A novel methodological approach to participant engagement and policy relevance for community-based primary medical care research during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia and New Zealand

Community-based primary care, such as general practice (GP) or urgent care, serves as the primary point of access to healthcare for most Australians and New Zealanders. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created significant and ongoing disruptions to primary care. Traditional research methods have contributed to gaps in understanding the experiences of primary care workers during the pandemic. This paper describes a novel research design and method that intended to capture the evolving impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care workers in Australia and New Zealand. Recurrent, rapid cycle surveys were fielded from May 2020 through December 2021 in Australia, and May 2020 through February 2021 in New Zealand. Rapid survey development, fielding, triangulated analysis and dissemination of results allowed close to real-time communication of relevant issues among general practice workers, researchers and policy-makers. A conceptual model is presented to support longitudinal analysis of primary care worker experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia and New Zealand, and key learnings from applying this novel method are discussed. This paper will assist future research teams in development and execution of policy-relevant research in times of change and may inform further areas of interest for COVID-19 research in primary care.

Mitochondrial N-formyl methionine peptides contribute to exaggerated neutrophil activation in patients with COVID-19

Neutrophil dysregulation is well established in COVID-19. However, factors contributing to neutrophil activation in COVID-19 are not clear. We assessed if N-formyl methionine (fMet) contributes to neutrophil activation in COVID-19. Elevated levels of calprotectin, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and fMet were observed in COVID-19 patients (n = 68), particularly in critically ill patients, as compared to HC (n = 19, p < 0.0001). Of note, the levels of NETs were higher in ICU patients with COVID-19 than in ICU patients without COVID-19 (p < 0.05), suggesting a prominent contribution of NETs in COVID-19. Additionally, plasma from COVID-19 patients with mild and moderate/severe symptoms induced in vitro neutrophil activation through fMet/FPR1 (formyl peptide receptor-1) dependent mechanisms (p < 0.0001). fMet levels correlated with calprotectin levels validating fMet-mediated neutrophil activation in COVID-19 patients (r = 0.60, p = 0.0007). Our data indicate that fMet is an important factor contributing to neutrophil activation in COVID-19 disease and may represent a potential target for therapeutic intervention.

A comprehensive study on the efficacy of a wearable sleep aid device featuring closed-loop real-time acoustic stimulation

Difficulty falling asleep is one of the typical insomnia symptoms. However, intervention therapies available nowadays, ranging from pharmaceutical to hi-tech tailored solutions, remain ineffective due to their lack of precise real-time sleep tracking, in-time feedback on the therapies, and an ability to keep people asleep during the night. This paper aims to enhance the efficacy of such an intervention by proposing a novel sleep aid system that can sense multiple physiological signals continuously and simultaneously control auditory stimulation to evoke appropriate brain responses for fast sleep promotion. The system, a lightweight, comfortable, and user-friendly headband, employs a comprehensive set of algorithms and dedicated own-designed audio stimuli. Compared to the gold-standard device in 883 sleep studies on 377 subjects, the proposed system achieves (1) a strong correlation (0.89 ± 0.03) between the physiological signals acquired by ours and those from the gold-standard PSG, (2) an 87.8% agreement on automatic sleep scoring with the consensus scored by sleep technicians, and (3) a successful non-pharmacological real-time stimulation to shorten the duration of sleep falling by 24.1 min. Conclusively, our solution exceeds existing ones in promoting fast falling asleep, tracking sleep state accurately, and achieving high social acceptance through a reliable large-scale evaluation.

Management Strategies and Outcomes in Primary Liver Angiosarcoma

OBJECTIVES

Primary hepatic angiosarcoma is a rare tumor of the liver that originates from endothelial and fibroblastic tissue, with poor prognosis and lack of standardized treatment. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of 23 patients with primary liver angiosarcoma treated at an academic sarcoma center.

METHODS

We screened all patients with primary liver angiosarcoma treated at Stanford between 2000 and 2022. Data was collected from EPIC electronic medical records and included patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment modalities, and patient outcomes. Statistical analysis was completed using Python 3.0, while survival curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Lifelines Packages.

RESULTS

There were nearly equal numbers of males (11) and females (12) in our study, with most patients aged 70 to 79 at diagnosis. The median overall survival (OS) was 6 months (range 0.07 to 222.6 mo). The 2- and 5-year OS were both 38.6%. 71% of patients received systemic treatment with chemotherapy, while 29% received immunotherapy. Local treatment with surgery or radioembolization was performed in 14% of patients. Three patients in our study displayed particularly improved OS and received various treatments, which ranged from hepatic resection to ipilimumab/nivolumab.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated that primary liver angiosarcoma has poor outcomes despite treatment. Surgical resection with negative margins is the only curative modality. However, most patients present with advanced disease and are not surgical candidates. Further research is needed to identify more effective systemic therapy options for this devastating disease.

Phase II Study of Olaparib and Temozolomide for Advanced Uterine Leiomyosarcoma (NCI Protocol 10250)

PURPOSE

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) is an aggressive subtype of soft-tissue sarcoma with frequent metastatic relapse after curative surgery. Chemotherapy provides limited benefit for advanced disease. Multiomics profiling studies have identified homologous recombination deficiency in uLMS. In preclinical studies where olaparib and temozolomide provided modest activity, the combination was highly effective for inhibiting uLMS tumor growth.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

NCI Protocol 10250 is a single-arm, open-label, multicenter, phase II study evaluating olaparib and temozolomide in advanced uLMS. Patients with progression on ≥1 prior line received temozolomide 75 mg/m2 orally once daily with olaparib 200 mg orally twice a day both on days 1-7 in 21-day cycles. The primary end point was the best objective response rate (ORR) within 6 months. A one-stage binomial design was used. If ≥5 of 22 responded, the treatment would be considered promising (93% power; α = .06). All patients underwent paired biopsies that were evaluated with whole-exome sequencing (WES)/RNAseq and a RAD51 foci formation assay.

RESULTS

Twenty-two patients were evaluable. The median age was 55 years, and 59% had received three or more prior lines. Best ORR within 6 months was 23% (5 of 22). The overall ORR was 27% (6 of 22). The median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 6.9 months (95% CI, 5.4 months to not estimable). Hematologic toxicity was common (grade 3/4 neutropenia: 75%; thrombocytopenia: 32%) but manageable with dose modification. Five of 16 (31%) of tumors contained a deleterious homologous recombination gene alteration by WES, and 9 of 18 (50%) were homologous recombination-deficient by the RAD51 assay. In an exploratory analysis, mPFS was prolonged for patients with homologous recombination-deficient versus homologous recombination-proficient tumors (11.2 v 5.4 months, P = .05) by RAD51.

CONCLUSION

Olaparib and temozolomide met the prespecified primary end point and provided meaningful clinical benefit in patients with advanced, pretreated uLMS.

A Retrospective Multi-Institutional Cohort Analysis of Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes in Dedifferentiated Chondrosarcoma

BACKGROUND

Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma (DDCS) is a rare subset of chondrosarcoma. It is an aggressive neoplasm characterized by a high rate of recurrent and metastatic disease with overall poor outcomes. Systemic therapy is often used to treat DDCS; however, the optimal regimen and timing are not well defined, with current guidelines recommending following osteosarcoma protocols.

METHODS

We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective analysis of clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with DDCS. Between 1 January 2004 and 1 January 2022, the databases from five academic sarcoma centers were reviewed. Patient and tumor factors, including age, sex, tumor size, site, location, the treatments rendered, and survival outcomes, were collected.

RESULTS

Seventy-four patients were identified and included in the analysis. Most patients presented with localized disease. Surgical resection was the mainstay of therapy. Chemotherapy was used predominantly in the metastatic setting. Partial responses were low (n = 4; 9%) and occurred upon treatment with doxorubicin with cisplatin or ifosfamide and single-agent pembrolizumab. For all other regimens, stable disease was the best response. Prolonged stable disease occurred with the use of pazopanib and immune checkpoint inhibitors.

CONCLUSIONS

DDCS has poor outcomes and conventional chemotherapy has limited benefit. Future studies should focus on defining the possible role of molecularly targeted therapies and immunotherapy in the treatment of DDCS.

Long-term Outcomes of Diffuse or Recurrent Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor Treated with Postoperative External Beam Radiation Therapy

PURPOSE

Tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT) is a rare proliferative disorder of synovial membrane that previously was known as pigmented villonodular synovitis. Primary treatment involves surgical resection; however, complete removal of all disease involvement is difficult to achieve. Radiation may be useful to reduce the risk of recurrence. We report and update our institutional experience treating diffuse and recurrent TGCT with postsurgical external beam radiation therapy.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

We performed a retrospective chart review of 30 patients with TGCT from 2003 to 2019 treated with radiation therapy. Each patient was evaluated for demographics, radiation treatment parameters, surgical management, complications, and outcome.

