Isabelle Ray-Coquard

Early Clinical and Molecular Biomarkers in Patients With Advanced Ovarian Cancer Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: CHIVA Phase II GINECO Trial

PURPOSE Platinum-based chemotherapy and surgery are pivotal in managing ovarian cancer (OC), yet prognosis remains poor, and early biomarkers for platinum resistance are needed. The neoadjuvant setting provides an opportunity to evaluate tumor responsiveness to platinum chemotherapy in vivo. This study evaluated whether early measures of platinum response combined with molecular alterations could predict surgical outcomes and survival in patients with OC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). METHODS The CHIVA study enrolled stage III/IV OC patients eligible for three cycles NACT with or without nintedanib, followed by interval debulking surgery. Archival samples underwent extensive sequencing to detect clinically relevant variants and copy number alterations and calculate genomic instability (GIS). Early chemotherapy response measures—cancer antigen 125 kinetics by KELIM, major pathologic response, GIS status, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) abundance, and genomic alterations—were correlated with surgery completeness and survival. RESULTS Among 127 patients, the overall response rate was 44%, and the complete cytoreduction (CC0) rate was 54.8%. Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) was identified in 56% of patients and was associated with better survival. The median progression-free survival was 21.4, 20.5, and 14.4 months in the BRCAmut , BRCAwt /GIS-high, and BRCAwt /GIS-low subgroups, respectively ( P = .001). Unfavorable KELIM predicted lower objective response rate, CC0, and shorter survival, while low intraepithelial TILs (ieTILs) correlated with poor outcomes. Multivariate analysis confirmed KELIM, HRD status, and ieTILs as independent biomarkers. CCNE1 amplifications, observed in 20% of patients, were associated with moderate chemotherapy sensitivity. CONCLUSION HRD status, KELIM, and TILs are key independent biomarkers in advanced OC. CCNE1 amplifications, although typically associated with platinum resistance, were linked to moderate chemotherapy sensitivity, defining an intermediate prognostic subgroup.

Atezolizumab With Bevacizumab and Nonplatinum Chemotherapy for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer: Final Results From the Placebo-Controlled AGO-OVAR 2.29/ENGOT-ov34 Phase III Trial

PURPOSE To evaluate atezolizumab combined with bevacizumab and non–platinum-based chemotherapy for recurrent ovarian cancer. METHODS The double-blind randomized phase III AGO-OVAR 2.29/ENGOT-ov34 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03353831 ) enrolled patients with first or second relapse of ovarian cancer ≤6 months after completing platinum-based chemotherapy (or third relapse regardless of treatment-free interval). PD-L1 status was tested centrally (VENTANA SP142 assay) in recent (<3 months) biopsies before random assignment. All patients received bevacizumab and investigator-selected chemotherapy (once weekly paclitaxel or pegylated liposomal doxorubicin) until disease progression or toxicity, plus either atezolizumab 840 mg or placebo once every 2 weeks until progression (maximum 2 years), randomly assigned 1:1, and stratified by number of previous lines, planned chemotherapy, previous bevacizumab, and PD-L1 status. Primary end points were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in the intention-to-treat population. RESULTS Among 574 patients randomly assigned between September 2018 and July 2022, 72% were bevacizumab-pretreated, 36% had received three previous treatment lines, 26% had PD-L1–positive tumors, and 54% received paclitaxel with study therapy. After 418 patients had died, the hazard ratio for OS was 0.83 (95% CI, 0.68 to 1.01; P = .06; median 14.2 months with atezolizumab and 13.0 months with placebo) and the hazard ratio for PFS was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.73 to 1.04; P = .12; median 6.4 v 6.7 months, respectively). OS hazard ratios were similar regardless of PD-L1 status. Grade ≥3 adverse events occurred in 72% of atezolizumab-treated and 69% of placebo patients. CONCLUSION Combining atezolizumab with bevacizumab and chemotherapy did not significantly improve OS or PFS in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer ineligible for platinum. The safety profile was as expected from previous experience with these drugs.

Geneva Homologous Recombination Deficiency Test Is Predictive of Survival Benefit From Olaparib and Bevacizumab Maintenance in Ovarian Cancer

PURPOSE The ability of the Geneva homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) test to predict progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with high-grade ovarian cancer treated with poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors has been demonstrated. Its performance with respect to overall survival (OS) has not been assessed yet. METHODS Using the final results of the PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 phase III clinical trial with a median follow-up of 5 years, we evaluated the Geneva HRD test on 468 samples as part of the ENGOT HRD European Initiative. Results were evaluated in terms of final PFS and OS in the olaparib + bevacizumab and placebo + bevacizumab arms and compared with the Myriad MyChoice HRD test. RESULTS Final PFS was consistent with previously published data and confirmed the predictive value of the Geneva HRD test with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.41 (95% CI, 0.30 to 0.57) for HRD-positive patients. The results for OS showed a HR of 0.56 (95% CI, 0.37 to 0.85) for HRD-positive patients and 1.6 (95% CI, 1.1 to 2.3) for HRD-negative patients. These results are consistent with those observed with the Myriad test, including the negative OS trend in the HRD-negative subgroup treated with olaparib + bevacizumab (HR, 1.2 [95% CI, 0.83 to 1.8]). A subgroup analysis of patients with intermediate HRD scores showed that the normalized large-scale state transition score used by the Geneva HRD test had both predictive and prognostic value. CONCLUSION The Geneva HRD test predicts PFS and OS benefit from olaparib + bevacizumab. The potential detrimental effect of olaparib + bevacizumab on OS in the HRD-negative population is hypothesis-generating and needs to be confirmed prospectively.

GANNET53 Part II: A European Phase I/II Trial of the HSP90 Inhibitor Ganetespib in High-Grade Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer—A Study of the GANNET53 Consortium

Abstract Purpose: Mutant p53 stabilized by heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is a novel target in oncology. The open-label, randomized phase II GANNET53 trial is the first to evaluate the HSP90 inhibitor ganetespib (G) with paclitaxel (P) in platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer (EUDRACT 2013-003868-31; EU FP7 #602602). Patients and Methods: Patients were randomized 2:1 to receive G + P or P alone until progression. Primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and PFS rate at 6 months. Exploratory endpoints were biomarkers based on p53 and HSP90. Results: A total of 133 patients were enrolled. The median PFS was 3.5 (G + P) and 5.3 months (P) (HR = 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.897–1.895; P = 0.16), and PFS rates at 6 months were 22% (G + P) and 33% (P). No significant differences were found in overall survival, objective response rate, and post-progression PFS between arms. The most frequent adverse events were diarrhea (79% vs. 26%), anemia (46% vs. 51%), nausea (41% vs. 40%), and peripheral neuropathy (36% vs. 47%). Serious adverse events were more common in G + P (39.5% vs. 23.3%). Gastrointestinal perforation was a new safety finding. Despite a high TP53 mutation frequency, HSP90–p53 complexes were detected in only 39.6% of the cases and were also detected stably during treatment. In vitro, no synergistic effects of G + P were observed, and mutant p53 depletion did not sensitize ovarian cancer cells to treatment. Conclusions: Although no major safety findings were observed, G + P did not lead to survival benefit. Our companion diagnostic program confirmed that G + P do not favorably cooperate in killing ovarian cancer cells.

PARP inhibitors as maintenance therapy in ovarian cancer after platinum-sensitive recurrence: real-world experience from the Unicancer network

Abstract Background Based on results of randomized clinical trials, polyADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) have become the standard of care in patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer (OvC) in patients responding to platinum chemotherapy. However, little is known about their impact on survival in a real-world setting. Patients and methods This retrospective French multicenter observational study included women with platinum-sensitive recurrent OvC (not limited to the first platinum-sensitive relapse) receiving PARPi as maintenance after response to platinum-based chemotherapy. They were compared to patients with similar characteristics undergoing observation after chemotherapy completion. Data were collected in the Ovarian Cancer Epidemiological Strategy and Medical Economics (ESME-OC) database between 2011 and 2021. We explored progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) benefits with PARPi maintenance. Results One hundred and twenty-three patients matching the selection criteria were included in the PARPi group and 397 patients in the control group. Median PFS was 19.9 months (95CI [15.0-21.9]) in the PARPi group vs 13.4 months (95CI [11.8-15.0]) in the control group, with a HR = 0.71 (95CI [0.55-0.93]), P = .01). Median OS was 82.0 months (95CI [48.6-Not Estimable]) in the PARPi group vs 44.7 months (95CI [38.8-53.7]) in the control group (HR = 0.47, 95CI [0.30-0.74], P < .001). Multivariate analyses including performance status, histological subtype, achievement of cytoreductive surgery at relapse, and platinum-free interval, confirmed the independent prognostic impact of PARPi treatment. Conclusion This first national study focusing on the efficacy of PARPi in a real-world population shows similar benefits than in randomized clinical trials, supporting their use in clinical routine practice. Database registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier NCT03275298.

