BackgroundSitravatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets TYRO3, AXL, MERTK and the VEGF receptor family, is predicted to increase the M1 to M2-polarized tumor-associated macrophages ratio in ...the tumor microenvironment and have synergistic antitumor activity in combination with anti-programmed death-1/ligand-1 agents. SNOW is a window-of-opportunity study designed to evaluate the immune and molecular effects of preoperative sitravatinib and nivolumab in patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.MethodsPatients with newly-diagnosed untreated T2-4a, N0-2 or T1 >1 cm-N2 oral cavity carcinomas were eligible. All patients received sitravatinib 120 mg daily from day 1 up to 48 hours pre-surgery and one dose of nivolumab 240 mg on day 15. Surgery was planned between day 23 and 30. Standard of care adjuvant radiotherapy was given based on clinical stage. Tumor photographs, fresh tumor biopsies and blood samples were collected at baseline, at day 15 after sitravatinib alone, and at surgery after sitravatinib–nivolumab combination. Tumor flow cytometry, multiplex immunofluorescence staining and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) were performed on tumor biopsies to study changes in immune-cell populations. Tumor whole-exome sequencing and circulating tumor DNA and cell-free DNA were evaluated at each time point.ResultsTen patients were included. Grade 3 toxicity occurred in one patient (hypertension); one patient required sitravatinib dose reduction, and one patient required discontinuation and surgery delay due to G2 thrombocytopenia. Nine patients had clinical-to-pathological downstaging, with one complete response. Independent pathological treatment response (PTR) assessment confirmed a complete PTR and two major PTRs. With a median follow-up of 21 months, all patients are alive with no recurrence. Circulating tumor DNA and cell-free DNA dynamics correlated with clinical and pathological response and distinguished two patient groups with different tumor biological behavior after sitravatinib alone (1A) versus sitravatinib–nivolumab (1B). Tumor immunophenotyping and scRNAseq analyses revealed differential changes in the expression of immune cell populations and sitravatinib-targeted and hypoxia-related genes in group 1A vs 1B patients.ConclusionsThe SNOW study shows sitravatinib plus nivolumab is safe and leads to deep clinical and pathological responses in oral cavity carcinomas. Multi-omic biomarker analyses dissect the differential molecular effects of sitravatinib versus the sitravatinib–nivolumab and revealed patients with distinct tumor biology behavior.Trial registration numberNCT03575598.
Immunotherapy (IO) has increasingly been demonstrated to provide therapeutic benefit to patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, only a subset of mCRC tumors respond to IO. ...Monitoring response with tumor biomarkers like carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) has been challenging in patients with microsatellite stable (MSS) mCRC due to low expression of CEA (CEA/lo). Noninvasive blood-based biomarkers such as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can inform early treatment response and augment radiographic monitoring. We describe a case study of a patient with chemotherapy-refractory CEA/lo MSS mCRC, with metastatic disease present in a cardiophrenic lymph node. The patient was given 2 cycles of combination IO (ipilimumab/nivolumab). Response was monitored by ctDNA using a multiplex PCR next-generation sequencing assay, CEA, and CT scan. After IO administration, ctDNA levels rapidly declined, becoming undetectable. This was concurrent with radiographic resolution of the lymph node metastasis. Serial monitoring of CEA during this same period was uninformative, with no significant changes observed. Significant decline in ctDNA identified metastatic response to IO in a patient with CEA/lo, MSS mCRC and was concurrently validated by CT scan. This case study provides evidence that ctDNA can be used as a prospective surrogate for radiographic tumor response.
Currently, serum carcinoembryonic agent (CEA) along with contrast-enhanced imaging and colonoscopy are used for evaluation of recurrence of colorectal cancer. However, CEA is an unreliable and ...nonspecific biomarker that may fail to rise and signal relapse. Analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients offers a minimally invasive method to assess risk of relapse several months ahead of conventional clinical means. Here, we report the case of a colon adenocarcinoma with postoperative liver metastasis diagnosed early by ctDNA measurement, using a personalized NGS-mPCR assay. While ctDNA levels continued to rise, CEA levels tested negative. Metastatic relapse to the liver was promptly confirmed by PET/CT scan. The patient underwent a successful metastasectomy with curative intent. Following surgery, the patient exhibited no evidence of disease and ctDNA levels remained negative. Our case report suggests that the early detection of postoperative molecular residual disease by means of ctDNA measurement can accurately predict mCRC relapse in cases where CEA levels fail to increase. Close monitoring of ctDNA levels during the postoperative period can allow for earlier intervention and more favorable outcomes in relapsing mCRC patients.
Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related female mortality and the most lethal gynecological cancer. In this report, we present a rare case of recurrent granulosa cell tumor (GCT) ...of the ovary. We describe the case of a 26-yr-old woman with progressive GCT of the right ovary despite multiple lines of therapy who underwent salvage therapy selection based on a novel bioinformatical decision support tool (Oncobox). This analysis generated a list of potentially actionable compounds, which when used clinically lead to partial response and later long-term stabilization of the patient's disease.
BackgroundTriple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive form of breast cancer that is most difficult to treat due to the absence of hormone/growth factor receptors.1 2 Metastatic TNBC (mTNBC) ...is particularly challenging, given the limited efficacy and duration of response to chemotherapy.3 The repertoire of therapeutic options for mTNBC patients continues to increase with chemotherapeutic and immuno oncology based treatments and now includes sacituzumab govitecan, a novel antibody-chemotherapy conjugate.4 MethodsHere we present a case study of a 40-year-old female who on biopsy of her left breast mass was diagnosed with TNBC. The patient underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy with weekly administration of paclitaxel and carboplatin followed by dose-dense doxorubicin with cyclophosphamide. Following one-month, the patient underwent bilateral mastectomy, showing pathological staging ypT2 pN0. The patient underwent periodic radiological imaging along with the assessment of circulating tumor DNA in blood using a personalized and tumor-informed multiplex PCR, next-generation sequencing assay (Signatera bespoke, mPCR NGS assay) to identify the minimal residual disease (MRD) and treatment response.ResultsAfter surgery, MRD assessment revealed ctDNA positive status (0.41 MTM/mL) prompting PET/CT scan that revealed liver metastasis. Continued ctDNA monitoring showed continuous increase in ctDNA concentration (287.09 MTM/mL). Separate analyses indicated MSI-high and PD-L1 positive tumor status, leading to the initiation of the first line of therapy (nab-paclitaxel and Atezolizumab), which resulted in ctDNA decline (39.62 MTM/ml). Weekly ctDNA monitoring noted a rapid increase a month later (178 MTM/ml to 833.69 MTM/ml) within a 2-week interval, which corresponded to disease progression on imaging. Given non-responsiveness with the first-line therapy, the patient was initiated with sacituzumab govitecan. Following this, a rapid decline in the ctDNA level was observed within a week (364.07 MTM/mL) with a downward trend to 73.03 MTM/ml by two weeks. An interval PET/CT scan showed a mixed response. Continued monitoring of ctDNA demonstrated ctDNA levels <5MTM/mL for a period of two months before serially rising again (to 89.27 MTM/ml). PET-CT ordered in response to increasing ctDNA levels confirmed progression involving hepatic and lung lesions. A new line of therapy with nivolumab and ipilimumab was subsequently initiated.ConclusionsSerial monitoring of ctDNA enables early detection of therapy resistance and provides a rationale for treatment change/optimization/discontinuation as compared to periodic imaging that is currently the standard of care. The ease and convenience of using ctDNA-based testing as frequently as every week clearly identified earlier non-responsiveness to IO and also identified earlier acquired resistance to antibody-drug conjugate, enabling a prompt switch to alternative therapy.Ethics ApprovalN/AConsentN/AReferencesAnders C, Carey LA. Understanding and treating triple-negative breast cancer. Oncology (Williston Park). 2008;22(11):1233–1243.Mehanna J, Haddad FG, Eid R, Lambertini M, Kourie HR. Triple-negative breast cancer: current perspective on the evolving therapeutic landscape. Int J Womens Health2019;11:431–437. Published 2019 Jul 31. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S178349Treatment of Triple-negative Breast Cancer. American Cancer Society Website. Updated 2020. Accessed August 10, 2020. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/treatment/treatment-of-triple-negative.htmlBardia A, Mayer IA, Vahdat LT, et al. Sacituzumab govitecan-hziy in refractory metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. N Engl J Med 2019;380(8):741–751. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1814213
Despite significant advances in early detection and treatment, breast cancer still remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality for women. Our understanding of the molecular heterogeneity of the ...disease has significantly expanded over the past decade and the role of cell cycle signaling in both breast cancer oncogenesis and anti-estrogen resistance has gained increasing attention. The mammalian cell cycle is driven by a complex interplay between cyclins and their associated cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) partners, and dysregulation of this process is one of the hallmarks of cancer. Despite this, initial results with broadly acting CDK inhibitors were largely disappointing. However, recent preclinical and phase I/II clinical studies using a novel, oral, reversible CDK4/6 inhibitor, palbociclib (PD-0332991), have validated the role of CDK4/6 as a potential target in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancers. This review highlights our current understanding of CDK signaling in both normal and malignant breast tissues, with special attention placed on recent clinical advances in inhibition of CDK4/6 in ER+ disease.
