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Izak Faiena,1,2 Amy L Cummings,3 Anna M Crosetti,3 Allan J Pantuck,1,2 Karim Chamie,1,2 Alexandra Drakaki1–3 1Department of Urology, 2Institute of Urologic Oncology, 3Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA Abstract: Our expanding knowledge of immunotherapy for solid tumors has led to an explosion of clinical trials aimed at urothelial carcinoma. The primary strategy is centered on unleashing the immune system by releasing the inhibitory signals propagated by programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1). Many antibody constructs have been developed to block these interactions and are used in clinical trials. The Food and Drug Administration has already approved a number of checkpoint inhibitors such as anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4) monoclonal antibodies including ipilimumab; anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies including nivolumab and pembrolizumab; anti-PD-L1 antibodies including atezolizumab, avelumab, and durvalumab. One of the latest inhibitors is durvalumab, which is a high-affinity human immunoglobulin G1 kappa monoclonal antibody and blocks the interaction of PD-L1 with PD-1 and CD80. Currently, there are a number of ongoing trials in advanced urothelial carcinoma both using durvalumab monotherapy and in combination with other targeted therapies. In addition, durvalumab is being investigated in the non-muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma, which is centered around intravenous formulations. These exciting developments have added a significant number of therapies in a previously limited treatment landscape. Keywords: durvalumab, checkpoint inhibitors, metastatic urothelial carcinoma

BackgroundAdjuvant sunitinib has significantly improved disease-free survival versus placebo in patients with renal cell carcinoma at high risk of recurrence post-nephrectomy (hazard ratio 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.59-0.98; two-sided P = 0.03). We report safety, therapy management, and patient-reported outcomes for patients receiving sunitinib and placebo in the S-TRAC trial.Patients and methodsPatients were stratified by the University of California, Los Angeles Integrated Staging System and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score, and randomized (1 : 1) to receive sunitinib (50 mg/day) or placebo. Single dose reductions to 37.5 mg, dose delays, and dose interruptions were used to manage adverse events (AEs). Patients' health-related quality of life, including key symptoms typically associated with sunitinib, were evaluated with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30).ResultsPatients maintained treatment for 9.5 (mean, SD 4.4) and 10.3 (mean, SD 3.7) months in the sunitinib and placebo arms, respectively. In the sunitinib arm, key AEs occurred ∼1 month (median) after start of treatment and resolved within ∼3.5 weeks (median). Many (40.6%) AEs leading to permanent discontinuation were grade 1/2, and most (87.2%) resolved or were resolving by 28 days after last treatment. Patients taking sunitinib showed a significantly lower EORTC QLQ-C30 overall health status score versus placebo, although this reduction was not clinically meaningful. Patients reported symptoms typically related to sunitinib treatment with diarrhea and loss of appetite showing clinically meaningful increases.ConclusionsIn S-TRAC, AEs were predictable, manageable, and reversible via dose interruptions, dose reductions, and/or standard supportive medical therapy. Patients on sunitinib did report increased symptoms and reduced HRQoL, but these changes were generally not clinically meaningful, apart from appetite loss and diarrhea, and were expected in the context of known sunitinib effects.Clinical trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00375674.

Advances in imaging technologies have readily been incorporated into the practice of urology and have led to important advances in patient care and outcomes. In the area of oncology, advances in radiologic imaging are improving the ability of the urologist to diagnose and monitor urologic malignancies. Some of these technologies include positron emission tomography (PET), intraoperative ultrasound (IUS), 3-dimensional computerized tomography (3D-CT), and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). We provide an overview of these four emerging imaging modalities and their potential applications and limitations in the diagnosis and management of urologic malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanoma-associated antigen-A (MAGE-A) is expressed in multiple cancers with restricted expression in normal tissue. We sought to assess the MAGE-A3/A6 expression profile as well as immune landscape in urothelial (UC) and non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). We also assessed co-expression of immune-associated markers, including programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in tumor and/or immune cells, and assessed the effect of checkpoint inhibitor treatment on these markers in the context of urothelial carcinoma. We used formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections from a variety of tumor types were screened by IHC for MAGE-A and PD-L1 expression. Gene expression analyses by RNA sequencing were performed on RNA extracted from serial tissue sections. UC tumor samples from patients treated with checkpoint inhibitors were assessed by IHC and NanoString gene expression analysis for MAGE-A and immune marker expression before and after treatment. Overall, 84 samples (57%) had any detectable MAGE-A expression. Detectable MAGE-A expression was present at similar frequencies in both tumor tissue types, with 41 (50%) NSCLC and 43 (64%) UC. MAGE-A expression was not significantly changed before and after checkpoint inhibitor therapy by both IHC and NanoString mRNA sequencing. Other immune markers were similarly unchanged post immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Stable expression of MAGE-A3/A6 pre and post checkpoint inhibitor treatment indicates that archival specimens harvested after checkpoint therapy are applicable to screening potential candidates for MAGE therapies., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: With limitations of conventional imaging and biopsy, accurate, non-invasive techniques to detect clear-cell renal cell carcinoma in patients with renal masses remain an unmet need. 89 Zr-labelled monoclonal antibody ([ 89 Zr]Zr-girentuximab) has high affinity for carbonic anhydrase 9, a tumour antigen highly expressed in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma. We aimed to evaluate [ 89 Zr]Zr-girentuximab PET-CT imaging for detection and characterisation of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma., Methods: ZIRCON was a prospective, open-label, multicentre, phase 3 trial conducted at 36 research hospitals and practices across nine countries (the USA, Australia, Canada, the UK, Türkiye, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and France). Patients aged 18 years or older with an indeterminate renal mass 7 cm or smaller (cT1) suspicious for clear-cell renal cell carcinoma and scheduled for nephrectomy received a single dose of [ 89 Zr]Zr-girentuximab (37 MBq ±10%; 10 mg girentuximab) intravenously followed by abdominal PET-CT imaging 5 days (±2 days) later. Surgery was performed no later than 90 days after administration of [ 89 Zr]Zr-girentuximab. Blinded central review, conducted by three independent readers, determined the histology from surgical samples. The coprimary endpoints, determined for each individual reader, were the sensitivity and specificity of [ 89 Zr]Zr-girentuximab PET-CT imaging to detect clear-cell renal cell carcinoma, with histopathological confirmation as standard of truth. Analyses were on the full analysis set of patients, defined as patients who had evaluable PET-CT imaging and a confirmed histopathological diagnosis. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03849118, and EUDRA Clinical Trials Register, 2018-002773-21, and is closed to enrolment., Findings: Between Aug 14, 2019, and July 8, 2022, 371 patients were screened for eligibility, 332 of whom were enrolled. 300 patients received [ 89 Zr]Zr-girentuximab (214 [71%] male and 86 [29%] female). 284 (95%) evaluable patients were included in the primary analysis. The mean sensitivity was 85·5% (95% CI 81·5-89·6) and mean specificity was 87·0% (81·0-93·1). No safety signals were observed. Most adverse events were not or were unlikely to be related to [ 89 Zr]Zr-girentuximab, with most (193 [74%] of 261 events) occurring during or after surgery. The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events were post-procedural haemorrhage (in six [2%] of 261 patients), urinary retention (three [1%]), and hypertension (three [1%]). In 25 (8%) of 300 patients, 52 serious adverse events were reported, of which 51 (98%) occurred after surgery. There were no treatment-related deaths., Interpretation: Our results suggest that [ 89 Zr]Zr-girentuximab PET-CT has a favourable safety profile and is a highly accurate, non-invasive imaging modality for the detection and characterisation of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma, which has the potential to be practice changing., Funding: Telix Pharmaceuticals., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests BS has served as a consultant for Telix Pharmaceuticals, Veracyte, Merck, and Johnson & Johnson; has served as a speaker for Merck; and received travel support from Histosonics. AJP has received institutional funding and medical writing support from Telix Pharmaceuticals for this trial. J-CB has served as a consultant or advisor, and received honoraria and research funding from Bristol Myers Squibb, Conmed, Ipsen Pharmaceuticals, Merck Sharp and Dohme, Pfizer, and Intuitive Surgical. MAM has received institutional funding from Telix Pharmaceuticals; served as a board member for Oranomed, RayzeBio, Fusion, Advanced Molecular Imaging and Therapy, American College of Nuclear Medicine, and Society for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging; and holds stock or stock options from Advanced Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Gentem Health, and SoftThread. VM has received honoraria from Ethicon and Exelixis. AMS has received institutional research funding from Telix Pharmaceuticals, National Health and Medical Research Council, National Imaging Facility, National Breast Cancer Foundation, Medical Research Future Fund, Australian Cancer Research Foundation, and Victorian Cancer Agency; holds intellectual property licensing with Humanigen, AbbVie, and Life Science Pharmaceuticals; served as an advisory board member and consultant for ImmunOs and Imagion Bio; served as a board member, committee member, or chair for Fusion, Telix Pharmaceuticals, Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine, Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate Cancer trials group, Cooperative Trials Group for Neuro-Oncology, National Imaging Facility Molecular Imaging Theme, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, Melbourne Academic Centre for Health Molecular Imaging Theme, World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation External Advisory Board, and International Centers for Precision Oncology Foundation. CvP has served as consultant or advisor for Astellas and Merck; received honoraria from Astellas; and received travel funding from Ipsen. CBa has served as a data safety monitoring board or advisory board member for Telix Pharmaceuticals. BO has received research funding from Telix Pharmaceuticals. TA has received honoraria and research funding from Telix Pharmaceuticals. RM has received research funding from Telix Pharmaceuticals. DMS has received institutional research funding from Telix Pharmaceuticals; served as a consultant for Global Medical Solutions Taiwan, Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Heidelberg University, and DuChemBio; received payments or honoraria from the School of Breast Oncology, PrecisCa, and US Department of Justice; and served as an associate chair of Society for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Scientific Program Committee. STL has received research funding from Telix Pharmaceuticals. NP-T has received honoraria from Actinium Pharmaceuticals; served as a consultant and advisor for Illumina, Imaginab, Actinium, and Progenics/Lantheus; a speaker for Actinium Pharmaceuticals and Telix Pharmaceuticals; and received institutional research funding from Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Imaginab, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Bristol Myers Squibb, Janssen, Clarity, Bayer Health, Telix Pharmaceuticals, and Ymabs. ACF is a board member of Molecular Decisions; a consultant or advisor for Verily; has received research funding from Earli, Filtricine, MagARRAY, and Calithera; and holds founders stock at Molecular Decisions, ACF's spouse is an employee or owner of Silverado Hospice and Antelope Valley Hospice. PA is an employee of Premier Research, and a consultant for Premier Research. KS is an employee of ABX-CRO advanced pharmaceutical services Forschungsgesellschaft. LT is an employee of Telix Pharmaceuticals and holds stock from Novartis. MW is an employee and holds patents and stock from Telix Pharmaceuticals. CBe is an employee of Telix Pharmaceuticals. CRWH was an employee of Telix Pharmaceuticals at the time of the trial. PM has received research funding from Telix Pharmaceuticals., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

