Trajectories of squamous cell carcinoma antigen and outcomes of patients with advanced penile cancer after chemotherapy based on paclitaxel, ifosfamid, and cisplatin regimen.

Penile cancer (PC) is a lethal malignancy with no effective prognostic biomarker. We aim to investigate associations between trajectories of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-A) and patient outcomes after chemotherapy based on paclitaxel, ifosfamid, and cisplatin (TIP) regimen.

Consecutive AJCC staging III/IV PC patients who received TIP chemotherapy and repeated SCC-A measurements in 2014-2022 were analyzed. Latent class growth mixed (LCGM) models were employed to characterize patients' serum SCC-A trajectories. Patient survival, and clinical and pathological tumor responses were compared. Inverse probability treatment weighting was used to adjust confounding factors.

Eighty patients were included. LCGM models identified two distinct trajectories of SCC-A: low-stable (40%; n = 32) and high-decline (60%; n = 48). Overall survival (HR [95% CI]: 3.60 [1.23-10.53], p = 0.019), progression-free survival (HR [95% CI]: 11.33 [3.19-40.3], p < 0.001), objective response rate (37.5% vs. 62.5% p = 0.028), disease control rate (60.4% vs. 96.9% p < 0.00), and pathological complete response rate (21.2% vs. 51.9%, p = 0.014) were significantly worse in the high-decline arm.

PC patients' SCC-A change rate was associated with tumor response and patient survival after TIP chemotherapy. SCC-A might assist tumor monitoring after systemic therapies.

Cancer medicine. 2024 Jun [Epub]

Nan Ma, Yi-Xiang Gan, Yin-Yao Chao, Zhen-Hua Liu, Xian-Da Chen, Kai Yao, Hui Han, Sheng-Jie Guo

State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China., State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China., Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China.