Cancer Research and Treatment

Original Articles

Differential Efficacy of Alpelisib by PIK3CA Mutation Site in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: An Analysis from the KCSG HN 15-16 TRIUMPH Trial: Kyoo Hyun Kim, Shinwon Hwang, Min Kyoung Kim, Keon-Uk Park, Tak Yun, Keun-Wook Lee, Joo Hang Kim, Bhumsuk Keam, Byoung Chul Cho, So Yeon Oh, Sang Hee Cho, Sangwoo Kim, Sung-Bae Kim, Min Hee Hong, Hye Ryun Kim; Received December 11, 2024 Accepted January 27, 2025 Published online January 31, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.1195 [Accepted]

Purpose
The TRIUMPH trial was a biomarker-driven umbrella trial for patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC). This analysis focuses on the PIK3CAɑ inhibitor alpelisib (arm 1) in patients with phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway alterations.
Materials and Methods
Patients with PI3K pathway altered tumors were enrolled in the alpelisib arm of the TRIUMPH study. We conducted a detailed analysis of the correlation between PI3K pathway mutations and treatment outcomes including disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS).
Results
From Oct 2017 and Aug 2020, 203 were enrolled, with 42 treated with alpelisib. Response evaluation was possible for 33 patients. Genomic profiles revealed PIK3CA amplifications in 26.2%, and point mutations in E542K (26.2%), E545K (23.8%), and H1047R (9.5%). Neither PIK3CA amplification nor co-occurring TP53 mutations had a notable influence on alpelisib response or survival outcomes. Although the overall response rates were similar between helical domain mutations (E542, E545) and kinase domain mutations (H1047), patients with H1047 mutations exhibited significantly poorer PFS compared to those with non-H1047 PIK3CA alterations (1.6 vs. 7.3 months, p=0.017). OS in patients with H1047 kinase domain mutations showed a trend toward being shorter compared to others, though this difference did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusion
Alpelisib showed differential efficacy based on PI3K pathway alterations in patients with R/M HNSCC and was well-tolerated. These findings suggest the usefulness of NGS testing-based decision-making when using the targeted agents in R/M HNSCC. We need to confirm results in larger cohorts.

Citations

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PIK3CA Mutations: Are They a Relevant Target in Adult Diffuse Gliomas?
Ana Tomás, Marta Pojo
International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2025; 26(11): 5276. CrossRef

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Head and Neck cancer

A Phase II Trial of Nintedanib in Patients with Metastatic or Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: In-Depth Analysis of Nintedanib Arm from the KCSG HN 15-16 TRIUMPH Trial: Kyoo Hyun Kim, Sun Min Lim, Hee Kyung Ahn, Yun-Gyoo Lee, Keun-Wook Lee, Myung-Ju Ahn, Bhumsuk Keam, Hye Ryun Kim, Hyun Woo Lee, Ho Jung An, Jin-Soo Kim; Cancer Res Treat. 2024;56(1):37-47. Published online July 20, 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2023.433

Abstract PDF PubReader ePub

Purpose
Precision oncology approach for recurrent and metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is necessary due to its dismal prognosis. We performed a genomic profile-based umbrella trial of patients with platinum-refractory HNSCC (KCSG-TRIUMPH). Here, we present an in-depth report of the the nintedanib arm (arm 3) of the current trial.
Materials and Methods
The TRIUMPH study was a multicenter, open-label, single-arm phase 2 trial, in which patients were assigned to treatment arms based on next-generation sequencing (NGS)–based, matching genomic profiles. Patients whose tumors harbor fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) alteration were enrolled in the nintedanib arm (arm 3) as part of the TRIUMPH study. The primary endpoint was the overall response rate (ORR), and secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), safety, and biomarker analysis.
Results
Between October 2017 and August 2020, 207 were enrolled in the TRIUMPH study, and eight were enrolled in the nintedanib arm. ORR and disease control rate were 42.9% and 57.1%, respectively. The median PFS was 5.6 months and the median duration of response was 9.1 months. Median OS was 11.1 months. One patient maintained the partial response for 36 months. Overall, the toxicity profiles were manageable.
Conclusion
Single-agent nintedanib has demonstrated significant efficacy in FGFR-mutated, recurrent or metastatic HNSCC patients, with tolerable toxicity profiles. The results from the study have provided the basis for routine NGS screening and FGFR-targeted therapy. Because of the small number of patients due to slow accrual in this study, further studies with a larger cohort are warranted for statistical power.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Targeting fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) with inhibitors in head and neck cancers: Their roles, mechanisms and challenges
Daowen Luo, Sirinart Kumfu, Nipon Chattipakorn, Siriporn C. Chattipakorn
Biochemical Pharmacology.2025; 235: 116845. CrossRef
Functional Characterization of Variants of Unknown Significance of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptors 1-4 and Comparison With AI Model–Based Prediction
Martin Ziegler, Nadira Khoury, Louisa Maxine Hommerich, Heike Adler, Sonja Loges
JCO Precision Oncology.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
One-pot synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of new quinoline/pyrimido-diazepines as pulmonary antifibrotic agents
Michael Atef Fawzy, Karim Hagag Ibrahim, Ashraf A Aly, Asmaa H Mohamed, Sara Mohamed Naguib Abdel Hafez, Walaa Yehia Abdelzaher, Eslam B Elkaeed, Aisha A Alsfouk, El-Shimaa MN Abdelhafez
Future Medicinal Chemistry.2024; 16(21): 2211. CrossRef
Critical review of the current and future prospects of VEGF-TKIs in the management of squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck
Prashant Puttagunta, Saagar V. Pamulapati, James E. Bates, Jennifer H. Gross, William A. Stokes, Nicole C. Schmitt, Conor Steuer, Yong Teng, Nabil F. Saba
Frontiers in Oncology.2023;[Epub] CrossRef

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