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Purpose: The high mortality rate for lung cancer is likely to be reduced by the development of a panel of sensitive biological markers able to identify early-stage lung cancers or subjects at high risk. The aim of this study was to establish the frequency of K-ras and p53 mutations and p16INK4A, RASSF1A, and NORE1A hypermethylation in sputum of a large cohort of cancer-free heavy smokers and to assess whether these markers are suitable for a routine use in the clinical practice for the early diagnosis of pulmonary cancer.Experimental Design: Sputum samples were collected from 820 heavy smokers. Inclusion criteria consisted of radiologic and cytologic absence of pulmonary lesions, age at least 60 years, male gender, and a smoking history of at least 20 pack-years.Results: The analysis identified 56 individuals (6.9%) with one molecular alteration. p53 mutation and p16INK4A, RASSF1A, and NORE1A methylation frequencies were 1.9%, 5.1%, 0.8%, and 1.0%, respectively; no K-ras mutations were found. One patient with p53 mutations was diagnosed with an early-stage lung cancer after 3-years of follow-up. The molecular analysis of bronchoscopy samples confirmed in half of the cases alterations present in sputum without revealing additional molecular changes.Conclusions: Genetic and epigenetic abnormalities can be detected in cancer-free heavy smokers. Although the predictive value of the cancer risk is still to be established as it requires not less than 5 years of follow-up, p53 and p16INK4A are more promising candidates than K-ras, RASSF1A, and NORE1A for the pulmonary molecular screening of heavy smokers healthy individuals.

Supplementary Tables S1-S3 from Molecular Alterations in Spontaneous Sputum of Cancer-Free Heavy Smokers: Results from a Large Screening Program

No standard treatment option is available for patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) progressing after upfront chemotherapy. We aimed to explore the role of focal radiotherapy (FRT) as a treatment modality for oligo-progressive MPM.In this retrospective study, consecutive patients pretreated with ≥1 lines of chemotherapy were included. Oligo-progressive MPM was defined as an unresectable disease with radiological progression at ≤3 sites according to a chest-abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography. Patients were treated with either stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT, ≥5 Gy per fraction) or hypo-fractionated radiotherapy (hypoRT,5 Gy per fraction). Time to further systemic therapy (TFST) and local control (LC) after FRT were the primary endpoints. Biologically effective dose (BED) was calculated using three different alpha/beta models (1.5 Gy, 3 Gy and 10 Gy).From April 2006 to March 2019, 37 patients were treated on 43 pleural lesions; 16/37 (43 %) had undergone upfront multimodality treatment (MMT) including surgery. FRT was given in 22/37 (59.5 %) after one line of chemotherapy. SBRT was delivered for 26/43 lesions (60.5 %), hypoRT for 17/43 (39.5 %). Median TFST was 6 months (95 % CI 4.9-7.1). LC at 6 months and 1 year was 84 % and 76 %, respectively. Median TFST was longer in patients treated after 1 vs1 line of chemotherapy (9 vs 4 months, p = 0.001) and in patients pretreated with MMT (6 vs 3 months, p = 0.021). Six-month LC was better in patients treated with a BED 100 using alpha/beta 1.5 and 3. No ≥ G3 acute or late toxicities were reported.FRT was feasible in selected patients with oligo-progressive MPM, allowing delay of further systemic therapies, with no severe toxicity. FRT was more effective when performed at progression after one line of systemic therapy. Our results suggest a radio-resistant behavior of MPM.

Background: The presence of a second primary cancer (SPC) in patients with pleural mesothelioma (PM) may impact overall survival and suggest a common mechanism of carcinogenesis or an underlying germline genetic alteration. Methods: We evaluated the occurrence of SPCs within PM cases collected from 2000 to 2018 by the Lombardy Mesothelioma Registry and their prognostic implications. Kaplan–Meier analysis was performed to estimate median survival times, together with univariate and multivariate Cox regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of death. Results: The median overall survival (OS) of the entire study population (N = 6646) was 10.9 months (95% CI: 10.4–11.2); patient age and histotype were the strongest prognostic factors. No substantial survival difference was observed by the presence of an SPC (10.5 months in 1000 patients with an SPC vs. 10.9 months in 5646 patients in the non-SPC group, HR 1.03, p = 0.40). Shorter OS in the SPC group was only observed in 150 patients with the non-epithelioid subtype (median OS of 5.4 vs. 7.1 months, HR 1.21, p = 0.03). Conclusions: The diagnosis of an SPC did not influence the outcome of PM patients in the overall study population but was associated with shorter OS in non-epithelioid cases. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of SPCs as markers of genetic susceptibility in mesothelioma.

Aim: The association of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and local radiotherapy in EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer patients experiencing disease progression under TKIs could be a valid an option. Patients & methods: We included 131 patients experiencing disease progression during first-line TKI. In group A, patients received TKI beyond progression and site(s) of progression were irradiated; in group B, patients remained on TKI alone beyond progression; and group C stopped TKI at first disease progression. Results: Median overall survival resulted longer in group A versus B and C (p

A precision medicine approach has been successfully applied in medical oncology for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) through the identification of targetable driver molecular aberrations; activating mutations of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are the most common. Osimertinib, a third-generation, wild-type sparing, irreversible EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), originally showed a striking activity after progression to first- and second-generation EGFR-TKIs when T790M resistance mutation was identified. Thereafter, upfront use of osimertinib became the standard of care based on overall survival benefit over first-generation TKIs erlotinib and gefitinib as reported in the FLAURA trial. For patients progressing on osimertinib, identification of resistance mechanisms is crucial to develop novel targeted therapeutic approaches. Moreover, innovative drugs or combination therapies are being developed for cases in which a specific resistance mechanism is not identifiable. In this review, the post-osimertinib treatment options for EGFR-mutated NSCLC are analyzed, with an outlook to ongoing clinical trials. An algorithm to guide clinicians in managing progression on osimertinib is proposed., Highlights • Acquired resistance mechanisms to osimertinib can be EGFR dependent or independent. • First- and fourth-generation EGFR-TKIs are able to overcome EGFR-dependent resistance. • MET and MEK inhibitors may overcome EGFR-independent resistance. • Anti-HER/MET novel monoclonal antibody seems effective across multiple resistance mechanisms. • Carboplatin/paclitaxel ± bevacizumab/atezolizumab represents a feasible option in ‘fit’ patients progressing on osimertinib.

