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Background: Plasma AR status has been identified as a potential biomarker of response in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients receiving docetaxel or AR-targeted therapies. However, the relevance of plasma AR in the overall management of CRPC patients receiving different docetaxel doses is unknown. Patients and methods: This was a multi-institution study of associations between baseline plasma AR copy number status, assessed by droplet digital PCR, and outcome in 325 mCRPC patients receiving docetaxel at standard or adapted regimen at the discretion of the treating physician. Upon analysis, patients were assigned randomly to either a training (n = 217) or validation (n = 108) cohort. Results: In the training cohort, AR-gained patients treated with adapted docetaxel regimen had a significantly worse median progression-free survival (PFS) (3.8 vs 6.3 months, hazard ratio [HR] 2.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.34–4.95, p < 0.0001), median overall survival (10.8 vs 20.6 months, HR 1.98, 95% CI 1.09–3.62, p = 0.0064) and PSA response (PSA > −50%: odds ratio 4.88 95%CI 1.55–14.32, p = 0.013) as compared to plasma AR normal patients. These findings were all confirmed in the validation cohort. However, in patients treated with standard docetaxel regimen, these differences were not seen. The interaction between AR CN status and dose reduction of docetaxel was considered as independent factor for PFS in both the training and validation cohort (HR 2.84, 95% CI 1.41–5.73, p = 0.003, and HR 4.79, 95% CI 1.79–12.82, p = 0.002). Conclusion: Despite the retrospective non-randomised design of this study, our hypothesis-generating findings could suggest plasma AR as a potential biomarker for optimal docetaxel timing and dose in mCRPC patients. Prospective trials are warranted.

The treatment of advanced prostate cancer has evolved due to recent advances in molecular research and new drug development. Dynamic aberrations in the androgen receptor, DNA repair genes, PTEN-PI3K, and other pathways drive the behavior of advanced prostate cancer allowing a better selection of therapies in each patient. Tumor testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 is recommended for patients with metastatic prostate cancer, also considering a broad panel to guide decisions and genetic counseling. In symptomatic metastatic patients, castration should be stared to palliate symptoms and prolong survival. In high-risk or high-volume metastatic hormone-naïve patients, castration should be combined with docetaxel, abiraterone, enzalutamide or apalutamide. Radiotherapy to the primary tumor combined with systemic therapy is recommended in low-volume mHNPC patients. In patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant tumors, risk stratification can define the frequency of imaging. Adding enzalutamide, darolutamide or apalutamide to these patients prolongs metastasis-free and overall survival, but potential adverse events need to be taken into consideration. The choice of docetaxel, abiraterone or enzalutamide for treating metastatic castration-resistant patients depends on previous therapies, with cabazitaxel being also recommended after docetaxel. Olaparib is recommended in BRCA1/BRCA2 mutated castration-resistant patients after progression on at least one new hormonal therapy. Aggressive variants of prostate cancer respond to platinum-based chemotherapy. To optimize treatment efficiency, oncologists should incorporate all of these advances into an overall therapeutic strategy.

Objective: Our aim was to provide practical recommendations on the management of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who have progressed after docetaxel plus androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) or abiraterone plus ADT. Methods: Systematic literature review (SLR), nominal group meeting, and Delphi process. A panel of 12 experts was established who defined the scope, users, and sections of the document. We performed an SLR in order to assess the efficacy and safety of available drugs in patients with mCRPC. Abstracts from the American Society of Oncology and European Society for Medical Oncology meetings were also examined. The results were discussed during an expert meeting in which 14 recommendations were generated. The level of agreement with the recommendations was also tested by 13 additional experts following the Delphi process. Recommendations were voted by means of scores ranging from 0 (total disagreement) to 10 (total agreement). We defined agreement when at least 70% of the experts voted ⩾7. Next, we assigned a level of evidence and grade to the recommendation using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine Levels of Evidence, following which the final document was drafted. Results: The literature search did not find any articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Finally, 13 out of 14 recommendations were accepted after two Delphi rounds (two were modified after the first round). They pertain to general and individual case-based treatment recommendations. Conclusions: In mCRPC patients who have progressed after docetaxel or abiraterone plus ADT in the metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer setting, these recommendations may support treatment decision-making, due to the lack of evidence or other globally accepted sequencing algorithms.

Background Metastatic germ cell tumor (mGCT) patients receiving chemotherapy have increased risk of life‐threatening venous thromboembolism (VTE). Identifying VTE risk factors may guide thromboprophylaxis in this highly curable population. Methods Data were collected from mGCT patients receiving first‐line platinum‐based chemotherapy at 22 centers. Predefined variables included International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) risk classification, long‐axis diameter of largest retroperitoneal lymph node (RPLN), Khorana score, and use of indwelling vascular access device (VAD). VTE occurring at baseline, during chemotherapy and within 90 days, was analyzed. Results Data from 1135 patients were collected. Median age was 31 years (range 10‐74). IGCCCG risk was 64% good, 20% intermediate, and 16% poor. VTE occurred in 150 (13%) patients. RPLN >3.5 cm demonstrated highest discriminatory accuracy for VTE (AUC 0.632, P, Venous thromboembolism can cause morbidity in germ cell tumor patients receiving chemotherapy; large retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy (RPLN) and indwelling vascular access devices (VAD) are significant VTE risk factors. VAD insertion should be avoided and thromboprophylaxis can be considered for large RPLN.

Purpose: Stage IS testicular cancer is defined by the persistence of elevated serum tumor markers, including alpha-fetoprotein and/or beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, after orchiectomy without radiological evidence of metastatic disease. Current treatment recommendations include cisplatin based chemotherapy up front but the recommendations are based on limited single center series. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed clinical and pathological characteristics, and long-term outcomes in 110 patients uniformly treated with primary chemotherapy between 1994 and 2016. The primary objective was to evaluate long-term disease-free survival. We also explored factors associated with the need for additional treatment. Results: The elevated prechemotherapy tumor markers were alpha-fetoprotein in 48% of cases, beta-human chorionic gonadotropin in 14%, and alpha-fetoprotein and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin in 38%. Median alpha-fetoprotein and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin values were 71 ng/ml and 80 mIU/ml, respectively. The IGCCCG (International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group) prognostic classification was good in 94% of cases. Mixed nonseminomatous germ cell tumor was found in 78% of cases. Of the patients 103 achieved a complete response to chemotherapy. In 6 patients radiological signs of progressive disease developed during chemotherapy, while 8 experienced relapse after an initial complete response. At a median followup of 108 months 108 patients were alive and disease-free. Five and 10-year disease-free survival rates were 87% and 85%, respectively. The predominance of embryonal carcinoma in the primary tumor was the only factor associated with the probability of needing additional therapy. Conclusions: Stage IS testicular cancer is more commonly associated with elevated alpha-fetoprotein, an IGCCCG good prognosis and mixed nonseminomatous germ cell tumor. Treatment with cisplatin based chemotherapy leads to cure in most cases. However, a proportion of patients require the integration of additional therapies, including more frequently when embryonal carcinoma is not predominant.

PURPOSE The classification of the International Germ-Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) has been a major advance in the management of germ-cell tumors, but relies on data of only 660 patients with seminoma treated between 1975 and 1990. We re-evaluated this classification in a database from a large international consortium. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data on 2,451 men with metastatic seminoma treated with cisplatin- and etoposide-based first-line chemotherapy between 1990 and 2013 were collected from 30 institutions or collaborative groups in Australia, Europe, and North America. Clinical trial and registry data were included. Primary end points were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) calculated from day 1 of treatment. Variables at initial presentation were evaluated for their prognostic impact. Results were validated in an independent validation set of 764 additional patients. RESULTS Compared with the initial IGCCCG classification, in our modern series, 5-year PFS improved from 82% to 89% (95% CI, 87 to 90) and 5-year OS from 86% to 95% (95% CI, 94 to 96) in good prognosis, and from 67% to 79% (95% CI, 70 to 85) and 72% to 88% (95% CI, 80 to 93) in intermediate prognosis patients. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) proved to be an additional adverse prognostic factor. Good prognosis patients with LDH above 2.5× upper limit of normal had a 3-year PFS of 80% (95% CI, 75 to 84) and a 3-year OS of 92% (95% CI, 88 to 95) versus 92% (95% CI, 90 to 94) and 97% (95% CI, 96 to 98) in the group with lower LDH. CONCLUSION PFS and OS in metastatic seminoma significantly improved in our modern series compared with the original data. The original IGCCCG classification retains its relevance, but can be further refined by adding LDH at a cutoff of 2.5× upper limit of normal as an additional adverse prognostic factor.

