Changes over time in the course of advanced pancreatic cancer treatment with systemic chemotherapy: a pooled analysis of five clinical trials from two decades of the German AIO study group

BACKGROUND

Over the past two decades, our group has conducted five multicenter trials focusing on first-line systemic therapy for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The current pooled analysis was designed to evaluate prognosis over time and the impact of clinical characteristics on survival.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Individual patient data were derived from five prospective, controlled, multicenter trials conducted by the 'Arbeitsgemeinschaft Internistische Onkologie' (AIO): 'Gem/Cis', 'Ro96', 'RC57', 'ACCEPT' and 'RASH', which recruited patients between December 1997 and January 2017.

RESULTS

Overall, 912 patients were included. The median overall survival (OS) for all assessable patients was 7.1 months. OS significantly improved over time, with a median OS of 8.6 months for patients treated from 2012 to 2017 compared with 7.0 months from 1997 to 2006 [hazard ratio (HR) 1.06; P < 0.004]. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (HR 1.48; P < 0.001), use of second-line treatment (HR 1.51; P < 0.001), and Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) stage (III versus IV) (HR 1.34, P = 0.002) had a significant impact on OS. By contrast, no influence of age and gender on OS was detectable. Comparing combination therapy with single-agent chemotherapy did not demonstrate a survival benefit, nor did regimens containing epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) such as afatinib or erlotinib, compared with chemotherapy-only arms. Patients with early-onset pancreatic cancer (age at study entry of ≤50 years, n = 102) had a similar OS compared with those >50 years (7.1 versus 7.0 months; HR 1.13; P = 0.273). The use of a platinum-containing regimen was not associated with better outcomes in patients with early-onset pancreatic cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Within this selected group of patients treated within prospective clinical trials, survival has shown improvement over two decades. This effect is likely attributable to the availability of more effective combination therapies and treatment lines, rather than to any specific regimen, such as those containing EGFR-TKIs. In addition, concerning age and sex subgroups, the dataset did not provide evidence for distinct clinical behavior.

Results of a phase Ib study of regorafenib (REG) 80 mg/day plus pembrolizumab (PEMBRO) for first-line treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

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Background: In a phase Ib study, REG 120 mg/day plus PEMBRO for first-line treatment of advanced HCC showed no unexpected safety signals and encouraging anti-tumor activity. At the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of REG (120 mg/day), approximately three-quarters of patients (pts) had a REG dose reduction or interruption due to a treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE). Here, we present preliminary data for the REG 80 mg/day cohort. Methods: This is an ongoing, dose-finding study in pts who had no prior systemic therapy. In the first cohort, pts received REG 120 mg/day orally for 3 weeks on/1 week off plus PEMBRO 200 mg intravenously q 3 weeks. In later cohorts, the REG dose could be escalated (160 mg/day) or reduced (80 mg/day); the PEMBRO dose is fixed. The primary objective is safety and tolerability. Secondary objectives are to define the MTD and recommended phase II dose and assess anti-tumor activity. Results: By July 24, 2020, 16 pts were treated with REG 80 mg/day. Median age was 67 years (range 56–79), 25%/75% were Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B/C, 100% Child–Pugh A, and 69%/31% had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0/1. Grade (Gr) 3 TEAEs occurred in 8/16 pts (50%) and there were no Gr 4 TEAEs (Table); one pt experienced Gr 5 pneumonitis (not drug related). There were no reports of Gr 3 hand–foot skin reaction or Gr 3 maculopapular rash, and one report (6%) of Gr 3 rash. TEAEs led to a REG dose reduction or interruption in 50% of pts and to a PEMBRO dose interruption in 25% of pts. Median treatment duration (range) including pts ongoing was 4.1 months (0.4–7.1) for REG and 3.8 months (0.03–7.2) for PEMBRO. Of 13 evaluable pts, 2 (15%) had a partial response and 9 (69%) had stable disease (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors v1.1); disease control rate was 85%. Conclusions: These preliminary results for the combination of REG 80 mg/day plus PEMBRO for first-line treatment of advanced HCC were consistent with the REG 120 mg/day cohort. The combination showed no unexpected safety signals and encouraging anti-tumor activity. Assessment of REG 80 mg/day plus PEMBRO is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT03347292. [Table: see text]

Final results from a phase II study of infigratinib (BGJ398), an FGFR-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in patients with previously treated advanced cholangiocarcinoma harboring an FGFR2 gene fusion or rearrangement