Summary Background There is a preclinical rationale for inhibiting angiogenesis in mesothelioma. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of the anti-VEGFR-2 antibody ramucirumab combined with gemcitabine in patients with pretreated malignant pleural mesothelioma. Methods RAMES was a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial done at 26 hospitals in Italy. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older, had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0–2, and histologically proven malignant pleural mesothelioma progressing during or after first-line treatment with pemetrexed plus platinum. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive intravenous gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks plus either intravenous placebo (gemcitabine plus placebo group) or ramucirumab 10 mg/kg (gemcitabine plus ramucirumab group) on day 1 every 3 weeks, until tumour progression or unacceptable toxicity. Central randomisation was done according to a minimisation algorithm method, associated with a random element using the following stratification factors: ECOG performance status, age, histology, and first-line time-to-progression. The primary endpoint was overall survival, measured from the date of randomisation to the date of death from any cause. Efficacy analyses were assessed in all patients who had been correctly randomised and received their allocated treatment, and safety analyses were assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of their assigned treatment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03560973 , and with EudraCT, 2016-001132-36. Findings Between Dec 22, 2016, and July 30, 2018, of 165 patients enrolled 161 were correctly assigned and received either gemcitabine plus placebo (n=81) or gemcitabine plus ramucirumab (n=80). At database lock (March 8, 2020), with a median follow-up of 21·9 months (IQR 17·7–28·5), overall survival was longer in the ramucirumab group (HR 0·71, 70% CI 0·59–0·85; p=0·028). Median overall survival was 13·8 months (70% CI 12·7–14·4) in the gemcitabine plus ramucirumab group and 7·5 months (6·9–8·9) in the gemcitabine plus placebo group. Grade 3–4 treatment-related adverse events were reported in 35 (44%) of 80 patients in the gemcitabine plus ramucirumab group and 24 (30%) of 81 in the gemcitabine plus placebo group. The most common treatment-related grade 3–4 adverse events were neutropenia (16 [20%] for gemcitabine plus ramucirumab vs ten [12%] for gemcitabine plus placebo) and hypertension (five [6%] vs none). Treatment-related serious adverse events were reported in five (6%) in the gemcitabine plus ramucirumab group and in four (5%) patients in the gemcitabine plus placebo group; the most common was thromboembolism (three [4%] for gemcitabine plus ramucirumab vs two [2%] for gemcitabine plus placebo). There were no treatment-related deaths. Interpretation Ramucirumab plus gemcitabine significantly improved overall survival after first-line standard chemotherapy, with a favourable safety profile. This combination could be a new option in this setting. Funding Eli Lilly Italy. Translation For the Italian translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Highlights • Bone remodeling is disrupted in metastatic disease, affecting > 70% of mCRPC men. • In metastatic disease, abnormal levels of specific BTMs are released. • We prospectively measured four BTMs markers in chemotherapy-naïve mCRPC men on AAP therapy. • AAP seems to act on the microenvironment of metastatic but not of normal bone. • This action likely contributes to the antitumoral activity of AAP., Background Bone remodeling is disrupted in metastatic disease, which affects > 70% of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. As a result, abnormal levels of specific bone turnover biomarkers (BTMs) are released. In this prospective ancillary analysis of the Italian real-world study ABITUDE, four markers were measured during abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (AAP) treatment in chemotherapy-naïve mCRPC men failing androgen-deprivation therapy. Methods Patients were enrolled if a blood sample was obtained before the first administration of abiraterone (baseline); ad-hoc blood samples were withdrawn during routine tests after 3, 6, and 12 months. A centralized lab measured bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP, osteoblast activity marker), type-I collagen-C-telopeptide (CTX-1, bone resorption marker), parathyroid hormone (PTH) and vitamin D (vitD). At each time point, intra-patient variations vs baseline were compared by the signed-rank test (statistical significance: P-value

Background Patients with cancer are at increased risk of complicated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, but it is still unclear if the risk of mortality is influenced by cancer type or ongoing anti-cancer treatments. An interesting debate concerning the potential relationship between androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and SARS-CoV-2 infection has recently been opened in the case of prostate cancer (PC), and the aim of this multi-centre cohort study was to investigate the incidence and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostrate cancer (mCRPC). Patients and methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of patients with mCRPC who developed SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recorded their baseline clinical characteristics, their history of PC and SARS-CoV-2 infection, and their oncological status and treatment at the time of infection. The primary study end point was the death rate and the possible impact of the patients' PC-related history and treatments on mortality. Results Thirty-four of the 1433 patients with mCRPC attending the participating centres (2.3%) developed SARS-CoV-2 infection, 22 (64.7%) of whom were hospitalised. Most of the patients were symptomatic, the most frequent symptoms being fever (70.6%), dyspnoea (61.8%), cough (52.9%) and fatigue (38.2%). After a median follow-up of 21 days (interquartile range: 13–41), 13 patients had died (38.2%), 17 recovered (50.0%) and four (11.7%) were still infected. The number of treatments previously administered for mCRPC had a significant impact on mortality (p = 0.004). Conclusions Our findings contribute additional data to the current debate concerning the postulated protective role of ADT, which seems to be less in patients with metastatic PC., Highlights • A relationship between androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) might exist. • We investigated incidence and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostrate cancer (mCRPC). • The incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among 1433 patients with mCRPC was 2.3%. • The mortality rate was 38.2%. • The uncertain protective role of ADT in SARS-CoV-2 infection seems less in mCRPC.

PURPOSE In the KEYNOTE-010 study, pembrolizumab improved overall survival (OS) versus docetaxel in previously treated, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)‒expressing advanced non‒small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients with a tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥ 50% and ≥ 1%. We report KEYNOTE-010 long-term outcomes, including after 35 cycles/2 years or second-course pembrolizumab. METHODS Of 1,033 patients randomly assigned (intention to treat), 690 received up to 35 cycles/2 years of pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg (n = 344) or 10 mg/kg (n = 346) every 3 weeks, and 343 received docetaxel 75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks. Eligible patients with disease progression after 35 cycles/2 years of pembrolizumab could receive second-course treatment (up to 17 cycles). Pembrolizumab doses were pooled because no between-dose difference was observed at primary analysis. RESULTS Pembrolizumab continued to improve OS over docetaxel in the PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50% and ≥ 1% groups (hazard ratio [HR], 0.53; 95% CI, 0.42 to 0.66; P < .00001; and HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.80; P < .00001, respectively) after a 42.6-month (range, 35.2-53.2 months) median follow-up. Estimated 36-month OS rates were 34.5% versus 12.7% and 22.9% versus 11.0%, respectively. Grade 3-5 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 16% versus 37% of patients, respectively. Seventy-nine of 690 patients completed 35 cycles/2 years of pembrolizumab; 12-month OS and progression-free survival rates after completing treatment were 98.7% (95% CI, 91.1% to 99.8%) and 72.5% (95% CI, 59.9% to 81.8%), respectively. Seventy-five patients (95%) had objective response (RECIST v1.1, blinded independent central review) and 48 (64%) had ongoing response. Grade 3-5 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 17.7% of patients. Fourteen patients received second-course pembrolizumab: 5 completed 17 cycles, 6 (43%) had partial response, and 5 (36%) had stable disease. CONCLUSION Pembrolizumab provided long-term OS benefit over docetaxel, with manageable safety, durable responses among patients receiving 2 years of treatment, and disease control with second-course treatment, further supporting pembrolizumab for previously treated, PD-L1‒expressing advanced NSCLC.