Analysis of androgen receptor (AR) status, particularly AR copy number, in plasma DNA is a minimally invasive method with the potential to identify treatment resistance in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) starting enzalutamide or abiraterone. Patients with elevated plasma AR do not have worse outcomes than patients with normal plasma AR when treated with taxanes. Consequently, circulating AR may improve clinical decision-making between AR-directed therapies versus taxanes and probably also between adapted versus standard taxane regimens. The evidence indicates that circulating AR could have a role in overall CRPC management. Promising clinical implications of plasma AR testing are measurement in earlier stages of prostate cancer, disease monitoring, and within the context of a multiplex biomarker strategy to improve treatment selection for CRPC patients. Patient summary Measurement of the copy number of androgen receptor genes in plasma is a promising tool for guiding personalised treatment in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, prospective trials to validate these findings are needed.

The management of genitourinary cancer, including bladder, prostate, renal and testicular cancer, has evolved dramatically in recent years due to a better understanding of tumour genetic mutations, alterations in molecular pathways, and to the development of new kinds of drugs such as targeted therapies and immunotherapies. In the field of immunotherapy, new drugs focused on stimulating, enhancing and modulating the immune system to detect and destroy cancer, have been recently discovered. Research in oncology moves quickly and new data of great relevance for clinical practice are communicated every year. For this reason, a group of experts, focused exclusively on the treatment of genitourinary tumours and who get together every year in the BestGU conference to assess the latest progress in this field have summarized the most important advances in a single review, along with a critical assessment of whether these results should alter daily clinical practice.

Background Plasma tumour DNA (ptDNA) levels on treatment are associated with response in a variety of cancers. However, the role of ptDNA in prostate cancer monitoring remains largely unexplored. Here we characterised on-treatment ptDNA dynamics and evaluated its potential for early assessment of therapy efficacy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Methods Between 2011 and 2016, 114 sequential plasma samples from 43 mCRPC abiraterone-treated patients were collected. Targeted next-generation sequencing was performed to determine ptDNA fraction. ptDNA progressive disease was defined as a rise in the fraction compared to the pre-treatment. Results A ptDNA rise in the first on-treatment sample (interquartile range (IQR) 2.6–3.7 months) was significantly associated with increased risk of early radiographic or any prostate-specific antigen (PSA) rise (odds ratio (OR) = 15.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.5–60.2, p = 0.0002 and OR = 6.0, 95% CI 1.6–20.0, p = 0.01, respectively). We also identified exemplar cases that had a rise in PSA or pseudoprogression secondary to bone flare but no rise in ptDNA. In an exploratory analysis, initial ptDNA change was found to associate with the duration of response to prior androgen deprivation therapy (p p = 0.32). Conclusions We found that ptDNA assessment for therapy monitoring in mCRPC is feasible and provides data relevant to the clinical setting. Prospective evaluation of these findings is now merited.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess a risk-adapted strategy for stage I seminoma guided by the presence of rete testis invasion. Methods: Between January 2013 and December 2015, a total of 135 consecutive patients with stage I seminoma from 18 Spanish tertiary hospitals were included in a prospective multicenter study. Median patient age was 38 years (range 22–60). Preoperative beta-human chorionic gonadotropin was elevated in 9.6% of patients. Rete testis invasion was present in 47.4% of patients. After orchiectomy, subjects with rete testis invasion were treated with 2 courses of adjuvant carboplatin (area under the curve of 7, with 21-day interval). Those without this risk factor were managed by surveillance. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: After a median follow-up time of 33 months, only 6 relapses were recorded (5 on surveillance, 1 after carboplatin). These cases were rescued with BEP or EP chemotherapy, and all 135 patients are currently disease free without sequelae. Three-year DFS was 92.0 and 98.2% for patients on surveillance and after carboplatin, respectively. Three-year OS was 100%. Conclusion: A risk-adapted approach based on rete testis invasion as a single risk factor is feasible and yielded an excellent outcome with a 3-year DFS of 94.9%.

Background: Disseminated germ cell cancers are at high risk of developing thromboembolic complications. We evaluated the prognostic value of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) in disseminated germ cell cancer. Methods: Patients with germ cell cancer receiving upfront platinum-containing chemotherapy between 2004 and 2014 were pooled from the Spanish Germ Cell Cancer Group (SGCCG) registry and reviewed for the presence of VTE. Results were validated in an independent international group of patients. We used a penalized Cox proportional hazards model including VTE as a time-varying covariate to identify and validate prognostic factors. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results: The SGCCG registry identified 416 patients from 14 referral institutions. With a median follow-up of 49 months, VTEs were observed in 9% of patients (n = 38). Events occurred at diagnosis, during chemotherapy, and after chemotherapy in 2.6%, 5.0%, and 1.4% of patients, respectively. VTE was associated with shorter progression-free survival (PFS; hazard ratio [HR] = 2.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18 to 4.47, P = .02) and overall survival (OS; HR = 5.14, 95% CI = 2.22 to 11.88, P < .001). In multivariable analysis, the effect was consistent in the intermediate-risk group, both for PFS (HR = 9.52 95% CI = 2.48 to 36.58, P < .001) and OS (HR = 12.84, 95% CI = 2.01 to 82.02, P = .007). VTE at diagnosis is also an adverse prognostic variable for progression-free survival (HR = 4.64, 95% CI = 2.04 to 10.54, P < .001) and for overall survival (HR = 6.28, 95% CI = 1.68 to 17.10, P = .01). These results were validated in an independent international cohort that included 241 patients from four hospitals. Conclusions: VTE is an independent adverse prognostic factor in disseminated germ cell cancers, in particular for the intermediate prognostic group of the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group classification. The presence of VTE at diagnosis has also prognostic significance and should be further explored in future prognostic classifications.

Updated information published up to 2016 regarding major advances in renal cancer, bladder cancer, and prostate cancer is here presented. Based on an ever better understanding of the genetic and molecular alterations that govern the initial pathogenic mechanisms of tumor oncogenesis, an improvement in the characterization and treatment of urologic tumors has been achieved in the past year. According to the Cancer Genome Atlas (ATLAS) project, alterations in the MET pathway are characteristics of type 1 papillary renal cell carcinomas, and activation of NRF2-ARE pathway is associated with the biologically distinct type 2. While sunitinib and pazopanib continue to be the standard first-line treatment in metastatic renal cell carcinoma of clear cell histology, nivolumab and cabozantinib are now the agents of choice in the second-line setting. In relation to urothelial bladder carcinoma, new potential molecular targets such as FGFR3, PI3K/AKT, RTK/RAS, CDKN2A, ARIDIA, ERBB2 have been identified. Response to adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy appears to be related to basal, luminal, and p53-like intrinsic subtypes. A phase II study with eribulin and a maintenance phase II trial with vinflunine have shown promising results. Similarly, the use of the check point inhibitors in advanced disease is likely to revolutionize the management of patients who have progressed after cisplatin-based chemotherapy. In prostate cancer, seven mutually exclusive molecular subtypes have been identified by the TCGA project. Chemotherapy has been consolidated as a key treatment for castration-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer, and abiraterone, enzalutamide, cabazitaxel, and radium-223 remain standard therapeutic options for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. All this progress will undoubtedly contribute to the development of new treatments and therapeutic strategies that will improve the survival and quality of life of our patients.

