Project description:ImportanceIn the IMspire150 trial, triplet treatment with atezolizumab and vemurafenib plus cobimetinib significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) compared with vemurafenib plus cobimetinib alone for treatment of BRAF V600 variation metastatic melanoma. However, considering high cost of this combination, it is unclear if the incremental cost is worth the additional survival benefit.ObjectiveTo evaluate the cost-effectiveness of atezolizumab and vemurafenib plus cobimetinib vs vemurafenib plus cobimetinib alone in patients with newly diagnosed unresectable BRAF V600 variation metastatic melanoma from the US health care perspective.Design, setting, and participantsThis economic evaluation study used a 3-state partitioned survival model to assess the cost-effectiveness of the combination of atezolizumab with vemurafenib plus cobimetinib vs vemurafenib plus cobimetinib alone. The observed Kaplan-Meier curves for overall survival and PFS were digitized from the IMspire150 trial (January 2017-April 2018) and the long-term survivals (over a lifetime horizon) beyond the end of the trial were extrapolated using 7 different survival models. The cost and health preference data were collected from a literature review. This study was performed from March 2021 through June 2021.Main outcomes and measuresThe outcomes of interest were expected life-years (LYs) gained and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), expressed as cost per LYs and per QALYs saved.ResultsAdding atezolizumab to vemurafenib and cobimetinib provided an additional 3.267 QALYs compared with the doublet regimen of vemurafenib plus cobimetinib, at an ICER of $271 669 per QALY, which is not considered cost-effective at the willingness-to-pay threshold of $150 000 per QALY. However, the scenario analyses found that atezolizumab combined with vemurafenib plus cobimetinib could be cost-effective at 20-year (ICER, $121 432 per QALY) and 30-year ($98 092 per QALY) time horizons when both strategies were stopped after 2 years of treatments, and over a lifetime horizon ($122 220 per QALY) when only immunotherapy with atezolizumab was stopped after 2 years of treatment.Conclusions and relevanceThese findings suggest that the atezolizumab and vemurafenib plus cobimetinib regimen provides significant survival benefits over vemurafenib plus cobimetinib alone, and a price reduction would be encouraged to maximize the value of its survival gain.
Project description:BackgroundFollowing the increased survival of patients with metastatic melanoma thanks to immunotherapy and targeted therapy, neoadjuvant approaches are being investigated to address the unmet needs of unresponsive and intolerant patients. We aim to investigate the efficacy of neoadjuvant plus adjuvant combined or sequenced vemurafenib, cobimetinib and atezolizumab in patients with high-risk, resectable BRAF-mutated and wild-type melanoma.MethodsThe study is a phase II, open-label, randomized non-comparative trial in patients with stage IIIB/C/D surgically resectable, BRAF-mutated and wild-type melanoma, with three possible treatments: (1) vemurafenib 960 mg twice daily from day 1 to 42; (2) vemurafenib 720 mg twice daily from day 1 to 42; (3) cobimetinib 60 mg once daily from day 1 to 21 and from day 29 to 42; and (4) atezolizumab 840 mg for two cycles (day 22 and day 43).Patients will be randomized to three different arms: A) BRAF-mutated patients will receive over 6 weeks (1) + (3); B) BRAF-mutated patients will receive over 6 weeks (2) + (3) + (4); C) BRAF wild-type patients will receive over 6 weeks (3) + (4). All patients will also receive atezolizumab 1200 mg every 3 weeks for 17 cycles after surgery and after a second screening period (up to 6 weeks).DiscussionNeoadjuvant therapy for regional metastases may improve operability and outcomes and facilitate the identification of biomarkers that can guide further lines of treatment. Patients with clinical stage III melanoma may especially benefit from neoadjuvant treatment, as the outcomes of surgery alone are very poor. It is expected that the combination of neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment may reduce the incidence of relapse and improve survival.Clinical trial registrationeudract.ema.europa.eu/protocol.htm, identifier 2018-004841-17.