BackgroundIdentifying the patients who may benefit the most from immune checkpoints inhibitors remains a great challenge for clinicians. Here we investigate on blood serum amyloid A (SAA) as biomarker of response to upfront pembrolizumab in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).MethodsPatients with PD-L1 ≥ 50% receiving upfront pembrolizumab (P cohort) and with PD-L1 0–49% treated with chemotherapy (CT cohort) were evaluated for blood SAA and radiological response at baseline and every 9 weeks. Endpoints were response rate (RR) according to RECIST1.1, progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The most accurate SAA cut-off to predict response was established with ROC analysis in the P cohort.ResultsIn the P Cohort (n = 42), the overall RR was 38%. After a median follow-up of 18.5 months (mo), baseline SAA ≤ the ROC-derived cut-off (29.9 mg/L;n = 28/42.67%) was significantly associated with higher RR (53.6 versus 7.1%; OR15, 95% CI 1.72–130.7,p = 0.009), longer PFS (17.4 versus 2.1 mo;p p 29.9 mg/L. In multivariate analysis, low SAA positively affects PFS (p = 0.001) and OS (p = 0.048) irrespective of ECOG PS, number of metastatic sites and pleural effusion. SAA monitoring (n = 40) was also significantly associated with survival endpoints: median PFS 17.4 versus 2.1 mo and median OS not reached versus 7.2 mo when SAA remained low (n = 14) and high (n = 12), respectively. In the CT Cohort (n = 30), RR was not affected by SAA level (p > 0.05) while low SAA at baseline (n = 17) was associated with better PFS (HR 0.38, 95% CI 0.16–0.90,p = 0.006) and OS (HR 0.25, 95% CI 0.09–0.67,p ConclusionLow SAA predicts good survival outcomes irrespective of treatment for advanced NSCLC patients and higher likelihood of response to upfront pembrolizumab only. The strong prognostic value might be exploited to easily identify patients most likely to benefit from immunotherapy. A further study (FoRECATT-2) is ongoing to confirm results in a larger sample size and to investigate the effect of SAA on immune response in vitro assays.

Objectives The incidence of any and of severe-grade immune-related adverse events (irAEs) with second-line nivolumab monotherapy is 31–65 % and 2–5 % respectively. While potentially serious and even fatal, in the absence of an appropriate therapy, such events might be indicators of the activation of the immune system and, potentially, of efficacy. Materials and Methods We collected the records of 1959 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with nivolumab in the Italian expanded access program, and we registered the appearance of any and of severe grade irAEs. We retrospectively searched for correlations between toxicity and efficacy parameters by using Cox's regression analysis. Results Overall, 342 (17.8%) patients developed an irAE of any grade. We observed that patients developing irAE of any grade achieved a significantly higher response rate (RR 27.2% vs 15.2%; p Conclusions This report, performed in Caucasian NSCLC patients, showed that the appearance of irAEs correlated with outcome.

Objectives Molecular diagnostics and care of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are continuously evolving. Few data document the current strategies to manage advanced NSCLC patients beyond progression in clinical practice. Patients and methods Be-TeaM is an Italian multi-center observational study conducted on consecutive EGFR-mutated stage IV NSCLC patients, progressed during/after a first-line EGFR-TKI. It consists of a retrospective phase, from first-line EGFR-TKI therapy start until study entry (i.e. beginning of the diagnostic process), and a prospective phase, until treatment choice or for 3 months if no therapy was prescribed. Primary objective was to describe the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches adopted after progression in a real-world setting. Results Of 308 patients enrolled in 63 centers from July 2017 to June 2018, 289 were included in the analysis. In first line, 53.3 % received gefitinib, 32.5 % afatinib and 14.2 % erlotinib. The testing rate (i.e. rate of all patients undergone any biopsy -liquid and/or tissue- for the T790 M detection) was 90.7 %, with liquid biopsy being the most frequently executed. Of 262 biopsied patients, 64.5 % underwent only 1 liquid biopsy, 10.7 % only 1 tissue biopsy and 18.3 % >1 biopsy, both liquid and solid in 85.4 %. The T790M positivity rate was 45.3 %; of 166 patients undergone only a liquid biopsy and tested for the mutation, 39.8 % were T790M+ and 60.2 % T790M-/undetermined. By the observation end, 87.9 % patients had a post-progression treatment chosen, osimertinib being the most frequent among the T790M+. Conclusion Be-TeaM provides the first snapshot of current practices for the management of NSCLC patients beyond progression in Italy; in clinical practice, assessing the T790M status is not always feasible.

