Background

SORCE is a randomised, double-blind trial of sorafenib after surgical excision of primary renal cell carcinoma (RCC) at intermediate or high risk of recurrence (Leibovich classification).

Methods

We recruited patients from 147 sites in the UK, Australia, France, Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands and Spain and randomised them (2:3:3) between three years of placebo (A), one year of sorafenib followed by two years of placebo (B) and three years of sorafenib (C). The initial sorafenib dose was 400mg twice per day orally, amended during trial recruitment to a reduced starting dose of 400mg daily. The primary outcome is investigator-reported disease-free survival (DFS). Given the results of the ASSURE and S-TRAC trials, and blinded to SORCE outcomes, we revised the primary analysis to compare three years of sorafenib (arm C) vs placebo (arm A) to focus on the question of longer exposure to sorafenib.

Results

Between July 2007 and April 2013, we randomised 1711 patients; 430, 642, and 639 to arms A, B, and C respectively. Median age was 58 years; 71% male, 84% clear cell histology, 53% at intermediate risk of recurrence and 47% at high risk of recurrence. We observed no differences in DFS or OS in any of our pre-planned and pre-powered analyses: all randomised patients, high-risk patients only, and patients with clear cell RCC only. Median DFS was not reached for three years sorafenib or for placebo (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.83 -1.23, p=0.95). We observed non-proportional hazards: restricted mean survival time (RMST) was 6.81 years for three years of sorafenib and 6.82 years for placebo, RMST difference 0.01, 95% CI -0.49 – 0.48, p=0.99. Despite offering treatment adaptations, over half of patients stopped treatment early. Grade 3 hand-foot syndrome was reported in 24% of patients on sorafenib.

Conclusions

Sorafenib should not be used as adjuvant therapy for RCC. Active surveillance remains the standard of care for patients at intermediate or high risk of recurrence following nephrectomy; it is the appropriate control of our current international adjuvant RCC trial, RAMPART.

Clinical trial identification

ISRCTN38934710; EudraCT: 2006-006079-19; NCT00492258.

Legal entity responsible for the study

University College London (UCL).

Funding

Cancer Research UK, UK Medical Research Council, Educational Grants and Drug Supply from Bayer, Cancer Australia Support for Cancer Clinical Trials Program and University College London.

Disclosure

T.Q.G. Eisen: Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (self): Bayer; Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (self): Pfizer; Research grant / Funding (self), Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options, Full / Part-time employment: AstraZeneca; Honoraria (self): Novartis; Honoraria (self): GSK; Honoraria (self): AVEO; Honoraria (self): Astellas; Honoraria (self): Boehringer Ingelheim. I.D. Davis: Research grant / Funding (institution): Astellas Pharma; Research grant / Funding (institution): Pfizer; Research grant / Funding (institution): Roche / Genentech; Research grant / Funding (institution): MSD Oncology; Research grant / Funding (institution): AstraZeneca; Research grant / Funding (institution): Janssen Oncology; Research grant / Funding (institution): Eisai; Research grant / Funding (institution): Bayer; Research grant / Funding (institution): Amgen; Research grant / Funding (institution): Bristol-Myers Squibb. M.R. Stockler: Research grant / Funding (institution): Bayer; Research grant / Funding (institution): Pfizer; Research grant / Funding (institution): Merck; Research grant / Funding (institution): Astellas; Research grant / Funding (institution): AstraZeneca; Research grant / Funding (institution): Bristol-Myers Squibb; Research grant / Funding (institution): Binomics; Research grant / Funding (institution): Celgene; Research grant / Funding (institution): Medivation; Research grant / Funding (institution): Sanofi; Research grant / Funding (institution): Tilray. J.M.G. Larkin: Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Bristol-Myers Squibb; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): MSD; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Novartis; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Pfizer; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Achilles Therapeutics; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Roche; Research grant / Funding (institution): Nektar Therapeutics; Research grant / Funding (institution): Covance; Research grant / Funding (institution): Immunocore; Research grant / Funding (institution): Pharmacyclics; Research grant / Funding (institution): Aveo; Advisory / Consultancy: AstraZeneca; Advisory / Consultancy: Boston Biomedical; Advisory / Consultancy: Eisai; Advisory / Consultancy: EUSA Pharma; Advisory / Consultancy: GSK; Advisory / Consultancy: Ipsen; Advisory / Consultancy: Imugene; Advisory / Consultancy: Incyte; Advisory / Consultancy: iOnctura. A. Bex: Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Pfizer; Advisory / Consultancy: Novartis; Advisory / Consultancy, Non-remunerated activity/ies: BMS; Advisory / Consultancy: Ipsen; Advisory / Consultancy: Eusa; Non-remunerated activity/ies: Roche. S. Joniau: Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Research grant / Funding (institution): Astellas ; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: AstraZeneca; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Research grant / Funding (institution): Bayer; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Research grant / Funding (institution): Ferring; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: GSK; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Ipsen; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Research grant / Funding (institution): Janssen; Research grant / Funding (institution): MDX Health; Research grant / Funding (institution): Pfizer; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Roche; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Sanofi. J. Bellmunt: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Genentech; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: MSD; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (self), Research grant / Funding (institution): Pfizer; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: BMS; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Pierre-Fabre; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Janssen; Honoraria (self), Honoraria (institution), Research grant / Funding (self), Research grant / Funding (institution): Takeda; Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options: Biocline. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Background

