Dynamic Profiling of the Immune Tumor Microenvironment in Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer Treated with Perioperative Chemotherapy

INTRODUCTION

In locally advanced gastric cancer (GC), FLOT represents the standard perioperative regimen and combination with immunotherapy is under investigation. However, the role of immune tumor microenvironment (TME) is poorly recognized in this setting. We aimed to study TME characteristics and dynamics during FLOT.

METHODS

Paired biopsy (PRE) and surgical (POST) samples of 25 patients treated with FLOT were prospectively analyzed. After collection of clinic-pathological data, NanoString analyses were performed. The primary objective of the study was to assess the changes induced by chemotherapy in POST compared to PRE samples.

RESULTS

The unsupervised hierarchical method analysis clearly distinguished PRE and POST samples, even though some cases showed high immune gene expression at baseline. When POST samples were compared with PRE, a differential expression in hyper-expressed gene sets related to cytotoxicity, T-cell functions, complement system, tumor necrosis factor superfamily, cell cycle, and regulation was recognized. Downstaging of the primary tumor (T-regression, measured by pathologic compared to clinical T stage) was the covariate most frequently associated with these changes. Using the immune cell profiling, cases with T-regression reported a significant increase of T, CD8+ T and B cells and a decrease in mast cells, while nonresponders demonstrated an increase of T, B, cytotoxic, and mast cells.

CONCLUSION

Our analysis shows that FLOT significantly influences immune TME of GC. While relevant modifications preferentially occur in tumors showing primary tumor regression, response to treatment seems to be associated with a specific immune profile.

Early increase of plasma soluble VEGFR-2 is associated with clinical benefit from second-line treatment of paclitaxel and ramucirumab in advanced gastric cancer

Ramucirumab plus paclitaxel is considered the standard of care in the second-line treatment of gastric carcinoma (GC). The aim of this study was to evaluate plasma vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), VEGF-D, and circulating soluble VEGF receptor-2 (sVEGFR-2) as possible markers of resistance or response to ramucirumab administered with paclitaxel in pretreated metastatic GC patients. Plasma samples were collected at different time points (on days 1 and 15 of the first 3 cycles, at best radiologic response and at disease progression). VEGF-A, VEGF-D and sVEGFR-2 were analysed by ELISA. Correlations of biomarker baseline levels or dynamic changes with outcome measures were assessed. Progression-free survival (PFS) was the primary endpoint of the study. Forty-one patients were enrolled. VEGF-A and VEGF-D, but not sVEGFR-2, values significantly increased during treatment compared to baseline (P < 0.001). A positive correlation between VEGF-A and sVEGFR-2 at cycle 2 was found (P=0.045). At univariate analysis, higher baseline levels of VEGF-A were associated with worse OS (P=0.015). Early increase of sVEGFR-2 levels after the first treatment cycle was the only factor associated with longer PFS (6.6 vs. 3.6 months, P=0.049) and OS (18.6 vs. 5.2 months, P=0.008). Significance of sVEGFR-2 early increase was retained at multivariate analysis for OS (HR 0.32; 95% CI 0.12-0.91; P=0.032). The reported results confirmed the prognostic role of baseline VEGF-A and, with the limitations of the limited sample size and the lack of a control arm, suggested that the early increase of sVEGFR-2 after 1 cycle of treatment could be a potential predictive biomarker of benefit from second-line ramucirumab plus paclitaxel in GC.

Predictive significance of circulating histones in hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with sorafenib

Background: Predictive biomarkers for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma are lacking. EZH2 drives sorafenib resistance through H3K27me3 and is counteracted by SETD2, which catalyzes H3K36me3. The authors tested the predictive power of circulating H3K27me3 and H3K36me3 in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with sorafenib. Methods: A total of 80 plasma samples were tested for histone variants by ELISA. Changes from baseline to best response or progressive disease were correlated with patient survival. Results: A higher EZH2/SETD2 ratio predicted worse prognosis in this setting. H3K27me3 and H3K36me3 decreased from baseline to best response. The H3K27me3/H3K36me3 ratio increased from baseline to progressive disease. Higher ratios at best response were associated with shorter progression-free survival. Conclusion: The authors suggest that circulating H3K27me3/H3K36me3 ratio level acts as a predictive biomarker for sorafenib treatment outcomes in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Results of the observational prospective RealFLOT study

BACKGROUND

Perioperative FLOT (5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin and docetaxel) has recently become the gold standard treatment for fit patients with operable gastric (GC) or gastroesophageal (GEJ) adenocarcinoma, getting a 5-year overall survival (OS) of 45%, over 23% with surgery alone.

