The Consistency and Quality of ChatGPT Responses Compared to Clinical Guidelines for Ovarian Cancer: A Delphi Approach

INTRODUCTION

In recent years, generative Artificial Intelligence models, such as ChatGPT, have increasingly been utilized in healthcare. Despite acknowledging the high potential of AI models in terms of quick access to sources and formulating responses to a clinical question, the results obtained using these models still require validation through comparison with established clinical guidelines. This study compares the responses of the AI model to eight clinical questions with the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM) guidelines for ovarian cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The authors used the Delphi method to evaluate responses from ChatGPT and the AIOM guidelines. An expert panel of healthcare professionals assessed responses based on clarity, consistency, comprehensiveness, usability, and quality using a five-point Likert scale. The GRADE methodology assessed the evidence quality and the recommendations' strength.

RESULTS

A survey involving 14 physicians revealed that the AIOM guidelines consistently scored higher averages compared to the AI models, with a statistically significant difference. Post hoc tests showed that AIOM guidelines significantly differed from all AI models, with no significant difference among the AI models.

CONCLUSIONS

While AI models can provide rapid responses, they must match established clinical guidelines regarding clarity, consistency, comprehensiveness, usability, and quality. These findings underscore the importance of relying on expert-developed guidelines in clinical decision-making and highlight potential areas for AI model improvement.

Gynecological Cancer and Venous Thromboembolism: A Narrative Review to Increase Awareness and Improve Risk Assessment and Prevention

The prevention and appropriate management of venous thromboembolism in cancer patients is of paramount importance. However, the literature data report an underestimation of this major problem in patients with gynecological cancers, with an inconsistent venous thromboembolism risk assessment and prophylaxis in this patient setting. This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the available evidence regarding the management of venous thromboembolism in cancer patients, focusing on the specific context of gynecological tumors, exploring the literature discussing risk factors, risk assessment, and pharmacological prophylaxis. We found that the current understanding and management of venous thromboembolism in gynecological malignancy is largely based on studies on solid cancers in general. Hence, further, larger, and well-designed research in this area is needed.

Real-life efficacy and safety of cemiplimab in advanced cervical cancer from a nominal use program in Italy: The MITO 44 study

BACKGROUND

cemiplimab is an immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal antibody targeting the programmed cell death-1 receptor. A nominal use program is available in Italy in advanced cervical cancer (CC) patients treated with platinum based chemotherapy based on the results of EMPOWER-Cervical 1/GOG-3016/ENGOTcx9 trial. This real-world, retrospective cohort, multicenter study aimed at describing clinical outcomes of patients with advanced CC treated with cemiplimab in Italy.

METHODS

The primary objective of the study was to assess the feasibility and the replicability of the initial results in a real world setting of cemiplimab nominal use. The primary endpoint of our analysis was progression free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints included overall response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS) and safety data.

RESULTS

From March 2022 to December 2023, 135 patients were treated in 12 Multicenter Italian Trials in Ovarian cancer and gynecologic malignancies (MITO) Centers. Forty-two percent of patients had one or more comorbidities, hypertension being the most common (23.4%). Median PFS was 4.0 months (range 3.0-6.0) and median OS was 12.0 months (12.0- NR) with no differences according to PD-L1 status. Complete response (CR) or no evidence of disease (NED) were observed in 8.6%; partial response (PR) in 21.1%, stable disease (SD) in 14.8% and progression was recorded in 44.5% of patients. Most common drug related adverse events (AEs) were anemia (39.1%) and fatigue (27.8%). Immune related AEs occurred in 18.0%.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms the feasibility and the replicability of the cemiplimab nominal use in advanced CC, in a real-world practice in Italy.

Alpelisib for PIK3CA-mutated advanced gynecological cancers: First clues of clinical activity

OBJECTIVE

Recurrent gynecological tumors (e.g., endometrial, and ovarian cancers) are incurable diseases; therefore, new treatment options are urgently needed. The PTEN-AKT-PI3K pathway is frequently altered in these tumors, representing a potential treatment target. Alpelisib is an α-specific PI3K inhibitor approved in PIK3CA-mutated advanced breast cancer. We report outcomes from a large series of patients with PIK3CA-mutated gynecological cancers prospectively treated with alpelisib within a controlled program.

METHODS

From April 2021 to December 2022, 36 patients with PIK3CA-mutated advanced gynecological cancers received alpelisib 300 mg orally once daily. Objective response (ORR) and disease control (DCR) rates provided measure of the antitumor activity of alpelisib, the primary objective of the study.

RESULTS

Included patients had endometrial (17/36 [47%]), ovarian (10/36 [28%]), or other gynecological cancers (9/36 [25%]). Most patients had received 2-3 prior systemic treatments (endometrial, 47·2%; ovarian, 60%; other, 56%), and presented with visceral metastases at baseline (82%, 70%, and 56%, respectively). Overall, 17 different PIK3CA mutations were found, including 53% in the kinase domain (most commonly H1047R) and 36% in the helical domain (most commonly E545K). Overall, the ORR was 28% and DCR was 61%, with the greatest benefit observed in patients with endometrial cancer (35% and 71%, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Alpelisib represents an active treatment option in patients with recurrent gynecological cancers harboring a PIK3CA mutation. These findings support the need of biomarker-driven randomized trials of PI3K inhibitors in gynecological cancers.

Life Experience of Survivors of Gynecologic Cancers: A Survey Conducted in Italy

BACKGROUND

The study of health-related quality of life in survivors of gynecologic cancers is becoming increasingly important as 1.5 million survivors of gynecologic cancer in the United States and more are expected due to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This project investigated the perceived needs and lived experiences of survivors of gynecological cancer to help design supportive activities to be implemented in clinical practice.

METHODS

Patients were recruited in hospitals or through social media and responded to an online survey that was addressed to patients in Italy, specifically in Sicily, Puglia, and Campania. Patients with ovarian, endometrium, or cervix cancer were recruited among women attending Cannizzaro Hospital and Alleanza Contro il Tumore Ovarico (Alliance Against Ovarian Cancer) members.

RESULTS

Body image perception was changed in 82.3% of respondents, whereas familial relationships were described as changed by 27.5% of women. In 69.6% of patients, sexual habits were hindered by changes in the body, depression, pain, and awkwardness. Physicians informed patients about sexuality changes related to cancer extensively in 16.7% of cases and briefly in 19.6% of cases. The advice of a clinical sexologist was considered potentially helpful by 31.4% of patients and not potentially helpful by 47.1%, whereas 21.6% of patients had no opinion.

CONCLUSIONS

Although sexual habits are often changed by cancer, women surviving gynecological cancer rarely seek medical advice in this area. Physicians should be trained to inform patients and to promote referrals to sexologists.

MITO39: Efficacy and Tolerability of Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin (PLD)-Trabectedin in the Treatment of Relapsed Ovarian Cancer after Maintenance Therapy with PARP Inhibitors-A Multicenter Italian Trial in Ovarian Cancer Observational Case-Control Study

OBJECTIVE

While PLD-Trabectedin is an approved treatment for relapsed platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer, its efficacy and tolerability has so far not been tested extensively in patients who progress after poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) treatment.

METHODOLOGY

This multicenter, retrospective analysis had the objective of comparing patients receiving PLD-Trabectedin after being treated with PARP-I (cases) with PARPi-naïve patients. Descriptive and survival analyses were performed for each group.

