Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology - Research Publications

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    Comorbidity between lung cancer and COVID-19 pneumonia: role of immunoregulatory gene transcripts in high ACE2-expressing normal lung.
    Lazar, V ; Raynaud, J ; Magidi, S ; Bresson, C ; Martini, J-F ; Galbraith, S ; Wunder, F ; Onn, A ; Batist, G ; Girard, N ; Lassen, U ; Pramesh, CS ; Al-Omari, A ; Ikeda, S ; Berchem, G ; Blay, J-Y ; Solomon, B ; Felip, E ; Tabernero, J ; Rubin, E ; Philip, T ; Porgador, A ; Berindan-Neagoe, I ; Schilsky, RL ; Kurzrock, R (SAGE Publications, 2022)
    BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) elicits a T-cell antigen-mediated immune response of variable efficacy. To understand this variability, we explored transcriptomic expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2, the SARS-CoV-2 receptor) and of immunoregulatory genes in normal lung tissues from patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: This study used the transcriptomic and the clinical data for NSCLC patients generated during the CHEMORES study [n = 123 primary resected (early-stage) NSCLC] and the WINTHER clinical trial (n = 32 metastatic NSCLC). RESULTS: We identified patient subgroups with high and low ACE2 expression (p = 1.55 × 10-19) in normal lung tissue, presumed to be at higher and lower risk, respectively, of developing severe COVID-19 should they become infected. ACE2 transcript expression in normal lung tissues (but not in tumor tissue) of patients with NSCLC was higher in individuals with more advanced disease. High-ACE2 expressors had significantly higher levels of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells but with presumably impaired function by high Thymocyte Selection-Associated High Mobility Group Box Protein TOX (TOX) expression. In addition, immune checkpoint-related molecules - PD-L1, CTLA-4, PD-1, and TIGIT - are more highly expressed in normal (but not tumor) lung tissues; these molecules might dampen immune response to either viruses or cancer. Importantly, however, high inducible T-cell co-stimulator (ICOS), which can amplify immune and cytokine reactivity, significantly correlated with high ACE2 expression in univariable analysis of normal lung (but not lung tumor tissue). CONCLUSIONS: We report a normal lung immune-tolerant state that may explain a potential comorbidity risk between two diseases - NSCLC and susceptibility to COVID-19 pneumonia. Further, a NSCLC patient subgroup has normal lung tissue expressing high ACE2 and high ICOS transcripts, the latter potentially promoting a hyperimmune response, and possibly leading to severe COVID-19 pulmonary compromise.
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    Prognostic stratification of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer based on CD103+ immune cell abundance in patients treated on TROG 12.01 and De-ESCALaTE randomized trials
    Rischin, D ; Mehanna, H ; Young, RJ ; Bressel, M ; Dunn, J ; Corry, J ; Soni, P ; Fulton-Lieuw, T ; Iqbal, G ; Kenny, L ; Porceddu, S ; Wratten, C ; Robinson, M ; Solomon, BJ (ELSEVIER, 2022-08)
    BACKGROUND: High CD103+ intratumoral immune cell (ITIC) abundance is associated with better prognosis in unselected patients with human papilloma virus-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV-associated OPSCC) treated with cisplatin and radiotherapy (CIS/RT). Substituting cetuximab (CETUX) for CIS with RT in HPV-associated OPSCC resulted in inferior efficacy. Our aim was to determine whether quantification of CD103 ITIC could be used to identify a population of HPV-associated OPSCC with superior prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We pooled data from the TROG 12.01 and De-ESCALaTE randomized trials that compared CETUX/70GyRT with CIS/70GyRT in low-risk HPV-associated OPSCC: American Joint Committee on Cancer 7 stage III (excluding T1-2N1) or stage IV (excluding N2b-c if smoking history >10 pack-years and/or distant metastases), including all patients with available tumor samples. The primary endpoint was failure-free survival (FFS) in patients receiving CETUX/RT comparing CD103+ ITIC high (≥30%) versus low (<30%). High and low CD103 were compared using Cox regression adjusting for age, stage and trial. RESULTS: Tumor samples were available in 159/182 patients on TROG 12.01 and 145/334 on De-ESCALaTE. CD103+ ITIC abundance was high in 27% of patients. The median follow-up was 3.2 years. The 3-year FFS in patients treated with CETUX/RT was 93% [95% confidence interval (CI) 79% to 98%] in high CD103 and 74% (95% CI 63% to 81%) in low CD103 [adjusted hazard ratio = 0.22 (95% CI 0.12-0.41), P < 0.001]. The 3-year overall survival in patients treated with CETUX/RT was 100% in high CD103 and 86% (95% CI 76% to 92%) in low CD103, P < 0.001. In patients treated with CIS/RT, there was no significant difference in FFS. CONCLUSIONS: CD103+ ITIC expression separates CETUX/RT-treated low-risk HPV-associated OPSCC into excellent and poor prognosis subgroups. The high CD103 population is a rational target for de-intensification trials.
