Phase I Trial of Combination Therapy With Avelumab and Cabozantinib in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Combination immunotherapy is now considered the standard first-line therapy for patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC) after multiple clinical trials demonstrated improved overall survival compared with single-agent tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Cabozantinib modulates critical components of the immune system, such as decreasing regulatory T cells and increasing T-effector cell populations, and is approved for the treatment of mRCC. Avelumab is a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds to programmed death-ligand 1 protein and inhibits the interaction with PD-1. This phase I trial assessed the safety and clinical activity of avelumab and cabozantinib combination therapy in mccRCC. METHODS: This study was a phase I, 3+3 dose escalation clinical trial. The primary endpoint was the safety and identification of the recommended phase II dose (RP2D). Secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR) and radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS). There were 3 dose cohorts: cabozantinib 20, 40, and 60 mg/day, each combined with avelumab (10 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks). An additional 3 patients were included in the final dose cohort as a confirmation of the RP2D. No dose modifications were allowed for avelumab, but dose delays were permitted. Both dose reductions and holds were allowed for cabozantinib. Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), version 1.1, was used to determine ORR, and treatment beyond progression was allowed. RESULTS: Twelve patients with newly diagnosed mccRCC were enrolled from July 2018 until March 2020. Three patients were enrolled in the 20 and 40 mg cohorts each, and 6 were enrolled in the 60 mg cohort. The International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium (IMDC) risk categories for these patients were: 4 patients (favorable risk), 6 patients (intermediate risk), and 2 patients (poor risk). No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were observed in any cohort. Six patients developed serious adverse events related to study treatment after the DLT window period. Immune-related adverse events (iRAEs) were reported in 11 patients; fatigue and diarrhea were the most common (each with n = 4, 33.3%), followed by maculopapular rash and hand-foot syndrome (each with n = 3, 25%). Dose reductions were required in 5 of 6 patients in the cabozantinib 60 mg cohort after the DLT period. One patient discontinued avelumab due to irAE (nephritis), while none discontinued cabozantinib due to toxicity. The ORR was 50%, with one complete response (CR) and 5 partial responses (PR). The disease control rate (CR + PR + stable disease) was noted in 92% of the patients. Radiological PFS survival rate at 6 and 12 months was reported in 67.7% and 33.5% of patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: Combination therapy with avelumab and cabozantinib is safe and showed preliminary clinical activity in mccRCC. Even though the DLT was not met in any of the 3 cohorts, the recommended RP2D dose for the combination is cabozantinib 40 mg/day due to a high incidence of grade 2 toxicity for cabozantinib 60 mg/day after the DLT period. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03200587).

A phase I open-label study of the safety and efficacy of apatinib (rivoceranib) administered to patients with advanced malignancies to improve sensitivity to pembrolizumab in the second- or later-line setting (APPEASE).

OBJECTIVE: APPEASE is a phase I study to assess the safety, dosing, and efficacy of rivoceranib (a selective, small-molecule inhibitor of VEGFR2) in combination with pembrolizumab. We aimed to treat patients with metastatic malignancies who have progressed through at least first-line therapy, with pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks, as well as escalating doses of rivoceranib until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. RESULTS: Five patients were enrolled on the starting dose of rivoceranib 300 mg once daily. There were no dose-limiting toxicities observed in combination with pembrolizumab. The dose of rivoceranib was not escalated due to study closure. We note a treatment related grade 3 adverse event (AE) rate of 40%, predominantly in urothelial cancer patients, with no deaths related to treatment related AEs. The disease control rate was 75% (3 of 4) and the median progression free survival (PFS) was 3.6 months. Tumor shrinkage was noted in patients who were previously progressing on pembrolizumab alone. Apatinib 300 mg is safe and demonstrates anti-tumor activity in advanced solid tumors in combination with pembrolizumab. Further dose escalation and efficacy need to be investigated in larger disease-specific patient populations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Clinical trial registration number: NCT03407976. Date of registration: January 17, 2018.

