Dose dense carboplatin paclitaxel improves progression free survival in patients with endometrial cancer

A phase 2 feasibility study of nab-paclitaxel and carboplatin in epithelial carcinoma of the uterus

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the feasibility of completing 6 cycles of nab-paclitaxel (nab-P) and carboplatin (C) in a single arm prospective clinical trial for advanced/recurrent EC and safety and efficacy of day (D) 1, 8 nab-P in combination with D1 C q3weeks.

METHODS

Patients with early-stage, high-risk, advanced primary/recurrent EC without prior platinum/taxane exposure were enrolled in an open-label, single-institution trial (NCT02744898). Patients received 6 cycles of D1 nab-P 100 mg/m2 IV with C AUC 6 IV and D8 nab-P 100 mg/m2 IV q21D. The trial tested the null hypothesis that subjects completing 6 cycles was ≤0.50 versus the alternative that the proportion is ≥0.75 in a single stage design with alpha = 0.05 and power = 80% with 23 subjects. Patients who completed 6 cycles (primary outcome), objective response rate (ORR) and clinical benefit rate (CBR) were estimated with exact 95% Clopper-Pearson confidence intervals. Progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods.

RESULTS

From 08/2016-03/2018, 23 patients were enrolled. Nineteen patients (82.6%, 95% CI: 61.2%, 95.0%) completed 6 cycles, thus we could reject our null. Twelve patients (52.2%) experienced ≥1 grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events including: anemia, 6 (26.1%); neutropenia, 5 (21.7%); diarrhea, 3 (13.0%). Fourteen patients (60.1%) reported grade 1 neuropathy. Of 9 patients with measurable target lesions, the ORR was 33.3% (95% CI: 7.5%, 70.1%) and CBR was 55.6% (95% CI: 21.2%, 86.3%). Median PFS in the advanced/recurrent patients was 23.2 (95% CI: 12.1, NR) months.

CONCLUSIONS

The nab-P/C D1, 8 regimen met pre-specified feasibility criteria with acceptable toxicity and efficacy. Use of nab-P decreases need for steroid pre-medications, and this carboplatin doublet may prove advantageous for trials assessing combinations with immune checkpoint inhibitors in advanced EC.

Survival Outcomes of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Patients Following Dose-dense Versus 3-Weekly Platinum-Paclitaxel Chemotherapy: A Meta-Analysis

AIMS

Dose-dense chemotherapy has proven its value in several cancer fields. The purpose of the present systematic review is to evaluate the impact of dose-dense chemotherapy on survival outcomes of epithelial ovarian cancer patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Medline, Scopus, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials CENTRAL, Google Scholar and Clinicaltrials.gov databases were searched for relevant articles. Effect sizes were calculated in Rstudio using the meta and metafor functions. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to evaluate the possibility of small study effects and P-hacking. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using Risk of Bias 2 (RoB2) and Risk of Bias in non-Randomized Trials (RoBINS) tools.

RESULTS

Overall, 12 studies were included in the present systematic review, involving 4979 epithelial ovarian cancer patients. The risk of recurrence was substantially improved in patients receiving dose-dense chemotherapy (hazard ratio 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.70, 0.96); however, the result of the meta-analysis may be attributed to the effect size of smaller studies as following adjustment for small study effects the outcome becomes non-significant (hazard ratio 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.81, 1.02, P = 0.123). Overall survival rates were not improved by dose-dense chemotherapy (hazard ratio 0.79, 95% confidence interval 0.60, 1.04). Thirty-five types of adverse effect were identified following retrieval of data from the original studies. Dose-dense chemotherapy did not increase significantly the rates of severe adverse effects, although thrombosis, severe diarrhoea and severe nausea were more prevalent in this group of patients.

CONCLUSION

Dose-dense chemotherapy is associated with comparable side-effects to those of standard chemotherapy; however, data related to survival outcomes are not positive; hence, its use outside the setting of clinical trials should be discouraged.