Project description:BACKGROUNDMEK inhibitors have limited activity in biliary tract cancers (BTCs) as monotherapy but are hypothesized to enhance responses to programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibition.METHODSThis open-label phase II study randomized patients with BTC to atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1) as monotherapy or in combination with cobimetinib (MEK inhibitor). Eligible patients had unresectable BTC with 1 to 2 lines of prior therapy in the metastatic setting, measurable disease, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status less than or equal to 1. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS).RESULTSSeventy-seven patients were randomized and received study therapy. The trial met its primary endpoint, with a median PFS of 3.65 months in the combination arm versus 1.87 months in the monotherapy arm (HR 0.58, 90% CI 0.35-0.93, 1-tail P = 0.027). One patient in the combination arm (3.3%) and 1 patient in the monotherapy arm (2.8%) had a partial response. Combination therapy was associated with more rash, gastrointestinal events, CPK elevations, and thrombocytopenia. Exploratory analysis of tumor biopsies revealed enhanced expression of antigen processing and presentation genes and an increase in CD8/FoxP3 ratios with combination treatment. Patients with higher baseline or lower fold changes in expression of certain inhibitory ligands (LAG3, BTLA, VISTA) on circulating T cells had evidence of greater clinical benefit from the combination.CONCLUSIONThe combination of atezolizumab plus cobimetinib prolonged PFS as compared with atezolizumab monotherapy, but the low response rate in both arms highlights the immune-resistant nature of BTCs.TRIAL REGISTRATIONClinicalTrials.gov NCT03201458.FUNDINGNational Cancer Institute (NCI) Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCTN); F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd.; NCI, NIH (R01 CA228414-01 and UM1CA186691); NCI's Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Gastrointestinal Cancers (P50 CA062924); NIH Center Core Grant (P30 CA006973); and the Passano Foundation.
Project description:In this issue of JEM, Reijers et al. (2023. J. Exp. Med.https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20221952) demonstrate that pre- and post-treatment IFNγ-related gene expression scores are promising markers for choosing neoadjuvant immunotherapy for stage III melanoma.
Project description:BackgroundBRAF (v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1)/MEK (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase) inhibitors are used for melanoma treatment. Unfortunately, patients treated with this combined therapy develop resistance to treatment quite quickly, but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are not yet fully understood. Here, we report and characterize two melanoma cell lines (WM9 and Hs294T) resistant to BRAF (vemurafenib) and MEK (cobimetinib) inhibitors.MethodsCell viability was assessed via the XTT test. The level of selected proteins as well as activation of signaling pathways were evaluated using Western blotting. The expression of the chosen genes was assessed by RT-PCR. The distribution of cell cycle phases was analyzed by flow cytometry, and confocal microscopy was used to take photos of spheroids. The composition of cytokines secreted by cells was determined using a human cytokine array.ResultsThe resistant cells had increased survival and activation of ERK kinase in the presence of BRAF/MEK inhibitors. The IC50 values for these cells were over 1000 times higher than for controls. Resistant cells also exhibited elevated activation of AKT, p38, and JNK signaling pathways with increased expression of EGFR, ErbB2, MET, and PDGFRβ receptors as well as reduced expression of ErbB3 receptor. Furthermore, these cells demonstrated increased expression of genes encoding proteins involved in drug transport and metabolism. Resistant cells also exhibited features of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and cancer stem cells as well as reduced proliferation rate and elevated cytokine secretion.ConclusionsIn summary, this work describes BRAF/MEK-inhibitor-resistant melanoma cells, allowing for better understanding the underlying mechanisms of resistance. The results may thus contribute to the development of new, more effective therapeutic strategies.
Project description:The success of immunotherapy and targeted therapy for metastatic melanoma has generated considerable interest in the adjuvant setting, even though high-risk stage III melanoma (with or without in-transit metastases) still holds a substantial probability of relapse, despite surgical resection and available adjuvant treatments. Based on preclinical and clinical trials in resectable melanoma, immune checkpoint inhibitors can enhance anti-tumor immunity by activating antigen-specific T cells found in the primary site. These tumor-reactive T cells continue to exert their anti-tumor effects on remaining neoplastic cells after resection of the primary tumor, potentially preventing relapses from reoccurring. Several trials in the neoadjuvant setting have been conducted for melanoma patients using checkpoint inhibitors with promising early data, showing an improvement of operability and clinical outcomes. Hence, in this study, we review and discuss the available published and ongoing clinical trials to explore the scientific background behind immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant context.
