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July 8, 2021/Cancer/Research

Top Abstracts from ASCO 2021

Favorites chosen by Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center staff

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The American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting is an excellent opportunity to learn about and assess the latest developments in the field. The staff of Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center finds these abstracts the most compelling, clinically relevant and potentially transformative to the practice.

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Lung cancer

Abstract 8500

Impower010 is the first randomized trial to show that immunotherapy with atezolizumab following adjuvant chemotherapy can improve outcomes for patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer following resection. Atezolizumab significantly improves disease-free survival (DFS) versus placebo, and patients with PD-L1+ tumors show the greatest benefit.

Renal cell cancer

Abstract LBA5

KEYNOTE-564 is the first positive phase 3 trial with immunotherapy as post-nephrectomy adjuvant therapy for patients with renal cell carcinoma. Pembrolizumab significantly improves DFS versus placebo.

Prostate cancer

Abstract LBA4

The phase 3 VISION trial showed that treatment with the radioligand LuPSMA leads to a 40% reduction in the risk of death and a four-month improvement in median overall survival (OS) versus standard of care alone in men with castrate-resistant prostate cancer.

Breast cancer

Abstract LBA1

The phase 3, randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled OlympiA trial demonstrated that adjuvant treatment with the PARP inhibitor olaparib significantly improves DFS in early-stage HER2-negative breast cancer patients with germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.

Abstract 10503

The investigators found that the presence of the adrenal-permissive variant of HSD3B1 is associated with the development of postmenopausal estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. The findings have implications not only for breast cancer risk assessment but for cancer prevention strategies as well. See Consult QD for more details.

Nasopharyngeal cancer

Abstract LBA2: JUPITER-02: Randomized, double-blind, phase 3 study of toripalimab or placebo plus gemcitabine and cisplatin as first-line treatment for recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

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Abstract 6000: Camrelizumab versus placebo combined with gemcitabine and cisplatin for recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial.

These two phase 3 studies support the use of immunotherapy added to frontline gemcitabine and cisplatin for recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer.

Lymphoma

Abstract 7500

This randomized head-to-head trial in chronic lymphocytic leukemia showed that the newer Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor acalabrutinib has the same efficacy as ibrutinib but with significantly improved tolerability, including lower incidence of arrythmias and bleeding, which will allow more patients to stay on treatment.

Melanoma

Abstract 9503

Primary results from the phase 3 RELATIVITY-047 trial showed that relatilimab is the first novel immune checkpoint inhibitor (in combination with nivolumab) to demonstrate not just an improved PFS, but more than double the PFS of standard of care front-line anti-PD-1 monotherapy for patients with advanced melanoma.

Soft-tissue sarcoma

Abstract 11504

SPEARHEAD-1 is one of the first trials to study cellular therapy for sarcoma. It looked at the efficacy and safety of afamitresgene autoleucel, a T-cell therapy for patients with heavily pretreated synovial sarcoma or myxoid/round cell liposarcoma, two aggressive subtypes of sarcoma. The therapy demonstrates a disease control rate of 84% and an overall response rate of 40%.

Esophageal cancer

Abstract LBA 4001

The first results of the CheckMate 648 trial found that both nivolumab plus platinum/5FU chemotherapy and nivolumab plus ipilimumab result in superior OS compared with chemotherapy alone for patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, especially for patients with PDL1-positive tumors.

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Abstract 4003

Expanded efficacy and safety analyses from CheckMate 577 show an acceptable safety profile and improved DFS versus placebo with the use of adjuvant nivolumab for patients with stage II or III esophageal or gastroesophageal carcinoma who have completed chemoradiation and surgical resection but have residual pathologic disease.

CNS tumors

Abstract 2002

In patients with tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) fusion-positive central nervous system (CNS) tumors, larotrectinib demonstrates rapid and durable responses, high disease-control rate and a favorable safety profile. These results support testing for NTRK gene fusions in patients of all ages with CNS tumors.

Abstract 2013

The long-term results of the GEINO 1401 trial confirm that six cycles of adjuvant temozolomide should be considered standard of care for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

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