Surgical and oncological outcomes of sentinel lymph node sampling in elderly patients with intermediate to high-risk endometrial carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to evaluate the surgical and oncological outcomes of elderly patients with intermediate to high-risk endometrial cancer undergoing staging with sentinel lymph node (SLN) sampling and pelvic lymphadenectomy.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study of elderly (>65-year-old) patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer between December 2007 and August 2017. These patients had been treated at a single center in Montreal, Canada. We compared the surgical and oncological outcomes of three cohorts undergoing surgical staging in non-overlapping eras: 1) lymphadenectomy, 2) lymphadenectomy and SLN sampling, 3) SLN sampling alone. Using life tables, Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank tests, we analyzed 2-year progression-free survival, overall survival, and disease-specific survival.

RESULTS

Our study included 278 patients with a median age of 73 years (range; 65-91): 84 (30.2%) underwent lymphadenectomy, 120 (43.2%) underwent SLN sampling with lymphadenectomy, and 74 (26.6%) had SLN sampling alone. The SLN sampling alone group had shorter operative times with a median duration of 199 minutes (range, 75-393) compared with 231 (range, 125-403) and 229 (range, 151-440) minutes in the SLN sampling with lymphadenectomy and lymphadenectomy cohorts; respectively (p<0.001). The SLN sampling alone group also had lower estimated blood loss with a median loss of 20 mL (range, 5-150) vs 25 mL (range, 5-800) and 40 mL (range, 5-400) in the SLN sampling with lymphadenectomy and lymphadenectomy cohorts, respectively (p=0.002). The 2 year overall survival and progression-free survival were not significantly different between the three groups (p=0.45, p=0.51, respectively). On multivariable analysis after adjusting for age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, stage, grade, and lymphovascular space invasion, adding SLN sampling was associated with better overall survival, (HR 0.2, CI [0.1 to 0.6], p=0.006) and progression-free survival (HR 0.5, CI [0.1 to 1.0], p=0.05).

CONCLUSION

Sentinel lymph node-based surgical staging is feasible and associated with better surgical outcomes and comparable oncological outcomes in elderly patients with intermediate and high-risk endometrial cancer.

The ACE trial: A randomized phase II study for advanced endometrial carcinoma

This study evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of three postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy regimens for endometrial cancer. Endometrioid cancer patients with intermediate-risk stage I and II or high-risk stage III and IV disease were randomly assigned to receive six cycles of either Paclitaxel-Epirubicin-Carboplatin (TEC), Paclitaxel-Anthracycline (Doxorubicin)-Carboplatin (TAC), or dose-dense paclitaxel-carboplatin (ddTC). The primary endpoint was the completion rate (CRate) of six cycles of treatment. The secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). One hundred and one patients were treated as follows: 33 received TEC, 33 TAC, and 35 ddTC. The CRates for TEC, TAC and ddTC were 94%, 64% and 69%, respectively (p=0.005). The TEC CRate was significantly higher than for the other two groups. However, the PFS and OS outcomes were not statistically different between the three groups. The two-year survival rates were 94%, 97%, and 97% for TEC, TAC, and ddTC, respectively. When compared to the current standard treatments for endometrial cancer, TEC is a promising candidate for a phase III trial based on its significantly superior CRate and equivalent PFS and OS. This study is registered with UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000008911).

Scalp cooling for reducing alopecia in gynecology oncology patients treated with dose-dense chemotherapy: A pilot project

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Scalp cooling may be of benefit to gynecology oncology patients.

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Cooling may prevent alopecia induced by Carboplatin and weekly Paclitaxel treatment.

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For Carboplatin with Paclitaxel every three weeks, alopecia is not prevented.

Objective

Determine the efficacy of scalp cooling for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced alopecia in gynecology oncology patients.

