Feasibility study of docetaxel plus bevacizumab as first line therapy for elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: Thoracic Oncology Research Group (TORG) 1014

Anlotinib plus docetaxel vs. docetaxel alone for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients who failed first-line treatment: A multicenter, randomized phase II trial

OBJECTIVES

Given the modest efficacy of docetaxel in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), this study assesses the therapeutic potential and safety profile of anlotinib in combination with docetaxel compared to docetaxel monotherapy as a second-line therapy for patients with advanced NSCLC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this phase II study, patients with advanced NSCLC experiencing failure with first-line platinum-based regimens were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either anlotinib plus docetaxel or docetaxel alone. Primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), with overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety as secondary endpoints.

RESULTS

A total of 83 patients were randomized. The combination of anlotinib and docetaxel significantly extended median PFS to 4.4 months compared to 1.6 months for docetaxel alone (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.38, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.23-0.63, P = 0.0002), and also demonstrated superior ORR (32.5 % vs. 9.3 %, P = 0.0089) and DCR (87.5 % vs. 53.5 %, P = 0.0007). Median OS was observed at 12.0 months in the combination group vs. 10.9 months in the monotherapy group (HR = 0.82, 95 % CI: 0.47-1.43, P = 0.4803). For patients previously treated with immunotherapy, the median PFS was notably longer at 7.8 vs. 1.7 months (HR = 0.22, 95 % CI: 0.09-0.51, P = 0.0290). The incidence of grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events, predominantly leukopenia (15.0 % vs. 7.0 %) and neutropenia (10.0 % vs. 5.0 %), was manageable across both groups.

CONCLUSION

Anlotinib plus docetaxel offers a viable therapeutic alternative for patients with advanced NSCLC who failed first-line platinum-based treatments.

Open-label, multicenter, randomized phase II study on docetaxel plus bevacizumab or pemetrexed plus bevacizumab for treatment of elderly (aged ≥75 years) patients with previously untreated advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer: TORG1323

Background

The effectiveness of bevacizumab monotherapy in elderly patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unclear. The efficacy of the combinations for elderly patients was explored.

Methods

Untreated patients (≥75 years; performance status 0–1) with stage IIIB, IV, or recurrent non-squamous NSCLC were included. Patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements were eligible even if they received tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive docetaxel (50 mg/m²) (DB) or pemetrexed (500 mg/m²) (PB) with bevacizumab (15 m/kg). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Treatment was administered every 3 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Results

Overall, 103 patients (DB: n=51; PB: n=52) were enrolled. In the DB and PB arms, median ages [range] were 78 [75–88] and 79 [75–94] years, respectively; median PFS were 6.1 and 4.6 months, respectively [hazard ratio (HR), 1.03; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.66–1.61]; and response rates were 43%, and 40%, respectively (P=0.840). Grade ≥3 leukopenia, neutropenia, and fatigue incidences were significantly higher in the DB arm. Febrile neutropenia incidence did not differ significantly (16% vs. 12%, P=0.578). One patient in the PB arm died from a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. Quality of life (QoL) analysis revealed less deterioration in the PB arm.

Conclusions

In previously untreated elderly patients with non-squamous NSCLC, PB shows feasibility, better QoL, and promising efficacy in terms of PFS, and an objective response rate for further analysis (UMIN000012786).

A phase II study of the combination of docetaxel and bevacizumab for previously treated non-small cell lung cancer

Objective

The standard therapies for previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) include docetaxel (DOC). Bevacizumab (BV), an antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody, increases the antitumor effect of cytotoxic anticancer agents. A BV-containing combination regimen is recommended as the primary therapy for advanced non-squamous NSCLC. However, the efficacy of DOC + BV is unknown in patients with previously treated advanced NSCLC. We conducted a phase II clinical study of DOC + BV for patients with previously treated advanced non-squamous NSCLC.

Methods

Twenty-three patients were enrolled in this study from June 2011 through May 2014. Chemotherapy was repeated every 21 days unless there was evidence of disease progression or intolerance to the study treatment. We assessed efficacy and toxicity.

Results

The median progression-free survival was 30.7 weeks. The response rate was 47.8%. The most common grade ≥3 adverse events were neutropenia (20 patients, 87.0%) and febrile neutropenia (7 patients, 30.4%).

Conclusions

The combination of DOC and BV often resulted in serious neutropenia, suggesting that this regimen is difficult to tolerate.

Characteristics of nosocomial infection and its effects on the survival of chemotherapy patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

The present study was planned to investigate the characteristics of nosocomial infection and its effects on the survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Retrospective analysis was performed for the 169 chemotherapy patients with NSCLC and nosocomial infection during hospitalization in Binzhou City Central Hospital from March, 2013 to January, 2015. In addition, 170 patients without nosocomial infection were also involved as a control group. The distribution of major drug resistance of Gram-negative (G⁻) and Gram-positive (G⁺) were analyzed. The survival conditions of the patients were analyzed according to the nosocomial infection occurrence. The risk factors of nosocomial infection in patients with NSCLC were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic analysis. The percentage of G⁺ infection was 45.6% while G⁻ infection was 54.4%. Nosocomial infections were most common in respiratory system. The median survival time of the observation group was shorter than that of the control group (P<0.05). G⁻ infection was the most common type of infection in nosocomial infection of the patients with NSCLC. The occurrence of infection seriously affected the survival time of patients. Attention is required to the patients older than 60 years undergoing treatment with glucocorticoids as well as immunosuppressive agents.