RESULTS

Data from 166 patients were collected, composed of 109 cases and 57 controls. In total, 135 patients were included in our analyses, composing 46 controls and 89 cases. The median PFS was 11 months (95% IC 10-12) in the control group vs. 8 months (95% IC 6-9) in the case group (p value 0.0017). The clinical benefit rate was evaluated, with an HR for progression of 2.55 (1.28-5.06) for the case group (p value 0.008), persisting when adjusted for BRCA and line with treatment. We compared hematological toxicity, gastro-intestinal toxicity, hand-foot syndrome (HFS), fatigue, and liver toxicity, and no statistically significant disparity was noted, except for HFS with a p value of 0.006. The distribution of G3 and G4 toxicities was also equally represented.

CONCLUSION

The MITO39 study showed a statistically significant difference in terms of PFS, suggesting that previous exposure to PARPi might inhibit the efficacy of PLD-Trabectedin. Regarding tolerability, no remarkable disparity was noted; PLD-Trabectedin was confirmed to be a well-tolerated scheme in both groups. To our knowledge, these are the first data regarding this topic, which we deem to be of great relevance in the current landscape.

Homologous Recombination Deficiency (HRD) Scoring, by Means of Two Different Shallow Whole-Genome Sequencing Pipelines (sWGS), in Ovarian Cancer Patients: A Comparison with Myriad MyChoice Assay

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) patients carrying the BRCA1/2 mutation or deficient in the homologous recombination repair system (HRD) generally benefit from treatment with PARP inhibitors. Some international recommendations suggest that BRCA1/2 genetic testing should be offered for all newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer, along with HRD assessment. Academic tests (ATs) are continuously under development, in order to break down the barriers patients encounter in accessing HRD testing. Two different methods for shallow whole-genome sequencing (sWGS) were compared to the reference assay, Myriad. All these three assays were performed on 20 retrospective HGSOC samples. Moreover, HRD results were correlated with the progression-free survival rate (PFS). Both sWGS chemistries showed good correlation with each other and a complete agreement, even when compared to the Myriad score. Our academic HRD assay categorized patients as HRD-Deficient, HRM-Mild and HRN-Negative. These three groups were matched with PFS, providing interesting findings in terms of HRD scoring and months of survival. Both our sWGS assays and the Myriad test correlated with the patient's response to treatments. Finally, our AT confirms its capability of determining HRD status, with the advantage of being faster, cheaper, and easier to carry out. Our results showed a prognostic value for the HRD score.

Prescribing pattern of anticoagulants in patients with cancer associated thrombosis: Results of a survey among MITO group and AIOM society

INTRODUCTION

Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) has been the backbone of the treatment of cancer associated thrombosis (CAT). Direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have shown efficacy and safety not inferior to LMWH and guidelines included DOACs as an option for CAT treatment. Nevertheless, DOACs are still poorly prescribed in patients with cancer. The aim of this survey was to better understand prescription patterns of anticoagulants, in particular of DOACs, especially in gynecological cancers (GCs).

METHODS

Our survey was made up of 21 questions, the last four questions addressed to medical doctors (MDs) involved in GCs. An invitation to complete the survey was sent by e-mail to 691 MITO (Multicentre Italian Trials in Ovarian cancer and gynaecologic malignancies) and 2093 AIOM (Associazione Italiana di Oncologia Medica) members.

RESULTS

Overall, 113 MDs completed the questionnaire, 69 involved in GCs. Most respondents (46, 41%) were aged 30-40 years old, worked in public hospitals (59, 52.2%), were medical oncologists (86, 76.1%). LMWH was the preferred choice for the treatment of CAT (104, 92%). However, 89 respondents (78.8%) prescribed or asked to prescribe a DOAC for CAT. The major concern about DOACs was the difficulty in verifying the therapeutic effect and the absence of antidotes in case of bleeding (37.9%). In patients with GCs, DOACs were used with niraparib, olaparib, rucaparib and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in less than 10 patients by 23%, 20%, 9% and 10.2% of respondents, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The responders are aware of the Direct-acting oral anticoagulants option and would like to use them.

Consensus statements and treatment algorithm to guide clinicians in the selection of maintenance therapy for patients with newly diagnosed, advanced ovarian carcinoma: Results of a Delphi study

INTRODUCTION

Standard treatment of newly diagnosed, advanced ovarian carcinoma (OC) consists of cytoreductive surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab. Maintenance therapy with PARP inhibitors and olaparib-bevacizumab has recently shown to significantly improve progression-free survival in the first-line setting. Some practical aspects of maintenance therapy, however, are still poorly defined.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To provide guidance to clinicians in the selection of maintenance therapy for newly diagnosed, advanced ovarian carcinoma.

METHODS

A board of six gynecologic oncologists with expertise in the treatment of OC in Italy convened to address issues related to the new options for maintenance treatment. Based on scientific evidences, the board produced practice-oriented statements. Consensus was reached via a modified Delphi study that involved a panel of 22 experts from across Italy.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven evidence- and consensus-based statements are presented, covering the following areas of interest: use of biomarkers (BRCA mutations and presence of homologous recombination deficiency); timing and outcomes of surgery; selection of patients eligible for bevacizumab; definition of response to treatment; toxicity and contraindications; evidence of synergy of bevacizumab plus PARP inhibitor. Two treatment algorithms are also included, for selecting maintenance therapy based on timing and outcomes of surgery, response to platinum-based chemotherapy and biomarker status. A score for the assessment of response to chemotherapy is proposed, but its validation is ongoing.

CONCLUSIONS

We provide here consensus statements and treatment algorithms to guide clinicians in the selection of appropriate and personalized maintenance therapy in the first-line setting of advanced OC management.

Abstract P3-02-05: Interim Analysis Results from a European Disease Registry Study Aimed to Prospectively Observe Treatment Patterns and Outcomes in Patients with HER2+ Unresectable Locally Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND: Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is incurable, with the primary goal of treatment being to extend survival while preserving quality of life. Treatment options available to patients (pts) with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positive breast cancer (HER2+ BC) may vary between countries, in terms of both the drugs used and the sequence in which they are used. There is limited data available on the clinical characteristics and outcomes in pts with unresectable locally advanced (LA) BC. This study aimed to capture real-world data on treatment patterns and clinical outcomes in HER2+ unresectable LABC and MBC.

METHODS: SAMANTHA (NCT02913456) is an ongoing, prospective, multicentre non-interventional study designed to observe pts with HER2+ unresectable LABC or MBC for a period of up to 8 years on study. The primary objectives are progression-free survival (PFS), assessed according to standard medical practice, and the treatment received. Secondary objectives included overall survival (OS), duration of response and safety. This pre-planned interim analysis reports baseline characteristics, treatment regimens received, first-line (1L) PFS by advanced BC status and the incidence of adverse events (AEs).

