First-line pembrolizumab with or without platinum doublet chemotherapy in non-small-cell lung cancer patients with PD-L1 expression ≥50

Pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy is currently used in the first-line treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer without EGFR mutations or ALK rearrangements, regardless of PD-L1 expression status. A study comparing chemotherapy plus pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab alone has never been performed in patients with PD-L1 ≥50%. The aim of this trial is to perform such a comparison as first-line treatment in patients not eligible for locally advanced treatment who have expression of PD-L1 on ≥50% of tumor cells. The expected results are a reduction in the risk of early progression. A higher objective tumor response is also expected with the combination of chemotherapy and pembrolizumab compared with pembrolizumab alone. The study will allow a direct comparison of the proportion of patients who derive long-term benefit from the treatment. Clinical trial number: EudraCT (2020-002626-86); ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04547504).

EGFR Exon 20 insertion: Prognostic and predictive values in advanced non-small cell lung cancer, a real-world study

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Background: In Europe, 10-15% of non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (nsqNSCLC) have EGFR mutations of which 5-12% are an Exon 20 insertion (20ins). Methods: Analysis of Epidemio-Strategy and Medical Economics (ESME) Advanced and Metastatic Lung cancer (AMLC) Data Platform (NCT03848052), a multicenter real-life database using a supervised, retrospective data collection process. The database includes 13737 advanced nsqNSCLC treated from January 2015 at participating centres. The cut-off date for patient follow-up for this analysis was June 30, 2020. The aim of the study was to assess real-world patient characteristics, treatment patterns and clinical outcomes of advanced nsqNSCLC EGFR 20ins. Overall survival (OS) of EGFR cohorts (20ins, 19del/L858R without 20ins, other EGFR mutations) and EGFR wild-type/not tested cohort were assessed. Results: 1549 (11.3%) nsqNSCLC had an EGFR mutation, 61 (3.9%) of whom being an EGFR 20ins. These 61 patients (pts) are mainly female (68.9%), non-smoker (55.7%), with de novo stage IIIB/IV disease (78.6%), PS 0-1 (76.9%). Median age was 68.0 years (q1-q3: 54-74). PD-L1 status was assessed in 34 (55.7%) pts, mainly (n = 20) before first line and 22 (64.7%) had negative result. Most (63.9%) pts had EGFR 20ins positive result available before first line. Almost all pts (95.1%, n = 58) received a systemic therapy with a median number of 3 (q1-q3: 1-4) lines. In first line setting, 74% of the pts received chemotherapy (mainly chemotherapy combination), 13.7% received EGFR TKI (mainly as monotherapy) and 8.6% received immunotherapy only. Median treatment duration for pts treated with CarboPem (n = 19), CisplatinPem (n = 16) and CarboTaxol (n = 6) were 4.7 (q1-q3: 2.6-6.6), 7.4 (q1-q3: 5.0-12.8) and 3.3 (q1-q3: 2.8-3.8) months, respectively. For afatinib (n = 3), erlotinib (n = 2) and gefitinib (n = 1), median treatment durations were 1.6 (q1-q3: 0.5-2.8); 1.8 (q1-q3: 1.4-2.1) and 2.3 months, respectively. After a median follow up of 36.3 (95%CI: 34.1-39.8) months, median OS was 24.3 (95%CI: 19.1-32.6) months; 1 and 2-years OS rates were 82.5% (95%CI: 69.7-90.2) and 52.6% (95%CI: 37.3-65.9), respectively. For pts with 19del/L858R without 20ins (n = 1049) and those with other EGFR mutations (n = 439) median OS were 35.4 (95%CI: 32.6-37.5) and 41.7 (95%CI: 31.9-53.5), respectively compared to 20.7 (95%CI: 20.0-21.8] months for pts EGFR wild type/not tested (n = 12188). Conclusions: This large, national real-world analysis based on medical chart data’s confirm that EGFR 20ins is a rare disease (0.4% of advanced nsqNSCLC). Currently available EGFR TKIs appear to have low efficacy and response to chemotherapy seems identical to that of EGFR wild-type/not tested pts. Prognosis for NSCLC pts with EGFR 20ins mutations was in line with that of EGFR wild type/not tested but worse than common EGFR mutations highlighting the need for advancements for this rare population.

Phase III randomized study of carboplatin pemetrexed with or without bevacizumab with initial versus "at progression" cerebral radiotherapy in advanced non squamous non-small cell lung cancer with asymptomatic brain metastasis

Background:

The role and timing of whole or stereotaxic brain radiotherapy (BR) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) and asymptomatic brain metastases (aBMs) are not well established. This study investigates whether deferring BR until cerebral progression was superior to upfront BR for patients with aNSCLC and aBM.