METHODS

RealFLOT is an Italian, multicentric, observational trial, collecting data from patients with resectable GC or GEJ adenocarcinoma treated with perioperative FLOT. Aim of the study was to describe feasibility and safety of FLOT, pathological complete response rate (pCR), surgical outcomes and overall response rate (ORR) in an unselected real-world population. Additional analyses evaluated the correlation between pCR and survival and the prognostic role of microsatellite instability (MSI) status.

RESULTS

Of 206 patients enrolled that received perioperative FLOT at 15 Italian centers, 124 (60.2%) received at least 4 full-dose cycles, 190 (92.2%) underwent surgery, and 142 (68.9%) started the postoperative phase. Among patients who started the postoperative phase, 105 (51.0%) received FLOT, while 37 (18%) received de-intensified regimens, depending on clinical condition or previous toxicities. pCR was achieved in 7.3% of cases. Safety profile was consistent with literature. Neutropenia was the most common G 3-4 adverse event (AE): 19.9% in the preoperative phase and 16.9% in the postoperative phase. No toxic death was observed and 30-day postoperative mortality rate was 1.0%. ORR was 45.6% and disease control rate (DCR) was 94.2%. Disease-free survival (DFS) and OS were significantly longer in case of pCR (p = 0.009 and p = 0.023, respectively). A trend towards better DFS was observed among MSI-H patients.

CONCLUSIONS

These real-world data confirm the feasibility of FLOT in an unselected population, representative of the clinical practice. pCR rate was lower than expected, nevertheless we confirm pCR as a predictive parameter of survival. In addition, MSI-H status seems to be a positive prognostic marker also in patients treated with taxane-containing triplets.

Pembrolizumab for First-Line Treatment of Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Analysis of Prognostic Factors of Outcomes

BACKGROUND

In advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, without activating mutations and with PD-L1≥50%, Pembrolizumab monotherapy is the therapeutic standard in Europe.

OBJECTIVE

to evaluate retrospectively the safety and the efficacy of this drug and to investigate potential prognostic factors in daily clinical practice.

METHODS

From September 2017 to September 2019, 205 consecutive patients from 14 Italian Medical Oncology Units were enrolled in the study. Gender, Age (> or <70 years), ECOG-PS (0-1 or 2), histology (squamous or non-squamous), presence of brain, bone and liver metastases at baseline, PD-L1 score (>90% or <90%), smoking status (never or former or current) were applied to the stratified log-rank. Cox's proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

At a median follow-up of 15.2 months, median progression-free and overall survival (mPFS and mOS) were 9.2 months (95% C.I., 4.8-13.5) and 15.9 months (95% C.I., not yet evaluable), respectively. Patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS) 2 had mPFS of 2.8 months (95% C.I., 2.1-3.4) and mOS of 3.9 months (95% C.I., 2.5-5.3). Patients with liver metastases at diagnosis had an mPFS of 3.2 months (95% C.I., 0.6-5.8) and an mOS of 6.0 months (95% C.I., 3.7-8.4). At multivariate analysis for OS gender, ECOG-PS 2, and presence of liver metastases were independent prognostic factors.

CONCLUSION

Patients with ECOG-PS 2 derived little benefit from the use of first-line pembrolizumab. In patients with liver metastases the association of pembrolizumab with platinum-based chemotherapy could be a better option than pembrolizumab alone.

Rationale and Study Design of the PARERE Trial: Randomized phase II Study of Panitumumab Re-Treatment Followed by Regorafenib Versus the Reverse Sequence in RAS and BRAF Wild-Type Chemo-Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND

A recent phase II randomized Japanese study reported better survival with regorafenib followed at progression by cetuximab ± irinotecan compared with the reverse standard sequence in chemo-refractory and anti-EGFR-naïve, RAS wild-type (wt) mCRC patients. Nowadays the use of anti-EGFR antibodies is more frequently anticipated to the first-line of therapy especially in patients with left-sided RAS/BRAF wt tumours. However, retrospective analyses and phase II single-arm trials showed promising activity of re-using anti-EGFRs in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients who previously achieved benefit from a first-line anti-EGFR-based treatment. Post-hoc analyses of these trials revealed that the detection of RAS mutations in circulating tumour DNA (ct-DNA) at the time of re-treatment may be useful to identify resistant patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

PARERE (NCT04787341) is a prospective, open label, multicentre phase II study in which 214 RAS/BRAF wt chemo-refractory mCRC patients with previous benefit from first-line anti-EGFR-based treatment and RAS/BRAF wt ct-DNA in the liquid biopsy collected at the time of inclusion will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive panitumumab followed after progression by regorafenib versus the reverse sequence. Primary endpoint is overall survival. Secondary endpoints are 1st-progression free-survival (PFS), 2nd-PFS, time to failure strategy, objective response rate, and safety.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study is to validate the role of anti-EGFR retreatment and its proper placement in the therapeutic route of mCRC patients selected according to the analysis of ct-DNA in liquid biopsy. Results are expected at the end of 2023.

