‘Compelling evidence’ shows neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves survival in penile cancer
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Key takeaways:
- Patients who responded to treatment had a significant median OS benefit compared with non-responders.
- Over one-half of study participants had an objective response to therapy.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by consolidative lymphadenectomy provided a significant survival benefit among adults with locally advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma who responded to treatment, study results suggest.
The findings published in Journal of the National Cancer Institute showed that treatment responders also experienced a significant increase in median PFS, further highlighting the treatment as a promising option for long-term disease control among patients with the rare and aggressive cancer type.
“Our findings provide compelling evidence for the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in treating locally advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma,” Philippe Spiess, MD, assistant chief of surgical services and senior member of the genitourinary oncology department at Moffitt Cancer Center, said in a press release. “These results underscore the importance of a multimodal approach in addressing this challenging disease and offer hope for improved patient outcomes.”
Researchers conducted the study to assess the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by consolidative lymphadenectomy among patients with locally advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma with clinical lymph node metastasis.
Study participants (n = 209; 48% stage III, 45% stage IV and 7% stage II) must have been treated with at least one dose of neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to planned consolidative lymphadenectomy, which 97% completed.
OS served as the study’s primary outcome measurement, with a secondary outcome of PFS. Study investigators used the Kaplan-Meier method to calculate estimated survival curves.
Results of the analysis showed median OS of 37 months (95% CI, 23.8-50.1) and median PFS of 26 months (95% CI, 11.7-40.2). A total of 106 patients (52.7%) died during the study period.
Researchers also observed an objective response rate of 57.2%, with 87 patients (43.2%) having a partial response and 28 (13.9%) having a complete response.
Study participants with an objective response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy had significantly longer median OS compared with nonresponders (73 vs. 17 months).
“We also found that neoadjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy was well tolerated, with only 17% of patients experiencing grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events,” Jad Chahoud, MD, MPH, assistant member of the genitourinary oncology department at Moffitt Cancer Center, said in the release. “Importantly, no treatment-related mortality was observed.”
According to researchers, the patient population in this study made up the largest cohort analysis reported to date for those with locally advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma, leaving the results with a potentially crucial role in informing treatment strategy for long-term disease control in patients who respond to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
References:
- Moffitt study finds neoadjuvant chemotherapy significantly improves outcomes for penile squamous cell carcinoma patients (press release). Available at: https://www.moffitt.org/newsroom/news-releases/moffitt-study-finds-neoadjuvant-chemotherapy-significantly-improves-outcomes-for-penile-squamous-cell-carcinoma-patients/. Published Feb. 16, 2024. Accessed March 20, 2024.
- Rose KM, et al. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2024;doi:10.1093/jcni/djae034.
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