RESULTS

With mean follow-up of 82 months (range, 3-211), 24 patients (80%) who underwent surgery followed by radiation therapy did not experience any further relapse, and all 30 patients achieved local control (100%) with additional salvage therapy after radiation therapy. The most common site of disease was the knee (n = 22, 73%), followed by the ankle (n = 5, 16%) and the hand (n = 3, 10%). Seven patients (24%) presented at time of initial diagnosis and 23 (76%) presented with recurrent disease after surgical resection, with an average of 2.6 surgical procedures before radiation therapy. After resection, 18 of 30 patients (67%) demonstrated residual TGCT by imaging. The median radiation therapy dose delivered was 36 Gy (range, 34-36 Gy) in 1.8 to 2.5 Gy/fractions for 4 weeks. In the assessment of posttreatment joint function, 26 sites (86%) exhibited excellent or good function, 2 (7%) fair, and 2 poor (7%) as determined by our scoring system. There were no cases of radiation-associated malignancy.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with diffuse or recurrent TGCT, postsurgical external beam radiation therapy provided excellent local control and good functional status, with minimal treatment-related complications. Postsurgical radiation therapy is a well-tolerated noninvasive treatment that should be considered after maximal cytoreductive resection to prevent disease progression and recurrence.

Cutaneous Angiosarcoma of the Head and Neck-A Retrospective Analysis of 47 Patients

Simple Summary

Cutaneous angiosarcoma (CAS) is a rare sarcoma with dismal prognosis. To better characterize this disease and elucidate potential treatments that improve overall survival (OS), we conducted a retrospective study exploring clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of 47 patients with CAS of the head and neck treated at a tertiary academic center. We found that CAS continues to have a poor prognosis with high rates of recurrence even with current treatment modalities. Surgery was highly effective in improving OS in patients with disease that could be resected with low morbidity. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy (RT), and immunotherapy did not significantly improve OS. Our findings shed light on the current landscape of clinical characteristics and treatment of CAS and could prompt further research exploring new treatment options and role of immunotherapy in the management of this difficult disease.

Abstract

Cutaneous angiosarcoma (CAS) is a rare and aggressive malignant tumor with blood vessel or lymphatic-type endothelial differentiation. It has a poor prognosis with lack of standardized treatment options. This study retrospectively evaluated the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of 47 patients with CAS of the head and neck treated at an academic sarcoma center. Patient data were collected from the electronic medical records. 62% of patients were male with the scalp being the most commonly affected area (64%). The majority of patients presented with localized disease (53%). Median overall survival (OS) was 3.4 years with an OS of 36% at 5 years. There was a statistically significant increase in OS for patients who underwent surgery compared to those who did not (5.4 vs. 2.8 years). In contrast, radiotherapy (RT) or chemotherapy did not significantly increase OS. 45% of patients had recurrence of disease during their treatment course with a median time to recurrence of 22.8 months. There was not a significant difference in OS for patients who underwent immunotherapy compared to those who underwent chemotherapy, although only a few patients received immunotherapy. We found that surgery was an effective treatment modality in patients with easily resectable disease, while RT, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy did not significantly improve OS.

Abstract CT177: SQ3370 in advanced solid tumors: Interim phase 1 results

Background: SQ3370, a novel therapy, utilizes Shasqi’s proprietary Click Activated Protodrugs Against Cancer (CAPAC) platform where mutually-reactive click chemistry groups release Doxorubicin (Dox) at the tumor site while minimizing systemic exposure. In animals, SQ3370 enhanced T-cell infiltration, survival, and showed activity in both injected and non-injected lesions. Minimal to no toxicity, including no cardiotoxicity was seen in up to 9-fold dose increases in animals. Conventional Dox can induce cardiomyopathy with incidences of 6-20% for cumulative doses of 500 mg/m2 in humans. Here we report interim results of the Phase 1 trial (SQ3370-001; NCT04106492).

Methods: SQ3370 has 2 components: 1) Intratumoral injection of a protodrug-activating biopolymer (SQL70); 2) then 5 consecutive daily IV infusions of an attenuated protodrug of Dox (SQP33). Key criteria for enrollment include locally advanced to metastatic solid tumors, ≤300 mg/m2 prior exposure to DOX, ECOG status 0 or 1, and no limit to the number of prior systemic therapies. Primary objectives include safety and determining Phase 2 dose. Dose escalation was assessed in 2 stages: 1) accelerated titration; 2) 3+3 design. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was evaluated in cycle 1.

Results: As of 26NOV2021 data cut, 17 patients (pts) in 8 dose escalation cohorts have been enrolled. MTD has not been reached. Median age was 59 years (26-79), 53% were females, and were ECOG 1 (59%). Prior procedures included surgery (82%) and radiation (47%). At study entry, 82% of pts had metastases with a median number of metastatic sites being 2 (1-5). Solid tumors were sarcoma (65%), and cancers of the skin, breast, and gynecologic organs were 12% for each, respectively. Sixteen of 17 (94%) pts received prior chemotherapy with 47% receiving prior Dox. Median number of prior systemic therapies was 2 (1-7). Intratumoral injection sites include soft tissue and chest wall. Of the 17 pts, 65% received &gt;500 mg/m2, 53% (&gt;1000), and 29% (&gt;2000) cumulative Dox given as SQP33. Median duration of treatment was 3 cycles (1-10). No DLTs were observed. Most frequent AEs, regardless of causality, included nausea (n = 9), fatigue (n = 6) and anemia (n = 5). No signs of cardiomyopathy were seen in pts with an echo performed within 1 mo. of study start. Although &gt;50% of pts received &gt;1000 mg/m2, ejection fraction (LVEF) remained normal. No AEs that led to discontinuation or death were related to SQ3370. All pts were evaluable for response. At a median follow-up of 10 wks (4-30), 65% of pts had SD as best response. Median duration of SD was 80 days (37-186) with 64% sustaining SD for ≥60 days, corresponding to an overall disease control rate of 65%. The remainder of pts had PD as best response. Over 35% of pts remain on drug.

Conclusions: SQ3370 was well tolerated. No DLTs and normal LVEF were seen with pts receiving &gt;1000 mg/m2 Dox cumulative doses. Dose escalation is ongoing. Preliminary evidence of disease control was observed in this heavily pre-treated, high cancer burden, solid tumor pt population.

Citation Format: Sant P. Chawla, Kathleen Batty, Vivek Bhadri, Nam Bui, Alexander D. Guminski, Jose M. Mejia Oneto, Sangeetha Srinivasan, James F. Strauss, Vivek Subbiah, Mia C. Weiss, Rosalind Wilson, Nathan A. Yee, Michael Zacharian, Vineet Kwatra. SQ3370 in advanced solid tumors: Interim phase 1 results [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr CT177.

Interim phase 1 results for SQ3370 in advanced solid tumors

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Background: SQ3370, a novel therapy, utilizes Shasqi’s proprietary Click Activated Protodrugs Against Cancer (CAPAC) platform where mutually-reactive click chemistry groups release Doxorubicin (Dox) at the tumor site minimizing systemic exposure. In animals, SQ3370 enhanced survival, T-cell infiltration and antitumor responses in injected and non-injected tumors. Minimal to no toxicity, including no cardiotoxicity was seen in up to 9-fold dose increases in animals. Conventional Dox can induce cardiomyopathy at incidences of 1-20% for cumulative doses from 300-500 mg/m2 in humans and re-treatment with Dox is less effective in heavily pre-treated patients (pts). Here we report interim results of the Phase 1 ( NCT04106492 ). Methods: SQ3370 has 2 components: 1) Intratumoral injection of a protodrug-activating biopolymer (SQL70: 10 mL or 20 mL); 2) 5 consecutive daily IV infusions of an attenuated protodrug of Dox (SQP33). Key eligibility includes locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors, ≤300 mg/m2 prior exposure to Dox, ECOG 0-1 and no limit to prior systemic therapies. Primary objectives include safety and determining Phase 2 dose. Dose escalation was assessed in 2 stages: 1) accelerated titration; 2) 3+3 design. Results: As of 31JAN2022 data cut, 26 pts were treated, 21 with 10 mL biopolymer (bp) and 5 with 20 mL bp over 9 dose escalation protodrug cohorts. MTD has not been reached. Median age was 61 years (26-84), 62% were females, and 69% were ECOG 1. Prior procedures included surgery (89%) and radiation (62%). At study entry, 77% of pts had metastases with a median number of metastatic sites being 2 (1-5); most frequently lung (50%). Tumors were sarcoma (73%), breast cancer (7.7%), gyne (7.7%) and other (11.5%). Twenty-four of 26 (92%) pts received prior systemic therapies with 50% receiving prior Dox. Median number of prior systemic therapies was 2 (1-7). Of the 26 pts, 62% received > 500 mg/m2 cumulative Dox given as SQP33. Median duration of treatment was 2 cycles (1-12). Most frequent AEs, regardless of causality, for the 10 mL bp group included nausea (n = 11), fatigue (n = 9) and anemia (n = 6), and for the 20 mL bp group included anemia (n = 3) and nausea (n = 2). Ejection fraction (LVEF) remained normal during the study period. No AEs that led to discontinuation or death were related to SQ3370 by investigator. At a median follow-up of 9.2 wks (3-37), 21 pts were evaluable. SD was best response in 71%. Median duration of SD was 80-dys (37-186) corresponding to an overall disease control rate (CR+ PR+ SD x 30-dys) of 71% (68% in 10 mL bp; 100% in 20 mL bp). The remainder of pts had PD as best response. Over 38% of pts remain on drug. Conclusions: SQ3370 with 10 mL or 20 mL biopolymer was well tolerated in pts with half being re-treated with Dox. Although > 60% of pts received > 500 mg/m2 cumulative Dox given as SQP33, LVEF remained normal. Preliminary evidence of disease control was observed in pts despite heavy prior pre-treatment and high cancer burden. Dose escalation is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT04106492.

