Abstract 5619
Background
Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) is a modified herpes simplex virus, type 1 (HSV-1), which can be administered intralesionally in patients with stage IIIB/C-IVM1a unresectable melanoma. When surgery is not a treatment option in the head and neck region, i.e. due to the location or the size of the tumor, T-VEC therapy can be an elegant alternative to systemic immunotherapy.
Methods
9 patients with melanoma in the head and neck region started treatment with T-VEC monotherapy at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, of which 4 are still currently on treatment. We collected data on response, adverse events (AE) and baseline characteristics. For response evaluation, we used clinical evaluation with photography, 3-monthly PET-CT’s and histological biopsies.
Results
Median age at baseline was 78.3 years. Of the 5 patients who stopped treatment, the median follow-up time was 9.1 months. Of these patients, 3 (60%) had a complete response (CR), 1 (20%) patient had a partial response (PR) and 1 (20%) patient showed progressive disease (PD) as their best response. ORR was 80%. Duration of response varies between 1.6-21.6 months. 2 patients developed distant metastases, 1 during T-VEC treatment and 1 after achieving a CR with a time to progression of 14.2 months. 4 patients are still on treatment today. Grade 1 AE’s occurred in all patients. Mostly, these consisted of fatigue, influenza-like symptoms and injection site pain. PET-CT and histological biopsies proved to be a clinically useful tool to evaluate treatment response for T-VEC monotherapy, confirming pCR or PD to stage IV disease requiring systemic treatment.
Conclusions
ORR for T-VEC monotherapy for melanoma in the head and neck region at our institute was 80% with 60% achieving a CR. This real world data on T-VEC monotherapy in stage IIIB/C-IVM1a unresectable melanoma of the head and neck region demonstrates interesting results and suggests T-VEC is an elegant alternative to systemic therapy in this select elderly and frail patient population.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The authors.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
V. Franke: Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): amgen. M.W.J.M. Wouters: Research grant / Funding (institution): Novartis. W.J. van Houdt: Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): amgen. A.C.J. van Akkooi: Research grant / Funding (institution): Novartis; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): amgen; Research grant / Funding (institution): BMS; Research grant / Funding (institution): MSD-Merck; Research grant / Funding (institution): Merck-Pfizer. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Resources from the same session
3140 - Phase 2 study of olaparib in previously treated advanced solid tumors with homologous recombination repair mutation (HRRm) or homologous recombination repair deficiency (HRD): LYNK-002
Presenter: David Hyman
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2655 - The K-BASKET trial: A prospective phase II biomarker-driven multiple basket trial in Korean solid cancer patients.
Presenter: Seul Kim
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
5938 - Cambridge Liquid biopsy “CALIBRATION” study: Can changes in circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) predict durable tumour responses in patients with advanced oesophageal cancer receiving MEDI4736?
Presenter: Constanza Linossi
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3799 - Validation of a tumour mutational burden workflow on routine histological samples of colorectal cancer and assessment of a cohort with synchronous hepatic metastases
Presenter: Andrea Mafficini
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
4647 - Microsatellite Instability Testing and Lynch Syndrome Screening For Colorectal Cancer Patients Through Tumor Sequencing
Presenter: Li Liu
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3231 - "Liquid Withdarw" technique in CT-guided cutting needle lung biopsy: decreased incidence of complications and increased tissue amount for lung cancer molecular testing.
Presenter: Xue Wang
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3282 - WGS Implementation in standard cancer Diagnostics for Every cancer patient (WIDE)
Presenter: Paul Roepman
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
5905 - Known and unknown gene fusion detection capabilities of solid tumor laboratories conducting next generation sequencing in 6 countries
Presenter: Steph Finucane
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
4238 - Clinical and Analytical Accuracy of a 523 Gene Panel Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Assay on Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) Solid Tumor Samples
Presenter: Ina Deras
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2493 - Methylation analysis of MLH1 using droplet digital PCR and methylation sensitive restriction enzyme.
Presenter: Celine De Rop
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract