Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can cause severe immune‐related adverse events (irAEs). However, biomarkers for irAEs common to different types of ICIs and cancers have not been reported. This study examined whether eosinophils can be used as a predictor of irAEs.Methods: Six hundred fourteen patients with cancer (esophageal, gastric, head and neck, lung, melanoma, renal cell, urothelial, and other cancer) received anti‐PD‐1, anti‐PD‐L1, or anti‐CTLA‐4 plus anti‐PD‐1 therapy. The patients were divided into two groups depending on whether they experienced irAEs (irAE group) or not (non‐irAE group). Eosinophils were examined before the two‐course treatment.Results: Patients in the irAE group who received anti‐PD‐1 or anti‐CTLA‐4 plus anti‐PD‐1 therapy had higher eosinophils before the two‐course treatment than those in the non‐irAE group (p < 0.05). The eosinophils in the anti‐PD‐L1 therapy group tended to increase in the irAE group. Furthermore, eosinophils in gastric, head and neck, lung, melanoma, renal, and urothelial cancers were significantly higher in the irAE group than in the non‐irAE group (p < 0.05). The optimal cutoff value for eosinophils against irAEs was 3.0% (area under the curve = 0.668). In multivariate analyses, eosinophils of ≥3.0% were an independent factor for irAEs (odds ratio: 2.57, 95% CI: 1.79–3.67).Conclusion: An increased eosinophil before the two‐course treatment may be a predictor of irAEs in various cancers treated with different ICIs.
Background/Objectives: Immuno-oncology plus tyrosine kinase inhibitor (IO+TKI) combination therapy is an essential first-line therapy for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, reports of its efficacy and safety as late-line therapy are lacking. This study aimed to examine the efficacy and safety of IO+TKI combination therapy as a late-line therapy for patients with RCC. Methods: We retrospectively examined 17 patients with RCC who received IO+TKI combination therapy as a second-line therapy or beyond (pembrolizumab plus axitinib, n = 10; avelumab plus axitinib, n = 5; nivolumab plus cabozantinib, n = 2). Results: The overall response and disease control rates of IO+TKI combination therapy were 29.4% and 64.7%, respectively. The median overall survival was not attained. Progression-free survival was 552 days, and 94.1% of patients (n = 16) experienced adverse effects (AEs) of any grade; moreover, 41.2% of patients (n = 7) experienced grade ≥ 3 immuno-related AEs. Conclusions: IO+TKI combination therapy may be a late-line therapy option for RCC.
Malnutrition is associated with prognosis in cancer. The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), based on the ratio of actual to ideal body weight and also serum albumin level, is a simple screening tool for assessing nutrition. We investigated the GNRI as a prognostic factor for oncological outcomes in patients with high-risk metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) using a Japanese multicenter cohort. This study included a total of 175 patients with LATITUDE high-risk mHSPC, of whom 102 had received androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) plus upfront abiraterone acetate, and 73 had received ADT plus bicalutamide (Bica), from 14 institutions associated with the Tokai Urologic Oncology Research Seminar. Patients were classified into GNRI-low (<98) or GNRI-high (≥98) groups. The GNRI was based on the body mass index and serum albumin level. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that the median overall survival (OS) of a GNRI-low group (median 33.7 months; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 26.2–not reached [NR]) was significantly worse than that of a GNRI-high group (median: NR; 95% CI: NR–NR; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified Bica and low GNRI (<98) as independent prognostic factors for reduced times to both castration-resistant prostate cancer and OS, and, therefore, a poor prognosis. Our findings indicate the GNRI may be a practical prognostic indicator in the evaluation of survival outcomes in patients with LATITUDE high-risk mHSPC.