ALK-rearranged RCC refractory to several lines of treatment has a durable response when treated with alectinib.

Approximately 65% of renal cell carcinomas (RCC) are diagnosed at a localized stage. We investigated the chromosome 5q gain impact on disease-free survival (DFS) in RCC patients. Overall, 676 patients with stages 1-2 RCC and having cytogenetic analysis were included. Gain of 5q was observed in 108 patients, more frequently in clear cell (ccRCC) than non-clear cell tumors. Gain of 5q is likely an independent prognostic factor since the concerned patients had a decreased recurrence risk in stages 1-2 RCC, confirmed in multivariable analysis. Detecting 5q gain could enhance recurrence risk assessment, allowing tailored post-surgery surveillance, and reducing unnecessary treatments.

Bladder cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed genitourinary malignancies. For many years, the primary treatment for metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) was predicated on the use of platinum-based chemotherapy. More recently, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) were approved by regulatory agencies such as the US FDA for use in both the first- and second-line settings. This review outlines the approved ICIs for mUC in the second-line setting and as an alternative to chemotherapy in the first-line setting, as well as the novel agents that have also been incorporated into the treatment of this malignancy. Single-agent ICIs are often used in second-line settings in mUC, and there are three drugs currently approved for those who progress after receiving platinum-based chemotherapy. In the first-line setting, the preferred treatment regimen remains cisplatin-based chemotherapy. However, single-agent ICI can be an alternative first-line treatment for those who are not candidates for cisplatin-based therapy. There are also clinical trials adding ICIs to chemotherapy as combination regimens. However, treatment for mUC has now expanded even beyond immunotherapy. Newer targeted agents such as erdafitinib, a fibroblast growth factor receptor inhibitor, and two antibody-drug conjugates, enfortumab vedotin and sacituzumab govitecan, have been recently approved. As new drug agents are discovered, it will be important to assess both the treatment outcomes as well as the effects on patients' quality of life. Furthermore, integrating genetic and molecular information can help guide treatment decisions as next-generation sequencing is more commonly acquired during the evaluation of newly diagnosed patients with advanced and metastatic cancer.

