Capecitabine/cisplatin versus 5-fluorouracil/cisplatin in Chinese patients with advanced and metastatic gastric cancer: Re-analysis of efficacy and safety data from the ML17032 phase III clinical trial

Immune checkpoint inhibitors plus chemotherapy for HER2-negative advanced gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer: a cost-effectiveness analysis

Background

Nivolumab plus chemotherapy (NC) was recently approved as the first-line intervention for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer (GC/GEJC). Moreover, in the latest KEYNOTE-859 (NCT03675737), pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy (PC) was demonstrated to produce remarkable patient survival outcomes.

Objectives

The clinicians and patients need to assess NC and PC preference for cancer drugs.

Design

The cost-effective analysis.

Methods

In an economic assessment of the United States, United Kingdom, and Chinese healthcare systems using a Markov model simulated patients with GC/GEJC, two treatment decision branches with three health states and a tracked time horizon of 15 years were developed. The overall cost and efficacy outcomes of first-line strategies PC and NC were evaluated at willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds of different national, including life-years (LYs), quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), and incremental net-health benefit (INHB). Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were considered.

Results

Given a WTP threshold of $150,000, $60,161, and $37,653 per QALY in the United States, United Kingdom, and China, respectively, both PC and NC achieved QALYs of 1.67 and 1.65 (2.51 and 2.48 LYs), 1.65 and 1.63 (2.48 and 2.45 LYs), and 1.60 and 1.58 (2.40 and 2.37 LYs), with total costs of $242,444 and $232,617, $148,367 and $127,737, and $16,693 and $24,016, respectively. Based on our sensitivity analysis, the programmed death-1 inhibitors cost produced the largest impact on the outcome. In addition, the cost-effectiveness probabilities of PC were 38.3%, 4.1%, and 100% in the three aforementioned countries, respectively.

Conclusion

In the case of the Chinese payers' perspective, PC appeared more dominant as first-line therapy for advanced GC/GEJC patients, whereas NC was preferred in the United States and United Kingdom.

Chemo-immune cell therapy by intratumoral injection of adoptive NK cells with capecitabine in gastric cancer xenograft model

Introduction

Gastric cancer is one of the most commonly known malignancies and is the fifth cancer-related death globally. Whereas natural killer (NK) cells play a critical role in tumor elimination; therefore, adoptive NK cell therapy has become a promising approach in cancer cytotherapy. Hence, this study investigated the chemo-immune cell therapy in MKN-45 derived xenograft gastric cancer model.

Methods

Three groups of animals have received the following treatments separately: activated NK cells, capecitabine, the combination of capecitabine and activated NK cells, and one was considered as the control group. Morphometric properties of tumor samples were evaluated at the end of the study. NK cells infiltration was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) of hCD56. Mitotic count and treatment response was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The proliferation ratio to apoptosis was determined by IHC assessment of Ki67 and caspase 3.

Results

The results indicated that the NK cell therapy could effectively decrease the mitotic count in pathology assessment, but the tumor was not completely eradicated. In combination with metronomic chemotherapy (MC) of capecitabine, NK cell therapy demonstrated a significant difference in tumor morphometric properties compared to the control group. The proliferation ratio to apoptosis was also in line with pathology data.

Conclusion

Although NK cell therapy could effectively decrease the mitotic count in vivo, the obtained findings indicated lesser potency than MC despite ex vivo activation. In order to enhance NK cell therapy effectiveness, suppressive features of the tumor microenvironment and inhibitory immune checkpoints blockade should be considered.

Associations of Clinical and Molecular Characteristics with the Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Advanced Gastric Cancers

Purpose

Immunotherapy provides a new treatment option for advanced gastric cancer (AGC). This study aims to explore the response markers of immunotherapy in AGCs.

Methods

Next-generation sequencing was performed on 44 AGC patients who received immune checkpoint inhibitors and the associations between their outcomes after combination immunotherapy, and the clinicopathological/molecular characteristics were analyzed.

Results

The current study cohort had a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 5.9 months, an overall survival (OS) of 12.1 months, and an objective response rate (ORR) of 36.4%. Through multivariable analysis of the clinical characteristics, primary tumor resection (HR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.06–6.70, p=0.037) and increased proportion of lymphocytes after combination immunotherapy (HR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.16–0.99, p=0.048) were revealed as independent predictors for patient outcomes. All the 18 patients who underwent genetic profiling were microsatellite-stable with a median TMB of four mutations per Mb. ATM alterations, PI3K pathway mutations, increased TMB, and positive PD-L1 expression were associated with the increased trend of PFS and ORR. According to the combination of baseline lymphocyte count, ATM mutation, TMB status, and PD-L1 expression, patients were stratified into higher- and lower-risk groups, with the lower-risk group showing improved PFS (HR = 4.7e−10, 95% CI: 0–inf, p=0.02) and ORR (75% vs. 0%, p=0.007).

Conclusion

Several highly relevant potential biomarkers predictive of immunotherapy response in AGC patients have been identified in this research.

Large Scale, Multicenter, Prospective Study of Apatinib in Advanced Gastric Cancer: A Real-World Study from China

Background

In China, gastric cancer (GC) ranks second in incidence and mortality. Over 80% of patients with GC were diagnosed at an advanced stage with poor clinical outcome. Chemotherapy was the mainstream treatment with limited benefit. Apatinib, an inhibitor of targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), has been approved for third-line treatment of advanced gastric cancer. However, the data of apatinib treatment in the real-world setting are limited. In this real-world study, we aimed to understand the current treatment pattern of apatinib, investigate the effectiveness and safety of apatinib in real-world settings, and explore the potential factors associated with the clinical outcomes.

