A pooled analysis of clinical outcomes with anti-PD1-based neoadjuvant immunotherapy (NeoIT) in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC).

9578 Background: Anti-PD1 immunotherapy has shown improved clinical outcomes in patients (pts) with advanced cSCC, and recently, in the neoadjuvant setting for resectable disease. Pathological (path) response is predictive of recurrence in melanoma and recent NeoIT trials suggests the same in cSCC; however, an analysis of clinical outcomes in pts with resectable cSCC treated with intended anti-PD1-based NeoIT in larger datasets remains unknown. Methods: Pts with resectable cSCC treated with intended anti-PD1-based NeoIT from 17 cancer centres globally were included. Baseline patient and disease characteristics, treatment regimen, path response and recurrence-free survival (RFS) or progression-free survival (PFS) were collected and examined. Results: 134 pts with resectable cSCC were treated with intended anti-PD1-based NeoIT. Median age was 75 years old (range, 39-97), 72% (n=97) were male. One fifth (22%, n=29) were immunocompromised and 43% (n=58) had ECOG PS of ≥1. Of 125 (93%) pts with known primary cSCC, 82% (n=102) were from the head & neck. Most pts (79%, n=106) were stage III/IV. The majority had anti-PD1 monotherapy (91%, n=122) and 9% (n=12) had anti-PD1+/-investigational agent. Median follow-up from commencement of NeoIT was 10 months (95% CI, 9 - 12). Nearly half of the pts (49%, n=66) underwent surgery; 37 (56%) pts had major pathological response (MPR; ≤10% viable tumour cells at the surgical specimen; 31 [47%] had complete path response [0% of viable tumour cells] and 6 [9%] had near complete path response [1-10% of viable tumour cells]), 6 (9%) had partial path response (pPR; >10% and ≤50% of viable tumour cells), and 23 (35%) had path non-response (pNR; >50% of viable tumour cells). Of the 66 pts who underwent surgery, 11% (n=7) had recurrence (5 loco-regional and 2 distant recurrence), all non-MPR pts (1 pPR and 6 pNR). 12-months RFS was improved with MPR vs non-MPR (100% vs 79%, p=0.004). 52% (n=34) pts had adjuvant treatment (23 anti-PD1 alone, 7 anti-PD1+/-investigational agent, 2 platinum and 2 cetuximab). Within non-MPR pts, 12 had adjuvant treatment (3 recurred; 25%), while 17 did not have adjuvant treatment (4 recurred; 24%). Fifty-one percent (n=68) of pts did not have surgery; 9 (13%) due to progressive disease (PD) and 53 (78%) due to clinical response. Of the 53 pts with a clinical response, 5 (9%) subsequently progressed. Fourteen (10%) pts have died, 6 (4%) related to cSCC; 2 had surgery (non-MPR) and 4 did not have surgery (all due to PD). Conclusions: Anti-PD1-based NeoIT is an active regimen in resectable stage II-IV cSCC and is associated with high clinical response and MPR rates. No pts with MPR from NeoIT has recurred to date, however, 9% of pts who did not have surgery due to clinical response eventually progressed. These findings highlight the importance of further research to investigate the role of surgery in this subgroup of patients.