Despite the increasing knowledge of the biology of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), patients with this diagnosis still have a poor prognosis with a 5-year survival rate of lower than 10%. The effectiveness demonstrated by Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) in combination with chemotherapy in preclinical experiments and in MPM patients (NCT02397928) affirms TTFields as a promising therapeutic tool. Knowledge of the mechanism of action of TTFields and its interaction with chemotherapeutic agents may contribute to the design of more effective clinical trials for MPM patients. A panel of primary MPM cells was isolated from pleural effusion and/or lavages of patients' thoracic cavity, before administration of therapeutic treatment, obtaining six cell lines from the 3 types of MPM cells: epithelioid CD473 and CD484, sarcomatoid CD60 and CD432, and biphasic CD487 and CD491. RNAseq analysis revealed that the transcriptional profiles of CD473 and CD60 cells were comparable with those derived from patient biopsies of the same histotype, representing clinically relevant MPM models. Antiproliferative effects induced by TTFields alone (1.12 V/cm; 150 KHz; for 96h duration) were studied in these MPM cell lines. Cell survival and cell cycle perturbations analyses during and after treatment were performed. Consistent with clinical observations, epithelioid MPM cells demonstrated greater sensitivity to TTFields than biphasic and sarcomatoid MPM cells. Cell cycle analysis revealed that the former cell type was blocked in G2M phase and was followed by formation of polyploid cells; while the latter cell types were only slightly affected by TTFields with a general delay in all cell cycle phases. Apoptotic cells were present in all treated samples, but while epithelioid and biphasic cell death was already observed during the first 24h of treatment, sarcomatoid cells needed to be treated for at least 24h before starting apoptotic pathways. The antiproliferative effect observed in epithelioid cells was persistent even after treatment cessation, whereas biphasic and sarcomatoid cells were able to reinitiate growth upon TTFields cessation. RNAseq experiments were performed in CD473 and CD60 cells at different times during TTFields application to explore transcriptional modifications that may explicate these varied MPM cell responses. Preliminary data suggested that TTFields induced a transcriptional response already detectable at earlier time points of treatment (8h; maximum effect at 24h). The number of differentially expressed genes was higher in CD473 relative to CD60 cells (1951 in CD473 and 336 in CD60 at 24h), involving several pathways, that need to be further investigated. These data demonstrate that TTFields induce specific effects on cell proliferation in varied subsets of mesothelioma cells and provide a mechanistic rationale for future therapies and combinations with other anticancer drugs for MPM treatment. Citation Format: Monica Lupi, Federica Mirimao, Nicolò Panini, Greta Piazza, Lara Paracchini, Laura Mannarino, Sergio Marchini, Federica Grosso, Serena Penpa, Antonio Maconi, Giovanni L. Ceresoli, Maurizio D'Incalci. Antiproliferative effects of Tumor Treating Fields in human mesothelioma cell lines [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 1064.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of metabolic parameters analyzed at baseline and at interim FDG‐PET in predicting disease outcome in unresectable MPM patients receiving pemetrexed‐based chemotherapy. A consecutive series of MPM patients treated between February 2004 and July 2013 with first‐line pemetrexed‐based chemotherapy, and evaluated by FDG‐PET and CT scan at baseline and after two cycles of chemotherapy, was reviewed. Best CT scan response was assessed according to modified RECIST criteria. Progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were correlated with FDG‐PET parameters, such as maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and percentage changes in SUVmax (∆SUV) and TLG (∆TLG). Overall, 142 patients were enrolled; 77 (54%) received talc pleurodesis before chemotherapy. Baseline SUVmax and TLG showed a statistically significant correlation with PFS and OS (P

Purpose Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide and, although targeted therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors has dramatically improved the rates of response and survival in advanced EGFR-mutated adenocarcinoma, the overall outcome remains unsatisfactory. Therefore, new prognostic factors, preferably simple, inexpensive, and easy to reproduce on a large scale, are needed. We performed a retrospective analysis of our database including 63 western Caucasian patients with advanced EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma and receiving gefitinib, erlotinib, or afatinib as first- or second-line therapy. Several studies demonstrated a strong link between elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and poor prognosis both in early and advanced stages of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods From January 2011 to December 2015, 63 consecutive elegible patients with advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC were included in this analysis from 5 institutions. The NLR was derived from the absolute neutrophil and the absolute lymphocyte counts of a full blood count and the cutoff value was determined according to the mean NLR level. Results Despite the small sample analyzed, we found that NLR has a prognostic role for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), reaching a statistically significant difference with a better PFS and OS in the lower NLR group. Conclusions Pretreatment NLR seems to represent a reliable, simple, and easy to reproduce laboratory tool to predict outcome and response to cancer therapies in this setting of Western Caucasian patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC.

Treatment with immune-checkpoint blocking monoclonal antibody (mAb) is demonstrating a significant efficacy in different tumor types. Here, we discuss the impact of this promising approach in malignant mesothelioma (MM), a still dreadful disease in which medical treatment has been set on platinum based chemotherapy for decades with unsatisfactory results.

Background Systemic second- and third-line therapies for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) result in a median progression-free survival (mPFS) of Patients and methods Pts with progressing MPM treated with first-line platinum-pemetrexed chemotherapy with or without immunotherapy received lurbinectedin monotherapy. Treatment was given intravenously at 3.2 mg/m2 dose every 3 weeks until progression or unacceptable toxicity. Using Simon's two-stage design, the primary endpoint, progression-free survival (PFS) at 12 weeks (PFS12wks), was met if achieved by ≥21 pts (p0 ≤35% versus p1 ≥55%). Results Forty-two pts from nine centres across Switzerland and Italy were recruited. Histology was epithelioid in 33 cases, sarcomatoid in 5, and biphasic in 4. Overall 10/42 (23.8%) underwent prior immunotherapy and 14/42 (33.3%) had progressed ≤6 months after first-line chemotherapy. At data cut-off PFS12wks was met by 22/42 pts (52.4%; 90% confidence interval (CI): 38.7% to 63.5%; P = 0.015) with an mPFS of 4.1 months and mOS of 11.1 months. The best response was complete and partial remission observed in one patient each and stable disease in 20 pts. The duration of disease control was 6.6 months (95% CI: 5.2–7.4). No significant difference in PFS12wks, mPFS, and mOS was recorded in epithelioid versus non-epithelioid cases and pts with prior immunotherapy versus those without. Similar mPFS but shorter mOS were observed among pts who progressed within ≤6 months after first-line chemotherapy. Lurbinectedin-related grade 3–4 toxicity was seen in 21 pts, mostly being neutropenia (23.8%) and fatigue (16.7%). Conclusions The primary efficacy endpoint was reached with acceptable toxicity. Lurbinectedin showed promising activity regardless of histology, prior immunotherapy, or outcome on prior treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03213301