Correlative results from NCI protocol 10250: A phase II study of temozolomide and olaparib for the treatment of advanced uterine leiomyosarcoma

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Background: uLMS is an aggressive sarcoma subtype of smooth muscle origin. Chemotherapy provides limited benefit for advanced disease. 18-25% of uLMS harbor deleterious alterations in homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair genes. uLMS exhibits high levels of replicative stress. These findings prompted a phase 2 study of O+T in pretreated uLMS where O+T demonstrated activity: ORR 27%, mPFS 6.9 mos (Ingham M. et. al. ASCO 2021: #11506) Methods: NCI protocol #10250 is a single-arm, multicenter, phase 2 trial evaluating O+T in advanced uLMS pts with progression on ≥1 prior line. Pre-treatment (Pre) and on-treatment (On) biopsies were collected from 22 pts. In prespecified analysis, we evaluated for a relationship between clinical outcomes and HR gene alterations by whole exome sequencing (WES), SLFN11/MGMT expression by RNAseq, and RAD51 foci formation (functional assay). HRD scores were calculated from WES using scarHRD. Gene expression was evaluated using a Spearman rank-order correlation analysis to identify genes associated with PFS (p < 0.01) and overexpressed in sensitive (S: PFS > 240d) or resistant (R: PFS < 240d) pts. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed (q = FDR-adjusted p value). Pts with available results: WES/RNAseq (16), Pre HRD score (13), Pre RAD51 foci (12). Results: 31% (5/16) pts had a mutation (Mut) or homozygous deletion (Hd) in the HR panel: ATRX Mut (2), ATR Mut, PALB2 Hd, RAD51B Hd. Pts with PALB2 and RAD51B Hd had longest PFS on study. Recurrent alterations also occurred in TP53 (56%) and RB1 (19%). Median HRD score in Pre samples was 51 (range 36-66) and 10/13 had HRD scores ≥ 42. Pre and On SLFN11 and MGMT RNA expression were not correlated with ORR/PFS. 6/13 Pre samples were HR-deficient by the RAD51 foci assay. Of pts with PFS ≥ 200d, 4/6 were HR-deficient. In Pre samples, 81 genes were overexpressed in S pts and 73 in R pts. In On samples, 146 genes were overexpressed in S pts and 127 in R pts. In On samples, GSEA identified the epithelial-mesenchymal transition enriched in S pts (q = 3.38e-7) and cell cycle pathways (E2F targets, G2M checkpoint) in R pts (q = 7.43e-4). Only 2 genes, CXCL10 and PCDH15, were differentially expressed between paired Pre and On samples (both increased in On). Gene expression signatures for replicative stress showed borderline association with worse PFS. Conclusions: Most uLMS tumors exhibit HR defects as measured by HRD scores. A subset of pts with greater benefit from O+T were identified by WES for HR genes and the RAD51 assay. There was no correlation between SLFN11 and MGMT expression and outcomes. GSEA identified pathways differentially expressed in S and R pts in On samples. O+T induced CXCL10 which has been associated with T-cell trafficking to tumors. A randomized phase 3 trial of O+T versus investigator’s choice is planned. These results provide insight into which pts may benefit most from this novel drug combination. Clinical trial information: NCT03880019.

COVID-19 impact on New Zealand general practice: rural-urban differences

INTRODUCTION

In countries such as New Zealand, where there has been little community spread of COVID-19, psychological distress has been experienced by the population and by health workers. COVID-19 has caused changes in the model of care that is delivered in New Zealand general practice. It is unknown, however, whether the changes wrought by COVID-19 have resulted in different levels of strain between rural and urban general practices. This study aims to explore these differences from the impact of COVID-19.

METHODS

This study is part of a four-country collaboration (Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA) involving repeated cross-sectional surveys of primary care practices in each respective country. Surveys were undertaken at regular intervals throughout 2020 of urban and rural general practices throughout New Zealand. Five core questions were asked at each survey, relating to experiences of strain, capacity for testing, stressors experienced, types of consultations being carried out and numbers of patients seen. Simple descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

A total of 1516 responses were received with 20% from rural practices. A moderate degree of strain was experienced by general practices, although rural practices appeared to experience less strain compared to urban ones. Rural practices had fewer staff absent from work, were less likely to use alternative forms of consultations such as video consultations and telephone consultations, and had possibly lower reductions in patient volumes. These variations might be related to personal characteristics of rural as compared to urban practices or different models of care.

CONCLUSION

New Zealand rural general practice appeared to have a different response to the COVID-19 pandemic compared to urban general practice, illustrating the significant strengths and resilience of rural practices. While different experiences from COVID-19 might reflect differences in the demographics of the rural and urban general practice workforce, another proposition is that this difference indicates a rural model of care that is more adaptive compared to the urban one. This is consistent with the literature that rural general practice has the capacity to manage conditions in a different way to urban. While other comparable countries have demonstrated a unique rural model of care, less is known about this in New Zealand, adding weight to an argument to further define New Zealand rural general practice.

Targeted long-read sequencing reveals clonally expanded HBV-associated chromosomal translocations in patients with chronic hepatitis B

Background & Aims

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Lay summary

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Fresh frozen liver biopsies from patients with CHB were subjected to targeted long-read RNA and DNA sequencing.

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Inter-chromosomal translocations associated with HBV integration events detected in one-third of patients.

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Chromosomal translocations were unique to each biopsy sample, suggesting that each originated randomly.

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A larger fraction of the HBV transcriptome originates from cccDNA in patients who are HBeAg-positive.

Detection of MDM2 amplification by shallow whole genome sequencing of cell-free DNA of patients with dedifferentiated liposarcoma

High-level amplification of MDM2 and other genes in the 12q13–15 locus is a hallmark genetic feature of well-differentiated and dedifferentiated liposarcomas (WDLPS and DDLPS, respectively). Detection of this genomic aberration in plasma cell-free DNA may be a clinically useful assay for non-invasive distinction between these liposarcomas and other retroperitoneal tumors in differential diagnosis, and might be useful for the early detection of disease recurrence. In this study, we performed shallow whole genome sequencing of cell-free DNA extracted from 10 plasma samples from 3 patients with DDLPS and 1 patient with WDLPS. In addition, we studied 31 plasma samples from 11 patients with other types of soft tissue tumors. We detected MDM2 amplification in cell-free DNA of 2 of 3 patients with DDLPS. By applying a genome-wide approach to the analysis of cell-free DNA, we also detected amplification of other genes that are known to be recurrently affected in DDLPS. Based on the analysis of one patient with DDLPS with longitudinal plasma samples available, we show that tracking MDM2 amplification in cell-free DNA may be potentially useful for evaluation of response to treatment. The patient with WDLPS and patients with other soft tissue tumors in differential diagnosis were negative for the MDM2 amplification in cell-free DNA. In summary, we demonstrate the feasibility of detecting amplification of MDM2 and other DDLPS-associated genes in plasma cell-free DNA using technology that is already routinely applied for other clinical indications. Our results may have clinical implications for improved diagnosis and surveillance of patients with retroperitoneal tumors.

Characterization of the liver immune microenvironment in liver biopsies from patients with chronic HBV infection

Background & Aims

We aim to describe the liver immune microenvironment by analyzing liver biopsies from patients with chronic HBV infection (CHB). Host immune cell signatures and their corresponding localization were characterized by analyzing the intrahepatic transcriptome in combination with a custom multiplex immunofluorescence panel.

Method

Matching FFPE and fresh frozen liver biopsies were collected from immune active patients within the open-label phase IV study GS-US-174-0149. RNA-Seq was conducted on 53 CHB liver biopsies from 46 patients. Twenty-eight of the 53 samples had matched FFPE biopsies and were stained with a 12-plex panel including cell segmentation, immune and viral biomarkers. Corresponding serum samples were screened using the MSD Human V-plex Screen Service to identify peripheral correlates for the immune microenvironment.

Results

Using unsupervised clustering of the transcriptome, we reveal two unique liver immune signatures classified as immune high and immune low based on the quantification of the liver infiltrate gene signatures. Multiplex immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated large periportal lymphoid aggregates in immune high samples consisting of CD4 and CD8 T cells, B cells and macrophages. Differentiation of the high and low immune microenvironments was independent of HBeAg status and peripheral viral antigen levels. In addition, longitudinal analysis indicates that treatment and normalization of ALT correlates with a decrease in liver immune infiltrate and inflammation. Finally, we screened a panel of peripheral biomarkers and identified ICAM-1 and CXCL10 as biomarkers that strongly correlate with these unique immune microenvironments.

