Neoadjuvant nivolumab for patients with resectable HPV-positive and HPV-negative squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck in the CheckMate 358 trial.
Abstract | BACKGROUND: METHODS: The phase I/II CheckMate 358 trial in virus-associated cancers assessed neoadjuvant nivolumab in patients with previously untreated, resectable HPV-positive or HPV-negative HNSCC. Patients received nivolumab 240 mg intravenously on days 1 and 15, with surgery planned by day 29. Safety/tolerability (primary endpoint) was assessed by monitoring adverse events (AEs) and surgical delays. Radiographic response was measured before surgery using RECIST v1.1, adapted for a single post- nivolumab evaluation. Pathologic specimens were examined for treatment response using immune-based criteria. RESULTS: From November 2015 to December 2017, 52 patients with AJCC (seventh edition) stage III-IV resectable HNSCC received neoadjuvant nivolumab (26 HPV-positive, 26 HPV-negative). Any-grade treatment-related AEs (TRAEs) occurred in 19 patients (73.1%) and 14 patients (53.8%) in the HPV-positive and HPV-negative cohorts, respectively; grade 3-4 TRAEs occurred in five (19.2%) and three patients (11.5%), respectively. No patient had a protocol-defined TRAE-related surgical delay (>4 weeks). Thirty-eight patients were reported as undergoing complete surgical resection, 10 had a planned post- nivolumab biopsy instead of definitive surgery due to a protocol misinterpretation, and four did not undergo surgery or biopsy, including two with tumor progression. Radiographic response rates in 49 evaluable patients were 12.0% and 8.3% in the HPV-positive and HPV-negative cohorts, respectively. There were no complete pathologic responses by site or central review in operated patients. Among 17 centrally evaluable HPV-positive tumors, one (5.9%) achieved major pathological response and three (17.6%) achieved partial pathologic response (pPR); among 17 centrally evaluable HPV-negative tumors, one (5.9%) achieved pPR. CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant nivolumab was generally safe and induced pathologic regressions in HPV-positive (23.5%) and HPV-negative (5.9%) tumors. Combinatorial neoadjuvant treatment regimens, and continued postoperative therapy for high-risk tumors, are warranted in future trials to enhance the efficacy of this approach. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02488759; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02488759.
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Authors | Robert L Ferris, William C Spanos, Rom Leidner, Anthony Gonçalves, Uwe M Martens, Chrisann Kyi, William Sharfman, Christine H Chung, Lot A Devriese, Helene Gauthier, Simon I Chiosea, Lazar Vujanovic, Janis M Taube, Julie E Stein, Jun Li, Bin Li, Tian Chen, Adam Barrows, Suzanne L Topalian |
Journal | Journal for immunotherapy of cancer
(J Immunother Cancer)
Vol. 9
Issue 6
(06 2021)
ISSN: 2051-1426 [Electronic] England |
PMID | 34083421
(Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Phase I, Clinical Trial, Phase II, Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Copyright | © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. |
Chemical References |
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
- Nivolumab
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Topics |
- Administration, Intravenous
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Female
- Head and Neck Neoplasms
(drug therapy, virology)
- Humans
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
(administration & dosage, adverse effects)
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Neoadjuvant Therapy
- Nivolumab
(administration & dosage, adverse effects)
- Papillomavirus Infections
(complications, drug therapy)
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
(drug therapy, virology)
- Treatment Outcome
- Whole Genome Sequencing
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