Cardiovascular toxicity of checkpoint inhibitors: review of associated toxicity and design of the Spanish Immunotherapy Registry of Cardiovascular Toxicity

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have changed the prognosis of many tumors. However, concerning associated cardiotoxicity has been reported. Little is known about the real-life incidence-specific surveillance protocols or the translational correlation between the underlying mechanisms and the clinical presentation of ICI-induced cardiotoxicity. The lack of data from prospective studies led us to review the current knowledge and to present the creation of the Spanish Immunotherapy Registry of Cardiovascular Toxicity (SIR-CVT), a prospective registry of patients receiving ICI that aims to examine the role of hsa-miR-Chr8:96, (a specific serum biomarker of myocarditis) in the early diagnosis of ICI-induced myocarditis. An exhaustive prospective cardiac imaging study will be performed before and during the first 12 months of treatment. The correlation between clinical, imaging, and immunologic parameters may improve our understanding of ICI-induced cardiotoxicity and enable simpler surveillance protocols. We assess ICI-induced cardiovascular toxicity and describe the rationale of the SIR-CVT.

Unravelling oligometastatic disease from the perspective of radiation and medical oncology. Part II: prostate cancer and colorectal cancer

Oligometastatic disease (OMD) defines a status of cancer that is intermediate between localized and widely spread metastatic disease, and can be treated with curative intent. While imaging diagnostic tools have considerably improved in recent years, unidentified micrometastases can still escape from current detection techniques allowing disease to progress. The variety of OMD scenarios are mainly defined by the number of metastases, the biological and molecular tumour profiles, and the timing of the development of metastases. Increasing knowledge has contributed to the earlier and improved detection of OMD, underlining the importance of an early disease control. Based on increasing detection rates of OMD in the current real clinical practice and the lack of standardized evidence-based guidelines to treat this cancer status, a board of experts from the Spanish Societies of Radiation Oncology (SEOR) and Medical Oncology (SEOM) organized a series of sessions to update the current state-of-the-art on OMD from a multidisciplinary perspective, and to discuss how results from clinical studies may translate into promising treatment options. This experts' review series summarizes what is known and what it is pending clarification in the context of OMD in the scenarios of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Breast Cancer (Part I), and Prostate Cancer and Colorectal Cancer (Part II), aiming to offer specialists a pragmatic framework that might contribute to the improved management of patients.

Unravelling oligometastatic disease from the perspective of radiation and medical oncology. Part I: non-small cell lung cancer and breast cancer

Oligometastatic disease (OMD) defines a cancer status that is intermediate between localized and widely spread metastatic disease, and can be treated with curative intent. While diagnostic imaging tools have considerably improved in recent years, unidentified micrometastases can still evade current detection techniques, allowing the disease to progress. The various OMD scenarios are mainly defined by the number of metastases, the biological and molecular tumour profiles, and the timing of the development of metastases. Increasing knowledge has contributed to the earlier and improved detection of OMD, underlining the importance of early disease control. In view of increasing OMD detection rates in current real-world clinical practice and the lack of standardized evidence-based guidelines to treat this cancer status, a board of experts from the Spanish Societies of Radiation Oncology (SEOR) and Medical Oncology (SEOM) organized a series of sessions to update the current state-of-the-art on OMD from a multidisciplinary perspective, and to discuss how results from clinical studies might translate into promising treatment options. This expert review series summarizes what is known and what it is pending clarification in the context of OMD in the scenarios of non-small cell lung cancer and breast cancer (Part I), and prostate cancer and colorectal cancer (Part II), aiming to offer specialists a pragmatic framework to help improve patient management.

Multimodal prediction of response to neoadjuvant nivolumab and chemotherapy for surgically resectable stage IIIA non–small cell lung cancer

8542

Background: The NADIM trial (NCT03081689), led by the Spanish Lung Cancer Group, assessed the antitumor activity and safety of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for resectable stage IIIA NSCLC. Patients received neoadjuvant nivolumab and paclitaxel-carboplatin for three cycles before surgical resection, followed by one year of adjuvant nivolumab. At 24 months, progression-free survival (PFS) was 77%, suggesting that neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy represents a promising option in this setting. Pathological complete response (pCR) could potentially be used as an important surrogate endpoint for survival. We present here a re-analysis of the NADIM cohort aiming to develop a machine learning algorithm to predict the pCR status based on multimodal baseline data. Methods: We combined baseline clinical data (e.g., age, smoking status), biological data (e.g., tumor histology, mutations), radiology reports and radiomics analysis of the baseline CT scan in a multimodal analysis. While 46 patients were enrolled in the NADIM trial, only 28 had a complete set of data available for this retrospective study. For each patient, tumors were segmented on the baseline CT-scan in 3D by a Deep Learning algorithm. Radiomics features were extracted following the IBSI standards and combined with the other data modalities. A filter-based variable selection method was applied before training several machine learning algorithms. The optimization criterion was the Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC). Due to the small size of the cohort, a leave-one-out cross-validation approach was used to properly estimate the model performance. For a sub-cohort of 20 patients for which data have been collected longitudinally during the neoadjuvant treatment, an additional Delta-radiomics model was used to predict the pCR status. Results: An XGBoost algorithm with a linear base learner displayed an AUC of 0.69, a precision of 75%, a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 50%. Features with highest weight in the algorithm were a mix of radiological, radiomics, biological and clinical features (including the neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio, mutations and histology) highlighting the importance of a truly multimodal analysis. Indeed, withdrawing a specific data modality (e.g., radiomics or biological features), led to a decrease of ̃15% of the AUC. Inclusion of the Delta-radiomics analysis on the data collected longitudinally prior to surgery led to an improved AUC of 0.76 in that patient sub-cohort. Conclusions: This study is, to our knowledge, the first to offer a multimodal analysis of the response to neoadjuvant treatment for surgically resectable stage IIIA NSCLC and is a proof of concept that a machine learning algorithm can be used to predict the pCR in this context. These preliminary results are being confirmed in the ongoing NADIM II trial. Clinical trial information: NCT03838159.