Conclusion

These data provide a description of immune phenotypes in patients with CHB and show that immune responses are downregulated in the liver following nucleotide analogue treatment. This may have important implications for both the safety and efficacy of immune modulator programs aimed at HBV cure.

Lay summary

Liver biopsies from patients with chronic hepatitis B were submitted to RNA-Seq and multiplex immunofluorescence and identified two different liver immune microenvironments: immune high and immune low. Immune high patients showed elevated immune pathways, including interferon signaling pathways, and increase presence of immune cells. Longitudinal analysis of biopsies from treatment experienced patients showed that treatment correlates with a marked decrease in inflammation and these findings may have important implications for both safety and efficacy of immune modulator programs for HBV cure.

367 Pharmacokinetic and immunologic data from a phase I study of the click chemistry-based therapy SQ3370 in advanced solid tumors and soft-tissue sarcoma provides proof-of-concept for the CAPAC platform

Background

Conventional chemotherapeutics lack specificity for tumor tissue and usually have anarrow therapeutic index. SQ3370, a novel therapy that activates doxorubicin (Dox) at the tumor sitewhile minimizing systemic exposure, is based on intratumoral injection of a protodrug-activatinghyaluronic acid-based biopolymer (SQL70) followed by five daily intravenous (IV) doses of an attenuatedprotodrug of Dox (SQP33). SQ3370 utilizes Shasqi’s proprietary Click Activated Protodrugs AgainstCancer (CAPAC) platform where mutually-reactive click chemistry groups in the two components allowrelease of active Dox specifically at the tumor site. In animals, SQ3370 allowed for an 8.95-fold increase in dosing with minimal systemic adverse eventsand no cardiotoxicity. SQ3370 treatment of mouse tumor models showed improved overall survival,enhanced T-cell infiltration, and a robust anti-tumor response against both biopolymer-injected andnon-injected lesions,1 suggesting that SQ3370 promotes activation of the native immune systemagainst the tumor.

Methods

SQ3370-001 (NCT04106492) is a phase 1 trial open to patients with relapsed/refractory soft-tissue sarcoma or other advanced, potentially anthracycline-responsive solid tumors with an injectablelocal or metastatic lesion and =300 mg/m 2 prior exposure to Dox (or equivalent). Primary objectivesinclude safety, tolerability, and recommended Phase 2 dose. Additional objectives include preliminaryefficacy, plasma and tumor biopsy pharmacokinetics (PK), and immune response by peripheral bloodmass cytometry/tumor IHC.

Results

To date, ten patients have been enrolled. SQ3370 treatment has been well-tolerated with nodose-limiting toxicities observed. Plasma PK appeared consistent with preclinical data; rapid conversionof SQP33 protodrug to active Dox occurred but slowed as the residence time of the injected biopolymerlengthened. Systemic exposure to active Dox peaked on days 1–2 post biopolymer injection, followed bya decline on days 3–5. Preliminary tumor analysis shows that substantial local exposure to Dox continues2 weeks after the last SQP33 dose. Immune response analysis of early patient samples suggestsincreased tumor immune cell infiltration that dynamically changes with each cycle of treatment.

Conclusions

SQ3370 appears to be well-tolerated and demonstrates proof-of-concept for the first click-chemistry-based therapy in the clinic. Preclinical and clinical PK are consistent; high tumor exposure canbe achieved, so far without the typical clinical adverse events seen with IV Dox and potentiallyimproving the therapeutic index of a frequently-used chemotherapeutic agent.

Trial Registration

NCT04106492

Reference

Srinivasan S, Yee NA, Wu K, et al. SQ3370 activates cytotoxic drug via click chemistry at tumor andelicits sustained responses in injected and non-injected lesions. Advanced Therapeutics 2021;4(3):2000243.

Use of a computer model and care coaches to increase advance care planning conversations for patients with metastatic cancer

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Background: Patients with metastatic cancer benefit from advance care planning (ACP) conversations. Despite initiatives which train providers to have ACP conversations using the serious illness care program (SICP) conversation guide, few patients have a documented prognosis discussion due to busy clinic schedules and difficulty in deciding the right times to have such conversations. We designed an intervention to improve ACP by incorporating a validated computer model to identify patients at high risk for mortality in combination with lay care coaches. We investigated whether this would improve end of life quality measures. Methods: Four Stanford clinics were included in this pilot; all received SICP training. Two clinics (thoracic and genitourinary) underwent the intervention (computer model + care coach), and two clinics (sarcoma and cutaneous) served as the control. For providers in the intervention, an email was sent every Sunday listing the metastatic cancer patients who would be seen in clinic the following week and a predicted prognosis generated by the model. A lay care coach contacted patients with a predicted survival ≤2 years to have an ACP conversation with them. After, the care coach notified the provider to suggest discussion regarding prognosis with the patient. Criteria for a patient visit to be included in the analysis were: age ≥18, established patient, has sufficient EMR data for computer model, and no prior prognosis documentation. The primary outcome was documentation of prognosis in the ACP form by the end of the week following the clinic visit. Results: 5330 visits in 1298 unique patients met the inclusion criteria. Median age was 67 (range 19-97); 790 male, 508 female. 1970 visits were with patients with ≤2 year predicted survival. Prognosis discussion was documented by providers in the ACP form for 8.1% of intervention visits compared to 0.07% of control visits (p=0.001 in mixed effects model). Of the 1298 unique patients, 84 were deceased by December 2020. 41.7% died in the hospital. 59.5% were enrolled in hospice prior to death, and 19.0% were hospitalized in the ICU ≤14 days prior to death. Of deceased patients with ACP form prognosis documentation, 5.0% had ≥2 hospitalizations in the 30 days before death compared to 23.4% of deceased patients with no prognosis documented (p=0.10). For ≥ 2 ER visits in the 30 days before death, the proportions were 5.0% and 20.3% (p=0.17). Conclusions: This pilot study supports that our intervention is associated with higher rates of prognosis discussions and documentation. There was a trend towards better quality of end of life care as noted by higher rates of hospice enrollment and less intensive care at end of life. These results merit further investigation as a means to improve goal-concordant care and ensure appropriate care for cancer patients at the end of life.

Isolated Leptomeningeal Progression in a Patient with NTRK Fusion+ Uterine Sarcoma: A Case Report

While neurotrophic tropomyosin receptor kinase (NTRK) fusions represent rare oncogenic drivers (<1% of solid cancers), the recent approval of NTRK inhibitors (larotrectinib and entrectinib) led to dramatic responses in patients with NTRK fusion+ tumors. Both drugs have phase I data, demonstrating efficacy in the central nervous system (CNS), including both primary brain tumors and brain metastases. We present a 29-year-old woman who was diagnosed with NTRK3-SPECC1L fusion+ undifferentiated uterine sarcoma and underwent resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Two years later, lung metastases were discovered. She was started on larotrectinib with complete response. She remained stable on larotrectinib until she presented with altered mental status and seizures. MRI demonstrated leptomeningeal enhancement, but because leptomeningeal progression from sarcoma is exceedingly rare and her symptoms improved dramatically with antiepileptics, these findings were initially attributed to seizures. After 2 unrevealing lumbar punctures and stable systemic imaging, a brain biopsy demonstrated metastatic sarcoma, still showing NTRK positivity. She underwent whole brain radiotherapy and was switched to entrectinib, but had clinical progression 1 month later and transitioned to hospice. This case demonstrates the efficacy of NTRK inhibitors in rare and aggressive cancer but highlights that these patients can develop isolated CNS progression even in the setting of CNS-penetrant drugs. CNS progression can occur if there is incomplete CNS drug penetration, discordance in molecular profiles between CNS and systemic disease, or acquired NTRK inhibitor resistance. In this case, CNS disease maintained the NTRK fusion status, but either inadequate CNS penetration or development of a resistance gene may explain the isolated CNS progression.

Making sure the New Zealand border is not our Achilles heel: repeated cross-sectional COVID-19 surveys in primary care

AIM

Quick COVID-19 Surveys are an international collaboration designed to rapidly analyse and disseminate a primary care perspective on the pandemic and associated health response. In this paper we present results from surveys relating to opening the New Zealand border.

METHOD

Three surveys were distributed to primary care practices between May and December 2020. A range of primary care member organisations distributed the survey augmented by snowballing. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data through an inductive process and grouped into themes.

RESULTS

Respondents became increasingly supportive of opening a trans-Tasman border but not internationally. Two broad themes were evident: (1) making sure that the border is not an Achilles heel and (2) effective strategies to reduce local transmission. These themes highlight primary care's concerns around management of the border and the management of local spread respectively.

CONCLUSION

The results highlight concerns around border control from a primary care perspective. The border control issues raised by primary care have proven to be prophetic at times and reflect the role that primary care has as observers of society. The survey mechanism provides a template for rapidly eliciting a primary care voice for future health issues.