Methods

This prospective pilot study included patients diagnosed with a gynecological malignancy that received DigniCap™ scalp cooling. Patients were divided into two groups based on chemotherapy regimen: Carboplatin with area under the curve (AUC) 5–6 every three weeks and (1) conventional Paclitaxel 175 mg/m² every three weeks or (2) Paclitaxel 80 mg/m² weekly. A 1–10 visual analogue scale (1 no hair loss, 10 – complete hair loss) was used to assess degree of hair loss by patients themselves and by a certified dermatologist using photographs. Changes in quality of life and body image were measured using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire version 3 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the Body Image Scale (BIS) for cancer patients.

Results

Hair preservation occurred with use of a scalp cooling device for patients receiving weekly Paclitaxel (n = 20), but not conventional every three weeks Paclitaxel (n = 8). Ten of 15 patients (66.7%) in the dose-dense group lost less than 50% of their hair based on self-assessment and 14 of 16 (87.5%) based on dermatologist assessment. No patient in this group acquired a cranial prosthesis (wig). There was no difference between groups in terms of quality of life (QoL) and BIS scores.

Conclusion

Scalp cooling may allow for hair preservation in gynecology oncology patients receiving Carboplatin AUC 5–6 and weekly Paclitaxel 80 mg/m² combination chemotherapy.

A phase II, open-labeled, single-arm study of dose-dense paclitaxel plus carboplatin in advanced or recurrent uterine endometrial cancer treatment: a KCOG-G1303, DOENCA trial

Objective

To determine the safety and efficacy of dose-dense (dd) paclitaxel (PTX) and carboplatin (CBDCA) in treating advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.

Methods

Women aged 20–75 years with histologically confirmed endometrial cancer, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage III disease with some residual tumor, FIGO stage IV disease, recurrence after front-line curative treatment, or recurrence after second-line chemotherapy or radiotherapy were enrolled in this study. PTX (80 mg/m²) was administered intravenously (IV) to every participant on days 1, 8, and 15, and CBDCA (area under the curve of 5) was administered IV on day 1 once every 3 weeks until the disease progressed, unacceptable adverse events occurred, or consent was withdrawn. The primary endpoint was the response rate (RR), while the secondary endpoints were progression-free survival, overall survival, and adverse effects.

Results

Forty-eight participants were enrolled, and 46 were eligible to receive treatment. The patients' median age was 61 years (range, 43–76 years). Twenty-two participants had experienced recurrence, and the remaining patients had primary advanced endometrial cancer. There were 10 cases of serous carcinoma, 3 cases of endometrioid carcinoma G3, 2 cases of carcinosarcoma, and 2 cases of clear-cell carcinoma according to histology. Twenty-nine participants (63.0%) received ≥6 cycles of chemotherapy. The RR (complete, 13 cases; partial, 20 cases) was 71.3% (95% confidence interval: 59.0%–84.5%).

Conclusion

The dd PTX with CBDCA is feasible and available as a treatment option for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.

Trial Registration

UMIN Clinical Trials Registry Identifier: UMIN000017138

Phase II trial of vaginal cuff brachytherapy followed by dose-dense chemotherapy in early stage endometrial cancer patients with enriched, high-intermediate risk factors for recurrence

OBJECTIVE

To determine the feasibility of vaginal cuff brachytherapy (VCB) followed by 3 cycles of dose dense paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy (ddTC) in enriched, high-intermediate risk (H-IR) patients with early stage endometrial cancer following hysterectomy.

METHODS

A phase II trial of early stage endometrial cancer patients treated with VCB (2100 cGy) followed by three cycles of carboplatin (AUC 6) and dose dense paclitaxel (80 mg/m²) weekly within 12-weeks of surgery was conducted. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients completing both VCB and ddTC. Secondary outcomes include short and long-term toxicities, recurrence rate and sites, and progression free survival. Toxicity assessments were patient reported as well as those resulting in delays or dose modifications.