An open-label, multicenter, phase 2 study of the safety and efficacy of navtemadlin (KRT-232) in patients with TP53 wild-type relapsed/refractory small cell lung cancer

TPS8600

Background: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive neuroendocrine tumor characterized by early metastasis and a high recurrence rate with currently available treatment options. Although SCLC is generally sensitive to initial chemotherapy, responses are not durable and most patients eventually relapse. Prognosis is poorer in the relapsed/refractory (R/R) setting and currently available treatment options, including checkpoint inhibitors, are associated with a median overall survival of 2-9 months (Chauhan 2020; Trigo 2020; Chung 2020). Approximately 15% of patients have a TP53 wild-type ( TP53WT) gene. In patients with extensive-stage SCLC, TP53WT is paradoxically associated with an inferior response to chemotherapy (Dowlati 2016). Thus, the presence of TP53WT may help identify a small subset of patients with an even greater unmet need. Murine double minute 2 (MDM2) is the key negative regulator of the tumor suppressor protein, p53, which can induce apoptosis of malignant cells by shifting the balance between prosurvival and proapoptotic BCL-2 family members. In SCLC cell lines, MDM2 inhibition restored p53 function leading to downregulation of prosurvival Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 proteins, and upregulation of the proapoptotic Bim protein, thereby inducing cancer cell death (Yu 2019). Navtemadlin (KRT-232) is a potent, selective, orally available MDM2 inhibitor that restores p53 function to drive apoptosis of TP53WT malignancies. Treatment with navtemadlin may be an effective strategy for patients with TP53WT SCLC. Methods: The open-label, multicenter Phase 2 KRT-232-112 study (NCT05027867) is evaluating navtemadlin in TP53WT patients with R/R SCLC. Eligibility criteria include age ≥18 years, ECOG performance status ≤2, presence of measurable disease and demonstrated radiographic progression after ≥1 prior platinum-containing therapy with no curative therapy available. Patients must have received a checkpoint inhibitor if available and not contraindicated. Patients with symptomatic or uncontrolled central nervous system metastases or those with prior MDM2 inhibitor treatment will be excluded. In part 1 of the study, approximately 20 patients will be randomly assigned to receive oral navtemadlin once daily in 21-day cycles at 240 mg 7 days (D) on/14D off (Arm A) or 180 mg 7D on/14D off (Arm B) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. In part 2, an additional 18 patients will be enrolled in each arm selected for expansion. The primary endpoint is objective response rate per RECIST v1.1. Secondary endpoints include duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival, disease control rate, and safety. This trial is ongoing and will enroll patients at approximately 40 global sites. Clinical trial information: NCT05027867.

Updated analysis from the ATEZO-BRAIN trial: Atezolizumab plus carboplatin and pemetrexed in patients with advanced nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer with untreated brain metastases

