Metastatic urothelial cancer: evaluation of prognostic factors and change in prognosis during the last twenty years

Avelumab first-line maintenance in advanced urothelial carcinoma: Complete screening for prognostic and predictive factors using machine learning in the JAVELIN Bladder 100 phase 3 trial

BACKGROUND

Avelumab first-line (1 L) maintenance is a standard of care for advanced urothelial carcinoma (aUC) based on the JAVELIN Bladder 100 phase 3 trial, which showed that avelumab 1 L maintenance + best supportive care (BSC) significantly prolonged overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) vs BSC alone in patients who were progression free after receiving 1 L platinum-containing chemotherapy. Here, we comprehensively screened JAVELIN Bladder 100 trial datasets to identify prognostic factors that define subpopulations of patients with longer or shorter OS irrespective of treatment, and predictive factors that select patients who could obtain a greater OS benefit from avelumab 1 L maintenance treatment.

METHODS

We performed machine learning analyses to screen a large set of baseline covariates, including patient demographics, disease characteristics, laboratory values, molecular biomarkers, and patient-reported outcomes. Covariates were identified from previously reported analyses and established prognostic and predictive markers. Variables selected from random survival forest models were processed further in univariate Cox models with treatment interaction and visually inspected using correlation analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves. Results were summarized in a multivariable Cox model.

RESULTS

Prognostic baseline covariates associated with OS included in the final model were assignment to avelumab 1 L maintenance treatment, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, site of metastasis, sum of longest target lesion diameters, levels of C-reactive protein and alkaline phosphatase in blood, lymphocyte proportion in intratumoral stroma, tumor mutational burden, and tumor CD8+ T-cell infiltration. Potential predictive factors included site of metastasis, tumor mutation burden, and tumor CD8+ T-cell infiltration. An analysis in patients with PD-L1+ tumors had similar findings to those in the overall population.

CONCLUSIONS

Machine learning analyses of data from the JAVELIN Bladder 100 trial identified potential prognostic and predictive factors for avelumab 1 L maintenance treatment in patients with aUC, which warrant further evaluation in other clinical datasets.

Evaluation of response to gemcitabine plus cisplatin-based chemotherapy using positron emission computed tomography for metastatic bladder cancer

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the present study was to examine retrospectively the contribution of 18Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography computed tomography (18FDG-PET/CT) to the evaluation of response to first-line gemcitabine plus cisplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with metastatic bladder cancer.

AIM

To evaluate the response to Gemcitabine plus Cisplatin -based chemotherapy using 18FDG-PET/CT imaging in patients with metastatic bladder cancer.

METHODS

Between July 2007 and April 2019, 79 patients underwent 18FDG-PET/CT imaging with the diagnosis of Metastatic Bladder Carcinoma (M-BCa). A total of 42 patients (38 male, 4 female) were included in the study, and all had been administered Gemcitabine plus Cisplatin-based chemotherapy. After completion of the therapy, the patients underwent a repeat 18FDG-PET/CT scan and the results were compared with the PET/CT findings before chemotherapy according to European Organisation for the Research and treatment of cancer criteria. Mean age was 66.1 years and standard deviation was 10.7 years (range: 41-84 years).

RESULTS

Of the patients, seven (16.6%) were in complete remission, 17 (40.5%) were in partial remission, six (14.3%) had a stable disease, and 12 (28.6%) had a progressive disease. The overall response rate was 57.1 percent.

CONCLUSION

18FDG-PET/CT can be considered as a successful imaging tool in evaluating response to first-line chemotherapy for metastatic bladder cancer. Anatomical and functional data obtained from PET/CT scans may be useful in the planning of secondline and thirdline chemotherapy.