Background Nintedanib targets VEGF receptors 1-3, PDGF receptors alpha and beta, FGF receptors 1-3, and Src and Abl kinases, which are all implicated in malignant pleural mesothelioma pathogenesis. Here, we report the final results of the phase 3 part of the LUME-Meso trial, which aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed plus cisplatin combined with nintedanib or placebo in unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma. Methods This double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial was done at 120 academic medical centres and community clinics in 27 countries across the world. Chemotherapy-naive adults (aged >= 18 years) with unresectable epithelioid malignant pleural mesothelioma and ECOG performance status 0-1 were randomly assigned 1:1 via an independently verified random number-generating system to receive up to six 21-day cycles of pemetrexed (500 mg/m(2)) plus cisplatin (75 mg/m(2)) on day 1, then nintedanib (200 mg twice daily) or matched placebo on days 2-21. Patients without disease progression after six cycles received nintedanib or placebo maintenance on days 1-21 of each cycle. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (investigator-assessed according to mRECIST) in the intention-to-treat population. Safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of their assigned study drug. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01907100. Findings Between April 14, 2016, and Jan 5, 2018, 541 patients were screened and 458 were randomly assigned to either the nintedanib group (n=229) or the placebo group (n=229). Median treatment duration was 5.3 months (IQR 2.8-7.3) in the nintedanib group and 5.1 months (2.7-7.8) in the placebo group. After 250 events, progression-free survival was not different between the nintedanib group (median 6.8 months [95% CI 6.1-7.0]) and the placebo group (7.0 months [6.7-7.2]; HR 1.01 [95% CI 0.79-1.30], p=0.91). The most frequently reported grade 3 or worse adverse event in both treatment groups was neutropenia (73 [32%] in the nintedanib group vs 54 [24%] in the placebo group). Serious adverse events were reported in 99 (44%) patients in the nintedanib group and 89 (39%) patients in the placebo group. The only serious adverse event occurring in at least 5% of patients in either group was pulmonary embolism (13 [6%] vs seven [3%]). Interpretation The primary progression-free survival endpoint of the phase 3 part of LUME-Meso was not met and phase 2 findings were not confirmed. No unexpected safety findings were reported. Copyright (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a highly aggressive tumor, with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Radical multimodality strategies (surgery with chemo- and radiotherapy) are only suitable for a minority of patients, and the evidence to support their efficacy is low. Cytotoxic chemotherapy represents the only therapeutic option with a proven survival benefit in patients with MPM. Following the results of a large phase III trial, the combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed has been established as the standard of care for unresectable MPM. For patient unfit to receive this doublet, schedules with carboplatin have been explored, with similar outcomes. Another first-line option includes the use of raltitrexed combined with cisplatin. Despite extensive efforts and several trials, no standard treatment is available after progression on platinum-containing regimens. In the second-line setting, if clinical trials are not available, single-agent therapy with vinorelbine or gemcitabine may be considered. Alternatively, patients achieving a prolonged benefit from first-line pemetrexed-platinum treatment may be candidate to rechallenge with pemetrexed-based regimens.

Objectives Despite the scant docetaxel's tolerability, second-line association with nintedanib still represents a standard-of-care for non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (nsNSCLC), giving to rapidly-progressing patients the greatest survival advantage. The SENECA trial is a phase IIb, open-label, study evaluating whether nintedanib/docetaxel can be equally effective and safe regardless docetaxel schedule. Materials and Methods Recurrent nsNSCLC patients were stratified into cohort 1 and 2, according to relapse-time (within or over 3 months) from end of first-line chemotherapy. They were treated with docetaxel (T1: 33 mg/mq on days 1 and 8 in a 21-days cycle; T2: 75 mg/mq q3wks) plus nintedanib, allowing maintenance in case of disease-control. Primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) by investigator’s assessment; secondary endpoints: overall survival (OS), safety and quality-of-life. Results Between January 2016-April 2018, 212 patients were evaluated: 30 resulted screening-failures, 12 were excluded for lack of compliance. According to investigator’s choice, 85 patients received T1 docetaxel and 85 T2; 138 (81.2%) were stratified in C1, 32 (18.8%) in C2, with a median relapse-time of 0.54 and 9.29 months, respectively. Baseline characteristics were balanced between groups. After 35.5 months follow-up, no survival differences appear between cohorts and treatments; toxicity seems to be slightly higher in T2, especially for chemotherapy-related events. Perception of quality-of-life remains stable and docetaxel schedule doesn’t modify patients’ load. Conclusion The SENECA trial confirms efficacy of second-line nintedanib/docetaxel for nsNSCLC, regardless time of recurrence and docetaxel schedule; higher toxicities for q3wks docetaxel, without alterations in quality-of-life, have been described, underling the possibility, adopting the weekly schedule, to maintain efficacy with better tolerability.

Objectives In-vivo characterization of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) with 11C-methionine PET/computed tomography (MET PET). Methods Between September 2014 and February 2016, 30 consecutive patients with clinical suspicion of MPM were prospectively recruited. The study was approved and registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02519049). Patients were evaluated at baseline with MET PET (experimental) and fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography (FDG PET) (standard). Principal parameters analyzed were SUVmax, SUVmean, metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and metabolic tumor burden (MTB = MTV ×SUVmean). The reference standard for diagnostic performance was based on histology. Results The presence of malignancy was confirmed in 29/30 patients: 23 (76.6%) with MPM (20 epithelioid, two biphasic, and one sarcomatoid), five (16.6%) with adenocarcinoma of the lung, and one (3.3%) with an undifferentiated carcinoma. In one case, diagnosis was benign pleural inflammation. All tumors showed increased uptake of 11C-methionine: median SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV, and MTB were, respectively, 5.70 [95% confidence interval (CI): 4.51-6.79], 3.15 (95% CI: 2.71-3.40), 33.85 (95% CI: 14.08-66.64), and 105.25 (95% CI: 41.77-215.25). Pathology data revealed MTV and MTB to be significantly higher in nonepithelioid histology (P < 0.05). The other parameters showed a homogeneous distribution across the tumor types. Overall, MET PET identified 49 lymph nodes, compared with 34 nodes on FDG PET, demonstrating a sensitivity of 91% (95% CI: 80-96%), a positive predictive value of 92% (95% CI: 82- 97%), and an accuracy of 85% (P = 0.0042). Conclusions MET PET is able to characterize MPM lesions regardless of histology. This technique shows higher sensitivity than FDG PET for the identification of secondary lymph nodes.

[Background] To assess the efficacy and safety of a metronomic schedule of oral vinorelbine (mVNR) in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients unfit for platinum-based combination chemotherapy., [Patients and methods] This was a multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label phase II study in treatment-naive patients with TNM stage IIIB/IV NSCLC. Patients received mVNR at a fixed dose of 50 mg × 3 or standard schedule 60-80 mg/m2 weekly until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) without grade 4 toxicity (G4PFS; NCI-CTC v4). Main secondary objectives were safety, disease control rate (DCR) without grade 4 toxicity (G4DCR), DCR, PFS, overall survival (OS) and quality of life (QoL)., [Results] A total of 167 patients were included, 83 and 84 patients in the mVNR and standard arms, respectively. The median G4PFS was 4.0 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.6-4.3] and 2.2 months (95% CI: 1.5-2.9), hazard ration (HR) = 0.63 (95% CI: 0.45-0.88), P = 0.0068 in favor of metronomic arm; G4DCR was 45.8% and 26.8% in the mVNR and standard arms, respectively. Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were less frequent in the mVNR arm (25.3% versus 54.4%) mainly owing to a reduction in all grades (15.7% versus 51.9%) and grade 3-4 neutropenia (10.8% versus 42%). PFS was 4.3 (95% CI: 3.3-5.1) and 3.9 months (95% CI: 2.8-5.2) in mVNR and standard arms, respectively. No difference in median OS was observed. QoL was comparable between arms., [Conclusions] Metronomic oral vinorelbine significantly prolonged median G4PFS in advanced NSCLC patients unfit for platinum combinations as first-line treatment. It was associated with a clear reduction in toxicity and may be considered as an important option in this challenging population., Pierre Fabre Médicament was the Sponsor of the study. The study was funded by Pierre Fabre Médicament. Conduct of the study: Pierre Fabre Médicament with the support of Clinipace clinical research organization (CRO) for the monitoring, of C-Med (CRO) for the data management and statistical analyses.

