Efficacy and safety of nivolumab for patients with pre-treated type B3 thymoma and thymic carcinoma: results from the EORTC-ETOP NIVOTHYM phase II trial.

BACKGROUND: Thymic malignancies are rare intrathoracic tumors, which may be aggressive and difficult to treat. They represent a therapeutic challenge in the advanced/metastatic setting, with limited treatment options after the failure of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. They are frequently associated with autoimmune disorders that also impact oncological management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NIVOTHYM is an international, multicenter, phase II, two-cohort, single-arm trial evaluating the activity and safety of nivolumab [240 mg intravenously (i.v.) q2 weeks] alone or with ipilimumab (1 mg /kg i.v. q6 weeks) in patients with advanced/relapsed type B3 thymoma or thymic carcinoma, after exposure to platinum-based chemotherapy. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival rate at 6 months (PFSR-6) based on RECIST 1.1 as per independent radiological review. RESULTS: From April 2018 to February 2020, 55 patients were enrolled in 15 centers from 5 countries. Ten patients (18%) had type B3 thymoma and 43 (78%) had thymic carcinoma. The majority were male (64%), and the median age was 58 years. Among the 49 eligible patients who started treatment, PFSR-6 by central review was 35% [95% confidence interval (CI) 22% to 50%]. The overall response rate and disease control rate were 12% (95% CI 5% to 25%) and 63% (95% CI 48% to 77%), respectively. Using the Kaplan-Meier method, median progression-free survival and overall survival by local assessment were 6.0 (95% CI 3.1-10.4) months and 21.3 (95% CI 11.6-not estimable) months, respectively. In the safety population of 54 patients, adverse events (AEs) of grade 1/2 were observed in 22 (41%) patients and grade 3/4 in 31 (57%) patients. Treatment-related AEs of grade 4 included one case of neutropenia, one case of immune-mediated transaminitis, and two cases of myocarditis. CONCLUSIONS: Nivolumab monotherapy demonstrated an acceptable safety profile and objective activity, although it has been insufficient to meet its primary objective. The second cohort of NIVOTHYM is currently ongoing to assess the combination of nivolumab plus ipilimumab.

Influence of localization of PSMA-positive oligo-metastases on efficacy of metastasis-directed external-beam radiotherapy-a multicenter retrospective study.

PURPOSE: Approximately 40-70% of biochemically persistent or recurrent prostate cancer (PCa) patients after radical prostatectomy (RPE) are oligo-metastatic in 68gallium-prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography (68Ga-PSMA PET). Those lesions are frequently located outside the prostate bed, and therefore not cured by the current standards of care like external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) of the prostatic fossa. This retrospective study analyzes the influence of oligo-metastases' site on outcome after metastasis-directed radiotherapy (MDR). METHODS: Retrospectively, 359 patients with PET-positive PCa recurrences after RPE were analyzed. Biochemical recurrence-free survival (BRFS) (prostate-specific antigen (PSA) < post-radiotherapy nadir + 0.2 ng/mL) was assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: All patients were initially clinically without distant metastases (cM0). Seventy-five patients had local recurrence within the prostatic fossa, 32 patients had pelvic nodal plus local recurrence, 117 patients had pelvic nodal recurrence, 51 patients had paraaortic lymph node metastases with/without locoregional recurrence, and 84 patients had bone or visceral metastases with/without locoregional recurrence. Median PSA before MDR was 1.2 ng/mL (range, 0.04-47.5). Additive androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) was given in 35% (125/359) of patients. Median PSA nadir after MDR was 0.23 ng/mL (range, < 0.03-18.30). After a median follow-up of 16 months (1-57), 239/351 (68%) patients had no biochemical recurrence. Patients with distant lymph node and/or distant metastases, the so-called oligo-body cohort, had an overall in-field control of 90/98 (91%) but at the same time, an ex-field progress of 44/96 (46%). In comparison, an ex-field progress was detected in 28/154 (18%) patients with local and/or pelvic nodal recurrence (oligo-pelvis group). Compared with the oligo-pelvis group, there was a significantly lower BRFS in oligo-body patients at the last follow-up. CONCLUSION: Overall, BRFS was dependent on patterns of metastatic disease. Thus, MDR of PSMA PET-positive oligo-metastases can be offered considering that about one-third of the patients progressed within a median follow-up of 16 months.