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    IL-15 Preconditioning Augments CAR T Cell Responses to Checkpoint Blockade for Improved Treatment of Solid Tumors
    Giuffrida, L ; Sek, K ; Henderson, MA ; House, IG ; Lai, J ; Chen, AXY ; Todd, KL ; Petley, E ; Mardiana, S ; Todorovski, I ; Gruber, E ; Kelly, MJ ; Solomon, BJ ; Vervoort, SJ ; Johnstone, RW ; Parish, IA ; Neeson, PJ ; Kats, LM ; Darcy, PK ; Beavis, PA (CELL PRESS, 2020-11-04)
    Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has been highly successful in hematological malignancies leading to their US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. However, the efficacy of CAR T cells in solid tumors is limited by tumor-induced immunosuppression, leading to the development of combination approaches, such as adjuvant programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) blockade. Current FDA-approved methods for generating CAR T cells utilize either anti-CD3 and interleukin (IL)-2 or anti-CD3/CD28 beads, which can generate a T cell product with an effector/exhausted phenotype. Whereas different cytokine preconditioning milieu, such as IL-7/IL-15, have been shown to promote T cell engraftment, the impact of this approach on CAR T cell responses to adjuvant immune-checkpoint blockade has not been assessed. In the current study, we reveal that the preconditioning of CAR T cells with IL-7/IL-15 increased CAR T cell responses to anti-PD-1 adjuvant therapy. This was associated with the emergence of an intratumoral CD8+CD62L+TCF7+IRF4- population that was highly responsive to anti-PD-1 therapy and mediated the vast majority of transcriptional and epigenetic changes in vivo following PD-1 blockade. Our data indicate that preservation of CAR T cells in a TCF7+ phenotype is crucial for their responsiveness to adjuvant immunotherapy approaches and should be a key consideration when designing clinical protocols.
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    Efficacy and safety of lorlatinib in Asian and non-Asian patients with ALK-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer: Subgroup analysis of a global phase 2 trial
    Soo, RA ; Tan, EH ; Hayashi, H ; Seto, T ; Lin, C-C ; Ou, S-HI ; Kim, D-W ; Liu, G ; Abbattista, A ; Martini, J-F ; Martini, F ; Wong, CH ; Toffalorio, F ; Solomon, BJ (ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD, 2022-07)
    OBJECTIVES: To analyze the efficacy and safety of lorlatinib in Asian and non-Asian patients with pretreated anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive, advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from a phase 1/2 study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this ongoing phase 2 part of the trial, patients with ALK- or ROS1-positive, advanced NSCLC enrolled into six expansion cohorts (EXP1-6), based on ALK and ROS1 status and previous therapy, and received lorlatinib 100 mg once daily. The primary endpoint was objective tumor response and intracranial response. Post hoc analyses of activity were conducted in Asian and non-Asian (based on race) ALK-positive patients who received either previous crizotinib with or without chemotherapy (EXP2-3A) or at least one second-generation ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor with any number of chemotherapy regimens (EXP3B-5). Analysis of safety (adverse events [AEs]) was in the phase 1 and 2 study population who started lorlatinib 100 mg once daily. RESULTS: 17 Asian patients were enrolled in EXP2-3A and 53 in EXP3B-5; 33 non-Asian patients were enrolled in EXP2-3A and 73 in EXP3B-5. Objective response rates in the Asian and non-Asian subgroups were 82.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 56.6-96.2) and 63.6% (95% CI: 45.1-79.6) in EXP2-3A, and 47.2% (95% CI: 33.3-61.4) and 30.1% (95% CI: 19.9-42.0) in EXP3B-5, and median progression-free survival was 13.6 and 12.5 months (EXP2-3A) and 6.9 and 5.5 months (EXP3B-5). Lorlatinib exhibited antitumor activity across ALK resistance mutations, while no differences according to the EML4-ALK variant could be detected. The most common treatment-related AEs were hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, edema, and peripheral neuropathy in both Asian and non-Asian subgroups. CONCLUSION: Lorlatinib showed substantial overall and intracranial activity in pretreated patients with ALK-positive NSCLC in both Asian and non-Asian patients. AE profiles were similar between Asian and non-Asian patients. CLINICALTRIALS: gov NCT01970865.