RESULTS

A total of 32 evaluable patients with median age of 64.5 years were included. Most patients were endometrioid histology (18/32, 56.3%) and fully staged (21/32, 65.6%) to stage Ib (18/32, 56.3%). In total, 27/32 (84.4%) patients completed treatment per protocol. Protocol non-completion included renal insufficiency, paclitaxel reaction, and treatment refusal. Median time to VCB completion was 11 days with all patients completing three fractions of VCB. Acute toxicities with VCB included grade 1 and 2 gastrointestinal, genitourinary and fatigue symptoms. Acute toxicities associated with ddTC included infusion reaction and neutropenia. Most reported long-term toxicities were grade 1 or 2 and resolved with time.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with VCB followed by three cycles of ddTC is well-tolerated with promising utility for treatment in enriched high-intermediate risk endometrial cancer patients. Recurrence-free and overall survival outcomes are not yet mature.

ABCB1 and ERCC1 gene polymorphisms are associated with nephro- and hepatotoxicity to carboplatin/paclitaxel-based chemotherapy in patients with gynecologic cancers

BACKGROUND

Paclitaxel/carboplatin combination is the standard chemotherapeutic protocol for gynecologic cancers, but severe toxicities may compromise treatment. There is great inter-individual variability regarding the incidence and severity of toxicities, which may be due to single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) affecting drug disposition or cellular sensitivity. Here we investigate the impact of selected SNPs in ERCC1, ABCB1, CYP2C8, and CYP3A5 genes on the incidence of severe toxicities, including nephro- and hepatotoxicity.

METHODS

A cohort of 507 gynecological cancer patients receiving paclitaxel/carboplatin was recruited at the Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA-Brazil). Clinical data were obtained during routine consultations or from electronic medical records. Toxicities were graded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE 5.0). Genotyping was performed using real-time PCR.

RESULTS

ABCB1 c.1236C>T was associated with moderate-to-severe (grades 2-4) nephrotoxicity (OR_adjusted 2.40; 95% CI 1.39-4.15), even after adjustment for age (≥ 65) and diabetes. The risk association between ABCB1 c.1236C>T and moderate-to-severe nephrotoxicity following paclitaxel/carboplatin chemotherapy was also present among non-diabetic patients (OR_adjusted 2.16; 95% CI 1.22-3.82). ERCC1 c.118C>T was the only individual variable associated with an increased risk for moderate-to-severe (grades 2-4) hepatotoxicity (OR 3.71; 95% CI 1.08-12.77), severe nausea (OR 4.18; 95% CI 1.59-10.95), and severe myalgia (OR 1.95; 95% CI 1.12-3.40).

CONCLUSIONS

ABCB1 c.1236C>T and ERCC1 c.118C>T might serve as potential biomarkers for the risk of moderate-to-severe toxicities to carboplatin/paclitaxel chemotherapy of gynecological cancers.

The added value of sentinel node mapping in endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate long-term oncological outcomes and the added value of sentinel lymph node sampling (SLN) compared to pelvic lymph node dissection (LND) in patients with endometrial cancer (EC).

METHODS

During the evaluation phase of SLN for EC, we performed LND and SLN and retrospectively compared the oncologic outcome with the immediate non-overlapping historical era during which patients underwent LND.

RESULTS

From 2007 to 2010, 193 patients underwent LND and from December 2010 to 2014, 250 patients had SLN mapping with completion LND. Both groups had similar clinical characteristics. During a median follow-up period of 6.9 years, addition of SLN was associated with more favorable oncological outcomes compared to LND with 6-year overall survival (OS) of 90% compared to 81% (p = 0.009), and progression free survival (PFS) of 85% compared to 75% (p = 0.01) respectively. SLN was associated with improved OS (HR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.8, p = 0.004), and PFS (HR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4-0.9, p = 0.03) in a multivariable analysis, adjusted for age, ASA score, stage, grade, non-endometrioid histology, and LVSI. Patients who were staged with SLN were less likely to have a recurrence in the pelvis or lymph node basins compared to patients who underwent LND only (6-year recurrence-free survival 95% vs 90%, p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Addition of SLN to LND was ultimately associated with improved clinical outcomes compared to LND alone in patients with endometrial cancer undergoing surgical staging, suggesting that the data provided by the analysis of the SLN added relevant clinical information, and improved the decision on adjuvant therapy.

