Progress in endometrial cancer: Contributions of the former Gynecologic Oncology Group

Randomized Phase III Trial of Paclitaxel and Carboplatin Versus Paclitaxel and Ifosfamide in Patients With Carcinosarcoma of the Uterus or Ovary: An NRG Oncology Trial

PURPOSE

This phase III randomized trial (NCT00954174) tested the null hypothesis that paclitaxel and carboplatin (PC) is inferior to paclitaxel and ifosfamide (PI) for treating uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Adults with chemotherapy-naïve UCS or ovarian carcinosarcoma (OCS) were randomly assigned to PC or PI with 3-week cycles for 6-10 cycles. With 264 events in patients with UCS, the power for an overall survival (OS) hybrid noninferiority design was 80% for a null hazard ratio (HR) of 1.2 against a 13% greater death rate on PI with a type I error of 5% for a one-tailed test.

RESULTS

The study enrolled 536 patients with UCS and 101 patients with OCS, with 449 and 90 eligible, respectively. Primary analysis was on patients with UCS, distributed as follows: 40% stage I, 6% stage II, 31% stage III, 15% stage IV, and 8% recurrent. Among eligible patients with UCS, PC was assigned to 228 and PI to 221. PC was not inferior to PI. The median OS was 37 versus 29 months (HR = 0.87; 90% CI, 0.70 to 1.075; P < .01 for noninferiority, P > .1 for superiority). The median progression-free survival was 16 versus 12 months (HR = 0.73; P = < 0.01 for noninferiority, P < .01 for superiority). Toxicities were similar, except that more patients in the PC arm had hematologic toxicity and more patients in the PI arm had confusion and genitourinary hemorrhage. Among 90 eligible patients with OCS, those in the PC arm had longer OS (30 v 25 months) and progression-free survival (15 v 10 months) than those in the PI arm, but with limited precision, these differences were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

PC was not inferior to the active regimen PI and should be standard treatment for UCS.

Recurrence Features and Factors influencing Post-relapse Survival in Early-stage Endometrial Cancer after Adjuvant Radiotherapy

Purpose: To evaluate the recurrent patterns and effect of clinicopathological factors on survival after recurrence (R-OS) in early stage endometrial cancer (EC). Methods: Patients with FIGO stage I-II EC, who underwent post-surgery radiotherapy (RT) at our institution between 2000 and 2017, were enrolled. First recurrent patterns, overall survival (OS), and R-OS were evaluated. Univariate and multivariate analyses (MVA) were used to evaluate factors associated with R-OS. Results: 756 patients were analyzed including 510 patients who received vaginal brachytherapy (VBT) and 246 patients who received external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) ± VBT, of whom 66 patients experienced recurrence, including 21 locoregional relapses and 45 distant metastases. Outside RT field recurrence predominated intra-RT field recurrence (106 versus 10 lesions). The 5-year OS rates for patients with and without recurrence were 62.2% and 98.2%, respectively (p<0.001). Among patients who underwent previous VBT, the 5-year OS rates were 61.1%, 92.3%, and 99.1% for distant metastasis, locoregional relapse, and non-recurrence, respectively (p<0.001); among patients who received EBRT ± VBT, the 5-year OS rates were 51.4%, 50.0%, and 98.3%, respectively (p<0.001).On Cox MVA of R-OS for locoregional recurrence patients, para-aortic lymph node metastasis was associated with poorer R-OS (hazard ratio [HR] 10.047, p=0.039), and salvage RT was superior to other therapies (HR 0.06, p=0.026). On Cox MVA of R-OS for distant metastasis, patients with brain metastasis (p=0.041) had the worst R-OS and patients benefited most from combined therapy (HR 0.02, p=0.001). Conclusion: Recurrent patterns were dominated by outside RT field and distant metastasis for early-stage ECs after adjuvant RT. The modality of prior RT had an impact on the choice of salvage therapy. RT could still be an effective salvage treatment for patients who develop locoregional recurrence. Patients with distant metastasis may benefit from combined therapies.