Nivolumab (N) + ipilimumab (I) has been approved for the 1^st line treatment of IMDC intermediate and poor risk advanced RCC. However, administration of N+I in a fixed regimen with 4 induction cycles may result in more treatment related adverse events (AEs) compared with N alone. It is hypothesized that a tailored approach starting treatment with N alone and using N+I as immunotherapeutic boost will improve efficacy outcomes as compared to N alone and reduce AEs.

Methods

This multicentric European study enrolled 258 1^st and 2^nd line (after TKI) pts with IMDC intermediate and poor risk, advanced clear cell RCC between Oct. 2016 and Dec. 2018. Pts started with N 240 mg Q2W induction. Pts with early significant PD (week 8) or either SD or PD at week 16 received 2-4 N+I boost cycles. Responders (PR/CR) to N monotherapy continued with maintenance with N+I boosts only for progression. The primary endpoint is confirmed investigator assessed objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST independent in 1^st and 2^nd line. Secondary endpoints include activity of N monotherapy, remission rate with N+I boosts, safety, overall survival and QoL.

Results

108 1^st and 99 2^nd line pts were analyzed for efficacy. Median age was 65 y (range 20-87). 70 % were intermediate and 27 % poor risk. Confirmed ORR with 1^st line N monotherapy was 28.7 % (95 % CI 20 - 38). Best overall response (BOR) after N induction ± N+I boosts was 37 % (95 % CI 28 - 47) and 28 % (95 % CI 20 - 38) in 1^st and 2^nd line, respectively. 102 pts received N+I boosts for either SD (n = 35) or PD (n = 67) until week16. Of these, 12 (12 %) and 54 (53%) had a PR/CR and SD, respectively. Two (6%) pts entering boosts for SD had PD afterwards compared to 51% with early PD. Treatment-related AEs will be presented.Table:

LBA57

Conclusions

TITAN–RCC is the first study to assess the impact of a tailored approach using N+I as an immunotherapeutic boost. In 1^st line, this significantly improved ORR compared to N mono. Further follow-up is ongoing to characterize duration and depth of response.

Clinical trial identification

EudraCT: 2016-002307-26.

Legal entity responsible for the study

AIO-Studien-gGmbH, Berlin, Germany.

Funding

Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co.KGaA.