Role of Baseline Computed-Tomography-Evaluated Body Composition in Predicting Outcome and Toxicity from First-Line Therapy in Advanced Gastric Cancer Patients

Sarcopenia is recognised as a predictor of toxicity and survival in localised and locally advanced gastric cancer (GC). Its prognostication power in advanced unresectable or metastatic GC (aGC) is debated. The survival impact of visceral and subcutaneous fat distribution (visceral fat area (VFA)/subcutaneous fat area (SFA)) is ambiguous. Our aim was to determine the influence of body composition parameters (BCp) on toxicity and survival in aGC patients undergoing palliative treatment. BCp were retrospectively assessed by baseline computed tomography for 78 aGC patients who received first-line chemotherapy from March 2010 to January 2017. Correlations between BCp and toxicity and survival were calculated by χ²-test and by log-rank-test and Cox-model, respectively. Sarcopenia fails to show association with progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.44) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.88). However, sarcopenia influences the development of high-grade neutropenia (p = 0.048) and mucositis (p = 0.054). VFA/SFA (high vs. all the rest) results as a strong predictor of objective response (p = 0.02) and outcome (PFS, p = 0.001; OS, p = 0.02). At multivariate analysis for PFS, prognostic factors are VFA/SFA (p = 0.03) and a neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio >3. The same factors remain significant for OS (each p = 0.03) along with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (p = 0.008) and number of metastatic sites ≥2 (p < 0.001). In our cohort of aGC, VFA/SFA exhibit a robust impact on survival, with a higher sensitivity than sarcopenia.

Comprehensive pharmacogenetic analysis of DPYD, UGT, CDA, and ABCB1 polymorphisms in pancreatic cancer patients receiving mFOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel

Modified FOLFIRINOX (mFOLFIRINOX) and gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel (GemNab) regimens represent a standard treatment in advanced pancreatic cancer (aPC). DPYD and UGT1A1 variants are relevant predictors of fluoropyrimidine and irinotecan-associated adverse events (AEs). Furthermore, data about the associations between polymorphisms in ABCB and CDA genes and GemNab-related toxicities are still controversial. The present study analyzes the association between DPYD, UGT, ABCB1, CDA variants, and AEs in aPC patients (pts) treated with mFOLFIRINOX or GemNab. Blood samples collected from 104 aPC pts treated with mFOLFIRINOX and 63 with GemNab were tested for DPYD c.1679T>G, IVS14+1G>A, c.2194G>A, c.2846A>T, UGT1A1*28, CDA c.79A>C, and ABCB1 c.1236C>T, c.2677G>T/A, c.3435C>T by real-time PCR and automatic sequencing. In mFOLFIRINOX cohort, DPYD IVS14+1GA genotype was associated with G4 hematological AEs, while the UGT1A1*28 significantly correlated with the risk of thrombocytopenia (p = 0.006). In the GemNab cohort, a significant association between CDA c.79CC and high-grade nausea was observed (p = 0.002). Moreover, the presence of at least a mutant allele in ABCB1 increased the risk of overall hematological AEs (p = 0.01), both further strengthened by the presence of CDA c.79CC (p = 0.0002). DPYD IVS14+1A allele is confirmed to be associated with fluoropyrimidine life-threatening toxicities, and UGT1A1*28 is related with a higher risk of hematologic AEs following irinotecan treatment. CDA c.79C and ABCB1 c.1236T, c.2677T/A, and c.3435T mutant alleles are predictive biomarkers of GemNab-related AEs. All these variants should be considered in aPC pts candidate to mFOLFIRINOX or GemNab treatments.

Correction to: Prognostic Role of Blood Eosinophil Count in Patients with Sorafenib-Treated Hepatocellular Carcinoma

An Online First version of this article was made available online at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11523-020-00757-3 on 12 October 2020. Errors were subsequently identified in the article, and the following corrections should be noted.

Prognostic Role of Blood Eosinophil Count in Patients with Sorafenib-Treated Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Inflammation is a long-established hallmark of liver fibrosis and carcinogenesis. Eosinophils are emerging as crucial components of the inflammatory process influencing cancer development. The role of blood eosinophils in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma receiving systemic treatment is an unexplored field.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to analyse the prognostic role of the baseline eosinophil count in patients with sorafenib-treated hepatocellular carcinoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A training cohort of 92 patients with advanced- or intermediate-stage sorafenib-treated hepatocellular carcinoma and two validation cohorts of 65 and 180 patients were analysed. Overall survival and progression-free survival in relation to baseline eosinophil counts were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.