Controversies in the organization and structure of management for rare tumors

Ovarian clear cell carcinoma: open questions on the management and treatment algorithm

Abstract Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) accounts for ~10% of all epithelial ovarian cancers and is considered a different entity from the more common high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC), with distinct clinical presentations, different risk, and prognostic factors, and specific molecular features. Most OCCCs are diagnosed at an early stage and show favorable outcomes, in contrast to those diagnosed at advanced stages, which exhibit intrinsic resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy regimens and a very poor prognosis. The standard treatment of advanced OCCC is currently based on primary debulking surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy according to recent international guidelines. However, these recommendations are extrapolated from several trials mainly featuring a large cohort of HGSC, with only a small minority of OCCC. Because of its rarity, many questions remain unanswered regarding the surgical and medical treatment. Lymph node staging, fertility-sparing treatment, the use of targeted therapies and radiotherapy as well as the adjuvant treatment for early-stage disease and second or further lines of chemotherapy are still under debate. This review aims to address these unresolved issues, by providing a comprehensive overview of the current data on this disease, and to suggest possible directions for future research.

Tumor-intrinsic chemosensitivity assessed by KELIM and prognosis by BRCA status in patients with advanced ovarian carcinomas

Treatment of high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas relies on surgery and chemotherapy, potentially followed by bevacizumab and/or poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi). The modeled CA-125 ELIMination rate constant K (KELIM) is a pragmatic indicator of tumor primary chemosensitivity. Although it is well established that BRCA mutations are associated with platinum sensitivity, the relationship between BRCA status and KELIM score has yet to be elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate the interactions between BRCA and KELIM, and their respective prognostic values. We retrospectively collected data from 743 patients with high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas included in a French nationwide registry (NCT03275298) treated with neoadjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy followed by surgery. We analyzed the interactions between BRCA and KELIM, and their impacts on progression-free survival and overall survival. BRCA-mutated (BRCAm) patients had higher standardized KELIM than BRCA-wild type (BRCAwt) tumors (median 1.16 vs 1.06, respectively; p=0.001). The prognostic value of the KELIM score was independent of BRCA in multivariate analyses. KELIM score and BRCA could be combined to define three prognostic groups: (1) an unfavorable prognostic group with both BRCAwt and unfavorable KELIM (median progression-free survival 12.0months); (2) an intermediate prognostic group with either BRCAm and unfavorable KELIM, or BRCAwt and favorable KELIM (median progression-free survival of 16.0 and 18.8months, respectively; HR 0.64 compared with the unfavorable group, p<0.001); and (3) a favorable prognostic group with both BRCAm and favorable KELIM (median progression-free survival 28.8 months; HR 0.37 compared with the unfavorable group, p<0.001). The KELIM score provides complementary prognostic information with respect to BRCA, and discriminates different prognoses within BRCAm or BRCAwt patients. Patients with both BRCAwt/unfavorable KELIM have a poor prognosis, underscoring the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies.

Gene expression markers in peripheral blood and outcome in patients with platinum‐resistant ovarian cancer: A study of the European GANNET53 consortium

AbstractDisease progression is a major problem in ovarian cancer. There are very few treatment options for patients with platinum‐resistant ovarian cancer (PROC), and therefore, these patients have a particularly poor prognosis. The aim of the present study was to identify markers for monitoring the response of 123 PROC patients enrolled in the Phase I/II GANNET53 clinical trial, which evaluated the efficacy of Ganetespib in combination with standard chemotherapy versus standard chemotherapy alone. In total, 474 blood samples were collected, comprising baseline samples taken before the first administration of the study drugs and serial samples taken during treatment until further disease progression (PD). After microfluidic enrichment, 27 gene transcripts were analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and their utility for disease monitoring was evaluated. At baseline, ERCC1 was associated with an increased risk of PD (hazard ratio [HR] 1.75, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20–2.55; p = 0.005), while baseline CDH1 and ESR1 may have a risk‐reducing effect (CDH1 HR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.46–0.96; p = 0.024; ESR1 HR 0.58, 95% CI: 0.39–0.86; p = 0.002). ERCC1 was observed significantly more often (72.7% vs. 53.9%; p = 0.032) and ESR1 significantly less frequently (59.1% vs. 78.3%; p = 0.018) in blood samples taken at radiologically confirmed PD than at controlled disease. At any time during treatment, ERCC1‐presence and ESR1‐absence were associated with short PFS and with higher odds of PD within 6 months (odds ratio 12.77, 95% CI: 4.08–39.97; p &lt; 0.001). Our study demonstrates the clinical relevance of ESR1 and ERCC1 and may encourage the analysis of liquid biopsy samples for the management of PROC patients.

Updated progression-free survival and final overall survival with maintenance olaparib plus bevacizumab according to clinical risk in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer in the phase III PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 trial

In the PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 trial (NCT02477644), adding maintenance olaparib to bevacizumab provided a substantial progression-free survival benefit in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer and homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)-positive tumors, irrespective of clinical risk. Subsequently, a clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival was reported with olaparib plus bevacizumab in the HRD-positive subgroup. We report updated progression-free survival and overall survival by clinical risk and HRD status. Patients in clinical response after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy plus bevacizumab received maintenance olaparib (up to 24 months) plus bevacizumab (up to 15 months in total) or placebo plus bevacizumab. This Of 806 randomized patients, 74% were higher-risk and 26% were lower-risk. In higher-risk HRD-positive patients, the hazard ratio (HR) for progression-free survival was 0.46 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.34 to 0.61), with 5-year progression-free survival of 35% with olaparib plus bevacizumab versus 15% with bevacizumab alone; and the HR for overall survival was 0.70 (95% CI 0.50 to 1.00), with 5-year overall survival of 55% versus 42%, respectively. In lower-risk HRD-positive patients, the HR for progression-free survival was 0.26 (95% CI 0.15 to 0.45), with 5-year progression-free survival of 72% with olaparib plus bevacizumab versus 28% with bevacizumab alone; and the HR for overall survival was 0.31 (95% CI 0.14 to 0.66), with 5-year overall survival of 88% versus 61%, respectively. No benefit was seen in HRD-negative patients regardless of clinical risk. This

Shallow whole genome sequencing approach to detect Homologous Recombination Deficiency in the PAOLA-1/ENGOT-OV25 phase-III trial

AbstractThe bevacizumab (bev)/olaparib (ola) maintenance regimen was approved for BRCA1/2-mutated (BRCAmut) and Homologous Recombination Deficient (HRD) high-grade Advanced Ovarian Cancer (AOC) first line setting, based on a significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) compared to bev alone in the PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 trial (NCT02477644), where HRD was detected by MyChoice CDx PLUS test. The academic shallowHRDv2 test was developed based on shallow whole-genome sequencing as an alternative to MyChoice. Analytical and clinical validities of shallowHRDv2 as compared to MyChoice on 449 PAOLA-1 tumor samples are presented. The overall agreement between shallowHRDv2 and MyChoice was 94% (369/394). Less non-contributive tests were observed with shallowHRDv2 (15/449; 3%) than with MyChoice (51/449; 11%). Patients with HRD tumors according to shallowHRDv2 (including BRCAmut) showed a significantly prolonged PFS with bev+ola versus bev (median PFS: 65.7 versus 20.3 months, hazard ratio (HR): 0.36 [95% CI: 0.24–0.53]). This benefit was significant also for BRCA1/2 wild-type tumors (40.8 versus 19.5 months, HR: 0.45 [95% CI: 0.26–0.76]). ShallowHRDv2 is a performant, clinically validated, and cost-effective test for HRD detection.

The promise of combining CDK4/6 inhibition with hormonal therapy in the first-line treatment setting for metastatic or recurrent endometrial adenocarcinoma

Metastatic or recurrent endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the uterine corpus is often incurable with limited treatment options. First-line treatment often includes cytotoxic chemotherapy, which incurs significant toxicities for many patients. Endometrial cancer, specifically endometrioid cancer, is a hormone-sensitive disease and, while single-agent hormonal therapies have demonstrated clinical benefit, resistance to these agents often leads to the use of chemotherapy. There is a lack of approved endocrine treatment options in the metastatic setting for most recurrent endometrial cancers, representing an unmet clinical need. Emerging evidence suggests that hormonal therapy in combination with other targeted treatments, such as cyclin dependent kinase (CDK)4/6 inhibitors, is well tolerated and effective in select patient populations. We discuss the clinical evidence suggesting that the combination of CDK4/6 inhibitors and hormonal therapy has the potential to represent an important addition to the first-line treatment options for patients with low-grade advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.