Background: Men with grade group 2 or 3 prostate cancer are often considered ineligible for active surveillance; some patients with grade group 2 prostate cancer who are managed with active surveillance will have early disease progression requiring radical therapy. This study aimed to investigate whether MRI-guided focused ultrasound focal therapy can safely reduce treatment burden for patients with localised grade group 2 or 3 intermediate-risk prostate cancer., Methods: In this single-arm, multicentre, phase 2b study conducted at eight health-care centres in the USA, we recruited men aged 50 years and older with unilateral, MRI-visible, primary, intermediate-risk, previously untreated prostate adenocarcinoma (prostate-specific antigen ≤20 ng/mL, grade group 2 or 3; tumour classification ≤T2) confirmed on combined biopsy (combining MRI-targeted and systematic biopsies). MRI-guided focused ultrasound energy, sequentially titrated to temperatures sufficient for tissue ablation (about 60-70°C), was delivered to the index lesion and a planned margin of 5 mm or more of normal tissue, using real-time magnetic resonance thermometry for intraoperative monitoring. Co-primary outcomes were oncological outcomes (absence of grade group 2 and higher cancer in the treated area at 6-month and 24-month combined biopsy; when 24-month biopsy data were not available and grade group 2 or higher cancer had occurred in the treated area at 6 months, the 6-month biopsy results were included in the final analysis) and safety (adverse events up to 24 months) in all patients enrolled in the study. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01657942, and is no longer recruiting., Findings: Between May 4, 2017, and Dec 21, 2018, we assessed 194 patients for eligibility and treated 101 patients with MRI-guided focused ultrasound. Median age was 63 years (IQR 58-67) and median concentration of prostate-specific antigen was 5·7 ng/mL (IQR 4·2-7·5). Most cancers were grade group 2 (79 [78%] of 101). At 24 months, 78 (88% [95% CI 79-94]) of 89 men had no evidence of grade group 2 or higher prostate cancer in the treated area. No grade 4 or grade 5 treatment-related adverse events were reported, and only one grade 3 adverse event (urinary tract infection) was reported. There were no treatment-related deaths., Interpretation: 24-month biopsy outcomes show that MRI-guided focused ultrasound focal therapy is safe and effectively treats grade group 2 or 3 prostate cancer. These results support focal therapy for select patients and its use in comparative trials to determine if a tissue-preserving approach is effective in delaying or eliminating the need for radical whole-gland treatment in the long term., Funding: Insightec and the National Cancer Institute., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests BE attends the medical advisory board of Insightec as an unpaid consultant, and has previously received consulting funds from Myriad Genetics. CMT reports consulting funds from Profound. DDS reports consulting funds from OPKO Health and Steba. ASK is on the medical advisory board of Insightec, Profound, and Janssen, and has received consulting funds from Advantagene DSMC, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, Bayer, and General Electric. Q-DT reports consulting funds from Astellas, Bayer, Intuitive Surgical, and Janssen. JCD is the Chief Clinical Officer for Ajax Health and Cordis Accelco and has equity interests in Cordis; is on the advisory board and has ownership or equity interests in Serpex Health and Adient Medical; and serves as the past chair of the Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation. OA has ownership or equity interests in Ezra AI. AJV is named on a patent for a statistical method to detect prostate cancer that has been commercialised by OPKO Health (from which he receives royalties and stock options) and has received consulting funds from Insightec and Steba. PTS is named on a patent for a statistical method to detect prostate cancer that has been commercialised by OPKO Health (from which he receives royalties and stock options) and chairs the medical advisory board of Insightec as an unpaid consultant. DS is the medical director and founder of Sperling Prostate Center, a private facility for prostate cancer treatment in Delray Beach, FL, USA. LAM has collaborative and research agreements with Philips Healthcare and Biobot Surgical. GAS is on the medical advisory board of miR Scientific. PG is on the medical advisory boards of Insightec and SonALASense and has ownership or equity interests in SonALASense. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To elucidate which patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma have the highest risk for disease relapse after curative nephrectomy is challenging but is acutely relevant in the era of approved adjuvant therapies. Pathological and genetic markers were used to improve the University of California Los Angeles Integrated Staging System (UISS) for the risk stratification and prognostication of recurrence free survival (RFS)., Patients and Methods: Necrosis, sarcomatoid features, Rhabdoid features, chromosomal loss 9p, combined chromosomal loss 3p14q and microvascular invasion (MVI) were tested in univariable and multivariable analyses for their ability to improve the discriminatory ability of the UISS., Results: In the development cohort, during the median follow-up time of 43.4 months (±SD 54.1 months), 50/240 (21%) patients developed disease recurrence. MVI (HR: 2.22; p = 0.013) and the combined loss of chromosome 3p/14q (HR: 2.89; p = 0.004) demonstrated independent association with RFS and were used to improve the assignment to the UISS risk category. In the current UISS high-risk group, only 7/50 (14%) recurrence cases were correctly identified; while in the improved system, 23/50 (45%) were correctly prognosticated. The concordance index meaningfully improved from 0.55 to 0.68 to distinguish patients at intermediate risk versus high risk. Internal validation demonstrated a robust prognostication of RFS. In the external validation cohort, there was no case with disease recurrence in the low-risk group, and the mean RFS times were 13.2 (±1.8) and 8.2 (±0.8) years in the intermediate and high-risk groups, respectively., Conclusions: Adding MVI and combined chromosomal loss3p/14q to the UISS improves the ability to define the patient group with clear cell renal cell carcinomawho are at the highest risk for disease relapse after surgical treatment., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement Nils Kroeger has received honoraria and travel expenses from Pfizer, Merck, BMS, MSD, Astellas, Janssen, Novartis, EUSA Pharm, Eisai. All other authors declare no conflicts of interests to the current manuscript., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: In patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), resistance to androgen receptor (AR)-targeted therapies, such as enzalutamide, remains an issue. Inactivation of inhibitory PTEN activates PI3K/AKT signaling and contributes to resistance to androgen deprivation therapy and poor outcomes. Therefore, dual targeting of AR and PI3K/AKT pathways may limit tumor growth and reverse resistance., Patients and Methods: In this phase I study (NCT02215096), patients with PTEN-deficient mCRPC who progressed on prior enzalutamide received once-daily enzalutamide 160 mg plus PI3Kβ inhibitor GSK2636771 at 300 mg initial dose, with escalation or de-escalation in 100-mg increments, followed by dose expansion. Primary objectives were to evaluate safety/tolerability, determine the recommended phase II dose, and assess the 12-week non-progressive disease (PD) rate., Results: Overall, 37 patients were enrolled; 36 received ≥1 dose of GSK2636771 (200 mg: n = 22; 300 mg: n = 12; 400 mg: n = 2) plus 160 mg enzalutamide. Dose-limiting toxicities occurred in 5 patients (200 mg: n = 1; 300 mg: n = 2, 400 mg: n = 2). No new or unexpected adverse events or evidence of drug-drug interaction were observed. At the recommended dose of GSK2636771 (200 mg) plus enzalutamide, the 12-week non-PD rate was 50% (95% confidence interval: 28.2-71.8, n = 22); 1 (3%) patient achieved a radiographic partial response lasting 36 weeks. Four of 34 (12%) patients had prostate-specific antigen reduction of ≥50%., Conclusions: Although there was acceptable safety and tolerability with GSK2636771 plus enzalutamide in patients with PTEN-deficient mCRPC after failing enzalutamide, limited antitumor activity was observed., (©2021 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging-guided transurethral ultrasound ablation uses directional thermal ultrasound under magnetic resonance imaging thermometry feedback control for prostatic ablation. We report 12-month outcomes from a prospective multicenter trial (TACT)., Materials and Methods: A total of 115 men with favorable to intermediate risk prostate cancer across 13 centers were treated with whole gland ablation sparing the urethra and apical sphincter. The co-primary 12-month endpoints were safety and efficacy., Results: In all, 72 (63%) had grade group 2 and 77 (67%) had NCCN® intermediate risk disease. Median treatment delivery time was 51 minutes with 98% (IQR 95-99) thermal coverage of target volume and spatial ablation precision of ±1.4 mm on magnetic resonance imaging thermometry. Grade 3 adverse events occurred in 9 (8%) men. The primary endpoint (U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandated) of prostate specific antigen reduction ≥75% was achieved in 110 of 115 (96%) with median prostate specific antigen reduction of 95% and nadir of 0.34 ng/ml. Median prostate volume decreased from 37 to 3 cc. Among 68 men with pretreatment grade group 2 disease, 52 (79%) were free of grade group 2 disease on 12-month biopsy. Of 111 men with 12-month biopsy data, 72 (65%) had no evidence of cancer. Erections (International Index of Erectile Function question 2 score 2 or greater) were maintained/regained in 69 of 92 (75%). Multivariate predictors of persistent grade group 2 at 12 months included intraprostatic calcifications at screening, suboptimal magnetic resonance imaging thermal coverage of target volume and a PI-RADS™ 3 or greater lesion at 12-month magnetic resonance imaging (p <0.05)., Conclusions: The TACT study of magnetic resonance imaging-guided transurethral ultrasound whole gland ablation in men with localized prostate cancer demonstrated effective tissue ablation and prostate specific antigen reduction with low rates of toxicity and residual disease.