Impact of Liver Metastases and Number of Metastatic Sites on Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitors Efficacy in Patients with Different Solid Tumors: A Retrospective Study

Background: ICIs have dramatically improved patient outcomes in different malignancies. However, the impact of liver metastases (LM) and number of metastatic sites (MS) remains unclear in patients treated with single-agent anti-PD(L)1. Methods: We aimed to assess the prognostic impact of LM and MS number on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in a large single-arm retrospective multicentric cohort (IMMUCARE) of patients treated with anti-PD(L)-1 for different solid tumors. Results: A total of 759 patients were enrolled from January 2012 to October 2018. The primary tumor types were non-small cell lung cancer (71%), melanoma (19%), or urologic cancer (10%). At the time of ICI initiation, 167 patients (22%) had LM and 370 patients (49%) had more than MS. LM was associated with a shorter median PFS of 1.9 months (95% CI: 1.8−2.5) vs. 4.0 months (95% CI: 3.6−5.4) in patients without LM (p < 0.001). The median OS of patients with LM was of 5.2 months (95% CI: 4.0−7.7) compared with 12.8 months (95% CI: 11.2−15.1) (p < 0.001). Interestingly, LM were not associated with shorter PFS, or OS compared to other MS types (brain, bone, or lung) in patients with only one MS. Patients with multiple MS also had poor clinical outcomes compared to patients with only one MS. The presence of LM and MS number were independent prognostic factors on overall survival. Conclusion: The presence of LM or multiple MS were associated with poorer survival outcomes in patients treated with anti-PD(L)-1.

A rare occurrence of a metastatic urothelial carcinoma to the thoracic vertebra: A case report

Background

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is a common urinary tract malignancy that predominantly affect the urinary bladder with a low recurrence rate after surgical removal. It usually metastasizes to the lungs, regional lymph nodes, and liver. However, it rarely spread to the thoracic spine and bones, especially in the Asian populations.

Case presentation

A 50-years-old Asian man, with a one-year history of surgically resected UC, presented to us with a complaint of worsening upper back pain for three months. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a destructed second thoracic (T2) vertebra with lytic lesion. A thoracic vertebrectomy was performed and histopathological examination (HPE) showed high-grade infiltrating metastatic malignant UC. Postoperatively, he was well and did not have any back pain. He was followed up under combined spine and oncology clinic regularly and was planned for chemoradiotherapy.

Discussion

UC commonly metastasizes to the lungs, liver, and lymph nodes. In young Asians, thoracic spinal metastases are rare. Urgent palliative spinal surgery is indicated to prevent further deterioration of function. Intraoperative usage of targeted controlled infusion (TCI) of remifentanil and propofol as maintenance of anaesthesia are gold standard in assisting spine surgeons who are guided by neuromuscular monitoring.

Conclusion

Spinal metastasis to the thoracic vertebra is rare among young Asian men. Patients presented with acute neurological deficits and back pain are indicated for spinal surgery. Multidisciplinary approach is needed for management of patients with spinal metastasis. Targeted controlled infusion (TCI) of remifentanil and propofol are gold standard for maintenance of anaesthesia for spine surgeries which are guided by somatosensory, and motor evoked potential monitoring.

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Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is a common urinary tract malignancy.

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Metastatic spread of UC to the thoracic vertebra is extremely rare among Asian men.

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Patients presented with acute neurological deficits are indicated for palliative spinal surgery.

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Judicious anaesthetic and surgical preparations are needed to avoid severe complications.

Pretreatment clinical and hematologic prognostic factors of metastatic urothelial carcinoma treated with pembrolizumab: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Pembrolizumab is the standard for the first and second lines in treating metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the value of pretreatment clinical characteristics and hematologic biomarkers for prognosticating response to pembrolizumab in patients with metastatic UC. PUBMED^®, Web of Science™, and Scopus^® databases were searched for articles published before May 2021 according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses) statement. Studies were deemed eligible if they evaluated overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma treated with pembrolizumab and pretreatment clinical characteristics or laboratory examination. Overall, 13 studies comprising 1311 patients were eligible for the meta-analysis. Several pretreatment patients’ demographics and hematologic biomarkers were significantly associated with worse OS as follows: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG-PS) ≥ 2 (Pooled hazard ratio [HR]: 3.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.57–4.09), presence of visceral metastasis (Pooled HR: 1.84, 95% CI 1.42–2.38), presence of liver metastasis (Pooled HR: 4.23, 95% CI 2.18–8.20), higher neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (Pooled HR: 1.29, 95% CI 1.07–1.55) and, higher c-reactive protein (CRP) (Pooled HR: 2.49, 95% CI 1.52–4.07). Metastatic UC patients with poor PS, liver metastasis, higher pretreatment NLR and/or CRP have a worse survival despite pembrolizumab treatment. These findings might help to guide the prognostic tools for clinical decision-making; however, they should be interpreted carefully, owing to limitations regarding the retrospective nature of primary data.