9010

Background: Atezolizumab plus chemotherapy was safe and yielded promising clinical outcome as frontline therapy for patients (pts) with advanced NSCLC with untreated brain metastases (BM) in the ATEZO-BRAIN study (NCT03526900). Methods: A multicenter single-arm phase II trial with a Bayesian design for evaluating the safety and efficacy of atezolizumab plus carboplatin with pemetrexed every 3 weeks for 4-6 cycles, followed by maintenance with pemetrexed plus atezolizumab in pts with stage IV non-squamous NSCLC without EGFR or ALK genetic alterations and untreated BM. Pts not presented neurologic symptoms at baseline; but anticonvulsants and dexamethasone (DXM) ≤ 4mg qd were allowed. Co-primary endpoints were safety and investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) at 12 weeks according to RANO-BM and RECIST v1.1 for brain and systemic disease, respectively. Here we present the final data and an exploratory analysis based on PD-L1 expression and corticosteroid treatment at baseline. Results: Out of 40 pts included in the study, 22 (55%) were receiving DXM at baseline and 20 (50%) had positive expression of PD-L1. Sixteen (40%) pts had confirmed intracranial response based on RANO-BM (12 PR, 4 CR) and 19 (47.5%) pts achieved systemic response (all PR). Only 4 pts had discordant responses between the body and the brain. No differences were observed in the overall systemic and intracranial response rate according to the PD-L1 expression or the use of corticosteroids at baseline. As of December 31, 2021 (median follow-up, 20 months), the updated median (95% CI) systemic PFS was 8.9 (6.7 to 13.8) and intracranial PFS was 6.9 (4.7 to 11.9). Median (95% CI) OS was 13.6 (9.72 to not reached) and estimated 2-year OS rate (95% CI) was 30.5% (18.4 to 50.4). Median (95%CI) OS was longer for PD-L1 positive pts (16.2; 10.3 to not reached) compared to PD-L1 negative pts (10.7; 7.6 to not reached) but differences were not statistically significant due to the limited statistical power (HR = 0.99; 95% CI 0.35 to 2.12). No significant differences in OS were observed between pts receiving or not baseline DXM treatment. Treatment was well tolerated and no grade 5 toxicities were observed. Conclusions: In this updated analysis, treatment with atezolizumab plus carboplatin and pemetrexed yields a promising 2-year OS rate and intracranial response rate in patients with untreated BM from NSCLC, regardless of treatment with corticosteroids at baseline and PD-L1 expression. Clinical trial information: NCT03526900.

Prognostic factors for survival in patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma: An analysis of the SEER database

Background

Lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) is the main cause of death related to lung cancer. The aim of this study was to identify poor prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) in patients with stage IV lung ADC in real‐world clinical practice.

Methods

Patients were selected from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Chi‐square bivariate analysis was used for the association of binary qualitative variables. A multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to determine the impact of these prognostic factors on OS.

Results

A total of 46 030 patients were included (51.3% men, mean age 67.03 ± 11.6), of whom 41.3% presented with metastases in bone, 28.9% in brain, 17.1% in liver and 31.8% in lung. Patients with liver metastases presented with two or more metastatic sites more frequently than patients without liver metastases (P < 0.001). Male sex (HR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.76–0.80), age ≥ 65 years (HR 1.37, 95% CI: 1.33–1.40), lack of family support (HR 0.80, 95% CI: 0.78–0.81) and presence of liver (HR 1.45, 95% CI: 1.40–1.50), bone (HR 1.21, 95% CI: 1.18–1.24) or brain metastases (HR 1.18, 95% CI: 1.15–1.21) were identified as poor prognostic factors for OS. Patients with liver metastasis showed the highest hazard ratio value (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The presence of liver metastases was the worst prognostic factor for patients with metastatic lung ADC. This factor should be considered as a stratification factor for future studies evaluating new cancer treatments including immunotherapy.

Key points

Significant findings of the study

Regression analysis identified poor prognostic factors for overall survival. Factors were male sex, age ≥ 65 years, lack of family support and presence of liver, bone and brain metastases.

Patients with liver metastasis showed the highest HR (HR = 1.45 95% CI: 1.40–1.50).

This study included the highest number of adenocarcinoma patients analyzed so far (N = 46 030).

What this study adds

The presence of liver metastases should be considered as a stratification factor for future studies evaluating new cancer treatments including immunotherapy.

A phase 1, open-label, dose-escalation trial of oral TSR-011 in patients with advanced solid tumours and lymphomas

BACKGROUND

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements are oncogenic drivers in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). TSR-011 is a dual ALK and tropomyosin-related kinase (TRK) inhibitor, active against ALK inhibitor resistant tumours in preclinical studies. Here, we report the safety, tolerability and recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of TSR-011 in patients with relapsed or refractory ALK- and TRK-positive advanced cancers.

METHODS

In this sequential, open-label, phase 1 trial (NCT02048488), patients received doses of 30 mg, escalated to 480 mg every 24 hours (Q24h), followed by an expansion cohort of patients with ALK-positive cancers. The primary objective was to evaluate safety and tolerability. Secondary objectives included pharmacokinetics.

RESULTS

TSR-011 320- and 480-mg Q24h doses exceeded the maximum tolerated dose. At the RP2D of 40 mg every 8 hours (Q8h), the most common grade 3-4 treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 3.2-6.5% of patients. Of 14 ALK inhibitor-naive patients with ALK-positive NSCLC, 6 experienced partial responses and 8 had stable disease.

CONCLUSIONS

At the RP2D (40 mg Q8h), TSR-011 demonstrated a favourable safety profile with acceptable QTc changes. Limited clinical activity was observed. Based on the competitive ALK inhibitor landscape and benefit/risk considerations, further TSR-011 development was discontinued.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT02048488.