Disclosure

M. Grimm: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Bristol-Myers Squibb; Honoraria (self): Amgen; Honoraria (self): Apogepha; Honoraria (self): Astellas; Honoraria (self): AstraZeneca; Honoraria (self): Bayer HealthCare; Honoraria (self): Hexal; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Intuitive Surgical; Honoraria (self): Janssen Cilag; Honoraria (self): Ipsen Pharma; Honoraria (self): Medac; Honoraria (self): MSD; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Novartis; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: ONO Pharma; Honoraria (self): Pfizer; Honoraria (self): Sanofi Aventis. M. Schmidinger: Honoraria (self): Astellas; Honoraria (self): BMS; Honoraria (self): EISAI; Honoraria (self): Eusa Pharma; Honoraria (self): Exelexis; Honoraria (self): Ipsen; Honoraria (self): MSD; Honoraria (self): Pfizer; Honoraria (self): Roche. I. Duran Martinez: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: BMS; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Novartis; Honoraria (self), Non-remunerated activity/ies: Ipsen; Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (self), Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Roche Genentech; Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (self), Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: AstraZeneca; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Bayer; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Pharmacyclyc; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Janssen; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: MSD. G. Baretton: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (self): BMS; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (self): Roche; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (self): MSD; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: AstraZeneca; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Pfizer. P. Barthelemy: Advisory / Consultancy: Pfizer; Advisory / Consultancy: Ipsen; Advisory / Consultancy: Novartis; Advisory / Consultancy: BMS; Advisory / Consultancy: Roche; Advisory / Consultancy: MSD; Advisory / Consultancy: Janssen Cilag; Advisory / Consultancy: Sanofi; Advisory / Consultancy: Astellas. B. Melichar: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: BMS; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: MSD; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Novartis; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Merck Serono; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Sanofi; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Roche; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Janssen; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Bayer; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Astellas; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Servier; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Amgen; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Pfizer. L. Albiges: Honoraria (institution): Pfizer; Honoraria (institution): Novartis; Honoraria (institution): BMS; Honoraria (institution): Ipsen; Honoraria (institution): Roche; Honoraria (institution): MSD; Honoraria (institution): AstraZeneca. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Background

The International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) has been the reference classification for assessing prognosis in men with advanced non-seminomatous germ-cell tumors (NSGCT) for more than 20 years and it relied on 5202 cases treated between 1975 and 1990.

Methods

An international consortium (30 centers/groups) contributed data on 9530 advanced NSGCT patients treated with cisplatin/etoposide based first line chemotherapy between 1990 and 2013 in prospective cohorts or clinical trials. Updated 5-year progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were calculated. A subset of 4874 patients with complete information on components of IGCCCG, age and lung metastases were split into training (3536) and validation sets (1338). Prognostic factors for PFS were identified in the training set (alpha=0.05) by Cox model, including (transformed) continuous factors and interactions.

Results

Compared to the 1997 IGCCCG figures, the contemporary 5-year PFS was unchanged for good and intermediate, but significantly improved for poor risk patients; whereas 5-year OS was substantially better for all risk groups (Table). The subgroup with complete data was unbiased. Besides traditional IGCCCG components, we identified older age and lung metastases as negative determinants of PFS. A nomogram including AFP, HCG (both continuous), LDH>2.5xnormal, mediastinal primary, non-pulmonary visceral metastases, age (linear) and lung metastases, with several interactions was built. Its c-index was 0.745 in the training set compared to 0.701 for the 1997 IGCCCG.Table:

903O

Conclusions

In this modern series, PFS improved for poor risk patients, while OS improved in all IGCCCG risk groups. A new prognostic model including older age and presence of lung metastases as additional negative factors is proposed. Independent validation and comparison to the IGCCCG 1997 are being conducted and will tell if the model can identify patient subgroups who may require intensified treatment.

Legal entity responsible for the study

The International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG).

Funding

Swiss Cancer Foundation.

Disclosure

S. Gillessen: Advisory / Consultancy: AAA International, Active Biotech, Amgen, Astellas Pharma, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CellSearch, Clovis, CureVac, Dendreon, ESSA Pharmaceuticals, Ferring, Innocrin Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Cilag, MaxiVAX SA, Millennium, Nectar, Novartis, Orion, Pfizer,; Licensing / Royalties: Co-inventor on patent application (WO 2009138392 A1) for a method for biomarker discover (granted in China, Europe, Japan and the US). R. de Wit: Honoraria (self): Merck, Sanofi, Bayer, Janssen, Roche and Clovis. R.A. Huddart: Honoraria (self): Janssen; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (self), Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: MSD; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Roche; Advisory / Consultancy: Bristol-Myers Squibb; Research grant / Funding (self): CRUK; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Nektar. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.