Andrew Pecora MD FACP CPE Presents Groundbreaking Immunotherapy Research at 2019 Connective Tissue Oncology Society Annual Meeting
Andrew L. Pecora, M.D., FACP, CPE presented two abstracts at the prestigious Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) 2019 Annual Meeting in Tokyo, Japan in November.
Two abstracts were accepted for presentation at the annual meeting. Authors of both abstracts include: Dr. Andrew Pecora, Melinda Weber, DNP, RN, APN, AOCN, C.; Danielle Blair, RN, BSN, OCN; Eileen Beysel, RN, MSN, APN; Themba Nyirenda, Ph.D.; Elli Gourna Paleoudis MS, Ph.D. with the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack Meridian Health.
“Rapid and durable responses to combination anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 therapy among patients with chemotherapy/tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistant soft tissue and bone sarcomas”
This abstract detailed the John Theurer Cancer Center’s experience in treating refractory soft tissue and bone sarcoma with immunotherapy. The John Theurer Cancer Center team saw major responses, including complete remissions. Specifically, the combination anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 therapy led to meaningful and durable responses in one-third of patients. A median overall survival of 12 months was achieved for the entire cohort. Among the nine patients who achieved stable disease or better on Immuno-oncology agents, eight remain without progression with a median follow-up exceeding 19.5 months. These encouraging results warrant further studies on patients with refractory sarcoma, potentially to receive regulatory approval.
“Rapid and complete remissions of chemotherapy/tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistant relapsed spontaneous and radiation induced angiosarcoma following treatment with combined anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 therapy”
Team members saw a complete response in patients with refractory disease. Two patients who had previously failed conventional therapies both achieved complete clinical remissions within three cycles of combination Anti-CTLA-4 (Ipilimumab) 1mg/kg and Anti-PD-1 (Nivolumab) 240mg with no serious adverse immunologic events experienced to date.