RESULTS: The study enrolled 647 pts from five European (EU) countries (Nov 2016-Nov 2019); 629 received 1L treatment and were included in data analysis. At data cut-off date (16 Nov 2021), median follow-up on study was 30.4 months (mo; range: 0.1; 60.0); 342 (54%) pts discontinued 1L treatments, of whom 170 (50%) pts received 2L treatments, 74 pts died, 49 pts were lost to follow-up, 35 pts withdrew consent and 14 pts withdrew due to physician decision. The full analysis set (FAS) included 222 (35%) LABC pts and 407 (65%) MBC pts [Table]. Pertuzumab/trastuzumab based regimens were given as 1L in the majority of pts [462 (73 %)]. The FAS Median (m) PFS in 1L was 41.3 mo (95% CI: 36.1, 54.1) for LABC and 23.5 mo (95% CI: 20.6, 27.6) for MBC. Median OS was not reached. In the FAS, any AEs were reported in 352 (56%) pts; of these 212 (34%) had a grade 3 or higher AE. Serious (S) AEs were reported in 135 (22%) pts; of whom, 36 (6%) pts had treatment related SAEs.

CONCLUSIONS: This interim analysis of SAMANTHA provides a snapshot of LABC/MBC treatment practices in five EU countries, where pertuzumab/trastuzumab based regimens appear to be the most used 1L treatment options, which aligns with the recommended standard of care. The mPFS is consistent with previous literature although higher than what was reported in the pivotal clinical trial CLEOPATRA. Given the good outcome observed in 1L and the current follow-up period of 30.4 mo, the data are not yet mature enough to provide complete insights into the treatment sequencing patterns and the clinical outcomes associated with these treatments.

Acknowledgments: The study is sponsored by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Table: Demographics and baseline disease characteristics of patients by status of advanced BC

Citation Format: Marija Balic, Luis Costa, Joseline Ojaimi, Cristina Marinela Oprean, José L. Passos Coelho, Isabel Pazos, Fabio Puglisi, Thibaut Sanglier, Giuseppa Scandurra, Michael Schenker, Laurentia A. Wahyudi, Georgi Zhbantov, Constanta Timcheva. Interim Analysis Results from a European Disease Registry Study Aimed to Prospectively Observe Treatment Patterns and Outcomes in Patients with HER2+ Unresectable Locally Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-02-05.

A review of design approaches for the implementation of low-frequency noise measurement systems

Electronic noise has its roots in the fundamental physical interactions between matter and charged particles, carrying information about the phenomena that occur at the microscopic level. Therefore, Low-Frequency Noise Measurements (LFNM) are a well-established technique for the characterization of electron devices and materials and, compared to other techniques, they offer the advantage of being non-destructive and of providing a more detailed view of what happens in the matter during the manifestation of physical or chemical phenomena. For this reason, LFNM acquire particular importance in the modern technological era in which the introduction of new advanced materials requires in-depth and thorough characterization of the conduction phenomena. LFNM also find application in the field of sensors, as they allow to obtain more selective sensing systems even starting from conventional sensors. Performing meaningful noise measurements, however, requires that the background noise introduced by the measurement chain be much smaller than the noise to be detected and the instrumentation available on the market does not always meet the specifications required for reaching the ultimate sensitivity. Researchers willing to perform LFNM must often resort to the design of dedicated instrumentation in their own laboratories, but their cultural background does not necessarily include the ability to design, build, and test dedicated low noise instrumentation. In this review, we have tried to provide as much theoretical and practical guidelines as possible, so that even researchers with a limited background in electronic engineering can find useful information in developing or customizing low noise instrumentation.

Tolerability of Eribulin and correlation between polymorphisms and neuropathy in an unselected population of female patients with metastatic breast cancer: results of the multicenter, single arm, phase IV PAINTER study

BACKGROUND

Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is an incurable disease and its treatment focuses on prolonging patients' (pts) overall survival (OS) and improving their quality of life. Eribulin is a microtubule inhibitor that increases OS in pre-treated MBC pts. The most common adverse events (AEs) are asthenia, neutropenia and peripheral neuropathy (PN).

METHODS

PAINTER is a single arm, phase IV study, aimed at evaluating the tolerability of eribulin in MBC pts. Secondary objectives were the description of treatment efficacy and safety, the assessment of the incidence and severity of PN and its association with genetic polymorphisms. Genomic DNA was isolated from blood samples and 15 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped by Taqman specific assays. The association between PN and SNPs were evaluated by Fisher exact test.

RESULTS

Starting from May 2014 until June 2018 180 pts were enrolled in this study by 20 Italian centers. 170 of these pts could be evaluated for efficacy and toxicity and 159 for polymorphisms analysis. The median age of pts was 60 years old and the biological subtypes were luminal type (64.7%), Her2 positive (18.3%) and triple negative (17%). Pts were pretreated with a median of 5 lines for MBC. The median follow up of this study was 15.4 months with a median number of 4.5 cycles administered (minimum-maximum 1-23). The median overall survival was 12 months. 48.8% of pts experienced a dose reduction, mainly for neutropenia (23.9%) and liver toxicity (12%). 65 pts (38.2%) reported at least one severe toxicity. Neutropenia and neurotoxicity were the most frequent severe AEs (15.3% and 14.7%, respectively); other reported toxicities were osteo-muscular, abdominal or tumor site pain (19.4%), liver toxicity (6.6%), pulmonary toxicity (6.5%) and dermatological toxicity (3.6%). Among the 15 evaluated SNPs, an association with PN was found for rs2233335 and rs7214723.

CONCLUSIONS

Eribulin is a well-tolerated treatment option in MBC. Schedule and dosage modifications were common, but toxicity rarely led to treatment discontinuation. SNPs rs2233335 (G/T and T/T) in the NDRG1 gene and rs7214723 (CC and CT) in the CAMKK1 gene were associated with PN. These findings, if validated, could allow a tailored treatment with eribulin in cancer patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02864030.

Advances in measurements and instrumentation leveraging embedded systems

The expression "embedded systems" is used in different contexts and with broad meanings, but in electronics, it refers to systems that contain peripherals and a firmware for local digital data processing, often on a single board. Embedded systems are often associated with the field of computer science, emphasizing the software and programming aspects of systems. However, the progress made on the hardware side cannot be ignored, and without such technological advances, embedded systems would not exist. In fact, the progress in the field of microelectronics drives a constant evolution of variegated digital platforms, which gradually become easier to program and configure, thus reducing the development and prototyping phase and causing a strong impact on different research and application fields.

Impact and trends in embedding field programmable gate arrays and microcontrollers in scientific instrumentation

Microcontrollers and field-programmable gate arrays have been largely leveraged in scientific instrumentation since decades. Recent advancements in the performance of these programmable digital devices, with hundreds of I/O pins, up to millions of logic cells, >10 Gb/s connectivity, and hundreds of MHz multiple clocks, have been accelerating this trend, extending the range of functions. The diversification of devices from very low-cost 8-bit microcontrollers up to 32-bit ARM-based ones and a system of chip combining programmable logic with processors make them ubiquitous in modern electronic systems, addressing diverse challenges from ultra-low power operation, with sub-µA quiescent current in sleep mode for portable and Internet of Things applications, to high-performance computing, such as in machine vision. In this Review, the main motivations (compactness, re-configurability, parallelization, low latency for sub-ns timing, and real-time control), the possible approaches of the adoption of embedded devices, and the achievable performances are discussed. Relevant examples of applications in opto-electronics, physics experiments, impedance, vibration, and temperature sensing from the recent literature are also reviewed. From this bird-eye view, key paradigms emerge, such as the blurring of boundaries between digital platforms and the pervasiveness of machine learning algorithms, significantly fostered by the possibility to be run in embedded devices for distributing intelligence in the environment.

