Contact: Vicky Agnew

Yale Cancer Center researchers are presenting or are co-authors on more than 100 abstracts at the 2016 American Society of Clinical Oncology June 3-7 in Chicago. Below are some highlights:

A phase 1 study of ramucirumab (R) plus pembrolizumab (P) in patients (pts) with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) adenocarcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), or urothelial carcinoma (UC)Phase 1a results. Abstract No: 3056
Hallmarks of tumor growth include angiogenesis and immunosuppression. This is the first study to combine ramucirumab with pembrolizumab to target both processes simultaneously. Preliminary safety results from the dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) portion of the study (phase 1a) are reported.

Anti-tumor activity, safety and pharmacokinetics (PK) of AGS15E (ASG-15ME) in a phase I dose escalation trial in patients (Pts) with metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC).
Abstract No: 4532
SLITRK6 is a cell adhesion molecule highly expressed on several tumors, including mUC. ASG-15ME is an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) that delivers a small molecule microtubule-disrupting agent, monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), to tumor cells expressing SLITRK6. ASG-15ME targeting SLITRK6 is an ADC in mUC that is well tolerated and active. These results warrant ongoing study of ASG-15ME in mUC pts.

Pneumonitis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with programmed death 1 (PD1) axis inhibitors.
Abstract No: 9030
Pneumonitis, or inflammation of lung tissue, has been reported in up to 6% of patients with advanced NSCLC receiving anti-PD1 or PDL 1antibodies. Pneumonitis can be fatal if not detected and treated promptly, often with steroids. The Yale study explores the pathologic features of pneumonitis in a subset pf patients participating in a clinical trial.

Immunotherapy (IO) versus targeted therapy triage in endometrial adenocarcinoma (EA) by concurrent assessment of tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI) status, and targetable genomic alterations (GA).
Abstract No: 5591
Immune therapy holds promise for endometrial cancer patients with mismatch repair (MMR) or MSI-H phenotypes, while trials of targeted agents matched by histology/single biomarkers have yet to meet clinical endpoints. Yale researchers hypothesized that a single comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) assay could better match endometrial cancer subsets to treatment modalities by simultaneously assessing MSI status, TMB, and targetable GAs.

Archival vs new tumor samples for assessing PD-L1 expression in the KEYNOTE-010 study of pembrolizumab (pembro) vs docetaxel (doce) for previously treated advanced NSCLC.
Abstract No: 3030
In KEYNOTE-010 (NCT01905657), pembrolizumab was superior to docetaxel for OS in patients with PD-L1–positive advanced NSCLC that progressed after ≥2 platinum-doublet chemotherapy cycles (P = .0002 for 2 mg/kg, P< .0001 for 10 mg/kg for PD-L1 tumor proportion score [TPS] ≥50%; P= .0008 and < .0001 for PD-L1 TPS ≥1%). Researchers compared outcomes in patients enrolled based on PD-L1 in archival vs new tumor samples.

Impact of weight loss and exercise on VEGF levels in breast cancer survivors.
Abstract No: 10103
Obesity and physical inactivity are associated with breast cancer recurrence and mortality. The mechanisms explaining these associations are not fully understood. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is an essential component in angiogenesis, common to both tumor vascularization and adipose tissue expansion. VEGF levels have been found to be elevated in the serum of women with breast cancer and associated with a poorer prognosis. This study looked at VEGF changes in breast cancer survivors participating in either a weight loss study or an exercise study. Researchers hypothesized that weight loss would be correlated with decreased VEGF levels compared to exercise alone.

Impact of a pre-operative exercise intervention on Ki-67 and metabolic markers in women with early breast cancer.
Abstract No: 564
Women who exercise after breast cancer diagnosis have a lower risk of recurrence and mortality, but the biological mechanisms through which exercise impacts breast cancer are unclear. The Pre-Operative Health and Body (PreHAB) Study was a randomized window of opportunity trial designed to test the impact of exercise on tissue and serum biomarkers in women with early breast cancer.

This study provides some of the first data regarding the impact of exercise on human breast cancer, offering insight into the biologic basis of the protective effect of exercise on breast cancer.

Randomized trial assessing the impact of survivorship care plans on the quality of care for childhood cancer survivors
Abstract No: 10007
The American College of Surgeons will soon mandate that all cancer survivors receive a survivorship care plan (SCP) to guide surveillance for late effects of therapy. However, the impact of care plans on the care of childhood cancer survivors is unclear. In this randomized trial we assessed the impact of SCPs on quality of care as defined by surveillance adherence and newly identified late effects.