result in dose reduction, treatment delay, and discontinuation of chemotherapy. Rifaximin is a minimally absorbed oral antibiotic approved for gastrointestinal tract infections and bacterial overgrowth. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of rifaximin in reducing PIGT. Methods: Patients with stage I-III HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer who received pertuzumab in combination with docetaxel, carboplatin, and trastuzumab (TCHP) were enrolled. PIGT included diarrhea, abdominal distention, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, stomach pain, and typhlitis. Patients with any PIGT ≥ grade 2 after the first cycle of TCHP received rifaximin 550 mg orally twice daily on days 1-5 in all subsequent cycles of chemotherapy. Patients with PIGT grade < 2 were observed without rifaximin. Simon's Two-Stage design was used. Results: Between 2018-2022, a total of 21 patients were enrolled. One patient was excluded due to significant anemia not meeting the eligibility criteria to proceed with rifaximin after the first cycle of TCHP. Of 20 patients, the median age was 52.5 (39-69) years. 18/20 (90.0%) patients had PIGT ≥ grade 2 after 1 cycle of TCHP with PIGT grade 2 in 15 (83.3%) and grade 3 in 3 (16.7%). PIGT ≥ grade 2 included diarrhea in 14 (70.0%) with grade 2 in 12 (60.0%) and grade 3 in 2 (10.0%), abdominal pain in 9 (45.0%) with grade 2 in 8 (40.0%) and grade 3 in 1 (5.0%), abdominal distension in 3 (15.0%), dyspepsia in 5 (25.0%), and stomach pain in 4 (20.0%) patients. Among 18 patients who received rifaximin, 15 (83.3%; 95% CI 0.586-0.964) had at least 1 cycle with a maximum PIGT grade < 2. This result surpassed the threshold of the Two-Stage analysis. Reduction of individual PIGT symptoms for patients who experienced > grade 2 at baseline after the first cycle of rifaximin was reported in 2/3 (66.7%) for abdominal distention, 8/9 (88.9%) for abdominal pain, 6/14 (42.9%) for diarrhea, 3/4 (75.0%) for stomach pain, and 4/5 (80.0%) for dyspepsia. No patients experienced > grade 2 typhilitis at baseline and during treatment. Treatment is well tolerated, with no significant grade 3+ adverse event related to rifaximin observed. Among patients who received rifaximin, there was no treatment delay or discontinuation of pertuzumab related to PIGT. Conclusions: PIGT is a debilitating side effect observed in most patients receiving pertuzumab. A short course of rifaximin after each cycle of treatment is a well-tolerated treatment option that significantly reduces PIGT in patients receiving pertuzumab in combination with chemotherapy. Clinical trial information: NCT04249622 .
Changing recognition of breast cancer–related leptomeningeal disease and response to therapy: A retrospective single institution review.
2027 Background: Breast cancer related leptomeningeal disease (BC-LMD) is a dire diagnosis for 5-8% of breast cancer patients with overall survival (OS) measured in weeks without treatment. As new treatments prolong survival with breast cancer, the risk of developing BC-LMD may be increasing. We hypothesized that the rate of BC-LMD diagnosis increased significantly with time. We also predicted that OS with BC-LMD had changed with time and in relationship to molecular subtype and treatment following BC-LMD diagnosis. Methods: With approval of the local Scientific Research Committee and IRB, we conducted a retrospective analysis of medical records for patients treated or diagnosed with breast cancer at MCC from 2011-2020. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were collected. Kaplan Meier survival curves were used to determine median overall survival (OS), progression of disease, and differences by molecular subtype. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine characteristics of primary tumors and treatments which affected OS. Results: Of the 133 cases identified, significantly more were diagnosed between 2016-2020 than 2011-2015 (p < 0.01). Significant increases were seen in HER2+ and TNBC patients (p < 0.05) but not for ER/PR positive (HR+) disease (p = 0.058). HER2+ LMD associated with longest overall survival (OS; 7mths) followed by HR+ disease (3mths) and TNBC with the shortest OS (2mths). Systemic metastases preceded BC-LMD diagnosis in 72% of cases and CNS metastases in 85% of cases. HER2+ disease also conferred increased survival after CNS metastases were diagnosed until progression to LMD (8mth vs 2mth for HR+ and 1mth for TNBC LMD; p < 0.05). Positive impact on survival by HER2 targeted therapies may account for improved OS in this population. Other factors which increased OS generally were: WBRT, continuation of systemic therapy, delivery of intrathecal chemotherapy, and participation in clinical trials. Having TNBC and decision to defer treatment were associated with reduced OS. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of identifying patients with BC-LMD early and with the intention to treat. Prospective clinical trials and population-based studies are needed to advance treatment of BC-LMD.
