Effect of chemotherapy alone or combined with immunotherapy for locally advanced or metastatic genitourinary small cell carcinoma: a real-world retrospective study.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Genitourinary small cell carcinoma is rare, and has a poor prognosis. However, effective treatment options for this disease are limited. We present a study to assess the efficacy of chemotherapy alone or combined with immunotherapy for locally advanced or metastatic genitourinary small cell carcinoma (GSCC).

METHODS:

We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with locally advanced or metastatic GSCC from Jan 2013 to September 2022 at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. The survival and safety profiles were analyzed.

RESULTS:

Forty-two GSCC patients were enrolled, which included 20 with chemotherapy plus immunotherapy and 22 with chemotherapy alone. The median follow-up time was 15.13 months (95% CI, 8.84-21.42). The addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy demonstrated no significant difference in median progression-free survival (p = 0.37). However, the median overall survival (OS) was 22.97 and 14.03 months with immunotherapy plus chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone, respectively (HR = 0.69, 95%CI 0.08-0.55, p = 0.017). Two patients with immunotherapy plus chemotherapy achieved clinical complete remission. The overall response rate for patients receiving chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy was 65%, which was higher in comparison to those treated with chemotherapy alone (50%). Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy independently achieved favorable OS. Four patients experienced immunotherapy-related adverse events, with one developing grade 3 hypothyroidism.

CONCLUSIONS:

Among patients with locally advanced or metastatic GSCC, immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy might be thought of as a potentially effective treatment option for patients with GSCC.

• Authors: Riqing Huang, Meiting Chen, Haifeng Li, Xin An, Cong Xue, Anqi Hu, Ditian Shu, Wei Yang, Fangjian Zhou, Dan Sui, Kai Yao, Yonghong Li, Zhiming Wu, Zhiyong Li, Zhuowei Liu, Yanxia Shi
• Journal: BMC cancer (BMC Cancer) Vol. 23 Issue 1 Pg. 1002 (Oct 19 2023) ISSN: 1471-2407 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 37858093 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.

Topics

• Humans
• Retrospective Studies
• Carcinoma, Small Cell
• Treatment Outcome
• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols (adverse effects)
• Immunotherapy (adverse effects)