Publications by authors named "Tannir N"

We conducted a phase I trial to determine the optimal dose of triplet therapy with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor sitravatinib plus nivolumab plus ipilimumab in 22 previously untreated patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma. The primary endpoint was safety. Secondary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), 1-year survival probability, and sitravatinib pharmacokinetics.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Surgical removal of primary tumors was shown to reverse tumor-mediated immune suppression in pre-clinical models with metastatic disease. However, how cytoreductive surgery in the metastatic setting modulates the immune responses in patients, especially in the context of immune checkpoint therapy (ICT)-containing treatments is not understood. Here, we report the first prospective, non-comparative clinical trial to evaluate the feasibility, clinical benefits, and immunologic changes of combining three different ICT-containing strategies with cytoreductive surgery or biopsy for patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Modern advances in systemic and localized therapies for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have significantly improved patients' outcomes. If disease progression occurs after initial treatment, clinicians often have multiple options for a first salvage therapy. Because salvage and initial treatments both may affect overall survival time, and they may interact in unanticipated ways, there is a growing need to determine sequences of initial therapy and first salvage therapy that maximize overall survival while maintaining quality of life.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Objective: Belzutifan, a hypoxia-inducible factor 2 alpha inhibitor, was approved initially for patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease and more recently for sporadic, metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) based on the results of LITESPARK-005. There is a paucity of data regarding real-world experience with belzutifan in patients with sporadic, metastatic ccRCC. This study aims to describe clinical outcomes with belzutifan in patients with sporadic, metastatic ccRCC.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) is the most frequent high-grade soft tissue sarcoma subtype. It is characterized by a component of undifferentiated tumor cells coexisting with a component of well-differentiated adipocytic tumor cells. Both dedifferentiated (DD) and well-differentiated (WD) components exhibit MDM2 amplification, however their cellular origin remains elusive.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The pilot study investigated the safety and efficacy of daratumumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting CD38, in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) and metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).
  • In the MIBC group, one out of eight patients achieved a pathologic complete response with no toxicity events noted in either cohort, while the mRCC group showed no objective responses and a median progression-free survival of only 1.5 months.
  • Overall, the study concluded that while daratumumab was safe for use, its efficacy in these cancers was limited, with indications of targeted effects on CD38-expressing immune cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Sitravatinib (MGCD516) is an oral drug that targets multiple tyrosine kinase receptors and was tested for safety and effectiveness in patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in a Phase 1/1b study.
  • In the RCC group, the objective response rate (ORR) was 25.9%, with promising results such as a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 9.5 months and overall survival (OS) of 30 months, while no responses were seen in the CRPC group.
  • Common side effects included diarrhea (72.9%), fatigue (54.2%), and hypertension (52.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Nivolumab plus ipilimumab (NIVO+IPI) has demonstrated superior overall survival (OS) and durable response benefits versus sunitinib (SUN) with long-term follow-up in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC). We report updated analyses with 8 years of median follow-up from CheckMate 214.

Patients And Methods: Patients with aRCC (N = 1096) were randomized to NIVO 3 mg/kg plus IPI 1 mg/kg Q3W × four doses, followed by NIVO (3 mg/kg or 240 mg Q2W or 480 mg Q4W); or SUN (50 mg) once daily for 4 weeks on, 2 weeks off.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Immunotherapy, like the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab (NIVO+IPI), can lead to prolonged disease control and treatment-free survival (TFS) for cancer patients, even after stopping treatment, which is not accounted for by standard survival measures.
  • A study analyzed data from 1,096 advanced renal cell carcinoma patients to estimate TFS, comparing those treated with NIVO+IPI against sunitinib (SUN), focusing on both survival time and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs).
  • Results showed that 48% of patients on NIVO+IPI were alive after 5 years, with a significant difference in mean TFS compared to SUN, particularly in favorable-risk patients, highlighting the importance of considering
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Objective: SMARCB1-deficient renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is a rare kidney cancer associated with sickle cell hemoglobinopathies with poor outcomes described only in case reports and small series. We report disease and management characteristics as well as contemporary survival outcomes in a large cohort of patients with RMC.

Methods: Data were extracted retrospectively from all patients with RMC treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center between January 2003 and December 2023.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Accurate assessment of GFR is crucial to guiding drug eligibility, dosing of systemic therapy, and minimizing the risks of both undertreatment and toxicity in patients with cancer. Up to 32% of patients with cancer have baseline CKD, and both malignancy and treatment may cause kidney injury and subsequent CKD. To date, there has been lack of guidance to standardize approaches to GFR estimation in the cancer population.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Bempegaldesleukin (BEMPEG) is a pegylated interleukin (IL)-2 cytokine prodrug engineered to provide controlled and sustained activation of the clinically validated IL-2 pathway, with the goal of preferentially activating and expanding effector CD8 T cells and natural killer cells over immunosuppressive regulator T cells in the tumor microenvironment. The open-label, phase III randomized controlled PIVOT-09 trial investigated the efficacy and safety of BEMPEG plus nivolumab (NIVO) as first-line treatment for advanced/metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) with intermediate-/poor-risk disease.

