Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Pembrolizumab improves the survival of patients with advanced melanoma. A comprehensive analysis of baseline variables that predict the benefit of pembrolizumab monotherapy has not been conducted.Methods
Survival data of patients with advanced melanoma who were treated with pembrolizumab in a single university hospital were collected. A multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to correlate baseline clinical, laboratory, and radiologic characteristics and NanoString IO360 gene expression profiling (GEP) with survival.Results
183 patients were included (stage IV 85.2%, WHO performance status ?1 31.1%; pembrolizumab first-line 25.7%), of whom 112 underwent baseline 18F-FDG-PET/CT imaging, 58 had circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assessments, and GEP was available in 27 patients. Active brain metastases, a higher number of metastatic sites, lower albumin and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), higher C-reactive protein (CRP) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, higher total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV), and higher ctDNA levels were associated with worse survival. Elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) ? 2ULN (upper limit of normal), CRP ? 10ULN, or ALC < 750/mm3 delineate a subpopulation where treatment with pembrolizumab is futile. A TMTV ? 80 mL encompassed 17/21 patients with LDH ? 2ULN, CRP ? 10ULN, or ALC < 750/mm3. No significant associations were observed between baseline GEP scores and survival.Conclusion
Multiple baseline variables correlate with survival on pembrolizumab. TMTV is a more comprehensive baseline biomarker than CRP, LDH, or ALC in predicting the futility of pembrolizumab.
SUBMITTER: Awada G
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7825041 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Awada Gil G Jansen Yanina Y Schwarze Julia Katharina JK Tijtgat Jens J Hellinckx Lennert L Gondry Odrade O Vermeulen Sim S Warren Sarah S Schats Kelly K van Dam Pieter-Jan PJ Kockx Mark M Keyaerts Marleen M Everaert Hendrik H Seremet Teofila T Rogiers Anne A Neyns Bart B
Cancers 20210106 2
<h4>Background</h4>Pembrolizumab improves the survival of patients with advanced melanoma. A comprehensive analysis of baseline variables that predict the benefit of pembrolizumab monotherapy has not been conducted.<h4>Methods</h4>Survival data of patients with advanced melanoma who were treated with pembrolizumab in a single university hospital were collected. A multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to correlate baseline clinical, laboratory, and radiologic characteristics and Nano ...[more]