Aim: To examine the prognostic value of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in the adjuvant renal cell carcinoma setting. Materials & methods: Patients received adjuvant sunitinib (50 mg/day; 4 weeks on/2 weeks off) or placebo. The primary end point was disease-free survival (DFS). Results: In 609 patients, DFS was similar for baseline PLR <140 versus ≥140 overall (median: 6.4 vs 5.9 years; hazard ratio: 0.9; 95% CI: 0.7-1.2). A ≥25% decrease in PLR at week 4 overall was associated with longer DFS versus no change (hazard ratio: 0.8; 95% CI: 0.6-1.0). Conclusion: Baseline PLR was not prognostic for DFS with adjuvant sunitinib treatment in patients with renal cell carcinoma. Clinical Trials Registration: NCT00375674 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Expression of carbonic-anhydrase IX (CAIX) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) makes it an attractive vaccine target. We developed a fusion-gene construct, granulocyte-macrophage (GM) colony-stimulating factor+CAIX, delivered by an adenoviral vector (Ad) into autologous dendritic cells (DCs) in this phase 1 study. The injected immature DCs were expected to stimulate an antigen-specific immune response against CAIX expressing RCC. Three dose-escalation cohorts (5, 15, and 50×10 cells/administration) were injected intradermally q2wk×3 doses based on a 3+3 design. The primary objective was the safety of the injections. Secondary objectives were immune responses using enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot, a serum biomarker panel, and clinical response. Fifteen patients with metastatic RCC were enrolled, and 9 patients received all 3 doses. No serious adverse events were seen. There were 3 (33%) patients with grade 1 fatigue, 1 of whom subsequently experienced grade 2 fatigue. One patient (11%) experienced grade 1-2 leukopenia. Only 1 patient (11%) experienced grade 2 flu-like symptoms. Of the 9 patients who received treatment, 1 expired of progressive disease, 2 patients were lost to follow-up and 6 patients are alive. Of the 6 patients, 5 have progressive disease, and 1 has completed treatment with stable disease at 27 months follow-up. Immune response measurements appeared more robust in higher dose cohorts, which appeared to be related to patients with stable disease at 3 months. These early data show that autologous immature DC-AdGMCAIX can be safely given to metastatic RCC patients without any serious adverse events with CAIX-specific immune response elicited by the treatment. These preliminary data support further study of Ad-GMCAIX, particularly with combination therapies that may enhance clinical activity.

Purpose: ZEN-3694 is a bromodomain extraterminal inhibitor (BETi) with activity in androgen-signaling inhibitor (ASI)-resistant models. The safety and efficacy of ZEN-3694 plus enzalutamide was evaluated in a phase Ib/IIa study in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)., Patients and Methods: Patients had progressive mCRPC with prior resistance to abiraterone and/or enzalutamide. 3+3 dose escalation was followed by dose expansion in parallel cohorts (ZEN-3694 at 48 and 96 mg orally once daily, respectively)., Results: Seventy-five patients were enrolled ( N = 26 and 14 in dose expansion at low- and high-dose ZEN-3694, respectively). Thirty (40.0%) patients were resistant to abiraterone, 34 (45.3%) to enzalutamide, and 11 (14.7%) to both. ZEN-3694 dosing ranged from 36 to 144 mg daily without reaching an MTD. Fourteen patients (18.7%) experienced grade ≥3 toxicities, including three patients with grade 3 thrombocytopenia (4%). An exposure-dependent decrease in whole-blood RNA expression of BETi targets was observed (up to fourfold mean difference at 4 hours post-ZEN-3694 dose; P ≤ 0.0001). The median radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) was 9.0 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 4.6-12.9] and composite median radiographic or clinical progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.5 months (95% CI, 4.0-7.8). Median duration of treatment was 3.5 months (range, 0-34.7+). Lower androgen receptor (AR) transcriptional activity in baseline tumor biopsies was associated with longer rPFS (median rPFS 10.4 vs. 4.3 months)., Conclusions: ZEN-3694 plus enzalutamide demonstrated acceptable tolerability and potential efficacy in patients with ASI-resistant mCRPC. Further prospective study is warranted including in mCRPC harboring low AR transcriptional activity., (©2020 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Purpose: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) comprises nearly 90% of all diagnosed RCC subtypes and has the worst prognosis and highest metastatic potential. The strongest prognostic factors for patients with ccRCC include histological subtype and Fuhrman grade, which are incorporated into prognostic models. Since ccRCC is a highly vascularized tumor, there may be differences in enhancement patterns on multidetector CT (MDCT) due to the hemodynamics and microvessel density (MVD) of the lesions. This may provide a noninvasive method to characterize incidentally detected low- and high-grade ccRCCs on MDCT. The purpose of our study was to determine the correlation between MDCT enhancement parameters, ccRCC MVD, and Fuhrman grade to determine its utility and value in assessing tumor vascularity and grade in vivo., Methods: In this retrospective, HIPAA-compliant, institutional review board-approved study with waiver of informed consent, 127 consecutive patients with 89 low-grade (LG), and 43 high-grade (HG) ccRCCs underwent preoperative four-phase MDCT. A 3D volume of interest (VOI) was obtained for every tumor and absolute enhancement and the wash-in/wash-out of enhancement for each phase was assessed. Immunohistochemistry on resected specimens was used to quantify MVD. Linear regression and Pearson correlation were used to investigate the strength of the association between 3D VOI enhancement and MVD. Stepwise logistic regression analysis determined independent predictors of HG ccRCC. Cut-off values and odds Ratio (OR) with 95% CIs were reported. The clinical, radiomic, and pathologic features with the highest performance in the stepwise logistic regression analysis were evaluated using receiver operator characteristics (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC)., Results: Absolute enhancement in the nephrographic phase < 52.1 Hounsfield Units (HU) (HR 0.979, 95% CI 0.964-0.994, p value = 0.006), lesion size > 4.3 cm (HR 1.450, 95% CI 1.211-1.738, p value < 0.001), and an intratumoral MVD < 15% (HR 0.932, 95% CI 0.867-1.002, p value = 0.058) were independent predictors of HG ccRCC with an AUC of 0.818 (95% CI 0.725-0.911). HG ccRCCs had a significant association between 3D VOI enhancement and MVD in each post-contrast phase (r 2  = 0.238 to 0.455, p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Absolute enhancement of the entire lesion obtained from a 3D VOI in the nephrographic phase on preoperative MDCT can provide quantitative data that are a significant, independent predictor of a high-grade clear cell RCC and can be used to assess tumor vascularity and grade in vivo.