Methods: Patients with previously untreated advanced/metastatic ccRCC were randomly assigned (1:1) to BEMPEG plus NIVO, or investigator's choice of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI; sunitinib or cabozantinib).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study examines the Lung Immune Prognostic Index (LIPI) to see if it can predict survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).
  • LIPI categorizes patients into groups based on specific blood markers, and results show that those with a better LIPI score have significantly longer overall and progression-free survival.
  • The findings indicate that LIPI can be a useful prognostic tool for mRCC patients regardless of the type of treatment they receive, whether it’s immune checkpoint inhibitors or antiangiogenic therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: ARO-HIF2 is an siRNA drug designed to selectively target hypoxia-inducible factor-2α (HIF2α) interrupting downstream pro-oncogenic signaling in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). The aims of this Phase 1 study (AROHIF21001) were to evaluate safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and establish a recommended Phase 2 dose.

Patients And Methods: Subjects with ccRCC and progressive disease after at least 2 prior therapies that included VEGF and immune checkpoint inhibitors were progressively enrolled into dose-escalation cohorts of ARO-HIF2 administered intravenously at 225, 525, or 1,050 mg weekly.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Therapeutic approaches for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remain limited; however, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies may offer novel treatment options. CTX130, an allogeneic CD70-targeting CAR T-cell product, was developed for the treatment of advanced or refractory ccRCC. We report that CTX130 showed favorable preclinical proliferation and cytotoxicity profiles and completely regressed RCC xenograft tumors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In the phase 3 CLEAR trial, lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab (L + P) showed superior efficacy versus sunitinib in treatment-naïve patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC). The combination treatment was associated with a robust objective response rate of 71%. Here we report tumor responses for patients in the L + P arm in CLEAR, with median follow-up of ∼4 yr at the final prespecified overall survival (OS) analysis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Tivozanib has been approved as a third-line or later therapy for advanced renal cell carcinoma based on the TIVO-3 trial, which was conducted before immune checkpoint therapies (ICT), cabozantinib, and lenvatinib/everolimus became incorporated in the current sequential treatment paradigm for advanced clear cell RCC (ccRCC).

Methods: We performed a retrospective study of patients with advanced ccRCC treated with tivozanib at MD Anderson Cancer Center during 6/2021-7/2023. A blinded radiologist assessed tumor response by RECIST v1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with sarcomatoid and/or rhabdoid dedifferentiation shows aggressive behavior but responds better to immune checkpoint therapy (ICT), although outcomes with VEGFR-targeted therapies after ICT progression were previously unclear.
  • A study reviewed 57 patients with various levels of sarcomatoid (S) and rhabdoid (R) dedifferentiation who received VEGFR-targeted therapies after failing ICT, assessing metrics like time on treatment, overall survival, and response rates.
  • Results indicated that patients with R dedifferentiation experienced longer treatment durations and better outcomes compared to those with S dedifferentiation, suggesting that R dedifferentiation may respond more favorably
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A systematic literature review was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of anti-VEGF treatments for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after they had previously received checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
  • Out of 2,639 publications screened, 48 studies involving a total of 2,759 trial patients and 2,209 real-world study patients were deemed eligible, primarily focusing on the use of cabozantinib as an anti-VEGF therapy.
  • The review found consistent evidence supporting anti-VEGF treatment efficacy after prior CPI therapy, with no new safety concerns identified, suggesting this may be a viable treatment option for RCC patients who have not responded to earlier therapies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Nearly 30% of new renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cases are diagnosed at an advanced or metastatic stage. Recent approvals of immunotherapies (IO) have significantly impacted patient care, but real-world outcomes of these treatments have not been widely evaluated.

Methods: Eligible physicians abstracted demographic and clinical data from patient medical records for patients with advanced clear and non-clear cell RCC (aRCC) who initiated treatment between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2020.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (neoCTX) is shown to be the best treatment for surgically resectable neuroendocrine carcinoma of the urinary tract (NEC-URO), improving outcomes compared to immediate surgery.
  • A study involving 203 patients revealed that neoCTX significantly increased the downstaging rate of tumors, particularly with the combination of ifosfamide and etoposide (IA/EP).
  • Overall survival rates after five years were much higher for patients receiving neoCTX (57%) compared to those undergoing surgery alone (22%) or surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy (30%).
View Article and Find Full Text PDF