Methods:

This open-label, multicenter, phase III trial, randomized (1:1) aNSCLC patients with aBMs to receive upfront BR and chemotherapy: platin–pemetrexed and bevacizumab in eligible patients, followed by maintenance pemetrexed with or without bevacizumab, BR arm, or the same chemotherapy with BR only at cerebral progression, chemotherapy (ChT) arm. Primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), global, extra-cerebral and cerebral objective response rate (ORR), toxicity, and quality of life [ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02162537].

Results:

The trial was stopped early because of slow recruitment. Among 95 included patients, 91 were randomized in 24 centers: 45 to BR and 46 to ChT arms (age: 60 ± 8.1, men: 79%, PS 0/1: 51.7%/48.3%; adenocarcinomas: 92.2%, extra-cerebral metastases: 57.8%, without differences between arms.) Significantly more patients in the BR-arm received BR compare with those in the ChT arm (87% versus 20%; p < 0.001); there were no significant differences between BR and ChT arms for median PFS: 4.7, 95% confidence interval (CI):3.4–7.5 versus 4.8, 95% CI: 2.4–6.5 months, for median OS: 8.5, 95% CI:.6–11.1 versus 8.3, 95% CI:4.5–11.5 months, cerebral and extra-cerebral ORR (27% versus 13%, p = 0.064, and 30% versus 41%, p = 0.245, respectively). The ChT arm had more grade 3/4 neutropenia than the BR arm (13% versus 6%, p = 0.045); others toxicities were comparable.

Conclusion:

The significant BR rate difference between the two arms suggests that upfront BR is not mandatory in aNSCLC with aBM but this trial failed to show that deferring BR for aBM is superior in terms of PFS from upfront BR.

Pseudoprogression versus true progression in glioblastoma patients: A multiapproach literature review. Part 2 - Radiological features and metric markers

After chemoradiotherapy for glioblastoma, pseudoprogression can occur and must be distinguished from true progression to correctly manage glioblastoma treatment and follow-up. Conventional treatment response assessment is evaluated via conventional MRI (contrast-enhanced T1-weighted and T2/FLAIR), which is unreliable. The emergence of advanced MRI techniques, MR spectroscopy, and PET tracers has improved pseudoprogression diagnostic accuracy. This review presents a literature review of the different imaging techniques and potential imaging biomarkers to differentiate pseudoprogression from true progression.

Pseudoprogression versus true progression in glioblastoma patients: A multiapproach literature review: Part 1 - Molecular, morphological and clinical features

With new therapeutic protocols, more patients treated for glioblastoma have experienced a suspicious radiologic image of progression (pseudoprogression) during follow-up. Pseudoprogression should be differentiated from true progression because the disease management is completely different. In the case of pseudoprogression, the follow-up continues, and the patient is considered stable. In the case of true progression, a treatment adjustment is necessary. Presently, a pseudoprogression diagnosis certainly needs to be pathologically confirmed. Some important efforts in the radiological, histopathological, and genomic fields have been made to differentiate pseudoprogression from true progression, and the assessment of response criteria exists but remains limited. The aim of this paper is to highlight clinical and pathological markers to differentiate pseudoprogression from true progression through a literature review.

Evolution of Physical Status From Diagnosis to the End of First-Line Treatment in Breast, Lung, and Colorectal Cancer Patients: The PROTECT-01 Cohort Study Protocol

Background: Cancer cachexia and exacerbated fatigue represent two hallmarks in cancer patients, negatively impacting their exercise tolerance and ultimately their quality of life. However, the characterization of patients' physical status and exercise tolerance and, most importantly, their evolution throughout cancer treatment may represent the first step in efficiently counteracting their development with prescribed and tailored exercise training. In this context, the aim of the PROTECT-01 study will be to investigate the evolution of physical status, from diagnosis to the end of first-line treatment, of patients with one of the three most common cancers (i.e., lung, breast, and colorectal).

Methods: The PROTECT-01 cohort study will include 300 patients equally divided between lung, breast and colorectal cancer. Patients will perform a series of assessments at three visits throughout the treatment: (1) between the date of diagnosis and the start of treatment, (2) 8 weeks after the start of treatment, and (3) after the completion of first-line treatment or at the 6-months mark, whichever occurs first. For each of the three visits, subjective and objective fatigue, maximal voluntary force, body composition, cachexia, physical activity level, quality of life, respiratory function, overall physical performance, and exercise tolerance will be assessed.

