AACR Annual Meeting 2022

HIGH-IMPACT CLINICAL TRIALS

Thanks to the efforts of the AACR Annual Meeting Clinical Trials Committee—led by cochairs Julie R. Brahmer, MD, MSc (near right) and Timothy Yap, MBBS, PhD (far right), MD, MSc—the Annual Meeting showcased the latest advances in cancer care and treatment. A total of 220 clinical trials were presented at the meeting, including 39 oral presentations in plenary sessions and minisymposia. These presentations highlighted critical advances in cancer care across a range of treatment options and cancer types.

• CodeBreaK 100 Trial: Two-Year Follow-up. In May 2021, based on the primary results of the CodeBreaK 100 trial, the FDA approved sotorasib—the first KRAS inhibitor—for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). At the AACR Annual Meeting 2022, Grace K. Dy, MD, presented follow-up data demonstrating that treatment with sotorasib led to a two-year overall survival rate of 32.5 percent and was well tolerated.

  Dr. Dy and colleagues also analyzed tumor and blood samples to identify biomarker profiles associated with durable clinical benefit. These additional studies showed that prolonged clinical benefit was observed regardless of tumor mutation burden, PD-L1 expression, and STK11 co-mutation status. Dr. Dy noted that the survival outcomes and toxicity profile make sotorasib the treatment of choice compared to salvage chemotherapy in patients who did not respond to previous therapies.

• CheckMate 816: Updated Survival Data. Nicolas Girard, MD, presented updated results from the randomized phase III CheckMate 816 trial that led to the FDA approval in March of nivolumab (Opdivo) in combination with platinum chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment for patients with resectable NSCLC.

  Previous trial data presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2021 showed that this combination led to significant improvement in the pathological complete response rate (pCR)—the proportion of patients who didn’t show signs of cancer in tissue samples removed during surgery—from 2 percent with chemotherapy alone to 24 percent with nivolumab and chemotherapy. The updated analysis assessed event-free survival (EFS), defined as the time between patient randomization and the occurrence of disease progression before or after surgery or death due to any cause. Median EFS was 31.6 months in the nivolumab plus chemotherapy arm and 20.8 months for patients who received chemotherapy alone. The study was the first to demonstrate a significant survival benefit for patients with resectable NSCLC from the use of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy, a paradigm shift in cancer treatment.

• CAR T-Cell Therapy: Encouraging Results in Solid Tumors. While CAR T-cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment options for hematologic malignancies, investigators have faced challenges when applying it to solid tumors. However, at the Annual Meeting, John Haanen, MD, PhD, presented preliminary data from a phase I/II clinical trial of a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell product that targets tumor cells expressing the CLDN6 antigen. The CAR T-cell product had an acceptable safety profile and showed early signs of efficacy both as a monotherapy and in combination with an mRNA vaccine in patients with testicular and ovarian cancers. This first-in-human trial was one of the first to demonstrate the efficacy of CAR T-cell therapy in solid tumors.

LEADING-EDGE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

Under the leadership of chair Lillian L. Siu, MD, the AACR Education Committee developed a comprehensive educational program for the Annual Meeting, organizing more than 65 educational sessions and methods workshops.

Topics included clinical trial design, predictive biomarkers for adjuvant immunotherapy, systems biology approaches to cancer, using patient-generated data to optimize the drug doses, and artificial intelligence in cancer imaging.

INSPIRING PLENARY SESSIONS

Following the two-day educational program, each of the four days of the Annual Meeting's main scientific program featured a plenary session to inform and inspire the attendees—beginning with the Opening Plenary Session titled "Decoding Cancer Complexity, Integrating Science, Transforming Patient Outcomes." Moderated by Annual Meeting Program Chair Marcia R. Cruz-Correa, MD, PhD, the session addressed a range of topics, including multi-cancer early detection, the role of metabolites and diet in cancer initiation and antitumor immunity, and quantitative approaches to tumor evolution and therapeutic resistance.

Additional plenary sessions addressed compelling topics such as "Decoding Cancer Health Disparities," "Precision Medicine for Immuno-Oncology," and "Tumor Evolution and Therapeutic Resistance."

PRESIDENTIAL SELECT SYMPOSIUM: AGING, STRESS, AND CANCER

Cancer incidence increases with age and peaks in individuals ages 65 to 74, and a wide range of stressful living conditions—including a lack of access to preventive and interventional medical care, increased exposure to carcinogens, disruptions in circadian rhythms, and chronic inflammation and obesity—correlate with premature aging and increased risk of cancer. As the population grows older and stressful conditions persist for many individuals, the intersection of aging, stress, and cancer has become a critical area of study. AACR President (2021–2022) David A. Tuveson, MD, PhD, FAACR, featured the topic in his Presidential Select Symposium at the Annual Meeting.

In presentations and a panel discussion, Electra D. Paskett, PhD, Ayesha Shafi, PhD, E. John Wherry, PhD, and Ashani T. Weeraratna, PhD, explored potential mechanisms underlying the relationship between stress and cancer as well as the ways in which the premature aging of tissue may contribute to cancer development and progression.

The AACR Annual Meeting 2022 generated global interest, as the innovative cancer science presented in New Orleans produced a significant amount of news coverage and social media activity.