A multidisciplinary approach remains the best strategy to improve and strengthen the management of ovarian cancer (Review)

Ovarian cancer represents one of the most aggressive female tumors worldwide. Over the decades, the therapeutic options for the treatment of ovarian cancer have been improved significantly through the advancement of surgical techniques as well as the availability of novel effective drugs able to extend the life expectancy of patients. However, due to its clinical, biological and molecular complexity, ovarian cancer is still considered one of the most difficult tumors to manage. In this context, several studies have highlighted how a multidisciplinary approach to this pathology improves the prognosis and survival of patients with ovarian cancer. On these bases, the aim of the present review is to present recent advantages in the diagnosis, staging and treatment of ovarian cancer highlighting the benefits of a patient‑centered care approach and on the importance of a multidisciplinary team for the management of ovarian cancer.

Cytoreductive surgery followed by chemotherapy and olaparib maintenance in BRCA 1/2 mutated recurrent ovarian cancer: a retrospective MITO group study

INTRODUCTION

The role of cytoreductive surgery in the poly-ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors era is not fully investigated. We evaluated the impact of surgery performed prior to platinum-based chemotherapy followed by olaparib maintenance in platinum-sensitive BRCA-mutated recurrent ovarian cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective study included platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer BRCA-mutated patients from 13 Multicenter Italian Trials in Ovarian cancer and gynecological malignancies centers treated between September 2015 and May 2019. The primary outcomes were progression-free survival and overall survival. Data on post-progression treatment was also assessed.

RESULTS

Among 209 patients, 72 patients (34.5%) underwent cytoreductive surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy and olaparib maintenance, while 137 patients (65.5%) underwent chemotherapy treatment alone. After a median follow-up of 37.3 months (95% CI: 33.4 to 40.8), median progression-free survival in the surgery group was not reached, compared with 11 months in patients receiving chemotherapy alone (P<0.001). Median overall survival was nearly double in patients undergoing surgery before chemotherapy (55 vs 28 months, P<0.001). Post-progression therapy was assessed in 127 patients: response rate to chemotherapy was 29.2%, 8.8%, and 9.0% in patients with platinum-free interval >12 months, between 6 and 12 months, and <6 months, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Cytoreductive surgery performed before platinum therapy and olaparib maintenance was associated with longer progression-free survival and overall survival in BRCA-mutated platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer patients. In accordance with our preliminary results, the response rate to chemotherapy given after progression during olaparib was associated with platinum-free interval.

Immune-inflammatory biomarkers as prognostic factors for immunotherapy in pretreated advanced urinary tract cancer patients: an analysis of the Italian SAUL cohort

Background

Reliable and affordable prognostic and predictive biomarkers for urothelial carcinoma treated with immunotherapy may allow patients' outcome stratification and drive therapeutic options. The SAUL trial investigated the safety and efficacy of atezolizumab in a real-world setting on 1004 patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma who progressed to one to three prior systemic therapies.

Patients and methods

Using the SAUL Italian cohort of 267 patients, we investigated the prognostic role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and the best performing one of these in combination with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) with or without lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Previously reported cut-offs (NLR >3 and NLR >5; SII >1375) in addition to study-defined ones derived from receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were used.

Results

The cut-off values for NLR and SII by the ROC analysis were 3.65 (sensitivity 60.4; specificity 63.0) and 884 (sensitivity 64.4; specificity 67.5), respectively. The median overall survival (OS) was 14.7 months for NLR <3.65 [95% confidence interval (CI) 9.9-not reached (NR)] versus 6.0 months for NLR ≥3.65 (95% CI 3.9-9.4); 14.7 months for SII <884 (95% CI 10.6-NR) versus 6.0 months for SII ≥884 (95% CI 3.7-8.6). The combination of SII, PD-L1, and LDH stratified OS better than SII plus PD-L1 through better identification of patients with intermediate prognosis (77% versus 48%, respectively). Multivariate analyses confirmed significant correlations with OS and progression-free survival for both the SII + PD-L1 + LDH and SII + PD-L1 combinations.

Conclusion

The combination of immune-inflammatory biomarkers based on SII, PD-L1, with or without LDH is a potentially useful and easy-to-assess prognostic tool deserving validation to identify patients who may benefit from immunotherapy alone or alternative therapies.

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Reliable biomarkers for immunotherapy may assist in treatment decision making and clinical trial design and interpretation.

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Immune-inflammatory biomarkers were investigated for their prognostic role within the Italian SAUL study cohort.

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ROC-based cut-offs were 3.65 for NLR and 884 for SII.

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Both NLR and SII were prognostic with SII performing slightly better than NLR.

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The combination of SII, PD-L1, and LDH stratified OS better than SII + PD-L1; both were independent prognostic factors.

Immune-checkpoint inhibitors from cancer to COVID‑19: A promising avenue for the treatment of patients with COVID‑19 (Review)

The severe acute respiratory syndrome associated coronavirus‑2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) poses a threat to human life worldwide. Since early March, 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19), characterized by an acute and often severe form of pneumonia, has been declared a pandemic. This has led to a boom in biomedical research studies at all stages of the pipeline, from the in vitro to the clinical phase. In line with this global effort, known drugs, currently used for the treatment of other pathologies, including antivirals, immunomodulating compounds and antibodies, are currently used off‑label for the treatment of COVID‑19, in association with the supportive standard care. Yet, no effective treatments have been identified. A new hope stems from medical oncology and relies on the use of immune‑checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). In particular, amongst the ICIs, antibodies able to block the programmed death‑1 (PD‑1)/PD ligand-1 (PD‑L1) pathway have revealed a hidden potential. In fact, patients with severe and critical COVID‑19, even prior to the appearance of acute respiratory distress syndrome, exhibit lymphocytopenia and suffer from T‑cell exhaustion, which may lead to viral sepsis and an increased mortality rate. It has been observed that cancer patients, who usually are immunocompromised, may restore their anti‑tumoral immune response when treated with ICIs. Moreover, viral-infected mice and humans, exhibit a T‑cell exhaustion, which is also observed following SARS‑CoV‑2 infection. Importantly, when treated with anti‑PD‑1 and anti‑PD‑L1 antibodies, they restore their T‑cell competence and efficiently counteract the viral infection. Based on these observations, four clinical trials are currently open, to examine the efficacy of anti‑PD‑1 antibody administration to both cancer and non‑cancer individuals affected by COVID‑19. The results may prove the hypothesis that restoring exhausted T‑cells may be a winning strategy to beat SARS‑CoV‑2 infection.