Introduction: Previously reported data on patients with thoracic malignancies who develop COVID-19 have suggested a higher mortality rate compared to the general population and to other cancer types, particularly in patients over 65 years of age or suffering from active or progressive disease Preliminary data from other studies have suggested that gender and ethnicity may also impact patient outcomes Methods: TERAVOLT is a multi-center, international observational study composed of a cross-sectional component and a longitudinal cohort component Eligibility criteria include the presence of any thoracic cancer and a COVID-19 diagnosis confirmed in the laboratory with RT-PCR/serology, highly suspicious radiological and clinical findings, or suspected with symptoms and known contact with a positive person The overarching goals of this consortium are to provide data for guidance to oncology professionals on managing patients with thoracic malignancies while understanding the risk factors for morbidity and mortality from this novel virus Clinical outcomes including hospitalization, ICU admission, oxygen requirement and mortality were collected The association between demographic/clinical characteristics and outcomes were measured with odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals using a logistic regression model Results: As of August 20, 2020, a total of 1,053 patients with COVID-19 and thoracic cancers from 19 countries and 130 centers have been identified, including 42% females and 84% White, 9 3% African American, 25% Hispanic The median age of male patients was 69 compared to 66 years of age for females While ECOG PS was similar between treatment groups, 77% of males were admitted to hospital with a mortality rate of 37% compared to 66% of females with a mortality rate of 28% The median age of African American patients was 66 years of age compared to 68 and 69 years of age for white and Hispanic patients, respectively;26% of African American and 25% White patients had an ECOG PS ≥2 compared to 19% of Hispanics A similar percentage of patients were admitted to the hospital and ICU, while the mortality rate for Hispanics was 36% compared to 34% for whites and 26% for African Americans Conclusion: Similar to the general population, the mortality rate of males with thoracic cancer is higher than females Regarding ethnicity, there is a difference in the median age of African American patients compared to Whites and Hispanics Although the severity of COVID-19 disease, as defined by hospital admission, is similar between ethnic groups, the mortality rate in Hispanics is higher We will present a multivariate analysis of these data according to gender and ethnicity, including the impact of cancer stage, prior cancer therapy, and COVID-19 therapy on outcomes Keywords: TERAVOLT, international COVID-19 registry, thoracic malignancies

Therapeutic options for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) are limited. Most patients are treated with chemotherapy during the course of their disease. The combination of pemetrexed with a platinum compound is the standard of care in the first-line setting, while no established treatment exists in the second and beyond-line setting. Vinca alkaloids are chemotherapeutic agents that have demonstrated clinical efficacy both as single agents and in combination in a broad spectrum of cancers, including MPM. Vinorelbine has shown activity in MPM patients as neoadiuvant therapy, first-line treatment, and in the second and third-line setting. Vinflunine is a derivative of vinorelbine that has been studied in MPM as first-line agent. While the role of vinca alkaloids in the first-line treatment of MPM seems marginal, treatment with vinorelbine remains a reasonable option for pemetrexed-pretreated patients in clinical practice, based on an acceptable rate of stable disease, confirmed by several trials. Ongoing studies on predictive biomarkers for vinorelbine will hopefully be able to individualize treatment, increasing response rates and survival outcomes.

9598 Background: Identifying the patients who may benefit the most from immune checkpoints inhibitors remains a great challenge for clinicians. The tumor-derived Serum Amyloid A (SAA) inhibits the immune-response in melanoma patients. Here we present the early results of FoRECATT study investigating on blood SAA as biomarker of response to upfront pembrolizumab in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: In this prospective study, patients with PD-L1 ≥ 50% receiving upfront pembrolizumab (P cohort) and with PD-L1 0-49% treated with chemotherapy (CT cohort), were evaluated for blood SAA and radiological response at baseline and every 9 weeks. Primary endpoint was response rate (RR) according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1; secondary endpoints were progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The most accurate SAA cut-off to predict response was established with ROC-analysis in the P cohort. Results: In the P Cohort (n = 42), the overall RR was 38%. After a median follow-up of 18.5 months (mo), baseline SAA ≤ the ROC-derived cut-off (29.9 mg/L; n = 14/42, 33%) was significantly associated with higher RR (53.6 versus 7.1%; OR 15, 95%CI 1.72-130.7, P= 0.009), longer PFS (17.4 versus 2.1 mo; P< 0.0001) and OS (not reached versus 7.2 mo; P< 0.0001) compared with SAA > 29.9 mg/L. In multivariate analysis, low SAA positively affects PFS ( P= 0.001) and OS ( P= 0.048) irrespective of ECOG PS, number of metastatic sites and pleural effusion. SAA monitoring (n = 40) was also significantly associated with survival endpoints: median PFS 17.4 versus 2.1 mo and median OS not reached versus 7.2 mo when SAA remained low (n = 14) and high (n = 12), respectively. In the CT Cohort (n = 30), RR was not significantly affected by SAA level, while low SAA at baseline (n = 17) was associated with better PFS (HR = 0.42, 95%CI 0.16-1.10, P= 0.02) and OS (HR = 0.16, 95% CI 0.04-0.55, P= 0.0004). Conclusions: Low SAA predicts a higher likelihood of response to upfront pembrolizumab only and good survival outcomes irrespective of treatment in advanced NSCLC patients. Therefore, a simple blood test might be useful to identify patients likely to derive better outcomes from immunotherapy. A further study (FoRECATT-2) is ongoing to confirm the results in a larger validation cohort and to assess the potential effect of SAA on immune response in vitro assays.