Background High-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) has been studied in several clinical scenarios in advanced germ cell cancer (GCC). Objective To establish a clinical practice guideline for HDCT use in the treatment of GCC patients. Design, setting, and participants An expert panel reviewed information available from the literature. The panel addressed relevant issues concerning and related to HDCT. The guideline was externally reviewed by two international experts. Results and limitations The efficacy of HDCT has been demonstrated in selected GCC patients. The most conclusive evidence comes from retrospective analyses that need to be interpreted with caution. HDCT can cure a significant proportion of heavily treated GCC patients. When indicated, sequential HDCT with regimens containing carboplatin and etoposide, as well as peripheral stem-cell support, is recommended. There is no conclusive evidence to recommend HDCT as first-line therapy. According to a multinational retrospective pooled analysis, HDCT might be superior to conventional CT as first salvage treatment in selected patients. There is an urgent need for prospective clinical trials addressing the value of HDCT in GCC patients who experience failure on first-line cisplatin-based CT. In patients who progress on conventional-dose salvage CT, HDCT should be considered. Treatment of these patients at experienced centers is strongly recommended. Conclusions It has been demonstrated that HDCT cures selected GCC patients who experience disease progression on conventional rescue regimens. The panel recommends the inclusion of GCC patients in randomized clinical trials including HDCT. Patient summary This consensus establishes clinical practice guidelines for the use and study of high-dose chemotherapy in patients with germ cell cancer.

285 Background: Despite the advent of immunotherapy in urothelial cancer, there is still a need to find effective cytotoxic agents beyond first line. Vinflunine is EMA approved and used in several European countries. Docetaxel is widely used in second line. Cabazitaxel is a taxane with clinical activity in docetaxel-refractory cancers. A randomised study was conducted to compare its efficacy vs vinflunine. Methods: This was a multicenter, randomised, open-label, phase II/III study, following a Simon’s optimal method with early stopping rules based on an interim futility analysis. The study (NCT01830231) was supported by a research grant from Sanofi. The trial was aiming at superiority of cabazitaxel compared to vinflunine in patients progressing to platinum. ECOG, anemia and liver metastases were stratification factors. The primary objective for the phase II study was overall response rate (ORR), and overall survival (OS) for the phase III. Secondary objectives included safety and progression free survival (PFS). Results: 70 patients were included in the phase II across 19 institutions in Europe. Baseline characteristics were well balanced between the two arms. Mean age 63 years; 56 (80%) were men. No statistically significant differences were detected between arms for ORR (p=0.26). Three patients (13%) obtained a partial response on cabazitazel (95% CI, 2.7–32.4) and six patients (30%) in the vinflunine arm (95% CI, 11.9–54.3). Median PFS for cabazitaxel was 1.9 months versus 2.9 months for vinflunine (p=0.039). The study did not proceed to phase III since the futility analysis showed a lack of efficacy of cabazitaxel. A trend for OS benefit was found favouring vinflunine (median 7.6 versus 5.5 months). Grade 3-4 related adverse events were seen in 41% patients with no difference between arms. The most frequent toxicities associated with cabazitaxel were asthenia, diarrhea, anemia and febrile neutropenia. Conclusions: This phase II/III second line bladder trial comparing cabazitaxel with vinflunine was closed early when the phase II showed a lack of efficacy of the cabazitaxel arm. Vinflunine results were consistent with those observed in the phase III. Clinical trial information: NCT01830231.

PURPOSE Increases in androgen receptor ( AR) copy number (CN) can be detected in plasma DNA when patients develop metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. We aim to evaluate the association between AR CN as a continuous variable and clinical outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS PCR2023 was an international, multi-institution, open-label, phase II study of abiraterone acetate plus prednisolone (AAP) or abiraterone acetate plus dexamethasone that included plasma AR assessment as a predefined exploratory secondary end point. Plasma AR CN data (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01867710 ) from this study (n = 133) were pooled with data from the following three other cohorts: cohort A, which was treated with either AAP or enzalutamide (n = 73); the PREMIERE trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02288936 ) of biomarkers for enzalutamide (n = 94); and a phase II trial from British Columbia (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02125357 ) that randomly assigned men to either AAP or enzalutamide (n = 201). The primary outcome measures for the biomarker analysis were overall survival and progression-free survival. RESULTS Using multivariable fractional polynomials analysis using Cox regression models, a nonlinear relationship between plasma AR CN and outcome was identified for overall survival, where initially for small incremental gains in CN there was a large added hazard ratio that plateaued at higher CN. The CN cut point associated with the highest local hazard ratio was 1.92. A similar nonlinear association was observed with progression-free survival. In an exploratory analysis of PCR2023, the time from start of long-term androgen-deprivation therapy to start of AAP or abiraterone acetate plus dexamethasone was significantly shorter in patients with plasma AR CN of 1.92 or greater than patients with plasma AR CN of less than 1.92 (43 v 130 weeks, respectively; P = .005). This was confirmed in cohort A ( P = .003), the PREMIERE cohort ( P = .03), and the British Colombia cohort ( P = .003). CONCLUSION Patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer can be dichotomized by a plasma AR CN cut point of 1.92. Plasma AR CN value of 1.92 or greater identifies aggressive disease that is poorly responsive to AR targeting and is associated with a prior short response to primary androgen-deprivation therapy.

The analysis of breast cancer residual tumors after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT) may be useful for identifying new biomarkers. MicroRNAs are known to be involved in oncogenic pathways and treatment resistance of breast cancer. Our aim was to determine the role of miR-18a, a member of the miR-17-92a cluster, in breast cancer behavior and outcome after nCT. Pre- and post-nCT tumor miR-18a expression was retrospectively assessed by qRT-PCR in 121 patients treated with nCT and was correlated with survival outcomes and with clinical and pathological characteristics. Breast cancer-derived MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines were transfected with miR-18a and anti-miR-18a to evaluate the biological effects of this molecule. In addition, whole-transcriptome expression analysis was performed. High miR-18a expression in post-nCT residual tumors was found to be associated with a significantly worse overall survival [hazard ratio (HR): 2.80, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01–7.76] and a strong trend towards a poorer disease-free survival (HR: 2.44, 95% CI: 0.99–5.02) compared to low miR-18a expressing post-nCT residual tumors. Clinical and experimental data were found to be in conformity with the proliferative effects of miR-18a, which showed a significant correlation with Ki67 and MYBL2 expression, both in pre- and post-nCT tumors and in public databases. In vitro analysis of the role of miR-18a in breast cancer-derived cell lines showed that a high expression of miR-18a was associated with a low expression of the estrogen receptor (ER), a decreased sensitivity to tamoxifen and an enrichment in luminal B and endocrine resistance gene expression signatures. From our data we conclude that post-nCT miR-18a expression in breast cancer serves as a negative prognostic marker, especially in luminal tumors. Clinical, in vitro and in silico data support the role of miR-18a in breast cancer cell proliferation and endocrine resistance and suggest its potential utility as a biomarker for additional adjuvant treatment in patients without a pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant therapy.