Project description:BackgroundIn patients with BRAFV600 mutated unresectable stage IIIc or metastatic melanoma, molecular targeted therapy with combined BRAF/MEK-inhibitor vemurafenib plus cobimetinib has shown a significantly improved progression-free survival and overall survival compared to treatment with vemurafenib alone. Nevertheless, the majority of BRAFV600 mutation-positive melanoma patients will eventually develop resistance to treatment. Molecular imaging with 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET has been used to monitor response to vemurafenib in some BRAFV600 mutated metastatic melanoma patients, showing a rapid decline of 18F-FDG uptake within 2 weeks following treatment. Furthermore, preliminary results suggest that metabolic alterations might predict the development of resistance to treatment. 18F-Fluoro-3'-deoxy-3'L-fluorothymidine (18F-FLT), a PET-tracer visualizing proliferation, might be more suitable to predict response or resistance to therapy than 18F-FDG.MethodsThis phase II, open-label, multicenter study evaluates whether metabolic response to treatment with vemurafenib plus cobimetinib in the first 7 weeks as assessed by 18F-FDG/18F-FLT PET can predict progression-free survival and whether early changes in 18F-FDG/18F-FLT can be used for early detection of treatment response compared to standard response assessment with RECISTv1.1 ceCT at 7 weeks. Ninety patients with BRAFV600E/K mutated unresectable stage IIIc/IV melanoma will be included. Prior to and during treatment all patients will undergo 18F-FDG PET/CT and in 25 patients additional 18F-FLT PET/CT is performed. Histopathological tumor characterization is assessed in a subset of 40 patients to unravel mechanisms of resistance. Furthermore, in all patients, blood samples are taken for pharmacokinetic analysis of vemurafenib/cobimetinib. Outcomes are correlated with PET/CT-imaging and therapy response.DiscussionThe results of this study will help in linking PET measured metabolic alterations induced by targeted therapy of BRAFV600 mutated melanoma to molecular changes within the tumor. We will be able to correlate both 18F-FDG and 18F-FLT PET to outcome and decide on the best modality to predict long-term remissions to combined BRAF/MEK-inhibitors. Results coming from this study may help in identifying responders from non-responders early after the initiation of therapy and reveal early development of resistance to vemurafenib/cobimetinib. Furthermore, we believe that the results can be fundamental for further optimizing individual patient treatment.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02414750. Registered 10 April 2015, retrospectively registered.
Project description:PurposeAromatase, encoded by the CYP19 gene, catalyzes the final step of the conversion of androgens to estrogens. Given the critical role of CYP19 in estrogen synthesis, the potential influence of CYP19 rs4646 polymorphism on breast cancer survival, deserves further study.MethodsGenotyping for CYP19 rs4646 variants was performed on 406 Chinese women with stage I-II and operable stage III breast cancer. Associations were evaluated between CYP19 rs4646 genotypes and disease-free survival (DFS).ResultsIn premenopausal patients, women who are homozygous for the minor allele (AA) have a longer DFS compared with those carrying the major allele (CC or AC) (87 months versus 48.7 months; Hazard ratio (HR) = 0.56, 95 % CI = 0.318-0.985, P = 0.041). These differences were further demonstrated by a multivariate analysis (HR = 0.456, 95 % CI = 0.249-0.836, P = 0.011). Conversely, the same variant (AA) was estimated to be associated with a poorer DFS in postmenopausal women (AA versus AC or CC: 13.7 months versus 56.3 months; HR = 2.758, 95 % CI = 1.432-5.313, P = 0.002). Furthermore, the differences were confirmed by the COX proportional hazards model (HR = 2.983, 95% CI =1.494-5.955, P = 0.002).ConclusionsThe present study indicates that CYP19 rs4646 polymorphism is related to DFS in early breast cancer and that the prognosis index of the homozygous for the minor allele (AA) may depend on menopause status. The findings are novel, if confirmed, rs4646 genotypes may provide useful information for routine management in breast cancer.
Project description:IntroductionWe conducted this study to reflect a single-center experience with the use of neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy (NAC) for the management of women with operable breast cancer.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective chart review on all women presenting with operable, stage II-III, breast cancer and were scheduled for NAC at Suez Canal University Hospital. The primary outcome of this study was to estimate the proportion of patients with breast cancer who become eligible for breast-conserving surgery (BCS) after (NAC).ResultsA total of 147 patients were included. Before the initiation of chemotherapy, only 66 (44.9%) patients were indicated for (BCS). A total of 40 (49.4%) new patients, out of the 81 patients who were ineligible before chemotherapy, became eligible for BCS after NAC (95% CI 39.3-61.9%). On the other hand, 8 (12.1%) patients became ineligible for BCS after NAC, out of 66 patients who were initially eligible. Out of the 98 eligible patients for BCS after chemotherapy, 72 (73.5%) patients underwent the surgery, and the remaining 26 (26.5%) patients chose modified radical mastectomy (MRM). A total of 55 out of 72 (76.4%) patients achieved pathological complete response (pCR). One woman (0.1%) experienced relapse in the 3rd year of follow-up and three women (2%) experienced relapse in the 5th year of follow-up. We found a statistically significant relationship between patients who became eligible for breast-conserving surgery and both age and estrogen receptor negativity (p = 0.001 and 0.007, respectively).ConclusionNAC can play a crucial role in increasing the rate of eligibility for BCS among women with operable, stage II-III, breast cancer.