Abstract CT225: Phase 1 trial of SQ3370 in solid tumors

Conventional chemotherapeutic agents are effective for a broad array of patients, but have limited dosing capabilities, lack specificity, and often result in systemic toxicity. Conversely, newer cancer immunotherapies have been successful but benefit only a subset of patients and have varying response rates across different tumors. Here we present SQ3370, a novel approach that activates doxorubicin (Dox) at the tumor site while avoiding systemic toxicities commonly associated with the therapy, and may also activate an immune response against the tumor. SQ3370 is based on a local intratumoral injection of a prodrug-capturing biomaterial (SQL70) followed by 5 daily systemic infusions of an attenuated form of Dox (SQP33). Mutually-reactive click chemistry groups in the 2 components allow the release of active Dox at the tumor site.

While conventional Dox is known to induce immune activation [1] and enhance tumor responsiveness to checkpoint inhibitors [2], its benefit is limited by achievable tumor dose, cumulative cardiotoxicity, and systemic immunosuppression. We safely administered SQ3370 in dogs at 8.95-times the veterinary clinical dose of Dox with minimal side effects. In syngeneic mouse models, SQ3370 improved overall survival and induced a robust anti-tumor response against the injected lesion compared to conventional Dox. Surprisingly, SQ3370 also induced regression of the non-injected tumor and enhanced T-cell infiltration in both injected and non-injected tumors. We hypothesize that releasing Dox at a local site with SQ3370 activates the native immune system against the tumor. Thus, SQ3370 is a new therapeutic modality to treat tumors with a drug with known efficacy, Dox, and expanding its therapeutic window. SQ3370 may potentially also benefit patients with metastatic disease.

SQ3370-001 (NCT04106492), the first-in-human Phase 1 study, is currently open in the United States and Australia to treat patients with advanced solid tumors. Eligible patients are ≥18 years old with an injectable local or metastatic lesion for which published data indicates responsiveness to anthracyclines. Patients must be relapsed/refractory following standard of care therapy and must not have received &gt;225 mg/m2 of Dox (or equivalent anthracycline). The cycle length is 21 days with no limit on total cycles. Primary objectives include safety, tolerability, and recommended Phase 2 dose. Additional objectives include assessment of pharmacokinetics in plasma and tumor biopsies, preliminary efficacy per RECIST 1.1, and immune response as assessed by mass cytometry.

References

1.Mattarollo, S.R., et al. Pivotal Role of Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Anthracycline Chemotherapy of Established Tumors, Cancer Res 2011; 71(14):4809-4820.

2.Zitvogel L., et al. Mechanism of action of conventional and targeted anticancer therapies: reinstating immunosurveillance. Immunity. 2013;39:74-88.

Citation Format: Alexander Guminski, Ding Wang, Nam Bui, Vivek Bhadri, Madhawa De Silva, Robert Steffner, Nathan A. Yee, Sangeetha Srinivasan, Jose M. Mejia Oneto, M. Wayne Saville, Vivek Subbiah. Phase 1 trial of SQ3370 in solid tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr CT225.

Uterine Leiomyosarcoma with FN1-Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase Fusion Responsive to Alectinib and Lorlatinib

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a rare malignant neoplasm of the female genital tract poorly responsive to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with an overall poor prognosis. Pazopanib is at the moment the only FDA-approved targeted molecular therapy for uterine LMS, given the exceedingly rare occurrence of actionable genetic mutations in this type of cancer. Here, we describe the first reported case of metastatic uterine LMS with an FN1-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion mutation occurring in a 63-year-old woman with a history of uterine leiomyomas. The patient progressed on several lines of therapy, including conventional chemotherapy, pazopanib, and the first-generation ALK inhibitor crizotinib. Interestingly, the patient showed a remarkable 16-month response to second generation ALK inhibitors alectinib and lorlatinib. This case demonstrates that ALK inhibitors can be an effective therapeutic strategy for patients with ALK fusion-positive uterine LMS that has progressed on conventional chemotherapy.

Phase II trial of pegylated arginine deiminase in combination with gemcitabine and docetaxel for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma

11508

Background: Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is dependent on extracellular arginine as it often lacks expression of argininosuccinate synthase 1 (ASS1), the urea cycle enzyme needed to produce intracellular arginine. PEGylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG 20) is an extracellular arginine-degrading enzyme that causes ASS1 deficient tumors to enter the starvation state. Preclinical data demonstrated that addition of docetaxel (D) with ADI-PEG20 upregulates expression of the transporter for gemcitabine (G), overcoming transporter level resistance, and causing increased cell death. In vivo modeling demonstrated that the combination of ADI-PEG20 with G+D was superior to G+D alone. Therefore, we performed a phase 2 trial testing the addition of ADI-PEG20 to G+D. Methods: We performed an investigator-initiated, phase 2, multicenter, multi-arm clinical trial of ADI-PEG20 with G (90minute infusion)+D in STS, Ewing’s, osteosarcoma and small cell lung cancer. We are reporting Arm A, the STS arm. Eligible patients had STS that would be standardly treated with G+D that had progressed on at least one prior line of therapy with measurable disease by RECIST1.1 and had adequate organ function Based on a historic median PFS of 6.2 months for G+D, we targeted to enroll N = 75 patients in cohort A to detect a 2.8 month improvement with 80% power at a 5% alpha level. Primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), clinical benefit rate (CBR), safety, tolerability, cancer related mortality, and correlation with ASS1 expression by IHC. We evaluated PFS by Kaplan-Meier method and estimated overall response rate (ORR). Results: 75 patients were treated and deemed evaluable. The trial underwent two dose reductions by the data safety monitoring board due to prolonged neutropenia and thrombocytopenia preventing the use of day 8 G+D, consistent with preclinical mechanism of action data showing that ADI-PEG 20+D enhanced G uptake. Originally, the G dose was 900mg/m2 reduced first to 750mg/m2 then to 600mg/m2. D was dose reduced at the time of the second dose reduction from 75mg/m2 to 60mg/m2. ADI-PEG20 was given at a fixed intramuscular dose (36 mg/m2) weekly. The need for two dose reductions affected the PFS. The PFS/OS (months) were for the 600mg/m2 group (n = 31) was 6.0/N.D., leiomyosarcoma (LMS) (N = 33) 7.2/22.5, liposarcoma 5.1/17.4, and other (N = 36) 2.8/15.0. Responses were 8% complete (6/75) (3 LMS, 1 synovial and 2 angiosarcoma), 17% partial (13/75), and 43% stable disease (32/75), for an ORR of 25% (19/75) and CBR of 68% (51/75). There was a trend for ASS1 negative tumors to benefit more than ASS1 positive tumors. Conclusions: The combination of ADI-PEG20 with G+D can be safely and effectively given at a dose of 600mg/m2 G and 60mg/m2 D. Future randomized trials of ADI-PEG20 with G+D are planned. Clinical trial information: NCT03449901.

NCI protocol 10250: A phase II study of temozolomide and olaparib for the treatment of advanced uterine leiomyosarcoma

11506

Background: Uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) is an aggressive sarcoma subtype with frequent metastatic relapse. After failure of front-line chemotherapy, remaining options provide limited benefit (trabectedin: ORR 11%, mPFS 4.0 mos; pazopanib: ORR 11%, median PFS 2.9 mos; dacarbazine: ORR 9%, mPFS 1.5 mos). Recent molecular studies suggest uLMS harbors characteristic defects in the homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair pathway, including somatic biallelic BRCA2 deletion in 10%, implicating potential sensitivity to PARP-inhibitor based treatment approaches. In preclinical uLMS models in which temozolomide (T, an oral equivalent to dacarbazine) or the PARP inhibitor olaparib (O) showed limited single agent activity, the combination of T + O was highly effective in inhibiting uLMS tumor growth and promoting apoptosis. Methods: NCI protocol #10250 is a single-arm, open-label, multi-center phase II study evaluating T + O in advanced uLMS. Pts had progression on ≥ 1 prior line and ECOG PS ≤ 2. Pts received T 75 mg/m2 PO daily + O 200 mg PO BID days 1-7 in 21-day cycles. Primary endpoint was ORR. A one-stage binomial design was used. If ≥ 5/22 responded, the treatment was considered promising (95% power; α = 0.06). All pts underwent paired tumor biopsies. Correlative assays to evaluate for HR deficiency (whole exome sequencing/RNAseq, RAD51 foci formation) and for intrinsic PARP inhibitor resistance (SLFN11 expression) will be correlated with response. Results: 22 patients were evaluable (median age 55, median prior treatment lines 3). Median follow-up was 10.8 mos. Primary endpoint, ORR within 6 mos of initiating treatment, was 23% (5/22). Overall ORR was 27% (6/22). Median PFS was 6.9 mos (95% CI: 5.4 mos – not estimable (NE)). Median duration of response (DOR) was 12.0 mos (95% CI: 9.5 mos – NE). Hematologic toxicity was common (grade 3/4 neutropenia, 77%; thrombocytopenia 32%) but manageable with dose modification. Correlative assays are ongoing with plans to present at the meeting. An immunohistochemical assay for RAD51 foci has been adapted for uLMS samples and clearly distinguishes BRCA2- deleted and wild-type tumors. Conclusions: NCI 10250 met the prespecified primary efficacy endpoint of ORR in a population of patients with heavily pre-treated uLMS. Responses are durable (median DOR 12 mos). Correlative assays are being completed to evaluate whether uLMS tumors with HR deficiency or with preserved SLFN11 expression are most sensitive to T + O and may underlie durable responses. A randomized study of the combination is planned. Clinical trial information: NCT03880019.