The number of pregnant women with cancer is on the rise. These patients and their providers encounter complex medical management decisions. Standard-of-care systemic therapy and radiological imaging ...can impair fetal development and affect viability. Conversely, insufficient monitoring and treatment can lead to cancer progression, compromising the health of the patient. Personalized and tumor-informed circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing (Signatera™, bespoke mPCR NGS assay) is a validated, noninvasive blood test that can accurately assess cancer progression and tumor response to treatment ahead of radiological imaging, across solid tumors. In this case series of four patients, we explore the clinical utility of longitudinal ctDNA testing in the medical management of pregnant patients with solid tumors, to aid in informed decision-making for patients and providers.
The continuous improvement in cancer care over the past decade has led to a gradual decrease in cancer-related deaths. This is largely attributed to improved treatment and disease management ...strategies. Early detection of recurrence using blood-based biomarkers such as circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) is being increasingly used in clinical practice. Emerging real-world data shows the utility of ctDNA in detecting molecular residual disease and in treatment-response monitoring, helping clinicians to optimize treatment and surveillance strategies. Many studies have indicated ctDNA to be a sensitive and specific biomarker for recurrence. However, most of these studies are largely observational or anecdotal in nature, and peer-reviewed data regarding the use of ctDNA are mainly indication-specific. Here we provide general recommendations on the clinical utility of ctDNA and how to interpret ctDNA analysis in different treatment settings, especially in patients with solid tumours. Specifically, we provide an understanding around the implications, strengths and limitations of this novel biomarker and how to best apply the results in clinical practice.
Minimally invasive approaches to detect residual disease after surgery are needed to identify patients with cancer who are at risk for metastatic relapse. Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) holds promise ...as a biomarker for molecular residual disease and relapse
. We evaluated outcomes in 581 patients who had undergone surgery and were evaluable for ctDNA from a randomized phase III trial of adjuvant atezolizumab versus observation in operable urothelial cancer. This trial did not reach its efficacy end point in the intention-to-treat population. Here we show that ctDNA testing at the start of therapy (cycle 1 day 1) identified 214 (37%) patients who were positive for ctDNA and who had poor prognosis (observation arm hazard ratio = 6.3 (95% confidence interval: 4.45-8.92); P < 0.0001). Notably, patients who were positive for ctDNA had improved disease-free survival and overall survival in the atezolizumab arm versus the observation arm (disease-free survival hazard ratio = 0.58 (95% confidence interval: 0.43-0.79); P = 0.0024, overall survival hazard ratio = 0.59 (95% confidence interval: 0.41-0.86)). No difference in disease-free survival or overall survival between treatment arms was noted for patients who were negative for ctDNA. The rate of ctDNA clearance at week 6 was higher in the atezolizumab arm (18%) than in the observation arm (4%) (P = 0.0204). Transcriptomic analysis of tumours from patients who were positive for ctDNA revealed higher expression levels of cell-cycle and keratin genes. For patients who were positive for ctDNA and who were treated with atezolizumab, non-relapse was associated with immune response signatures and basal-squamous gene features, whereas relapse was associated with angiogenesis and fibroblast TGFβ signatures. These data suggest that adjuvant atezolizumab may be associated with improved outcomes compared with observation in patients who are positive for ctDNA and who are at a high risk of relapse. These findings, if validated in other settings, would shift approaches to postoperative cancer care.
PDF