Durable Complete Response With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor in Breast Cancer With High Tumor Mutational Burden and APOBEC Signature
Increasing data support the importance of preexisting host immune response and neoantigen burden for determining response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). In lung cancer and melanoma, tumor mutational burden (TMB) has emerged as an independent biomarker for ICI response. However, the significance of TMB in breast cancer, particularly in the context of PD-L1 negativity, remains unclear. This report describes a patient with HER2-negative breast cancer with high TMB and an apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like (APOBEC) trinucleotide signature; her disease was refractory to multiple lines of treatments but achieved durable complete response using ICIs and capecitabine. Additional analysis of the tumor revealed a low amount of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) and PD-L1 negativity, reflecting a poor preexisting host immune response. In collaboration with Foundation Medicine, comprehensive genomic profiling from 14,867 patients with breast cancer with the FoundationOne test was evaluated. Using the cutoff of ≥10 mutations/megabase (mut/Mb) for high TMB, PD-L1 positivity and TMB-high populations were not significantly overlapping (odds ratio, 1.02;P=.87). Up to 79% of TMB-high tumors with >20 mut/Mb were PD-L1–negative. Our study highlights that despite having low TILs and PD-L1 negativity, some patients may still experience response to ICIs.
Therapy with Ibritumomab Tiuxetan (Zevalin®) in Patients with Previously Untreated and Relapsed Low Grade Follicular Lymphoma: The Mayo Clinic Florida Experience, 2000-2016
Abstract Introduction: Ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin¨) is a radioimmunoconjugate agent that targets CD20-expressing B cell lymphomas. Currently, it is the only radioimmunoconjugate agent available on the market and is FDA approved for relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma (FL). A retrospective study of patients with low grade FL (WHO grade 1 and 2) treated with ibritumomab tiuxetan at Mayo Clinic Florida from 2000 to 2016 was performed. Methods: The patient population consisted of previously untreated as well as relapsed low grade FL. We evaluated patient characteristics, response rate, duration of response, progression free survival, overall survival and time to next treatment. Previously untreated patients were treated with ibritumomab tiuxetan due to ineligibility for standard chemotherapy and prolonged immunotherapy, or their preference. Comparison between previously untreated FL patients treated with ibritumomab tiuxetan as the first line of treatment versus patients with relapsed FL treated with ibritumomab tiuxetan as second, third or fourth line therapy was made. Results: Low grade FL patients (n=41) that received ibritumomab tiuxetan were identified; 13 patients (32%) with previously untreated FL and 28 patients (68%) with relapsed FL. The data on response to treatment is presented in Table 1. Ibritumomab tiuxetan use in previously untreated FL was associated with more complete responses than in the relapse setting (92% vs 50% at 6 months, p=0.036). Previously untreated FL patients that received ibritumomab tiuxetan as first line therapy had better progression free survival (80% vs 35% at 3 years). Ibritumomab tiuxetan use in relapsed FL was associated with significant shorter time to relapse compared to previously untreated FL (median 1.3 years vs 4.8 years, p=0.017, figure 1) and shorter time to next treatment (65% at 4 years compared to 0% in previously untreated, p=0.007). 15% of newly diagnosed FL treated with ibritumomab tiuxetan relapsed compared to 64% of relapsed FL patient. There was no significant difference in overall survival between the two groups. The incidence of grades 3-4 neutropenia (Absolute Neutrophil Count <1000 x109/L), Anemia (Hb <8 g/dL) and Thrombocytopenia (Platelets <25 x109/L) were 47%, 7.7% and 48.7% respectively. Only 6/41 patients (15%) had cytopenias that required transfusion of blood products. More significant cytopenias were seen in relapsed group compared to previously untreated group. Conclusions: Ibritumomab tiuxetan as first line treatment in previously untreated FL patients at our institution was associated with improved response rate, better progression free survival and shorter time to next treatment when compared to its use in relapsed FL. Ibritumomab tiuxetan has significant therapeutic efficacy for both previously untreated as well as relapsed low grade FL. It was well tolerated without significant treatment-related morbidity or mortality. Moreover, treatment schedule was very convenient for the patients. Our results suggest that treatment with ibritumomab tiuxetan is an effective option for those previously untreated low grade FL patients who cannot take standard chemoimmunotherapy. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Abstract 4894: Incidence of high tumor mutation burden (TMB) and PD-L1 positivity in breast cancers and potential response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs)