Phase II study of tepotinib in NSCLC patients with METex14 mutations

9005

Background: MET exon 14 skipping ( METex14) mutations - reported in 3~4% of NSCLC patients (pts) - are activating, sensitive to MET inhibition and can be conveniently detected using liquid biopsy (LBx). We report data from an ongoing single-arm phase II study of tepotinib, a highly selective MET inhibitor, in NSCLC pts with METex14 mutations identified by LBx or tumor biopsy (TBx) (NCT02864992). Methods: Pts with advanced WT EGFR/ALK NSCLC, prospectively enrolled via either LBx (≥60 pts) or TBx (≥60 pts, overlap anticipated) central RNA-based METex14 mutation testing, receive tepotinib 500 mg QD until progression, intolerable toxicity or withdrawal. Primary endpoint: objective response rate (ORR) by independent review (IRC). Secondary endpoints: ORR by investigator assessment (INV) and safety. Results: To date, 85 pts have been enrolled (55 LBx pts and 52 TBx pts). At data cut-off (16 Oct 2018), in 35 evaluable LBx pts (≥2 post-baseline assessments or discontinuation for any reason), ORR was 51.4% by IRC and 63.9% by INV. In 41 evaluable TBx pts, ORR was 41.5% by IRC and 58.5% by INV. Median duration of response (mDoR) and ORR by line of treatment are shown in the table. Any grade treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) reported by ≥10% of 69 pts evaluable for safety were peripheral edema (47.8%), diarrhea (18.8%), nausea (15.9%), asthenia (10.1%). No TRAEs were grade 4 or led to death. TRAEs led to permanent discontinuation in 2 (2.9%) pts (1 ILD, 1 diarrhea & nausea). Conclusions: Tepotinib has promising activity with a long DoR across treatment lines in NSCLC pts with METex14 mutations detected by LBx or TBx. The safety profile was favorable. Recruitment is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT02864992. [Table: see text]

MS201944-0170: A phase IIa study to investigate the clinical activity and safety of avelumab in combination with cetuximab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with advanced squamous NSCLC

TPS9123

Background: Preclinical studies have demonstrated that cetuximab plus chemotherapy results in immunogenic cell death and an increase in CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment. Avelumab (an anti–PD-L1 antibody) has previously shown antitumor activity in NSCLC. We hypothesize that the combination of cetuximab with platinum-based chemotherapy and avelumab may have synergistic antitumor activity. Methods: This phase IIa, single-arm, multicenter study is investigating the clinical activity and safety of avelumab in combination with cetuximab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with advanced squamous NSCLC who are treatment naive in the advanced setting (NCT03717155). Eligibility criteria include histologically confirmed stage IV, metastatic or recurrent NSCLC with squamous histology, with no prior systemic therapy for metastatic NSCLC, no prior therapy with any antibody/drug targeting T-cell coregulatory proteins, and ECOG PS of 0 to 1. Patients with a tumor harboring an activating EGFR mutation or ALK rearrangement are excluded. Patients will receive doublet chemotherapy (cisplatin 75 mg/m2 on day 1, gemcitabine 1250 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8), cetuximab on days 1 (250 mg/m2) and 8 (500 mg/m2), and avelumab 800 mg on days 1 and 8 for a total of four 3-week cycles. Thereafter, avelumab (800 mg) and cetuximab (500 mg/m2) will be administered as maintenance treatment Q2W until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal. Enrollment in a safety run-in, which will evaluate the safety and tolerability of avelumab in combination with cetuximab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin, is planned for the first 6 patients. Enrollment began on October 30, 2018. Study enrollment will continue until approximately 40 evaluable patients have been recruited. The primary endpoint is confirmed best overall response per RECIST 1.1 by investigator assessment. Secondary endpoints include safety (NCI CTCAE v5.0) and tolerability of the combination, duration of response, survival, and tumor biomarkers. The study is ongoing at sites in Hungary and Spain. Clinical trial information: NCT03717155.

Overall Survival with Durvalumab after Chemoradiotherapy in Stage III NSCLC

BACKGROUND

An earlier analysis in this phase 3 trial showed that durvalumab significantly prolonged progression-free survival, as compared with placebo, among patients with stage III, unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who did not have disease progression after concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Here we report the results for the second primary end point of overall survival.

METHODS

We randomly assigned patients, in a 2:1 ratio, to receive durvalumab intravenously, at a dose of 10 mg per kilogram of body weight, or matching placebo every 2 weeks for up to 12 months. Randomization occurred 1 to 42 days after the patients had received chemoradiotherapy and was stratified according to age, sex, and smoking history. The primary end points were progression-free survival (as assessed by blinded independent central review) and overall survival. Secondary end points included the time to death or distant metastasis, the time to second progression, and safety.

