Integrated analysis of concomitant medications and oncological outcomes from PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors in clinical practice

Abstract

Background: Concomitant medications, such as steroids, proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and antibiotics, might affect clinical outcomes with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter observational retrospective study aimed at evaluating the impact of concomitant medications on clinical outcomes, by weighing their associations with baseline clinical characteristics (including performance status, burden of disease and body mass index) and the underlying causes for their prescription. This analysis included consecutive stage IV patients with cancer, who underwent treatment with single agent antiprogrammed death-1/programmed death ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) with standard doses and schedules at the medical oncology departments of 20 Italian institutions. Each medication taken at the immunotherapy initiation was screened and collected into key categories as follows: corticosteroids, antibiotics, gastric acid suppressants (including proton pump inhibitors - PPIs), statins and other lipid-lowering agents, aspirin, anticoagulants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), ACE inhibitors/Angiotensin II receptor blockers, calcium antagonists, β-blockers, metformin and other oral antidiabetics, opioids.

Results: From June 2014 to March 2020, 1012 patients were included in the analysis. Primary tumors were: non-small cell lung cancer (52.2%), melanoma (26%), renal cell carcinoma (18.3%) and others (3.6%). Baseline statins (HR 1.60 (95% CI 1.14 to 2.25), p=0.0064), aspirin (HR 1.47 (95% CI 1.04 to 2.08, p=0.0267) and β-blockers (HR 1.76 (95% CI 1.16 to 2.69), p=0.0080) were confirmed to be independently related to an increased objective response rate. Patients receiving cancer-related steroids (HR 1.72 (95% CI 1.43 to 2.07), p<0.0001), prophylactic systemic antibiotics (HR 1.85 (95% CI 1.23 to 2.78), p=0.0030), prophylactic gastric acid suppressants (HR 1.29 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.53), p=0.0021), PPIs (HR 1.26 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.48), p=0.0050), anticoagulants (HR 1.43 (95% CI: 1.16 to 1.77), p=0.0007) and opioids (HR 1.71 (95% CI 1.28 to 2.28), p=0.0002) were confirmed to have a significantly higher risk of disease progression. Patients receiving cancer-related steroids (HR 2.16 (95% CI 1.76 to 2.65), p<0.0001), prophylactic systemic antibiotics (HR 1.93 (95% CI 1.25 to 2.98), p=0.0030), prophylactic gastric acid suppressants (HR 1.29 (95% CI 1.06 to 1.57), p=0.0091), PPI (HR 1.26 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.52), p=0.0172), anticoagulants (HR 1.45 (95% CI 1.14 to 1.84), p=0.0024) and opioids (HR 1.53 (95% CI 1.11 to 2.11), p=0.0098) were confirmed to have a significantly higher risk of death.

Conclusion: We confirmed the association between baseline steroids administered for cancer-related indication, systemic antibiotics, PPIs and worse clinical outcomes with PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors, which can be assumed to have immune-modulating detrimental effects.

Keywords: immunotherapy.

Figure 1

Kaplan-Meier survival estimates. Progression-free survival; (A) Steroids. No: 13.5 months (95% CI 10.8 to 15.4; 472 events); non-cancer indications: 10.0 months (95% CI 7.2 to 18.3; 36 events); cancer indications: 4.9 months (95% CI 3.6 to 6.5; 247 events); (B) Systemic antibiotics. No: 10.5 months (95% CI 9.2 to 11.9, 622 events); prophylaxis: 2.8 months (95% CI 2.1 to 6.7, 25 events); infections: 10.9 months (95% CI 6.4 to 37.5, 34 events); (C) Gastric acid suppressants. No: 13.5 months (95% CI 10.5 to 18.2, 288 events); gastritis/GERD: 11.2 months (95% CI 7.9 to 17.3, 60 events); prophylaxis: 8.2 months (95% CI 6.9 to 9.9, 333 events). Overall survival; (D) Steroids. No: 30.8 months (95% CI 24.4 to 36.3; 432 censored); non-cancer indications: 44.6 months (95% CI 12.0 to 44.6; 30 censored); cancer indications: 7.8 months (95% CI 5.4 to 9.8; 58 censored); (E) Systemic antibiotics. No: 22.8 months (95% CI 18.9 to 27.4, 494 censored); prophylaxis: 4.9 months (95% CI 3.5 to 11.0, 8 censored); infections: 15.2 months (95% CI 9.8 to 18.1, 18 censored); (F) Gastric acid suppressants. No: 29.4 months (95% CI 22.8 to 39.8, 266 censored); gastritis/GERD: 23.2 months (95% CI 13.4 to 30.8, 59 censored); prophylaxis: 14.8 months (95% CI 12.3 to 52.3, 195 censored). GERD, gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Figure 2

Kaplan-Meier survival estimates. Progression-free survival; (A) Gastric acid suppressants. No: 13.5 months (95% CI 10.5 to 18.2, 288 events); H2 antagonists: 10.3 months (95% CI 3.8 to 13.9; 40 events); proton pump inhibitors: 8.4 months (95% CI 7.5 to 10.0; 353 events); (B) Anticoagulants. No: 10.9 months (95% CI 9.9 to 13.0, 573 events); yes: 6.3 months (95% CI 3.9 to 9.2, 108 events); (C) Opioids. No: 11.0 months (95% CI 10.0 to 13.5, 564 events); yes: 3.8 months (95% CI 2.9 to 6.4, 56 events). Overall survival (D) Gastric acid suppressants. No: 29.4 months (95% CI 22.8 to 39.8, 266 censored); H2 antagonists: 21.1 months (95% CI 6.1 to 25.0; 28 censored); proton pump inhibitors: 15.4 months (95% CI 12.5 to 18.1; 226 censored); (E) Anticoagulants. No: 23.9 months (95% CI 18.9 to 28.6, 460 censored); yes: 12.4 months (95% CI 7.8 to 15.1; 60 censored); (F) Opioids No: 23.2 months (95% CI 18.9 to 28.8, 452 censored); yes: 8.6 months (95% CI 4.7 to 12.7; 22 censored).