RESULTS

A negative prognostic impact of low baseline eosinophil counts (< 50*10⁹/L) was demonstrated in all cohorts (training cohort: hazard ratio = 50.1, 95% confidence interval 11.6-216.5, p < 0.0001 for low vs high eosinophil counts; first validation cohort: hazard ratio = 4.55, 95% confidence interval 1.24-16.65, p = 0.022; second validation cohort: hazard ratio = 3.21, 95% confidence interval 1.83-5.64, p < 0.0001). Moreover, low eosinophil counts had a negative prognostic role in patients progressing on or intolerant to sorafenib who received second-line regorafenib, but not capecitabine or best supportive care.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis identified baseline blood eosinophil counts as a new prognostic factor in patients with sorafenib-treated hepatocellular carcinoma. Concerning second-line therapies, eosinophil counts were associated with survival outcomes only in regorafenib-treated patients, suggesting a possible predictive role in this setting.

HER2 Overexpression as a Poor Prognostic Determinant in Resected Biliary Tract Cancer

BACKGROUND

HER2 overexpression has been investigated as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in biliary tract cancer (BTC), but a prognostic role of such alteration has not been demonstrated yet.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated HER2 protein expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 100 patients with radically resected BTC. HER2 gene amplification was assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in 2+ and 3+ cases at IHC. High HER2 protein expression was defined as either IHC 3+ or 2+ associated with FISH positivity. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the prognostic role of HER2 overexpression in terms of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints were the prevalence of HER2 overexpression and the possible correlation with other clinicopathological features.

RESULTS

HER2 overexpression was identified in 11 patients and was not related to other clinicopathological factors. DFS was significantly shorter in HER2-positive compared with HER2-negative patients (10.6 vs. 20.9 months, log-rank p = .017). HER2 confirmed its prognostic value for DFS at multivariate analysis (hazard ratio 2.512; 95% confidence interval, 1.232-5.125; p = .011) together with nodal stage (p < .001), resection margin (p = .027), and tumor site (p = .030). There was no difference in OS between HER2-positive and -negative patients (p = .068).

CONCLUSION

HER2 overexpression represents an independent prognostic factor for disease recurrence in patients with BTC treated with potentially curative surgery.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

HER2 overexpression may play an independent role in promoting an aggressive behavior in resectable biliary tract cancer. This evidence could be helpful in improving prognostic stratification after resection and, primarily, should endorse the rationale to investigate HER2 as a therapeutic target in biliary tract cancer.

First-line gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel for elderly patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer: Crossing the frontier of age?

BACKGROUND

Gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (Gem-Nab) represents a standard first-line treatment for metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC), but few data are available for elderly patients. We aimed to add evidence about safety and efficacy of Gem-Nab in this population.

METHODS

We collected data of 156 patients with mPC aged ≥65 years receiving Gem-Nab. Patients were stratified according to age: <70 (group 1: 65 patients) and ≥70 years (group 2: 91 patients).

RESULTS

The median age was 71 years (range: 65-87 years). The toxicity profile was similar between group 1 and 2, except for all-grade anaemia (92.1% vs. 78.7%, respectively; p = 0.04) and neurotoxicity (61.9% vs. 40.4%, respectively; p = 0.02), also as a result of a lower dose intensity of nab-paclitaxel (83.3% vs. 90.5%, respectively; p = 0.04) administered to oldest patients. The response rate was 25.6% (group 1 vs. 2: 20.0% vs. 29.7%; p = 0.12). After a median follow-up of 26.5 months, median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were similar between the groups (p > 0.05). The starting dose of Gem-Nab did not affect PFS and OS (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Gem-Nab is active and effective in older patients with mPC, with the results in line with the general mPC population enrolled in clinical trials. Mild dose modifications for elderly patients might be considered to improve safety without impairing efficacy.

Perioperative FLOT in elderly patients with resectable gastric cancer: Subgroup analysis from the observational RealFLOT study

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Background: The treatment strategy for patients with resectable gastric cancer changed in the last few years with perioperative treatments. FLOT regimen (fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, docetaxel) turned out to be feasible and effective, offering significant improvement in survival outcomes. However, the safety profile of triplet therapies for elderly patients deserves a special attention and, consequently, the best treatment strategy for these patients is still debated. Methods: Focusing on the elderly patient population (age ≥65 years), real-world data from patients with resectable gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma (T≥2 and/or N+) enrolled in the observational RealFLOT study were collected. Results: A total of 206 patients with resectable gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma received perioperative FLOT at 15 Italian centers in routine clinical practice, between September 2016 and September 2019. The median age was 63 years (range 36-77) and 43% of patients enrolled (n = 89) were ≥65 years. Among elderly patients, 46 (52%) received FLOT for at least 4 full-dose cycles in the preoperative phase, 82 (92%) underwent surgery, and 56 (62%) started the postoperative phase. The primary end point of the study, pathological complete response (pCR) rate, was similar among patients aged ≥65 and < 65 (6.7% vs 7.7%, respectively). The distribution of pathological stages did not differ according to age (p = 0.473), and disease-free survival (DFS) is unrelated to the age of patients (log-rank 0.57; p = 0.89). The incidence of grade (G) 3-4 adverse events (AEs) was similar in the two age groups (Table) and the 30-day mortality rates after surgery did not differ according to age. Conclusions: FLOT regimen demonstrated to be feasible and safe in elderly patients since no differences were observed in terms of pCR, DFS and safety profile according to age. [Table: see text]

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Esophageal Cancers: are we Finally Finding the Right Path in the Mist?

