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Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

WCLC 2019: First-Line Nivolumab/Ipilimumab in Special Populations With NSCLC

First-line therapy consisting of nivolumab plus ipilimumab showed a consistent safety profile in special populations with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to research presented by Fabrice Barlesi, MD, PhD, of Aix-Marseille University, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

WCLC 2019: Two Studies Show Tumor Mutational Burden Not Associated With Pembrolizumab Efficacy in NSCLC

At the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2019 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC), two presentations showed that tumor mutational burden is not associated with the efficacy of pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy in patients with non–small cell lung cancer...

Gynecologic Cancers
Immunotherapy

Avelumab for Mismatch Repair–Deficient and Mismatch Repair–Proficient Endometrial Cancer

In a phase II trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Panagiotis A. Konstantinopoulos, MD, PhD, and colleagues found evidence of promising activity of the programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor avelumab in mismatch repair–deficient (MMRD) recurrent or persistent endometrial...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Does the Addition of Bevacizumab to Erlotinib in Advanced EGFR-Mutant NSCLC Improve PFS?

In a phase II trial reported in JAMA Oncology, Thomas E. Stinchcombe, MD, and colleagues found that the addition of bevacizumab to erlotinib did not significantly improve progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with advanced EGFR-mutant non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Study Details The...

Kidney Cancer
Immunotherapy

Individualized Axitinib Regimens After Immunotherapy for Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma

In a phase II study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Ornstein et al found that individualized axitinib regimens showed activity in patients with locally recurrent or metastatic renal cell carcinoma who had previously received immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, although the progression-free...

Immunotherapy

Key Predictors of Response Rates to PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitor Therapy Across Cancer Types

In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Lee and Ruppin found that CD8-positive T-cell abundance, tumor mutational burden, and high PD1 gene expression were the strongest predictors of response to anti–programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) treatment across cancer...

Kidney Cancer
Immunotherapy

Extended Follow-up of CheckMate 214: Nivolumab/Ipilimumab vs Sunitinib as First-Line Treatment for Advanced RCC

As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Robert J. Motzer, MD, and colleagues, extended follow-up of the phase III CheckMate 214 trial has shown a maintained survival benefit for first-line nivolumab/ipilimumab vs sunitinib in patients with previously untreated intermediate- or poor-risk advanced...

Immunotherapy
Skin Cancer

Phase Ib Trial of Toripalimab/Axitinib in Asian Patients With Advanced Mucosal Melanoma

In a Chinese phase Ib study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Sheng et al reported activity with the combination of the anti–programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) agent toripalimab plus axitinib in patients with metastatic mucosal melanoma. As stated by the investigators, whereas...

Kidney Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Immunotherapy

Novel Treatments Under Study in Renal Cell Carcinoma and Prostate Cancer

There were numerous notable presentations at the 2019 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, many of which were covered in The ASCO Post over the past few months. To add to our continued coverage of this meeting, here are some highlights from studies focusing on novel therapeutics in renal cell carcinoma ...

Kidney Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Immunotherapy

Novel Treatments Under Study in Renal Cell Carcinoma and Prostate Cancer

There were numerous notable presentations at the 2019 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, many of which were covered in The ASCO Post over the past few months. To add to our continued coverage of this meeting, here are some highlights from studies focusing on novel therapeutics in renal cell carcinoma ...

Health-Care Policy
Immunotherapy

CMS Finalizes Decision to Cover CAR T-Cell Therapy for Medicare Beneficiaries

ON AUGUST 7, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the decision to cover U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy among recipients of Medicare benefits. FDA-approved CAR T-cell therapies are approved to treat patients ...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Optimal First-Line Therapy for Stage IV Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Immunotherapy Alone or With Chemotherapy?

Recent studies in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have shown benefit for combining checkpoint inhibitors with chemotherapy. Should combinations, therefore, be the first choice for treating patients with newly diagnosed stage IV disease? Two lung cancer experts debated this point at the 2019...

Immunotherapy

What Causes Liver Injury During Treatment With Pembrolizumab

Immunotherapy as a treatment for advanced solid cancers has rapidly evolved over the past decade—often yielding remarkable results. However, its use has also given way to new adverse effects, including drug-induced gastrointestinal and liver toxicities. “Checkpoint inhibitors are a game changer...