[Purpose] Germline mutations in DNA damage repair (DDR) genes are identified in a significant proportion of patients with metastatic prostate cancer, but the clinical implications of these genes remain unclear. This prospective multicenter cohort study evaluated the prevalence and effect of germline DDR (gDDR) mutations on metastatic castration-resistance prostate cancer (mCRPC) outcomes., [Patients and Methods] Unselected patients were enrolled at diagnosis of mCRPC and were screened for gDDR mutations in 107 genes. The primary aim was to assess the impact of ATM/BRCA1/BRCA2/PALB2 germline mutations on cause-specific survival (CSS) from diagnosis of mCRPC. Secondary aims included the association of gDDR subgroups with response outcomes for mCRPC treatments. Combined progression-free survival from the first systemic therapy (PFS) until progression on the second systemic therapy (PFS2) was also explored., [Results] We identified 68 carriers (16.2%) of 419 eligible patients, including 14 with BRCA2, eight with ATM, four with BRCA1, and none with PALB2 mutations. The study did not reach its primary end point, because the difference in CSS between ATM/BRCA1/BRCA2/PALB2 carriers and noncarriers was not statistically significant (23.3 v 33.2 months; P = .264). CSS was halved in germline BRCA2 (gBRCA2) carriers (17.4 v 33.2 months; P = .027), and gBRCA2 mutations were identified as an independent prognostic factor for CCS (hazard ratio [HR], 2.11; P = .033). Significant interactions between gBRCA2 status and treatment type (androgen signaling inhibitor v taxane therapy) were observed (CSS adjusted P = .014; PFS2 adjusted P = .005). CSS (24.0 v 17.0 months) and PFS2 (18.9 v 8.6 months) were greater in gBRCA2 carriers treated in first line with abiraterone or enzalutamide compared with taxanes. Clinical outcomes did not differ by treatment type in noncarriers., [Conclusion] gBRCA2 mutations have a deleterious impact on mCRPC outcomes that may be affected by the first line of treatment used. Determination of gBRCA2 status may be of assistance for the selection of the initial treatment in mCRPC. Nonetheless, confirmatory studies are required before these results can support a change in clinical practice., Supported by an unrestricted grant from Fundación Cris contra el cancer; three investigator awards from the Prostate Cancer Foundation (C.C.P. [2013], D.O. [2014], and E.C. [2017]); and three grants from Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (No. PI13/01287 and PI16/01565 to D.O. and No. PI15/01471 to P.L.). During the conduct of this study, E.C., D.O., P.N., and L.M.-P. were supported by grants from Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (No. JCI-2014-19129 [E.C.], No. RYC-2015-18625 [D.O.], No. SVP-2013-067937 [P.N.], No. SVP-2014-068895 [L.M.]); D.O. was also funded by a Return fellowship from Fundación Científica de la Asociación Española Contra el Cancer, 2012-2015; N.R.L. and R.L., by grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (No. CM14-00200 to N.R.L. and No. CM17-00221 [R.L.]); and Y.C., by a grant from Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deportes (No. FPU15/05126). C.C.P. was supported by a congressional-designated medical research program award (No. CMRP-PC131820).

Background Plasma androgen receptor (AR) copy number status has been identified as a potential biomarker of response in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) receiving docetaxel or the AR-targeted therapies abiraterone or enzalutamide. However, the relevance of plasma AR status in the context of cabazitaxel therapy is unknown. Patients and methods Between September 2011 and January 2018, pretherapy plasma samples were collected from 155 patients treated with second- or third-line cabazitaxel at standard or reduced dose in different biomarker protocols. Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction was used to identify plasma AR gain and normal samples. The primary objective was to evaluate associations of plasma AR status with treatment outcome. In an exploratory analysis, a comparison between plasma AR and treatment type was investigated by incorporating updated data from our prior study of 85 post-docetaxel patients receiving abiraterone or enzalutamide. Results We observed a shorter median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in AR-gained compared to AR-normal patients (OS 10.5 versus 14.1 months, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.98–2.13, P = 0.064 and PFS 4.0 versus 5.0 months, HR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.05–2.07, P = 0.024). In patients with mCRPC receiving second-line therapies, a significant treatment interaction was observed between plasma AR and cabazitaxel versus AR-directed therapies for OS (P = 0.041) but not PFS (P = 0.244). In an exploratory analysis, AR-gained patients treated with initial reduced dose of cabazitaxel had a significantly shorter median OS (7.3 versus 11.5 months, HR = 1.95, 95% CI 1.13–3.38, P = 0.016) and PFS (2.7 versus 5.0 months, HR = 2.27, 95% CI 1.39–3.71, P = 0.001). Conclusion Plasma AR status has a potential clinical utility in patients being considered for cabazitaxel. Validation of these findings in prospective trials is warranted.

5069 Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with docetaxel or new antiandrogens has demonstrated a survival benefit in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). However, treatment selection for individual patients (pts) remains a challenge. We propose that TMPRSS2-ERG and cell plasticity [neuroendocrine (NE), epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)], immune-related, androgen receptor (AR) and tumor suppressor genes (TSG) ( RB1, PTEN and TP53) expression signatures may predict clinical outcome in mHSPC pts treated with ADT+docetaxel. Methods: This is a multicenter retrospective biomarker study performed in mHSPC pts treated with ADT+docetaxel. A customized panel of 184 genes was designed and tested in total mRNA from FFPE tumor samples by nCounter platform (Nanostring Technologies). Expression levels were correlated with castration resistance-free survival (CRPC-FS) (primary endpoint) and overall survival (OS) by Kaplan Meier and multivariate Cox modeling. A predictive modeling approach was performed with Bujar R package to develop a signature able to predict CRPC-FS. R (v.3.6.3) software was used for statistical analyses. Results: 136 pts were included, and 120 of them were eligible. Median age was 66.9 years (range 46.3-83.6). Gleason score was ≥ 8 in 80.8% of pts; 87.5% and 20.8% of pts had bone and visceral metastases, respectively. Median follow-up was 30.7 months (m) (range 5.5-70.6). 76 pts (63.3%) developed castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Median time to CRPC was 20 m (range 16.9-23.1) and median OS was not reached. High AR-signature expression independently correlated with longer CRPC-FS (HR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.7, p = 0.003). Considering AR-signature individual gene expression, ARV7 was independently associated with shorter CRPC-FS (HR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2-2.4, p = 0.003). Low expression of all TSG ( PTEN, RB1 and TP53) independently correlated with shorter CRPC-FS (HR 0.3, 95% CI 0.2-0.7, p = 0.003) and OS (HR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1-0.5, p < 0.001). Similarly, low expression of 2 out of the 3 TSG genes or only RB1 plus PTEN were also independently associated with shorter CRPC-FS (HR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.9, p = 0.015; HR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.7, p = 0.003, respectively) and OS (HR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.9, p = 0.027; HR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1-0.6, p = 0.001, respectively). TMPRSS2-ERG expression, NE, EMT and immune-related signatures were not associated with clinical outcome. Bujar analysis defined a 17-gene signature (including ARV7, RB1, PTEN, BRCA2 and ATM) that was able to discriminate pts at different risk of developing early CRPC. Conclusions: High AR-signature expression correlates with a longer CRPC-FS while ARV7 expression is associated with shorter CRPC-FS. Low expression of TSG is associated with an aggressive clinical evolution in mHSPC pts treated with ADT+taxanes.