Prospective Evaluation of Bone Metabolic Markers as Surrogate Markers of Response to Radium-223 Therapy in Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: Radium-223 is approved for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) based on improved overall survival, and delay in skeletal related events. However, it is not associated with PSA or radiographic response, which poses a challenge in real-time assessment of its efficacy. Surrogate markers of treatment outcomes may facilitate tailoring treatment duration with radium-223, by limiting the duration of therapy with radium-223 in these patients. Here, we sought to investigate the utility of bone metabolic markers (BMMs) as surrogate markers of response to radium-223 in mCRPC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective phase II trial of radium-223 plus enzalutamide (RE) versus enzalutamide alone was designed to assess surrogacy of BMMs with respect to response to radium-223. Enzalutamide was used as a comparator in lieu of placebo due to the progressive disease. Co-primary endpoints were relative change in serum BMM N-telopeptide (NTP) levels from baseline to 6 months between the two arms and safety and feasibility of the combination. RESULTS: Thirty-nine men were randomized to RE (n = 27) or enzalutamide (n = 12). Combination was safe and feasible. Primary endpoint was met. A statistically significant relative change to NTP ratios between arms (0.64, 95% confidence interval, 0.51-0.81; P = 0.00048) favored RE versus enzalutamide. Overall, BMMs decreased with the RE therapy compared with enzalutamide. Improved PSA response rate in RE versus enzalutamide (P = 0.024), correlated with decline in BMMs. CONCLUSIONS: BMMs declined significantly with combination therapy, and were associated with improved outcomes. Upon external validation, BMMs may emerge as surrogate markers to monitor treatment with radium-223 in real-time.

Modulation of Premetastatic Niche by the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Pazopanib in Localized High-Risk Prostate Cancer Followed by Radical Prostatectomy: A Phase II Randomized Trial.

LESSONS LEARNED: Pazopanib was not effective in altering the premetastatic niche in the neoadjuvant setting.Pazopanib was safe and well tolerated without any new safety signals. BACKGROUND: Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1) expressing myeloid-derived suppressor cells (VEGFR1+ MDSCs) potentially foster metastases by establishing a premetastatic niche. In a preclinical study, VEGFR1+ clustering in lymph nodes (LNs) independently predicted time to biochemical recurrence (TTBR) in localized prostate cancer [1]. The hypothesis was that neoadjuvant pazopanib therapy will decrease VEGFR1+ clusters in pelvic lymph nodes and improve outcomes. METHODS: This is a phase II trial (NCT01832259) of neoadjuvant pazopanib 800 mg versus placebo daily for 4 weeks in high-risk localized prostate cancer. The primary endpoint was a decrease in VEGFR1+ MDSC clustering assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. Secondary endpoints were safety, feasibility, and TTBR. RESULTS: Thirty patients were randomized to pazopanib versus placebo, with 15 patients randomized to each arm. Demographic and disease characteristics were similar in both arms. There was no difference in the VEGFR1+ clustering between the treatment arms (p = .345). Neoadjuvant therapy with pazopanib was well tolerated, and surgical complications were similar in both arms. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant pazopanib therapy did not alter the premetastatic niche; however, treatment targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the preoperative period was safe and feasible, which may open up the avenue to investigate novel combinatorial regimens, including a VEGF inhibitor in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitor in this setting.

Young urban women and the nutrition transition in China: a familiar pattern emerges.

The purpose of this study was to assess the nutrition transition being experienced by urban Chinese college females. The self-administered cross-sectional survey was given to female students attending universities in the urban area of Xi'an, China. The survey was a collection of previously validated instruments measuring motivations for eating, disordered attitudes and behaviors, societal and media influences on body image and eating disturbances, body esteem, body dissatisfaction, and demographic questions. Results from 207 Chinese college females indicated that they had high levels of dietary restraint, despite the large proportion of participants who were considered underweight and normal weight. In addition, the results indicated that these college females ate primarily based on hunger cues. They also had a strong desire to lose weight sometimes to ultra thin and unhealthy levels, but with only moderate levels of disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. It appears that for participants in this study, at their current point in the nutrition transition, the full negative impact of Americanized media may not yet be fully internalized. The study has revealed a need for the development of health education programs to promote healthy eating styles and appropriate dieting behaviors. Future research needs to develop strategies for better understanding the impact of Americanization on the body image of women in this type of transitional population.