Immunotherapy
Skin Cancer
Kidney Cancer
Lung Cancer

Long-Term Follow-up of Patients With Melanoma, Kidney Cancer, and Lung Cancer Receiving Nivolumab

As reported by Suzanne L. Topalian, MD, and colleagues in JAMA Oncology, long-term follow up of patients from a phase I expansion cohort study indicated 5-year overall survival rates of 34.2%, 27.7%, and 15.6% among patients who received nivolumab monotherapy for advanced melanoma, renal cell...

Immunotherapy
Skin Cancer

5-Year Follow-Up of KEYNOTE-006 Trial of Immunotherapy Regimens in Advanced Melanoma

In a post hoc 5-year follow-up of the KEYNOTE-006 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Caroline Robert, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that pembrolizumab maintained overall and progression-free survival benefits over ipilimumab in patients with advanced melanoma. In the primary analysis from the...

Immunotherapy

What Causes Liver Injury During Treatment With Pembrolizumab

Immunotherapy as a treatment for advanced solid cancers has rapidly evolved over the past decade—often yielding remarkable results. However, its use has also given way to new adverse effects, including drug-induced gastrointestinal and liver toxicities. “Checkpoint inhibitors are a game changer...

lymphoma
immunotherapy

Nivolumab/Brentuximab Vedotin in Relapsed or Refractory Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Zinzani et al, findings in a phase II expansion cohort of the CheckMate 436 study indicated high levels of activity with the combination of nivolumab and brentuximab vedotin in relapsed or refractory primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma. As...

solid tumors
immunotherapy

T-Cell Receptor Gene Therapy in HPV-Associated Epithelial Cancers

In a first-in-human phase I/II study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Doran et al found that autologous genetically engineered T cells expressing a T-cell receptor directed against the human papillomavirus (HPV)16 E6 oncoprotein were capable of inducing tumor regression in metastatic,...

lung cancer
immunotherapy

Pooled Analysis of 4-Year Survival With Nivolumab Therapy in Patients With Previously Treated Advanced NSCLC

In an analysis reported in The Lancet Oncology, Antonia et al identified long-term survival rates with nivolumab therapy in patients with previously treated advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The pooled analysis included data from the CheckMate 017, 057, 063, and 003 trials, each...

immunotherapy

Immune-Related Adverse Events Requiring Hospitalization in Patients Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

In a single-center analysis reported in the Journal of Oncology Practice, Balaji et al found that immune-related adverse events associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment often require hospitalization and multidisciplinary management. The study involved data from patients who had...

Immunotherapy
Symptom Management

Anti–PD-1/PD-L1 Rechallenge After Immune-Related Adverse Events

In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Olivier Lambotte, MD, PhD, found that rechallenge with an immune checkpoint inhibitor after occurrence of immune-related adverse events was associated with occurrence of an immune-related adverse event in approximately half of patients, with no increase in...

Skin Cancer
Immunotherapy

Addition of IDO1 Inhibitor to Immunotherapy in Melanoma

As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Georgina V. Long, PhD, and colleagues, the phase III ECHO-301/KEYNOTE-252 trial showed no improvement in progression-free or overall survival with the addition of the IDO1 inhibitor epacadostat to pembrolizumab in unresectable stage III or stage IV melanoma....

Immunotherapy
Skin Cancer

Pembrolizumab for Advanced Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Late in 2018, pembrolizumab was granted accelerated approval in the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.1,2 Supporting Efficacy Data Approval was based on Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network protocol 9 (CITN-09), also known...

health-care policy
immunotherapy

CMS Finalizes Decision to Cover CAR T-Cell Therapy for Medicare Beneficiaries

On August 7, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the decision to cover U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy among recipients of Medicare benefits. FDA-approved CAR T-cell therapies are approved to...

solid tumors
immunotherapy

Comparison of Biomarker Assay Types in Predicting Response to Anti–PD-1/PD-L1 Treatment

In a systematic review and meta-analysis reported in JAMA Oncology, Lu et al found that multiplex immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence (mIHC/IF) assays appeared to have greater accuracy vs other types of assays in predicting response to anti–programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell...

lung cancer
immunotherapy

Maintenance Bevacizumab, Pemetrexed, or Both in Advanced Nonsquamous NSCLC

In the phase III ECOG-ACRIN 5508 trial, reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Ramalingam et al, maintenance pemetrexed or bevacizumab was associated with no significant improvement in overall survival vs the bevacizumab control group alone, and was associated with greater toxicity in...

