Comparison of toxicity and effectiveness between fixed-dose and body surface area-based dose capecitabine

A polymorphism in ABCA2 is associated with neutropenia induced by capecitabine in Japanese patients with colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

Capecitabine is a prodrug that converts to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in three steps. A previous study showed that ABCA2 rs2271862 (C > T) and ABCG5 rs6720173 were associated with increased clearance of 5-FU and 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine, respectively, in Spanish patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) (Br J Clin Pharmacol 2021) and reported that ABCA2 rs2271862 was associated with decreased risk of capecitabine-induced neutropenia. Other studies have reported that ABCB1 rs1128503, rs2032592, and rs1045642 were associated with capecitabine-induced toxicity in Spanish CRC patients (Oncotarget 2015, Phamacogenomics 2010). Here, we prospectively examined the effects of ABC transporter genes polymorphisms on capecitabine pharmacokinetics and toxicity.

METHODS

We enrolled patients with postoperative CRC treated with adjuvant capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (CapeOX) and patients with metastatic CRC receiving CapeOX. Pharmacokinetic analysis of the first capecitabine dose (1000 mg/m2) was performed on day 1. We analyzed plasma concentrations of capecitabine and its three metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography and ABC transporter genes polymorphisms using direct sequencing.

RESULTS

Patients with ABCA2 rs2271862 T/T genotype had significantly lower area under the plasma concentration-time curve of capecitabine, but not of its metabolites, which were divided by the dose of the parent drug, than patients with C/C or C/T genotype (P = 0.0238). Frequency of ≥ grade 2 neutropenia was significantly lower in patients with ABCA2 rs2271862 T/T genotype (P = 0.00915). Polymorphisms in ABCG5 and ABCB1 were not associated with capecitabine pharmacokinetics and toxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that ABCA2 polymorphism was significantly associated with systemic exposure to capecitabine and capecitabine-induced neutropenia in Japanese patients with CRC.

Capecitabine-induced hand-foot syndrome: A pharmacogenetic study beyond DPYD

AIM OF THE STUDY

Occurrence of hand-foot syndrome (HFS) during capecitabine treatment often results in treatment interruptions (26 %) or treatment discontinuation (17 %), and can severely decrease quality of life. In this study, we investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes involved in capecitabine metabolism - other than DPYD - are associated with an increased risk for capecitabine-induced HFS.

METHODS

Patients treated with capecitabine according to standard of care were enrolled after providing written informed consent for genotyping purposes. Prospectively collected blood samples were used to extract genomic DNA, which was subsequently genotyped for SNPs in CES1, CES2 and CDA. SNPs and clinical baseline factors that were univariably associated with HFS with P ≤ 0.10, were tested in a multivariable model using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of the 446 patients eligible for analysis, 146 (32.7 %) developed HFS, of whom 77 patients (17.3 %) experienced HFS ≥ grade 2. In the multivariable model, CES1 1165-33 C>A (rs2244613, minor allele frequency 19 %) and CDA 266 + 242 A>G (rs10916825, minor allele frequency 35 %) variant allele carriers were at higher risk of HFS ≥ grade 2 (OR 1.888; 95 %CI 1.075-3.315; P = 0.027 and OR 1.865; 95 %CI 1.087-3.200; P = 0.024, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

We showed that CES1 1165-33 C>A and CDA 266 + 242 A>G are significantly associated with HFS grade 2 and grade 3 in patients treated with capecitabine. Prospective studies should assess whether this increased risk can be mitigated in carriers of these SNPs, when pre-emptive genotyping is being followed by dose adjustment or by alternative treatment by a fluoropyrimidine that is not substrate to CES1, such as S1.

Chemotherapy and Anticancer Drugs Adjustment in Obesity: A Narrative Review

BACKGROUND

Obese individuals have higher rates of cancer incidence and cancer- related mortality. The worse chemotherapy outcomes observed in this subset of patients are multifactorial, including the altered physiology in obesity and its impact on pharmacokinetics, the possible increased risk of underdosing, and treatment-related toxicity.

AIMS

The present review aimed to discuss recent data on physiology, providing just an overall perspective and pharmacokinetic alterations in obesity concerning chemotherapy. We also reviewed the controversies of dosing adjustment strategies in adult and pediatric patients, mainly addressing the use of actual total body weight and ideal body weight.

METHODS

This narrative review tried to provide the best evidence to support antineoplastic drug dosing strategies in children, adolescents, and adults.

RESULTS

Cardiovascular, hepatic, and renal alterations of obesity can affect the distribution, metabolism, and clearance of drugs. Anticancer drugs have a narrow therapeutic range, and variations in dosing may result in either toxicity or underdosing. Obese patients are underrepresented in clinical trials that focus on determining recommendations for chemotherapy dosing and administration in clinical practice. After considering associated comorbidities, the guidelines recommend that chemotherapy should be dosed according to body surface area (BSA) calculated with actual total body weight, not an estimate or ideal weight, especially when the intention of therapy is the cure.

