AIMS:The aim of this study was to determine if head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients treated with cisplatin chemoradiotherapy and short hydration (SH) experience less dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) and receive more cisplatin than those with medium hydration (MH) or long hydration (LH). METHODS:Baseline characteristics, cumulative cisplatin dose and toxicities were collected. Differences between LH, MH and SH were tested, with separate analyses for triweekly 100 mg/m2 cisplatin and weekly 40 mg/m2 cisplatin. Mixed models assessed the hydration schedule's effect on cumulative dose. RESULTS:A total of 389 patients were included. DLT occurrence was comparable between hydration groups (P = .060), but DLT type differed (P = .007). Nephrotoxicity was common with LH and MH (n = 11, 61% and n = 26, 45%, respectively), and ototoxicity with SH (n = 35, 36%). DLT occurrence in triweekly patients differed between LH and MH (n = 18, 64% vs n = 25, 32%, P = .004), but not between MH and SH (P = .171) or LH and SH (P = .055) patients. Cisplatin dose differed between LH and MH (median 200 vs 300, P = .008) as well as between LH and SH (median 200 vs 300, P = .024) but not between MH and SH (P = .429) patients. Hydration had no effect on dose (F = 2.09, P = .125). CONCLUSIONS:DLT cause differed between hydration groups, with less nephrotoxicity but more ototoxicity in HNSCC patients with SH. Triweekly cisplatin LH patients had more DLT and lower cumulative dose compared to MH and SH, but no hydration effect in general on dose was found.

PURPOSE Approximately 50% of patients with advanced Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) have primary or acquired resistance to PD-(L)1 blockade, which may be overcome using combination immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) with anti–cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 antibody. We present results from the recurrent/metastatic MCC cohort in CheckMate 358, a nonrandomized, multicohort, phase I/II study of nivolumab (NIVO) with or without ipilimumab (IPI) in virus-associated cancers (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02488759 ). METHODS ICI-naïve patients with recurrent/metastatic MCC and 0-2 previous systemic therapies were administered NIVO monotherapy at 240 mg once every 2 weeks or combination therapy with NIVO 3 mg/kg once every 2 weeks + IPI 1 mg/kg once every 6 weeks. The primary end point was objective response. Secondary end points included duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS Sixty-eight patients received NIVO (n = 25) or NIVO + IPI (n = 43). The objective response rate (95% CI) and median DOR (95% CI), respectively, were 60% (38.7 to 78.9) and 60.6 months (16.7 to not applicable [NA]) with NIVO and 58% (42.1 to 73) and 25.9 months (10.4 to NA) with NIVO + IPI. The median PFS (95% CI) and OS (95% CI), respectively, were 21.3 (9.2 to 62.5) and 80.7 (23.3 to NA) months with NIVO and 8.4 (3.7 to 24.3) and 29.8 (8.5 to 48.3) months with NIVO + IPI. The incidence of grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events was 28% with NIVO and 47% with the combination. CONCLUSION This nonrandomized study showed frequent and durable responses with both NIVO and NIVO + IPI in patients with ICI-naïve advanced MCC. However, it did not show improvement in efficacy with the combination, thus contradicting previous study reports that had suggested clinical benefit with combination ICI. A randomized trial of NIVO + IPI versus NIVO monotherapy is warranted.

Supplementary Table S1. Representativeness of study participants.