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Background: Treatment options for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) after progression on first-line gemcitabine-based therapy are limited. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 ( FGFR2) gene fusions occur in 13–17% of intrahepatic CCA. A single-arm, phase II study (NCT02150967) evaluated infigratinib, an ATP-competitive FGFR1–3-selective oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in previously-treated advanced CCA with FGFR fusions/rearrangements. Methods: Adult patients with advanced/metastatic CCA with progression on ≥1 line of systemic therapy received infigratinib 125 mg orally for 21 days of each 28-day cycle until unacceptable toxicity or disease progression. All patients received prophylaxis with the oral phosphate binder sevelamer. Primary endpoint: objective response rate (ORR) by independent central review per RECIST v1.1, with duration of response (DOR). Secondary endpoints: progression-free survival (PFS), disease control rate, overall survival, safety, pharmacokinetics. Approximately 160 patients are planned (120/20/20 patients in Cohorts 1/2/3). This analysis focuses on Cohort 1 (patients with FGFR2 gene fusions or rearrangements without receiving a prior FGFR inhibitor). Results: As of 31 March 2020, 108 patients, including 83 (77%) with FGFR2 fusions, received infigratinib: median age 53 years (range 23–81 years); 54% had received ≥2 prior treatment lines. Median follow-up was 10.6 months (range 1.1–55.9 months). 96 patients (88.9%) discontinued treatment (12 ongoing). Centrally reviewed ORR was 23.1% (95% CI 15.6–32.2) including 1 CR and 24 PRs; median DOR was 5.0 months (range 0.9–19.1 months). Among responders, 8 (32.0%) patients had a DOR of ≥6 months. Median PFS was 7.3 months (95% CI 5.6–7.6 months). Prespecified subgroup analysis: ORR was 34% (17/50) in the second-line setting and 13.8% (8/58) in the third-/later-line setting (3–8 prior treatments). Most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs, any grade) were hyperphosphatemia (76.9%), eye disorders (67.6%, excluding central serous retinopathy/retinal pigment epithelium detachment [CSR/RPED]), stomatitis (54.6%), and fatigue (39.8%). CSR/RPED occurred in 16.7% of patients (including 1 G3 event; 0 G4). Other common grade 3/4 TEAEs were stomatitis (14.8%; all G3), hyponatremia (13.0%; all G3), and hypophosphatemia (13.0%; 13 G3, 1 G4). Conclusions: Infigratinib is associated with promising anticancer activity and a manageable AE profile in patients with advanced, refractory CCA with an FGFR2 gene fusion or rearrangement. A phase III study of infigratinib versus gemcitabine/cisplatin is ongoing in the front-line setting (NCT03773302). Clinical trial information: NCT02150967.

Structured Reporting of Solid and Cystic Pancreatic Lesions in CT and MRI: Consensus-Based Structured Report Templates of the German Society of Radiology (DRG)

BACKGROUND

 Radiological reports of pancreatic lesions are currently widely formulated as free texts. However, for optimal characterization, staging and operation planning, a wide range of information is required but is sometimes not captured comprehensively. Structured reporting offers the potential for improvement in terms of completeness, reproducibility and clarity of interdisciplinary communication.

METHOD

 Interdisciplinary consensus finding of structured report templates for solid and cystic pancreatic tumors in computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with representatives of the German Society of Radiology (DRG), German Society for General and Visceral Surgery (DGAV), working group Oncological Imaging (ABO) of the German Cancer Society (DKG) and other radiologists, oncologists and surgeons.

RESULTS

 Among experts in the field of pancreatic imaging, oncology and pancreatic surgery, as well as in a public online survey, structured report templates were developed by consensus. These templates are available on the DRG homepage under www.befundung.drg.de and will be regularly revised to the current state of scientific knowledge by the participating specialist societies and responsible working groups.

CONCLUSION

 This article presents structured report templates for solid and cystic pancreatic tumors to improve clinical staging (cTNM, ycTNM) in everyday radiology.

KEY POINTS

  · Structured report templates offer the potential of optimized radiological reporting with regard to completeness, reproducibility and differential diagnosis.. · This article presents consensus-based, structured reports for solid and cystic pancreatic lesions in CT and MRI.. · These structured reports are available open source on the homepage of the German Society of Radiology (DRG) under www.befundung.drg.de..

CITATION FORMAT

· Persigehl T, Baumhauer M, Baeßler B et al. Structured Reporting of Solid and Cystic Pancreatic Lesions in CT and MRI: Consensus-Based Structured Report Templates of the German Society of Radiology (DRG). Fortschr Röntgenstr 2020; 192: 641 - 655.