RESULTS

Of the 713 patients who underwent randomization, 709 received the assigned intervention (473 patients received durvalumab and 236 received placebo). As of March 22, 2018, the median follow-up was 25.2 months. The 24-month overall survival rate was 66.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 61.7 to 70.4) in the durvalumab group, as compared with 55.6% (95% CI, 48.9 to 61.8) in the placebo group (two-sided P=0.005). Durvalumab significantly prolonged overall survival, as compared with placebo (stratified hazard ratio for death, 0.68; 99.73% CI, 0.47 to 0.997; P=0.0025). Updated analyses regarding progression-free survival were similar to those previously reported, with a median duration of 17.2 months in the durvalumab group and 5.6 months in the placebo group (stratified hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.41 to 0.63). The median time to death or distant metastasis was 28.3 months in the durvalumab group and 16.2 months in the placebo group (stratified hazard ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.41 to 0.68). A total of 30.5% of the patients in the durvalumab group and 26.1% of those in the placebo group had grade 3 or 4 adverse events of any cause; 15.4% and 9.8% of the patients, respectively, discontinued the trial regimen because of adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

Durvalumab therapy resulted in significantly longer overall survival than placebo. No new safety signals were identified. (Funded by AstraZeneca; PACIFIC ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02125461 .).

Durvalumab after Chemoradiotherapy in Stage III Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND

Most patients with locally advanced, unresectable, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have disease progression despite definitive chemoradiotherapy (chemotherapy plus concurrent radiation therapy). This phase 3 study compared the anti-programmed death ligand 1 antibody durvalumab as consolidation therapy with placebo in patients with stage III NSCLC who did not have disease progression after two or more cycles of platinum-based chemoradiotherapy.

METHODS

We randomly assigned patients, in a 2:1 ratio, to receive durvalumab (at a dose of 10 mg per kilogram of body weight intravenously) or placebo every 2 weeks for up to 12 months. The study drug was administered 1 to 42 days after the patients had received chemoradiotherapy. The coprimary end points were progression-free survival (as assessed by means of blinded independent central review) and overall survival (unplanned for the interim analysis). Secondary end points included 12-month and 18-month progression-free survival rates, the objective response rate, the duration of response, the time to death or distant metastasis, and safety.

RESULTS

Of 713 patients who underwent randomization, 709 received consolidation therapy (473 received durvalumab and 236 received placebo). The median progression-free survival from randomization was 16.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.0 to 18.1) with durvalumab versus 5.6 months (95% CI, 4.6 to 7.8) with placebo (stratified hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.42 to 0.65; P<0.001); the 12-month progression-free survival rate was 55.9% versus 35.3%, and the 18-month progression-free survival rate was 44.2% versus 27.0%. The response rate was higher with durvalumab than with placebo (28.4% vs. 16.0%; P<0.001), and the median duration of response was longer (72.8% vs. 46.8% of the patients had an ongoing response at 18 months). The median time to death or distant metastasis was longer with durvalumab than with placebo (23.2 months vs. 14.6 months; P<0.001). Grade 3 or 4 adverse events occurred in 29.9% of the patients who received durvalumab and 26.1% of those who received placebo; the most common adverse event of grade 3 or 4 was pneumonia (4.4% and 3.8%, respectively). A total of 15.4% of patients in the durvalumab group and 9.8% of those in the placebo group discontinued the study drug because of adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

Progression-free survival was significantly longer with durvalumab than with placebo. The secondary end points also favored durvalumab, and safety was similar between the groups. (Funded by AstraZeneca; PACIFIC ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02125461 .).

The impact of next-generation sequencing on the DNA methylation-based translational cancer research

Epigenetics is currently in an exponential phase of growth, constituting one of the most promising fields in science, particularly in cancer research. Impaired epigenetic processes can lead to abnormal gene activity or inactivity, causing cellular disorders that are closely associated with tumor initiation and progression. Thus, there is a pivotal role of massive sequencing techniques for epigenetics, which aim to find novel biomarkers, factors of prognosis and prediction, and targets for achieving personalized treatments. We present a brief description of the evolution of next-generation sequencing technologies and its coupling with DNA methylation analysis techniques, highlighting its future in translational medicine and presenting significant findings in several malignancies. We also expose critical topics related to the implementation of these approaches, which is expected to be affordable for most research centers in the near future.

Cisplatin and carboplatin-based chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer: Analysis from the European FRAME study

OBJECTIVES

To explore patient and disease factors, and reasons behind the physician's choice of platinum backbone for the first-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as observed in a European prospective observational study of patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced or metastatic NSCLC (the FRAME study). Additionally, overall survival (OS) for patients who received cisplatin or carboplatin was evaluated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A post-hoc analysis of the prospective study population was conducted. Baseline characteristics of patients receiving cisplatin versus carboplatin were compared and summarized by propensity score. Survival for matched patients was summarized using the Kaplan-Meier approach.

