According to findings from a single-arm phase II trial, treatment with the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab Opdivo resulted in an overall response rate of At a median follow-up of Seventeen patients had stable disease and 8 patients experienced progressive disease. Three patients were not evaluable for response. The median overall survival OS was Rare cancers are often overlooked, not just this one. Four of the first 12 participants had partial response in the first stage of the of the study.
That allowed researchers to recruit 25 additional patients for the second stage. A total of 37 patients received at least one dose of nivolumab and were included in these findings. Researchers noted that the longest duration of treatment was almost 1 year and was continuing as of the data cutoff date of May As of the data cutoff, six responding patients remained on study.
The longest ongoing duration of response of Two patients were HIV-positive, one of whom had partial radiographic response. By immunohistochemistry, responders had higher baseline percentages of T cells expressing CD8 and granzyme B than did nonresponders. Responding patients also had higher concentrations of PD-1 in immune cells in the tumor microenvironment compared with nonresponders.
Furthermore, responders were more likely to express PD-1 in tumor cells. Researchers observed grade 3 toxicities in 5 patients; 2 patients experienced anemia, and 1 patient each had grade 3 fatigue, rash, and hyperthyroidism.
Researchers recorded a single incidence of grade 2 pneumonitis, and there were no unexpected serious adverse events in patients with HIV. Eng said this study is being amended to become a larger randomized study. Researchers hope to begin enrollment within 3 months. How can other patients be made sensitive to these drugs? And what role might nivolumab have in the treatment of locoregional disease together [with] chemoradiotherapy?