Maintenance olaparib after platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced/metastatic endometrial cancer: GINECO randomized phase IIb UTOLA trial

Single-agent maintenance poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition may represent an effective strategy in patients with advanced/metastatic endometrial cancer responding to platinum-based chemotherapy, including for molecular subtypes with suboptimal options. To explore this approach, we initiated the randomized phase IIb UTOLA trial (NCT03745950). Female patients without progression following front-line platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced/metastatic endometrial cancer were randomized 2:1 to twice-daily maintenance oral olaparib 300 mg or placebo until progression or intolerance, stratified by p53 status, mismatch repair status, and response to initial chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) in the intention-to-treat population. Secondary endpoints were PFS in subgroups, time to second progression or death, time to first and second subsequent therapy, objective response rate, overall survival, patient-reported outcomes, and safety. In the intention-to-treat population (n = 145), there was no PFS difference between olaparib and placebo (median 5.6 vs. 4.0 months, respectively; hazard ratio 0.94, 95% confidence interval 0.65-1.35; p = 0.74). However, intriguing numerical PFS effects were observed in exploratory analyses of pre-specified subgroups (p53-abnormal, complete response to initial chemotherapy, chromosomal instability). There was no overall survival difference between treatments. Grade 3/4 adverse events occurred in 36% versus 10% of olaparib- versus placebo-treated patients and were consistent with the olaparib safety profile in other cancers. Maintenance olaparib did not improve PFS, but promising numerical effects in subsets of patients warrant prospective evaluation.

Evolving treatment paradigms in metastatic or recurrent low-grade endometrial cancer: When is hormonal-based therapy the preferred option?

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy in developed countries, with increasing incidence and mortality rates worldwide. While most cases are successfully treated with surgery, first-line treatment options for metastatic or recurrent endometrial cancer involve significant toxicities. Imprecise classification of heterogeneous subgroups further complicates treatment decisions and interpretation of clinical trial results. Recent advances in molecular classification are guiding treatment decisions for metastatic or recurrent endometrial cancers. Integrating molecular characteristics with traditional clinicopathology can both reduce overtreatment or undertreatment and help guide the appropriate choice of therapies and effective design of future studies. Here we discuss the treatment of metastatic or recurrent low-grade endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the uterine corpus, which is distinct from high-grade tumors histologically, molecularly, and in treatment response.

Endometrial cancer

Although endometrial cancer management remains challenging, a deeper understanding of the genetic diversity as well as the drivers of the various pathogenic states of this disease has led to development of divergent management approaches in an effort to improve therapeutic precision in this complex malignancy. This comprehensive review provides an update on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and molecular classification, recent advancements in disease management, as well as important patient quality-of-life considerations and emerging developments in the rapidly evolving therapeutic landscape of endometrial cancers.

Safety and quality of life with maintenance olaparib plus bevacizumab in older patients with ovarian cancer: subgroup analysis of PAOLA‑1/ENGOT-ov25

Abstract Background In PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25, the addition of olaparib to bevacizumab maintenance improved overall survival in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer. We describe the safety profile and quality of life (QoL) of this combination in older patients in PAOLA-1. Methods Safety (CTCAE v4.03) and QoL (EORTC QoL Questionnaires Core 30 and Ovarian 28) data were collected. We compared safety by age (≥70 vs &amp;lt;70 years) in the olaparib-containing arm. QoL by treatment arm was assessed in older patients. Geriatric features, including Geriatric Vulnerability Score (GVS), were also gathered. Results Of 806 patients randomized, 142 were ≥70 years old (olaparib-containing arm: n = 104; placebo arm: n = 38). Older patients treated with olaparib exhibited a similar safety profile to younger patients, except for higher rates of all grades of lymphopenia and grade ≥3 hypertension (31.7% vs 21.6%, P =.032 and 26.9% vs 16.7%, P =.019, respectively). No hematological malignancy was reported. Two years after randomization, mean Global Health Status and cognitive functioning seemed better with olaparib than bevacizumab alone (adjusted mean difference: +4.47 points [95% CI, −0.49 to 9.42] and +4.82 [−0.57 to 10.21], respectively), and other QoL items were similar between arms. In the olaparib-containing arm, older patients with baseline GVS ≥ 1 (n = 48) exhibited increased toxicity and poorer QoL than those with GVS of 0 (n = 34). Conclusion Among older patients in PAOLA-1, olaparib plus bevacizumab had a manageable safety profile and no adverse impact on QoL. Additional data are required to confirm these results in more vulnerable patients. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02477644).

The efficacy and safety of mirvetuximab soravtansine in FRα-positive, third-line and later, recurrent platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer: the single-arm phase II PICCOLO trial

Mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx (MIRV) is a first-in-class, folate receptor alpha (FRα)-targeting antibody-drug conjugate with United States Food and Drug Administration approval for FRα-positive platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. PICCOLO is a phase II, global, open-label, single-arm trial of MIRV as third-line or greater (≥3L) treatment in patients with FRα-positive (≥75% of cells with ≥2+ staining intensity) recurrent platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer (PSOC). Participants received MIRV (6 mg/kg adjusted ideal body weight every 3 weeks) until progressive disease (PD), unacceptable toxicity, withdrawal of consent, or death. Primary endpoint was investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR). Key secondary endpoint was investigator-assessed duration of response (DOR). Additional endpoints included investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Analyses of subgroups by disease characteristics (e.g. platinum-free interval) and treatment history [e.g. prior bevacizumab and poly (adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) treatment] were exploratory. Seventy-nine participants were enrolled and efficacy assessable. The primary endpoint was met; ORR was 51.9% [95% confidence interval (CI) 40.4% to 63.3%]. Median DOR was 8.25 months (95% CI 5.55-10.78 months) and median PFS was 6.93 months (95% CI 5.85-9.59 months). OS was not mature at data cut-off. ORR was 45.8% (95% CI 32.7% to 59.2%) in participants with PD while on/within 30 days of prior PARPi (n = 59) and 60.0% (95% CI 14.7% to 94.7%) in those without PD with prior PARPi (n = 5). No new safety signals occurred; most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were gastrointestinal, neurosensory, and resolvable ocular events. TEAEs led to discontinuation in 13 participants (16%) and death in 2 participants (3%). MIRV as ≥3L treatment in heavily pretreated recurrent FRα-positive PSOC demonstrated notable efficacy and tolerable safety, including among those with prior PD on or within 30 days of PARPi (NCT05041257).

Neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade before chemoradiation for cervical squamous carcinoma (GINECO window-of-opportunity COLIBRI study): a phase II trial

Combining immunotherapy with chemoradiation is effective in locally advanced cervical cancer. However, the impact of induction combination immunotherapy on immune modulation and treatment response is poorly understood. In this phase II trial (NCT04256213), 40 females with locally advanced cervical carcinoma received one cycle of nivolumab-plus-ipilimumab immunotherapy before standard chemoradiation, followed by maintenance nivolumab. We show, using multiplex-immunofluorescence tissue imaging, a significantly increased CD8

How long is long enough? An international survey exploring practice variations on the recommended duration of maintenance therapy with PARP inhibitors in patients with platinum sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer and long-term outcomes

There are no data, and thus no consensus, on the optimal duration of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor maintenance therapy for exceptional responders (here defined as progression-free for 5 years or longer) with platinum sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer. The current licence is to continue PARP inhibitors until progression or toxicity; however, international practice varies considerably. The risks of late progression and late-onset myeloid malignancies, defined as occurring beyond 5 years of PARP inhibition, are unknown. This study aims to examine the practice patterns and opinions regarding the management and surveillance protocols of exceptional responders with platinum sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer. An online international survey of experts from June 2023 to June 2024 was carried out, disseminated at Gynaecologic Cancer Intergroup meetings and by Chairs of Cooperative Groups. 210 responses were received from 26 countries including Australia (27 respondents), Germany (24), the UK (21), the Netherlands (16), France (13), Spain (12), Canada (12), Italy (11), Japan (11), and other countries (63). Most respondents did not have institutional or trials group guidelines regarding duration of PARP inhibitors (154, 73.3%). For the minority with guidelines, recommendations varied: 1 year (2), 2 years (13), 3 years (4), and indefinite treatment (22). Individual practice varied considerably for those without guidelines: most (116, 76.3%) recommended ≥5 years of PARP inhibition, of which 73 (48.0%) recommended indefinite PARP inhibition. Sixty-six respondents (31.4%) reported having patients with late progression and 46 (22.0%) had cases with late-onset myeloid malignancies. Surveillance practices varied widely across all respondents. This international survey highlights the diverse practice variations and disparate views on the optimal duration of maintenance therapy with PARP inhibitors in platinum sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer. The responses suggest a notable risk of late progression and myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukemia among exceptional responders which needs confirmation. Detailed individual patient data is required to draw more reliable conclusions; another study is underway addressing this.

Mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx: first antibody/antigen-drug conjugate (ADC) in advanced or recurrent ovarian cancer

Mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx (MIRV) is a conjugate of a folate receptor alpha (FRα)-directed antibody and the maytansinoid microtubule inhibitor, DM4. Accumulating pre-clinical and clinical data supported the safety and anti-tumor activity of MIRV in tumors expressing FRα. In 2017, a phase I expansion study reported the first experience of MIRV in FRα-positive platinum-resistant ovarian cancer with promising results. However, the phase III FORWARD I study failed to demonstrate a significant benefit of MIRV in FRα-positive tumors. On the basis of the data reported from this latter study, MIRV was then explored in the FRα-high population only and using a different folate receptor assay. The phase II SORAYA trial supported the adoption of MIRV in this setting. Hence, the US Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval of MIRV for patients with FRα-positive platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who have received 1-3 prior systemic treatment regimens. Moreover, the results of the MIRASOL trial showed a significant reduction in the risk of tumor progression or death among patients treated with MIRV versus chemotherapy. VENTANA FOLR1 (FOLR-2.1) was approved as a companion diagnostic test to identify FRα patients. MIRV appears to be a significant asset in managing advanced or recurrent ovarian cancer. Further trials are needed to confirm these promising results, even in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and maintenance settings.

Low-grade serous ovarian cancer: expert consensus report on the state of the science

Compared with high-grade serous carcinoma, low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary or peritoneum is a less frequent epithelial ovarian cancer type that is poorly sensitive to chemotherapy and affects younger women, many of whom endure years of ineffective treatments and poor quality of life. The pathogenesis of this disease and its management remain incompletely understood. However, recent advances in the molecular characterization of the disease and identification of novel targeted therapies with activity in low-grade serous carcinoma offer the promise of improved outcomes. To update clinicians regarding recent scientific and clinical trial advancements and discuss unanswered questions related to low-grade serous carcinoma diagnosis and treatment, a panel of experts convened for a workshop in October 2022 to develop a consensus document addressing pathology, translational research, epidemiology and risk, clinical management, and ongoing research. In addition, the patient perspective was discussed. The recommendations developed by this expert panel-presented in this consensus document-will guide practitioners in all settings regarding the clinical management of women with low-grade serous carcinoma and discuss future opportunities to improve research and patient care.

Dissecting the Origin of Heterogeneity in Uterine and Ovarian Carcinosarcomas

Gynecologic carcinosarcomas (CS) are biphasic neoplasms composed of carcinomatous (C) and sarcomatous (S) malignant components. Because of their rarity and histologic complexity, genetic and functional studies on CS are scarce and the mechanisms of initiation and development remain largely unknown. Whole-genome analysis of the C and S components reveals shared genomic alterations, thus emphasizing the clonal evolution of CS. Reconstructions of the evolutionary history of each tumor further reveal that C and S samples are composed of both ancestral cell populations and component-specific subclones, supporting a common origin followed by distinct evolutionary trajectories. However, while we do not find any recurrent genomic features associated with phenotypic divergence, transcriptomic and methylome analyses identify a common mechanism across the cohort, the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), suggesting a role for nongenetic factors in inflicting changes to cellular fate. Altogether, these data accredit the hypothesis that CS tumors are driven by both clonal evolution and transcriptomic reprogramming, essential for susceptibility to transdifferentiation upon encountering environmental cues, thus linking CS heterogeneity to genetic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic influences. Significance: We have provided a detailed characterization of the genomic landscape of CS and identified EMT as a common mechanism associated with phenotypic divergence, linking CS heterogeneity to genetic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic influences.

Normalized LST Is an Efficient Biomarker for Homologous Recombination Deficiency and Olaparib Response in Ovarian Carcinoma

PURPOSE The efficiency of the Myriad Homologous Recombination Deficiency (HRD) test to guide the use of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors has been demonstrated in several phase III trials. However, a need exists for alternative clinically validated tests. METHODS A novel biomarker for HRD was developed using The Cancer Genome Atlas database and, as part of the ENGOT HRD European Initiative, applied to 469 samples from the PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 trial. Results were compared with the Myriad myChoice Genomic Instability Score (GIS) with respect to the progression-free survival in the olaparib + bevacizumab and placebo + bevacizumab arms. RESULTS Analysis of the TCGA cohort revealed that a normalization of the number of large-scale state transitions by the number of whole-genome doubling events allows a better separation and classification of HRD samples than the GIS. Analysis of the PAOLA-1 samples, using the Geneva test (OncoScan + nLST), yielded a lower failure rate (27 of 469 v 59 of 469) and a hazard ratio of 0.40 (95% CI, 0.28 to 0.57) compared with 0.37 for Myriad myChoice (BRCAm or GIS+) in the nLST-positive samples. In patients with BRCAwt, the Geneva test identified a novel subpopulation of patients, with a favorable 1-year PFS (85%) but a poor 2-year PFS (30%) on olaparib + bevacizumab treatment. CONCLUSION The proposed test efficiently separates HRD-positive from HRD-negative patients, predicts response to PARP inhibition, and can be easily deployed in a clinical laboratory for routine practice. The performance is similar to the available commercial test, but its lower failure rate allows an increase in the number of patients who will receive a conclusive laboratory result.

Splenectomy in epithelial ovarian cancer surgery

Splenectomy is performed in 4-32% of cytoreductive surgeries for ovarian cancer. The objective of our study was to assess splenectomy and evaluate its impact on overall and disease-free survival. We conducted a retrospective single-center study between January 2000 and December 2016. Patients who underwent a cytoreduction for epithelial ovarian cancer, regardless of stage and surgical approach, were eligible for the study. Patients deemed not operable were excluded from the study. Patients were stratified into two groups, splenectomy or no splenectomy. A univariate analysis followed by a multivariate analysis was conducted to evaluate the postoperative complications after splenectomy and the overall and disease-free survival. This cohort included 464 patients. Disease stages, peritoneal carcinomatosis scores, and the rate of radical surgery (Pomel classification) were significantly higher in the splenectomy group, p=0.04, p<0.0001, and p<0.001, respectively. However, no significant difference was found in the rate of complete cytoreduction between the two groups (p=0.26) after multivariate analysis. In univariate analysis, splenectomy was significantly associated with extensive surgical procedures. In multivariate analysis, the two more prevalent complications in the splenectomy group were the risk of abdominopelvic lymphocele (overall response (OR) =4.2; p=0.01) and blood transfusion (OR=2.4; p=0.008). The average length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the splenectomy group, 17.4 vs 14.6 days (p<0.0001). The delay in adjuvant chemotherapy was longer in the splenectomy group (p=0.001). There was no significant difference in overall and disease-free survival (p=0.09) and (p=0.79), respectively. Splenectomy may be considered an acceptable and safe procedure; however, with no impact on overall or disease-free survival. In addition, it is associated with longer hospital stay and longer time to chemotherapy.

Concordance Between Tumor and Germline BRCA Status in High-Grade Ovarian Carcinoma Patients in the Phase III PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 Trial

Abstract Background PAOLA1 is a phase III study assessing olaparib maintenance therapy in advanced high-grade ovarian carcinoma patients responding to first-line platinum-taxane–based chemotherapy plus bevacizumab as standard of care. Randomization was stratified by treatment outcome and tumor BRCA1/2 status (tBRCA) at screening. Methods tBRCA was tested on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor blocks on 5 French platforms using 2 next-generation sequencing methods based either on hybrid capture or amplicon technology. One of the exploratory objectives was to assess the concordance between germline (gBRCA) and tBRCA testing in French patients. gBRCA testing was performed on blood samples on the same platforms. Results From May 2015 to July 2017, tBRCA tests were performed for 1176 screened patients. Only 52 (4.4%) tumor samples were noncontributive. The median interval between reception of the tumor sample and availability of the tBRCA status result was 37 days (range = 8-260). A pathogenic variant was reported in 27.1% tumor samples (319 of 1176 screened patients). tBRCA and gBRCA testing were performed for 451 French patients with negative results for both tests in 306 patients (67.8%) and positive results for both tests in 85 patients (18.8%). Only 1 large genomic rearrangement of BRCA1 was detected, exclusively in the blood sample. Interestingly, tBRCA testing revealed 6.4% of pathogenic variant (29 of 451) not detected by gBRCA testing. Conclusions tBRCA testing is an appropriate tool with an acceptable turnaround time for clinical practice and a low failure rate, ensuring reliable identification of patients likely to benefit from poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor therapy.

