Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio and duration of prior anti-angiogenic therapy as biomarkers in metastatic RCC receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy

Abstract Background There is an unmet need to determine factors predictive of clinical benefit, to guide therapeutic sequencing and selection in metastatic RCC (mRCC). We evaluated clinical factors such as the neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and duration of prior anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors, as predictors of response rate, progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in mRCC patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI). Methods Regulatory approval was obtained. A single center retrospective chart review of mRCC patients at Karmanos Cancer Institute, treated with ICI based therapy (PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors) was conducted. Data were collected on demographics, smoking status, prognostic scoring (Memorial Sloan Kettering and Heng criteria), NLR pretherapy, post 1 and 4 doses of ICI, and duration of prior anti-VEGF therapy ≥6 months or <6. Results 42 patients were evaluated with median age of 61 years (range, 24-85). Pretherapy NLR < 3 and ≥3 was seen in 19 (45%) and 23 (55%) patients, respectively. 24 (57%) and 18 (43%) patients had prior anti-VEGF inhibitors for a duration of ≥6 months and <6 months, respectively. 12 (29%), 22 (52%) and 8 (19%) patients had favorable, intermediate and poor risk disease based on Heng criteria, respectively. Multivariable analysis showed pretherapy NLR ≥3 was predictive of shorter PFS and OS when treated with ICI with median 3.08 months and 13.50 months, respectively, versus 15.57 months and not reached for NLR < 3 (adjusted p-values =0.003 and 0.025, respectively). Prior anti-VEGF therapy <6 months was predictive of increased likelihood of benefit from ICI therapies (adjusted p = 0.028). The median PFS was 3.72 months and 14.33 months, respectively, in cases with prior anti-VEGF therapy for ≥6 months and <6 months. Conclusion Pretherapy NLR <3 and duration of prior anti-VEGF therapy of <6 months, are independent statistically significant predictors of longer PFS and OS with ICI therapy in mRCC. Validation is required in a larger sample size with multi-institutional collaboration

Additional file 1: Table S1. of Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio and duration of prior anti-angiogenic therapy as biomarkers in metastatic RCC receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy

Univariable logistic and Cox regression analyses for RR, PFS, and OS. Table S2. Univariable and multivariable logistic and Cox regression analyses of risk factors associated with RR, PFS, and OS. Note ‘Pretherapy NLR’ is grouped by its median of 3.2. Table S3. Univariable and multivariable logistic and Cox regression analyses of risk factors associated with RR, PFS, and OS. Note ‘Pretherapy NLR’ is considered as a continuous variable. Table S4. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses of risk factors associated with PFS. Note that two variables ‘Duration of prior anti-VEGF Therapies’ and ‘Pretherapy NLR (with the cutoff value of 3)’ are combined. Table S5. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses of risk factors associated with PFS. Note that two variables ‘Duration of prior anti-VEGF Therapies’ and ‘Pretherapy NLR (with the cutoff value of 3.2 [median])’ are combined. Figure S1. The boxplot of pretherapy NLR by the duration of prior anti-VEGF therapies. The p-value is calculated using the Kruskal. (DOCX 38 kb

Safety and activity of ibrutinib plus rituximab for patients with high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: a single-arm, phase 2 study

BackgroundIbrutinib, an orally administered covalent inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), is an effective treatment for relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). We investigated the activity and safety of the combination of ibrutinib with the monoclonal antibody rituximab in patients with high-risk CLL.MethodsIn this single-arm phase 2 study, we enrolled adult patients with high-risk CLL at the MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX, USA). All enrolled participants had high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities (deletion 17p, TP53 mutation, or deletion 11q) or a short progression-free survival (PFS &lt;36 months) after previous first-line chemoimmunotherapy. Patients with symptomatic disease requiring therapy received 28-day cycles of once-daily ibrutinib 420 mg together with rituximab (375 mg/m(2), intravenously, every week during cycle 1, then once per cycle until cycle 6), followed by continuous daily single-agent ibrutinib 420 mg until disease progression or until toxicities or complications precluded further treatment. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01520519, and is no longer accruing patients.FindingsBetween Feb 28, 2012, and Sept 11, 2012, we enrolled 40 patients with CLL with high-risk disease features, 20 of whom had deletion 17p (del[17p]) or TP53 mutations (16 previously treated, four untreated), 13 had relapsed CLL with deletion 11q (del[11q]), and seven a PFS less than 36 months after first-line chemoimmunotherapy. 18-month PFS in all patients was 78·0% (95% CI 60·6-88·5), whereas in those with a del(17p) or TP53 mutation it was 72·4% (45·6-87·6) Toxicity was mainly mild to moderate in severity (grade 1-2). Diarrhoea occurred in ten (25%) patients (grade 1 in nine patients and grade 2 in one), bleeding events in 14 (33%) patients (eight grade 1 and five grade 2), nausea or vomiting in 15 patients (38%) (ten grade 1 and five grade 2), and fatigue in seven (18%) patients (four grade 1 and three grade 2). Five patients (13%) had grade 3 infections (two lung infections, one upper respiratory tract infection, one sepsis, and one mucositis), and no grade 4 or 5 infections occurred. One patient had grade 4 neutropenia.InterpretationThe encouraging safety and activity of ibrutinib and rituximab in this population of patients with high-risk CLL merits further investigation of this combination.FundingPharmacyclics Inc, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, National Cancer Institute, MD Anderson Cancer Center