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Small bowel adenocarcinomas (SBAs) are rare and frequently treated like large intestinal adenocarcinomas. However, SBAs have a very different microenvironment and could respond differently to the same therapies. Our previous data suggested that SBAs might benefit from targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis based on PD-L1 staining in almost 50% of SBA tissue samples tested. Thus, we designed a phase 2 study to explore safety and efficacy of avelumab in SBA.Patients with advanced or metastatic disease were enrolled; ampullary tumors were considered part of the duodenum and allowed. Prior PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition was not allowed. Avelumab (10 mg/kg) was given every 2 weeks, and imaging was performed every 8 weeks. Primary endpoint was response rate.Eight patients (n = 5, small intestine; n = 3, ampullary) were enrolled, with a majority (88%) being male and a median age of 61 years. Of 7 efficacy-evaluable patients, 2 (29%) experienced partial responses; stable disease occurred in 3 additional patients (71%). Median progression-free survival was 3.35 months. Most frequent, related toxicities were anemia, fatigue, and infusion-related reaction (25% each), mostly grade ≤2; grade 3 hypokalemia and hyponatremia occurred in one patient, and another reported grade 4 diabetic ketoacidosis.Despite the observed benefit, accrual was slower than expected and the study was closed early due to feasibility. A general clinic observation was that patients were receiving immunotherapy off-label as the availability of these agents increased. Off-label availability and disease rarity were likely drivers of insufficient accrual.

Supplementary fig 3 Tumor Regression Grade versus Baseline p-ERK score in Tumor Tissue

Supplementary fig 1 Flowchart for trial design

Supplementary fig 2 Schema for trial design

Table showing next generation sequencing of tumor samples

Purpose:This two-part phase Ib trial determined the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of the combination of trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI) and irinotecan in patients with advanced gastrointestinal tumors, and evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics, and antitumor activity of the FTD/TPI, irinotecan, and bevacizumab triplet combination in previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).Patients and Methods:Dose escalation (3+3 design) in advanced gastrointestinal tumors was followed by expansion in mCRC. During dose escalation, patients received FTD/TPI (20–35 mg/m2 twice daily; days 1–5 of a 14-day cycle) and irinotecan (120–180 mg/m2; day 1). During expansion, the MTD of FTD/TPI and irinotecan plus bevacizumab (5 mg/kg; day 1) was administered.Results:Fifty patients (26 across six dose-escalation cohorts and 24 in the expansion phase) were enrolled. Two dose-limiting toxicities (fatigue and neutropenia) were observed in the dose-escalation phase, and MTD was defined as FTD/TPI 25 mg/m2 twice daily plus irinotecan 180 mg/m2. In the expansion phase, 83% (20/24) experienced any-cause grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs) with the triplet combination, most frequently neutropenia (42%), leukopenia (25%), and diarrhea (12%). AEs of any-cause led to dosing interruptions, modifications, and discontinuations in 29%, 17%, and 4% of patients, respectively. No treatment-related deaths occurred. Three patients (12%) experienced partial responses and 16 (67%) patients had stable disease lasting >4 months. The median progression-free survival was 7.9 months (95% confidence interval, 5.1–13.4 months).Conclusions:Tolerability and activity observed in this phase I trial support further investigation of the FTD/TPI–irinotecan–bevacizumab combination in previously treated mCRC.

Supplementary methods, supplementary results and Supplementary Tables S1 and S2

Supplementary fig 5 Degree of Reduction (%) in Tumor pERK Levels From Baseline to After Trametinib Monotherapy and Correlation With pCR

Supplementary fig 4 Baseline p-ERK score in Tumor Tissue Correlated to RAS/RAF Mutation Status

Purpose:The RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway is critical to the development of colorectal cancers, and KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF mutations foster resistance to radiation. We performed a phase I trial to determine the safety of trametinib, a potent MEK1/2 inhibitor, with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemoradiation therapy (CRT) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).Patients and Methods:Patients with stage II/III rectal cancer were enrolled on a phase I study with 3+3 study design, with an expansion cohort of 9 patients at the MTD. Following a 5-day trametinib lead-in, with pre- and posttreatment tumor biopsies, patients received trametinib and CRT, surgery, and adjuvant chemotherapy. Trametinib was given orally daily at 3 dose levels: 0.5 mg, 1 mg, and 2 mg. CRT consisted of infusional 5-FU 225 mg/m2/day and radiation dose of 28 daily fractions of 1.8 Gy (total 50.4 Gy). The primary endpoint was to identify the MTD and recommended phase II dose. IHC staining for phosphorylated ERK (pERK) and genomic profiling was performed on the tumor samples.Results:Patients were enrolled to all dose levels, and 18 patients were evaluable for toxicities and responses. Treatment was well tolerated, and there was one dose-limiting toxicity of diarrhea, which was attributed to CRT rather than trametinib. At the 2 mg dose level, 25% had pathologic complete response. IHC staining confirmed dose-dependent decrease in pERK with increasing trametinib doses.Conclusions:The combination of trametinib with 5-FU CRT is safe and well tolerated, and may warrant additional study in a phase II trial, perhaps in a RAS/RAF-mutant selected population.