Abstract Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) have led to dramatic improvement in outcome of several cancers. Program death ligand1 (PD-L1) staining and tumor mutational burden (TMB) have emerged as independent predictive biomarkers of ICPIs in lung cancer. Here we examine the landscape of TMB and PD-L1 expression in breast cancer and present a case of patient with high TMB and PD-L1 negative breast cancer with exceptional response to ICPIs. Methods: Hybrid-capture based comprehensive genomic profiling of 395 cancer related genes using the FoundationOne assay was performed on 14,867 breast carcinomas sequenced in the course of routine clinical care. Ventana (SP-263) PD-L1 status (n=1425) and hormone receptor status was available for a subset of patients. Subgroup analyses were performed based on histological type [invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC, n=740)], molecular subtypes [ER-positive (ER+; n= 1371), HER2-amplified (HER2+; n=1522), and TNBC (n=917)], patient age (≤45, 46-60, ≥61), and local vs. metastatic disease (n=5241 and 6710). Results: Consistent with previous reports, the rates of positive PD-L1 staining are highest in TNBC (14%) and lowest in HER2+, ILC, and ER+ disease (6.0%, 5.1%, 2.3%). Interestingly, the rate of PD-L1 positivity, defined as ≥1% tumor staining, was significantly lower in metastatic disease vs. local disease (6.3% vs. 11.1%; p = 0.005). The frequency of high TMB, defined as >10 mutations/mb, was greatest in ILC and HER2+ disease (13.6% and 9.9%) and lowest in TNBC and ER+ disease (7.0% and 6.9%). Rates of high TMB were associated with increased patient age (3.7%, 9.3%, and 12.8% frequency in patients ≤45, 46-60, and ≥61) and were significantly higher in metastatic vs. local disease (11.1% vs 5.3%; p<2E-23). PD-L1 positive and TMB high populations were not significantly co-occurrent (OR = 1.02, p = 0.87). Similar percentages of PD-L1 positivity were observed in both TMB low (9.3%) and TMB high (9.5%). However, among patients with very high TMB (>20 mut/mb), there was a significant association between TMB and PD-L1 positivity (OR = 2.6, p = 0.023). Nevertheless, even with high cutoff, 79% of the TMB high samples were PD-L1 negative. We also report on a stage IIIb (T4, N2, M0) ER+ HER2- breast cancer patient with high TMB (40muts/mb) and negative PD-L1 IHC who previously progressed on aromatase inhibitor with CDK4/6 inhibitor and chemotherapy but achieved durable complete response of > 1 year with nivolumab in combination with capecitabine. Conclusions: Predictive biomarkers for ICPIs are critical to identify a subset of breast cancer patients who may respond to immunotherapy. TMB high and PD-L1 positivity do not significantly co-occur and the majority of TMB high cases were PD-L1 negative. Nevertheless, this group of patients may still benefit with ICPIs. Further studies are needed to evaluate this subset of patients. Citation Format: Ethan Sokol, Lee Albacker, Aixa Soyano, Ricardo Parrondo, Brenda Ernst, Emmanuel Gabriel, Garrett Frampton, Jeffrey Ross, Siraj Ali, Jon Chung, Saranya Chumsri. Incidence of high tumor mutation burden (TMB) and PD-L1 positivity in breast cancers and potential response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4894.
Hypereosinophilia in a Patient with Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Antiprogrammed Cell Death 1 (anti-PD-1) Therapy
Abstract Purpose: Young age has been shown to be an independent predictor of poor outcome in breast cancer. In HER2-positive breast cancer, the effects of aging remain largely unknown. Experimental Design: A total of 4,547 patients were included [3,132 from North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) N9831 and 1,415 from National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) B-31]. Pathologic stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (sTIL) and molecular tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (mTIL) signatures were evaluated. Results: In NCCTG N9831, comparable benefit of trastuzumab was observed in all patients [age ≤ 40; HR, 0.43; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.28–0.66; P < 0.001; and age > 40; HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.45–0.69; P < 0.001]. Similar results were observed in NSABP B-31 (age ≤ 40; HR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.29–0.68; P < 0.001; and age > 40; HR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.33–0.54; P < 0.001). Among patients who received chemotherapy alone, younger age was associated with poor outcome in the hormone receptor–positive subset, but not the hormone receptor–negative subset, in both trials. Although there was no association between sTILs and age, a small, but significant increase in mTIL CD45 and some immune subset signatures were observed. Among patients who received chemotherapy alone, patients over 40 years of age with lymphocyte-predominant breast cancer had excellent outcome, with 95% remaining recurrence free at 15 years. Conclusions: Among patients treated with trastuzumab, there was no significant difference in outcome related to age. Our study suggests that trastuzumab can negate the poor prognosis associated with young age.