Esophageal cancer remains a challenging disease due to limited treatment options and poor prognosis. In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have been proven to be safe and effective in the treatment of highly lethal malignancies, such as non-small cell lung cancer and melanoma. Recent clinical trials also showed promising activity in immune checkpoint inhibitors in pretreated advanced esophageal carcinoma and a potentially significant impact on the outcome of selected patients, independently of histology. Combination studies evaluating immunotherapy and chemotherapy and, in localized disease, radiotherapy are in progress and will hopefully confirm their promises in the near future. However, reliable predictive biomarkers are still lacking. Indeed, at present, the role of programmed cell death ligand 1 expression and other factors (such as microsatellite instability and tumor mutational burden) as predictive biomarkers of benefit to immune checkpoint inhibitors is still controversial. Our aim was to explore the rationale of ICIs in esophageal cancer, review the results already available in multiple settings, and investigate future perspectives with single-agent and combination strategies.

Perioperative FLOT in resectable gastric cancer: Italian real-world data from the RealFLOT study

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Background: Perioperative treatments have significantly improved survival in patients with resectable gastric cancer, increasing 5-year overall survival from 23% with surgery alone to 45% with FLOT (fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, docetaxel). Pathological regression is a prognostic marker of better survival. Methods: In this observational, retro- and prospective study we collected data from patients with resectable gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma treated, as clinical practice, with perioperative FLOT. All patients had clinical T2 or higher and/or nodal involvement, according to FLOT4-AIO trial. Results: A total of 206 patients received perioperative chemotherapy with FLOT at 15 Italian centres, between September 2016 and September 2019. Overall, 186 (90.3%) patients completed the preoperative phase, 190 (92%) underwent surgery, and 142 (68.9%) started the postoperative phase. Among patients who started the postoperative phase, 105 (51.0%) received FLOT, while 37 (18%) received less intensive regimens (e.g. FOLFOX or De Gramont), depending on performance status after surgery or toxicity in the preoperative phase. Pathological complete response (pCR) was obtained in 7.3% of cases. In the preoperative phase, grade (G) 3-4 hematological and gastrointestinal adverse events (AEs) were reported in 42 (20.4%) and 13 (6.3%) patients, respectively. Conclusions: These real data confirmed the feasibility of perioperative FLOT in a less-selected population, representative of the clinical practice. The pCR rate was lower than in the FLOT4-AIO trial. The survival outcomes, potential predictive or prognostic factors and comprehensive safety data will be included in the final analysis.

[Table: see text]

Impact of Baseline Characteristics on the Overall Survival of HCC Patients Treated with Sorafenib: Ten Years of Experience

Background

Sorafenib has been established as the standard of care for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) since 2007 on the basis of two landmark trials (SHARP and Asia-Pacific). Ten years have passed since then and, despite much research in the field, still no validated real-life prognostic markers are available for HCC patients treated with this drug. Therefore, going through 10 years of research into sorafenib of several Italian Cancer Centers, we conducted a field-practice study aimed at identifying baseline clinical factors that could be significantly associated with overall survival (OS).

Method

Univariate/multivariate analyses were conducted to retrospectively identify the impact of baseline characteristics on the OS of 398 advanced HCC patients treated with sorafenib.

Results

Based on univariate analysis, α-fetoprotein (AFP), albumin, AST, bilirubin, Child-Pugh, ECOG, systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade, and portal vein thrombosis were significantly associated with shorter OS. Following adjustment for clinical covariates positive in univariate analysis, the multivariate analysis including AFP, age, etiology, albumin, aspartate transaminase (AST), bilirubin, Child-Pugh, LDH, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, ECOG, ALBI grade, portal vein thrombosis, SII, and BCLC stage identified increase in LDH, age >70 years, no viral etiologies, ECOG >0, albumin <35, ALBI grade 2, and AST >40 as prognostic factors for poorer OS based on the 5% significance level.

Conclusion

Our study highlights that baseline hepatic function, patient-centered variables, and etiology have prognostic value. These findings might have implications in terms of therapeutic decision-making and patient counseling.