Overall Survival of Patients Receiving Cisplatin or Carboplatin for Primary Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder: A Contemporary Dutch Nationwide Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Cisplatin is preferred to carboplatin when treating metastatic urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (mUCB), despite its greater toxicity. Randomised studies underpinning this have been performed in noncontemporary populations with limitations in sample sizes and analyses, affecting their validity in current clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate overall survival (OS) and assess the benefit of cisplatin-based regimens over carboplatin-based regimens in a contemporary cohort of patients with mUCB.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A nationwide retrospective cohort study was conducted in patients diagnosed with de novo mUCB in the Netherlands between 2016 and 2019, who underwent first-line treatment with cisplatin- or carboplatin-based chemotherapy, based on the data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

A propensity model for receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy based on age, sex, age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index, renal function, performance status, serum haemoglobin, and the presence of visceral and bone metastases was used to produce inverse probability weighting (IPW) per patient. Unadjusted and IPW-adjusted Kaplan-Meier OS curves of both chemotherapy groups were compared by restricted mean survival time (RMST).

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

Of the 1041 patients with mUCB, 359 received either cisplatin (n = 170; 47%) or carboplatin (n = 189; 53%) as first line. The cisplatin group was younger, had fewer comorbidities, and had better performance status and renal function. The median OS in the cisplatin and carboplatin groups was 13.1 and 11.5 mo, respectively. After IPW adjustment, prognostic factors were balanced between the two chemotherapy groups (standardised differences <0.1), and differences in RMST were <2.0 mo and not statistically significant up to 24 mo.

CONCLUSIONS

After accounting for all known prognostic factors, we found no significant survival benefit for cisplatin over carboplatin as first-line chemotherapy in mUCB.

PATIENT SUMMARY

In this study, we compared the survival benefits of cisplatin- and carboplatin-based chemotherapy for patients with metastatic bladder cancer.

Surgical Management of Genitourinary Cancer Liver Metastases

Genitourinary cancers are common. Liver metastases from genitourinary cancers are uncommon; isolated liver metastasis is rare. Liver resection in select patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma can lead to prolonged survival. Patients with metachronous and low-burden disease are most likely to benefit. Chemotherapy is first-line treatment of metastatic germ cell tumors. Liver resection is dependent on germ cell lineage and initial response to chemotherapy. Prognosis with liver metastases from prostate cancer is poor; liver-only lesions are rare. Liver resection generally is not indicated. Cumulative experience with liver resection for metastatic bladder cancer is limited. Liver metastases are poor prognostic indicators for metastasectomy.

Role of Multimodal Treatment in Urothelial Carcinoma Spinal Metastasis: 15 Patients' Experiences in a Single Center

Purpose

Spinal metastasis from urothelial carcinoma (UC) is relatively uncommon. The aim of the present study is to explore the clinicopathological features, surgical treatments and outcomes of this rare disease.

Patients and Methods

Fifteen patients with UC spinal metastasis who received surgery in our center between 2009 and 2018 were retrospectively investigated. Clinical data, treatment options, and outcomes were analyzed.

Results

For the 15 patients (9 men and 6 women), the primary tumors were located in the upper urothelial tract in ten and lower urothelial tract in five. UC mainly metastasized to the lumbar spine in seven cases, followed by the thoracic spine in five. Pathologic fracture and soft tissue mass with dura mater compression were observed in 66.7% and 93.3% cases, respectively. Palliative resection was performed in nine cases and excisional resection in six. Eleven patients received postoperative chemotherapy, including three with a preoperative ECOG score >2. Bisphosphonates were administered in all patients. Pain was relieved remarkably in all patients, and both the neurological function and general status were improved significantly after surgery. The median overall survival was 14 months. Log rank test showed that patients receiving postoperative chemotherapy survived longer than those without chemotherapy (p=0.037). WHO grade 3 was also correlated with poorer prognosis (p=0.012).

Conclusion

Pathological fracture and soft tissue mass with dura mater compression is frequently observed on radiological images in patients with UC spinal metastasis. Surgery is useful to prevent deterioration of performance status and improve quality of life, which provide an opportunity for further systematic therapy. Multimodal treatments, including surgery, postoperative chemotherapy and bisphosphonates are recommended. WHO grade 2 and receiving postoperative chemotherapy were favorable prognostic factors for the overall survival of patients with UC spinal metastasis.