Mediterranean diet and quality of life in women treated for breast cancer: A baseline analysis of DEDiCa multicentre trial

Evidence suggests a beneficial role of the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in healthy subjects. HRQoL is relevant in cancer therapy and disease outcomes, therefore we investigated the association between adherence to the MedDiet and HRQoL in breast cancer survivors participating in the multicentre trial DEDiCa. Diet and HRQoL were assessed at baseline in a subgroup of 309 women enrolled within 12 months of breast cancer diagnosis without metastasis (stages I-III, mean age 52±1 yrs, BMI 27±7 kg/m²). The 14-item PREDIMED questionnaire was used to analyse adherence to the MedDiet. HRQoL was assessed with three validated questionnaires measuring physical, mental, emotional and social factors: EQ-5D-3L, EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-BR23. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the possible role of the MedDiet on HRQoL. Patients with higher adherence to MedDiet (PREDIMED score >7) showed significantly higher scores for physical functioning (p = 0.02) and lower scores on the symptomatic pain scale (p = 0.04) assessed by the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire compared to patients with a lower adherence to MedDiet (PREDIMED score ≤7). Higher scores from the EQ-5D-3L indicating higher well-being were observed mainly in participants with higher MedDiet adherence (p = 0.05). In adjusted multivariate analyses significant positive associations were found between MedDiet, physical functioning (p = 0.001) and EQ 5D-3L score (p = 0.003) while inverse associations were found with pain and insomnia symptoms (p = 0.005 and p = 0.029, respectively). These results suggest that higher adherence to the MedDiet in breast cancer survivors is associated with better aspects of quality of life, specifically higher physical functioning, better sleep, lower pain and generally higher well-being confirming findings in healthy subjects.

Abstract PO-050: Computational modeling of immunologic response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in COVID-19 patients with and without cancer

Cancer patients have an increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection due to the suppression of the immune system and the development of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) that favor respiratory syndromes and interstitial pneumonia. However, substantial differences exist between patients treated with chemotherapy and patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), for which the risk of COVID-19 infection and the immunologic and cytokine profile in case of infection have not yet been well characterized. The administration of ICIs for the treatment of severe COVID-19 infection has been recently suggested. However, no conclusive data have been generated on this matter. To recognize the therapeutic potential of ICIs administration in COVID-19 patients with or without cancer, the Universal Immune System Simulator (UISS) prediction model was used to simulate the immunologic response of COVID-19 patients after ICIs administration. Briefly, UISS represents an appropriate computational modeling infrastructure able to simulate the dynamics of every single entity of the immune system after a stimulus or a therapeutic intervention by using an agent-based methodology. Therefore, the UISS platform, already used for the prediction of the efficacy of specific SARS-CoV-2 candidate vaccines, was here adopted to characterize the immunologic behavior in both COVID-19 and cancer patients and to predict the effects of ICIs in these patients. The computational results allowed us to identify key inflammatory and immune-related factors responsible for severe respiratory syndromes in COVID-19 infected patients with and without cancer. UISS results suggest that the administration of ICIs modulates the immune system and the inflammatory status in both groups of patients with COVID-19 infection, reducing the risk of severe symptoms. Although the results of the present study are still under validation in peripheral blood samples obtained from COVID-19 patients and from cancer patients after two cycles of treatment with ICIs, we can speculate that ICIs may be a good therapeutic approach for the treatment of COVID-19 severe respiratory syndrome even with a concomitant cancer diagnosis. If this is the case, the lower expression levels of inflammatory biomarkers can result in the drop-down of the viral load, assessed by droplet digital PCR in COVID-19 patients.

Citation Format: Giulia Russo, Luca Falzone, Bruno Cacopardo, Giuseppe Nunnari, Francesco Torino, Giuseppa Scandurra, Stefania Stefani, Francesco Pappalardo, Massimo Libra. Computational modeling of immunologic response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in COVID-19 patients with and without cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Meeting: COVID-19 and Cancer; 2020 Jul 20-22. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(18_Suppl):Abstract nr PO-050.

Cancer Management during COVID-19 Pandemic: Is Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors-Based Immunotherapy Harmful or Beneficial?

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently representing a global health threat especially for fragile individuals, such as cancer patients. It was demonstrated that cancer patients have an increased risk of developing a worse symptomatology upon severe acute respiratory syndrome associated coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, often leading to hospitalization and intensive care. The consequences of this pandemic for oncology are really heavy, as the entire healthcare system got reorganized. Both oncologists and cancer patients are experiencing rescheduling of treatments and disruptions of appointments with a concurrent surge of fear and stress. In this review all the up-to-date findings, concerning the association between COVID-19 and cancer, are reported. A remaining very debated question regards the use of an innovative class of anti-cancer molecules, the immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), given their modulating effects on the immune system. For that reason, administration of ICIs to cancer patients represents a question mark during this pandemic, as its correlation with COVID-19-associated risks is still under investigation. Based on the mechanisms of action of ICIs and the current evidence, we suggest that ICIs not only can be safely administered to cancer patients, but they might even be beneficial in COVID-19-positive cancer patients, by exerting an immune-stimulating action.

Abstract P5-14-01: Eribulin tolerability and correlation between neuropathy and a set of polymorphisms in metastatic breast cancer patients. Results from the PAINTER (Polymorphism And Incidence of Toxicity in ERibulin treatment) study

BACKGROUND: Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is an incurable disease and its treatment focuses mainly on prolonging patients (pts) survival and improving their quality of life. As a consequence, management of treatment related adverse events (AE) is very important. Eribulin (E) is a microtubule inhibitor that has shown to increase overall survival in pre-treated MBC pts. Its most common AEs are asthenia, neutropenia and peripheral neuropathy (N).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: PAINTER (Clinical trial registration: NCT 0286403) is a multicenter, interventional, single-arm, phase IV study, aimed at surveying the tolerability of E (dose 1.4 mg/m2 day 1, 8 every 21 days) in an unselected MBC pts population pre-treated with taxanes and antracyclines. The secondary objective was to investigate the relationship between specific polymorphisms and incidence and severity of peripheral N. Toxicity (T) was reported according to the NCI CTCAE v4.0. Genomic DNA was isolated from whole blood samples (Maxwell whole blood DNA kit-Promega). 15 SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) were genotyped by Taqman specific assays. For SNPs analysis, we selected pts with available genomic data and who started E treatment N was evaluated by medical examination.

RESULTS: From May 2014 to June 2018, 180 pts were enrolled from 20 Italian centres and 170 were evaluable. Pts and tumors characteristics were as follows: median age 60 years, ductal carcinoma 76.3%, visceral disease 68.8%, luminal type 64.7%, Her2 positive 18.3%, triple negative 17%, median previous treatment lines for MBC 5, median years from first diagnosis 6.1. Pts received E for 4.5 median cycles (Q1-Q3: 3.0-7.0; min-max: 1-23); 48.8% of pts experienced dose reduction, due to neutropenia (23.9%) and liver injury (12%) and 5.2% of pts discontinued E for T or for pts refusal. Previous neuropathy was reported in 15.9% of pts. Table 1 shows the incidence of expected AEs. N (all grades) during E treatment was reported in 33.9% of patients (G2-G3-G4: 15%). The risk of N occurrence in the first 5 cycles was 32.5% (for any grade N) and 13.2% (for severe N). Other G1-G4 toxicities were: dermatological in 8.6% pts, liver injury in 13.6%, pulmonary in 13.6%. Interestingly, 40.7% of pts reported pain, especially osteo-muscular, abdominal and at tumor site. Ten serious AEs were reported and only two were E related. 159 pts were evaluable for the analysis of polymorphism. Among the selected SNPs, the allelic variant T of the polymorphism rs2233335 in NDRG1 gene (Fisher test p &lt;0.001) and the allelic variant C of the polymorphism rs7214723 in CAMKK1 gene, showed a higher and statistically significant N occurrence (Fisher test p=0.04).