Purpose: In the S-TRAC trial, adjuvant sunitinib improved disease-free survival (DFS) compared with placebo in patients with locoregional renal cell carcinoma (RCC) at high risk of recurrence. This post hoc exploratory analysis investigated the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for predictive and prognostic significance in the RCC adjuvant setting., Experimental Design: Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional analyses were performed on baseline NLR and change from baseline at week 4 to assess their association with DFS. Univariate P values were two-sided and based on an unstratified log-rank test., Results: 609 of 615 patients had baseline NLR values; 574 patients had baseline and week 4 values. Sunitinib-treated patients with baseline NLR <3 had longer DFS versus placebo (7.1 vs. 4.7; HR, 0.71; P = 0.02). For baseline NLR ≥3, DFS was similar regardless of treatment (sunitinib 6.8 vs. placebo not reached; HR, 1.03; P = 0.91). A ≥25% NLR decrease at week 4 was associated with longer DFS versus no change (6.8 vs. 5.3 years; HR, 0.71; P = 0.01). A greater proportion of sunitinib-treated patients had ≥25% NLR decrease at week 4 (71.2%) versus placebo (17.4%). Patients with ≥25% NLR decrease at week 4 received a higher median cumulative sunitinib dose (10,137.5 mg) versus no change (8,168.8 mg) or ≥25% increase (6,712.5 mg)., Conclusions: In the postnephrectomy high-risk RCC patient cohort, low baseline NLR may help identify those most suitable for adjuvant sunitinib. A ≥25% NLR decrease at week 4 may be an early indicator of those most likely to tolerate treatment and derive DFS benefit., (©2020 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Background: Co-morbidities may induce local and systemic tumor progression of renal cell carcinoma (RCC); however, the prognostic impact of co-morbidities has not yet been well characterized., Patients and Methods: RCC patients (n = 2206) surgically treated at three academic institutions in the US and Europe were included in the analysis. Presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, and hypothyroidism were investigated for their association with clinicopathological features and cancer-specific survival., Results: Hypertension was associated with less advanced T stages (p = 0.025), a lower risk of lymph-node (p = 0.026) and distant metastases (p = 0.001), and improved cancer specific survival in univariable analysis (HR 0.81 95% CI 0.69-0.96, p = 0.013). However, hypertension was not an independent prognostic factor after adjustment for TNM stages, grading, and ECOG performance status (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.80-1.12; p = 0.530). A correlation between the use of concomitant anti-hypertensive medications and improved survival outcome was not identified. All other investigated co-morbidities did not show significant associations with clinicopathological features or cancer-specific survival., Conclusion: Although the investigated co-morbidities are capable or inducing pathophysiological changes that are predisposing factors for tumor progression, none is an independent prognostic factor in patients with RCC.

Introduction: Positive surgical margins (PSMs) are associated with treatment failure after radical prostatectomy (RP) for patients with prostate cancer (CaP). We investigated institutional variations in PSM after RP, as well as clinical and demographic factors predicting PSM., Patients and Methods: Patients undergoing RP for clinically localized CaP were identified in the National Cancer Database in 2010 to 2013 and clinicodemographics were recorded. Treating institution was defined as academic (AMC) or nonacademic medical centers (nAMC). The primary outcome was the PSM rate. Multivariable logistic regression and propensity matching with inverse probability treatment weighing were used to both compare outcomes between AMC and nAMC and to identify predictors of PSM following RP., Results: A total of 167,260 patients met our inclusion criteria. PSM rate was significantly lower in patients treated at AMC (13,435, 18.9%) compared with 22,145 (23.0%) in those treated at nAMC (P < 0.01). The difference between PSM rate in AMC and nAMC was more pronounced in lower volume centers while it was not significant in higher volume centers. On multivariable analysis, age, race, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), biopsy Gleason score, comorbidity profile, insurance type, income, and treatment facility were significantly associated with PSM rate., Conclusion: PSM rates appear to be lower at AMC and higher volume facilities, which can potentially reflect institutional differences in surgical quality. In addition, we identified several socioeconomic and demographic factors that contribute to the likelihood of PSM following RP for localized CaP, suggesting potential systematic variation in the quality of surgical care. The cause of this variation warrants further investigation and evaluation., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The approval of immunotherapeutic agents and immunotherapy-based combination strategies in recent years has revolutionized the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC). Nivolumab, a programmed death 1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor monoclonal antibody, was approved as monotherapy in 2015 for aRCC after treatment with a VEGF-targeting agent. In April 2018, the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab, a CTLA-4 inhibitor, was approved for intermediate- and poor-risk, previously untreated patients with aRCC. Then, in 2019, combinations therapies consisting of pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1) or avelumab (anti-PD-ligand (L) 1) with axitinib (a VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor) were also approved to treat aRCC and are likely to produce dramatic shifts in the therapeutic landscape. To address the rapid advances in immunotherapy options for patients with aRCC, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) reconvened its Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines (CIG) Renal Cell Carcinoma Subcommittee and tasked it with generating updated consensus recommendations for the treatment of patients with this disease.

Background: The current World Health Organization classification recognises 12 major subtypes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Although these subtypes differ on molecular and clinical levels, they are generally managed as the same disease, simply because they occur in the same organ. Specifically, there is a paucity of tools to risk-stratify patients with papillary RCC (PRCC). The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a tool to risk-stratify patients with clinically non-metastatic PRCC following curative surgery., Methods: We studied clinicopathological variables and outcomes of 556 patients, who underwent full resection of sporadic, unilateral, non-metastatic (T1-4, N0-1, M0) PRCC at five institutions. Based on multivariable Fine-Gray competing risks regression models, we developed a prognostic scoring system to predict disease recurrence. This was further evaluated in the 150 PRCC patients recruited to the ASSURE trial. We compared the discrimination, calibration and decision-curve clinical net benefit against the Tumour, Node, Metastasis (TNM) stage group, University of California Integrated Staging System (UISS) and the 2018 Leibovich prognostic groups., Results: We developed the VENUSS score from significant variables on multivariable analysis, which were the presence of VEnous tumour thrombus, NUclear grade, Size, T and N Stage. We created three risk groups based on the VENUSS score, with a 5-year cumulative incidence of recurrence equalling 2.9% in low-risk, 15.4% in intermediate-risk and 54.5% in high-risk patients. 91.7% of low-risk patients had oligometastatic recurrent disease, compared to 16.7% of intermediate-risk and 40.0% of high-risk patients. Discrimination, calibration and clinical net benefit from VENUSS appeared to be superior to UISS, TNM and Leibovich prognostic groups., Conclusions: We developed and tested a prognostic model for patients with clinically non-metastatic PRCC, which is based on routine pathological variables. This model may be superior to standard models and could be used for tailoring postoperative surveillance and defining inclusion for prospective adjuvant clinical trials.