Impact of multimodal treatment on prognosis for patients with metastatic upper urinary tract urothelial cancer: Subanalysis of the multi-institutional nationwide case series study of the Japanese Urological Association

OBJECTIVES

To describe the nature of metastatic upper urinary tract urothelial cancer and determine the prognostic predictors or treatment modality associated with all-cause mortality.

METHODS

Within the nationwide case series study of the Japanese Urological Association, consisting of 1509 patients with urinary tract urothelial cancer diagnosed in 2005, we identified 102 patients with metastatic urinary tract urothelial cancer. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses identified prognostic outcome variables.

RESULTS

Predominant sites of distant metastasis at diagnosis were the lungs (54.9%), distant lymph nodes (37.3%), bone (32.4%) and liver (19.6%). Of 102 patients, 70 patients (68.6%) died during the median follow-up period of 6 months, and the 2-year overall survival rate was estimated at 22%. The median survival time to all-cause mortality was 8.5 months (95% confidence interval 6.4-10.7 months). On multivariate analysis, independent predictive factors for all-cause mortality were age (hazard ratio 2.36, P = 0.015) and liver metastasis (hazard ratio 2.35, P = 0.037). Patients who received multimodal treatment including chemotherapy and surgery showed significantly better prognosis (median survival time 25.8 months) compared with patients treated with chemotherapy alone (median survival time 7.3 months) or best supportive care (median survival time 4.3 months).

CONCLUSIONS

Age at diagnosis and the presence of liver metastasis seem to have an impact on survival of metastatic urinary tract urothelial cancer patients. Multimodal treatment including systemic chemotherapy and surgery might result in better prognosis in some of these patients.

Prognostic and predictive factors in patients treated with chemotherapy for advanced urothelial cancer: where do we stand?

The standard of care for patients with local advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma is chemotherapy. However, results with this are rather disappointing, and validated prognostic factors and biomarkers of tumor response, which are useful in the decision-making process, are still lacking. PubMed databases were searched for articles published until November 2013. Several promising clinical and biological candidate prognostic factors or markers of tumor response to first- or second-line therapy, such as hemoglobin, performance status, visceral metastasis and ERCC1, hENT1 and EMT markers, have been identified and described in this article. In summary, clinical parameters and molecular profiling could revolutionize the management of local advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer, but an improvement in individualized therapeutic approaches still seems distant.

Validation of major prognostic models for metastatic urothelial carcinoma using a multi-institutional cohort of the real world

BACKGROUND

Several prognostic models predicting survival of patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) have been developed; however, of them, the first model by Bajorin in 1999 is still the most representative and widely used, and validations of newer models are lacking. This study aimed to validate three major prognostic models for metastatic UC constructed based on clinical trials.

METHODS

We reviewed 200 patients with metastatic UC who received first-line chemotherapy at our five affiliate institutions between 2003 and 2011. Using this multi-institutional cohort, we validated the following models: the "Bajorin model," a model consisting of visceral metastasis and performance status; the "Apolo model," a nomogram including visceral metastasis, performance status, albumin and hemoglobin; and the "Galsky model," a nomogram including leukocyte count, number of sites of visceral metastases, site of primary tumor, performance status and lymph node metastasis. Harrell's c-index was calculated for each model. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used for multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

Among 200 patients, 171 (85.5%) died during the follow-up, with a median survival of 12.0 months. Multivariate analysis demonstrated ECOG performance status, visceral metastasis and leukocyte count to be independent predictors of overall survival. C-index results (95% confidence interval) were Bajorin: 0.86 (0.74-0.95); Apolo: 0.89 (0.78-0.98); and Galsky: 0.82 (0.69-0.93).

CONCLUSIONS

All models were demonstrated to have high external validities in real-world patients, and of them, the "Apolo model" achieved the highest c-index in the present population. Further studies with larger populations are needed for establishment of the next standard model.

A single-arm, multicenter, open-label phase 2 study of lapatinib as the second-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic transitional cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The treatment of recurrent transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) remains an unmet clinical need. This study assessed lapatinib, a dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and HER-2, as second-line therapy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic TCC.