CONCLUSIONS: PAINTER study offers a wide spectrum of information about E tolerability. Asthenia, neuropathy and neutropenia were the most common T, but few pts experienced severe AEs. Schedule and dosage modifications were common, as expected in pre-treated pts, but T rarely led to treatment discontinuation. Importantly, we found for first time that the SNPs rs2233335 (G/T and T/T) in NDRG1 gene and rs7214723 (CC and CT) in CAMKK1 gene were associated with E induced N. These data on pharmacogenetic testing, if validated, could allow a tailored treatment with E.

Table 1. Incidence of expected AEsAEsG1G2G3G4Severe T (G3+G4) N=170n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)% [%95%CI]Neuropathy 31 (18.2)20 (11.8)5 (2.9)0 (0.0)14.7 [9.75 - 20.9] #Neutropenia 15 (8.8)11 (6.5)16 (9.4)10 (5.9)15.3 [10.2 - 21.6]Constipation 16 (9.4)8 (4.7)1 (0.6)0 (0.0)0.6 [0.02 - 3.23]Alopecia 25 (14.7)13 (7.6)N.A.*N.A.*7.6 [4.13 - 12.7]Asthenia 38 (22.4)38 (22.4)10 (5.9)0 (0.0)5.9 [2.86 - 10.6]Nausea 19 (11.2)6 (3.5)0 (0.0)0 (0.0)0.0#: G2 for neuropathy and alopecia were considered as severe T *N.A.: Not applicable

Citation Format: Nicla La Verde, Giovanna Damia, Ornella Garrone, Loretta D'Onofrio, Alessandra Fabi, Mariangela Ciccarese, Daniele Generali, Martina Nunzi, Elena Poletto, Paolo Pedrazzoli, Elisabetta Cretella, Giuseppa Scandurra, Icro Meattini, Alessandro S Bertolini, Luigi Cavanna, Emanuela Romagnoli, Lorenzo Legramandi, Federica Guffanti, Eliana Rulli, Anna Moretti, Barbara Bocci, Gabriella Farina. Eribulin tolerability and correlation between neuropathy and a set of polymorphisms in metastatic breast cancer patients. Results from the PAINTER (Polymorphism And Incidence of Toxicity in ERibulin treatment) study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-14-01.

Eribulin mesylate use as third-line therapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer (VESPRY): a prospective, multicentre, observational study

Background

In real-world practice, eribulin mesylate provides significant survival benefit, with a manageable safety profile in heavily pretreated patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

Methods

In this prospective, open-label, multicentre, observational study we evaluated the effectiveness and tolerability of eribulin as third-line treatment in a homogeneous population. The primary endpoints were the safety profile and response in metastatic sites; secondary endpoints included the response in different subtypes, overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

From 2013 to 2016, 118 women were treated in 21 Sicilian institutions; the median age was 58 years (range 29-79), with 69% of patients under 65. The median cycles of eribulin were 5.5 (range 1-26). The most common adverse event was neutropenia (9.3%, 3 cases of grade 3, 4 of grade 4); only 1 case of QT prolongation was reported. Eribulin was effective in controlling metastatic disease in all sites, and it achieved the highest ORR in brain (16%) and liver (14.9%). Median OS was 31.8 months (95% CI 27.9-34.4) and median PFS 5.5 months (95% CI 4.2-6.6). PFS was 5.2 months (95% CI 2.8-8.4) in patients with triple-negative subtype. Median PFS was longer in patients over 65 years (6.1 months, 95% CI 4.4-8.3). In patients who had visceral metastases PFS was 5.5 months (95% CI 95% 3.5-6.6) and OS 33.9 months (95% CI 29.8-40.8).

Conclusions

Eribulin as third-line treatment shows an acceptable safety profile and a substantial antitumour activity in the treatment of MBC, even in elderly patients and in those with visceral disease.

Correlation between NDRG1 gene polymorphism and neuropathy (N) in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients (pts) enrolled in the PAINTER study (Polymorphism And INcidence of Toxicity in ERibulin treatment)

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Background: MBC is an incurable disease and therefore treatment focuses mainly on prolonging pts survival and improving quality of life. Eribulin (E) is a microtubule inhibitor that increased overall survival in pretreated pts. E peripheral N is reported in 13.9-35% of cases. PAINTER main objective was to survey tolerability of E in real life in MBC, while secondary endpoints were to investigate the relationships between specific genetic polymorphisms and incidence and severity of peripheral N. Methods: This is a multicenter, interventional, single-arm, phase IV study, that enrolled pts who received E after taxanes and antracyclines (dose 1.4 mg/m2 day 1, 8 every 21 days). PAINTER study follow-up is still ongoing. Genomic DNA was isolated from whole blood samples (Maxwell whole blood DNA kit. Promega). 15 SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) were genotyped by Taqman specific assays. For SNPs analysis, we selected pts with avaliable clinical data and who completed E treatment. N was evaluated by medical examination. The associations between peripheral N (any grade) and the selected polymorphisms were evaluated with Fisher exact test. Results: From May 2014 to June 2018, 180 pts were enrolled in the PAINTER study from 20 Italian hospitals and 135 were analysed for the present report. Pts and tumor characteristics were as follow: median age 62 years (31-85), ductal carcinoma 78.5%, visceral disease 70.4%, luminal type 62.6%, Her2 positive 20.3%, triple negative 17.1%, previous median treatment lines for MBC 5 (0-18), previous N reported in 17.8% of pts (sensory 87.5%, motor 12.5%). N (all grades) were reported in 33.4% of patients (G3-G4: 3%). Among the selected SNPs, one allelic variant (rs2233335 G/G versus G/T or T/T) in NDRG1 gene had a statistically significant association with N (p 0.0010). Conclusions: The data reported demonstrate for the first time that the allelic variant rs2233335 (G/T and T/T) in NDRG1 gene correlates with E induced N. These data, if corroborated, will allow a tailored treatment with E. Clinical trial information: NCT02864030. [Table: see text]

Current strategies for the targeted treatment of high-grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer and relevance of BRCA mutational status

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. In most women, it is diagnosed at an advanced stage, which largely explains the poor prognosis of this malignancy. Germline mutations of the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, which encode proteins essential for the repair of double-strand DNA breaks through homologous recombination, lead to increased cancer predisposition. BRCA mutations are present in approximately 14% of epithelial ovarian cancers. Somatic BRCA mutations have also been described. Current first-line treatment of high-grade epithelial ovarian cancer includes debulking surgery followed by combination chemotherapy, usually carboplatin and paclitaxel. Ovarian cancer is highly sensitive to chemotherapy, in particular to platinum drugs. Most patient will achieve remission with initial chemotherapy, but most will eventually experience disease recurrence. Targeted therapies, including the anti-angiogenic agent bevacizumab and oral poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, have been recently approved for the treatment of ovarian cancer, based on the results from randomized clinical trials showing significant benefits in terms of progression-free survival, with acceptable tolerability and no detrimental effects on quality of life. Olaparib, the first PARP inhibitor to be granted approval, is currently indicated as maintenance monotherapy in ovarian cancer patients with relapsed disease and mutated BRCA who have achieved a complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy. The analysis of BRCA mutational status has, therefore, also become crucial for therapeutic decisions. Such advances are making personalized treatment of ovarian cancer feasible. Here we briefly review treatments for platinum-sensitive, high-grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer that are currently available in Italy, with a focus on targeted therapies and the relevance of BRCA mutational analysis. Based on the evidence and on current guidelines, we propose strategies for the tailored treatment of patients with relapsed ovarian cancer that take into account BRCA mutational status and the treatment received in the first-line setting.