Purpose: Patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) commonly present with tumor thrombi in the renal vein and inferior vena cava (IVC). The benefit of cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) in this population is unclear and the effect on overall survival (OS) has been incompletely evaluated., Materials and Methods: We queried the National Cancer Database from 2010 to 2013 for patients diagnosed with mRCC and tumor thrombi, which was defined as renal vein, infradiaphragmatic IVC, or supradiaphragmatic IVC. Descriptive statistics were performed and associations between clinicopathologic variables and utilization of CN were analyzed. Patients were matched on the receipt of CN and Kaplan-Meier analyses and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate survival., Results: In total, 8,629 patients were found to have mRCC during the study period. Approximately 27% (n = 2,376) had tumor thrombus. Tumor thrombus was associated with increased rates of CN utilization, however rates decreased as thrombus level increased. In a matched Kaplan-Meier analysis, CN was associated with improved OS in patients without thrombus, and with renal vein or infradiaphragmatic thrombus (all P < 0.01). Patients with supradiaphragmatic thrombus did not benefit from CN (P = 0.46). This effect was confirmed in a Cox proportional hazards model., Conclusions: Tumor thrombus is common in patients with mRCC. OS is poor, and patient and tumor specific factors influence the use of CN. Despite discrepancies in utilization, CN is associated with improved OS, although this effect appears to be limited to those with mRCC and tumor thrombus limited to the renal vein and infradiaphragmatic IVC., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: While radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) is the gold standard treatment for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), select patients may benefit from endoscopic treatment (ET). European Association of Urology guidelines recommend ET for patients with low-risk (LR) disease: unifocal, < 2 cm, low-grade lesions without local invasion. To inform the utility of ET, we compare the overall survival (OS) of patients receiving ET and RNU using current and previous guidelines of LR disease., Materials and Methods: Patients with non-metastatic, cT1 or less UTUC diagnosed in 2004-2012 were collected from the National Cancer Database. OS was analyzed with inverse probability of treatment weighted Cox proportional hazard regression. Analyses were conducted for LR disease under updated (size < 2 cm) and previous guidelines (size < 1 cm)., Results: Patients who were older, healthier, and treated at an academic facility had higher odds of receiving ET. In 851 identified patients with LR disease, RNU was associated with increased OS compared with ET (p = 0.006); however, there was no difference between ET and RNU (p = 0.79, n = 202) under the previous guidelines (size < 1 cm). In, otherwise, LR patients, the largest tumor size with no difference between ET and RNU was ≤ 1.5 cm (p = 0.07)., Conclusions: RNU is associated with improved survival when compared with ET in the management of LR UTUC using current guidelines with a size threshold of < 2 cm. In appropriately selected LR patients, we find no difference between RNU and ET up to a tumor size of ≤ 1.5 cm. However, in the absence of prospective studies, the usage of ET is best left up to clinician discretion.

Background: Melanoma-associated antigen-A (MAGE-A) and programmed-death ligand 1 (PD-L1) are present in urothelial carcinoma (UC). We assessed survival outcomes in patients with MAGE-A and PD-L1 expression., Methods: MAGE-A and PD-L1 expression on neoplastic cells was analyzed using tissue microarrays from patients with UC. We compared differential expression between disease stage and grade. MAGE-A and PD-L1 co-expression was subcategorized. Fisher's exact test was done for categorical variables followed by univariable and multivariable analysis of recurrence-free survival (RFS) and progression-free survival (PFS)., Results: Co-expression of MAGE+/PD-L1+ was higher in advanced disease; however, only MAGE+/PD-L1- was associated with shorter RFS [hazard ratio (HR) 1.89; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19-2.99; p = .006]. MAGE+/PD-L1+ was associated with the worst PFS (HR 17.1; 95% CI 5.96-49.4; p ≤ .001). MAGE-A expression was more prevalent with high-grade (p = .015), and higher-stage ≥ pT2 (p = .001) disease. The 5-year RFS was 44% for MAGE+ versus 58% for MAGE- patients. On multivariable analysis, MAGE+ was also associated with shorter RFS (HR 1.55; 95% CI 1.05-2.30; p = .03). Similarly, MAGE+ was associated with shorter PFS (HR 3.12; 95% CI 1.12-8.68; p = .03)., Conclusion: MAGE-A and PD-L1 expression is increased in advanced disease and associated with shorter PFS. Furthermore, MAGE-A expression was significantly associated with higher-grade and -stage disease and associated with shorter RFS and PFS. The worse prognosis associated with MAGE-A+/PD-L1+ provides evidence that a combinatorial treatment strategy co-targeting MAGE/PD-L1 might be feasible. Further studies are needed to validate these findings.

Purpose: In the S-TRAC trial, adjuvant sunitinib prolonged disease-free survival (DFS) versus placebo in patients with loco-regional renal cell carcinoma at high risk of recurrence after nephrectomy. An exploratory analysis evaluated associations between SNPs in several angiogenesis- or hypoxia-related genes and clinical outcomes in S-TRAC., Patients and Methods: Blood samples were genotyped for 10 SNPs and one insertion/deletion mutation using TaqMan assays. DFS was compared using log-rank tests for each genotype in sunitinib versus placebo groups and between genotypes within each of three (sunitinib, placebo, and combined sunitinib plus placebo) treatment groups. P values were unadjusted., Results: In all, 286 patients (sunitinib, n = 142; placebo, n = 144) were genotyped. Longer DFS [HR; 95% confidence interval (CI)] was observed with sunitinib versus placebo for VEGFR1 rs9554320 C/C (HR 0.44; 95% CI, 0.21-0.91; P = 0.023), VEGFR2 rs2071559 T/T (HR 0.46; 95% CI, 0.23-0.90; P = 0.020), and eNOS rs2070744 T/T (HR 0.53; 95% CI, 0.30-0.94; P = 0.028). Shorter DFS was observed for VEGFR1 rs9582036 C/A versus C/C with sunitinib, placebo, and combined therapies ( P ≤ 0.05), and A/A versus C/C with sunitinib ( P = 0.022). VEGFR1 rs9554320 A/C versus A/A was associated with shorter DFS in the placebo ( P = 0.038) and combined ( P = 0.006) groups., Conclusions: Correlations between VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 SNPs and longer DFS with sunitinib suggest germline SNPs are predictive of improved outcomes with adjuvant sunitinib in patients with renal cell carcinoma. Independent validation studies are needed to confirm these findings., (©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Long recognized to confer an extremely poor prognosis, sarcomatoid dedifferentiation of renal cell carcinoma (sRCC) is a tumor phenotype that is finally beginning to be better understood on the molecular and genetic levels. With an overall incidence that ranges from 1 to 32% depending on associated RCC subtype, the survival of sarcomatoid RCC patients rarely exceeds 2 years. The main reasons for its poor outcome include its aggressive biology, its tendency to present at an advanced or metastatic stage at the time of diagnosis, its high rate of tumor recurrence after nephrectomy, and its limited response to systemic therapies. Molecular pathology studies suggest that sarcomatoid dedifferentiation originates from a focal epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) arising in the carcinomatous component of the tumor. It is hoped that the growing understanding of the molecular biology of sRCC will soon make it possible to adapt treatments based on the identification of actionable tumor alterations. The deliberate inclusion of these patients in the multicenter clinical trials of immune, targeted and combination therapies is a necessary next step in pioneering future treatment strategies.