Volume-based quantitative FDG PET/CT metrics and their association with optimal debulking and progression-free survival in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer undergoing secondary cytoreductive surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to evaluate the associations between quantitative (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (FDG-PET) uptake metrics, optimal debulking (OD) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer undergoing secondary cytoreductive surgery. METHODS: Fifty-five patients with recurrent ovarian cancer underwent FDG-PET/CT within 90 days prior to surgery. Standardized uptake values (SUVmax), metabolically active tumour volumes (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were measured on PET. Exact logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier curves and the log-rank test were used to assess associations between imaging metrics, OD and PFS. RESULTS: MTV (p = 0.0025) and TLG (p = 0.0043) were associated with OD; however, there was no significant association between SUVmax and debulking status (p = 0.83). Patients with an MTV above 7.52 mL and/or a TLG above 35.94 g had significantly shorter PFS (p = 0.0191 for MTV and p = 0.0069 for TLG). SUVmax was not significantly related to PFS (p = 0.10). PFS estimates at 3.5 years after surgery were 0.42 for patients with an MTV ≤ 7.52 mL and 0.19 for patients with an MTV > 7.52 mL; 0.46 for patients with a TLG ≤ 35.94 g and 0.15 for patients with a TLG > 35.94 g. CONCLUSION: FDG-PET metrics that reflect metabolic tumour burden are associated with optimal secondary cytoreductive surgery and progression-free survival in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer. KEY POINTS: • Both TLG and MTV were associated with optimal tumour debulking. • There was no significant association between SUVmax and tumour debulking status. • Patients with higher MTV and/or TLG had significantly shorter PFS. • SUVmax was not significantly related to PFS.

Variability of average SUV from several hottest voxels is lower than that of SUVmax and SUVpeak.

OBJECTIVES: To assess variability of the average standard uptake value (SUV) computed by varying the number of hottest voxels within an (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG)-positive lesion. This SUV metric was compared with the maximal SUV (SUV(max): the hottest voxel) and peak SUV (SUV(peak): SUV(max) and its 26 neighbouring voxels). METHODS: Twelve lung cancer patients (20 lesions) were analysed using PET dynamic acquisition involving ten successive 2.5-min frames. In each frame and lesion, average SUV obtained from the N = 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 hottest voxels (SUV(max-N)), SUV(max) and SUV(peak) were assessed. The relative standard deviations (SDrs) from ten frames were calculated for each SUV metric and lesion, yielding the mean relative SD from 20 lesions for each SUV metric (SDr(N), SDr(max) and SDr(peak)), and hence relative measurement error and repeatability (MEr-R). RESULTS: For each N, SDr(N) was significantly lower than SDr(max) and SDr(peak). SDr(N) correlated strongly with N: 6.471 × N(-0.103) (r = 0.994; P < 0.01). MEr-R of SUV(max-30) was 8.94-12.63% (95% CL), versus 13.86-19.59% and 13.41-18.95% for SUV(max) and SUV(peak) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Variability of SUV(max-N) is significantly lower than for SUV(max) and SUV(peak). Further prospective studies should be performed to determine the optimal total hottest volume, as voxel volume may depend on the PET system. KEY POINTS: • PET imaging provides functional parameters of (18) F-FDG-positive lesions, such as SUVmax and SUVpeak. • Averaging SUV from several hottest voxels (SUVmax-N) is a further SUV metric. • Variability of SUVmax-N is significantly lower than SUVmax and SUVpeak variability. • SUVmax-N should improve SUV accuracy for predicting outcome or assessing treatment response. • An optimal total hottest volume should be determined through further prospective studies.

Lowering heart rate with an optimised breathing protocol for prospectively ECG-triggered CT coronary angiography.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to prospectively characterise the effect of the level of breath-hold on heart rate in CT coronary angiography (CTCA) with prospective electrocardiogram (ECG) triggering and its impact on coronary artery attenuation. METHODS: 260 patients (86 women; mean age 59 ± 11 years) underwent 64-slice CTCA using prospective ECG triggering. Prior to CTCA, heart rates were recorded during 15 s of breath-hold at three different levels of inspiration (normal, intermediate and deep). The inspiration level with the lowest heart rate was chosen for actual CTCA scanning. Coronary artery attenuation was measured, and the presence of backflow of contrast material into the inferior vena cava (as an indicator of increased intrathoracic pressure) was recorded. RESULTS: The mean heart rate at breath-hold was significantly different for the three inspiration levels (normal, 60 ± 8 bpm; intermediate, 59 ± 8 bpm; deep, 57 ± 7 bpm; p<0.001). The maximum heart rate reduction in each patient at breath-hold averaged 5.3 ± 5.1 bpm, and was observed at a normal inspiration depth in 23 (9%) patients, at an intermediate inspiration depth in 102 (39%) patients and at deep inspiration in 135 (52%) patients. Overall, there was no association between the level of breath-hold and coronary vessel attenuation (p-value was not significant). However, the backflow of contrast material into the inferior vena cava (n = 26) was found predominantly at deep inspiration levels (p<0.001), and, when it occurred, it was associated with reduced coronary attenuation compared with patients with no backflow (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The breath-hold level to best reduce heart rate for CTCA should be individually assessed prior to scanning because a mean heart rate reduction of 5 bpm can be achieved.