Background Tempo-Lung trial randomly assessed the role of metronomic oral vinorelbine (OV) vs standard weekly oral vinorelbine in advanced NSCLC patients (pts) unfit to platinum doublets. Little data are available on treatment options after first-line in platinum-unfit pts. Methods Advanced NSCLC pts unfit to receive platinum doublets (Creatinine clearance G2; any medical condition impairing platinum treatment according to physician’s opinion) were randomized to arm A (metronomic): OV 50mg x3/week (wk) or arm B (standard): OV 60 mg/m²/wk cycle 1, then 80 mg/m²/wk. Primary endpoint was progression free-survival without grade 4 toxicity (PFSG4) and secondary efficacy and safety end-point, quality of life (QoL). Data on treatment after failure of first-line vinorelbine were collected. Results Intention-to-treat population included 165 (arm A 83 - arm B 82) pts. Baseline characteristics were well balanced between both arms. Mean dose intensity by cycle: 73.56 mg/m²/week (arm A), 55.85 mgm²/week (arm B). Median PFSG4 significantly differ in favor of metronomic arm [95%CI]: 4.0 [2.6-4.3] vs 2.2 [1.5-2.9] months (p = 0.0068), HR [95%CI] = 0.63 [0.45-0.88]. Overall treatment related adverse events (61.4% vs 84%): haematological toxicities (27.7% vs 55.6%), G3/4 neutropenia (11% vs 42%), febrile neutropenia (3.6% vs 6.2%) and G3/4 asthenia (4.8% vs 8.6%) were reduced with metronomic OV. It was observed that 40% of patients (subset) had second line treatment: immunotherapy, chemotherapy, protein kinase inhibitor, radiotherapy. No difference was found for changes in EORTC QoL scores. Secondary endpoints will be presented. Conclusions Metronomic OV could be a suitable option for advanced NSCLC pts unfit to receive platinum doublets. Less toxicity was observed in metronomic arm. QoL scores were similar in both arms. A subset of platinum unfit patients could receive second-line treatment mainly consisting on immunotherapy, chemotherapy. Clinical trial identification 2014-003859-61. Legal entity responsible for the study IRPF, Pierre Fabre Medicament. Funding Pierre Fabre Medicament. Disclosure A. Camerini: Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, expert testimony: Pierre Fabre; Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Roche; Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Pierre Fabre. A. Morabito: Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, speaker bureau: Pfizer; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, speaker bureau: BMS; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, speaker bureau: MSD; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, speaker bureau: Roche; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, speaker bureau: AstraZeneca; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, speaker bureau: Boehringer Ingelheim. F. Grossi: Advisory / Consultancy: Eli Lilly; Advisory / Consultancy: Roche; Advisory / Consultancy: AstraZeneca; Advisory / Consultancy: Pierre Fabre; Advisory / Consultancy: Boehringer Ingelheim; Advisory / Consultancy: BMS; Advisory / Consultancy: MSD; Advisory / Consultancy: Novartis; Honoraria (self): Eli Lilly; Honoraria (self): Roche; Honoraria (self): AstraZeneca; Honoraria (self): Boehringer Ingelheim; Honoraria (self): Pierre Fabre; Honoraria (self): BMS; Honoraria (self): Novartis; Research grant / Funding (self): AstraZeneca; Research grant / Funding (self): BMS; Research grant / Funding (self): MSD. R. Ramlau: Advisory / Consultancy: Roche; Advisory / Consultancy: MSD; Advisory / Consultancy: Pfizer; Advisory / Consultancy: Novartis; Advisory / Consultancy: Boehringer Ingelheim. T-E. Ciuleanu: Advisory / Consultancy: Astellas; Advisory / Consultancy: Janssen; Advisory / Consultancy: BMS; Advisory / Consultancy: Merck Serono; Advisory / Consultancy: Amgen; Advisory / Consultancy: Roche; Advisory / Consultancy: Pfizer; Advisory / Consultancy: Boehringer Ingelheim; Advisory / Consultancy: Lilly; Advisory / Consultancy: AstraZeneca; Advisory / Consultancy: MSD; Advisory / Consultancy: Sanofi; Advisory / Consultancy: Servier; Advisory / Consultancy: A et D Pharma; Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Pfizer; Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Sanofi; Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Boehringer Ingelheim; Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Merck; Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Servier; Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Ipsen. G.L. Ceresoli: Advisory / Consultancy: Pfizer; Advisory / Consultancy: Astellas; Advisory / Consultancy: Boehringer Ingelheim. J. Bosch-Barrera: Honoraria (self): Pierre Fabre; Honoraria (self): MSD; Honoraria (self): Roche; Honoraria (self): BMS; Advisory / Consultancy: Boehringer Ingelheim. P. Landreau: Full / Part-time employment: Pierre Fabre. S. Gautier: Full / Part-time employment: Pierre Fabre. C. Ta Thanh Minh: Full / Part-time employment: Pierre Fabre. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Background Common epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) predict sensitivity to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), with exon 19 deletions being associated with better outcome compared to L858R mutations. We aimed to investigate the impact of different exon 19 deletions on patient outcome in EGFR-mutant NSCLC treated with first-line TKIs. Patients and Methods In this retrospective analysis, 106 patients with metastatic NSCLC harboring EGFR exon 19 deletions and treated with first-line TKIs were included. The primary end point was overall survival (OS), the secondary end point progression-free survival (PFS). Analyses were performed by grouping exon 19 deletions according to 2 models: we compared different type of deletion (delE746_A750 vs. deletions other than delE746-A750, defined as “uncommon”) or different starting codon of deletion (E746 vs. L747). Results The frequency of uncommon deletions of exon 19 was 36%. When delE746_A750 (n = 68) was compared to the other deletions in exon 19 (n = 38), no differences were found, either in terms of OS (P = .65) or PFS (P = .65). Similarly, no difference in OS (P = .74) or PFS (P = .99) emerged when comparing the E746 group (n = 81) to the L747 group (n = 25). On multivariate analysis including clinical characteristics and type of deletions (delE746_A750 vs. uncommon deletions or E746 vs. L747), only the presence of brain metastases at diagnosis or during TKI treatment was associated with shorter PFS but not with worse OS. Conclusion Different exon 19 deletions are equally sensitive to first-line EGFR-TKIs in EGFR-mutant NSCLC.

