Lenvatinib in combination with pembrolizumab or everolimus has activity against advanced renal cell carcinoma. The efficacy of these regimens as compared with that of sunitinib is unclear. In this phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned (in a 1:1:1 ratio) patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma and no previous systemic therapy to receive lenvatinib (20 mg orally once daily) plus pembrolizumab (200 mg intravenously once every 3 weeks), lenvatinib (18 mg orally once daily) plus everolimus (5 mg orally once daily), or sunitinib (50 mg orally once daily, alternating 4 weeks receiving treatment and 2 weeks without treatment). The primary end point was progression-free survival, as assessed by an independent review committee in accordance with Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1. Overall survival and safety were also evaluated. A total of 1069 patients were randomly assigned to receive lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab (355 patients), lenvatinib plus everolimus (357), or sunitinib (357). Progression-free survival was longer with lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab than with sunitinib (median, 23.9 vs. 9.2 months; hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32 to 0.49; P<0.001) and was longer with lenvatinib plus everolimus than with sunitinib (median, 14.7 vs. 9.2 months; hazard ratio, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.80; P<0.001). Overall survival was longer with lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab than with sunitinib (hazard ratio for death, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.88; P=0.005) but was not longer with lenvatinib plus everolimus than with sunitinib (hazard ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.50; P=0.30). Grade 3 or higher adverse events emerged or worsened during treatment in 82.4% of the patients who received lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab, 83.1% of those who received lenvatinib plus everolimus, and 71.8% of those who received sunitinib. Grade 3 or higher adverse events occurring in at least 10% of the patients in any group included hypertension, diarrhea, and elevated lipase levels. Lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab was associated with significantly longer progression-free survival and overall survival than sunitinib. (Funded by Eisai and Merck Sharp and Dohme; CLEAR ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02811861.)

Patients with prostate cancer who have high-risk biochemical recurrence have an increased risk of progression. The efficacy and safety of enzalutamide plus androgen-deprivation therapy and enzalutamide monotherapy, as compared with androgen-deprivation therapy alone, are unknown. In this phase 3 trial, we enrolled patients with prostate cancer who had high-risk biochemical recurrence with a prostate-specific antigen doubling time of 9 months or less. Patients were randomly assigned, in a 1:1:1 ratio, to receive enzalutamide (160 mg) daily plus leuprolide every 12 weeks (combination group), placebo plus leuprolide (leuprolide-alone group), or enzalutamide monotherapy (monotherapy group). The primary end point was metastasis-free survival, as assessed by blinded independent central review, in the combination group as compared with the leuprolide-alone group. A key secondary end point was metastasis-free survival in the monotherapy group as compared with the leuprolide-alone group. Other secondary end points were patient-reported outcomes and safety. A total of 1068 patients underwent randomization: 355 were assigned to the combination group, 358 to the leuprolide-alone group, and 355 to the monotherapy group. The patients were followed for a median of 60.7 months. At 5 years, metastasis-free survival was 87.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 83.0 to 90.6) in the combination group, 71.4% (95% CI, 65.7 to 76.3) in the leuprolide-alone group, and 80.0% (95% CI, 75.0 to 84.1) in the monotherapy group. With respect to metastasis-free survival, enzalutamide plus leuprolide was superior to leuprolide alone (hazard ratio for metastasis or death, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.30 to 0.61; P<0.001); enzalutamide monotherapy was also superior to leuprolide alone (hazard ratio for metastasis or death, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.87; P = 0.005). No new safety signals were observed, with no substantial between-group differences in quality-of-life measures. In patients with prostate cancer with high-risk biochemical recurrence, enzalutamide plus leuprolide was superior to leuprolide alone with respect to metastasis-free survival; enzalutamide monotherapy was also superior to leuprolide alone. The safety profile of enzalutamide was consistent with that shown in previous clinical studies, with no apparent detrimental effect on quality of life. (Funded by Pfizer and Astellas Pharma; EMBARK ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02319837.).

Purpose: PI3K–Akt–mTOR and androgen receptor (AR) signaling are commonly aberrantly activated in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), with PTEN loss associating with poor prognosis. We therefore conducted a phase Ib/II study of the combination of ipatasertib, an Akt inhibitor, with the CYP17 inhibitor abiraterone in patients with mCRPC. Patients and Methods: Patients were randomized 1:1:1 to ipatasertib 400 mg, ipatasertib 200 mg, or placebo, with abiraterone 1,000 mg orally. Coprimary efficacy endpoints were radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) in the intent-to-treat population and in patients with PTEN-loss tumors. Results: rPFS was prolonged in the ipatasertib cohort versus placebo, with similar trends in overall survival and time-to-PSA progression. A larger rPFS prolongation for the combination was demonstrated in PTEN-loss tumors versus those without. The combination was well tolerated, with no treatment-related deaths. Conclusions: In mCRPC, combined blockade with abiraterone and ipatasertib showed superior antitumor activity to abiraterone alone, especially in patients with PTEN-loss tumors. See related commentary by Zhang et al., p. 901