METHODS

This was a single-arm, multicenter, open-label, prospective phase 2 study. Patients with TCC whose disease progressed on prior platinum-based chemotherapy received lapatinib until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity, with evaluations for response by Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors criteria performed every 8 weeks. The primary endpoint of the current study was objective tumor response rate. Secondary endpoints included safety, time to disease progression, and overall survival.

RESULTS

Fifty-nine patients were enrolled in the study, 25 of whom (42%) could not be evaluated for response. The primary endpoint of an objective response rate (ORR) >10% was observed in 1.7% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.0%-9.1%) of patients; however, 18 (31%; 95% CI, 19%-44%) patients achieved stable disease (SD). The median time to disease progression and overall survival (OS) were 8.6 weeks (95% CI, 8.0 weeks-11.3 weeks) and 17.9 weeks (95% CI, 13.1 weeks-30.3 weeks), respectively. Clinical benefit (ORR and SD) was found to be correlated with EGFR overexpression (P = .029), and, to some extent, HER-2 overexpression. The median OS was significantly prolonged in patients with tumors that overexpressed EGFR and/or HER-2 (P = .0001). Lapatinib was well tolerated.

CONCLUSIONS

The study was considered to be negative because it did not meet its primary endpoint; however, further analysis demonstrated an improvement in OS in a subset of patients with tumors overexpressing EGFR and/or HER-2, which is encouraging and warrants further investigation.

Predictive factors for response and prognostic factors for long-term survival in consecutive, single institution patients with locally advanced and/or metastatic transitional cell carcinoma following cisplatin-based chemotherapy

PURPOSE

The study was undertaken to identify pre-treatment clinical and histopathological factors of importance for response and survival after cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy, in patients with locally advanced or metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Clinical, laboratory and histopathological data from 178 consecutive patients, representing all patients treated between 1991 and 2001 in a single institution, were collected. Correlations between these data and response and survival after chemotherapy were analysed using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

Absence of visceral metastasis was the only parameter with independent correlation to the response to chemotherapy. Two of the analysed parameters were independently associated with increased survival: good performance status (PS< or =1) and absence of visceral metastases. Stratification of the patient material according to number of these risk-factors present showed strong association with survival.

CONCLUSION

It was possible to predict survival from pre-treatment clinical parameters and consequently it is possible to select groups with a high and low probability of obtaining long term survival following cisplatin-containing chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy for bladder cancer: treatment guidelines for neoadjuvant chemotherapy, bladder preservation, adjuvant chemotherapy, and metastatic cancer

To determine the optimal use of chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and metastatic setting in patients with advanced urothelial cell carcinoma, a consensus conference was convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Société Internationale d'Urologie (SIU) to critically review the published literature on chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced bladder cancer. This article reports the development of international guidelines for the treatment of patients with locally advanced bladder cancer with neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy. Bladder preservation is also discussed, as is chemotherapy for patients with metastatic urothelial cancer. The conference panel consisted of 10 medical oncologists and urologists from 3 continents who are experts in this field and who reviewed the English-language literature through October 2004. Relevant English-language literature was identified with the use of Medline; additional cited works not detected on the initial search regarding neoadjuvant chemotherapy, bladder preservation, adjuvant chemotherapy, and chemotherapy for patients with metastatic urothelial cancer were reviewed. Evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and management of the disease were made with reference to a 4-point scale. Results of the authors' deliberations are presented as a consensus document. Meta-analysis of randomized trials on cisplatin-containing combination neoadjuvant chemotherapy revealed a 5% difference in favor of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. No randomized trials have yet compared survival with transurethral resection of bladder tumor alone versus cystectomy for the management of patients with muscle-invasive disease. Collaborative international adjuvant chemotherapy trials are needed to assist researchers in assessing the true value of adjuvant chemotherapy. Systemic cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy is the only current modality that has been shown in phase 3 trials to improve survival in responsive patients with advanced urothelial cancer. A panel of international experts has formulated grade A through D recommendations for the management of patients with locally advanced and metastatic urothelial cancer on the basis of level 1 to 3 evidence and the findings of phase 2 trials, prospective randomized clinical trials, and meta-analyses.

