Aim: To describe patient characteristics, effectiveness and safety in a real-world population treated with niraparib in the Spanish expanded-access programme. Patients and methods: This retrospective observational study included women with platinum-sensitive recurrent high-grade serous ovarian cancer who received maintenance niraparib within the Spanish niraparib expanded-access programme. Eligible patients had received ¿2 previous lines of platinum-containing therapy, remained platinum-sensitive after the penultimate line of platinum and had responded to the most recent platinum-containing therapy. Niraparib dosing was at the treating physician's discretion (300 mg/day fixed starting dose or individualised starting dose [ISD] according to baseline body weight and platelet count). Safety, impact of dose adjustments, patient characteristics and effectiveness were analysed using data extracted from medical records. Results: Among 316 eligible patients, 80% had BRCA wild-type tumours and 66% received an ISD. Median niraparib duration was 7.8 months. The most common adverse events typically occurred within 3 months of starting niraparib. Median progression-free survival was 8.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.6-10.0) months. One- and 2-year overall survival rates were 86% (95% CI 81-89%) and 65% (95% CI 59-70%), respectively. Dose interruptions, dose reductions, haematological toxicities and asthenia/fatigue were less common with ISD than fixed starting dose niraparib, but progression-free survival was similar irrespective of dosing strategy. Subsequent therapy included platinum in 71% of patients who received further treatment.Conclusion: Outcomes in this large real-world dataset of niraparib-treated patients are consistent with phase III trials, providing reassuring evidence of the tolerability and activity of niraparib maintenance therapy for platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer.

The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) rucaparib is approved as maintenance therapy for patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent high-grade ovarian cancer (HGOC). The efficacy and safety of rucaparib after PARPi therapy are largely unknown; therefore, we analyzed outcomes in the subgroup of PARPi-pretreated patients from Spanish hospitals participating in the Rucaparib Access Program. This post hoc subgroup analysis explored baseline characteristics, treatment exposure, safety, effectiveness, and subsequent therapy among women receiving rucaparib 600 mg twice daily after at least one prior PARPi for HGOC. Of 14 women eligible for the analysis, 11 (79%) had tumors harboring BRCA1/2 mutations. Patients had received a median of 5 (range 3-8) treatment lines before rucaparib. Twelve patients (86%) had previously received olaparib and two (14%) niraparib; 12 patients received rucaparib as treatment for platinum-resistant HGOC, one as treatment for platinum-sensitive HGOC, and one as maintenance therapy. Progression-free survival was 0.2-9.1 months. One of seven patients assessable for response by RECIST achieved stable disease. Adverse events occurred in 11 patients (79%; grade 3 in 29%), leading to treatment interruption in eight patients (57%), dose reduction in six (43%), but treatment discontinuation in only one (7%). No new safety signals were observed. This is one of the first reported series of real-world data on rucaparib after prior PARPi for HGOC. In this heavily pretreated population, rucaparib demonstrated meaningful activity in some patients and tolerability consistent with previous prospective trials. Future investigation should focus on identifying patients who may benefit from rucaparib after prior PARPi exposure.

Germline and tumor BRCA testing constitutes a valuable tool for clinical decision-making in the management of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients. Tissue testing is able to identify both germline (g) and somatic (s) BRCA variants, but tissue preservation methods and the widespread implementation of NGS represent pre-analytical and analytical challenges that need to be managed. This study was carried out on a multicenter prospective GEICO cohort of EOC patients with known gBRCA status in order to determine the inter-laboratory reproducibility of tissue sBRCA testing. The study consisted of two independent experimental approaches, a bilateral comparison between two reference laboratories (RLs) testing 82 formalin-paraffin-embedded (FFPE) EOC samples each, and a Ring Test Trial (RTT) with five participating clinical laboratories (CLs) evaluating the performance of tissue BRCA testing in a total of nine samples. Importantly, labs employed their own locally adopted next-generation sequencing (NGS) analytical approach. BRCA mutation frequency in the RL sub-study cohort was 23.17%: 12 (63.1%) germline and 6 (31.6%) somatic. Concordance between the two RLs with respect to BRCA status was 84.2% (gBRCA 100%). The RTT study distributed a total of nine samples (three commercial synthetic human FFPE references, three FFPE, and three OC DNA) among five CLs. The median concordance detection rate among them was 64.7% (range: 35.3-70.6%). Analytical discrepancies were mainly due to the minimum variant allele frequency thresholds, bioinformatic pipeline filters, and downstream variant interpretation, some of them with consequences of clinical relevance. Our study demonstrates a wide range of concordance in the identification and interpretation of BRCA sequencing data, highlighting the relevance of establishing standard criteria for detecting, interpreting, and reporting BRCA variants.

Patient registries linked to biorepositories constitute a valuable asset for clinical and translational research in oncology. The Spanish Group of Ovarian Cancer Research (GEICO), in collaboration with the Spanish Biobank Network (RNBB), has developed a multicentre, multistakeholder, prospective virtual clinical registry (VCR) associated with biobanks for the collection of real-world data and biological samples of gynaecological cancer patients. This collaborative project aims to promote research by providing broad access to high-quality clinical data and biospecimens for future research according to the needs of investigators and to increase diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities for gynaecological cancer patients in Spain. The VCR will include the participation of more than 60 Spanish hospitals entering relevant clinical information in harmonised electronic case report forms (eCRFs) in four different cohorts: ovarian, endometrial, cervical, and rare gynaecological cancers (gestational trophoblastic disease). Initial data for the cases included till December 2021 are presented. The model described herein establishes a real-world win-win collaboration between multicentre structures, promoted and supported by GEICO, that will contribute to the success of translational research in gynaecological cancer