Impact of gene polymorphisms on the systemic toxicity to paclitaxel/carboplatin chemotherapy for treatment of gynecologic cancers

PURPOSE

Gynecologic malignancies are often detected in advanced stages, requiring chemotherapy with taxane/platinum combinations, which may cause severe toxicities, such as neutropenia and peripheral neuropathy. Gene polymorphisms are suspected as possible causes for the interindividual variability on chemotherapy toxicities.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the role of ABCB1 1236C>T, 3435C>T; CYP2C8*3; CYP3A5*3C variants on paclitaxel/carboplatin toxicities.

METHODS

A cohort of 503 gynecologic cancer patients treated with paclitaxel/carboplatin at the Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA-Brazil) was recruited (2013-2017). Polymorphisms were genotyped by real-time PCR, and toxicities were evaluated by patients' interviews at each chemotherapy cycle and by data collection from electronic records. The association of clinical features and genotypes with severe toxicities was estimated using Pearson's Chi square tests and multiple regression analyses, with calculation of adjusted odds ratios (OR_adjusted), and respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

RESULTS

CYP2C8*3 was significantly associated with increased risks of severe (grades 3-4) neutropenia (OR_adjusted 2.11; 95% CI 1.24-3.6; dominant model) and severe thrombocytopenia (OR_adjusted 4.93; 95% CI 1.69-14.35; recessive model), whereas ABCB1 variant genotypes (OR_adjusted 2.13; 95% CI 1.32-3.42), in association with CYP2C8*3 wild type (GG) (OR_adjusted 1.93; 95% CI 1.17-3.19), were predictive of severe fatigue.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study suggests that CYP2C8*3 is a potential predictor of hematological toxicities related to paclitaxel/carboplatin treatment. Since hematological toxicities, especially neutropenia, may lead to dose delay or treatment interruption, such prognostic evaluation may contribute to clinical management of selected patients with paclitaxel-based chemotherapy.

Study on Biological Characteristics and Mechanism of Paclitaxel Induced Drug Resistance in Endometrial Carcinoma Cells

Objective

To study the biological characteristics of paclitaxel resistant endometrial carcinoma cells and its mechanism of drug resistance.

Method

The paclitaxel resistant cell lines were established by high-dose paclitaxel (TAX) injection. The IC50 of paclitaxel was determined by CCK-8 assay in Ishikawa and Ishikawa-TAX. The cell cycle and apoptosis rate were detected by flow cytometry. Western blot was used to detect the expression of p-AKT and p-p70S6K. The expression of drug resistance-related genes Pgp and MDR1 was determined by RT-PCR. Cell viability was determined by soft agarose assay and invasive ability in vitro by transwell assay.

Results

Paclitaxel and NVP-BEZ235 cotreatment group can further inhibit the clonogenicity and invasion of Ishikawa and Ishikawa-TAX cells compared with paclitaxel alone and NVP-BEZ235 treatment group. Paclitaxel and NVP-BEZ235 cotreated groups increased the apoptosis rate of Ishikawa and increased G0/G1 phase arrest in both cells. Paclitaxel alone significantly inhibited p-AK and p-p70 S6K protein expression in Ishikawa and Ishikawa-TAX cells and the inhibition was enhanced by NVP-BEZ235 when cotreated with paclitaxel.

Conclusion

Paclitaxel can inhibit Ishikawa and Ishikawa-TAX cell via PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Paclitaxel and NVP-BEZ235 cotreatment can enhance the inhibitory effect.