Baseline peripheral blood biomarkers associated with clinical outcome of advanced lung cancer in patients treated with anti-PD-1 antibody.
e20599 Background: The anti-PD-1 antibodies nivolumab and pembrolizumab have demonstrated improved overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) in a subset of patients with metastatic or locally advanced lung cancer (LC). To date, no blood biomarkers have been identified to predict clinical outcome to anti-PD-1 agents. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 52 patients with advanced LC and treated with anti-PD-1 antibodies in a single institution was performed. White blood cell count (WBC), absolute neutrophil count (ANC), absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), absolute neutrophil to absolute lymphocyte count ratio (ANC/ALC), absolute eosinophil count (AEC), and platelet counts at baseline before start of anti-PD-1 antibody were assessed. Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analysis were done. Results: 48 patients were treated with nivolumab (92.3%) and 4 patients with pembrolizumab (7.7%). Median follow up was 13.6 months and median OS was 26 months. Higher baseline ANC and ANC/ALC ratio significantly correlated with worse clinical outcomes. Patients with baseline ANC > 6060/mm3 had a significantly increased risk of death [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.46; 95% CI 1.12–5.42, P = 0.025] and of progression on anti-PD-1 antibody [HR = 2.41; 95% CI 1.25–4.64, P = 0.009] compared with patients with ANC ≤6060/mm3. Similarly, patients with baseline ANC/ALC ratio ≥ 4.59 had a significantly increased risk of death [HR = 2.41; 95% CI 1.11–5.24, P = 0.027] and of progression on anti-PD-1 antibody [HR = 2.08; 95% CI 1.10–3.95, P = 0.027] compared with patients with ANC/ALC < 4.59. One year survival rate in patients who had ANC < 3390/mm3, ANC 3390-6060/mm3 and ANC > 6060/mm3 were 86.5%, 76.9% and 48.1% respectively. Conclusions: Increased baseline ANC and ANC/ALC were associated with poor PFS and OS in LC patients treated with anti-PD-1 antibodies. Although these findings need to be validated in a large sample size, our data suggested that baseline ANC and ANC/ALC ratio might help the risk stratification and assist treatment strategies. The potential predictive value of peripheral blood biomarkers for clinical outcomes to anti-PD-1 antibody should be further investigated in a prospective study.
A retrospective analysis of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel for the treatment of metastatic cholangiocarcinoma.
e15616 Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a progressively fatal disease with an annual incidence of 1-2 cases per 100,000 people in the USA. Complete surgical resection is the only curative option for CCA. However, the majority of patients (pts) have advanced disease at diagnosis, and those undergoing resection often develop local or distant recurrence. Gemcitabine and Cisplatin remains the only standard chemotherapeutic regimen for advanced CCA. Alternative and improved therapies are critically needed. Gemcitabine/nab-Paclitaxel (GA) is a regimen that has become standard therapy in advanced pancreatic cancer (PDAC). Given the morphologic and histologic similarities between PDAC and CCA, this regimen has been used in advanced CCA, but no data exists regarding its efficacy in this disease. The goal of our study is to evaluate the Mayo Clinic experience with GA for the treatment of metastatic CCA. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed records from adult pts at Mayo Clinic with metastatic cholangiocarcinoma who received at least 2 cycles of GA. Our aims were to assess the progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and disease response. Results: We analyzed 9 pts, 3 male and 6 female. The median age at diagnosis was 50 years (range 41-64). Six pts had metastatic disease at diagnosis while 3 underwent surgery with subsequent distant disease recurrence. Pts received a median of 2 lines (range 0-5) of systemic therapy prior to receiving GA, and a median of 2 cycles (range 2-15) of GA. At the time of our analysis, 4 of the 9 pts (44%) had died. The median OS from initiation of GA was 7.3 months (95% CI 1.7- 12.9) and median PFS from initiation of GA was 4.7 months (95% CI 0.48-8.9). The best overall responses using RECIST criteria were: partial response in 1 (11%), stable disease in 5 (55%) and disease progression in 3 (33%) pts. One pt remained on therapy 14.9 months after initiating GA. Conclusions: In our study, the combination of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel has demonstrated similar OS and PFS as other systemic therapies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of this regimen in CCA. Ongoing, prospective trials are currently evaluating this regimen in advanced CCA.