Final results from GCIG/ENGOT/AGO‐OVAR 12, a randomised placebo‐controlled phase III trial of nintedanib combined with chemotherapy for newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer

AGO‐OVAR 12 investigated the effect of adding the oral triple angiokinase inhibitor nintedanib to standard front‐line chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer. At the primary analysis, nintedanib demonstrated significantly improved progression‐free survival (PFS; primary endpoint) compared with placebo. We report final results, including overall survival (OS). Patients with primary debulked International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIB–IV newly diagnosed ovarian cancer were randomised 2:1 to receive carboplatin (area under the curve 5 or 6) plus paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) on day 1 every 3 weeks for six cycles combined with either nintedanib 200 mg or placebo twice daily on days 2–21 every 3 weeks for up to 120 weeks. Between December 2009 and July 2011, 1,366 patients were randomised (911 to nintedanib, 455 to placebo). Disease was considered as high risk (FIGO stage III with &gt;1 cm residuum, or any stage IV) in 39%. At the final analysis, 605 patients (44%) had died. There was no difference in OS (hazard ratio 0.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.83–1.17, p = 0.86; median 62.0 months with nintedanib vs. 62.8 months with placebo). Subgroup analyses according to stratification factors, clinical characteristics and risk status showed no OS difference between treatments. The previously reported PFS improvement seen with nintedanib did not translate into an OS benefit in the nonhigh‐risk subgroup. Updated PFS results were consistent with the primary analysis (hazard ratio 0.86, 95% CI 0.75–0.98; p = 0.029) favouring nintedanib. The safety profile was consistent with previous reports.

Trabectedin plus Durvalumab in Patients with Advanced Pretreated Soft Tissue Sarcoma and Ovarian Carcinoma (TRAMUNE): An Open-Label, Multicenter Phase Ib Study

Abstract Purpose: Trabectedin has shown preclinical synergy with immune checkpoint inhibitors in preclinical models. Patients and Methods: TRAMUNE is a phase Ib study investigating the combination of trabectedin with durvalumab through a dose escalation phase and two expansion cohorts, soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and ovarian carcinoma. Trabectedin was given at three dose levels (1 mg/m2, 1.2 mg/m2, and 1.5 mg/m2) on day 1, in combination with durvalumab, 1,120 mg on day 2, every 3 weeks. The primary endpoints were the recommended phase II dose (RP2D) of trabectedin combined with durvalumab and the objective response rate (ORR) as per RECIST 1.1. The secondary endpoints included safety, 6-month progression-free rate (PFR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival, and biomarker analyses. Results: A total of 40 patients were included (dose escalation, n = 9; STS cohort, n = 16; ovarian carcinoma cohort, n = 15, 80% platinum resistant/refractory). The most frequent toxicities were grade 1–2 fatigue, nausea, neutropenia, and alanine/aspartate aminotransferase increase. One patient experienced a dose-limiting toxicity at dose level 2. Trabectedin at 1.2 mg/m2 was selected as the RP2D. In the STS cohort, 43% of patients experienced tumor shrinkage, the ORR was 7% [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.2–33.9], and the 6-month PFR was 28.6% (95% CI, 8.4–58.1). In the ovarian carcinoma cohort, 43% of patients experienced tumor shrinkage, the ORR was 21.4% (95% CI, 4.7–50.8), and the 6-month PFR was 42.9% (95% CI, 17.7–71.1). Baseline levels of programmed death-ligand 1 expression and CD8-positive T-cell infiltrates were associated with PFS in patients with ovarian carcinoma. Conclusions: Combining trabectedin and durvalumab is manageable. Promising activity is observed in patients with platinum-refractory ovarian carcinoma. See related commentary by Digklia et al., p. 1745

Atezolizumab Combined With Platinum and Maintenance Niraparib for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer With a Platinum-Free Interval &gt;6 Months: ENGOT-OV41/GEICO 69-O/ANITA Phase III Trial

PURPOSE To evaluate atezolizumab combined with platinum-based chemotherapy (CT) followed by maintenance niraparib for late-relapsing recurrent ovarian cancer. METHODS The multicenter placebo-controlled double-blind randomized phase III ENGOT-OV41/GEICO 69-O/ANITA trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03598270 ) enrolled patients with measurable high-grade serous, endometrioid, or undifferentiated recurrent ovarian cancer who had received one or two previous CT lines (most recent including platinum) and had a treatment-free interval since last platinum (TFIp) of &gt;6 months. Patients were stratified by investigator-selected carboplatin doublet, TFIp, BRCA status, and PD-L1 status in de novo biopsy and randomly assigned 1:1 to receive either atezolizumab or placebo throughout standard therapy comprising six cycles of a carboplatin doublet followed (in patients with response/stable disease) by maintenance niraparib until progression. The primary end point was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) per RECIST v1.1. RESULTS Between November 2018 and January 2022, 417 patients were randomly assigned (15% BRCA- mutated, 36% PD-L1–positive, 66% TFIp &gt;12 months, 11% previous poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase inhibitor after frontline CT, and 53% previous bevacizumab). Median follow-up was 28.6 months (95% CI, 26.6 to 30.5 months). Atezolizumab did not significantly improve PFS (hazard ratio, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.71 to 1.10]; P = .28). Median PFS was 11.2 months (95% CI, 10.1 to 12.1 months) with atezolizumab versus 10.1 months (95% CI, 9.2 to 11.2 months) with standard therapy. Subgroup analyses generally showed consistent results, including analyses by PD-L1 status. The objective response rate (ORR) was 45% (95% CI, 39 to 52) with atezolizumab and 43% (95% CI, 36 to 49) with standard therapy. The safety profile was as expected from previous experience of these drugs. CONCLUSION Combining atezolizumab with CT and maintenance niraparib for late-relapsing recurrent ovarian cancer did not significantly improve PFS or the ORR.

Molecular Results and Potential Biomarkers Identified from the Phase 3 MILO/ENGOT-ov11 Study of Binimetinib versus Physician Choice of Chemotherapy in Recurrent Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

Abstract Purpose: We present the results of a post hoc tumor tissue analysis from the phase 3 MILO/ENGOT-ov11 study (NCT01849874). Patients and Methods: Mutation/copy-number analysis was performed on tissue obtained pre-randomization. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate progression-free survival (PFS). Unbiased univariate analysis, Cox regression, and binary logistic regression were used to test associations between mutation status and outcomes, including PFS and binary response by local RECIST 1.1. Results: MILO/ENGOT-ov11 enrolled 341 patients, ranging in age from 22 to 79, from June, 2013 to April, 2016. Patients were randomized 2:1 to binimetinib or physician's choice of chemotherapy (PCC). The most commonly altered gene was KRAS (33%). In 135 patients treated with binimetinib with response rate (RR) data, other detected MAPK pathway alterations included: NRAS (n = 11, 8.1%), BRAF V600E (n = 8, 5.9%), RAF1 (n = 2, 1.5%), and NF1 (n = 7, 5.2%). In those with and without MAPK pathway alterations, the RRs with binimetinib were 41% and 13%, respectively. PFS was significantly longer in patients with, compared with those without, MAPK pathway alterations treated with binimetinib [HR, 0.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.31–0.79]. There was a nonsignificant trend toward PFS improvement in PCC-treated patients with MAPK pathway alterations compared with those without (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.43–1.59). Conclusions: Although this hypothesis-generating analysis is limited by multiple testing, higher RRs and longer PFS were seen in patients with low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC) treated with binimetinib, and to a lesser extent in those treated with PCC, who harbored MAPK pathway alterations. Somatic tumor testing should be routinely considered in patients with LGSOC and used as a future stratification factor.

Pan-Asia adapted ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline for the management of patients with newly diagnosed and relapsed epithelial ovarian cancer

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Clinical Practice Guideline for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with newly diagnosed and relapsed epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), published in 2023, was adapted in July 2024, according to established standard methodology, to produce the Pan-Asian adapted ESMO consensus guideline for the management of Asian patients with EOC. The adapted guideline presented in this manuscript represents the consensus opinions reached by a panel of Asian experts in the treatment of patients with EOC representing the oncological societies of China, Indonesia, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, coordinated by ESMO and the Indian Society of Medical and Pediatric Oncology. Voting was based on scientific evidence and was independent of current treatment practices, drug access restrictions and reimbursement decisions in the represented countries. Drug access and reimbursement across Asia are discussed separately in the manuscript. The Pan-Asian consensus aims to guide the optimisation and harmonisation of management of patients with EOC in Asia, drawing on the evidence provided by both Western and Asian trials. Attention is drawn to the disparity in the drug approvals and reimbursement strategies between countries.