Early Tumor Shrinkage and Depth of Response Evaluation in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Treated with First Line Chemotherapy: An Observational Retrospective Cohort Study

Early tumor shrinkage (ETS) and depth of response (DoR) predict favorable outcomes in metastatic colorectal cancer. We aim to evaluate their prognostic role in metastatic pancreatic cancer (PC) patients treated with first-line modified-FOLFIRINOX (FOLFOXIRI) or Gemcitabine + Nab-paclitaxel (GemNab). Hence, 138 patients were tested for ETS, defined as a ≥20% reduction in the sum of target lesions’ longest diameters (SLD) after 6–8 weeks from baseline, and DoR, i.e., the maximum percentage shrinkage in the SLD from baseline. Association of ETS and DoR with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was assessed. ETS was reached in 49 patients (39.5% in the FOLFOXIRI, 29.8% in the GemNab group; p = 0.280). In the overall population, ETS was significantly associated with better PFS (8.0 vs. 4.8 months, p < 0.001) and OS (13.2 vs. 9.7 months, p = 0.001). Median DoR was −27.5% (−29.4% with FOLFOXIRI and −21.4% with GemNab, p = 0.016): DoR was significantly associated with better PFS (9.0 vs. 6.7 months, p < 0.001) and OS (14.3 vs. 11.1 months, p = 0.031). Multivariate analysis confirmed both ETS and DoR are independently associated with PFS and OS. In conclusion, our study added evidence on the role of ETS and DoR in the prediction of outcome of PC patients treated with first-line combination chemotherapy.

Multicentric prospettive study of validation of angiogenesis-related gene polymorphisms in hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with sorafenib: Interim analysis of INNOVATE study

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Background: In the ePHAS study we analyzed three eNOSpolymorphisms and at univariate analysis, patients with eNOS-786 -TTgenotype had significantly shorter median Progression Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS) compared to those with other genotypes. On the basis of these preliminary results, our aim is to validate in a prospective study this data in patients with HCC treated with sorafenib. Methods: This is a prospective Italian multicenter study, that includes 141 HCC patients receiving sorafenib. We analyzed eNOS-786and itwas analyzed by Real Time PCR in relation to the primary end point (OS). Event-time distributions were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. Results: 141 HCC patients (122 males and 19 females), prospectively treated with sorafenib from May 2015 to September 2018 were included. Median age was 69 years (range 28-88 years). 120 patients had Child-Pugh A and 21 had Child-Pugh B7. 43 had BCLC-B and 98 patients had BCLC-C. Atunivariate analysis, we confirmed that eNOS-786 TT genotype were significantly associated with a lower median OS than the other genotypes (8.8 vs 15.7 months, HR 1.69, 95% CI 1.02-2.83 p=0.0424). Following adjustment for clinical covariates (age, gender, etiology, BCLC stage, serum α-FP level, MELD score), multivariate analysis confirmed eNOS- 786 and BCLC stage as the independentsprognostic factors predicting OS (TTvsTC+CC; HR: 2.39, 95% CI 1.14-5.03 p=0.0211; C vs B;2.23, 95% CI 1.44-4.77 p=0.039). Conclusions: Our prospective study confirms the prognostic role of eNOS-786 in advanced HCC patients treated with sorafenib. Clinical trial information: NCT02786342.

Validated clinico-pathologic nomogram in the prediction of HER2 status in gastro-oesophageal cancer

Background

HER2 is the only validated predictive biomarker in gastro-oesophageal carcinoma (GOC). However, several factors, such as heterogeneity in protein expression, shortage of evaluable tumour tissue and need for quick target assessment, underline the usefulness of a pre-screening tool in order to anticipate HER2 status.

Methods

Data from 723 consecutive GOC analysed for HER2 at four Italian Institutions were collected. HER2 positivity was defined as 3+ by immunohistochemistry (IHC) or 2+ with gene amplification by in situ hybridisation (ISH). A multivariate logistic regression model was built using data from 413 cases, whereas 310 patients served as validation cohort. C-index, visual inspection of the calibration plot, Brier score and Spiegelhalter z-test were used to assess the performance of the nomogram.

Results

HER2 positive rate was 17.4%. Four variables were retained after adjustment in the final model: grading, Lauren’s histotype, pathologic material analysed (surgical specimen/biopsy) and site of tissue collection (primary tumour/metastases). Visual inspection of the calibration plot revealed a very good overlap between predicted and observed probabilities, with a Brier score of 0.101 and a non-significant Spiegelhalter z-test (P = 0.319). C-index resulted in 0.827 (95%CI 0.741–0.913).

Conclusion

A simple nomogram based on always-available pathologic information accurately predicts the probability of HER2 positivity in GOC.

Long-term survival after liver metastasectomy in gastric cancer: Systematic review and meta-analysis of prognostic factors

BACKGROUND

Despite the amelioration of systemic therapy, overall survival (OS) of metastatic gastric cancer (GC) patients remains poor. Liver is a common metastatic site and retrospective series suggest a potential OS benefit from hepatectomy, with interesting 5-year (5 y) and 10-year (10 y) OS rates in selected patients. We aim to evaluate the impact of liver resection and related prognostic factors on long-term outcome in this setting.