Methods

This was a prospective, multicenter observational study in a real-world setting. Patients aged ≥18 years with histologic diagnosis of advanced GC were eligible for enrollment. The eligible patients received either apatinib monotherapy or apatinib plus chemotherapy by physician’s discretion. Apatinib treatment could be used as first-line, second-line, or third-line and above therapy. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), ORR, DCR, and safety profile.

Results

A total of 737 patients with advanced gastric cancer treated with apatinib were included in the FAS population. A total of 54.9% patients used apatinib monotherapy and 45.1% patients used apatinib combination therapy. A total of 44.1% patients received apatinib in first-line treatment, 28.2% in second-line, and 27.7% in third-line and above. In first-line treatment, the objective response rate (ORR) was 9.09% and 16.42% in apatinib monotherapy and combination therapy groups, and disease control rate (DCR) was 78.41% and 89.29%, respectively. Patients who received combination therapy achieved significantly longer median progression-free survival (mPFS; 6.18 vs 3.52 months, p<0.01) and median overall survival (mOS; 8.72 vs 5.92 months, p<0.01) compared with monotherapy. In second-line and third-line therapy, combination therapy showed a better trend in tumor response and survival outcomes compared with monotherapy. For all patients, apatinib combined with paclitaxel were associated with longer mPFS compared with other combinations (8.88 vs 6.62 months). Multivariate analysis showed that combination with paclitaxel (p=0.02) and experience of apatinib-related specific AEs (p<0.01) were independent predictors for PFS and OS. The safety profile was tolerable and no unexpected adverse events were reported.

Conclusion

In a real-world setting, apatinib showed a favorable effectiveness and safety profile in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Apatinib combination therapy, especially combined with paclitaxel, might lead to better survival benefit in first-line treatment. Combination with paclitaxel and the occurrence of apatinib-specific AEs were independent factors associated with better survival outcomes.

Trial Registration

NCT03333967.

Development and validation of a staging system for gastric adenocarcinoma after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy is commonly used for patients with locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma. The eighth AJCC ypTNM staging system was validated based on patients undergoing more limited lymphadenectomy (less than D2). The aim of this study was to develop a system for accurate staging of patients with locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy.

METHODS

A modified system of ypTNM was developed, based on overall survival (OS) of patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and validated using data from an international cohort of patients who had similar treatment.

RESULTS

Of 325 patients in the derivation cohort, 33 (10·2 per cent) had ypT0 N0/+ tumours, which are not classifiable under the AJCC system. The 5-year OS rate for modified ypTNM stages I, II, IIIA and IIIB was 89, 71, 42·3 and 10 per cent respectively, compared with 82, 65·2 and 24·1 for AJCC stages I, II and III respectively. The concordance index (0·730 versus 0·709), estimated area under the curve (0·765 versus 0·740) and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve throughout the observation period were all superior for modified ypTNM staging. For the validation cohort of 186 patients, the modified system was again better at separating patients into prognostic groups for OS.

CONCLUSION

The modified ypTNM staging system improves the accuracy of OS prediction for patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy.

Pertuzumab in combination with trastuzumab and chemotherapy for Chinese patients with HER2-positive metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer: a subpopulation analysis of the JACOB trial

BACKGROUND

The JACOB trial (NCT01774786) was a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized, multicenter, international, phase III trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of adding pertuzumab to trastuzumab and chemotherapy in first-line treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic gastric cancer/gastroesophageal junction cancer (GEJC). The aim of this analysis was to investigate efficacy and safety outcomes in the Chinese subpopulation from the JACOB trial.

METHODS

This post hoc subpopulation analysis included all patients recruited in mainland China (n = 163; 20.9%) between June 2013 and January 2016. The patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive pertuzumab plus trastuzumab and chemotherapy (pertuzumab group; n = 82) or placebo plus trastuzumab and chemotherapy (control group; n = 81). Intravenous pertuzumab (840 mg) and trastuzumab (8 mg/kg loading and 6 mg/kg maintenance doses) were given every 3 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Chemotherapy was given as per standard regimens/doses of capecitabine or 5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS); secondary efficacy endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), and overall objective response rate (ORR).

RESULTS

The median OS was 18.7 months in the pertuzumab group and 16.1 months in the control group (hazard ratio [HR] 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49 to 1.14). The median PFS was 10.5 and 8.6 months in the pertuzumab and control groups, respectively (HR 0.85; 95% CI 0.60 to 1.21), and the median ORRs were 68.9% and 55.7%, respectively. The treatment effect in this Chinese subpopulation showed consistency with that in the global ITT population with numerically lower HR for OS and PFS compared with the control group. The safety profiles of the pertuzumab and control groups in this Chinese subpopulation analysis were generally comparable. The most common grade 3-5 adverse events were neutropenia, anemia, and leukopenia. However, due to the nature of being a post hoc subgroup analysis, the results presented here are descriptive only and need to be interpreted with caution.

CONCLUSIONS

OS and PFS were numerically improved by adding pertuzumab to trastuzumab and chemotherapy as first-line treatment in Chinese HER2-positive gastric cancer/GEJC patients, and this regimen demonstrated an acceptable safety profile. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT01774786. Registered on 24 January 2013, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01774786.