Discussion: The present study is aimed at identifying the nature and severity of maladaptation related to exercise intolerance in the three most common cancers. Therefore, our results should contribute to the delineation of the needs of each group of patients and to the determination of the most valuable exercise interventions in order to counteract these maladaptations. This descriptive and comprehensive approach is a prerequisite in order to elaborate, through future interventional research projects, tailored exercise strategies to counteract specific symptoms that are potentially cancer type-dependent and, in fine, to improve the health and quality of life of cancer patients. Moreover, our concomitant focus on fatigue and cachexia will provide insightful information about two factors that may have substantial interaction but require further investigation.

Trial registration: This prospective study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03956641), May, 2019.

Assessment of quality and clinical similarity (pharmacokinetic and safety) of HD204, a biosimilar of bevacizumab

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Background: Prestige Biopharma Pte Ltd is developing HD204, a biosimilar candidate of Bevacizumab (Avastin). Bevacizumab has been approved in the treatment of a variety of metastatic tumours. Bevacizumab, a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody block angiogenesis which is required for cancer progression by preventing binding of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to VEGF receptors. Due to heterogeneity nature of antibody therapeutic, the impact on quality of HD204 on safety and pharmacokinetic (PK) was reaffirmed through clinical study to establish clinical similarity between HD204 and Avastin. Methods: Quality attributes identified to influence PK and safety established through comprehensive analytical characterization was used to correlate any potential differences (structural or biological) between the two compounds if any, could result in any clinical meaningful differences in safety and PK in the clinical settings. The PK and safety equivalence of HD204 relative to Avastin was demonstrated in a randomized, single-blind, single-dose, three-arm and parallel-group study clinical Phase I (SAMSON). A total of 120 healthy male subjects randomized 1:1:1 were to receive 1 mg/kg intravenous infusion of either HD204, EU- or US-Avastin. Various PK parameters, safety assessments not limiting to adverse events (AE) and measurement of antidrug antibodies (ADA) and neutralizing antibodies (NAb) were evaluated. Results: The pairwise comparisons of Exposure (AUC0-inf and AUC0-last), maximal concentration (Cmax) established equivalence between the 3 arms. All other PK parameters including half-life, clearance and volume of distribution were comparable between HD204 and Avastin treatment groups. Treatment related TEAEs reported for each group were 25.0%, 30.0% and 25.6% respectively and comparable. There were no treatment-emergent SAEs. Furthermore, none of the subjects treated with HD204 was ADA positive. Conclusions: HD204 demonstrated equivalent PK and safety profile to both US-Avastin and EU-Avastin at 1mg/kg administered as a 90-minute IV infusion to healthy male subjects. A prospective clinical study aimed to demonstrate equivalence in terms of efficacy, PK and safety is currently ongoing. Clinical trial information: 2017-005174-19.

P14.125 Retrospective analysis of long-term response to bevacizumab in combination with irinotecan for recurrent glioblastoma: identification of prognostic factors

BACKGROUND

In absence of standard treatment for recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM), numerous prospective and retrospective studies have evaluated the off-label combination of bevacizumab (BEV) with irinotecan (IRI) in patients with rGBM. We report here our single center experience with this combination and we investigated prognostic factors for long-term response.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients treated initially by Stupp protocol and with BEV-IRI for a rGBM between 2007 and 2017. Times to progression and overall survival, as well as toxicities, were investigated and analysed. Patients without progression at least 12 month after the first administration of BEV-IRI were considered as long-term responders. The primary end-point was overall survival post-BEV-IRI (OS-BEV-IRI).

RESULTS

One-hundred eleven patients were eligible for the analysis. Median age at the diagnosis was 57 years and the value of WHO Performance Status (PS) at the recurrence was 0 to 1 for 67,5% of patients. Kaplan-Meier median progression-free survival (PFS-BEV-IRI) and overall survival (OS-BEV-IRI) at recurrence estimates (calculated from start of BEV-IRI) were 6.51 and 10.41 months, respectively. The median OS (calculated from diagnosis) was 22,4 months. Twenty-Three patients (20,7%) were long-term responders to BEV-IRI regimen. This subgroup was not significantly different than the short-term responders according to age or PS distribution, but the relative proportion of biopsy in comparison to other surgery modalities was significantly increased in long-term responders (p<0,0001). Univariate analysis showed that PS 0–1 (p=0,007), biopsy (p=0,0022) are significantly associated with a better prognosis, but not age. Eighty three patients (75%) had toxicities, mainly grade 1 and 2 (92%), such as hypertension, proteinuria, haemorrhage, thrombosis, nausea, diarrhoea, fatigue or neutropenia. Most of the grade 3 and grade 4 toxicities were related to BEV treatment. Adverse events were significantly more frequent in long-term responders (p=0,0096).