5546 Background: Plasma AR status has been identified as a potential biomarker of response in CRPC patients receiving docetaxel or the AR-targeted therapies abiraterone or enzalutamide. However, the relevance of plasma AR in the overall management of CRPC patients (pts) receiving docetaxel at different dose due to the toxicity profiles and physician-patient preferences is unknown. Methods: This was a multi-institution study of associations between baseline plasma AR-copy-number status assessed by droplet digital PCR and outcome in 325 CRPC pts. Between September 2011 and July 2019 pts started treatment with docetaxel administered at standard regimen 75mg/m2 every three weeks or adapted regimen (75-80% of standard recommended dose or 30mg/m2 weekly administration) at the discretion of the treating physician. Patients were assigned randomly into 2 sets with a ratio 2:1 to either training (n=217) and internal validation (n=108) cohorts. Results: In our study, adapted regimen of docetaxel was administered in 68 (31.3%) and 35 (32.4%) of training and validation cohorts, respectively. Based on plasma AR status, 67 (30.9%) and 39 (36.1%) validation and training set pts were classified as AR gain, respectively. In men treated with standard docetaxel regimen, no difference in progression-free/overall survival (PFS/OS) was seen between plasma AR normal and gain in both cohorts. In patients treated with adapted docetaxel regimen, we observed a significantly shorter median PFS (3.9 vs. 6.4 months, HR 4.77, 95%CI 1.48-3.80, p=0.0003) and median OS (11.2 vs . 20.4 months, HR 2.87, 95%CI 1.73-2.13, p=0.0008) in the training cohort. This finding was confirmed in the validation cohort (median PFS: 4.8 vs. 7.4 months, HR 2.54, 95%CI 1.40-4.58, p=0.005, and median OS: 11.8 vs. 26.4 months, HR 5.00, 95%CI 2.59-9.65, p

402 Background: Recent trials randomising patients (pts) receiving systemic cancer therapy showed that prophylactic anticoagulation (PAK) halves the risk of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) and doubles the risk of bleeding (Khorana et al. & Carrier et al., both NEJM 2019). In pts with metastatic germ cell tumors (mGCT) VTE is a frequent complication but it remains unclear whether PAK should be recommended because the number of mGCT pts in those trials was small. We aimed to determine the risk of VTE before, during and after chemotherapy and in mGCT pts without and with risk factors for VTE (retroperitoneal lymph nodes, Khorana score, venous access device) and to calculate the number needed to treat (NNT) and number needed to harm (NNH) of PAK. Methods: This retrospective analysis included mGCT pts treated with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. We excluded patients who received PAK, with a known history of coagulopathy or VTE and extracted data about VTE and bleeding events. Cumulative VTE incidence was calculate for patients without and with increasing number of known risk factors for VTEs. NNT and NNH were calculated by assuming similar hazard ratios (HR) to reduce VTEs and increase bleeding as previously published (HR 0.66 and 1.96, Khorana et al., NEJM 2019). Results: Out of 1039 pts, 132 (13%) presented with VTE, 6 (1%) with bleeding. One patients died of VTE and 1 because of bleeding. Patients without any VTE risk factors experience VTE in 20/347 (5%) which translated into a NNT of 55 compared to the NNH of 84 respectively. Before start of chemotherapy 52 (5%) pts (NNT=60) presented with VTE of which 22 were reported symptomatic 21 asymptomatic/incidentally detected VTE on staging scans (9 unknowns). During chemotherapy 79 (8%) pts (NNT=40) were diagnosed with VTE whereas 19 (2%) pts (NNT=162) were diagnosed with VTE after chemotherapy. Conclusions: Our analysis revealed that even mGCT patients without risk factors for VTE show a relevant cumulative VTE incidence of 7%. Especially before and during but not after chemotherapy the benefits of PAK to prevent VTE outweighs the small increased risk of bleeding.

Therapeutic exploitation of angiogenesis in breast cancer has been limited by the lack of reliable biomarkers. Circulating small-sized endothelial microparticles (sEMP) are likely to play a significant role as messengers of angiogenesis. Higher levels of EMP have been observed in cancer patients, but their prognostic value in breast cancer is unknown. Our aim was to determine the value of circulating sEMP as a marker of response to chemotherapy in breast cancer. We included patients with breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant or first-line chemotherapy. Baseline and post-treatment circulating sEMP (CD144+) were quantified using a flow cytometer approach specifically designed for analysis of small-sized particles (0.1–0.5 μm). Small-sized EMP response was defined as a post-treatment decrease of sEMP larger than the median decrease of sEMP after chemotherapy. Baseline and post-chemotherapy VEGFA levels were determined with ELISA. Forty-four breast cancer patients were included (19 with metastatic and 25 with locally advanced disease). Median levels of sEMP decreased after chemotherapy (P = 0.005). Response to chemotherapy showed a non-significant trend to associate with sEMP response (P = 0.056). A sEMP response was observed in 51% of patients and was associated with better overall survival (HR 0.18; 95% CI 0.04–0.87; P = 0.02) and progression free survival (HR 0.30; 95% CI 0.09–0.99; P = 0.04) in the group of women with metastatic disease. Post-chemotherapy decrease of VEGFA levels was not associated with breast cancer prognosis. Our results did not support sEMP as a marker of response to chemotherapy. However, our exploratory analysis suggests that in patients with metastatic breast cancer, the decrease of sEMP levels after chemotherapy is associated with better overall and disease free survival and might be superior to VEGFA levels as an angiogenesis-related prognostic marker.

The discovery of reliable biomarkers to predict efficacy and toxicity of anticancer drugs remains one of the key challenges in cancer research. Despite its relevance, no efficient study designs to identify promising candidate biomarkers have been established. This has led to the proliferation of a myriad of exploratory studies using dissimilar strategies, most of which fail to identify any promising targets and are seldom validated. The lack of a proper methodology also determines that many anti-cancer drugs are developed below their potential, due to failure to identify predictive biomarkers. While some drugs will be systematically administered to many patients who will not benefit from them, leading to unnecessary toxicities and costs, others will never reach registration due to our inability to identify the specific patient population in which they are active. Despite these drawbacks, a limited number of outstanding predictive biomarkers have been successfully identified and validated, and have changed the standard practice of oncology. In this manuscript, a multidisciplinary panel reviews how those key biomarkers were identified and, based on those experiences, proposes a methodological framework—the DESIGN guidelines—to standardize the clinical design of biomarker identification studies and to develop future research in this pivotal field.

5040 Background: TMPRSS2-ERG fusion gene is a common driver of prostate cancer. The PREMIERE study is a phase II, single arm open-label, multicentre, clinical trial designed to analyse the predictive/prognostic value of TMPRSS2-ERG in first-line chemo-naïve mCRPC patients treated with enzalutamide. Methods: We centrally evaluated TMPRSS2-ERG in diagnostic samples using PCR, FISH and IHC for ERG. Among exploratory biomarkers we included plasma DNA, AR copy number by ddPCR and CTC by AdnaTest. PCWG2 criteria were used for outcome evaluation. We correlated TMPRSS2-ERGand other exploratory biomarkers with mCRPC outcomes. Results: Ninety eight patients with median age 77 y (range 59-95), ECOG 0/1 (54/46%) with mts located in bone (82%), LN (48%) and visceral (17%). With a median FU of 37.3 months, PSA response was PSA50: 82% and PSA90: 53%; median PSA-PFS was 13.7m (95%CI 10.2-19.0), Rad-PFS 26.7m (95%CI: 22.0-NA) and OS 37.5m (95%IC: 33.7-NA). TMPRSS2-ERG was detected in 32 pts (33%), AR gain in 11 pts and CTCs in 35 pts. No differences were observed based on TMPRSS2-ERG status for PSA response (PSA50: 81% vs 83%; p=0.8), PSA-PFS (median 12.8 vs 14.7m; HR 0.98; 95%CI 0.58-1.67; p=0.95), Rad-PFS (median 28.4 vs 26.4m; HR 1.02; 95% 0.53-1.96, p=0.95) or OS (median 36.9 vs 38.1m; HR 1.23; 95%CI 0.69-2.21, p=0.48). Plasma AR gain was associated with worse PSA-PFS (median 4.2 vs 14.7 m; p

203 Background: Plasma androgen receptor ( AR) copy number status has been identified as a potential biomarker of response in mCRPC patients receiving docetaxel or the AR-targeted therapies abiraterone or enzalutamide. However, the relevance of plasma AR status in the context of cabazitaxel therapy is unknown. Methods: Between September 2011 and January 2018, pre-therapy plasma samples were collected from 155 patients treated with second or third-line cabazitaxel at standard or reduced dose in different biomarker protocols. Droplet digital PCR was used to identify plasma AR gain and normal samples, with the primary objective to evaluate associations of plasma AR status with treatment outcome. In an exploratory analysis, a comparison between plasma AR status and treatment type was investigated by incorporating updated data from our prior study of 85 post-docetaxel patients receiving abiraterone or enzalutamide. Results: We observed a shorter median overall/progression-free survival (OS/PFS) in AR-gained compared to AR-normal patients (OS 10.5 versus 14.1 months, hazard ratio (HR) 1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.98-2.13, P = 0.064), and (PFS 4.0 versus 5.0 months, HR 1.47, 95%CI 1.05-2.07, P = 0.024). In mCRPC patients receiving second-line therapies, a significant treatment interaction was observed between plasma AR and cabazitaxel versus AR-directed therapies for OS (P = 0.041) but not PFS (P = 0.244). In an exploratory analysis, AR-gained patients treated with initial reduced-dose of cabazitaxel had a significantly shorter median OS (7.3 versus 11.5 months, HR 1.95, 95%CI 1.13-3.38, P = 0.016), and PFS (2.7 versus 5.0 months, HR 2.27, 95%CI 1.39-3.71, P = 0.001). Conclusions: Plasma AR status has a potential clinical utility in patients being considered for cabazitaxel. Validation of these findings in prospective trials are warranted.