Multicenter study of the evaluation of eribulin (E) use in Sicily in metastatic breast cancer (MBC): A prospective registry (VESPRY trial)

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Background: Eribulin Mesylate is a non taxane microtubule dynamics inhibitor, approved for heavily-pretreated MBC patients (pts). Methods: This is a multicenter, prospective, single arm study for E-treatment of third line in pretreated MBC pts, conducted in 14 oncology centers in Sicily. All pts had received two previous chemotherapy regimens for MBC. Pts received E at 1.23 mg/m2 on days 1,8 every 3 weeks until progression. Primary Endpoints: overall response rate (ORR) according to the site of metastases and safety. Secondary objectives: Progression-free survival (PFS) and ORR according to different subtypes. PFS curve was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariable logistic regression model were used to evaluate the associations of each variables with tumor response. ORR was assessed according to RECIST 1.1 and safety with CTCAE v4.0. Results: 122 pts were enrolled and received at least 1 dose of E. Median age was 58 (range 29-79). All received previously anthracycline and taxane based-therapies. Subtypes: Luminal A 69%, Luminal B 7%, HER2 enriched 4% and Triple Negative 20%. The most common metastatic sites were bone and liver; 67% had metastatic disease involving two or more organs. A median of 5 cycles of E (range 1-26) was administrated. 106/122 pts were evaluable for efficacy, all for safety. ORR was 48%. Exploratory subset analysis showed significantly higher ORR in the lung, liver and bone lesions compared to other site of metastases and in HER2 negative pts. Multivariable regression model showed that HER2 positive subtype was correlated with a poor response (odd ratio 6.7, 95% CI 1.2-36.5). The median PFS was 14.7 months (mos) (95% CI 7.2–25.7). Among pts with < 65 and ≥ 65 years, the median PFS was 14.7 and 25.7 mos, respectively. Most common toxicities: G2 diarrhea 1%, asthenia G1 4%, G2 neutropenia 6%, G1 neurotoxicity 5%, QT prolongation 1%, G4 mucositis in only one case. Conclusions: This study showed a significant improved of PFS with E in third line setting and a favorable safety profile compared with results reported in the pivotal trial. Our findings suggest that E has substantial antitumor activity when used early for the treatment for MBC with acceptable safety.

Efficacy and safety of T-DM1 in the 'common-practice' of HER2+ advanced breast cancer setting: a multicenter study

Ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) is an antibody-drug conjugate approved for the treatment of patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive, metastatic breast cancer (mBC). The aim of this ‘field-practice’ study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of T-DM1, focusing on treatment line, previous lapatinib treatment and patterns of metastasis. Three hundred and three patients with HER2-positive mBC who received T-DM1 were identified by reviewing the medical records of 24 Italian Institutions. One hundred fourty-nine (49%) and 264 (87%) had received prior hormonal treatment and/or anti-HER2 targeted therapy, respectively. Particularly, 149 patients had been previously treated with lapatinib. The objective response rate (ORR) was 36.2%, and 44.5% when T-DM1 was administrated as second-line therapy. Considering only patients with liver metastases, the ORR was 44.4%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.0 months in the overall population, but it reached 9.0 and 12.0 months when TDM-1 was administered as second- and third-line treatment, respectively.

In conclusion, in this ‘real-word’ study evaluating the effects of T-DM1 in patients with HER2-positive mBC who progressed on prior anti-HER2 therapies, we observed a clinically-relevant benefit in those who had received T-DM1 in early metastatic treatment-line and in subjects previously treated with lapatinib.

Abstract P4-21-11: T-DM1 in HER2 positive advanced breast cancer patients: Real world practice from a multicenter observational study

Background: T-DM1 showed remarkable activity in metastatic HER-2 positive breast cancer (mBC) and it was recently approved for clinical use in patients (pts) who previously failed Trastuzumab- and Taxanes-based therapies. Currently, little is known on the performance of T-DM1 in a “real life” scenario. Therefore, we investigated effectiveness and safety of T-DM1 in Italian daily practice.

Methods: Pts baseline characteristics and clinical outcome of pts with HER-2 positive mBC treated with T-DM1 between 2013 and 2015 at 20 Italian Institutions were retrospectively collected and analyzed.

Results: 300 pts were included in our analysis. Median age was 51 years (27-78); visceral metastases were present in 204 (68%) pts and brain metastases in 86 (29%). It is noteworthy that 111 (37%) pts received T-DM1 as pure second line, 83 (28%) as third line and 96 (32%) as further lines. Moreover 10 (3%) pts had T-DM1 as first line because disease recurrence occurred during or adjuvant trastuzumab of within 6 months of its completion. The overall response rate (ORR) was 40%, global disease control rate (gDCR) 64%, median progression-free survival (PFS) 7.0 months (C.I.95%: 5.6-8.4) and overall survival (OS) at 2 years 63%. Pts with 1, 2 and 3 or more metastatic site had OS at 2 years of 87%, 67% and 46%, respectively (p&lt;0.0001). When T-DM1 was given as second line the PFS was 8.0 months and beyond second-line was 6.8 months. Interestingly, for 38 (13%) pts who progressed after Pertuzumab-plus trastuzumab and taxanes as first line treatment, ORR and gDCR were similar to pertuzumab-naïve patients (38% and 62%, respectively) However PFS was 5.0 months (C.I.95%: 4.3-5.7) compared to 9.0 (95% C.I. 5.5-12.4) achieved in pts not receiving a previous pertuzumab-based treatment. Most frequent grade ≥3 toxicities were thrombocytopenia (2.6%), alopecia (2.1%), hypertransaminasemia (2.2%), neutropenia (1.3%), asthenia (1.3%) and diarrhea (0.4%).

Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first real life, multicenter retrospective analysis evaluating efficacy and safety of T-DM1 in pretreated HER-2 positive mBC pts. We observed remarkable results in terms of PFS and OS, especially when T-DM1 was given early in the course of metastatic disease. Shortened PFS in patients progressing after pertuzumab suggest further analyses to better define possible molecular mechanisms of cross-resistences between two molecules. As a whole there was no evidence of significant or unexpected toxicities. Although these findings should be taken with caution due to the retrospective analysis and the different lines of previous treatment considered, we confirmed the potential therapeutic role of T-DM1 across a heterogeneous population of HER-2 positive mBC patients. The final analysis will be presented to the meeting.

Citation Format: Fabi A, De Laurentiis M, Caruso M, Valle E, Moscetti L, Santini D, Cannita K, Carbognin L, Ciccarese M, Rossello R, Arpino G, Leonardi V, Montemurro F, La Verde N, Generali DG, Zambelli A, Scandurra G, Russillo M, Paris I, D'Ottavio AM, Filippelli G, Giampaglia M, Stani S, Fabbri A, Alesini D, Giannarelli D, Cognetti F. T-DM1 in HER2 positive advanced breast cancer patients: Real world practice from a multicenter observational study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-21-11.

