Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32162809›Full record

ArticleThe oncologist2020

PD-L1 Expression on Circulating Tumor Cells May Be Predictive of Response to Pembrolizumab in Advanced Melanoma: Results from a Pilot Study.

Muhammad A Khattak, Anna Reid, James Freeman, Michelle Pereira, Ashleigh McEvoy, Johnny Lo, Markus H Frank, Tarek Meniawy, Ali Didan, Isaac Spencer and 4 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The oncologist, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 59 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
59citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
4.6field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

59 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 78 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  5. Towards liquid biopsy-based analysis of antitumour immunity.Nature reviews. Clinical oncology · 2026
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  18. Liquid biopsy for diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of melanoma.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2024
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Muhammad A KhattakDepartment of Medical Oncology, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Australia.
Anna ReidSchool of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia.
James FreemanSchool of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia.
Michelle PereiraSchool of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia.
Ashleigh McEvoySchool of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia.
Johnny LoSchool of Engineering, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia.
Markus H FrankSchool of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia.
Tarek MeniawyFaculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.
Ali DidanDepartment of Medical Oncology, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Australia.
Isaac SpencerSchool of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia.
Benhur AmanuelDepartment of Anatomical Pathology, PathWest, Australia.
Michael MillwardFaculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.
Melanie ZimanSchool of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia.
Elin GraySchool of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia.
Edith Cowan University · AUUniversity of Western Australia · AUFiona Stanley Hospital · AUPathwest Laboratory Medicine · AU

Funding

ABCB5-positive stem cells for LSCD therapyR01EY025794 · NEI · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · PI NATASHA Y FRANK, Markus H. Frank · 2016 to 2026
$6.1M
Multipotent ABCB5-positive cell therapeutics for corneal diseaseR24EY028767 · NEI · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI FRANK, MARKUS H., FRANK, NATASHA Y · 2018 to 2022
$5.9M
Immunology of human malignant melanoma initiating cellsR01CA158467 · NCI · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · PI FRANK, MARKUS H., HODI, FRANK S · 2012 to 2016
$1.9M
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA158467NEI NIH HHS R01 EY025794NEI NIH HHS R24 EY028767
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPD-1 inhibitors are routinely used for the treatment of advanced melanoma. This study sought to determine whether PD-L1 expression on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can serve as a predictive biomarker of clinical benefit and response to treatment with the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab.

methodsBlood samples were collected from patients with metastatic melanoma receiving pembrolizumab, prior to treatment and 6-12 weeks after initiation of therapy. Multiparametric flow cytometry was used to identify CTCs and evaluate the expression of PD-L1.

resultsCTCs were detected in 25 of 40 patients (63%). Patients with detectable PD-L1

conclusionOur results reveal the potential of CTCs as a noninvasive real-time biopsy to evaluate PD-L1 expression in patients with melanoma. PD-L1 expression on CTCs may be predictive of response to pembrolizumab and longer PFS. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The present data suggest that PD-L1 expression on circulating tumor cells may predict response to pembrolizumab in advanced melanoma. This needs further validation in a larger trial and, if proven, might be a useful liquid biopsy tool that could be used to stratify patients into groups more likely to respond to immunotherapy, hence leading to health cost savings.

Indexed as

MelanomaNeoplastic Cells, CirculatingAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedB7-H1 AntigenHumansPilot ProjectsAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedB7-H1 AntigenpembrolizumabCirculating tumor cellsImmunotherapyMelanomaPembrolizumab

Identifiers

PMID32162809
PMCPMC7066715
OpenAlexW2994505596

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.