Background: microRNAs (miRNAs) are small ribonucleic acids that regulate protein expression through gene silencing mechanisms and show differential expression between cancer subtypes. Several studies have demonstrated that over- or under-expression of miRNA levels in tumors can modulate the expression levels of their gene/protein targets and thus their behavior. In breast cancer, the members of cluster miR-17-92 increase their expression levels as the histological grade increases, behaving like an oncogene, and are preferentially expressed in basal-like carcinomas. Moreover, mature components of this cluster are involved in estrogen receptor pathways and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, which suggest their implication in resistance to chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic impact of miR-18a expression in the residual (resistant-to-treatment) tumor after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nQT) in patients with locally advanced breast cancer (BC). Methods: Small RNA was isolated from FFPE samples of post-chemotherapy residual tumor in patients without pathological complete response (pCR). Quantification of miR-18a was performed by RT-qPCR. Expression levels were determined by 2-DDCt method using snRNAU6 as endogenous control. We used the quartiles of expression as cutoff point. Association of miR-18a levels with clinical and pathological characteristics was evaluated with non-parametric tests. Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard regression multivariate models were used for disease free (DFS) and overall (OS) survival analysis. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 18.0 software. Results: 121 consecutive women with invasive BC were included, mostly with stages IIB (28%) or IIIA-C (56.4%). Patients were immunohistochemically (IHC) classified as Her2- hormone-sensitive (HS) in 50.4% of cases; other phenotypes: Her2+ HS, 13.2%; Her2+ non-HS, 10.7%; triple negative, 21.5%. Treatment included sequential anthracyclines and taxanes (80.4% docetaxel) and a pCR was obtained in 17.4% of patients. Median overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) were not reached after a median follow-up of 60 months. High (above the median) expression levels of miR-18a in post-chemotherapy residual tumor were associated with pre-treatment grade 3 (p = 0.008), cN2-3 (p = 0.004), non-HS (p = 0.006) and triple negative phenotype (p = 0.01). No other associations with clinical or pathologic tumor characteristics (stage, HER2NEU overexpression) were found. High expression levels of miR-18a in residual tumors were also associated with reduced DFS and OS (log-rank test; p = 0.004 and p = 0.041 respectively). This negative prognostic impact was also confirmed for DFS in a multivariate analysis that included IHC phenotype and ypN+ (Table 1). Table 1 OR95%CIPPhenotype1.571.11-2.230.010ypN+7.291.67-31.800.008miR-18a high3.091.01-9.410.047 Conclusion: High expression levels of miR-18a in chemotherapy-resistant residual breast cancer associates with pre-treatment aggressive biological characteristics and independently predicts disease recurrence. Our results suggest that post-treatment miR-18a might serve as a marker of treatment resistance and as a new target for BC treatment. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P4-07-15.

Peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) count may reflect the immune status of cancer patients. We retrospectively analyzed the predictive and prognostic impact of baseline and post-chemotherapy PBL counts in a homogeneous group of 103 breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (anthracyclines and taxanes). In univariate analysis, baseline PBL under 1500 × 10(6)/L (p = 0.013; hazard ratio [HR]: 2.80, 95%CI 1.24-6.61), and PBL decrease >200 × 10(6)/L after the first cycle of chemotherapy (p = 0.047; HR: 2.82, 95%CI 1.01-7.86) were significantly related to disease free survival. In multivariate analysis, both baseline PBL count less than 1500 × 10(6)/L (p = 0.034; HR: 3.32, 95%CI 1.09-10.02) and PBL decrease >200 × 10(6)/L after first cycle (p = 0.032; HR: 3.25, 95%CI 1.10-9.56) showed independent prognostic value for worse disease free survival. No effect was observed for overall survival. Our data support the relevance of pre- and post-chemotherapy PBL for breast cancer recurrence after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Background: Predictive models to identify low-risk febrile neutropenia (FN) have been developed with heterogeneous samples, which included stable and unstable patients, solid tumours, acute leukaemia and bone marrow transplantation. These models fail to recognise 5–15% of cases with unexpected complications, and literature specifically addressing apparently stable patients (ASPs) is scarce. Methods: We reviewed 861 episodes of FN in outpatients with solid tumours, including 692 (80%) episodes with apparent clinical stability. We aimed to investigate the prognosis of this latter group and explore the possibility of stratifying it according to the presenting features. A case–control study was performed and the MASCC index was evaluated. Results: The rates of complications and bacteraemia in ASPs were 7.3% and 6.2%, respectively. The MASCC index yielded a low sensitivity to detect complications (36%). Prognostic factors were identified: ECOG performance status ⩾2, chronic bronchitis, chronic heart failure, stomatitis NCI grade ⩾2, monocytes

5074Background: Plasma AR (pAR) gain identifies CRPC with worse outcome on abiraterone (abi) or enzalutamide (enza). We aimed to evaluate whether taxanes in CRPC are active regardless of AR status ...

TPS4591Background: Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is standard first line treatment for metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC). However, around 50% of patients are ineligible for cisplatin due to poor ...

5071Background: Germline mutations in BRCA2 have been identified in 3-5% of mCRPC patients. PROREPAIR-B (Castro et al ESMO 2017) is the first prospective study to report a worse survival from mCRPC...

Background Angiogenesis is a key process for tumor progression and a target for treatment. However, the regulation of breast cancer angiogenesis and its relevance for clinical resistance to antiangiogenic drugs is still incompletely understood. Recent developments on the contribution of microRNA to tumor angiogenesis and on the oncogenic effects of miR-17-92, a miRNA cluster, point to their potential role on breast cancer angiogenesis. The aim of this work was to establish the contribution of miR-20a, a member of miR-17-92 cluster, to tumor angiogenesis in patients with invasive breast carcinoma. Methods Tube-formation in vitro assays with conditioned medium from MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines were performed after transfection with miR-20a and anti-miR20a. For clinical validation of the experimental findings, we performed a retrospective analysis of a series of consecutive breast cancer patients (n = 108) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and with a full characterization of their vessel pattern and expression of angiogenic markers in pre-treatment biopsies. Expression of members of the cluster miR-17-92 and of angiogenic markers was determined by RT-qPCR after RNA purification from FFPE samples. Results In vitro angiogenesis assays with endothelial cells and conditioned media from breast cancer cell lines showed that transfection with anti-miR20a in MDA-MB-231 significantly decreased mean mesh size and total mesh area, while transfection with miR-20a in MCF7 cells increased mean mesh size. MiR-20a angiogenic effects were abrogated by treatment with aflibercept, a VEGF trap. These results were supported by clinical data showing that mir-20a expression was higher in tumors with no estrogen receptor or with more extensive nodal involvement (cN2-3). A higher miR-20a expression was associated with higher mean vessel size (p = 0.015) and with an angiogenic pattern consisting in larger vessels, higher VEGFA expression and presence of glomeruloid microvascular proliferations (p

This review provides updated information published in 2014 regarding advances and major achievements in genitourinary cancer. Sections include the best in prostate cancer, renal cancer, bladder cancer, and germ cell tumors. In the field of prostate cancer, data related to treatment approach of hormone-sensitive disease, castrate-resistant prostate cancer, mechanisms of resistance, new drugs, and molecular research are presented. In relation to renal cancer, relevant aspects in the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma, immunotherapy, and molecular research, including angiogenesis and von Hippel-Lindau gene, molecular biology of non-clear cell histologies, and epigenetics of clear renal cell cancer are described. New strategies in the management of muscle-invasive localized bladder cancer and metastatic disease are reported as well as salient findings of biomolecular research in urothelial cancer. Some approaches intended to improve outcomes in poor prognosis patients with metastatic germ cell cancer are also reported. Results of clinical trials in these areas are discussed.