RESULTS

Of the 1564 patients who were included in the prospective study, 1520 received either cisplatin (54%) or carboplatin (46%) in combination with pemetrexed, gemcitabine, taxanes or vinorelbine. Patients treated with carboplatin were older than patients receiving cisplatin (mean age 67 versus 61 years; p<0.001), had poorer performance status (p<0.001), and more comorbidities (p<0.001). Cisplatin was most frequently combined with pemetrexed (47%), and carboplatin most frequently with taxanes (31%). Unadjusted median OS estimates for patients from the total prospective study sample were 11.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.1-12.9) for cisplatin recipients and 9.0 months (95% CI 8.1-10.6) for carboplatin recipients. Median (95% CI) overall survival for the matched cohorts was 10.8 months (8.8-14.3) for cisplatin versus 9.5 months (8.2-11.3) for carboplatin; p=0.086.

CONCLUSION

This post-hoc analysis illustrated real-life differences in patients with NSCLC prescribed platinum-based first-line treatment, and suggested that baseline patient and disease characteristics were associated with physician's choice of platinum agent, with cisplatin being more frequently prescribed to younger and fitter patients.

Non-small cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases treated with first-line platinum-doublet chemotherapy: Analysis from the European FRAME study

OBJECTIVES

We report on a post-hoc analysis of patients with brain metastases from a large prospective observational study of first-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim was to describe baseline characteristics of NSCLC patients with brain metastases, understand their first-line treatment and report outcomes attained in real-world settings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This post-hoc analysis included all patients in the European observational FRAME study who had brain metastases at initiation of first-line treatment. Descriptive statistics were used for continuous and categorical variables and survival outcomes were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier approach.

RESULTS

Our data showed that 17% of patients (263/1564) had spread of the disease to the brain at initiation of first-line treatment. Patients with brain metastases were slightly younger, and more likely to have NSCLC of non-squamous histology than the overall study sample. 34% had received prior palliative radiotherapy to the brain. Our analysis showed a median overall survival (OS) of 7.2 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 6.1-8.2] for all patients with brain metastases treated with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, ranging from 5.6 months for those treated with gemcitabine plus platinum up to 9.3 months for those treated with pemetrexed plus platinum. Further analysis showed that patients with brain metastases were more frequently treated with pemetrexed platinum-doublet therapy than with any other regimen.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis provides a unique set of real-world data which adds to current understanding about treatment decisions and outcomes for NSCLC patients with brain metastases for whom there is little clinical trial data available.

Outcomes and resource use of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy across Europe: FRAME prospective observational study

INTRODUCTION

FRAME was a prospective observational study that captured real-world data on patients with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving platinum-based chemotherapies as first-line treatment (FLT) across Europe. As previously reported, most patients observed in the study had initiated FLT with either pemetrexed, gemcitabine, vinorelbine or taxanes in combination with a platinum. Baseline patient and disease characteristics including age, performance status, and histology varied (all p<0.01) across cohorts.

METHODS

Consenting adult patients initiating FLT for advanced or metastatic NSCLC with platinum-based chemotherapy, with or without a targeted agent, entered the study between April 2009 and February 2011. The choice of FLT was left to physicians' discretion per routine clinical practice. The primary objective was to evaluate overall survival (OS) across platinum-based doublet chemotherapy cohorts and key secondary objectives included the evaluation of OS in patients with different histological subtypes of NSCLC. Survival outcomes were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis, and unadjusted estimates are presented.

RESULTS

Median OS in months was 10.3 across cohorts (n=1524), 10.7 for pemetrexed (n=569), 10.0 for gemcitabine (n=360), 9.1 for taxanes (n=295), and 10.7 for vinorelbine (n=300). For patients with non-squamous NSCLC who received cisplatin (n=616, 40% of total), median OS in months was 10.6 across the cohorts, 11.6 for pemetrexed, 8.4 for gemcitabine, 9.6 for taxanes, and 9.9 for vinorelbine.

CONCLUSIONS

FRAME describes real-world treatment patterns and survival for patients initiating FLT for advanced or metastatic NSCLC between 2009 and 2011 across Europe.

KRAS mutant NSCLC, a new opportunity for the synthetic lethality therapeutic approach

K-RAS accounts for 90% of RAS mutations in lung adenocarcinomas, the most commonly mutated oncogene in NSCLC, with mutations detected in about 25% of all tumors. Direct inhibition of KRAS has proven clinically challenging. So far, no successful targeted therapy has been developed and remains an elusive target for cancer therapy. Despite significant efforts, currently there are no drugs directly targeting mutated KRAS. Thus, new strategies have emerged for targeting RAS including the use of synthetic lethality. A specific knowledge of individual tumor molecular abnormalities that result in oncogene-specific "synthetic lethal" interactions will allow the rationale to combine promising targeted therapies for KRAS-mutated NSCLC. In this article, we review the new approach based on testing drugs or combinations of agents that work downstream of activated K-RAS.

