Nozomu Yanaihara

Immune checkpoint inhibitors in gynecologic oncology: Current status and perspectives

AbstractImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed cancer treatment by leveraging the immune system's capacity to fight gynecologic cancer. This review summarizes the current status and future perspectives of ICIs in the treatment of cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers and rare tumors. ICIs have demonstrated significant efficacy in tumors with high tumor mutational burden and immune markers such as PD‐L1 expression and microsatellite instability. In cervical cancer, the integration of ICIs has shown promise at various stages of treatment, including advanced and recurrent settings. In endometrial cancer, molecular classification has facilitated targeted immunotherapy strategies, with notable success in mismatch repair‐deficient (dMMR) tumors. However, challenges remain in the treatment of microsatellite stable endometrial and epithelial ovarian cancers due to their relatively low immunogenicity. Combination therapies, including ICIs with angiogenesis inhibitors, poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, or chemotherapy, are being actively investigated to improve response rates. Several phase II and case series showed promising response to ICIs in vulvar/vaginal cancer and gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, though the efficacy in genital tract melanoma is still unclear. Despite these advances, the management of immune‐related adverse events and the identification of reliable biomarkers for patient selection remain critical. ICIs are poised to redefine the therapeutic landscape of gynecologic oncology, offering hope for improved outcomes and personalized treatment strategies.

Therapeutic effect of dose-dense paclitaxel plus carboplatin with or without bevacizumab for Japanese patients with epithelial ovarian cancer

Evidence regarding chemosensitivity to different therapeutic regimens in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains limited. This study aimed to investigate EOC implementation in daily clinical practice and reveal favorable regimens for EOC among Japanese patients. We retrospectively collected clinical data of patients newly diagnosed with EOC from 2012 to 2021 at our affiliated institutions. We evaluated overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of conventional paclitaxel plus carboplatin (TC) vs. dose-dense TC (ddTC) according to the eligibility of GOG262 and JGOG3016 and those with bevacizumab (BEV) vs. without BEV based on GOG218. Further, we evaluated OS and PFS of ddTC and ddTC + BEV to TC + BEV among patients with stage III/IV. The ddTC group (n = 402) demonstrated longer PFS and OS than the TC group (n = 165) (adjusted hazard ratios [aHRs] [95% confidential intervals (CIs)]: 0.69 [0.55-0.88] and 0.67 [0.50-0.90], respectively). The group with BEV (n = 158) demonstrated a longer PFS than those without BEV (n = 296) (0.74 [0.57-0.95]), but not for OS (0.84 [0.60-1.17]). The ddTC and ddTC + BEV groups (n = 259 and 117) demonstrated no statistically significant differences in PFS and OS than the TC + BEV group (n = 75) (1.09 [0.79-1.50] and 0.74 [0.52-1.08] for PFS and 0.89 [0.59-1.34] and 0.73 [0.50-1.05] for OS, respectively). Our study may indicate ddTC, BEV, and their combination regimen as the promising first-line chemotherapy option among Japanese patients with advanced EOC.

Survival and modelled cancer antigen-125 ELIMination rate constant K score in ovarian cancer patients in first-line before poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor era: A Gynaecologic Cancer Intergroup meta-analysis

In patients with advanced ovarian cancer, the modelled CA-125 ELIMination rate constant K (KELIM) is an early indicator of the tumour intrinsic chemosensitivity. We assessed the prognostic and surrogate values of KELIM with respect to those of surgery outcome (based on post-operative residual lesions) in the Gynaecologic Cancer Intergroup (GCIG) individual patient data meta-analysis MAOV (Meta-Analysis in OVarian cancer) built before the emergence of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. The dataset was split into learning and validation cohorts (ratio 1:2). The individual modelled KELIM values were estimated, standardised by the median value, then scored as unfavourable (<1.0) or favourable (≥1.0). Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) analyses were performed with a two-step meta-analytic approach and surrogacy through a two-level meta-analytic model. KELIM was assessed in 5884 patients from eight first-line trials (learning, 1962; validation, 3922). A favourable KELIM score was significantly associated with longer OS (validation set, median, 78.8 versus 28.4 months, hazard-ratios [HR] 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41-0.50, C-index 0.68), and longer PFS (validation set, median 30.5 versus 9.8 months, HR 0.49, 95% CI, 0.45-0.54, C-index 0.68), as were International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage and debulking surgery outcome. Three prognostic groups were identified based on the surgery outcome and KELIM score, with large differences in OS (105.1, ∼45.0, and 22.1 months) and PFS (58.1, ∼15.0, and 8.0 months). Surrogacy for OS and for PFS was not established. KELIM is an independent prognostic biomarker for survival, complementary to surgery outcome, representing a new determinant of first-line treatment success.

Identifying high-risk relapse in early-stage I to II ovarian cancer using the CA125 ELIMination rate constant K (KELIM) score: a Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup individual patient-data meta-analysis

Despite curative surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy, a significant number of early stage I to II ovarian cancers relapse. The CA125 ELIMination rate constant K (KELIM) is a pragmatic indicator of tumor intrinsic chemosensitivity in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. We assessed the prognostic value of KELIM in patients with early-stage ovarian cancer, with respect to 5-year recurrence-free survival and overall survival, using the Meta-Analysis in Ovarian Cancer, which is the Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup individual patient-data meta-analysis of randomized trials evaluating different adjuvant chemotherapy regimens. Individual patient KELIM values were previously estimated in 5884 patients from the Meta-Analysis in Ovarian Cancer. The prognostic value of KELIM was assessed using univariable & multivariable analyses in patients with resected International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage I and II disease. Overall, 1143 patients were identified, including clear cell (46.7%); serous (23.7%); endometrioid (12.4%); and mucinous carcinomas (3.9%). In multivariable analyses, a favorable KELIM score (≥1.0) was associated with higher 5-year recurrence-free survival (68.3% vs 55.9%; HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.77) and 5-year overall survival (80.7% vs 72.8%; HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.68), as was the histological sub-type. In exploratory analyses, KELIM score was a prognostic factor regarding 5-year recurrence-free survival and overall survival across all sub-types (especially clear cell carcinoma and serous, with HR ranging from 0.45 to 0.63) with baseline CA125 ≥15 IU/L, except for mucinous histology. The pragmatic KELIM score is an independent prognostic factor in patients with a non-mucinous stage I to II ovarian cancer optimally resected and treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. KELIM may help identify the patients at higher risk of relapse and death requiring closer follow-up or treatment intensification.