Introduction: With prostate cancer (CaP) screening, overtreatment of low-risk CaP remains a concern. We investigated the patterns of radical prostatectomy (RP) for pathologic insignificant (iCaP) and significant CaP (sCaP) as well as variations between academic and nonacademic hospitals., Patients and Methods: Patients undergoing RP for clinical T1c CaP were identified in the National Cancer Database between 2006 and 2013. The primary outcome was the trend of RP for insignificant prostate cancer (iCaP) and significant prostate cancer (sCaP) over the study period. The secondary outcome was to compare the RP rate in academic vs. nonacademic institutions. Univariable and multivariable analysis were utilized to evaluate the association between overtreatment and practice type. iCaP was defined as organ confined CaP with Gleason Score ≤6., Results: The total number of RP increased from 17,970 cases in 2006 to 25,324 in 2013. The RP rate decreased for iCaP from 39.9% to 19.8%, while increasing for sCaP from 18% to 27% over the study period. Patients undergoing RP in academic settings were less likely to have iCaP (odds ratio 0.88, 95% confidence interval 0.80-0.97). Caucasian race, private insurance, younger age, and treatment in the Eastern United States were associated with higher rates of iCaP at RP., Conclusion: The rate of iCaP has declined over time in the United States for patients undergoing RP. Although RP in nonacademic setting was more likely to have iCaP on surgical pathology, this trend has been downward among practice types. Treatment appropriateness is an underrecognized, undermeasured, but increasingly important component of the high-value care discussion that warrants greater attention., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To investigate whether multiphasic MDCT enhancement profiles can help to identify PTEN expression in clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs). Lack of PTEN expression is associated with worsened overall survival, a more advanced Fuhrman grade, and a greater likelihood of lymph mode metastasis., Methods: With IRB approval for this retrospective study, we derived a cohort of 103 histologically proven ccRCCs with preoperative 4-phase renal mass MDCT from 2001-2013. Following manual segmentation, a computer-assisted detection algorithm selected a 0.5-cm-diameter region of maximal attenuation within each lesion in each phase; a 0.5-cm-diameter region of interest was manually placed on uninvolved renal cortex in each phase. The relative attenuation of each lesion was calculated as [(Maximal lesion attenuation - cortex attenuation)/cortex attenuation] × 100. Absolute and relative attenuation in each phase were compared using t tests. The performance of multiphasic enhancement in identifying PTEN expression was assessed with logistic regression analysis., Results: PTEN-positive and PTEN-negative ccRCCs both exhibited peak enhancement in the corticomedullary phase. Relative corticomedullary phase attenuation was significantly greater for PTEN-negative ccRCCs in comparison to PTEN-positive ccRCCs (33.7 vs. 9.5, p = 0.03). After controlling for lesion stage and size, relative corticomedullary phase attenuation had an accuracy of 84% (86/103), specificity of 100% (84/84), sensitivity of 11% (2/19), positive predictive value of 100% (2/2), and negative predictive value of 83% (84/101) in identifying PTEN expression., Conclusion: Relative corticomedullary phase attenuation may help to identify PTEN expression in ccRCCs, if validated prospectively.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether qualitative MDCT features are associated with the carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) score of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The CAIX score has been previously found to have prognostic significance for disease-free survival, overall survival, and lymph node involvement., Materials and Methods: A cohort of 105 histologically proven clear cell RCCs in patients who underwent preoperative four-phase renal mass MDCT was derived from 2001 to 2013. Two genitourinary radiologists evaluated each lesion for the gross appearance of intratumoral vascularity, calcification, enhancement pattern, necrosis, margin, collecting system invasion, and renal vein invasion. Immunohistochemical analysis was used to determine the CAIX score (defined as the positive staining percentage multiplied by the staining intensity). Logistic and linear regression analyses were performed., Results: In a linear regression model controlled for lesion size and stage, the gross appearance of intratumoral vascularity had a significant positive association with CAIX score (β = 38.33, p = 0.010). In a logistic regression model controlled for lesion size and stage, the gross appearance of intratumoral vascularity had an odds ratio of 2.85 (p = 0.019) in differentiating clear cell RCCs with a CAIX score of 200-300 from clear cell RCCs with a CAIX score of 0-199., Conclusion: In clear cell RCCs, the gross appearance of intratumoral vascularity at MDCT was significantly associated with CAIX score, a prognostically significant molecular marker. Current assessment of CAIX score requires pathologic tissue sampling and immunohistochemical analysis. A noninvasive imaging biomarker that may help predict CAIX score may be of great clinical value.

Background: Although tumor tract seeding from renal mass biopsy (RMB) is exceedingly rare, the possibility of tumor capsule violation from RMB leading to perinephric fat invasion has not been quantified. We evaluated the association between RMB and perinephric fat invasion in patients with clinical T1a renal cell carcinoma who underwent partial or radical nephrectomy., Materials and Methods: We reviewed the National Cancer Database from 2010-2013 and identified patients who underwent surgery for clinical T1a tumors. Patients were classified as upstaged only if final pathology demonstrated perinephric invasion only (pT3a). Mixed-effect logistic regression analysis was performed on inverse probability weighted matched groups to identify predictors of perinephric fat invasion. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to evaluate overall survival (OS)., Results: A total of 24,548 patients met our inclusion criteria. Pathologic upstaging to pT3a perinephric fat involvement occurred in 1.2% of patients. This rate of upstaging was 1.1% in the no biopsy group compared with 2.1% in patients who underwent RMB (P < 0.01). In multivariable logistic model, RMB was associated with pT3a perinephric fat upstaging (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.17-2.44, P < 0.01). Upstaging to pT3a was also associated with worse OS (HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.13-2.60, P = 0.01). Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated similar OS estimates in patients upstaged to pT3a disease, irrespective of undergoing RMB or not (Log-Rank = 0.87)., Conclusion: RMB was associated with increased rate of upstaging to pT3a perinephric fat involvement in clinical T1a RCC. This effect is small with unclear clinical significance. This is perhaps balanced by the importance of the information acquired from biopsies. Future studies are needed to elucidate clinical significance of this finding., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has been shown to improve survival in patients with urothelial carcinoma (UC). However, there are a subset of patients who do not respond or progress despite systemic treatment., Methods: Data from the National Cancer Database on patients who underwent a radical cystectomy (RC) with or without NAC from 2006 to 2013 were abstracted. Covariates were balanced using inverse probability weighting methods. The primary outcome of overall survival in patients with residual disease by stage was evaluated using 90-day conditional landmark analysis and Cox proportional hazards modeling. Secondary outcome of predictors of residual disease was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression analysis., Results: A total of 20,128 patients met our inclusion criteria; 16,058 patients underwent RC only (80%) and 4070 underwent RC with NAC (20%). Patients who received NAC were younger and healthier, treated at an academic center, and presented with higher stage. NAC was associated with improved overall survival amongst patients with cT3-4aN0 (HR 0.84 95% CI 0.73-0.97; p = 0.02) and cN+ (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.58-0.86; p = 0.001). Predictors of no residual disease were NAC (OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.14-0.21; p < 0.001) and treatment at an academic facility (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.37-0.60; p < 0.001). Patients with cT3-4a or cN+ had increased odds of having residual UC (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.53-2.64; p < 0.001, and OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.43-3.21; p < 0.001, respectively) compared with cT2., Conclusion: In patients with residual UC, NAC is associated with a significant survival benefit in higher stage disease only. Furthermore, those treated with NAC or at an academic center were less likely to have residual disease. Given the toxicity of NAC, more prudent patient selection for NAC is warranted and requires further study.