Abstract OT1-01-05: PAINTER: Evaluation of eribulin tolerability and correlation between a set of polymorphisms and neuropathy in patients with metastatic breast cancer

BACKGROUND Eribulin is a synthetic analogue of halichondrin B which inhibits microtubule dynamics. It has been approved in Europe for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer (mBC) progressed after at least two chemotherapy regimens for advanced disease. The most common adverse events (AEs) were fatigue, neutropenia and peripheral neuropathy, which occurs with an incidence ranging from 13.9% to 35%. It was severe only in a small proportion of patients, suggesting an individual susceptibility. The neurotoxicity mechanisms associated with microtubulin interfering agents have not been fully defined. Few studies reported an association between some SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) and microtubulin interfering agents-induced neuropathy, mainly taxanes. As the use of Eribulin becomes more widespread, a better knowledge of its safety profile, outside of clinical trials, is warranted. Given that Eribulin toxicity can result in treatment discontinuation, the ability to anticipate which patients will experience severe toxicity could allow for either early intervention or even possibly for prophylactic therapy, or for a better selection of patients eligible for treatment.

METHODS This is a multicenter, interventional, single-arm, phase IV study. The primary objective is the evaluation of the safety and tolerability profile of Eribulin in an unselected population of patients with mBC. Secondary objectives are the description of compliance to treatment and efficacy.

ENDPOINTS

•Incidence, time of onset, severity and duration of all AEs experienced during treatment with Eribulin, especially the most common reported in previous studies but also other possible unexpected toxicities.

•Association between a set of selected SNPs and the onset of any grade peripheral neuropathy. Specifically, 15 SNPs located in genes involved in microtubule dynamics or resulted from genome wide association studies, will be analyzed.

•Evaluation of quality of life during treatment using validated questionnaires.

•Assessment of dose intensity and dose schedule maintenance.

•DOT (Duration Of Treatment) and OS (Overall Survival).

STATISTICAL METHODS Summary statistics will be used in order to describe patient characteristics. Safety endpoints will be estimated by means of absolute and relative frequencies and associated 95%CI. The relationship between baseline variables and the risk of severe toxicity, as well as the relationship between SNPs and risk of neuropathy will be described by means of contingency tables and their association with outcome will be assessed by χ2 test of Mantel-Haenzel and a logistic regression model. DOT and OS will be described using Kaplan-Meier curves. A sample size of 200 patients will also allow us to get a good fitting for statistical analysis of the relationship between primary endpoint and not more than 10 factors. Regarding the relationship between SNPs and risk of neuropathy it will be feasible to screen for association about 10-15 SNPs, with known prevalence &gt;15%.

PRESENT ACCRUAL AND TARGET ACCRUAL 98 of 200 patients were enrolled until 18/05/2016. Target accrual is open for 200 patients.

CONTACT INFORMATION Nicla La Verde: nicla.laverde@asst-fbf-sacco.it.

Citation Format: La Verde N, Moretti A, Damia G, Paternò E, Santini D, Garrone O, Fabi A, Ciccarese M, Cretella E, Torri V, Generali D, Grasso D, Puglisi F, Collovà E, Roila F, Bertolini A, Barni S, Vici P, Luigi C, Scandurra G, Bramati A, Dazzani MC, Farina G. PAINTER: Evaluation of eribulin tolerability and correlation between a set of polymorphisms and neuropathy in patients with metastatic breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT1-01-05.

High sensitivity measurement system for the direct-current, capacitance-voltage, and gate-drain low frequency noise characterization of field effect transistors

Measurements of current fluctuations originating in electron devices have been largely used to understand the electrical properties of materials and ultimate device performances. In this work, we propose a high-sensitivity measurement setup topology suitable for the automatic and programmable Direct-Current (DC), Capacitance-Voltage (CV), and gate-drain low frequency noise characterization of field effect transistors at wafer level. Automatic and programmable operation is particularly useful when the device characteristics relax or degrade with time due to optical, bias, or temperature stress. The noise sensitivity of the proposed topology is in the order of fA/Hz(1/2), while DC performances are limited only by the source and measurement units used to bias the device under test. DC, CV, and NOISE measurements, down to 1 pA of DC gate and drain bias currents, in organic thin film transistors are reported to demonstrate system operation and performances.

Epidermal growth factor receptor exon 20 p.S768I mutation in non-small cell lung carcinoma: A case report combined with a review of the literature and investigation of clinical significance

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays a significant role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most prevalent form of lung cancer worldwide. Therefore, EGFR may be a useful molecular target for personalized therapy utilizing tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Somatic activating EGFR mutations may be used to identify tumors sensitive to the effects of small-molecule EGFR-TKIs (gefitinib and erlotinib), and alternative, less frequently observed mutations, including the majority of mutations identified within exon 20, may be associated with a lack of response to TKIs. However, due to the comparative rarity of EGFR exon 20 mutations, clinical information concerning the association between EGFR exon 20 mutations and responsiveness to TKIs has been limited within the relevant literature, particularly for certain rare mutations, including p.S768I. The current study reports the case of a patient with NSCLC harboring a p.S768I mutation in the EGFR gene [a substitution at codon 768 of exon 20 (c.2303G>T, p.S768I)], as well as a mutation at codon 719, exon 18 (p.G719A). The relevant literature concerning this rare EGFR somatic mutation is also reviewed.

Efficacy and tolerability of paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin as a neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced cervical carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a neoadjuvant paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma.

METHODS

Patients with histologically confirmed locally advanced cervical carcinoma, aged ≥18 years, were treated with intravenous ifosfamide 5,000 mg/m² and mesna 5,000 mg/m², on day 1; intravenous paclitaxel 175 mg/m² and cisplatin 75 mg/m², on day 2; every 3 weeks for three cycles. Following chemotherapy, operable patients underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy, and, if necessary, adjuvant radiotherapy.

RESULTS

One hundred fifty-two patients with median age 53 years (range, 24 to 79 years), FIGO stage IIB in 126 (89%), were treated with chemotherapy for median 3 cycles (range, 1 to 3). Treatment was delayed or withdrawn in 23 patients (15%). One hundred thirty-nine patients (91%) underwent surgery. Postchemotherapy pathological complete response rate was 18% (25 patients). Postoperative radiotherapy was administered in 100 patients (72%). The 5-year overall survival and progression-free survival were 87.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 84.5 to 90.3) and 76.4% (95% CI, 73.5 to 79.5), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Neoadjuvant paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin chemotherapy was feasible and effective in the treatment of locally advanced cervical carcinoma patients with older age and more advanced disease stage than reported in previous studies. Hematological and renal toxicity could be carefully prevented.

Programmable, very low noise current source

We propose a new approach for the realization of very low noise programmable current sources mainly intended for application in the field of low frequency noise measurements. The design is based on a low noise Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET) acting as a high impedance current source and programmability is obtained by resorting to a low noise, programmable floating voltage source that allows to set the sourced current at the desired value. The floating voltage source is obtained by exploiting the properties of a standard photovoltaic MOSFET driver. Proper filtering and a control network employing super-capacitors allow to reduce the low frequency output noise to that due to the low noise JFET down to frequencies as low as 100 mHz while allowing, at the same time, to set the desired current by means of a standard DA converter with an accuracy better than 1%. A prototype of the system capable of supplying currents from a few hundreds of μA up to a few mA demonstrates the effectiveness of the approach we propose. When delivering a DC current of about 2 mA, the power spectral density of the current fluctuations at the output is found to be less than 25 pA/√Hz at 100 mHz and less than 6 pA/√Hz for f > 1 Hz, resulting in an RMS noise in the bandwidth from 0.1 to 10 Hz of less than 14 pA.