Long-Term Remission with Ipilimumab/Nivolumab in Two Patients with Different Soft Tissue Sarcoma Subtypes and No PD-L1 Expression

Checkpoint inhibitor therapy has been shown to improve outcomes in multiple solid malignancies; however, data are limited in soft tissue sarcoma. We present two cases of patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma of different subtypes (dedifferentiated liposarcoma and myxofibrosarcoma) with zero percent PD-L1 expression by immunohistochemistry who were treated with ipilimumab and nivolumab followed by maintenance nivolumab. Both patients had failed multiple lines of systemic treatment and experienced long-term remission after starting ipilimumab and nivolumab. Genetic testing revealed that no genetic mutations were found in common between the two cases. One patient received concurrent cryoablation, which may have sensitized his tumor to immunotherapy. Checkpoint inhibitor therapy may improve outcomes in soft tissue sarcoma regardless of PD-L1 status, especially when combined with cryoablation. Studies are needed to evaluate whether treatment response varies by sarcoma subtype and what molecular markers can be used to guide patient selection.

Evaluation of Absolute Lymphocyte Count at Diagnosis and Mortality Among Patients With Localized Bone or Soft Tissue Sarcoma

IMPORTANCE

Host-related immune factors have been implicated in the development and progression of diverse malignant neoplasms. Identifying associations between immunologic laboratory parameters and overall survival may inform novel prognostic biomarkers and mechanisms of antitumor immunity in localized bone and soft tissue sarcoma.

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether lymphopenia at diagnosis is associated with overall survival among patients with localized bone and soft tissue sarcoma.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This retrospective cohort study analyzed patients from the Stanford Cancer Institute with localized bone and soft tissue sarcoma between September 1, 1998, and November 1, 2018. Patients were included if laboratory values were available within 60 days of diagnosis and, if applicable, prior to the initiation of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Statistical analysis was performed from January 1, 2019, to November 1, 2020.

EXPOSURES

Absolute lymphocyte count within 60 days of diagnosis and antimicrobial exposure, defined by the number of antimicrobial agent prescriptions and the cumulative duration of antimicrobial administration within 60 days of diagnosis.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The association between minimum absolute lymphocyte count at diagnosis and 5-year overall survival probability was characterized with the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models. Multivariable logistic regressions were fitted to evaluate whether patients with lymphopenia were at greater risk of increased antimicrobial exposure.

RESULTS

Among 634 patients, the median age at diagnosis was 53.7 years (interquartile range, 37.5-66.8 years), and 290 patients (45.7%) were women, with a 5-year survival probability of 67.9%. There was a significant inverse association between lymphopenia at diagnosis and overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.82; 95% CI, 1.39-1.40), resulting in a 13.5% 5-year survival probability difference compared with patients who did not have lymphopenia at diagnosis (60.2% vs 73.7% for those who never had lymphopenia). In addition, poorer survival was observed with higher-grade lymphopenia (grades 3 and 4: HR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.68-3.55; grades 1 and 2: HR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.18-2.18). In an exploratory analysis, patients with increased antibiotic exposure were more likely to have lymphopenia (odds ratio, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.26-3.07 for total number of antimicrobial agents; odds ratio, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.10-2.57 for antimicrobial duration) than antimicrobial-naive patients.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This study suggests that an abnormally low absolute lymphocyte count at diagnosis is associated with higher mortality among patients with localized bone and soft tissue sarcoma; therefore, lymphopenia may serve as a reliable prognostic biomarker. Potential mechanisms associated with host immunity and overall survival include a suppressed antitumor response and increased infectious complications, which merit future investigation.

Nivolumab plus ipilimumab for soft tissue sarcoma: a single institution retrospective review

Aim: To analyze the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors in soft tissue sarcoma. Materials & methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma treated with ipilimumab and nivolumab. All patients who received at least one cycle were included. Results: One patient had a complete response and five had a partial response, for an objective response rate of 15%. Clinical benefit rate was 34% with a median duration of 12.0 months (range: 4.5 to 28.9+ months [mo]). Median overall survival was 12.0 months (95% CI: 4.5-23.7+ mo). Median progression-free survival was 2.7 months (95% CI: 2.3-4.5+ mo) by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1 and 2.9 months (2.5-6.0+ mo) by immune-related Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Adverse events of any grade were seen in 58% of patients, the most common being fatigue (21%) and cough (10%), 5% of patients experienced a grade 3 adverse event (AE) (hyperglycemia) or grade 4 AE (myocarditis). Conclusion: Ipilimumab/nivolumab combination showed efficacy and was well tolerated in advanced soft tissue sarcoma.

Epileptic Seizure Detection and Experimental Treatment: A Review

One-fourths of the patients have medication-resistant seizures and require seizure detection and treatment continuously to cope with sudden seizures. Seizures can be detected by monitoring the brain and muscle activities, heart rate, oxygen level, artificial sounds, or visual signatures through EEG, EMG, ECG, motion, or audio/video recording on the human head and body. In this article, we first discuss recent advances in seizure sensing, signal processing, time- or frequency-domain analysis, and classification algorithms to detect and classify seizure stages. Then, we show a strong potential of applying recent advancements in non-invasive brain stimulation technology to treat seizures. In particular, we explain the fundamentals of brain stimulation approaches, including (1) transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), (2) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), (3) transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation (tFUS), and how to use them to treat seizures. Through this review, we intend to provide a broad view of both recent seizure diagnoses and treatments. Such knowledge would help fresh and experienced researchers to capture the advancements in sensing, detection, classification, and treatment seizures. Last but not least, we provide potential research directions that would attract seizure researchers/engineers in the field.

NCI protocol 10250: A phase II study of temozolomide and olaparib for the treatment of advanced uterine leiomyosarcoma

TPS11570

Background: Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is a heterogenous malignancy of mesenchymal origin and includes more than 50 biologically distinct subtypes. Leiomyosarcoma (LMS), a neoplasm of smooth muscle origin, represents up to 20% of STS. The uterus is the most common site of origin in women. Advanced uterine LMS (uLMS) is initially treated with gemcitabine + docetaxel or anthracycline-based chemotherapy but overall survival remains < 24 mos. Besides recurrent alterations in RB1, TP53 and ATRX, insight into cancer biology of uLMS remains limited. Recently, whole exome and transcriptomic sequencing studies suggest uLMS harbors characteristic defects in the homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair pathway and thus features of BRCAness. HR-deficient cancers are unable to efficiently repair double-stranded DNA breaks and appear sensitive to treatment with poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. In preclinical studies, the combination of temozolomide (T), an alkylating agent, and olaparib (O), a PARP inhibitor, was synergistic and markedly suppressed proliferation of uLMS models. A recent phase II study in small cell lung cancer defined the RP2D for T + O where the chief toxicity was myelosuppression. Methods: NCI Protocol #10250 is a single-arm, open-label, multi-center phase II clinical trial of T + O in patients with advanced uLMS. Eligible pts have ECOG PS ≤ 2, progression on ≥ 1 prior line of therapy and disease measurable by RECIST v1.1 and amenable to image-guided biopsy. Pts receive T 75 mg/m2 PO daily + O 200 mg PO BID on days 1-7 in 21-day cycles. The 1° endpoint is objective response rate (ORR). A one-stage binomial design is used to evaluate for an ORR ≤ 10% (null hypothesis) versus ≥ 35% (alternative hypothesis). The design calls for 22 patients. If 5/22 respond, the treatment is promising. This design yields 93% power and 1-sided type I error of 6%. 2° endpoints include progression free survival and safety. All pts undergo tumor biopsies pre-treatment and during cycle 2. Tissue is used for correlative analysis interrogating uLMS for features of BRCAness through (a) whole exome sequencing/RNAseq to evaluate for alterations in HR pathway component genes, (b) RAD51 foci formation by immunohistochemistry as a functional marker of HR pathway activity and (c) protein expression of Schlafen family member number 11 (SLFN11), an emerging biomarker for PARPi. Tumors are also evaluated for MGMT protein expression, a known determinant of sensitivity to T. The study opened to accrual 10/2019. Clinical trial information: NCT03880019.

Increasing Clinical Trial Accrual via Automated Matching of Biomarker Criteria

Successful implementation of precision oncology requires both the deployment of nucleic acid sequencing panels to identify clinically actionable biomarkers, and the efficient screening of patient biomarker eligibility to on-going clinical trials and therapies. This process is typically performed manually by biocurators, geneticists, pathologists, and oncologists; however, this is a time-intensive, and inconsistent process amongst healthcare providers. We present the development of a feature matching algorithmic pipeline that identifies patients who meet eligibility criteria of precision medicine clinical trials via genetic biomarkers and apply it to patients undergoing treatment at the Stanford Cancer Center. This study demonstrates, through our patient eligibility screening algorithm that leverages clinical sequencing derived biomarkers with precision medicine clinical trials, the successful use of an automated algorithmic pipeline as a feasible, accurate and effective alternative to the traditional manual clinical trial curation.

