Predictors of exposure, therapeutic and adverse effects of atezolizumab used in the treatment of advanced cancers_092021

Advanced cancers are difficult to treat. Atezolizumab is an immunotherapy which are an important emerging treatment option for advanced cancer patients. However, response and toxicity to immunotherapies is highly unpredictable, with up to 40% of the patients who initiate atezolizumab not responding, and 40% experiencing serious toxicity.

Using the diverse range of data collected from clinical trials, it is possible to develop clinical tools that enable improved prediction of therapeutic and adverse outcomes of patients using atezolizumab in the treatment of advanced cancers. Specifically, the program will use Cox-proportional hazard models will assess the association between available clinicopathological data and the time to an adverse effect or survival time. Predictors will be prioritised according to biological/clinical plausibility and prior evidence to identify markers which best predict outcomes resultant from atezolizumab treatment. Being able to identify the expected response and adverse effect profile may enable patients and clinicians to make better decisions regarding whether to commence, continue, discontinue, or change dosing of atezolizumab. A pooled observational cohort design will be used, pooling available data from clinical trials which have investigated atezolizumab.