Cabozantinib in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: Efficacy and safety data from an international multicenter real-world cohort

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Background: The multikinase inhibitor cabozantinib has been approved by the European Medicines Agency in November 2018 for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prior treated with sorafenib. We report, to our knowledge, for the first time safety and efficacy data of an international, multicenter, real-world cohort of patients with advanced HCC treated with cabozantinib. Methods: Patients with HCC who were treated with cabozantinib were retrospectively identified across 10 centers in Austria and Germany. Patients´ characteristics, side effects, duration of treatment and survival data were analyzed until January 17, 2020. Results: 74 patients were identified of whom 65 patients were male (88%) and 9 were female (12%). The median age at the start of cabozantinib treatment was 66 years. The most common underlying liver diseases included hepatitis C in 15 (20%), hepatitis B in 6 (8%), alcohol in 17 (23%) and NAFLD/NASH in 20 (27%) patients, respectively. 64 patients (86%) had BCLC stage C and 43 patients (58%) were Child Pugh A. Cabozantinib was used as systemic second- and third-line treatment in 37 (50%), and 25 (34%) patients, respectively. In the remaining patients cabozantinib was used in further lines. The median starting dose was 40 mg (20-60 mg). In 26 patients (35%) a dose reduction due to side effects was performed. Following best responses under cabozantinib were documented: partial response in 4 (5%), stable disease in 22 (30%), and progressive disease in 24 (32%) patients, respectively. 24 patients (32%) had not yet been evaluable. The median duration of cabozantinib treatment was 4.4 months. 35 patients (47%) had died at day of data analysis. The median overall survival from start of cabozantinib treatment was 7.7 months. Most common adverse events were fatigue and diarrhea. Conclusions: Cabozantinib treatment was effective, safe and feasible in patients with advanced HCC. Patients in the real life setting had more advanced liver disease – only 58% of patients were Child A. Duration of treatment was similar to the phase 3 trial (CELESTIAL). However, overall survival was shorter, probably due to more advanced liver disease.

Implementing a novel method to estimate the "Burden of Therapy" (BOTh) for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine plus afatinib vs. gemcitabine in the AIO ACCEPT trial

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Background: The phase II ACCEPT trial included 119 patients (pts) with histologically proven pancreatic cancer without any previous systemic treatment for metastatic disease. Pts were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive either afatinib 40mg orally once daily + gemcitabine (1000mg/m2 iv weekly for three weeks followed by one week of rest, repeated every four weeks) or gemcitabine alone. The addition of afatinib did not lead to improved efficacy (7.3 vs. 7.4 months, HR 1.06, p = 0.80; data previously shown). The traditional analysis of adverse events was not able to reveal the actual patient´s burden in each of the treatment arms. Methods: BOTh is a highly sensitive, novel methodology utilizing patient-level data to derive a quantitative estimate for the “Burden of Therapy/Toxicity” (BOTh) that all or individual pts experience on each day of a clinical study*. The daily burden estimate is based on number and severity of adverse events (AEs) that occur contemporaneously and consecutively, in a combination of incidence and severity resulting in a major advantage over current methods. A chart displays the total burden experienced by pts on each day throughout the study and statistical analyses are performed with the area under curve. Results: The BOTh analysis revealed that the daily burden of toxicity for pts in the gemcitabine-alone arm was 6.8 compared to 11.5 in the combination treatment arm (p = 0.0005). However, the day to day variation in burden was higher in the gemcitabine-alone arm. The higher burden in the combination arm was already visible at a very early stage of the trial when most pts were still on treatment. Conclusions: Whereas the traditional analysis of AEs only gave a static interpretation, BOTh revealed a more dynamic view on burden of toxicity on pts taking single vs combination medication in a 200 day time frame. BOTh can facilitate better informed treatment selection. *Abdulahad A. et.al, Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications 4 (2016) 186-191. Funding: The ACCEPT trial was funded by an unrestricted financial grant by Boehringer Ingelheim. Clinical trial information: NCT01728818 .

Antimicrobial prophylaxis in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Guidelines of the Infectious Diseases Working Party (AGIHO) of the German Society of Haematology and Oncology

Patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation are at high risk for infection with a variety of pathogens during different phases of the procedure. Bacteria and fungi predominate the first phase until engraftment. During the second phase, from engraftment to about day 100, major infectious problems are caused by fungi and cytomegalovirus. Both pathogens remain important under continued immunosuppression, however, in the late post-transplantation period infections with encapsulated bacteria may become a problem. In this review the Infectious Diseases Working Party of the DGHO gives recommendations for prophylaxis of infections under allogeneic stem cell transplantation with drugs and other measures. The aim of the group was to do this on an evidence-based-medicine rating, if possible.