Immunotherapy

Blue Distinction Center for Cellular Immunotherapy Status Granted to Huntsman Cancer Institute

Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah is the first Regence provider designated as a national Blue Distinction Center for Cellular Immunotherapy. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy (CAR–T)-designated hospitals must be certified by a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation...

symptom management
immunotherapy

What Causes Liver Injury During Treatment With Pembrolizumab?

Immunotherapy as a treatment for advanced solid cancers has rapidly evolved over the past decade—often yielding remarkable results. However, its use has also given way to new adverse effects, including drug-induced gastrointestinal and liver toxicities. “Checkpoint inhibitors are a...

solid tumors
immunotherapy

Cell-Free DNA Sequencing Highly Concordant With Tissue-Based Testing in the Detection of Microsatellite Instability Status

Microsatellite instability (MSI) is an important predictive biomarker of response to immune checkpoint blockade in solid cancers. However, despite recommendations by clinical practice guidelines, MSI is often not assessed, usually due to tissue insufficiency, unavailability, or infeasibility....

leukemia
immunotherapy

Ibrutinib/Rituximab vs Standard Chemoimmunotherapy in Previously Untreated CLL

In an interim analysis of the phase III E1912 trial reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Shanafelt et al found that ibrutinib/rituximab improved progression-free and overall survival vs standard chemoimmunotherapy in patients 70 years old or younger with previously untreated chronic...

solid tumors
immunotherapy

Tumor-Associated Antigen Cytotoxic T Cells in Relapsed or Refractory Solid Tumors

In a phase I trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Hont et al found that treatment of relapsed or refractory solid tumors with ex vivo expanded autologous multiantigen-associated specific cytotoxic T cells—or, tumor-associated antigen cytotoxic T cells—was safe and showed...

Immunotherapy

What Causes Liver Injury During Treatment With Pembrolizumab?

Immunotherapy as a treatment for advanced solid cancers has rapidly evolved over the past decade—often yielding remarkable results. However, its use has also given way to new adverse effects, including drug-induced gastrointestinal and liver toxicities. “Checkpoint inhibitors are a game changer...

solid tumors
skin cancer
immunotherapy

FDA Pipeline: Breakthrough Therapy for Melanoma, Investigational New Drug for Advanced Solid Tumors

This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to bempegaldesleukin in combination with nivolumab for advanced melanoma and cleared an investigational new drug application for a phase I trial of SB 11285 in advanced solid tumors. Breakthrough...

skin cancer
immunotherapy

Post Hoc 5-Year Follow-up of Pembrolizumab vs Ipilimumab in Advanced Melanoma

In a post hoc 5-year follow-up of the KEYNOTE-006 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Robert et al found that pembrolizumab maintained overall and progression-free survival benefits over ipilimumab in patients with advanced melanoma. In the primary analysis from the trial, both pembrolizumab...

pancreatic cancer
immunotherapy

Durvalumab With or Without Tremelimumab in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

In the first stage of a phase II trial reported in JAMA Oncology, O’Reilly et al found poor activity of durvalumab with or without tremelimumab in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Owing to the lack of efficacy, study expansion was not pursued.   The lead-in open-label safety ...

head and neck cancer
immunotherapy

Palbociclib Plus Cetuximab in Platinum- and Cetuximab-Resistant HPV-Unrelated Head and Neck Cancer

In a phase II study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Adkins et al found that the combination of the cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor palbociclib and the EGFR inhibitor cetuximab showed activity in patients with either platinum- or cetuximab-resistant human papillomavirus...

gastroesophageal cancer
immunotherapy

FDA Approves Pembrolizumab for Some Patients With PD-L1–Positive Esophageal Cancer

On July 30, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda) as monotherapy for the treatment of patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus whose tumors express programmed ...

lymphoma
immunotherapy

Rituximab Maintenance in Previously Untreated Follicular Lymphoma: 9-Year Follow-up

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Bachy et al, 9-year follow-up of the phase III PRIMA trial indicated a maintained progression-free survival benefit of maintenance rituximab vs observation following first-line induction therapy for follicular lymphoma. As in the prior reports from ...

kidney cancer
lung cancer
skin cancer
immunotherapy

Five-Year Survival in Heavily Pretreated Patients Receiving Nivolumab Monotherapy

