Overall survival from the open-label phase II trial of palbociclib in patients with advanced well-differentiated/dedifferentiated liposarcoma.

BACKGROUND

Well-differentiated (WD) and dedifferentiated (DD) liposarcomas (LPS) are characterized by cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4 and mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) amplification. Palbociclib, a selective CDK4/6 inhibitor, demonstrated promising activity in prior phase II trials and is included in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Compendium for LPS. However, long-term overall survival (OS) data remain limited.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Patients with advanced WD/DD LPS were enrolled in two non-randomized phase II trials. Cohort A received palbociclib 200 mg (14 days on, 21-day cycle); cohort B received 125 mg (21 days on, 28-day cycle). Kaplan-Meier methods were used to estimate progression-free survival (PFS) and OS. Baseline factors and subsequent anticancer therapies were evaluated for association with outcomes.

RESULTS

Among 90 patients, 88 were assessable for PFS. Median follow-up was 3.12 years (cohort A) and 2.59 years (cohort B). Median PFS was 4.2 and 4.1 months, and median OS was 26.0 and 24.2 months in cohorts A and B, respectively. One- and two-year OS rates exceeded 70% and 50%, respectively, across cohorts. Patients with pure WD histology (n = 15) had longer PFS (hazard ratio 0.53, P = 0.037) but no OS difference. Cadherin 18 (CDH18) expression on baseline tumor tissue was associated with improved PFS (P = 0.007) and OS (P = 0.003). After treatment, 39% underwent surgery and 46% received additional systemic therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides the longest prospective OS data for palbociclib in WD/DD LPS. CDK4/6 inhibition remains a relevant treatment option, especially for patients unsuitable for cytotoxic therapy. CDH18 expression was associated with clinical outcomes and represents an exploratory biomarker signal that warrants independent validation in future prospective, biomarker-focused studies.