Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center & Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
Sandra P. D'Angelo, Jeffery Scott Russell, Shailender Bhatia, Omid Hamid, Janice M. Mehnert, Patrick Terheyden, Kent C. Shih, Isaac Brownell, Celeste Lebbé, Karl D. Lewis, Gerald P. Linette, Michele Milella, Meliessa Hennessy, Marcis Bajars, Isabella Zwiener, Paul Nghiem
Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive skin cancer. Avelumab, a human anti–PD-L1 monoclonal antibody, is FDA and EMA approved for the treatment of metastatic MCC (mMCC). Here, we report efficacy and safety data for avelumab in patients (pts) with mMCC at ≥18-mo of follow-up. Methods: Pts with mMCC and progression on prior chemotherapy received avelumab 10 mg/kg IV Q2W. Objective response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), and progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated by independent review committee (RECIST v1.1) with tumor assessment every 6 wks; overall survival (OS) and adverse events (AEs; NCI CTCAE v4.0) were also evaluated. Results: As of Mar 24, 2017, 88 pts were treated and followed for a median of 23.0 mo (range 18.7–32.0). Median treatment duration was 17 wks (range 2–132; mean 35 wks ±37). Treatment was ongoing in 15 pts (17%); 7 pts (8%) voluntarily discontinued with continuing responses (5 complete responses [CR] and 2 partial responses). Other reasons for discontinuation were disease progression (n = 42; 48%), death (n = 10; 11%), AE (n = 8; 9%), or consent withdrawal/other (n = 6; 7%). Confirmed ORR of 33% (95% CI 23.3–43.8; CR in 11.4%) remained unchanged from previous analysis and median DOR has not been reached (range 2.8–24.9 mo; 95% CI 18.0–not estimable). Responses were ongoing in 20/29 pts (69%), including 5 pts with > 2 y of follow-up. PFS curve showed a plateau with identical 12- and 18-mo rates of 29% (95% CI 19–39). Median OS was 12.6 mo (95% CI 7.5-19.0) and the 12- and 18-mo OS rates were 51% (95% CI 40–61) and 40% (95% CI 29–50), respectively. 66 pts (75%) had a treatment-related (TR)AE, most commonly ( > 10%) fatigue (25%), infusion-related reaction (15%; all grade 1/2), nausea (11%), and diarrhea (11%); 8 (9%) had a grade ≥3 TRAE. 17 pts (19%) had an immune-related AE, which was grade ≥3 in 4 pts (4.5%). No treatment-related deaths occurred. Conclusions: Updated results demonstrate continued durable antitumor activity of avelumab in pts with mMCC, beyond that expected with cytotoxic chemotherapy. The median OS exceeding 1 y and manageable safety profile of avelumab signify a clinically meaningful benefit in pts with mMCC. Clinical trial information: NCT02155647
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Abstract Disclosures
2018 ASCO Annual Meeting
First Author: Paul Nghiem
2024 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium
First Author: Kohei Shitara
2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
First Author: Astrid Blom Fily
2022 ASCO Annual Meeting
First Author: Luis G. Paz-Ares