METHODS

We searched Pubmed, EMBASE, and Abstracts/posters from international meetings since 1990. Data were extracted from publish papers. Random effects models meta-analyses and meta-regression models were built to assess 5yOS and the impact of different prognostic factor. Heterogeneity was assessed using between study variance, I² and Cochran's Q. Funnel plot were used to assess small study bias.

RESULTS

Thirty-three observational studies (for a total of 1304 patients) were included. Our analysis demonstrates a 5yOS rate of 22% (95%CI: 18-26%) and 10yOS rate of 11% (95%CI: 7-18%) among patients undergoing radical hepatectomy. A favorable effect on OS was shown by several factors linked to primary cancer (lower T and N stage, no lympho-vascular or serosal invasion) and burden of hepatic disease (≤3 metastases, unilobar involvement, greatest lesion < 5 cm, negative resection margins). Moreover, lower CEA and CA19.9 levels and post-resection chemotherapy were associated with improved OS.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical resection of liver metastases from GC seems associated with a significant chance of 5yOS and 10yOS and compares favourably with results of medical treatment alone. Prospective evaluation of this approach and validation of adequate selection criteria are needed.

Outcomes of Advanced Gastric Cancer Patients Treated with at Least Three Lines of Systemic Chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Second-line therapy has consistently demonstrated survival benefit if compared with best supportive care; however, there is limited evidence whether further lines of treatment may improve the prognosis of advanced gastric cancer (AGC) patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Starting from a real-world cohort of 868 AGC patients, we retrospectively analyzed baseline parameters, tumor characteristics, and treatment data of those treated with at least three lines. Categorical features were described through cross-tables and chi-square test. We explored the impact of treatment intensity and progression-free survival (PFS) experienced in previous lines on PFS and overall survival in third-line by uni- and multivariate Cox regression models and described by Kaplan-Meier estimator plot with log-rank test.

RESULTS

Overall, 300 patients were included in the analysis. The most common site of primary tumor was gastric body; 45.3% of cancers had an intestinal histotype, 14% were human epidermal growth receptor 2 positive. In third-line, 45.7% of patients received a single-agent chemotherapy, 49.7% a combination regimen. Patients who had experienced a first-line PFS ≥6.9 months had a better prognosis compared with those who had achieved a shorter one. Consistently, a second-line PFS ≥3.5 months positively influenced the prognosis. Patients receiving a third-line combination regimen had better outcomes compared with those treated with a single-agent chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Our real-world study confirms that selected AGC patients may receive third-line treatment. Longer PFS in previous lines or a more intense third-line treatment positively influenced prognosis. Further efforts are warranted to define the best therapeutic sequences, and to identify the optimal candidate for treatment beyond second-line.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The benefit of third-line treatment to advanced gastric cancer patients is controversial. This study depicts a real scenario of the clinical practice in Italy, confirming that a non-negligible proportion of patients receive a third-line therapy. Longer progression-free survival in previous treatment lines or higher third-line treatment intensity positively influenced prognosis. Including a large number of real-world patients, this study provides information on third-line treatment from the daily clinical practice; moreover, its results help in defining the best therapeutic sequence and offer some hints to select the optimal candidate for treatment beyond second-line.

Correlation of early tumor shrinkage (ETS) and depth of response (DoR) with resectability in patients (pts) with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) undergoing primary treatment with FOLFOXIRI

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Background: FOLFIRINOX is a reasonable option in LAPC. GONO FOLFOXIRI has been shown to provide similar efficacy in advanced disease. ETS and DoR, emerging as relevant endpoints in colorectal cancer, have been rarely investigated in LAPC. Methods: Unresectable LAPC pts treated with FOLFOXIRI were identified. Computed tomography (CT) scan was performed every 8 weeks; after that, multidisciplinary team assessed resectability. ETS was defined as the reduction of ≥20% of target lesions’ diameters at first evaluation. DoR was the % of maximal tumor shrinkage at the nadir compared to baseline. Primary endpoint was the correlation of ETS and DoR with radical (R0) resection. Secondary endpoints were correlation of ETS and DoR with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Radiologist was blinded to survival data. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank and chi-square tests were applied. Results: Sixty pts were included. Median age was 62 years (range: 34-74), tumor location was head in 68% and body-tail in 32%. At a median follow-up of 26.9 months, response rate was 37%, median OS and PFS were 15.7 and 10.3 months, respectively. Thirty patients (50%) underwent R0 surgery after chemotherapy. Two pts died due to early surgical complication and were censored at the date of surgery for survival analyses. Among 55 evaluable pts, ETS was reached in 19 pts and median DoR was -17% (range: -65 to +100). A strong association between ETS (p = 0.0002) and DoR (p < 0.0001) with R0 resection was observed. In the overall population, ETS was significantly associated with better PFS (14.5 vs 9.4 months, p = 0.037), while no difference in OS was shown (p = 0.63). DoR was significantly associated both with PFS (13.6 vs 7.8 months, p = 0.014) and OS (19.8 vs 14.5 months, p = 0.047). Conclusions: FOLFOXIRI may allow achieving resectability in selected pts. ETS and DoR are significantly associated with R0 resection. Maximizing response with active regimens could be an effective strategy in LAPC. Further validation of ETS and DoR as surrogate endpoints in larger prospective series is required.