As reported by Topalian et al in JAMA Oncology, long-term follow up of patients from a phase I expansion cohort study indicated 5-year overall survival rates of 34.2%, 27.7%, and 15.6% among patients who received nivolumab monotherapy for advanced melanoma, renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and...

leukemia
lung cancer
sarcoma
immunotherapy

FDA Pipeline: Label Update for Durvalumab in NSCLC; Applications Accepted in Epithelioid Sarcoma, AML

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the inclusion of overall survival from the PACIFIC trial in the U.S. prescribing information for durvalumab and accepted applications for a new drug in the treatment of epithelioid sarcoma and two orphan drugs in the treatment of acute...

lung cancer
immunotherapy

Pembrolizumab After Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy in Advanced NSCLC

In a Dutch phase II study reported in JAMA Oncology, Theelen et al found that although use of stereotactic body radiotherapy prior to pembrolizumab increased the objective response rate vs pembrolizumab alone in metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the difference did not meet study...

Gastrointestinal Cancer
Immunotherapy

Brief Update on Clinical Trials of New Treatments in Gastrointestinal Cancers

The 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting provided attendees with an abundance of clinically relevant abstracts in gastrointestinal cancers. Briefly featured here are clinical trial updates on pembrolizumab in the second-line treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (KEYNOTE-240 trial), laparoscopic vs open...

Immunotherapy
Colorectal Cancer
Lung Cancer
CNS Cancers
Kidney Cancer
Gynecologic Cancers

FDA Approves Bevacizumab Biosimilar for Five Cancer Types

ON JUNE 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved bevacizumab-bvzr (Zirabev), a biosimilar to bevacizumab (Avastin), for the treatment of five types of cancer: metastatic colorectal cancer; unresectable, locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic nonsquamous non–small cell lung...

Immunotherapy
Lung Cancer

FDA Expands Indication for Pembrolizumab to Metastatic Small Cell Lung Cancer

ON JUNE 17, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to the anti– programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy pembrolizumab (Keytruda) as monotherapy for patients with metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with disease progression on or after platinum-based...

Breast Cancer
Immunotherapy

Two Pivotal Studies in Breast Cancer Report Further Analyses

At the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting, two pivotal breast cancer trials reported final or additional analyses: one confirmed the negative results seen in earlier reports,1 and the other supported a new survival benchmark.2 KRISTINE: Neoadjuvant T-DM1/Pertuzumab Sara A. Hurvitz, MD, of the David Geffen...

Immunotherapy
Skin Cancer

Expert Point of View: Vernon K. Sondak, MD

Commenting for The ASCO Post, ­melanoma expert Vernon K. Sondak, MD, Chair of the Department of Cutaneous Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, maintained that the association between immuno­therapy-related toxicity and better outcomes is not yet clear. He first noted the impact of novel...

Immunotherapy
Skin Cancer

Study Finds Immune-Related Adverse Events Herald Benefit With Adjuvant Pembrolizumab in Melanoma

In the EORTC 1325/KEYNOTE-054 trial of adjuvant pembrolizumab in patients with stage III melanoma, recurrences were reduced by 44% in the immunotherapy arm, vs placebo, but this benefit increased to a 63% reduction in risk among patients developing an immune-related adverse event on treatment.1...

hepatobiliary cancer
immunotherapy

FDA Grants Breakthrough Therapy Designation to Pembrolizumab Plus Lenvatinib in Advanced HCC

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to the programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitor pembrolizumab in combination with the multiple kinase inhibitor lenvatinib for the potential first-line treatment of patients with advanced unresectable...

lung cancer
immunotherapy

Immunotherapy After Locally Ablative Therapy for Oligometastatic NSCLC

In a single-center phase II trial reported in JAMA Oncology, Bauml et al found that pembrolizumab given after locally ablative therapy appeared to be associated with improved outcomes in patients with oligometastatic non­–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the study, 45 evaluable...

colorectal cancer
immunotherapy

Maintenance Panitumumab vs Panitumumab/Fluorouracil/Leucovorin in RAS Wild-Type Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

In an Italian phase II trial reported in JAMA Oncology, Pietrantonio et al found that maintenance panitumumab alone was inferior in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) compared to maintenance panitumumab plus fluorouracil/leucovorin in RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer. Study Details ...

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