6003 Background: ISA101b (peltopepimut-S) is a therapeutic vaccine targeting the HPV16 E6/E7 oncoproteins. The synthetic long peptides of ISA101b induce specific expansion of both CD4+ T-helper cells and CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells against E6/7 oncogenes1. Combination of cemiplimab, an anti-PD-1 antibody with ISA101b elicits a synergistic anti-tumor effect2. Methods: First and second line anti-PD-1 naïve patients with confirmed HPV16+ R/M OPC were randomized to treatment with either ISA101b (subcutaneously 100µg/peptide on days 1, 29, and 50) or placebo, with cemiplimab (intravenously 350mg q/21 days) for up to 24 months or until disease progression or treatment withdrawal. The primary efficacy endpoint was ORR after ≥6 months of follow-up by independent review as per RECIST1.1. Data cut-off for this analysis was 5 July 2023. The primary safety endpoint was frequency and severity of AEs. Secondary endpoints included PFS and OS. For the latter 12-month survival data are shown. Combined Positive Score (CPS) analyses were planned subgroup analyses. A p-value <0.1 was defined as statistically significant. Predefined analysis sets are the full analysis set (FAS), i.e. all patients who received ≥1 dose of study drug, and the per protocol set (PPS) which includes patients with centrally confirmed HPV16-positivity who received all 3 doses of ISA101b/placebo, had at least 1 post-baseline tumor assessment and no major protocol deviations. Results: A total of 198 patients (mean age 62.8 ±9.6 years) received ≥1 dose of study drug: 173 (87.4%) male, and 25 (12.6%) female; 110 (55.6%) were treated in first, and 74 (37.4%) in second line. Baseline characteristics were well balanced. In the ISA101b arm, ORR was 25.3% compared to 22.9% in the control arm (NS, Table). SAEs occurred in 33.0% of patients in the ISA101b arm vs 31.6% in the control arm. Patients with a CPS ≥20 treated with cemiplimab and 3 doses of ISA101b had a significantly better ORR and OS compared to patients in the control arm (Table; mOS (95% CI) not reached (28.1, -) vs 23.3 (11.9, 30.1) months, P = 0.0232 (PPS)). Patients with CPS <20 had on average a shorter OS in the ISA101b arm. Conclusions: Whereas there was no advantage of the addition of ISA101b to cemiplimab regarding ORR on the overall population, in patients with CPS ≥20 ISA101b significantly improved the ORR. Median OS was better in patients with CPS ≥20 who completed a full course of ISA101b. In contrast, patients with lower CPS did not benefit. Toxicity was comparable between the 2 arms. Clinical trial information: NCT03669718 . [Table: see text]

Supplementary Table S2. Inclusion and exclusion criteria.

The anticancer drug paclitaxel is primarily metabolized in the liver. Previous studies have indicated a correlation between impaired liver function and paclitaxel toxicity, which may indicate dose reduction. Since the evidence is limited, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of impaired liver function on the hematological toxicity of paclitaxel, dose modifications and overall survival (OS). For this single-center retrospective observational study, patients treated with paclitaxel for breast, esophageal and ovarian cancer at the University Medical Centre Utrecht between 2011 and 2022 were identified from the Utrecht Patient Oriented Database (UPOD). Based on regression analysis, the risk of developing Grade 3/4 hematological toxicity was compared between patients with normal and impaired (based on the NCI criteria for bilirubin and ASAT (aspartate aminotransferase) concentrations) liver function. Additionally, differences in the occurrence of toxicity-related dose modifications and OS were evaluated between the two groups. A total of 569 patients were included. Breast cancer patients who were receiving advanced treatment and had mildly impaired liver function (ASAT ≤ 2x ULN, bilirubin ≤ ULN) had an increased risk of developing grade 3/4 neutropenia (HR = 4.39, 95

BackgroundSinonasal squamous cell carcinoma is known for its rarity and poor prognosis. This study aims to investigate the trends in the incidence of sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma in the Netherlands and to analyze patient characteristics and treatment practices in order to assess their relation with patient outcomes.MethodsIn this prospectively designed population-based cohort study, all patients diagnosed with sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma between 2008 and 2021 in the Netherlands were included. Patients with a squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal vestibule were excluded, leading to a definitive study population of 568 cases.ResultsThe annual incidence rate for the overall population displayed a slight upward trend over the inclusion period with an annual percentage change of 1.6%. The 5-year overall, disease-free, and relative survival were 43.0%, 52.0%, and 47.2%, respectively. Relative survival decreased marginally over the course of the inclusion period.ConclusionSinonasal squamous cell carcinoma is rare with approximately stable incidence rates. There is a limited, non-statistically significant, decrease in survival between 2008 and 2021. Therefore, there is a clear need for innovative treatment approaches to improve outcomes for patients with sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma.

Supplementary Figure S1. Accrual flowchart including reasons for ineligibility.

Supplementary Table S6. Baseline characteristics of all included patients, regardless of evaluability according to protocol definition.