Prognostic role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) dynamics during first-line FOLFOXIRI in advanced pancreatic cancer (aPC)

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Background: Elevated pre-treatment NLR is a well-known poor prognostic factor in several tumours, including aPC. However, the role of NLR changes during first-line chemotherapy is less investigated. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated aPC patients (pts) treated with FOLFOXIRI (infusional 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, irinotecan). NLR was calculated before the first (NLR-0) and the fourth (NLR-3) cycle, high NLR being defined as > 4. We evaluated the correlation between NLR change and overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), response rate (RR) and disease-control-rate (DCR). Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank and chi-square tests were applied. Multivariate analysis was performed by Cox proportional hazards model. Results: Ninety-four pts were evaluable. Median age was 62 years; at diagnosis, 38 (40.4%) pts had unresectable stage III and 56 (59.6%) had stage IV disease. In the overall population, median PFS (mPFS) and OS (mOS) were 8.0 and 12.9 months, respectively. NLR-0 was significantly associated with poor prognosis: among the 12 pts with NLR-0 > 4 mOS was 5.1 months compared with 13.5 months for the 82 pts with NLR-0 ≤4 (p < 0.001). As regards NLR dynamics, NLR-3 remained high or was increased (H/I) in 5 pts (5.3%) while was stably low or decreased (L/D) in 89 pts (94.7%). mOS was 5.1 months (95%CI 0.4-9.8) in H/I and 13.5 months (95%CI 10.9-16.1) in L/D (p < 0.001) pts. The same association was found for PFS, with 4.7 (95%CI 2.1-7.3) vs 8.3 months (95%CI 6.2-10.4, p = 0.004), respectively, but not for RR and DCR. At multivariate analysis, NLR change was confirmed as independent predictor of OS (HR 6.854, 95%CI 2.109-22.269, p = 0.001) and, when added to performance status, liver metastases and NLR-0, allowed a better risk stratification in good (no negative factors), intermediate (1-2 factors) and poor (3-4 factors) risk groups, with mOS of 18.0, 10.0 and 5.1 months, respectively (p = 0.012). Conclusions: Not only NLR-0, but also changes after 3 cycles of first-line FOLFOXIRI could predict OS in aPC pts. Early variations in NLR might be a cheap, reproducible and useful factor to predict prognosis and to better refine treatment strategy.

Second-line (SL) chemotherapy containing oxaliplatin (OXA) in metastatic pancreatic cancer (PC): Whom should we trust?

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Background: After the intensification of first-line treatment in metastatic PC the number of patients fit and able to receive a SL treatment is increasing; despite these results, the choice of SL chemotherapy remains a challenging issue. The role of OXA in SL setting has given conflicting results in CONKO-003 and PANCREOX trials; the reasons of this inconsistency are difficult to understand. Methods: In order to detect a possible advantage from the use of oxaliplatin in SL, we pooled together the results of randomized phase II/III studies adding OXA to fluoropyrimidines after a gemcitabine-based first-line. Hazard ratios (HRs) for progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted, while the number of events was used for RR to determine odds ratio (OR) with corresponding 95%CIs. Fixed-effect and random-effect models were used as appropriate, on the basis of the evidence of a non-significant or significant heterogeneity among trials, respectively. The Review Manager software was used (version 5.3). Results: Three studies were identified; main characteristics and results are summarized in the table. No benefit in overall survival derived from the use of OXA (HR 1.03, 95% CI, 0.64-1.67; p=0.90) but significant heterogeneity was reported (p=0.003); the addition of OXA produced a significant benefit in terms of PFS (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.68-0.97; p=0.02) with a higher chance of response (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.01-3.24; P=0.05). Interestingly heterogeneity between trials was less evident in PFS and RR than in OS suggesting that this could be a confounding element in the interpretation of data. Conclusions: The reasons of conflicting results concerning the use of oxaliplatin doublets in SL setting are not clear. Given the recent advances in first-line setting, it would be interesting to identify an optimal sequential strategy, hopefully in a personalized approach. [Table: see text]