Background: Rucaparib is a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor approved in Europe as maintenance therapy for recurrent platinum-sensitive (Pt-S) ovarian cancer (OC). The Rucaparib Access Programme (RAP) was designed to provide early access to rucaparib for the above-mentioned indication, as well as for patients with BRCA-mutated Pt-S or platinum-resistant (Pt-R) OC and no therapeutic alternatives. Methods: In this observational, retrospective study we analysed the efficacy and safety of rucaparib within the RAP in Spain. Hospitals associated with the Spanish Ovarian Cancer Research Group (GEICO) recruited patients with high-grade epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer treated with rucaparib 600 mg twice daily as maintenance or treatment (Pt-S/Pt-R) in the RAP. Baseline characteristics, efficacy, and safety data were collected. Results: Between July 2020 and February 2021, 51 patients treated in 22 hospitals in the RAP were included in the study. Eighteen patients with a median of 3 (range, 1-6) prior treatment lines received rucaparib as maintenance; median progression-free survival (PFS) for this group was 9.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.2-11.6 months). Among 33 patients (median 5 [range, 1-9] prior treatment lines) who received rucaparib as treatment, 7 and 26 patients had Pt-S and Pt-R disease, respectively. Median PFS was 10.6 months (95% CI, 2.5 months-not reached) in the Pt-S group and 2.2 months (95% CI, 1.1-3.2 months) in the Pt-R group. Grade >= 3 treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 39% of all patients, the most common being anaemia (12% and 15% in the maintenance and treatment groups, respectively). At data cut-off, 5 patients remained on treatment. Conclusion Efficacy results in these heavily pre-treated patients were similar to those from previous trials. The safety profile of rucaparib in real life was predictable and manageable.

Background Platinum based chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for ovarian cancer patients with a platinum treatment free interval of >6 months. Niraparib is an oral poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor approved as maintenance therapy after a response to platinum rechallenge, regardless of BRCA status. Atezolizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). A combination of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor and anti-PD-L1/programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) has shown synergy in preclinical models and promising clinical activity. Primary objective To determine whether the addition of atezolizumab to carboplatin based chemotherapy and to subsequent maintenance with niraparib improves progression free survival compared with placebo in patients with recurrent disease and a platinum treatment free interval of >6 months. Trial design The Atezolizumab and NIraparib Treatment Association (ANITA) trial is a GEICO (Grupo Espanol de Investigacion en Cancer de Ovario) led phase III, randomized, double-blinded, multicenter European Network for Gynecological Oncological Trials (ENGOT) study. Patients will be randomized to arm A (control arm) consisting of platinum based chemotherapy (investigator's choice) plus a placebo of atezolizumab followed by maintenance niraparib plus a placebo of atezolizumab, or to arm B (experimental arm) consisting of platinum based chemotherapy (investigator's choice) plus atezolizumab followed by maintenance niraparib plus atezolizumab. Major inclusion/exclusion criteria Inclusion criteria are women aged over 18 years, diagnosed with relapsed high grade serous, endometrioid, or undifferentiated ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal carcinoma. Patients are eligible if they received no more than two previous lines of chemotherapy, relapsed >= 6 months after the last platinum containing regimen, and have at least one measurable lesion according to the response evaluation criteria in solid tumors, version 1.1. Primary endpoint The primary endpoint for this study is progression free survival. Sample size Approximately 414 patients will be recruited and randomized in a 1:1 ratio, with the aim of demonstrating a benefit in progression free survival for the experimental arm with a hazard ratio of 0.7, using a two sided alpha of 0.05 and a power of 80%. Estimated dates for completing accrual and presenting results The trial was launched in the fourth quarter of 2018 and is estimated to close in the second quarter of 2021. Mature results for progression free survival are expected to be presented by 2023.

Despite advances in surgery and chemotherapy and the integration of antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy as well as poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitors into daily clinical practice, epithelial ovarian cancer remains the leading cause of death from gynecological cancer. The incorporation of new therapies with the potential to achieve long-term disease remission is a clear need for patients with ovarian cancer. Immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) (antiprogrammed cell death protein 1 [anti-PD-1] or antiprogrammed death-ligand 1 [anti-PD-L1]) has been adopted in several malignancies based on improvements shown with regard to progression-free survival and in particular overall survival. Although there is a solid rationale for the use of CPIs in patients with ovarian cancer, to our knowledge the clinical data presented to date are not very convincing. This article reviews the current data regarding CPIs in patients with ovarian cancer along with the future directions and designs of clinical trials aiming to overcome the low efficacy of CPIs in these individuals.

Purpose The aim of this multicenter study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) who received sunitinib retreatment. Methods Clinical data from patients treated with sunitinib rechallenge in nine Spanish centers were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received first-line sunitinib until progression or intolerance, followed by one or more successive drugs and rechallenge with sunitinib thereafter. Results Thirty-seven patients were included. At first-line treatment, objective response rate (ORR) was 69.4% and median progression-free survival (PFS) was 19.4 months. At rechallenge, ORR was 27.2% and 39.4% of patients obtained stabilization of disease. Median PFS was 6.2 months. Clinical benefit was obtained by 21 patients (75%) with > 6-month interval between sunitinib treatments and by 1 patient (20%) among those with <= 6-month interval (P = 0.016). Hemoglobin levels >= lower level of normal were associated with clinical benefit (P = 0.019) and with PFS (P = 0.004). Median overall survival from start of first-line sunitinib was 52.7 months. No new adverse events were observed at rechallenge. Conclusions Sunitinib rechallenge is a feasible treatment option for selected patients with mRCC.