BackgroundIn preliminary findings from the recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer cohort of CheckMate 358, nivolumab showed durable anti-tumour responses, and the combination of nivolumab plus ipilimumab showed promising clinical activity. Here, we report long-term outcomes from this cohort.MethodsCheckMate 358 was a phase 1–2, open-label, multicohort trial. The metastatic cervical cancer cohort enrolled patients from 30 hospitals and cancer centres across ten countries. Female patients aged 18 years or older with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix with recurrent or metastatic disease, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1, and up to two previous systemic therapies were enrolled into the nivolumab 240 mg every 2 weeks group, the randomised groups (nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg every 6 weeks [NIVO3 plus IPI1] or nivolumab 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks plus ipilimumab 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks for four cycles then nivolumab 240 mg every 2 weeks [NIVO1 plus IPI3]), or the NIVO1 plus IPI3 expansion group. All doses were given intravenously. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to NIVO3 plus IPI1 or NIVO1 plus IPI3 via an interactive voice response system. Treatment continued until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or consent withdrawal, or for up to 24 months. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed objective response rate. Anti-tumour activity and safety were analysed in all treated patients. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02488759) and is now completed.FindingsBetween October, 2015, and March, 2020, 193 patients were recruited in the recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer cohort of CheckMate 358, of whom 176 were treated. 19 patients received nivolumab monotherapy, 45 received NIVO3 plus IPI1, and 112 received NIVO1 plus IPI3 (45 in the randomised group and 67 in the expansion group). Median follow-up times were 19·9 months (IQR 8·2–44·8) with nivolumab, 12·6 months (7·8–37·1) with NIVO3 plus IPI1, and 16·7 months (7·2–27·5) with pooled NIVO1 plus IPI3. Objective response rates were 26% (95% CI 9–51; five of 19 patients) with nivolumab, 31% (18–47; 14 of 45 patients) with NIVO3 plus IPI1, 40% (26–56; 18 of 45 patients) with randomised NIVO1 plus IPI3, and 38% (29–48; 43 of 112 patients) with pooled NIVO1 plus IPI3. The most common grade 3–4 treatment-related adverse events were diarrhoea, hepatic cytolysis, hyponatraemia, pneumonitis, and syncope (one [5%] patient each; nivolumab group), diarrhoea, increased gamma-glutamyl transferase, increased lipase, and vomiting (two [4%] patients each; NIVO3 plus IPI1 group), and increased lipase (nine [8%] patients) and anaemia (seven [6%] patients; pooled NIVO1 plus IPI3 group). Serious treatment-related adverse events were reported in three (16%) patients in the nivolumab group, 12 (27%) patients in the NIVO3 plus IPI1 group, and 47 (42%) patients in the pooled NIVO1 plus IPI3 group. There was one treatment-related death due to immune-mediated colitis in the NIVO1 plus IPI3 group.InterpretationNivolumab monotherapy and nivolumab plus ipilimumab combination therapy showed promise in the CheckMate 358 study as potential treatment options for recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer. Future randomised controlled trials of nivolumab plus ipilimumab or other dual immunotherapy regimens are warranted to confirm treatment benefit in this patient population.FundingBristol Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical.

Objectives: To assess whether there are differences in the effects of time to treatment interval (TTI) on patient survival for head and neck cancer (HNC) sites in order to provide evidence that can support decision-making regarding prioritizing treatment. Materials and methods: Patients in the Netherlands with a first primary HNC without distant metastasis between 2010 and 2014 were included for analysis (N =10,486). TTI was defined as the time from pathologic diagnosis to the start of initial treatment. Overall survival (OS), cox regression analyses and cubic spline hazard models were calculated and visualized. Results: Overall, the hazard of dying was higher (HR = 1.003; 95 % CI 1.001-1.005) with each additional day until treatment initiation. The pattern, as visualized in cubic spline graphs, differed by site the hazard increased more steeply with increasing TTI for oral cavity cancer. For oropharyngeal and laryngeal cancer, a slight increase commenced after a longer TTI than for oral cavity cancer, while there was hardly an increase in hazard with increasing TTI for hypopharyngeal cancer. Conclusion: The relationship between longer TTI and decreased survival was confirmed, but slight variations in the pattern of the hazard of dying by TTI by tumour site were observed. These findings could support decisions on prioritizing treatment. However, other aspects such as extent of treatment and quality of life should be investigated further so this can also be included.

BACKGROUND:Squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal vestibule (SCCNV) is a rare disease, distinctly different in presentation, treatment, and outcome from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. However, these are often not analyzed separately.METHODS:The Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR) and pathology reports from the Dutch Nationwide Pathology Databank (PALGA) were used to identify all newly diagnosed SCCNV cases in the Netherlands between 2008 and 2021.RESULTS:A total of 763 patients were included. The yearly incidence rate displayed a significant downward trend with an annual percentage change (APC) of -3.9%. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival were 69.0% and 77.2%, respectively. The 5-year relative survival was 77.9% and improved slightly over the inclusion period. OS for patients who were staged cT3 appeared to be worse than those staged cT4a, calling the applicability of the TNM-classification into question.CONCLUSION:SCC of the nasal vestibule is rare, with declining incidence rates. Introducing a specific topography code for SCCNV is recommended to enhance registration accuracy. The TNM classification seems poorly applicable to SCCNV, suggesting the need to explore alternative staging methods.

Supplementary Figure S2. Genomic biomarkers of clinical benefit to ICB.