PURPOSE: The classification of the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) plays a pivotal role in the management of metastatic germ cell tumors but relies on data of patients treated between 1975 and 1990.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data on 9,728 men with metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell tumors treated with cisplatin- and etoposide-based first-line chemotherapy between 1990 and 2013 were collected from 30 institutions or collaborative groups in Europe, North America, and Australia. Clinical trial and registry data were included. Primary end points were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The survival estimates were updated for the current era. Additionally, a novel prognostic model for PFS was developed in 3,542 patients with complete information on potentially relevant variables. The results were validated in an independent data set.RESULTS: Compared with the original IGCCCG publication, 5-year PFS remained similar in patients with good prognosis with 89% (87%-91%) versus 90% (95% CI, 89 to 91), but the 5-year OS increased from 92% (90%-94%) to 96% (95%-96%). In patients with intermediate prognosis, PFS remained similar with 75% (71%-79%) versus 78% (76%-80%) and the OS increased from 80% (76%-84%) to 89% (88%-91%). In patients with poor prognosis, the PFS increased from 41% (95% CI, 35 to 47) to 54% (95% CI, 52 to 56) and the OS from 48% (95% CI, 42 to 54) to 67% (95% CI, 65 to 69). A more granular prognostic model was developed and independently validated. This model identified a new cutoff of lactate dehydrogenase at a 2.5 upper limit of normal and increasing age and presence of lung metastases as additional adverse prognostic factors. An online calculator is provided ( https://www.eortc.org/IGCCCG-Update ).CONCLUSION: The IGCCCG Update model improves individual prognostication in metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell tumors. Increasing age and lung metastases add granularity to the original IGCCCG classification as adverse prognostic factors.

BGJ398, a potent and selective pan-FGFR antagonist, was prospectively evaluated in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma bearing a diverse array of FGFR3 alterations. Patients (N = 67) who were unable to receive platinum chemotherapy were enrolled. The majority (70.1%) had received two or more prior antineoplastic therapies. BGJ398 was administered orally at 125 mg/day on a 3 weeks on, 1 week off schedule until unacceptable toxicity or progression. The primary endpoint was the response rate. Among 67 patients treated, an overall response rate of 25.4% was observed and an additional 38.8% of patients had disease stabilization, translating to a disease control rate of 64.2%. The most common treatment-emergent toxicities were hyperphosphatemia, elevated creatinine, fatigue, constipation, and decreased appetite. Further examination of BGJ398 in this disease setting is warranted. Significance: BJG398 is active in patients with alterations in FGFR3, resulting in both reductions in tumor volume and stabilization of disease. Our data highlight putative mechanisms of resistance to the agent, which may be useful in following disease status. Cancer Discov; 8(7); 812–21. ©2018 AACR. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 781

Purpose: Inflammation indexes and body mass index (BMI) are easily evaluated, predict survival, and are potentially modifiable. We evaluated the potential association of inflammatory indexes and BMI with the clinical outcome of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Experimental Design: A prospective cohort of patients with metastatic RCC treated with nivolumab enrolled in the Italian Expanded Access Program from July 2015 through April 2016 was examined. Reference measures of inflammation were identified for neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) </≥ 3, systemic immune inflammation index (SII) </≥ 1,375, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) </≥ 232. Patients were classified as high BMI (≥25 kg/m2) versus normal BMI (<25 kg/m2). Results: Among 313 evaluable patients, 235 (75.1%) were male, and median age was 65 years (range, 40–84 years), with 105 (33.69%) ≥70 years. In univariate analysis, age, performance status, BMI, SII, NLR, and PLR were able to predict outcome. In multivariate analyses, SII ≥1,375, BMI <25 kg/m2, and age ≥70 years independently predicted overall survival [OS; HR = 2.96, 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.05–4.27; HR = 1.59, 95% CI, 1.10–2.30; and HR = 1.65, 95% CI, 1.07–2.55, respectively). A patient with both SII ≥1,375 and BMI <25 kg/m2 was estimated to have much worse OS (HR, 3.37; 95% CI, 2.29–4.95; P <0.0001) than a patient with neither or only one risk factor. SII changes at 3 months predicted OS (P <0.0001). Conclusions: Normal BMI combined with inflammation tripled the risk of death, suggesting that these biomarkers are critical prognostic factors for OS in patients with RCC treated with nivolumab.