Real-world experience with first- versus second-line cemiplimab for advanced basal cell carcinoma.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Dermatology
• Immunotherapy

Background:

• Cemiplimab (anti-PD1 antibody) is approved for advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC) with a 20-30% overall response rate (ORR).
• Real-world data is crucial for understanding treatment efficacy beyond clinical trials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of cemiplimab in first-line and second-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic BCC.
• To compare outcomes between first-line and second-line cemiplimab treatment in a German patient cohort.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 37 patients with BCC treated with cemiplimab from the ADOREG registry.
• Endpoints included overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).
• Comparison of outcomes between first-line and second-line cemiplimab treatment.

Main Results:

• First-line cemiplimab (n=8) showed a 62.5% ORR and 19.8 months median PFS.
• Second-line cemiplimab (n=29) demonstrated a 31.0% ORR and 5.3 months median PFS.
• Reinduction after second-line treatment yielded a 20.0% ORR and 3.8 months median PFS.

Conclusions:

• Cemiplimab's efficacy in second-line BCC treatment aligns with previous studies in a real-world setting.
• A trend towards better outcomes with first-line cemiplimab suggests its potential as an initial therapy for advanced BCC.