Novel pediatric-automated respiratory score using physiologic data and machine learning in asthma

OBJECTIVES

Manual clinical scoring systems are the current standard used for acute asthma clinical care pathways. No automated system exists that assesses disease severity, time course, and treatment impact in pediatric acute severe asthma exacerbations.

WORKING HYPOTHESIS

machine learning applied to continuous vital sign data could provide a novel pediatric-automated asthma respiratory score (pARS) by using the manual pediatric asthma score (PAS) as the clinical care standard.

METHODS

Continuous vital sign monitoring data (heart rate, respiratory rate, and pulse oximetry) were merged with the health record data including a provider-determined PAS in children between 2 and 18 years of age admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for status asthmaticus. A cascaded artificial neural network (ANN) was applied to create an automated respiratory score and validated by two approaches. The ANN was compared with the Normal and Poisson regression models.

RESULTS

Out of an initial group of 186 patients, 128 patients met inclusion criteria. Merging physiologic data with clinical data yielded >37 000 data points for model training. The pARS score had good predictive accuracy, with 80% of the pARS values within ±2 points of the provider-determined PAS, especially over the mid-range of PASs (6-9). The Poisson and Normal distribution regressions yielded a smaller overall median absolute error.

CONCLUSIONS

The pARS reproduced the manually recorded PAS. Once validated and studied prospectively as a tool for research and for physician decision support, this methodology can be implemented in the PICU to objectively guide treatment decisions.

Abstract CT023: Dose escalation of tinostamustine in patients with advanced solid tumors

Despite advances in the treatment of solid tumors in recent years, unmet medical needs remain for patients with advanced disease. The alkylating deacetylase inhibiting molecule tinostamustine (EDO-S101) is a novel multi-action drug that has been shown in preclinical studies to improve drug access to the DNA strands within cancer cells, break them and counteract damage repair. Here we report findings from the dose escalation phase of an open-label Phase I/II study to investigate the safety, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of tinostamustine in patients with advanced solid tumors (NCT03345485).

In the Phase I part of the study, patients were recruited using a standard 3+3 design, with the first cohort receiving 60mg/m2 tinostamustine administered IV over 30 minutes, with six ascending cohorts to a maximum dose of 100mg/m2 administered over 30 or 60 minutes.

A total of 26 patients were screened and 22 patients enrolled into the study as the safety population. Patients had a mean ± SD age of 59.7 ± 11.1 years, 59.1% were female, 77.3% Caucasian and 22.7% Asian; all patients had received prior systemic therapy with or without radiotherapy. The (mean ± SD) tinostamustine dose was 407.3 ± 218.44 mg/m2, and the mean ± SD time on therapy was 10.4 ± 8.6 weeks. All patients experienced ≥1 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE), of which 22.7% were serious; 3 patients withdrew from the study due to TEAEs (CTCAE Grade 4 thrombocytopenia). The most common TEAEs related to study treatment were mild or moderate in intensity and included nausea (81.8% of patients), QTc prolongation (59.1%), thrombocytopenia (54.5%), anemia (45.5%), lymphopenia (40.9%), fatigue (36.4%), vomiting (31.8%) and leukopenia (31.8%). Importantly, despite a high percentage of patients experiencing some degree of QTc prolongation, external review determined that the majority of abnormalities were not clinically significant. Only one of the 22 patients enrolled (4.5%) experienced a QTc prolongation event that was considered to be clinically significant, this was a dose-limiting toxicity of Grade 3 QTc-prolongation in a patient receiving 100mg/m2 tinostamustine over 60 minutes. Nausea and vomiting were well managed using antiemetics. At 16 weeks’ follow-up, 4.5% of patients had a tumour response of partial response and 36.4% stable disease. Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies showed that peak serum concentrations (Cmax) of tinostamustine reached therapeutic levels. A more detailed analysis of PK data will be presented at the conference.

In patients with advanced solid tumors and limited treatment options, tinostamustine was generally well tolerated with preliminary signs of efficacy observed in this Phase I study across diverse tumor types. The Phase II portion of this study will enable a more comprehensive assessment of the efficacy of tinostamustine in larger patient cohorts within five specific tumor types.

Funding: Mundipharma-EDO GmbH.

Citation Format: Alain Mita, Markus Loeffler, Nam Bui, Thomas Mehrling, Bobbie J. Rimmel, Ronald B. Natale, Shivaani Kummar. Dose escalation of tinostamustine in patients with advanced solid tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr CT023.

Multi-institutional analysis of outcomes in patients with dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma (DDCS)

11028

Background: DDCS is a rare bone tumor with a poor prognosis. While no standard therapy exists, NCCN guidelines recommend osteosarcoma regimens (ORs). Methods: We performed a retrospective review (January 1, 2007-June 1, 2018) at three sarcoma centers and identified 46 patients (pts) with DDCS to evaluate treatments and outcomes. Results: Median age was 62.5 years (23-83); 61% were male. Median tumor size was 10.5cm (2-34). Most pts had localized disease at diagnosis (dx) (80%), extremity primary (76%), and did not receive neo/adjuvant chemotherapy (70%) or radiotherapy (69%). Local and distant recurrences were frequent (35% and 57%, respectively) and rapid (6.6 months (m) and 5.4 m, respectively). Twenty-eight pts received chemotherapy, 9 neo/adjuvant and 19 for metastasis (met) (Table). Response rate to first line ORs was poor (53% progressed). Notably, 11% had a partial response (D/I). Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) led to stable disease. Median overall survival was 22.8 m and 7.2 m; 5-year survival rates were 30% and 0% in localized and metastatic disease, respectively. Median follow-up was 12.5 m (1.4-120). A multivariate cox proportional hazards model (age, sex, location, met at dx) identified met at dx as the only risk factor for worse prognosis (HR 2.8, p=0.026). Conclusions: DDCS is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. Despite guidelines to treat with ORs, the benefit is unclear, illustrating the need for randomized trials comparing standard regimens to novel agents. [Table: see text]

A phase II study of ADI-PEG 20 in combination with gemcitabine and docetaxel for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma

TPS11079

Background: The combination of gemcitabine (G) and docetaxel (D) is a standard second line therapy for soft tissue sarcoma (STS) with a modest response rate. Recent studies have looked to add agents to enhance response. We have shown that argininosuccinate synthase 1 (ASS1) expression is silenced in 88% of all sarcomas (n = 708) (Bean et al., 2016, Cell Death and Disease), and that this loss is associated with a reliance on extracellular sources of the amino acid arginine. The arginine depleting enzyme PEGylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG 20) depletes extracellular arginine. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that arginine starvation and D administration induce c-Myc-driven hENT1 surface expression overcoming intrinsic cell surface G transporter related resistance. To test this hypothesis, we opened this multi-institutional randomized phase II trial examining the safety and efficacy of ADI-PEG 20 with G + D in STS (NCT03449901) in July of 2018. Methods: Eligible patients are adults with metastatic or unresectable histologically or cytologically confirmed FNCLCC grade 2 or 3 STS that would be standardly treated with G and/or D. Patients are treated with ADI-PEG 20 at a dose of 36 mg/m2 via intramuscular injection on Day -7 of Cycle 1 and then on Days 1, 8, and 15 of each subsequent cycle. G will be given intravenously at a dose of 750 mg/m2 over 90 minutes on Days 1 and 8 and D will be given intravenously at a dose of 75 mg/m2 over 60 minutes on Day 8 of each cycle. The median PFS of metastatic sarcoma patients receiving the standard G + D treatment was estimated to be 6.2 months in a randomized phase II study (Maki et. al., 2007, JCO). With the addition of ADI-PEG 20, we target to improve the median PFS to 9 months, a 45.2% (2.8 months or 12 weeks) improvement in patients treated on G + D + ADI-PEG 20 against the null hypothesis median PFS of 6.2 months to achieve 80% power to detect the improvement in PFS at a 5% alpha level. Tumor specimens (pre- and post-ADI-PEG 20 during week -1) and blood are collected for correlative studies including metabolomics, pharmacodynamics, immunogenicity and ASS1 biomarkers. Quality of life will be measured using FACT-G7. Clinical trial information: NCT03449901.

Reviewing the role of healthy volunteer studies in drug development

BACKGROUND

With the exception of genotoxic oncology drugs, first-in-human, Phase 1 clinical studies of investigational drugs have traditionally been conducted in healthy volunteers (HVs). The primary goal of these studies is to investigate the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a novel drug candidate, determine appropriate dosing, and document safety and tolerability.