TO THEEDITOR: Napolitano et al 1 recently published their work evaluating the role of residual vein thrombosis (RVT) to assess the optimal duration of anticoagulation therapy in patients with active cancer and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower extremities. We agree with the authors that the absence of RVT identified a group at low risk for DVT recurrence. However, we have some methodologic concerns that might hamper the applicability of this trial to our daily practice. Concerning the inferential extensibility, we deem it essential to report whether tumors were truly active at the time of random assignment (6 months from the index DVT), and whether the hypercoagulable states resolved throughout the study period. We base these recommendations on the following observations. Although, in the definition of the study population, the authors established active cancer as an inclusion criterion, 78% of patients did not have metastasis. Strikingly, 63% of the patients did undergo major surgery, and supposedly, many of them were thereafter free of disease. Notably, the low percentage of patients with metastatic or incurable tumors explains the low mortality rate that was reported in this study. Given that the persistence of tumor-related thrombophilia is a key determinant of venous thromboembolism (VTE) recurrence, this fact might limit the applicability of this study to patients with metastatic disease who are seen in daily practice, even in the absence of RVT. We would appreciate if the authors could clarify this point.

The effects of breast cancer conventional chemotherapy on tumor angiogenesis need to be further characterized. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is an ideal model to evaluate the results of chemotherapy, allowing intra-patient direct comparison of antitumor and antiangiogenic effects. We sought to analyze the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on tumor angiogenesis and its clinical significance in breast cancer. Breast cancer patients (n = 108) treated with neoadjuvant sequential anthracyclines and taxanes were studied. Pre- and post-chemotherapy microvessel density (MVD) and mean vessel size (MVS) were analyzed after CD34 immunohistochemistry and correlated with tumor expression of pro- and antiangiogenic factors (VEGFA, THBS1, HIF1A, CTGF, and PDGFA) by qRT-PCR. Angiogenic measures at diagnosis varied among breast cancer subtypes. Pre-treatment higher MVS was associated with triple-negative subtype and more advanced disease. Higher MVS was correlated with higher VEGFA (p = 0.003), while higher MVD was correlated with lower antiangiogenic factors expression (THBS1, p < 0.0001; CTGF, p = 0.001). Increased angiogenesis at diagnosis (high MVS and glomeruloid microvascular proliferation) and higher VEGFA expression were associated with tumor recurrence (p = 0.048 and 0.009, respectively). Chemotherapy-induced angiogenic response (defined as decreased MVD) was present in 35.2 % of patients. This response correlated with an increase in antiangiogenic factors (THBS1) without changes in VEGFA expression, and it was associated with tumor downstaging, but not with clinical response, pathologic complete response, or prognosis. Global effects of chemotherapy mainly consisted in an increased expression of antiangiogenic factors (THBS1, CTGF), with significant changes neither of tumor VEGFA nor of MVS. Conventionally scheduled neoadjuvant chemotherapy exerts antiangiogenic effects, through an increase in antiangiogenic factors, THBS1 and CTGF, but the expression of VEGFA is maintained after treatment. Better markers of angiogenic response and a better understanding of the cooperation of chemotherapy and antiangiogenic therapy in the neoadjuvant clinical scenario are needed.

BACKGROUND Cancer patients with fever and neutropenia currently are assessed on clinical grounds only. The current study prospectively evaluated the efficacy of baseline procalcitonin (PCT) in the detection of bacteremia and in the prediction of outcome in patients with solid tumors and febrile neutropenia. METHODS PCT levels were determined at baseline and every 48 hours in 104 patients undergoing chemotherapy who developed fever (axillary temperature > 38 °C on 2 occasions or > 38.3 °C in a single record) and neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count < 500 cells/μL). RESULTS The median baseline PCT values were significantly higher in patients who had microbiologically documented infections (1.24 ng/mL) compared with patients who had clinically documented infections (0.27 ng/mL) or fever of unknown origin (0.21 ng/mL; P < 0.01). Accordingly, a PCT cut-off value of 0.5 ng/mL was reached more frequently in patients who had microbiologically documented infections compared with patients who had clinically documented infections or fever of unknown origin (66.7% vs. 13.4%, respectively; P < 0.001). Furthermore, this threshold also was associated with an increased likelihood of treatment failure (70.0% vs. 14.9%; P < 0.001). All 4 septic patients and all 5 patients who ultimately died presented PCT values 5-fold to 10-fold greater than the median values. Clinical evaluation in combination with baseline PCT assessment appeared to improve clinical risk evaluation alone. CONCLUSIONS Baseline PCT levels were higher in patients who had febrile neutropenia with bacteremia compared with patients who had clinical infections or fever of unknown origin. PCT helped to identify patients who had microbiologic infections and patients who were at high risk of treatment failure, and PCT may constitute a complementary tool in the initial assessment of such patients. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.

5016 Background: Building on previous discoveries studying AR status in plasma (Carreira S, Sci Transl Med 2014, Romanel A, Sci Transl Med 2015) and following a road-map for biomarker development, we aimed to clinically qualify AR status in chemotherapy-naïve mCRPC using an optimized multiplex droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay (Condeduca et al.;ASCO2017;Abstract#). Methods: Between February and November 2015, 98 asymptomatic or oligo-symptomatic chemotherapy-naïve mCRPC patients were recruited in 16 Spanish hospitals. Tissue and blood samples were required at study entry. Although initially designed to study the predictive value of TMPRSS2-ETS, data emerging after the trial was initiated led the group to prioritize alternative predefined exploratory biomarkers, including plasma ARand CTC characterization (Grande E. ESMO 2016 & Font A. et al; ASCO2017; Abstract #). Outcome measures included PSA-progression-free survival (sPFS), radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) and overall survival (OS). Cox regression was used for survival analyses and Fisher’s exact test for PSA response. Results: Ninety-four patients had plasma DNA available for analysis. At baseline, AR gain was present in 11 pts (12%) and CTCs in 35 (37%). AR gain in CTC-positive and negative patients was 20% and 7%, respectively. At first interim analysis and with a median follow-up of 10.6 months, detection of AR gain was associated with worse sPFS (median, 3.60 versus 15.5 m, HR, 4.33; 95% CI 1.94-9.68; P < 0.001), rPFS (median, 3.90 m versus not reached HR, 8.06; 95% CI, 3.26-19.93; P < 0.001) and OS (medians not reached, HR, 11.08; 95% CI, 2.16-56.95; P = 0.004). These results were independently associated in multivariate analysis including cfDNA and CTCs for all described endpoints. AR gain patients were less likely to have a ≥50% decline in PSA (OR, 4.93; 95% CI, 1.30-18.75; P = 0.025). Conclusions: Detection of AR gain in plasma using a robust multiplex ddPCR method predicts an adverse outcome in chemotherapy-naïve mCRPC. Further prospective randomized studies are warranted. Clinical trial information: NCT02288936.