Unraveling the Tumor Microenvironment and PD-L1 Expression across Tissue Types in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer in the NeoPembrOV/GINECO Phase II Randomized Trial

Abstract Purpose: To describe PD-L1 expression across tissue types and its associated tumor microenvironment and to investigate how it affects its predictive value for response to pembrolizumab in treatment-naïve patients with ovarian cancer included in the NeoPembrOV phase II trial (NCT03275506). Experimental Design: PD-L1 expression was assessed for 85 patients (56 on metastasis and 29 on tubo-ovary) using tumor proportion score (TPS) and immune cell (IC) score, considering positivity if ≥1% and high expression if ≥5%. RNA sequencing and multiplex immunofluorescence were conducted. The Australian Ovarian Cancer Study was used as an external validation cohort. Results: PD-L1 was primarily expressed by tumor cells in tubo-ovaries and by ICs in metastases. The IC score assessed on the metastases was associated with a longer progression-free survival in the pembrolizumab arm compared with the control arm. Compared with tubo-ovaries, metastases were enriched in T and B cells as well as in granzyme B (GZMB) CD8 cytotoxic T-cell signatures. In metastases, the IC score was associated with immune infiltration and overexpression of additional immune checkpoints, such as IDO1, LAG3, and ICOS, whereas TPS was associated with cell proliferation, immune infiltration, and IFN-γ pathways. In tubo-ovaries, TPS was associated with pathways linked to cell proliferation and antigen presentation but was depleted in activated immune pathways, and CD274 expression was correlated with hypoxia and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling. Conclusions: Distinct PD-L1 expression patterns across tissue types are associated with different biological pathways and tumor microenvironments in ovarian cancer, affecting PD-L1 predictive value. Our results provide novel insights into high-grade serous ovarian cancer biology for tailoring immunotherapy in patients with ovarian cancer.

Randomized study evaluating optimal dose, efficacy, and safety of E7386 plus lenvatinib versus treatment of physician’s choice in advanced/recurrent endometrial carcinoma previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors

Randomized controlled trial data for patients with endometrial cancer who experience disease progression after anti-programmed cell death [ligand] 1 (PD-[L]1) therapy are lacking. E7386, a novel small-molecule inhibitor, has been shown to enhance anti-angiogenesis when combined with lenvatinib. The escalation and expansion parts of Study 102 showed preliminary anti-tumor activity and manageable safety of E7386 plus lenvatinib in patients with advanced, un-resectable, or recurrent endometrial cancer previously treated with anti-PD-(L)1. This study aimed to determine the optimal dose of E7386 in combination with lenvatinib. E7386 plus lenvatinib will show a manageable safety profile and clinically meaningful anti-tumor activity in patients with advanced, un-resectable, or recurrent endometrial carcinoma previously treated with chemotherapy and anti-PD-(L)1 therapy. Study 102 is an open-label, global, phase 1b/2 trial. Patients with endometrial carcinoma will be randomized 1:1:1:1 to E7386 120 mg twice daily plus lenvatinib 14 mg once daily, E7386 60 mg twice daily plus lenvatinib 14 mg once daily, lenvatinib 24 mg once daily monotherapy, or treatment of physician's choice (doxorubicin 60 mg/m Eligible patients are aged ≥18 years with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 1 and must have advanced, un-resectable, or recurrent endometrial carcinoma that has progressed on/after prior platinum-based chemotherapy and PD-(L)1-directed therapy. Up to 3 previous lines of therapy are permitted. Individuals with prior treatment with lenvatinib or E7386 or known intolerance and/or known hypersensitivity to E7386, lenvatinib, doxorubicin, or paclitaxel, or any of their excipients, are not eligible to participate. The primary end points are safety and the objective response rate per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 by investigator assessment at week 24. The study aims to include 120 patients across approximately 80 investigational sites in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific regions. Estimated Dates for Completing Accrual and Presenting Results: Enrollment is expected to take approximately 9 months, with presentation of results in 2026. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04008797.

Predicting benefit from PARP inhibitors using deep learning on H&amp;E-stained ovarian cancer slides

Ovarian cancer patients with a Homologous Recombination Deficiency (HRD) often benefit from polyadenosine diphosphate-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor maintenance therapy after response to platinum-based chemotherapy. HR status is currently analyzed via complex molecular tests. Predicting benefit from PARP inhibitors directly on histological whole slide images (WSIs) could be a fast and cheap alternative. We trained a Deep Learning (DL) model on H&E stained WSIs with "shrunken centroid" (SC) based HRD ground truth using the AGO-TR1 cohort (n = 208: 108 training, 100 test) and tested its ability to predict HRD as evaluated by the Myriad classifier and the benefit from olaparib in the PAOLA-1 cohort (n = 447) in a blinded manner. In contrast to the HRD prediction AUROC of 72 % on hold-out, our model only yielded an AUROC of 57 % external. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that progression free survival (PFS) in the PARP inhibitor treated PAOLA-1 patients was significantly improved in the HRD positive group as defined by our model, but not in the HRD negative group. PFS improvement in PARP inhibitor-treated patients was substantially longer in our HRD positive group, hinting at a biologically meaningful prediction of benefit from PARP inhibitors. Together, our results indicate that it might be possible to generate a predictor of benefit from PARP inhibitors based on the DL-mediated analysis of WSIs. However, further studies with larger cohorts and further methodological improvements will be necessary to generate a predictor with clinically useful accuracy across independent patient cohorts.

Efficacy of subsequent therapies in patients with advanced ovarian cancer who relapse after first-line olaparib maintenance: results of the PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 trial.

The use of first-line poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor maintenance therapy is increasing in advanced ovarian cancer. Understanding the efficacy of first subsequent therapy (FST) in patients experiencing disease progression in the first-line setting is important to optimize postprogression treatments. We evaluated the efficacy of FST in patients from PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 (NCT02477644) who received first-line olaparib maintenance. This post hoc analysis evaluated the efficacy of subsequent chemotherapy following disease progression by assessing time from FST to second subsequent therapy (SST) according to whether progression occurred during versus after first-line olaparib maintenance and FST type. A multivariate Cox model was used in the olaparib plus bevacizumab arm to identify prognostic factors influencing the efficacy of subsequent chemotherapy. Of 806 randomized patients, 544 (67.5%) progressed and received subsequent chemotherapy. The median time from FST to SST was shorter in patients in the olaparib plus bevacizumab arm who progressed during first-line olaparib maintenance (6.1 months) than in those who progressed after first-line olaparib maintenance (11.4 months). Multivariate analysis indicated that progression after (versus during) first-line olaparib maintenance influenced time from FST to SST (hazard ratio 0.65, 95% confidence interval 0.50-0.84; P = 0.0011) independently of platinum-free interval or clinical risk. Among patients who progressed and received platinum-based chemotherapy with a PARP inhibitor as FST, the efficacy of subsequent therapies was also dependent on whether progression occurred during versus after first-line olaparib maintenance. These results suggest that the timing of disease progression relative to first-line olaparib maintenance may impact the efficacy of subsequent platinum-based chemotherapy. Although results should be interpreted with caution, across all subgroups, including patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy with PARP inhibitor rechallenge as FST, the median time from FST to SST was longer if progression occurred after versus during first-line olaparib maintenance.

Impact of metformin, statins, and beta blockers on survival in patients with primary ovarian cancer: combined analysis of four prospective trials of AGO-OVAR and ENGOT/GCIG collaborators

The aim of this study was to investigate the association of co-medication with metformin, a statin, or beta blocker with survival in patients with primary ovarian cancer. Individual data from three phase III, randomized controlled trials (AGO-OVAR 11, AGO-OVAR 12, and AGO-OVAR 16) and one phase II trial (AGO-OVAR 15) were pooled and analyzed. Patients were classified as ever user if the specific co-medication was documented at least once during the trial, and were compared with never users as controls. Association of co-medications and outcomes were adjusted for potential confounders (age, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, histology, residual disease after surgery, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, body mass index, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and assigned treatment within the trial) in multivariate Cox regression analyses. Overall, n=2857 patients were included. Ever users were: 100 patients received metformin (3.5%), 226 patients received statins (7.9%), and 475 (16.6%) patients received beta blockers (n=391 selective beta blockers; 84 non-selective beta blockers) as co-medication. There were no significant differences regarding the baseline characteristics except that ever users were significantly older, more obese, and had more comorbidities, according to the Charlson Comorbidity Index, compared with controls. Multivariate analyses for progression free survival and overall survival revealed neither a significant impact of metformin on survival (progression free survival hazard ratio (HR) 0.94, 95% confidence interval CI 0.69 to 1.29, p=0.7; overall survival HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.58 to 1.17, p=0.28) nor for statins (progression free survival HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.18, p=0.87; overall survival HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.12, p=0.37). In contrast, ever users of selective beta blockers had a significantly higher risk for recurrence and death (progression free survival HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.41, p=0.009; overall survival HR 1.25 95% CI 1.06 to 1.47, p=0.009). In this analysis, co-medication with metformin or statins had no significant impact on survival in patients with primary ovarian cancer. In contrast, co-medication with a beta blocker was associated with worse survival. However, whether this observation is related to the underlying condition rather than a direct negative impact on tumor biology remains unclear.