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    Asian Thoracic Oncology Research Group (ATORG) Expert Consensus Statement on MET Alterations in NSCLC: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Considerations
    Ahn, M-J ; Mendoza, MJL ; Pavlakis, N ; Kato, T ; Soo, RA ; Kim, D-W ; Liam, CK ; Hsia, T-C ; Lee, CK ; Reungwetwattana, T ; Geater, S ; Chan, OSH ; Prasongsook, N ; Solomon, BJ ; Nguyen, TTH ; Kozuki, T ; Yang, JC-H ; Wu, Y-L ; Kam, TS ; Tan, DS-W ; Yatabe, Y (CIG MEDIA GROUP, LP, 2022-12)
    Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a heterogeneous disease, with many oncogenic driver mutations, including de novo mutations in the Mesenchymal Epithelial Transition (MET) gene (specifically in Exon 14 [ex14]), that lead to tumourigenesis. Acquired alterations in the MET gene, specifically MET amplification is also associated with the development of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance in patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Although MET has become an actionable biomarker with the availability of MET-specific inhibitors in selected countries, there is differential accessibility to diagnostic platforms and targeted therapies across countries in Asia-Pacific (APAC). The Asian Thoracic Oncology Research Group (ATORG), an interdisciplinary group of experts from Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Mainland China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, discussed testing for MET alterations and considerations for using MET-specific inhibitors at a consensus meeting in January 2022, and in subsequent offline consultation. Consensus recommendations are provided by the ATORG group to address the unmet need for standardised approaches to diagnosing MET alterations in NSCLC and for using these therapies. MET inhibitors may be considered for first-line or second or subsequent lines of treatment for patients with advanced and metastatic NSCLC harbouring MET ex14 skipping mutations; MET ex14 testing is preferred within multi-gene panels for detecting targetable driver mutations in NSCLC. For patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC and MET amplification leading to EGFR TKI resistance, enrolment in combination trials of EGFR TKIs and MET inhibitors is encouraged.
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    Post Hoc Analysis of Lorlatinib Intracranial Efficacy and Safety in Patients With ALK-Positive Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer From the Phase III CROWN Study
    Solomon, BJ ; Bauer, TM ; Ou, S-HI ; Liu, G ; Hayashi, H ; Bearz, A ; Penkov, K ; Wu, Y-L ; Arrieta, O ; Jassem, J ; Calella, AM ; Peltz, G ; Polli, A ; Thurm, H ; Mok, T (LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, 2022-11-01)
    PURPOSE: Lorlatinib significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) versus crizotinib and showed robust intracranial activity in patients with previously untreated advanced ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the phase III CROWN trial. Here, we report post hoc efficacy outcomes in patients with and without brain metastases at baseline, and present data on the incidence and management of CNS adverse events (AEs) in CROWN. METHODS: Eligible patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to first-line lorlatinib (100 mg once daily) or crizotinib (250 mg twice a day); no crossover between treatment arms was permitted. Tumor assessments, including CNS magnetic resonance imaging, were performed at screening and then at 8-week intervals. Regular assessments of patient-reported outcomes were conducted. RESULTS: PFS by blinded independent central review was improved with lorlatinib versus crizotinib in patients with and without brain metastases at baseline (12-month PFS rates: 78% v 22% and 78% v 45%, respectively). Lorlatinib was associated with lower 12-month cumulative incidence of CNS progression versus crizotinib in patients with (7% v 72%) and without (1% v 18%) brain metastases at baseline. In total, 35% of patients had CNS AEs with lorlatinib, most of grade 1 severity. Occurrence of CNS AEs did not result in a clinically meaningful difference in patient-reported quality of life. At analysis, 56% of CNS AEs had resolved (33% without intervention; 17% with lorlatinib dose modification), and 38% were unresolved; most required no intervention. Lorlatinib dose modification did not notably influence PFS. CONCLUSION: First-line lorlatinib improved PFS outcomes and reduced CNS progression versus crizotinib in patients with advanced ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer with or without brain metastases at baseline. Half of all CNS AEs resolved without intervention or with lorlatinib dose modification.