Maintenance erlotinib in advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer: cost-effectiveness in EGFR wild-type across Europe

Background

First-line maintenance erlotinib in patients with locally advanced or metastatic nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has demonstrated significant overall survival and progression-free survival benefits compared with best supportive care plus placebo, irrespective of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) status (SATURN trial). The cost-effectiveness of first-line maintenance erlotinib in the overall SATURN population has been assessed and published recently, but analyses according to EGFR mutation status have not been performed yet, which was the rationale for assessing the cost-effectiveness of first-line maintenance erlotinib specifically in EGFR wild-type metastatic NSCLC.

Methods

The incremental cost per life-year gained of first-line maintenance erlotinib compared with best supportive care in patients with EGFR wild-type stable metastatic NSCLC was assessed for five European countries (the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy) with an area-under-the-curve model consisting of three health states (progression-free survival, progressive disease, death). Log-logistic survival functions were fitted to Phase III patient-level data (SATURN) to model progression-free survival and overall survival. The first-line maintenance erlotinib therapy cost (modeled for time to treatment cessation), medication cost in later lines, and cost for the treatment of adverse events were included. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses using Monte Carlo simulation (1000 iterations) were performed.

Results

According to the model simulations, first-line maintenance erlotinib compared with best supportive care in EGFR wild-type stable metastatic NSCLC resulted in 4.57 months of life gained (17.82 months for erlotinib versus 13.24 months for best supportive care) and 1.14 months of life without progression gained (erlotinib 4.29 versus best supportive care 3.15), and incremental total costs of erlotinib from €7897 (UK) to €9580 (Germany). The corresponding mean incremental cost per life-year gained of erlotinib ranged between €20,711 (UK) and €25,124 (Germany). Sensitivity analyses confirmed these results.

Conclusion

First-line erlotinib maintenance treatment is cost-effective compared with best supportive care in EGFR wild-type stable metastatic NSCLC, irrespective of the country setting.

An indirect comparison of the efficacy of bevacizumab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel versus pemetrexed with cisplatin in patients with advanced or recurrent non-squamous adenocarcinoma non-small cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

There are two new treatment options available for the treatment of adenocarcinoma histology non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) which offer improved benefit in terms of progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) over chemotherapy. Both bevacizumab and pemetrexed when combined with chemotherapy significantly increase PFS and OS in patients with advanced NSCLC versus chemotherapy alone. The aim of this analysis was to compare the efficacy for patients with non-squamous adenocarcinoma NSCLC treated with bevacizumab, carboplatin and paclitaxel (BCP) to pemetrexed and cisplatin (PC) by using indirect comparison (ITC) methodology.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

In the absence of head-to-head trials, ITC was performed on patients with adenocarcinoma histology non-squamous NSCLC to compare the relative benefit of first-line therapies BCP vs. PC by hazard ratios (HR). Subsequently, these HRs were used in a decision-analytic Markov model with a lifelong time horizon to extrapolate the long-term effectiveness of the two treatments.

RESULTS

ITC estimated HRs for the primary endpoints in the bevacizumab study E4599 showed that BCP treatment in non-squamous adenocarcinoma NSCLC patients resulted in a BCP HR of 0.82 versus PC. The long-term predictions from the Markov model yielded a mean survival of 1.48 years (95% CI 1.34, 1.62 years) (or 17.7 months) for BCP compared with 1.29 years (95% CI 1.16, 1.42 years) (or 15.4 months) for PC.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our decision analysis, triplet BCP targeted therapy in patients with advanced non-squamous adenocarcinoma NSCLC compared with doublet PC chemotherapy results in improved expected values for overall long-term survival. Therefore, from the efficacy perspective, bevacizumab in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy can be considered as the targeted therapy of choice for patients with advanced non-squamous adenocarcinoma NSCLC.

A role for cancer stem cells in drug resistance and metastasis in non-small-cell lung cancer

The cancer stem cell (CSC) theory is currently a very important field in cancer research. This theory states that tumours are organised in a hierarchical manner with a subpopulation of limited number called CSCs with the ability to self-renew and undergo asymmetrical divisions, giving rise to a differentiated progeny that represents most of the tumour populations. CSCs are metastatic and chemoresistant, two features that very likely contribute to the poor response of locally advanced lung cancer. CSCs have been identified in non-small-cell lung cancer cell lines as well as those from patient primary samples. A correlation has been found in terms of chemoresistance and bad prognosis in patient-derived samples enriched with CSCs, indicating that these cells are an important target for future therapy combinations. Therefore, understanding the biology and exploring cell markers and signalling pathways specific for CSCs of lung cancer may help in achieving progress in the treatment of the disease.

KRAS mutations in primary colorectal cancer tumors and related metastases: a potential role in prediction of lung metastasis

Background

KRAS mutations in colorectal cancer primary tumors predict resistance to anti-Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, and thus represent a true indicator of EGFR pathway activation status.