CONCLUSION

BEV-IRI Combination is well tolerated and may offer some clinical benefits in recurrent GBM patients, more particularly if only biopsy was performed instead of surgery. Our results strengthened the role of these agents for the treatment of recurrent GBM.

Brigatinib in patients with ALK-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer pretreated with sequential ALK inhibitors: A multicentric real-world study (BRIGALK study)

OBJECTIVES

Brigatinib is a next-generation ALK inhibitor initially developed in ALK-positive NSCLC pretreated with crizotinib.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective multicentric study analyzed ALK-positive advanced NSCLC patients pretreated with at least one tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, including crizotinib, and enrolled in the brigatinib French early access program. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

104 patients were included (mean age, 56.6 years; never smokers, 61.5%; adenocarcinoma, 98.1%). Patients had received a median of 3 previous treatment lines, including at least 2 ALK inhibitors (mainly crizotinib then ceritinib). At brigatinib initiation, 59.1% had performance status 0-1, 51.9% had ≥ 3 metastatic sites, 74.5% had central nervous system metastases (CNS) and 8.8% had carcinomatous meningitis. Median duration of brigatinib treatment was 6.7 (95% CI, 0.06-20.7) months. Median PFS was 6.6 (4.8-9.9) months for the entire population. For patients who received 2, 3-4 and >4 lines of treatment before brigatinib, PFS was 4.3 (2.5-8.9), 10.4 (5.9-13.9) and 3.8 (0.8-7.4) months, respectively. In the 91 evaluable patients, disease control rate was 78.2%. From brigatinib start, median overall survival was 17.2 (11.0-not reached) months. Among the 68 patients with progressive disease after brigatinib, CNS was involved in 29.4% of cases. Median OS from the diagnosis of NSCLC was 75.3 (38.2-174.6) months.

CONCLUSION

These real-world results confirm the efficacy of brigatinib in a cohort of patients heavily pretreated for ALK-positive advanced NSCLC.

Bone metastases from a 1p/19q codeleted and IDH1-mutant anaplastic oligodendroglioma: a case report

BACKGROUND

Oligodendroglioma is a rare type of primary brain tumor which, like other malignant gliomas, metastasizes very rarely even when in high-grade form.

CASE REPORT

A 36-year-old white man diagnosed 29 months previously as having 1p/19q codeleted anaplastic oligodendroglioma presented bilateral cruralgia and lower limb motor deficits. A computed tomography scan showed multiple osteoblastic bone lesions. The presence of oligodendroglial cells was revealed by bone marrow biopsy and confirmed by immunohistochemical analyses. A positon emission tomography-computed tomography scan confirmed the exclusive involvement of bones.

CONCLUSION

This case joins less than 20 other reported cases of oligodendroglioma bone marrow metastasis, and is one of only a handful of cases of diffuse bone metastases beyond the axial skeleton. To the best of our knowledge, the early relapse of 1p/19q codeleted anaplastic oligodendroglioma with this distribution of metastases has never been described in the literature.

Optical Detection of Single-Electron Tunneling into a Semiconductor Quantum Dot

The maximum information of a dynamic quantum system is given by real-time detection of every quantum event, where the ultimate challenge is a stable, sensitive detector with high bandwidth. All physical information can then be drawn from a statistical analysis of the time traces. We demonstrate here an optical detection scheme based on the time-resolved resonance fluorescence on a single quantum dot. Single-electron resolution with high signal-to-noise ratio (4σ confidence) and high bandwidth of 10 kHz make it possible to record the individual quantum events of the transport dynamics. Full counting statistics with factorial cumulants gives access to the nonequilibrium dynamics of spin relaxation of a singly charged dot (γ_{↑↓}=3  ms^{-1}), even in an equilibrium transport measurement.