Metronomic Outpatient-Based Chemotherapy with 5′-DFUR and Low-Dose Cisplatin for Conventional Platinum-Based Chemotherapy-Resistant Advanced Urothelial Cancer

Background

Metronomic chemotherapy is aimed at lessening the adverse effects of treatment while rendering cancer cells cytostatic. The oral 5-fluorouracil prodrug “5′-DFUR” has been shown to inhibit angiogenesis and is regarded as a good candidate agent for metronomic chemotherapy. Moreover, cisplatin and 5′-DFUR have been shown to synergistic cytotoxic effects.

Methods

We evaluated the safety and efficacy of metronomic chemotherapy using daily oral 5′-DFUR at the dose of 600 mg/day and biweekly cisplatin infusion at the dose of 20 mg/person in 23 patients with urothelial cancer resistant to conventional platinum-based chemotherapy.

Results

Twenty-three patients were enrolled between August 2000 and December 2004. The median survival time after the initiation of metronomic chemotherapy was 15.2 months. The 1-year, 2-year and 3-year survival rates were 55.1%, 45.1% and 5.9%, respectively. Grade 3 fatigue was observed as severe toxicity in one patient. No cases showed nephrotoxicity and adverse effects necessitating medical intervention.

Conclusions

Although a large-scale prospective study would be necessary before the therapy is established as a standard, our metronomic chemotherapy regimen appears to be a potentially useful palliative treatment alternative for patients with advanced urothelial cancer resistant to conventional platinum-based chemotherapy.

Abbreviations

M-VAC: methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin; GC: gemcitabine and carboplatin; 5′-DFUR: 5′-deoxy-5-fluorouridine; 5-FU: 5-fluorouracil; CDDP: cisplatin; TCC: transitional cell carcinoma; ECOG: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; PS: performance status; UICC: Union International Contre le Cancer; WHO: World Health Organization; NCI-CTC: National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria; CI: confidence interval; PR: partial response; NC: no change; PD: progressive disease; TP: thymidine phosphorylase; AUC: areas under the curve.

Prognostic factors in patients with recently diagnosed incurable cancer: a systematic review

GOALS OF WORK

To review the literature and develop a conceptual framework about prognostic factors for people presenting to medical oncologists with recently diagnosed incurable cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Medline was searched from January 2000 to October 2003 to identify articles testing associations between clinical or laboratory variables and survival time in adults with advanced solid tumours and median survival of 3 to 24 months. We recorded how frequently prognostic factors were significantly associated with survival in univariable and multivariable analyses.

RESULTS

There were 53 studies included. The factors associated with survival were organised into four categories related to attributes of the host the tumour, the treatment and the interactions between host, tumour and treatment (symptoms, quality of life, performance status and laboratory tests). Co-morbidity was consistently associated with shorter survival. Age and gender were not consistently associated with survival duration, except in lung cancer where females survived longer. Tumour-related factors associated with shorter survival included primary tumour (lung), metastatic site (liver, brain and visceral) and disease extent. Symptoms associated with shorter survival included those of the anorexia-cachexia syndrome, dyspnoea, pain and impaired physical well being. Performance status was strongly associated with survival in most studies. Laboratory tests associated with shorter survival included anaemia, thrombocytopenia, hypoalbuminaemia and elevated serum levels of both alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase.

CONCLUSION

Prognostic factors in patients with advanced cancer can be conceptualised as attributes of the host, tumour, treatment and interactions between the three reflected in symptoms, quality of life performance status and laboratory tests.

Phase II study of MTX-HSA in combination with Cisplatin as first line treatment in patients with advanced or metastatic transitional cell carcinoma

PURPOSE

To assess the efficacy, tolerability and safety of MTX-HSA (methotrexate (MTX) covalently linked to human serum albumin (HSA)) combined with cisplatin as first line therapy for advanced bladder cancer.

METHODS

Patients (pat) were treated with a loading dose of 110 mg/m(2) of MTX-HSA followed by a weekly dose of 40 mg/m(2) starting on day 8. Cisplatin was given on day 2 of each 28 day cycle at a dose of 75 mg/m(2).

RESULTS

Tumor response evaluation was possible in 7 patients. Complete response (CR) and partial response (PR) was observed in 1 patient each (overall response rate: 29%). Key toxicities included CTC Grade (G) 3/4 stomatitis in 6 patients, vomiting G3 in 1 patient, fatigue G3 in 1 patient and thrombocytopenia G3 in 3 patients.

