Clinical activity of checkpoint inhibitors in angiosarcoma: A retrospective cohort study.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Retrospective uncontrolled single-center cohort study (case series)
PubMed 35792683 · doi:10.1002/cncr.34370
What was done
A retrospective cohort study identified patients with angiosarcoma treated with pembrolizumab monotherapy using The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Tumor Registry database (n = 25; 72% metastatic, 80% with at least two prior lines of systemic therapy). The primary objective was objective response rate assessed by RECIST/irRECIST v1.1; secondary objectives included progression-free survival, overall survival, disease control rate, and toxicity.
What was found
The objective response rate was 18%, and the disease control rate was 59%. Median progression-free survival was 6.2 months overall, with no statistically significant difference between cutaneous (4.7 months) and visceral (6.2 months) angiosarcoma (p = .42). Median overall survival was 72.6 months. Toxicities were documented in 8 patients, with fatigue, anemia, constipation, and rash being the most common.
Why it matters
Angiosarcoma has limited systemic treatment options; this study provides preliminary real-world evidence of durable clinical activity and tolerability for PD-1 blockade monotherapy in heavily pretreated patients.
Limits
The study is limited by a small sample size (n = 25), retrospective single-institution design, lack of a comparator or control group, and potential underreporting or selection bias inherent to registry-based records.