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

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.