Brigatinib in pretreated patients with ALK-positive advanced NSCLC

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Background: Brigatinib is a next-generation ALK inhibitor initially developed in pre-treated ALK+ NSCLC. Data on the efficacy of brigatinib in real world remain rare. Methods: This retrospective multicentric study analyzed ALK-+ advanced NSCLC patients pretreated with at least two tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, including crizotinib, and enrolled in the brigatinib French early access program. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS). Results: 104 patients were included (mean age, 56.6 years; never smokers, 61.5%; adenocarcinoma, 98.1%). Patients had received a median of 3 previous treatment lines, including at least 2 ALK inhibitors, mainly crizotinib then ceritinib in 93% patients. At brigatinib initiation, 59.1% had performance status 0-1, 51.9% had ≥ 3 metastatic sites, 74.5% had central nervous system metastases (CNS) and 8.8% had carcinomatous meningitis. Median duration of brigatinib treatment was 6.7 (0.06–20.7) months. Median PFS was 6.6 (95% CI, 4.8–9.9) months for the entire population. In the 91 evaluable patients, disease control rate was 78.2% (stable, 28.2%; partial response, 45.7%; complete response, 4.3%). From brigatinib start, median overall survival was 17.2 (95% CI:11.0–not reached) months. Among the 68 patients with progressive disease after brigatinib, CNS was involved in 29.4% of cases. Ten (9.6%) patients had treatment discontinuation due to intolerance or patient request. Median OS from the diagnostic of NSCLC was 75,3 (95% CI, 38,2-174,6) months. Conclusions: This study confirms the efficacy of brigatinib in a cohort of patients heavily pretreated for ALK-+advanced NSCLC. These real-world results are consistent with clinical data reported in clinical trials.

An integrated genomic and metabolomic approach for defining survival time in adult oligodendrogliomas patients

INTRODUCTION

The identification of frequent acquired mutations shows that patients with oligodendrogliomas have divergent biology with differing prognoses regardless of histological classification. A better understanding of molecular features as well as their metabolic pathways is essential.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the tumor metabolome, six genomic aberrations (isocitrate dehydrogenase1 [IDH1] mutation, 1p/19q codeletion, tumor protein p53 [TP53] mutation, O⁶-methylguanin-DNA methyltransferase [MGMT] promoter methylation, epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR] amplification, phosphate and tensin homolog [PTEN] methylation), and the patients' survival time.

METHODS

We applied ¹H high-resolution magic-angle spinning (HRMAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to 72 resected oligodendrogliomas.

RESULTS

The presence of IDH1, TP53, 1p19q codeletion, MGMT promoter methylation reduced the relative risk of death, whereas PTEN methylation and EGFR amplification were associated with poor prognosis. Increased concentration of 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG), N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), myo-inositol and the glycerophosphocholine/phosphocholine (GPC/PC) ratio were good prognostic factors. Increasing the concentration of serine, glycine, glutamate and alanine led to an increased relative risk of death.

CONCLUSION

HRMAS NMR spectroscopy provides accurate information on the metabolomics of oligodendrogliomas, making it possible to find new biomarkers indicative of survival. It enables rapid characterization of intact tissue and could be used as an intraoperative method.

Real-life efficacy of osimertinib in pretreated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer harboring EGFR T790M mutation

Objectives The efficacy of osimertinib in pretreated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring EGFR T790 M resistance mutation was demonstrated in clinical trials. However, data on efficacy of osimertinib in real world remain rare. Materials and methods This retrospective multicentric study analyzed T790M-positive advanced NSCLC patients enrolled in French early access program for osimertinib. Patients were pretreated with first- or second-generation EGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitor and for a majority with chemotherapy. Primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) from osimertinib initiation. Results 205 patients (mean age, 69.5 years; female, 68.8%; adenocarcinoma, 97.5%, never-smokers, 71.5%) were analyzed. Osimertinib was used in second and third line in 18.0% and 82.0% of patients, respectively. Median PFS was 12.4 (95% CI, 10.1-15.1) months. In patients with and without cerebral metastasis, PFS was 9.7 (7.7-13.5) and 15.1 (12.0-17.1) months (p = 0.21), respectively. PFS in second and third line or more was 12.6 (6.7-17.5) and 12.4 (9.7-15.3) months, respectively. Median PFS in patients with EGFR exon 19 deletion and exon 21 mutation was 13.5 (10.1-16.0) and 9.7 (7.4-13.2) months, respectively (p = 0.049). Median OS since osimertinib initiation was 20.5 (16.9-24.3) months: 23.1 (18.6-27.8) and 18.0 (12.2-22.2) months in patients without and with cerebral metastasis (p = 0.11); 17.5 (11.6-27.8) and 21.7 (17.3-24.3) months as second or third line of treatment or more (p = 0.46), respectively. Median OS in patients with EGFR exon 19 deletion and exon 21 mutation was 23.1 (18.6-25.7) and 15.3 (11.6-21.7) months, respectively (p = 0.03). Osimertinib dosage was modified in 8.0% of patients and definitively discontinued for adverse events in 5.9%. Fifty patients benefited from rebiopsy (persistence of T790 M mutation, 44.7%; C797S mutation, 21.1%; cMET amplification, 8.0%). Conclusion In pretreated patients with T790M-mutated advanced NSCLC, the efficacy of osimertinib appears similar in real-world setting to that of clinical trials.