Phase Ib trial of durvalumab plus tremelimumab in combination with particle therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients with macrovascular invasion: DEPARTURE trial.

Authors

Sadahisa Ogasawara

Sadahisa Ogasawara

Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan

Sadahisa Ogasawara , Keisuke Koroki , Hirokazu Makishima , Masaru Wakatsuki , Asahi Takahashi , Hiroaki Kanzaki , Kazufumi Kobayashi , Masanori Inoue , Soichiro Kiyono , Masato Nakamura , Naoya Kanogawa , Takayuki Kondo , Shingo Nakamoto , Yuki Shiko , Yoshihito Ozawa , Yosuke Inaba , Tomoya Kurokawa , Hideki Hanaoka , Shigeru Yamada , Naoya Kato

Organizations

Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan, QST Hospital, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan, Clinical Research Center, Chiba University Hospital, Chiba, Japan, Clinical Research Centre, Chiba University Hospital, Chiba, Japan

Research Funding

AstraZeneca

Background: The HIMALAYA study established the efficacy and safety of durvalumab combined with tremelimumab (STRIDE) as a first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Carbon ion radiotherapy (C-ion RT), a type of particle therapy, allows precise tumor targeting while sparing nearby normal tissue. In HCC, macrovascular invasion (MVI) signifies aggressive progression with poor outcomes. Our strategy used C-ion RT to target a key tumor with MVI for disease management and potential MVI control, complemented by STRIDE. Recognizing that radiation therapies, including C-ion RT, stimulate immune responses, notably releasing tumor antigens and DAMPs (immune priming), we posited that merging C-ion RT with STRIDE might enhance therapeutic effects. Methods: This is a Phase Ib, multicenter study evaluating durvalumab with particle beam radiotherapy in HCC patients with MVI (Cohort A) and STRIDE (Cohort B). Both cohorts began with patients resistant to standard treatments. After safety confirmation, the study expanded to include systemic therapy-naïve patients, totaling 15. C-ion RT begins after day 8 of the first cycle, following the initial drug dose. The relative biological effectiveness weighted dose is set at 60 Gy in four fractions over one week, targeting one representative intrahepatic nodule with MVI. The primary endpoint is adverse event rates, including dose limiting toxicity (DLT), with secondary endpoints on progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (jRCT2031210046). Results: From July 2021 to January 2023, 15 advanced HCC patients were enrolled in our study (Cohort A: 3, Cohort B: 12). Four in Cohort B were systemic therapy-naïve. All cases confirmed MVI radiologically; with tumor invasion observed in the main portal vein for 4 patients and in the inferior vena cava for one. DLT evaluations in 3 from each cohort showed no incidents. While Cohort A had no adverse events, 4 patients in Cohort B (26.7%) experienced serious treatment-related adverse events. Cohort B's median PFS was a significant 2.79 months (95%CI, 1.12–6.64). The 6- and 12-month PFS rates stood at 38.1% and 12.7% respectively. The median OS is still undetermined, but promisingly, the 6- and 12-month survival rates both reached 87.5%. Conclusions: The safety of STRIDE in combination with particle therapy has been confirmed in advanced HCC with MVI. This combination, especially the irradiation of tumors with MVI using C-ion RT, holds promise in managing prognostic determinant tumors and potentially enhancing OS. Clinical trial information: jRCT2031210046.

Disclaimer

This material on this page is ©2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology, all rights reserved. Licensing available upon request. For more information, please contact licensing@asco.org

Abstract Details

Meeting

2024 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Poster Session B: Cancers of the Pancreas, Small Bowel, and Hepatobiliary Tract

Track

Pancreatic Cancer,Hepatobiliary Cancer,Neuroendocrine/Carcinoid,Small Bowel Cancer

Sub Track

Therapeutics

Clinical Trial Registration Number

jRCT2031210046

Citation

J Clin Oncol 42, 2024 (suppl 3; abstr 480)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2024.42.3_suppl.480

Abstract #

480

Poster Bd #

C5

Abstract Disclosures