Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Chemo Combo Boosts OS in Advanced Endometrial Cancer
SAN DIEGO — The addition of an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) to chemotherapy up front improved overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, regardless of mismatch repair (MMR) status, according to two trials. In the phase III RUBY Part 1, patients treated with dostarlimab (Jemperli) and chemotherapy had a median OS […]
First-Line Nivolumab Plus Chemo Approved for Bladder Cancer
The FDA approved the PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab (Opdivo) in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine for the first-line treatment of adults with unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, the agency announced Thursday. Approval was based on results from the phase III CheckMate-901 trial, which were presented last year at the European Society for Medical Oncology […]
Investigational Immunotherapy Combo Shows Promise for Advanced Solid Tumors
An investigational combination of CTLA-4 and PD‐1 checkpoint inhibitors demonstrated “encouraging” tumor activity, as well as a manageable safety profile, in patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors, according to results from a small phase I study. Among 61 patients with different solid tumors who were evaluated for efficacy, 37.7% achieved an objective response to treatment with […]
Immunotherapy May Hold Promise for Skin Cancers After Kidney Transplant
The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors given as part of an immunosuppressive regimen for kidney transplant recipients with advanced cutaneous cancers may be effective and safe, depending on the regimen, two small studies suggested. In the first study among 12 kidney transplant recipients with advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) who were treated with cemiplimab […]
Targeting New Pathways to Improve Outcomes in Renal Cell Carcinoma
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Building on the existing immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) platform, new treatment strategies for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) seek to adapt the cancer’s immunity cycle to inform development of more effective therapies, according to a review presented here. Limited options exist beyond anti-VEGF and ICI-based strategies for patients with advanced disease, particularly those […]
FDA OKs New Frontline Endometrial Cancer Regimen, First in Decades
The FDA approved the immune checkpoint inhibitor dostarlimab (Jemperli) plus chemotherapy as a frontline option for certain patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, the agency announced on Monday. For adults with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer that is mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H), dostarlimab is now approved as part of a […]
Nivolumab-AVD Boosts PFS in Untreated Hodgkin Lymphoma
CHICAGO — Adding the immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab (Opdivo), rather than brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris), to a standard chemotherapy backbone reduced the risk of disease progression or death in newly diagnosed adults and adolescents with advanced-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), according to the SWOG S1826 trial. Patients in the phase III study received six cycles of […]
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Safe, Effective in Cancer Patients With HIV
Immune checkpoint inhibitors showed activity among people with HIV and various cancer types, without any excess or unexpected toxicities, according to a retrospective real-world study. In a cohort of 390 patients with HIV and cancer, 20% had immune-related adverse events (AEs) of any grade and 7.7% had grade ≥3 immune-related AEs, reported Abdul Rafeh Naqash, […]
ICI-Related Myocarditis Deaths Down With Tailored Non-Corticosteroid Strategy
For immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-associated myocarditis, increased vigilance of respiratory muscle failure and initiation of JAK‐STAT pathway inhibition led to a jump in patient survival at a Paris hospital. Based on 40 consecutive cancer patients admitted to Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris with confirmed ICI-associated myocarditis, the incidence of related death dropped from 60% during the […]
Can Biomarkers Give Early Heads-Up on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Myocarditis?
In the quest to catch myocarditis earlier during immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy for cancer, researchers have found a potential role for routinely measured biomarkers. Of 2,606 consecutive ICI recipients at Michigan Medicine, the 1% who developed myocarditis often or always had elevated high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT; 100%), alanine aminotransferase (ALT; 88.9%), aspartate aminotransferase (AST; […]