Purpose: To investigate if multiphasic multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) enhancement profiles can distinguish clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs) with high carbonic anhydrase-IX (CA-IX) expression from ccRCCs with low CA-IX expression., Methods: With IRB approval for this retrospective study, we derived a cohort of 105 histologically proven ccRCCs with preoperative 4-phase renal mass MDCT from 2001 to 2013. Following manual segmentation, the computer-assisted detection algorithm selected a 0.5-cm-diameter region of maximal attenuation within each lesion in each phase. CA-IX expression level was determined by immunohistochemical staining of tumor specimens. In the high and low CA-IX expression subgroups, the magnitude of enhancement and washout were compared using t tests; the performance of contrast washout in differentiating between subgroups was assessed with logistic regression analysis., Results: ccRCCs with high and low CA-IX expression both exhibited peak enhancement in the corticomedullary phase. ccRCCs with high CA-IX expression demonstrated significantly greater relative nephrographic washout than those with low CA-IX expression (18.4% vs. 7.8%, p = 0.03). ccRCCs with high CA-IX expression had greater relative excretory washout than ccRCCs with low CA-IX expression with a trend toward significance (33.4% vs. 25.2%, p = 0.05). After controlling for tumor size and stage, for distinguishing ccRCCs with high and low CA-IX expression, relative excretory washout had a sensitivity, negative predictive value, accuracy, and positive predictive value of 99% (65/66), 88% (7/8), 69% (72/105), and 67% (65/97), respectively., Conclusion: Relative nephrographic and excretory washout may have the potential to help distinguish ccRCCs with high and low CA-IX expression, but this requires further validation.

Bladder cancer represents a disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. MiR-21 has been found to have oncogenic activity in multiple cancers, including bladder cancer, whereas inhibition of its expression suppresses tumor growth. Here, we examine the molecular network regulated by miR-21 in bladder cancer and evaluate the effects of i.v. and i.p. administration of a novel miR-21 chemical inhibitor in vivo LNA miR-21 reduced the oncogenic potential of bladder cancer cells, whereas the MKAD-21 chemically modified antisense oligo against miR-21 dose-dependently blocked xenograft growth. I.v. administration of LNA miR-21 was more effective in suppressing tumor growth than was i.p. administration. Integration of computational and transcriptomic analyses in a panel of 28 bladder cancer lines revealed a 15-gene signature that correlates with miR-21 levels. Protein Phosphatase 2 Regulatory Subunit Balpha ( PPP2R2A) was one of these 15 genes and was experimentally validated as a novel miR-21 direct target gene. Gene network and molecular analyses showed that PPP2R2A is a potent negative regulator of the ERK pathway activation and bladder cancer cell proliferation. Importantly, we show that PPP2R2A acts as a mediator of miR-21-induced oncogenic effects in bladder cancer. Integrative analysis of human bladder cancer tumors and a large panel of human bladder cancer cell lines revealed a novel 15-gene signature that correlates with miR-21 levels. Importantly, we provide evidence that PPP2R2A represents a new miR-21 direct target and regulator of the ERK pathway and bladder cancer cell growth. Furthermore, i.v. administration of the MKAD-21 inhibitor effectively suppressed tumor growth through regulation of the PPP2R2A-ERK network in mice. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(7); 1430-40. ©2018 AACR ., (©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Purpose: Adjuvant sunitinib therapy compared with placebo prolonged disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with locoregional high-risk renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in the S-TRAC trial (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00375674). A prospectively designed exploratory analysis of tissue biomarkers was conducted to identify predictors of treatment benefit. Experimental Design: Tissue blocks were used for immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), CD4, CD8, and CD68. DFS was compared between < versus ≥ median IHC parameter using the Kaplan-Meier method. For biomarkers with predictive potential, receiver operating characteristics curves were generated. Results: Baseline characteristics were similar in patients with ( n = 191) and without ( n = 419) IHC analysis. Among patients with IHC, longer DFS was observed in patients with tumor CD8 + T-cell density ≥ versus < median [median (95% CI), not reached (6.83-not reached) versus 3.47 years (1.73-not reached); hazard ratio (HR) 0.40 (95% CI, 0.20-0.81); P = 0.009] treated with sunitinib ( n = 101), but not with placebo ( n = 90). The sensitivity and specificity for CD8 + T-cell density in predicting DFS were 0.604 and 0.658, respectively. Shorter DFS was observed in placebo-treated patients with PD-L1 + versus PD-L1 - tumors (HR 1.75; P = 0.103). Among all patients with PD-L1 + tumors, DFS was numerically longer with sunitinib versus placebo (HR 0.58; P = 0.175). Conclusions: Greater CD8 + T-cell density in tumor tissue was associated with longer DFS with sunitinib but not placebo, suggesting predictive treatment effect utility. Further independent cohort validation studies are warranted. The prognostic value of PD-L1 expression in primary tumors from patients with high-risk nonmetastatic RCC should also be further explored. Clin Cancer Res; 24(7); 1554-61. ©2018 AACR ., (©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.)

The phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is a well studied signaling pathway that regulates diverse cellular functions including proliferation, metabolism, and transcription. Aberrant activation of this pathway has been implicated in multiple cancers. Genomic studies have shown that activating mutations in oncogenes as well as inactivating mutations in tumor suppressor genes are present across a variety of malignancies, including urothelial carcinoma. In bladder cancer, up to 40% of tumors exhibit constitutive activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Current treatments for non-muscle-invasive disease confer a 5-year cancer-specific survival rate as high as 90%. However, patients with muscle-invasive, recurrent, or metastatic disease have a poor prognosis. Although the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors is certainly changing the therapeutic landscape and is a great addition to the platinum-based therapy that was the standard of care for the past 3 decades, it is anticipated that a great number of patients would fail to respond or their disease would progress with either chemotherapy or immunotherapy. Therefore, the use of agents that target members of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway represent an attractive, alternative therapeutic strategy for patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma. In this review we describe the pathway, with a focus on the rationale for targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma and considers the challenges that we face from the current clinical trials. Novel agents such as PI3K inhibitors and microRNA inhibitors that target this pathway might lead to durable responses especially when used in combination with chemotherapy or immune checkpoint inhibitors, however, toxicity remains an obstacle. Finally, in this review we discuss the importance of developing biomarkers to help select appropriate patients and identify optimal treatment options., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To assess how trends in urinary diversion (UD) type following radical cystectomy (RC) have changed in recent years and investigate pre-operative predictors of UD type., Methods: Data were abstracted from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) from 2011 to 2015. We quantified the percentages of continent diversions (CD) versus incontinent diversions (ID) completed over this time frame. Using univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses, we compared UD type across year of operation as well as predictors of type of diversion., Results: We identified 4790 patients in the cohort, of which 81% underwent an incontinent diversion. Patients undergoing incontinent diversions were older (p < 0.001), more likely to be female (p < 0.001), had higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification (p < 0.001) and had more comorbidities with worse preoperative lab values. On multivariable analysis, the odds of incontinent diversion increased per year (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.06-1.26; p = 0.001). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) was associated with lower odds of receiving an ID (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.17-0.64; p = 0.001). Being male, healthy and young were associated with higher odds of CD., Conclusion: We demonstrate that there has been a decrease in continent diversion use in recent years. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, proxies of life expectancy and gender are significant predictors of continent diversion. Further investigation to determine the underlying cause of decreased utilization of CD is warranted.