Supplementary Figure S3. Association between immune marker gene expression and clinical benefit to ICB.

Sinonasal mucosal melanoma (SNMM) is a rare malignancy, characterised by high (local) recurrence rates and poor survival. Comprehensive understanding of tumour etiology is currently lacking, which complicates adequate tumour treatment. Besides examining trends in incidence, this study aims to assess the association between clinical characteristics, treatment practices and patient outcomes, with the objective of establishing a baseline from which SNMM management can be enhanced. All newly diagnosed SNMM cases in The Netherlands between 2001 and 2021 were included using data from The Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR). A total of 320 patients were included. The annual incidence rate for the overall population was stable over the inclusion period with an annual percentage change (APC) of only − 0.01

AbstractPurpose: The treatment efficacy of nivolumab was evaluated in patients with advanced, treatment-refractory solid mismatch repair deficiency/microsatellite-instable (dMMR/MSI) tumors, and in-depth biomarker analyses were performed to inform precision immunotherapy approaches. Patients and Methods: Patients with dMMR/MSI tumors who exhausted standard-of-care treatment options were enrolled in the Drug Rediscovery Protocol, a pan-cancer clinical trial that treats patients with cancer based on their tumor molecular profile with off-label anticancer drugs (NCT02925234). Patients received nivolumab (four cycles of 240 mg every 2 weeks, thereafter 480 mg every 4 weeks). The primary endpoint was clinical benefit (CB: objective response or stable disease ≥16 weeks). Whole-genome sequencing and RNA sequencing were performed on pretreatment tumor biopsies. Results: A total of 130 evaluable patients were enrolled with 16 different cancer types. CB was observed in 62% [95% confidence interval (CI), 53–70], with an objective response in 45% (95% CI, 36–54). After a median follow-up of 14.5 months (95% CI, 13–19), the median progression-free survival was 18 months (95% CI, 9–not reached), and the median overall survival was not reached. Whereas CB was not, or only weakly, associated with markers of adaptive immune cell infiltration, CB was strongly associated with expression of a broad set of innate immune receptors/ligands. This clearly contrasted findings in melanoma, in which markers of adaptive immunity dominated the biomarker landscape. Conclusions: Nivolumab proved highly effective in advanced dMMR/MSI tumors. Expression of key innate immune receptors/ligands was the main predictor of a good treatment outcome, contrasting findings in melanoma and strengthening the rationale for tumor type–specific biomarkers for guiding immunotherapy.

Supplementary Table S5. Baseline characteristics and clinical outcome data of melanoma cohort.

Patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) face several physical, emotional, and psychological challenges throughout treatment. Cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is an effective but toxic treatment, with an increased risk for toxicities in patients with low skeletal muscle mass (SMM). Consequently, these patients are anticipated to experience greater treatment-related difficulties. We aimed to explore the experiences of patients with HNSCC and low SMM regarding cisplatin-based CRT. A descriptive qualitative study was conducted, interviewing seven patients 3 months after CRT using a topic guide. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews was conducted, to create a multi-dimensional understanding of patients’ experiences during and after cisplatin-based CRT. Prior to CRT themes included pre-treatment information, expectations towards treatment and trial, psychosocial circumstances, and supporting network. During CRT themes included toxicities, psychosocial impact, and supporting network. After CRT themes included reflection on period during CRT, psychosocial circumstances, informal support from networks and healthcare workers, and ongoing toxicities. Most patients experience cisplatin-based CRT as a life-changing and distressing life event but cope through various strategies and supporting networks. Tailored counseling, ideally with on-demand consultations, is recommended. No differences were noted in patients’ perceptions of their cisplatin regimen.

Patient derived organoids (PDOs) are 3D in vitro models and have shown to better reflect patient and tumor heterogeneity than conventional 2D cell lines. To utilize PDOs in clinical settings and trials for biomarker discovery or drug response evaluation, it is valuable to determine the best way to optimize sample selection for maximum PDO establishment. In this study, we assess patient, tumor and tissue sampling factors and correlate them with successful PDO establishment in a well-documented cohort of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Tumor and non-tumorous adjacent tissue samples were obtained from HNSCC patients during routine biopsy or resection procedures at the University Medical Center Utrecht. The tissue was subsequently processed to establish PDOs. The sample purity was determined as the presence of epithelial cells in the culture on the day of organoid isolation as visualized microscopically by the researcher. PDO establishment was recorded for all samples. Clinical data was obtained from the medical records and was correlated to PDO establishment and presence of epithelial cells. Organoids could be established in 133/250 (53.2

Supplementary Table S4. Evaluated immune marker gene sets.