MAIN BODY

When tailored to specific study objectives, HV studies are beneficial to manufacturers and patients alike and can be applied to both non-oncology and oncology drug development. Enrollment of HVs not only increases study accrual rates for dose-escalation studies but also alleviates the ethical concern of enrolling patients with disease in a short-term study at subtherapeutic doses when other studies (e.g. Phase 2 or Phase 3 studies) may be more appropriate for the patient. The use of HVs in non-oncology Phase 1 clinical trials is relatively safe but nonetheless poses ethical challenges because of the potential risks to which HVs are exposed. In general, most adverse events associated with non-oncology drugs are mild in severity, and serious adverse events are rare, but examples of severe toxicity have been reported. The use of HVs in the clinical development of oncology drugs is more limited but is nonetheless useful for evaluating clinical pharmacology and establishing an appropriate starting dose for studies in cancer patients. During the development of oncology drugs, clinical pharmacology studies in HVs have been used to assess pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, food effects, potential drug-drug interactions, effects of hepatic and renal impairment, and other pharmacologic parameters vital for clinical decision-making in oncology. Studies in HVs are also being used to evaluate biosimilars versus established anticancer biologic agents.

CONCLUSION

A thorough assessment of toxicity and pharmacology throughout the drug development process is critical to ensure the safety of HVs. With the appropriate safeguards, HVs will continue to play an important role in future drug development.

A multicenter phase II study of Q3 week or weekly paclitaxel in combination with bevacizumab for the treatment of metastatic or unresectable angiosarcoma

Paclitaxel (P) and bevacizumab (B) are agents that provide clinical benefit in advanced angiosarcoma (AS). The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of P-B in two different scheduled regimens. Patients were to receive P 200mg/m2 IV with B 15mg/kg IV every 21 days (Regimen A) or P 90mg/m2 IV weekly D1, 8, 15 with B 15mg/kg IV D1 of a 28 day cycle (Regimen B) x6 cycles. Maintenance B followed at a dose of 15 mg/kg intravenously once every 21 days. The primary end point was 4 month non-progression rate (NPR). A total of 16 patients were enrolled. 4 month NPR was 62.5% with median overall survival 16 months and median progression free survival 5.06 months. 11 patients made it to cycle 3 and were evaluable for response with 1 CR (9%), 4 PR (36%), 2 SD (18%), and 6 PD (36%). There were ten grade 3 toxicities and four grade 4 toxicities. The breakdown between the two regimens revealed comparable efficacy and safety. Paclitaxel and Bevacizumab is an active regimen in angiosarcoma. Q3 week and weekly paclitaxel appear similar in efficacy and safety.

Disruption of NSD1 in Head and Neck Cancer Promotes Favorable Chemotherapeutic Responses Linked to Hypomethylation

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents a distinct classification of cancer with worse expected outcomes. Of the 11 genes recurrently mutated in HNSCC, we identify a singular and substantial survival advantage for mutations in the gene encoding Nuclear Set Domain Containing Protein 1 (NSD1), a histone methyltransferase altered in approximately 10% of patients. This effect, a 55% decrease in risk of death in NSD1-mutated versus non-mutated patients, can be validated in an independent cohort. NSD1 alterations are strongly associated with widespread genome hypomethylation in the same tumors, to a degree not observed for any other mutated gene. To address whether NSD1 plays a causal role in these associations, we use CRISPR-Cas9 to disrupt NSD1 in HNSCC cell lines and find that this leads to substantial CpG hypomethylation and sensitivity to cisplatin, a standard chemotherapy in head and neck cancer, with a 40% to 50% decrease in the IC₅₀ value. Such results are reinforced by a survey of 1,001 cancer cell lines, in which loss-of-function NSD1 mutations have an average 23% decrease in cisplatin IC₅₀ value compared with cell lines with wild-type NSD1Significance: This study identifies a favorable subtype of HPV-negative HNSCC linked to NSD1 mutation, hypomethylation, and cisplatin sensitivity. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(7); 1585-94. ©2018 AACR.

Cell-Free DNA from Ascites and Pleural Effusions: Molecular Insights into Genomic Aberrations and Disease Biology

Collection of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from the blood of individuals with cancer has permitted noninvasive tumor genome analysis. Detection and characterization of cfDNA in ascites and pleural effusions have not yet been reported. Herein, we analyzed cfDNA in the ascites and pleural effusions from six individuals with metastatic cancer. In all cases, cfDNA copy number variations (CNV) were discovered within the effusate. One individual had a relevant alteration with a high copy amplification in EGFR in a never smoker with lung cancer, who showed only MDM2 and CDK4 amplification in a prior tissue biopsy. Another subject with metastatic breast cancer had cytology-positive ascites and an activating PIK3CA mutation identified in the tissue, blood, and ascites collectively. This individual had tumor regression after the administration of the mTOR inhibitor everolimus and had evidence of chromotripsis from chromosomal rearrangements noted in the cell-free ascitic fluid. These results indicate that cfDNA from ascites and pleural effusions may provide additional information not detected with tumor and plasma cell-free DNA molecular characterization, and a context for important insights into tumor biology and clonal dynamic change within primary tumor and metastatic deposits. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(5); 948-55. ©2017 AACR.

Novel Treatment Strategies for Brain Metastases in Non-small-cell Lung Cancer

OPINION STATEMENT

Brain metastases are common in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and due to associated poor prognosis, this field is an important area of need for the development of innovative medical therapies. Therapies including local approaches through surgical intervention and/or radiation and evolving systemic therapies have led to improvements in the treatment of brain metastases in patients with lung cancer. Strategies that consider applying advanced radiation techniques to minimize toxicity, intervening early with effective systemic therapies to spare radiation/surgery, testing radiosensitization combinations, and developing drug penetrant molecules have and will continue to define new practice patterns. We believe that in carefully considered asymptomatic patients, first-line systemic therapy may be considered before radiation therapy and small-molecule targeted therapy may provide an opportunity to defer radiation therapy for recurrence or progression of disease. The next several years in oncology drug development will see the reporting on of brain penetrant molecules in oncogene-defined non-small cell lung cancer. Ongoing studies will evaluate immunotherapies in patients with brain metastases with associated endpoints. We hope that continued drug development and carefully designed clinical trials may afford an opportunity to improve the lives of patients with brain metastases.

Strategies to Overcome Bypass Mechanisms Mediating Clinical Resistance to EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibition in Lung Cancer

The vast majority of patients with metastatic lung cancers who initially benefit from EGFR-targeted therapies eventually develop resistance. An increasing understanding of the number and complexity of resistance mechanisms highlights the challenge of treating tumors resistant to EGFR inhibitors. Resistance mechanisms include new, second-site mutations within EGFR (e.g., T790M and C797S), upregulation of MET kinase, upregulation of insulin growth factor receptor (IGFR), HER2 amplification, increased expression of AXL, BIM modulation, NF-κB activation, histologic switch to small-cell cancer, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, PDL1 expression with subsequent immune tolerance, and release of cytokines such as TGFβ and IL6. Herein, we review the growing body of knowledge regarding EGFR bypass pathways, and the development of new drugs and combination treatment strategies to overcome resistance. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(2); 265-72. ©2017 AACR.

A phase II trial of Q3 week or weekly paclitaxel in combination with bevacizumab for metastatic or unresectable angiosarcoma

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Background: Paclitaxel (P) and bevacizumab (B) are both agents that provide clinical benefit in advanced angiosarcoma. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of P-B in two regimens: Q3 week or weekly P with B for patients with advanced AS. Methods: We conducted a multicenter phase II trial. Patients were to receive P 200mg/m2 IV with B 15mg/kg IV every 21 days (Regimen A) or P 90mg/m2 IV weekly D1, 8, 15 with B 15mg/kg IV D1 of a 28 day cycle (Regimen B) x6 cycles. Maintenance B followed at a dose of 15 mg/kg intravenously once every 21 days. The primary end point was 4 month non-progression rate (NPR, RECIST 1.1). Results: A total of 16 patients were entered in the study between June 2010 through September 2013. Sites of disease included soft tissue (n = 5), skin/scalp (n = 5), breast (n = 4), and viscera (n = 2). All four breast patients were radiation induced after treatment for breast adenocarcinoma. 11 were chemotherapy naïve while 5 had received prior systemic chemotherapy. Results are reported as both an aggregate as well as per regimen (Table 1). 4 month NPR was 62.5% with median overall survival 16 months and median progression free survival 5.06 months. Of the 16 patients, 11 made it to cycle 3 and thus were evaluable for response. There were 1 CR, 4 PR, 2 SD, and 6 PD. There were no grade 5 toxicities, ten grade 3 toxicities and four grade 4 toxicities. The most common grade 3 toxicity was neutropenia (3/10) with other notable toxicities including peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and heart failure. Grade 4 toxicities included neutropenia, bowel perforation, atrial flutter, and acute coronary syndrome. The breakdown between the two regimens revealed comparable efficacy and safety with similar ORR, 4mNPR, mOS, mPFS, and G3/4 toxicities. Conclusions: P and B followed by maintenance B is active and has a tolerable safety profile. Q3 week and weekly paclitaxel appear similar in efficacy and safety. Clinical trial information: NCT01055028. [Table: see text]