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    Plain language summary of the CROWN study comparing lorlatinib with crizotinib for people with untreated non-small cell lung cancer
    Solomon, BJ ; Bauer, TM ; de Marinis, F ; Felip, E ; Goto, Y ; Liu, G ; Mazieres, J ; Kim, D-W ; Mok, T ; Polli, A ; Thurm, H ; Calella, AM ; Peltz, G ; Shaw, AT (FUTURE MEDICINE LTD, 2021-08)
    This is a summary of a research study (known as a clinical trial) called CROWN. The study tested two medicines called lorlatinib and crizotinib in participants with untreated non-small cell lung cancer that had spread to other parts of their body. All those who took part had changes in a gene called ALK, which is involved in cell growth. In total, 296 participants from 23 countries took part. Half the participants took lorlatinib and half took crizotinib. After participants started taking lorlatinib or crizotinib, they were checked regularly to see if their tumors had grown or spread to other parts of their body (known as tumor progression) and to monitor any side effects. After 1 year of treatment, the participants who took lorlatinib were twice as likely to be alive with no tumor growth as the participants who took crizotinib. More participants who took lorlatinib had cancer that shrank (76%) compared with the participants who took crizotinib (58%). This was also true of the participants whose cancer had spread to their brain. The most common side effects in participants who took lorlatinib were increases in the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides (a type of fat) in their blood, swelling, weight gain, nerve damage, unclear thoughts, and diarrhea. Among the participants who took crizotinib, the most common side effects were diarrhea, feeling like you want to throw up, sight problems, swelling, vomiting, changes in liver function, and feeling tired. Overall, the CROWN study showed that fewer participants with advanced ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer died or had tumor growth with lorlatinib compared with crizotinib treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT number: NCT03052608.
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    Continuation of Lorlatinib in ALK-Positive NSCLC Beyond Progressive Disease
    Ou, S-H ; Solomon, BJ ; Shaw, AT ; Gadgeel, SM ; Besse, B ; Soo, RA ; Abbattista, A ; Toffalorio, F ; Wiltshire, R ; Bearz, A (ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, 2022-04)
    INTRODUCTION: Lorlatinib, a potent, selective third-generation ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), exhibited overall and intracranial antitumor activity in patients with ALK-positive NSCLC. METHODS: Retrospective analyses in the ongoing phase 2 trial (NCT01970865) investigated the clinical benefit of continuing lorlatinib beyond progressive disease (LBPD). Patients with previous crizotinib treatment as the only ALK TKI were group A (n = 28); those with at least one previous second-generation ALK TKIs were group B (n = 74). LBPD was defined as greater than 3 weeks of lorlatinib treatment after investigator-assessed progressive disease. Only patients with the best overall response of complete or partial response or stable disease were included. RESULTS: There were no major differences in baseline characteristics between groups. The median duration of treatment for patients who continued LBPD was 32.4 months (group A) and 16.4 months (group B) versus 12.5 months (group A) and 7.7 months (group B) for patients who did not continue LBPD. The median overall survival in group A was not reached (NR) in patients who continued LBPD versus 24.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 12.1-NR); group B's median was 26.5 months (95% CI: 18.7-35.5) in patients who continued LBPD versus 14.7 months (95% CI: 9.3-38.5) in patients who did not continue LBPD. The median overall survival postprogression for groups A and B was NR (95% CI: 21.4-NR) and 14.6 months (95% CI: 11.2-19.2) in patients who continued LBPD and 8.0 months (95% CI: 1.5-NR) versus 5.3 months (95% CI: 2.8-14.3) in patients who did not continue LBPD. CONCLUSIONS: Continuing LBPD is a viable treatment strategy for select patients with ALK-positive NSCLC who progressed on lorlatinib.