Methodology/Principal Findings

KRAS mutations were retrospectively studied using polymerase chain reactions and subsequent sequencing of codons 12 and 13 (exon 2) in 110 patients with metastatic colorectal tumors. These studies were performed using tissue samples from both the primary tumor and their related metastases (93 liver, 84%; 17 lung, 16%). All patients received adjuvant 5-Fluorouracil-based polychemotherapy after resection of metastases. None received anti-EGFR therapy. Mutations in KRAS were observed in 37 (34%) of primary tumors and in 40 (36%) of related metastases, yielding a 94% level of concordance (kappa index 0.86). Patients with primary tumors possessing KRAS mutations had a shorter disease-free survival period after metastasis resection (12.0 vs 18.0 months; P = 0.035) than those who did not. A higher percentage of KRAS mutations was detected in primary tumors of patiens with lung metastases than in patients with liver metastases (59% vs 32%; p = 0.054). To further evaluate this finding we analyzed 120 additional patients with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer who previously had their primary tumors evaluated for KRAS mutational status for clinical purposes. Separately, the analysis of these 120 patients showed a tendency towards a higher degree of KRAS mutations in primary tumors of patients with lung metastases, although it did not reach statistical significance. Taken together the group of 230 patients showed that KRAS was mutated significantly more often in the primary tumors of patients with lung metastases (57% vs 35%; P = 0.006).

Conclusions/Significance

Our results suggest a role for KRAS mutations in the propensity of primary colorectal tumors to metastasize to the lung.

Epidermal growth factor receptor and glioblastoma multiforme: molecular basis for a new approach

High-grade gliomas are the most common primary malignant brain tumours. Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the cornerstone of actual treatment. In spite of large therapeutic efforts, overall survival is still poor. New molecular data allow a new molecular classification for high-grade gliomas and open a therapeutic window for targeted therapy. Molecular diagnostic tools may provide a basis for receptor-based therapies and enough information to personalise future treatments. In this regard, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a target that will play a critical role in the management of glioma patients. This review summarises basic and preclinical data that support future use of therapies against EGFR.

Human recombinant erythropoietin does not promote cancer growth in presence of functional receptors expressed in cancer cells

Human recombinant erythropoietin (hrEPO) therapy might be associated with tumor progression and death. This effect has been suggested to be secondary to rhEPO binding to its receptor (EPOR) expressed on cancer cells. However, there are several concerns about EPOR functionality when expressed on cancer cells. In this paper we have provided evidence that EPOR expressed in cancer cells could be implicated in proliferation events because a transfection of EPOR siRNA to EPOR-expressing bladder cancer cells resulted in a marked reduction in cell growth. However, these cell lines do not grow in the presence of hrEPO. Furthermore, bladder cancer patients that expressed EPOR in tumor samples had a reduced survival in absence of rhEPO treatment. Therefore, EPOR is implicated in bladder cancer growth but this effect appears to be independent from rhEPO supplementation. Reports which suggest that rhEPO promotes cancer growth due to the expression of EPOR in cancer cells must be observed with caution since in the presence of functional EPOR rhEPO does not promote growth.

Molecular biology of malignant gliomas

Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumours. In keeping with the degree of aggressiveness, gliomas are divided into four grades, with different biological behaviour. Furthermore, as different gliomas share a predominant histological appearance, the final classification includes both, histological features and degree of malignancy. For example, gliomas of astrocytic origin (astrocytomas) are classified into pilocytic astrocytoma (grade I), astrocytoma (grade II), anaplastic astrocytoma (grade III) and glioblastoma multiforme (GMB) (grade IV). Tumors derived from oligodendrocytes include grade II (oliogodendrogliomas) and grade III neoplasms (oligoastrocytoma). Each subtype has a specific prognosis that dictates the clinical management. In this regard, a patient diagnosed with an oligodendroglioma totally removed has 10-15 years of potential survival. On the opposite site, patients carrying a glioblastoma multiforme usually die within the first year after the diagnosis is made. Therefore, different approaches are needed in each case. Obviously, prognosis and biological behaviour of malignant gliomas are closely related and supported by the different molecular background that possesses each type of glioma. Furthermore, the ability that allows several low-grade gliomas to progress into more aggressive tumors has allowed cancer researchers to elucidate several pathways implicated in molecular biology of these devastating tumors. In this review, we describe classical pathways involved in human malignant gliomas with special focus with recent advances, such as glioma stem-like cells and expression patterns from microarray studies.

Long term responses with cetuximab therapy in glioblastoma multiforme

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is responsible for most of the deaths associated with primary brain tumors. Standard treatment includes maximal surgical resection followed by chemotherapy and concomitant radiotherapy. Most patients, however, recur shortly after treatment. Second line treatment has little efficacy and the majority of patients die soon from the disease. Recent advances in molecular biology have implicated the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathways in the progression and resistance to standard therapies for GBM. This has prompted the evaluation of EGFR tyrosine- kinase inhibitors with encouraging results. Cetuximab is a monoclonal antibody targeted against the extra cellular domain of the EGFR with activity against different tumor types, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Here we describe three patients with recurrent, heavily pretreated, EGFR expressing GBM who responded to treatment with single agent cetuximab.