ESGO/EURACAN/GCIG guidelines for the management of patients with uterine sarcomas

Neoadjuvant and adjuvant pembrolizumab in advanced high-grade serous carcinoma: the randomized phase II NeoPembrOV clinical trial

AbstractThis open-label, non-comparative, 2:1 randomized, phase II trial (NCT03275506) in women with stage IIIC/IV high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) for whom upfront complete resection was unachievable assessed whether adding pembrolizumab (200 mg every 3 weeks) to standard-of-care carboplatin plus paclitaxel yielded a complete resection rate (CRR) of at least 50%. Postoperatively patients continued assigned treatment for a maximum of 2 years. Postoperative bevacizumab was optional. The primary endpoint was independently assessed CRR at interval debulking surgery. Secondary endpoints were Completeness of Cytoreduction Index (CCI) and peritoneal cancer index (PCI) scores, objective and best response rates, progression-free survival, overall survival, safety, postoperative morbidity, and pathological complete response. The CRR in 61 pembrolizumab-treated patients was 74% (one-sided 95% CI = 63%), exceeding the prespecified ≥50% threshold and meeting the primary objective. The CRR without pembrolizumab was 70% (one-sided 95% CI = 54%). In the remaining patients CCI scores were ≥3 in 27% of the standard-of-care group and 18% of the investigational group and CC1 in 3% of the investigational group. PCI score decreased by a mean of 9.6 in the standard-of-care group and 10.2 in the investigational group. Objective response rates were 60% and 72%, respectively, and best overall response rates were 83% and 90%, respectively. Progression-free survival was similar with the two regimens (median 20.8 versus 19.4 months in the standard-of-care versus investigational arms, respectively) but overall survival favored pembrolizumab-containing therapy (median 35.3 versus 49.8 months, respectively). The most common grade ≥3 adverse events with pembrolizumab-containing therapy were anemia during neoadjuvant therapy and infection/fever postoperatively. Pembrolizumab was discontinued prematurely because of adverse events in 23% of pembrolizumab-treated patients. Combining pembrolizumab with neoadjuvant chemotherapy is feasible for HGSC considered not completely resectable; observed activity in some subgroups justifies further evaluation to improve understanding of the role of immunotherapy in HGSC.

Immunomic longitudinal profiling of the NeoPembrOv trial identifies drivers of immunoresistance in high-grade ovarian carcinoma

AbstractPD-1/PD-L1 blockade has so far shown limited survival benefit for high-grade ovarian carcinomas. By using paired samples from the NeoPembrOv randomized phase II trial (NCT03275506), for which primary outcomes are published, and by combining RNA-seq and multiplexed immunofluorescence staining, we explore the impact of NeoAdjuvant ChemoTherapy (NACT) ± Pembrolizumab (P) on the tumor environment, and identify parameters that correlated with response to immunotherapy as a pre-planned exploratory analysis. Indeed, i) combination therapy results in a significant increase in intraepithelial CD8+PD-1+ T cells, ii) combining endothelial and monocyte gene signatures with the CD8B/FOXP3 expression ratio is predictive of response to NACT + P with an area under the curve of 0.93 (95% CI 0.85-1.00) and iii) high CD8B/FOXP3 and high CD8B/ENTPD1 ratios are significantly associated with positive response to NACT + P, while KDR and VEGFR2 expression are associated with resistance. These results indicate that targeting regulatory T cells and endothelial cells, especially VEGFR2+ endothelial cells, could overcome immune resistance of ovarian cancers.

PARP inhibition with rucaparib alone followed by combination with atezolizumab: Phase Ib COUPLET clinical study in advanced gynaecological and triple-negative breast cancers

Abstract Background Combining PARP inhibitors (PARPis) with immune checkpoint inhibitors may improve clinical outcomes in selected cancers. We evaluated rucaparib and atezolizumab in advanced gynaecological or triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Methods After identifying the recommended dose, patients with PARPi-naive BRCA-mutated or homologous recombination-deficient/loss-of-heterozygosity-high platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer or TNBC received rucaparib plus atezolizumab. Tumour biopsies were collected pre-treatment, during single-agent rucaparib run-in, and after starting combination therapy. Results The most common adverse events with rucaparib 600 mg twice daily and atezolizumab 1200 mg on Day 1 every 3 weeks were gastrointestinal effects, fatigue, liver enzyme elevations, and anaemia. Responding patients typically had BRCA-mutated tumours and higher pre-treatment tumour levels of PD-L1 and CD8 + T cells. Markers of DNA damage repair decreased during rucaparib run-in and combination treatment in responders, but typically increased in non-responders. Apoptosis signature expression showed the reverse. CD8 + T-cell activity and STING pathway activation increased during rucaparib run-in, increasing further with atezolizumab. Conclusions In this small study, rucaparib plus atezolizumab demonstrated acceptable safety and activity in BRCA-mutated tumours. Increasing anti-tumour immunity and inflammation might be a key mechanism of action for clinical benefit from the combination, potentially guiding more targeted development of such regimens. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03101280).

Spatial Profiling of Ovarian Carcinoma and Tumor Microenvironment Evolution under Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Abstract Purpose: This study investigates changes in CD8+ cells, CD8+/Foxp3 ratio, HLA I expression, and immune coregulator density at diagnosis and upon neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), correlating changes with clinical outcomes. Experimental Design: Multiplexed immune profiling and cell clustering analysis were performed on paired matched ovarian cancer samples to characterize the immune tumor microenvironment (iTME) at diagnosis and under NACT in patients enrolled in the CHIVA trial (NCT01583322). Results: Several immune cell (IC) subsets and immune coregulators were quantified pre/post-NACT. At diagnosis, patients with higher CD8+ T cells and HLA I+-enriched tumors were associated with a better outcome. The CD8+/Foxp3+ ratio increased significantly post-NACT in favor of increased immune surveillance, and the influx of CD8+ T cells predicted better outcomes. Clustering analysis stratified pre-NACT tumors into four subsets: high Binf, enriched in B clusters; high Tinf and low Tinf, according to their CD8+ density; and desert clusters. At baseline, these clusters were not correlated with patient outcomes. Under NACT, tumors were segregated into three clusters: high BinfTinf, low Tinf, and desert. The high BinfTinf, more diverse in IC composition encompassing T, B, and NK cells, correlated with improved survival. PDL1 was rarely expressed, whereas TIM3, LAG3, and IDO1 were more prevalent. Conclusions: Several iTMEs exist during tumor evolution, and the NACT impact on iTME is heterogeneous. Clustering analysis of patients unravels several IC subsets within ovarian cancer and can guide future personalized approaches. Targeting different checkpoints such as TIM3, LAG3, and IDO1, more prevalent than PDL1, could more effectively harness antitumor immunity in this anti-PDL1–resistant malignancy.

Validation of the Clinical Use of GIScar, an Academic-developed Genomic Instability Score Predicting Sensitivity to Maintenance Olaparib for Ovarian Cancer

Abstract Purpose: The optimal application of maintenance PARP inhibitor therapy for ovarian cancer requires accessible, robust, and rapid testing of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). However, in many countries, access to HRD testing is problematic and the failure rate is high. We developed an academic HRD test to support treatment decision-making. Experimental Design: Genomic Instability Scar (GIScar) was developed through targeted sequencing of a 127-gene panel to determine HRD status. GIScar was trained from a noninterventional study with 250 prospectively collected ovarian tumor samples. GIScar was validated on 469 DNA tumor samples from the PAOLA-1 trial evaluating maintenance olaparib for newly diagnosed ovarian cancer, and its predictive value was compared with Myriad Genetics MyChoice (MGMC). Results: GIScar showed significant correlation with MGMC HRD classification (kappa statistics: 0.780). From PAOLA-1 samples, more HRD-positive tumors were identified by GIScar (258) than MGMC (242), with a lower proportion of inconclusive results (1% vs. 9%, respectively). The HRs for progression-free survival (PFS) with olaparib versus placebo were 0.45 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.33–0.62] in GIScar-identified HRD-positive BRCA-mutated tumors, 0.50 (95% CI, 0.31–0.80) in HRD-positive BRCA-wild-type tumors, and 1.02 (95% CI, 0.74–1.40) in HRD-negative tumors. Tumors identified as HRD positive by GIScar but HRD negative by MGMC had better PFS with olaparib (HR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.07–0.72). Conclusions: GIScar is a valuable diagnostic tool, reliably detecting HRD and predicting sensitivity to olaparib for ovarian cancer. GIScar showed high analytic concordance with MGMC test and fewer inconclusive results. GIScar is easily implemented into diagnostic laboratories with a rapid turnaround.