CONCLUSION

The actual total body weight dosing appears to be a better approach to dosing anticancer drugs in both adults and children when aiming for curative results, showing no difference in toxicity and no limitation in treatment outcomes compared to adjusted doses.

Topical heparin as an effective and safe treatment for patients with capecitabine-induced hand-foot syndrome: results of a phase IIA trial supported by proteomic profiling of skin biopsies

Background:

Hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is a common adverse reaction associated with capecitabine chemotherapy that significantly affects the quality of life of patients. This study evaluates the safety and effectiveness of a topical heparin (TH) treatment on the clinical manifestations and anatomopathological alterations of capecitabine-induced HFS. In addition, we performed proteome profiling of skin biopsies obtained from patients with HFS at baseline and after heparin treatment.

Methods:

Patients with grade ⩽ 2 HFS associated with capecitabine were included in this study. The primary end point was the effectiveness of TH in reducing HFS of any grade. Clinical improvement was evaluated by clinicians, and an improvement was perceived by patients who performed a weekly visual analog scale questionnaire. Secondary end points included a comparative histological analysis and protein expression in skin biopsies at baseline and after 3 weeks of HT treatment. Proteomic profiling was carried out using quantitative isobaric labelling and subsequently validated by a T-array.

Results:

Twenty-one patients were included in the study. The median TH treatment time was 7.6 weeks (range = 3.6–41.6 weeks), and the median response time was 3.01 weeks (95% CI = 2.15–3.97). At the end of treatment, 19 of 21 patients (90.48%) responded to treatment with a decrease in one or more grades of HFS. None of the patients experienced adverse effects related to TH usage, nor did they suspend chemotherapy treatment. The main findings observed in skin biopsies after treatment were a decrease in hyperkeratosis and lymphocytic infiltrates. The proteomic analysis showed altered expression of 34 proteins that were mainly related to wound healing, cell growth, and the immune response.

Conclusion:

Based on our results, topical heparin is an effective and safe treatment for clinical manifestations of HFS, probably due to the restauration of skin homeostasis after heparin treatment, as supported by our proteomics-derived data.

Trial registration:

EudraCT 2009-018171-13

Effect of the Proton Pump Inhibitor Esomeprazole on the Systemic Exposure of Capecitabine: Results of A Randomized Crossover Trial

Retrospective data suggest that gastric acid reduction by proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) impairs the dissolution and subsequent absorption of capecitabine, and thus potentially reduces the capecitabine exposure. Therefore, we examined prospectively the effect of esomeprazole on the pharmacokinetics of capecitabine. In this randomized crossover study, patients with cancer were assigned to 2 sequence groups, each consisting of 3 phases: capecitabine with esomeprazole administration 3 hours before (phase A), capecitabine alone (phase B), and capecitabine concomitant with cola and esomeprazole co-administration 3 hours before (phase C). The primary end point was the relative difference (RD) in exposure to capecitabine assessed by the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from zero to infinity (AUC_0-inf ) and analyzed by a linear mixed effect model. Twenty-two evaluable patients were included in the analysis. After esomeprazole, there was a 18.9% increase in AUC_0-inf of capecitabine (95% confidence interval (CI) -10.0% to 57.0%, P = 0.36). In addition, capecitabine half-life was significantly longer after esomeprazole (median 0.63 hours vs. 0.46 hours, P = 0.005). Concomitant cola did not completely reverse the effects observed after esomeprazole (RD 3.3% (95% CI -16.3 to 27.4%, P = 1.00). Capecitabine exposure is not negatively influenced by esomeprazole cotreatment. Therefore, altered capecitabine pharmacokinetics do not explain the assumed worse clinical outcome of PPI-cotreated patients with cancer.

Appropriate Systemic Therapy Dosing for Obese Adult Patients With Cancer: ASCO Guideline Update

PURPOSE

To provide recommendations for appropriate dosing of systemic antineoplastic agents in obese adults with cancer.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature collected evidence regarding dosing of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies in obese adults with cancer. PubMed and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, or cohort studies published from November 1, 2010, through March 27, 2020. ASCO convened an Expert Panel to review the evidence and formulate recommendations.

RESULTS

Sixty studies, primarily retrospective, were included in the review. Overall, the evidence supported previous findings that obese adult patients tolerate full, body-size-based dosing of chemotherapy as well as nonobese patients. Fewer studies have addressed the dosing of targeted therapies and immunotherapies in relation to safety and efficacy in obese patients.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Panel continues to recommend that full, weight-based cytotoxic chemotherapy doses be used to treat obese adults with cancer. New to this version of the guideline, the Panel also recommends that full, approved doses of immunotherapy and targeted therapies be offered to obese adults with cancer. In the event of toxicity, the consensus of the Panel is that dose modifications of systemic antineoplastic therapies should be handled similarly for obese and nonobese patients. Important areas for future research include the impact of sarcopenia and other measures of body composition on optimal antineoplastic dosing, and more customized dosing based on pharmacokinetic or pharmacogenetic factors.Additional information is available at www.asco.org/supportive-care-guidelines.