Carboplatin and Paclitaxel for Advanced Endometrial Cancer: Final Overall Survival and Adverse Event Analysis of a Phase III Trial (NRG Oncology/GOG0209)

PURPOSE

Limitations of the paclitaxel-doxorubicin-cisplatin (TAP) regimen in the treatment of endometrial cancer include tolerability and cumbersome scheduling. The Gynecologic Oncology Group studied carboplatin plus paclitaxel (TC) as a noninferior alternative to TAP.

METHODS

GOG0209 was a phase III, randomized, noninferiority, open-label trial. Inclusion criteria were stage III, stage IV, and recurrent endometrial cancers; performance status 0-2; and adequate renal, hepatic, and marrow function. Prior radiotherapy and/or hormonal therapy were permitted, but chemotherapy, including radiosensitization, was not. Patients were treated with doxorubicin 45 mg/m² and cisplatin 50 mg/m² (day 1), followed by paclitaxel 160 mg/m² (day 2) with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor or paclitaxel 175 mg/m² and carboplatin area under the curve 6 (day 1) every 21 days for seven cycles. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS; modified intention to treat). Progression-free survival (PFS), health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and toxicity were secondary endpoints.

RESULTS

From 2003 to 2009, 1,381 women were enrolled. Noninferiority of TC to TAP was concluded for OS (median, 37 v 41 months, respectively; hazard ratio [HR], 1.002; 90% CI, 0.9 to 1.12), and PFS (median, 13 v 14 months; HR, 1.032; 90% CI, 0.93 to 1.15). Neutropenic fever was reported in 7% of patients receiving TAP and 6% of those receiving TC. Grade > 2 sensory neuropathy was recorded in 26% of patients receiving TAP and 20% receiving TC (P = .40). More grade ≥ 3 thrombocytopenia (23% v 12%), vomiting (7% v 4%), diarrhea (6% v 2%), and metabolic (14% v 8%) toxicities were reported with TAP. Neutropenia (52% v 80%) was more common with TC. Small HRQoL differences favored TC.

CONCLUSION

With demonstrated noninferiority to TAP, TC is the global first-line standard for advanced endometrial cancer.

Prognostic Implications of Immune-Related Genes' (IRGs) Signature Models in Cervical Cancer and Endometrial Cancer

Cervical cancer and endometrial cancer remain serious threats to women's health. Even though some patients can be treated with surgery plus chemoradiotherapy as a conventional option, the overall efficacy is deemed unsatisfactory. As such, the development for new treatment approaches is truly necessary. In recent years, immunotherapy has been widely used in clinical practice and it is an area of great interest that researchers are keeping attention on. However, a thorough immune-related genes (IRGs) study for cervical cancer and endometrial cancer is still lacking. We therefore aim to make a comprehensive evaluation of IRGs through bioinformatics and large databases, and also investigate the relationship between the two types of cancer. We reviewed the transcriptome RNAs of IRGs and clinical data based on the TCGA database. Survival-associated IRGs in cervical/endometrial cancer were identified using univariable and multivariable Cox proportional-hazard regression analysis for developing an IRG signature model to evaluate the risk of patients. In the end, this model was validated based on the enrichment analyses through GO, KEGG, and GSEA pathways, Kaplan-Meier survival curve, ROC curves, and immune cell infiltration. Our results showed that out of 25/23 survival-associated IRGs for cervical/endometrial cancer, 13/12 warranted further examination by multivariate Cox proportional-hazard regression analysis and were selected to develop an IRGs signature model. As a result, enrichment analyses for high-risk groups indicated main enriched pathways were associated with tumor development and progression, and statistical differences were found between high-risk and low-risk groups as shown by Kaplan-Meier survival curve. This model could be used as an independent measure for risk assessment and was considered relevant to immune cell infiltration, but it had nothing to do with clinicopathological characteristics. In summary, based on comprehensive analysis, we obtained the IRGs signature model in cervical cancer (LTA, TFRC, TYK2, DLL4, CSK, JUND, NFATC4, SBDS, FLT1, IL17RD, IL3RA, SDC1, PLAU) and endometrial cancer (LTA, PSMC4, KAL1, TNF, SBDS, HDGF, LTB, HTR3E, NR2F1, NR3C1, PGR, CBLC), which can effectively evaluate the prognosis and risk of patients and provide justification in immunology for further researches.