BackgroundOX40 is a costimulatory receptor upregulated on antigen-activated T cells and constitutively expressed on regulatory T cells (Tregs). INCAGN01949, a fully human immunoglobulin G1κ anti-OX40 agonist monoclonal antibody, was designed to promote tumor-specific immunity by effector T-cell activation and Fcγ receptor-mediated Treg depletion. This first-in-human study was conducted to determine the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of INCAGN01949.MethodsPhase I/II, open-label, non-randomized, dose-escalation and dose-expansion study conducted in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors. Patients received INCAGN01949 monotherapy (7–1400 mg) in 14-day cycles while deriving benefit. Safety measures, clinical activity, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamic effects were assessed and summarized with descriptive statistics.ResultsEighty-seven patients were enrolled; most common tumor types were colorectal (17.2%), ovarian (8.0%), and non-small cell lung (6.9%) cancers. Patients received a median three (range 1–9) prior therapies, including immunotherapy in 24 patients (27.6%). Maximum tolerated dose was not reached; one patient (1.1%) receiving 350 mg dose reported dose-limiting toxicity of grade 3 colitis. Treatment-related adverse events were reported in 45 patients (51.7%), with fatigue (16 (18.4%)), rash (6 (6.9%)), and diarrhea (6 (6.9%)) being most frequent. One patient (1.1%) with metastatic gallbladder cancer achieved a partial response (duration of 6.3 months), and 23 patients (26.4%) achieved stable disease (lasting >6 months in one patient). OX40 receptor occupancy was maintained over 90% among all patients receiving doses of ≥200 mg, while no treatment-emergent antidrug antibodies were detected across all dose levels. Pharmacodynamic results demonstrated that treatment with INCAGN01949 did not enhance proliferation or activation of T cells in peripheral blood or reduce circulating Tregs, and analyses of tumor biopsies did not demonstrate any consistent increase in effector T-cell infiltration or function, or decrease in infiltrating Tregs.ConclusionNo safety concerns were observed with INCAGN01949 monotherapy in patients with metastatic or advanced solid tumors. However, tumor responses and pharmacodynamic effects on T cells in peripheral blood and post-therapy tumor biopsies were limited. Studies evaluating INCAGN01949 in combination with other therapies are needed to further evaluate the potential of OX40 agonism as a therapeutic approach in patients with advanced solid tumors.Trial registration numberNCT02923349.

Key Points Question How does a previously prospectively derived clinical score for patients with neuroendocrine tumors under consideration for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy perform prognostically in an external validation cohort? Findings In this cohort study of 248 patients in the combined cohort, for each 2-point increase in clinical score, patients were 2.5 times as likely to experience disease progression or death. Meaning These findings suggest that the clinical score is a validated clinical metric that can estimate the anticipated benefit from peptide receptor radionuclide therapy for individual patients with well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors., This cohort study examines a clinical score’s ability to estimate the benefit from peptide receptor radionuclide therapy for individual patients with well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors., Importance Despite the benefit of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) for patients with well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (WD NETs), no clinical metric to anticipate benefit from the therapy for individual patients has been previously defined. Objective To assess whether the prognostic ability of the clinical score (CS) could be validated in an external cohort of patients with WD NETs. Design, Setting, and Participants This multicenter cohort study’s analysis included patients with WD NETs who were under consideration for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with lutetium-177 (177Lu)-dotatate between March 1, 2016, and March 17, 2020. The original cohort included patients from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. The validation cohort included patients from Ochsner Medical Center, Markey Cancer Center, and Rush Medical Center. Patients with paragangliomas, pheochromocytomas and neuroblastomas were excluded. Statistical analysis was performed from June to November 2021. Exposures PRRT with 177Lu-dotatate or alternate therapies such as everolimus, sunitinib, or capecitabine plus temozolomide. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was progression-free survival (PFS) and was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method; a Cox proportional-hazards model adjusting for primary tumor site, tumor grade, and number of PRRT doses administered was used to analyze association between CS and outcomes. Results A total of 126 patients (median age [IQR] age: 63.6 [52.9-70.7] years; 64 male individuals) were included in the validation cohort, and the combined cohort (validation and original cohorts combined) had a total of 248 patients (median [IQR] patient age: 63.3 [53.3-70.3] years; 126 male individuals). In the validation cohort, on multivariable analysis, for each 2-point increase in CS, PFS decreased significantly (hazard ratio, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.64-4.16). After finding an association of the CS with PFS in the validation cohort, the original and validation cohorts were combined into the cohort for this analysis. On multivariable analysis, for each 2-point increase in CS, PFS decreased significantly (hazard ratio, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.89-3.36). Conclusions and Relevance Increases in CS were associated with worsening PFS in the validation cohort, validating findings from the original cohort. These findings suggest that the CS, to our knowledge, represents the first clinical metric to estimate anticipated benefit from PRRT for patients with WD NETs and may be a clinical tool for patients being considered for PRRT.

The NCCN Guidelines for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma discuss the diagnosis and management of adenocarcinomas of the exocrine pancreas and are intended to assist with clinical decision-making. These NCCN Guidelines Insights discuss important updates to the 2019 version of the guidelines, focusing on postoperative adjuvant treatment of patients with pancreatic cancers.

The NCCN Guidelines for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma discuss the diagnosis and management of adenocarcinomas of the exocrine pancreas and are intended to assist with clinical decision-making. These NCCN Guidelines Insights discuss important updates to the 2019 version of the guidelines, focusing on postoperative adjuvant treatment of patients with pancreatic cancers.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death, and it is estimated that over 43,000 people would be diagnosed with and over 36,000 people would die of pancreatic cancer in the United States in 2010. Surgical resection remains the only chance for possible cure, but only 15% to 20% of patients newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are considered for surgical resection. Of these, the median five-year survival rate is still less than 20%, with most resections resulting in recurrent disease. This suggests that even seemingly resectable pancreatic cancer has microscopic systemic spread before operative intervention occurs. Both adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapies have been studied in an effort to improve survival for patients with resectable pancreatic cancer.