The efficacy and peripheral blood predictors in recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Abstract

Introduction: The prognostic factors associated with recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy need to be identified.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the efficacy of ICI therapy in patients with recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer at our center. The number of CD8 + T cells and the expression of PD-L1 were assessed using immunohistochemical assays. A multi-analyte flow assay was used to detect the concentrations of 13 inflammatory cytokines. Both univariate and multivariate models were constructed using pretreatment clinical variables and cytokines.

Results: We included 71 patients with recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer treated with at least two cycles of anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1); the objective response rate was 36.62%, and the disease control rate was 78.87%. Elevated levels of interferon-alpha 2 (IFN-α2), IL-1β, and IL-12p70 in serum were associated with improved overall survival. Higher levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) correlated with longer overall survival and progression free survival. According to the results of the multivariate analysis, a high level of C-reactive protein (CRP) (> 10) independently predicted overall survival. Age, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and MCP-1 were independently associated with progression-free survival. Chemotherapy containing platinum after immunotherapy progression achieved a partial response rate of 55.55%.

Conclusion: The results of ICI combination therapy have demonstrated a response rate of over one third. Peripheral blood markers, such as cytokines, could potentially serve as predictors of immunotherapy efficacy in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients.

Clinical trial number: Not applicable.