Introduction Nivolumab is the first checkpoint inhibitor approved for the treatment of nonsquamous NSCLC. We report results from the nivolumab Italian expanded access program focusing on never-smokers and patients with EGFR-mutant nonsqamous NSCLC. Methods Nivolumab (3 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks) was administered upon physicians' request to patients who had relapsed after one or more prior systemic treatments for stage IIIB/IV nonsquamous NSCLC. Efficacy and safety were evaluated in patients who received at least one dose of nivolumab. Results Of 1588 patients with nonsquamous NSCLC, 305 (19.2%) were never-smokers. EGFR status was available for 1395 patients. Of the 102 patients (6.4%) with EGFR mutation–positive tumors, 51 (50%) were never-smokers. The objective response rate was significantly higher in patients with wild-type EGFR than patients with EGFR-mutant tumors (19.6% versus 8.8% [p = 0.007]), in former and current smokers than in never-smokers (21.5% versus 9.2% [p = 0.0001]), and in never-smokers with wild-type EGFR than in never-smokers with mutant EGFR (11.0% versus 1.9% [p = 0.04]). There was no significant difference in objective response rate between smokers with wild-type EGFR and smokers with mutant EGFR (22.0% versus 20.6%). There was no statistically significant difference in median progression-free survival or in median overall survival. The median overall survival times were 11 months in patients with EGFR wild-type tumors versus 8.3 months in patients with EGFR-mutant tumors, 11.6 months in smokers versus 10.0 months in never-smokers, 11.0 months in never-smokers with EGFR wild-type tumors versus 5.6 months in never-smokers with EGFR-mutant tumors, and 14.1 months in smokers with EGFR-mutant tumors versus 11.3 months in smokers with EGFR wild-type tumors. Conclusions The data on the Italian expanded access program in populations with nonsquamous NSCLC suggest that subgroups of patients could benefit differently from nivolumab according to their EGFR mutational status and smoking habits. These results warrant further investigation.

Bone metastases occur in more than 80% of men with metastatic prostate cancer. Affecting the structural integrity of the bone, they can lead to skeletal complications and pain, with a negative impact on patient quality of life and survival. The last decade has witnessed tremendous advances in the treatment of metastatic PCa. New therapeutic options that prolong overall survival are now available. The optimization of bone metastasis management (and prevention of skeletal morbidities) is therefore of paramount importance to improve clinical outcome. Some issues are still debated, such as the most effective radiologic or nuclear medicine technique to diagnose and monitor bone disease, the ideal surrogate circulating marker to assess response or progression to treatment, patient selection, as well as the optimal sequencing or combination of available therapeutic options. Several healthcare professionals play a role in the treatment of metastatic PCa. The presence of a multidisciplinary team for the discussion of treatment strategies for each patient should be the standard of care.

Tumor immune microenvironment (TME) plays a key role in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) pathogenesis and treatment outcome, supporting a role of immune checkpoint inhibitors as anticancer approach. This study retrospectively investigated TME and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in naïve MPM cases and their change under chemotherapy.Diagnostic biopsies of MPM patients were collected from four Italian and one Slovenian cancer centers. Pathological assessment of necrosis, inflammation, grading, and mitosis was carried out. Ki-67, PD-L1 expression, and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes were detected by immunohistochemistry. When available, the same paired sample after chemotherapy was analyzed. Pathological features and clinical characteristics were correlated to overall survival.TME and PD-L1 expression were assessed in 93 and 65 chemonaive MPM samples, respectively. Twenty-eight samples have not sufficient tumor tissue for PD-L1 expression. Sarcomatoid/biphasic samples were characterized by higher CD8+ T lymphocytes and PD-L1 expression on tumor cells, while epithelioid showed higher peritumoral CD4+ T and CD20+ B lymphocytes. Higher CD8+ T lymphocytes, CD68+ macrophages, and PD-L1 expression were associated with pathological features of aggressiveness (necrosis, grading, Ki-67). MPM cases characterized by higher CD8+ T-infiltrate showed lower response to chemotherapy and worse survival at univariate analysis. Patients stratification according to a combined score including CD8+ T lymphocytes, necrosis, mitosis, and proliferation index showed median overall survival of 11.3 months compared with 16.4 months in cases with high versus low combined score (P 0.003). Subgroup exploratory analysis of 15 paired samples before and after chemotherapy showed a significant increase in cytotoxic T lymphocytes in MPM samples and PD-L1 expression in immune cells.TME enriched with cytotoxic T lymphocytes is associated with higher levels of macrophages and PD-L1 expression on tumor cells and with aggressive histopathological features, lower response to chemotherapy and shorter survival. The role of chemotherapy as a tumor immunogenicity inducer should be confirmed in a larger validation set.

The role of radium-223 (Ra-223) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) with bone metastases and no visceral disease is well established in clinical practice. Treatment with Ra-223 is well tolerated and significantly improves overall survival and time to first symptomatic skeletal event. Several questions, however, remain open. Patient selection is critical, and treatment assessment is challenging. There is no standard imaging, and PSA has limited usefulness in this setting.

Background Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) are a non-invasive, antimitotic therapy delivered to the tumor via transducer arrays applied to the skin at tumor site. The only TTFields-related adverse event (AE) reported in clinical trials was localized dermatitis beneath the arrays. The safety of TTFields has also been investigated in glioblastoma, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), mesothelioma, pancreatic and ovarian cancer. This meta-analysis reported AEs in clinical studies with TTFields torso delivery. Methods 192 patients from 4 pilot studies were included in the analysis: EF-15 (n = 41, advanced NSCLC), PANOVA-2 (n = 40, advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma), STELLAR (n = 80, malignant pleural mesothelioma) and INNOVATE (n = 31, recurrent ovarian carcinoma). The frequency of TTFields applied was 150 kHz in all except 200 kHz in the INNOVATE study. All patients received standard of care systemic chemotherapy for their disease in addition to TTFields. Severity and frequency, of AEs were reported using CTCAE Version 4 and CTCAE 3 in EF-15. AEs were reported as incidence by body system and MedDRA terms. Results The median age was 63 (range: 44-78), 73 (49-81), 67 (27-78) and 60 (45-77) for EF-15, PANOVA-2, STELLAR and INNOVATE, respectively. Patients had an ECOG score of 0-1, except for 7 patients in the EF-15 study with ECOG score of 2. Low grade gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities reported with an incidence ≥5%: constipation (16%), diarrhea (14%), nausea (27%), vomiting (13%). None of the GI toxicities was associated with TTFields, and the incidence of high-grade GI toxicities did not reach 10%. Low grade disorders such as asthenia (12%), fatigue (18%) and anorexia (2%) were common ( Conclusions This meta-analysis detected no new safety signals in clinical studies where TTFields were applied to the torso. The incidence of TTFields-related skin toxicity was similar to that reported in glioblastoma patients. The application of TTFields to the torso is safe. Clinical trial identification NCT: 01971281, 02244502; 02397928; 00749346. Legal entity responsible for the study Novocure. Funding Novocure. Disclosure F. Grosso: Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Novocure. G.L. Ceresoli: Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Novocure. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.