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    Efficacy and Safety of Larotrectinib in Patients With Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase Fusion-Positive Lung Cancers.
    Drilon, A ; Tan, DSW ; Lassen, UN ; Leyvraz, S ; Liu, Y ; Patel, JD ; Rosen, L ; Solomon, B ; Norenberg, R ; Dima, L ; Brega, N ; Shen, L ; Moreno, V ; Kummar, S ; Lin, JJ (American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), 2022-01)
    PURPOSE: Larotrectinib is a highly selective and CNS-active tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) inhibitor that has demonstrated efficacy across TRK fusion-positive cancers, regardless of the tumor type. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of larotrectinib in patients with TRK fusion-positive lung cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from two global, multicenter, registrational clinical trials of patients treated with larotrectinib were analyzed: a phase II adult and young adult basket trial (NCT02576431) and a phase I adult trial (NCT02122913). The primary end point was objective response rate (ORR). RESULTS: By July 20, 2020, 20 patients with TRK fusion-positive lung cancer had been treated. The ORR by investigator assessment among 15 evaluable patients was 73% (95% CI, 45 to 92); one (7%) patient had a complete response, 10 (67%) had a partial response, three (20%) had stable disease, and one (7%) had progressive disease as best response. The median duration of response, progression-free survival, and overall survival were 33.9 months (95% CI, 5.6 to 33.9), 35.4 months (95% CI, 5.3 to 35.4), and 40.7 months (95% CI, 17.2 to not estimable), respectively. Among patients with baseline CNS metastases, the ORR was 63% (95% CI, 25 to 91). Adverse events were mainly grade 1 or 2. CONCLUSION: Larotrectinib is highly active with rapid and durable responses, extended survival benefit, and a favorable long-term safety profile in patients with advanced lung cancer harboring NTRK gene fusions, including those with CNS metastases. These findings support routine testing for NTRK fusions in patients with lung cancer.
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    Correlation between treatment effects on response rate and progression-free survival and overall survival in trials of targeted therapies in molecularly enriched populations
    Solomon, BJ ; Loong, HH ; Summers, Y ; Thomas, ZM ; French, P ; Lin, BK ; Sashegyi, A ; Wolf, J ; Yang, JC-H ; Drilon, A (ELSEVIER, 2022-04)
    BACKGROUND: The number of randomized trials of agents targeting oncogene-addicted tumors has surged in the past 10 years. Using a meta-analysis, we explored whether improvements in objective response rate (ORR) in comparative trials using targeted agents could serve as a potential surrogate endpoint for improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS) in populations with oncogene-addicted cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using commercial text mining software I2E, we searched ClinicalTrials.gov and MEDLINE databases for randomized, phase III trials based on prospectively defined criteria, including (i) use of agents targeting EGFR activating mutations, ALK rearrangements, BRAF V600E or V600K mutations, and BCR-ABL fusion protein; (ii) molecularly enriched trial population or subpopulation; (iii) control arm only randomized to chemo/cytotoxic therapy. Correlative analyses were performed using ORR, OS, and PFS data from trials that met these criteria. RESULTS: A total of 62 trials were identified; 15 met all of the prespecified criteria. The ORR effect size (both the difference in ORR between arms and the log odds ratio) and log PFS hazard ratio were strongly correlated: -0.78 (P = 0.0007) for the ORR difference model; -0.74 (P = 0.0017) for the log odds ratio model. ORR effect size was positively correlated with the log OS hazard ratio, but more weakly: -0.67 (P = 0.013) for the ORR difference model and -0.58 (P = 0.036) for the log odds ratio model. Analysis of the treatment effects between OS and PFS found no correlation. CONCLUSIONS: These analyses identified a strong correlation between treatment effects on ORR and PFS in randomized clinical trials investigating agents targeting oncogene-driven cancers. A weaker correlation was observed between ORR and OS. These meta-analysis results support the use of a high ORR forming the basis of an initial regulatory approval in biomarker-driven studies.