5052 Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) enumeration using CellSearch correlates with clinical outcome in prostate cancer, but is limited for gene expression analysis. AdnaTest ProstateCancer is a commercially available CTC immune-enrichment and PCR-related detection method that allows gene expression studies (Antonarakis E, NEJM 2014). It has demonstrated incremental detection of CTCs in patients with no CTCs identified by CellSearch (Samoila A, ASCO 2013) but needs to be clinically qualified. There is a strong need for studies to assess the association with the clinical outcome in CRPC. Methods: Between February and November 2015, 98 asymptomatic or oligo-symptomatic chemotherapy-naïve mCRPC pts were recruited in 16 institutions. Although initially designed to study the predictive value of TMPRSS2-ETS, data emerging after the trial was initiated led the group to prioritize alternative predefined exploratory biomarkers, including plasma AR (Grande E, ASC0 2017 #) and CTC characterization (Grande E, ESMO 2016). Outcome measures included PSA-PFS (sPFS), radiographic PFS (rPFS) and OS. Cox regression was used for survival analyses and Fisher’s exact test for PSA response. Results: Ninety-eight patients had CTC blood samples available. CTCs were detected at baseline, 12 weeks and progression in 36% (35/98), 27% (26/95) and 78% (32/41), respectively. The CTC conversion rate (positive to negative after 12 w) was 43% (15/35). All CTC conversions had ≥50% decline in PSA (15/15) whereas only 35% (7/20) of pts with persistent CTCs. At first interim analysis, with a median follow-up of 10.6 months, detection of CTCs at baseline was associated with worse sPFS (median, 7.59 m versus NR, HR, 3.67; 95% CI 1.90-7.10; P < 0.001), rPFS (median, 12.9 m versus NR; HR, 7.61; 95% CI, 2.80-20.64; P < 0.001) and OS (medians NR, HR, 9.51; 95% CI, 1.11-81.52; P = 0.0398). CTC positive pts were less likely to have a ≥90% decline in PSA (OR, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.13-7.72; P = 0.02). Conclusions: CTC detection using AdnaTest is associated with an adverse outcome in chemotherapy-naïve asymptomatic or oligo-symptomatic mCRPC pts. Clinical trial information: NCT02288936.

5060 Background: There is an urgent need to identify biomarkers to guide personalized therapy in CRPC. We aimed to clinically qualify the association of AR status in plasma DNA with worse outcome in pre- and post-docetaxel (doc) CRPC. Methods: We used droplet digital (dd)PCR to assess AR copy number (CN) and mutations (mut) (2105T > A (p.L702H) and 2632A > G (p.T878A) status in plasma DNA from 171 patients (pts) treated with abi/enza in biomarker protocols at 2 institutions. The aim to evaluate plasma AR was defined after sample collection but prior to analysis. Results: We first optimised multiplex ddPCR to accurately define AR status and identified an AR CN cutpoint = 2.01 as having the greatest likelihood to split pts into 2 prognostic groups. We confirmed a strong agreement between ddPCR and NGS for quantitating AR CN and mut allelic frequency (Bland-Altman test: mean difference -0.02 95%CI -2.45 to 2.41; mean difference -0.01 95%CI -0.015 to 0.016 respectively). AR CN gain was observed in 10 (14%) pre- and 33 (34%) postdoc pts and associated with a worse OS (HR 3.98 95%CI 1.74-9.10 p < 0.001; HR 3.81 95%CI 2.28-6.37 p < 0.001 respectively), PFS (HR 2.18 95%CI 1.08-4.39 p = 0.03; HR 1.95 95%CI 1.23-3.11 p = 0.01 respectively) and PSA decline ≥50% (OR 4.7 95%CI 1.17-19.17 p = 0.035; OR 5.0 95%CI 1.70-14.91 p = 0.003 respectively). AR mut were observed in 8 (11%) postdoc but no pre-doc abi-treated pts and also associated with worse OS (HR 3.26 95%CI 1.47-not reached p = 0.004). There was no interaction between AR and doc status (p = 0.83 for OS, p = 0.99 for PFS). Multivariate analysis, adjusting for AR CN and mut, previous doc, double stranded DNA concentration, LDH, confirmed AR status was independently associated with OS (HR 3.77 95%CI 2.42-5.88 p < 0.001 and HR 2.76 95%CI 1.26-6.07 p = 0.011 for AR CN and mut respectively) and PFS (HR 1.96 95% CI 1.32-2.93 p = 0.001). Conclusions: Plasma AR status assessment using multiplex ddPCR identifies CRPC with worse outcome to enza/abi in pre/postdoc CRPC. Additional clinical qualification is available from the PREMIERE study (Grande et al;ASCO2017;Abstract#). Prospective evaluation of treatment decisions based on plasma AR is now required.

e18014 Background: With the increasing use of oral anticancer treatments understanding adherence patterns and patient’s information about therapy has become critical. Enzalutamide (ENZ) and Abiraterone acetate (AA) are orally administered drugs approved for the treatment of mCRPC widely prescribed; however, scarce information is available about treatment compliance and patient’s information about these compounds. This study aims to evaluate the adherence to AA and ENZ and the patient’s drug knowledge in mCRPC patients. Methods: A 20-question survey is being delivered to patients with mCRPC receiving either AA or ENZ in 8 centers across Spain. Questions cover items such as demographics, drug information, adherence and perceived benefits among other topics. Surveying is still ongoing. Results: Fifty patients have completed the survey at this time. Mean age is 72 years (range 58-87), educational level is basic in 56 %. Median duration of treatment was 9,5 months. Adherence reported is very high with 84% of the patients taking 100% of prescribed doses and 100% more than 75%. Treatment compliance does not seem to decrease over time despite only 42% of the patients reported the use of devices to secure adherence. A high compliance correlated with better symptom control. Nonetheless, many areas of improvement have been also identified. About a quarter of the patients (26%) ignored the name of the drug they were receiving and 24% whether or not they were in a clinical trial. Almost all patients were not aware of the planned duration of treatment and 70 % recognized that they did not know the consequences of a bad adherence. Eleven patients (22%) were taking AA with food outside of a clinical trial and three patients (6%) reported inadequate dosage (i.e q 12h). Conclusions: While in other diseases adherence to oral therapies has been identified as a potential limiting factor with impact in efficacy, in our series of mCRPC treatment compliance was high and maintained overtime. Yet, serious patient education pitfalls were identified. Data collection is ongoing and further analysis will be presented.

Brain metastases of testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) are a rare event. Prognostic is poor and there is not much evidence on optimal management of these patients. A review of case records of germ cell tumor patients within the Spanish Germ Cell Cancer Group data base from 1994 to 2012 was conducted. Thirty-three out of 6,200 cases (0.5 %). Nineteen patients (57 %) group 1: synchronous, 13 (40 %) group 2: metachronous and only one developed brain metastasis during cisplatin-based chemotherapy (excluded from the analysis). Median serum BHCG levels at initial diagnosis was higher in group 1, whereas elevated AFP serum levels were more common in group 2. Histology in the primary tumor: chorionic carcinoma for group 1 versus embryonal carcinoma for group 2. Mainly solitary brain metastasis in group 2 (54 versus 21 %, respectively). The median overall survival from the diagnosis of central nervous system involvement was 16 months for group 1 (CI 95 % 13.9-18) and 23 months (95 % CI 0-165) for group 2 (log rank p = 0.84). Long-term survivors were practically identical in the two groups (38.9 % group 1 versus 38.5 % group 2). Regardless of the timing of brain metastasis, those patients that achieved complete response to the treatment had better survival (log rank p 0.003). Although some distinctive clinical characteristics have been found between patients with synchronous versus metachronous brain metastasis from TGCT, the timing of brain metastasis did not seem to have prognostic influence, but due to the retrospective nature of the analysis and the results should be interpreted with caution.

e16058Background: Data suggest that large RPLN significantly increase the risk of VTE in pts with mGCT receiving first line platinum based chemotherapy (chemo). This multinational G3 study aims to ...