CONCLUSION

The combination of MTX-HSA with cisplatin is feasible and shows antitumor activity against urothelial carcinomas combined with an acceptable toxicity profile.

Long-term survival results of a randomized trial comparing gemcitabine/cisplatin and methotrexate/vinblastine/doxorubicin/cisplatin in patients with locally advanced and metastatic bladder cancer

PURPOSE

To compare long-term survival in patients with locally advanced and metastatic transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urothelium treated with gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GC) or methotrexate/vinblastine/doxorubicin/cisplatin (MVAC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Efficacy data from a large randomized phase III study of GC versus MVAC were updated. Time-to-event analyses were performed on the observed distributions of overall survival time and progression-free survival.

RESULTS

Four hundred and five patients were randomized, 203 to the GC arm and 202 to the MVAC arm. At the time of this analysis, 347 patients have died (GC 176, MVAC 171). Overall survival was similar in both arms (HR 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88-1.34, P = 0.66) with a median survival of 14.0 months (95% CI 12.3-15.5 months) in the GC, and 15.2 months (95% CI 13.2-17.3 months) in the MVAC arm. The median progression-free survival was 7.7 months with GC (95% CI 6.8-8.8) and 8.3 months with MVAC (95% CI 7.3-9.7) with a HR of 1.09 (95% CI 0.89-1.34). Significant prognostic factors favoring overall survival included performance status (>70), TNM staging (M0 vs. M1), low/normal alkaline phosphatase expression, number of sites of disease <3, and the absence of visceral metastasis. By adjusting for these prognostic factors, the HR was 0.99 for overall survival and 1.01 for progression-free survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term overall and progression-free survival following treatment with GC or MVAC are similar. These results strengthen the role of GC as a standard of care in patients with locally advanced and metastatic transitional-cell carcinoma (TCC).

Long-term survival results of a randomized trial comparing gemcitabine plus cisplatin, with methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, plus cisplatin in patients with bladder cancer

PURPOSE

To compare long-term survival in patients with locally advanced or metastatic transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urothelium treated with gemcitabine/cisplatin (GC) or methotrexate/vinblastine/doxorubicin/cisplatin (MVAC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Efficacy data from a large randomized phase III study of GC versus MVAC were updated. Time-to-event analyses were performed on the observed distributions of overall and progression-free survival.

RESULTS

A total of 405 patients were randomly assigned: 203 to the GC arm and 202 to the MVAC arm. At the time of analysis, 347 patients had died (GC arm, 176 patients; MVAC arm, 171 patients). Overall survival was similar in both arms (hazard ratio [HR], 1.09; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.34; P = .66) with a median survival of 14.0 months for GC and 15.2 months for MVAC. The 5-year overall survival rates were 13.0% and 15.3%, respectively (P = .53). The median progression-free survival was 7.7 months for GC and 8.3 months for MVAC, with an HR of 1.09. The 5-year progression-free survival rates were 9.8% and 11.3%, respectively (P = .63). Significant prognostic factors favoring overall survival included performance score (> 70), TNM staging (M0 v M1), low/normal alkaline phosphatase level, number of disease sites (<or= three), and the absence of visceral metastases. By adjusting for these prognostic factors, the HR was 0.99 for overall survival and 1.01 for progression-free survival. The 5-year overall survival rates for patients with and without visceral metastases were 6.8% and 20.9%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Long-term overall and progression-free survival after treatment with GC or MVAC are similar. These results strengthen the role of GC as a standard of care in patients with locally advanced or metastatic TCC.

Late oncological occurrences following radical cystectomy in patients with bladder cancer

PURPOSE

To evaluate the prognoses and predictive factors of late oncological occurrences and its impact on follow-up strategy in patients with bladder tumours treated with radical cystectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Late oncological occurrences were considered when they took place after three years from cystectomy or when early recurrence was controlled with therapy and patients developed recurrence again after a three-year disease-free interval. Univariate and multivariate analysis of predictive factors for late oncological occurrences were carried out on 215 patients at risk of late oncological recurrences.