Gestational choriocarcinoma

Gestational choriocarcinoma accounts for 5% of gestational trophoblastic neoplasms. Approximately 50%, 25%, and 25% of gestational choriocarcinoma occur after molar pregnancies, term pregnancies, and other gestational events, respectively. The FIGO scoring system categorizes patients into low (score 0 to 6) and high risk (score 7 or more) choriocarcinoma. Single-agent and multi-agent chemotherapy are used in low- and high-risk patients, respectively. Chemotherapy for localized disease has a goal of eradication of disease without surgery and is associated with favorable prognosis and fertility preservation. Most patients with gestational choriocarcinoma are cured with chemotherapy; however, some (<5.0%) will die as a result of multi-drug resistance, underscoring the need for novel approaches in this group of patients. Although there are limited data due to its rarity, the treatment response with immunotherapy is high, ranging between 50-70%. Novel combinations of immune checkpoint inhibitors with targeted therapies (including VEGFR-2 inhibitors) are under evaluation. PD-L1 inhibitors are considered a potential important opportunity for chemo-resistant patients, and to replace or de-escalate chemotherapy to avoid or minimize chemotherapy toxicity. In this review, the Rare Tumor Working Group and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer evaluated the current landscape and further perspective in the management of patients diagnosed with gestational choriocarcinoma.

ctDNA for Prognostication and Monitoring in Patients with Metastatic Endometrial Carcinoma Treated with Olaparib: Validation in the GINECO-UTOLA Trial

Abstract Purpose: ctDNA may offer a noninvasive means to evaluate tumor response and anticipate disease dynamics before radiologic changes in advanced endometrial carcinoma. Experimental Design: This ancillary analysis included patients from the multicenter, randomized, phase II GINECO-UTerin OLAparib (UTOLA) trial (NCT03745950) evaluating olaparib/placebo as maintenance after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Plasma samples were collected at screening after chemotherapy (baseline), 3 months (M3), and progression. ctDNA detection was assessed by a validated methylation-based Droplet Digital PCR (MethddPCR) assay targeting DNA positions universally methylated in endometrial carcinoma. Results: Among 130 evaluable patients, ctDNA was detected in 25 of 129 (19%, 1 technical fail) at baseline, 15 of 80 (19%) at M3, and 33 of 52 (63%) at progression. Baseline ctDNA positivity was independently associated with poorer progression-free survival (PFS) [median 1.81 vs. 7.39 months; adjusted HR = 5.33 (3.17–8.97)] and overall survival (OS) [10.3 vs. 24.7 months; adjusted HR = 3.98 (2.28–6.91); adjusted for age, stage IV at diagnosis, p53abn subgroup, and residual measurable lesions after chemotherapy]. Patients with baseline ctDNA had median OS of 9.36 months under olaparib versus 19.6 months under placebo (log-rank P = 0.05). Patients with increasing ctDNA at M3 had median PFS of 1.67 months, versus 9.64 months without, and median OS of 18.8 versus 25.8 months. ctDNA rising was predictive of poor postprogression OS under olaparib but not under placebo (interaction test, P &amp;lt; 0.001). Conclusions: MethddPCR-ctDNA is an independent prognostic biomarker for OS in advanced/metastatic endometrial carcinoma. MethddPCR-ctDNA may identify patients unlikely to benefit from PARP inhibition, guide therapeutic decisions, and should be further evaluated as a new stratification parameter in future endometrial carcinoma trials.

Signatera Assessment in Early-Stage Endometrial Cancer

The goal of this clinical trial is to assess if circulating tumor DNA can guide adjuvant selection in high-intermediate risk early-stage endometrial cancer. The main question it aims to answer is: • To evaluate if 3-year recurrence-free survival among women with Stage I, high-intermediate risk endometrial cancer who are ctDNA negative after receiving ctDNA-guided observation is non-inferior to adjuvant vaginal brachytherapy (an internal radiation therapy) Researchers will compare high-risk intermediate ctDNA negative participants who are observed to those who receive vaginal brachytherapy to see if they have similar outcomes. Participants will be asked to: * Receive serial ctDNA testing * Visit their study doctor per their standard of care visits about every 3 months for 2 years * Answer a questionnaire about their well-being

Exploratory Study on the Correlation Between HRD Score and PARPi Efficacy Based on Chinese Ovarian Cancer Patients

This study plans to retrospectively include 470 initial surgical specimens from 470 patients with epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancers who were treated with PARPi maintenance therapy in the hospital from 2018.01 to 2024.01. All patients included would be scored by the proprietary HRD ADx-GSS® algorithm with the detecting results of the three genomic statuses including heterozygous omission (LOH), telomere allelic imbalance (TAI), and large-segment translocation (LST). Finally, the correlation between the HRD scores and the prognosis of Chinese ovarian cancer patients and the efficacy of using PARPi as maintenance treatment would be explored.

Mirvetuximab Soravtansine Monotherapy in Platinum-Sensitive Epithelial, Peritoneal, and Fallopian Tube Cancers

PICCOLO (IMGN853-0419) is a Phase 2 multicenter, open label study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Mirvetuximab Soravtansine in participants with platinum-sensitive ovarian, primary peritoneal or fallopian tube cancers with high folate receptor-alpha (FRα) expression.

Platinum-based Chemotherapy With Atezolizumab and Niraparib in Patients With Recurrent Ovarian Cancer

Atezolizumab in this study is expected to have a positive benefit-risk profile for the treatment of patients with platinum-sensitive relapse of ovarian cancer. Of interest, atezolizumab is being investigated also in combination with platinum-based doublet chemotherapy in second line (2L)/ third line (3L) platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer patients in ATALANTE (NCT02891824), which also includes bevacizumab in the combination. The study is proceeding as expected after \>100 patients enrolled and under independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) supervision. Platinum-containing therapy is considered the treatment of choice for patients with platinum-sensitive relapse. However the duration of response and the prolongation of the progression free interval with chemotherapy are usually brief, among other because these chemotherapy regimens cannot be continued until progression as they are associated with neurological, renal and hematological toxicity and cannot generally be tolerated for more than about 6 to 9 cycles. Niraparib received FDA approval in March 2017 as maintenance treatment of adult patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer who are in complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy. Recently, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has also approved niraparib as maintenance monotherapy. Despite the progress brought about by niraparib, there is a need for a more effective treatment to extend the progression free interval in this patient population. The combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors such as anti-death protein 1 (anti-PD1) or anti-death protein ligand 1 (anti-PD-L1) has a compelling rationale to this aim, especially under the light of the emerging clinical data of this combination. The use of atezolizumab concurrent to platinum-containing chemotherapy followed by niraparib as maintenance therapy after completion of chemotherapy, as per normal clinical practice, may provide further benefit to patients in terms of prolonging the progression free interval and increasing the interval between lines of chemotherapy, hence delaying further hospitalization and the cumulative toxicities associated with chemotherapy. Additionally, preliminary studies with atezolizumab suggest an acceptable tolerability profile for long term clinical use in recurrent ovarian cancer patients and other indications.

Atezolizumab With Bevacizumab and Chemotherapy vs Bevacizumab and Chemotherapy in Early Relapse Ovarian Cancer

This is a phase III, randomized, partially blinded, multicenter trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and chemotherapy compared to placebo plus bevacizumab and chemotherapy in patients with recurrent ovarian-, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer with 1st or 2nd relapse within 6 months after platinum based chemotherapy or 3rd relapse.

Evolution of the Therapeutic Care in Ovarian Cancer From 2011

The ESME Ovarian Cancer database is a multi-center real life database using a retrospective data collection process in 18 French Comprehensive Cancer Center (FCCC) over 20 sites). This database compiles data from existing data available from patient's electronic medical records (EMR).

Platine, Avastin and OLAparib in 1st Line

Randomized, Double-Blind, Phase III Trial of Olaparib vs. Placebo in Patients with Advanced FIGO Stage IIIB - IV High Grade Serous or Endometrioid Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, or Peritoneal Cancer treated with standard First-Line Treatment, Combining Platinum-Taxane Chemotherapy and Bevacizumab Concurrent with Chemotherapy and in Maintenance.

A Study of MEK162 vs. Physician's Choice Chemotherapy in Patients With Low-grade Serous Ovarian, Fallopian Tube or Peritoneal Cancer

The MILO Study (MEK Inhibitor in Low-grade Serous Ovarian Cancer) is a Phase 3 study during which patients with recurrent or persistent low-grade serous (LGS) carcinomas of the ovary, fallopian tube or primary peritoneum will receive either investigational study drug MEK162 or a chemotherapy chosen by the physician (liposomal doxorubicin, paclitaxel or topotecan). Patients will be followed to compare the effectiveness of the study drug to that of the selected chemotherapies. Patients may be eligible to crossover from physician's choice chemotherapy to MEK162 if they meet certain inclusion criteria including centrally confirmed disease progression. Approximately 360 patients from North America, Europe and Australia will be enrolled in this study.