Individualized Dosing of Fluoropyrimidine-Based Chemotherapy to Prevent Severe Fluoropyrimidine-Related Toxicity: What Are the Options?

Fluoropyrimidines are widely used in the treatment of several types of solid tumors. Although most often well tolerated, severe toxicity is encountered in ~ 20-30% of the patients. Individualized dosing for these patients can reduce the incidence of severe fluoropyrimidine-related toxicity. However, no consensus has been achieved on which dosing strategy is preferred. The most established strategy for individualized dosing of fluoropyrimidines is upfront genotyping of the DPYD gene. Prospective research has shown that DPYD-guided dose-individualization significantly reduces the incidence of severe toxicity and can be easily applied in routine daily practice. Furthermore, the measurement of the dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) enzyme activity has shown to accurately detect patients with a DPD deficiency. Yet, because this assay is time-consuming and expensive, it is not widely implemented in routine clinical care. Other methods include the measurement of pretreatment endogenous serum uracil concentrations, the uracil/dihydrouracil-ratio, and the 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) degradation rate. These methods have shown mixed results. Next to these methods to detect DPD deficiency, pharmacokinetically guided follow-up of 5-FU could potentially be used as an addition to dosing strategies to further improve the safety of fluoropyrimidines. Furthermore, baseline characteristics, such as sex, age, body composition, and renal function have shown to have a relationship with the development of severe toxicity. Therefore, these baseline characteristics should be considered as a dose-individualization strategy. We present an overview of the current dose-individualization strategies and provide perspectives for a future multiparametric approach.

Evaluation of patient-reported severity of hand-foot syndrome under capecitabine using a Markov modeling approach

Purpose

The inclusion of the patient’s perspective has become increasingly important when reporting adverse events and may assist in management of toxicity. The relationship between drug exposure and toxicity can be quantified by combining Markov elements with pharmacometric models. A minimal continuous-time Markov model (mCTMM) was applied to patient-reported outcomes using hand–foot syndrome (HFS) induced by capecitabine anti-cancer therapy as an example.

Methods

Patient-reported HFS grades over time of 150 patients from two observational studies treated with oral capecitabine were analyzed using a mCTMM approach. Grading of HFS severity was based on the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. The model was evaluated by visual predictive checks (VPC). Furthermore, a simulation study of the probability of HFS severity over time was performed in which the standard dosing regimen and dose adjustments according to HFS severity were investigated.

Results

The VPC of the developed dose–toxicity model indicated an accurate description of HFS severity over time. Individual absolute daily dose was found to be a predictor for HFS. The simulation study demonstrated a reduction of severe HFS using the recommended dose adjustment strategy.

Conclusion

A minimal continuous-time Markov model was developed based on patient-reported severity of hand–foot syndrome under capecitabine. Thus, a modeling framework for patient-reported outcomes was created which may assist in the optimization of dosage regimens and adjustment strategies aiming at minimizing symptom burden during anti-cancer drug therapy.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s00280-020-04128-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Variants of carboxylesterase 1 have no impact on capecitabine pharmacokinetics and toxicity in capecitabine plus oxaliplatin treated-colorectal cancer patients

PURPOSE

Capecitabine is a prodrug that undergoes metabolism in three steps to form an active 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The first step is primarily catalyzed by liver carboxylesterases (CES) 1. Here, we examined the effects of CES1 variants on pharmacokinetics and toxicity of capecitabine.

METHODS

We enrolled postoperative colorectal cancer (CRC) patients administered with adjuvant capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (CapeOX) and metastatic CRC patients receiving CapeOX. The pharmacokinetic analysis of the first capecitabine dose (1000 mg/m²) was done on day 1, and oxaliplatin administration was shifted to day 2. Plasma concentrations of capecitabine, 5'-deoxy-5-fluorocytidine, 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine (5'-DFUR), and 5-FU were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. CES1 polymorphisms (rs3217164, rs2244614, rs2244613, rs7187684, and rs11861118) and the functional CES1 genes (1A1, var1A1, 1A2, and pseudo 1A3) in their diplotype configurations were analyzed by direct sequencing.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven patients were enrolled from September 2017 to February 2020. Patients with a higher area under the plasma concentration-time curve to capecitabine dose ratio (AUC/dose) of 5'-DFUR than its mean showed a higher frequency of overall ≥ grade 3 toxicity and lower relative dose intensity (RDI) of capecitabine than those with a lower ratio. Higher CES1 activity expressed as a metabolic ratio (AUC of capecitabine/sum of three AUCs of each metabolite) lower than its mean was associated with higher 5'-DFUR AUC/dose and lower RDI, indicating essential roles of CES1 in capecitabine activation to produce 5'-DFUR. However, the association between CES1 variants and capecitabine pharmacokinetics and toxicity was not significant.

CONCLUSION

CES1 variants are not associated with capecitabine pharmacokinetics and toxicity.