RESULTS

Among 357 patients treated with cystectomy, 163 (45.6%) relapsed, 149 (41.7%) of them as early recurrence and 17 (4.7%) were considered as late oncological events. This incidence increased up to 8% when patients at risk were considered. Three patients with early recurrence reached a complete response after treatment and relapsed again as late recurrences. Distant metastases and local recurrence represented 78.5% of early recurrence as opposed to 11.7% in late oncological occurrences, whereas, extravesical urothelium recurrences represented 8.6% and 70% respectively (p<0.01). Among patients with late oncological occurrences, nine (53%) were disease-free, seven with urothelial recurrence and two of three with lymph-node recurrence whereas only eight (5.6%) patients with early recurrence were free of tumour (p<0.0001). Multiple tumours, prostate involvement and organ-confined tumours in cystectomy specimen were the independent variables for predicting late oncological occurrences in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Recurrences in the remaining urothelium prevail as the pattern of late oncological occurrences. The prognosis of these events is significantly better than an early recurrence. Patients at risk of late oncological occurrences are those with multiple tumours, prostate involvement and with organ-confined tumours in cystectomy specimen. After three years from cystectomy, the follow-up schedule of these patients be limited to performing an annual CT-scan and urinary cytology to detect essentially upper urinary tract recurrence and extrapelvic lymph-nodal recurrence. Afterwards an annual intravenous urography might replace to CT-scan since lymph-nodal involvement was not detected.

The present and future of combination chemotherapy in bladder cancer

The combination of methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (MVAC) has dominated the landscape of chemotherapy for advanced bladder cancer for over 15 years. Randomized studies have shown its superiority over cisplatin alone or in combination with cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin. However, it exhibits a significant toxicity profile and achieves only a slight impact on overall survival. Gemcitabine is among the new cytotoxic drugs in development for treatment of advanced urothelial cancer. The combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin represents a new standard alternative of treatment in the disease based on similar efficacy to and lower toxicity than the classic MVAC regimen. Future drug development will focus on the clinical usefulness of three-drug regimens (including gemcitabine, paclitaxel or docetaxel, and a platinum salt), and nonplatinum-based combinations, as well as showing the impact of adjuvant postcystectomy chemotherapy on survival.

Current and future perspectives in advanced bladder cancer: is there a new standard?

The methotrexate/vinblastine/doxorubicin/cisplatin (MVAC) regimen has been the standard treatment in patients with locally advanced and metastatic urothelial cancer for the past 15 years. The minimal or moderate survival benefit-depending on prognostic features-and the severe toxicity associated with the MVAC regimen have made the search for new drugs and drug combinations of utmost importance to increase efficacy and/or decrease toxicity. In this respect, the taxanes and gemcitabine are promising new drugs. Paclitaxel and docetaxel as single agents have yielded overall response rates of 7% to 56%, depending on whether the patients have received prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease. The combination of paclitaxel and cisplatin has been explored in three studies with a total of 104 evaluable patients, a pooled overall response (OR) rate of 61%, and a complete response (CR) rate of 20%. There are two studies of docetaxel and cisplatin with a total of 91 evaluable patients, an OR rate of 54%, and a CR rate of 16%. The OR rate for paclitaxel and carboplatin in six studies was 43%, with a CR rate of 13%; however, the reported median survival was only 8.5 to 9.5 months. The OR rate for single-agent gemcitabine based on five studies was 26%, with a CR rate of 9%, which was apparently independent of whether the patients had received prior chemotherapy. The OR rate for gemcitabine and cisplatin in four phase II studies ranged from 41% to 57%, with a CR rate of 15% to 22% and a median survival of 12.5 to 14.3 months. Based on the encouraging results for the combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC), a randomized phase III trial comparing GC and MVAC was begun in late 1996. This study of 405 randomized patients showed that the two regimens were associated with similar response rates, time to progression, and overall survival, whereas GC was associated with less toxicity than MVAC. On the basis of this superior risk-benefit ratio, the GC regimen should be favored as a new standard treatment in patients with locally advanced and metastatic urothelial cancer. Other promising combinations include gemcitabine and paclitaxel, with or without cisplatin, and the combination of ifosfamide, paclitaxel, and cisplatin. The triple combination of gemcitabine, paclitaxel, and cisplatin has yielded an OR rate of 78%, a CR rate of 28%, and a median survival of 24 months. An international phase III trial comparing this triple combination with GC in patients with locally advanced and metastatic urothelial cancer has now been initiated.