Effects of Proton Pump Inhibitors on Survival Outcomes in Patients with Metastatic or Unresectable Urothelial Carcinoma Treated with Pembrolizumab

Abstract

The gut microbiome influences tumor response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The proton pump inhibitors (PPI) significantly impair diversity of the gut microbiota and can affect the efficacy of ICIs. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the influence of PPI on survival in patients with metastatic or unresectable urothelial carcinoma receiving pembrolizumab. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with metastatic or unresectable urothelial carcinoma receiving pembrolizumab. The use of PPI was defined as any administration for ≥30 d within 60 d prior and/or 30 d after treatment initiation. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to investigate prognostic factors based on patient characteristics. Seventy-nine patients were included in the analysis, and 34 patients (43.0%) received PPI. There were no significant differences in OS and PFS between PPI users and nonusers (median OS: 8.2 months vs. 11.2 months, hazard ratio (HR): 1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.75-2.42, p = 0.296; median PFS: 3.5 months vs. 5.1 months, HR: 1.63, 95% CI: 0.95-2.80, p = 0.069). In the multivariable analysis, PPI use was not associated with OS (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.40-1.56, p = 0.526) or PFS (HR 1.44, 95% CI 0.79-2.60, p = 0.233). In conclusion, the estimated effect size of PPI use on survival in Japanese patients with metastatic or unresectable urothelial carcinoma treated with pembrolizumab was not reproducible.