Phase II study assessing the benefit of cisplatin re-introduction (stop-and-go strategy) in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer: the IFCT-1102 BUCiL study (a Better Use of Cisplatin in Lung cancer)

Introduction

This single-arm phase II trial aimed to evaluate a stop-and-go strategy with cisplatin-based chemotherapy and bevacizumab in advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

Patients were initially treated with three cycles of pemetrexed, cisplatin plus bevacizumab (sequence 1) followed by bevacizumab maintenance and after progression, re-introduction of three cycles of pemetrexed, cisplatin plus bevacizumab (sequence 2) and pemetrexed plus bevacizumab maintenance. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC receiving the complete sequence 2 without platinum dose reduction (hypothesis ≥75%).

Results

120 patients with performance status ≤1 were included. Of 113 patients evaluable for efficacy, 65 (57.5%) entered in sequence 2 and 56 (86%) received the three planned cycles including 37 (56.9%, 95% CI 45.1 to 73.6) without platinum dose reduction. The median progression-free survival 1 (PFS1; inclusion to progression 1) was 5.6 months (95% CI 5.0 to 6.3) and median PFS2 (progression 1 to progression 2) was 6.8 months (95% CI 5.8 to 8.8). The median disease control duration (PFS1+PFS2; n=65) was 12.4 months (95% CI 11.2 to 14.9). The median overall survival was 17.7 months (95% CI 13.1 to 21.6) and 20.5 months (95% CI 16.9 to 26.9) for patients reaching the sequence 2 (n=65).

Conclusion

Although the stringent primary endpoint was not met, this stop-and-go strategy with platinum-based chemotherapy plus bevacizumab continuation beyond progression compares favourably with standard schedule, deserving to be further studied in advanced non-squamous NSCLC.

New insights into stage and prognosis in small cell lung cancer: an analysis of 968 cases

Background

The French College of General Hospital Respiratory Physicians conducted two studies that consecutively included all patients followed in participating general hospitals for primary small cell (SCLC) or non-small cell (NSCLC) lung cancer diagnosed in 2000 and 2010. These studies allow descriptive statistics and outcome assessment for SCLC and NSCLC separately and comparison over a 10-year period.

Methods

A standardised form was completed for each patient at inclusion. Then, vital status was collected.

Results

In 2000 and 2010, 948 (15.5% female) and 968 (23.3%) SCLC patients, mainly heavy active- or former-smoker seniors, participated in these studies. One-year survival rate was 35.8% for SCLC vs. 44.8% for NSCLC in 2010 and 33.1% for SCLC in 2000. In 2010, in reference to stage 0-IIB (4.1% of SCLCs), the hazard ratio was 0.92 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.6-1.5; P=0.76], 1.8 (95% CI: 1.1-2.8; P=0.019), and 3.4 (95% CI: 2.2-5.3; P<0.001) for stage IIIA (10.2%), IIIB (14.5%), and IV (71.2%). Positron emission tomography (PET)-scan use, which has increased in 10 years, was frequent in patients with limited disease.

Conclusions

One-year survival in SCLC patients was poor in 2010 and dependent of SCLC stage. TNM classification reintroduction and new diagnostic techniques (e.g., PET-scan) should allow lung oncologists to tailor treatment based on disease stage at diagnosis.

[Therapeutic strategies in patients undergoing surgery for non-small cell lung cancer. Results of the ESCAP-2011-CPHG study, promoted by the French College of General Hospital Respiratory Physicians (CPHG)]

BACKGROUND

The aim of ESCAP-2011-CPHG, promoted by the French College of General Hospital Respiratory Physicians, was to describe therapeutic strategies in lung cancer in the first 2 years after diagnosis, in a real-life setting. This article focuses on patients undergoing surgical management of a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

A prospective multicentre study was conducted in 53 French general hospitals. For each patient with lung cancer diagnosed in 2010, a standardised form was completed following each change in treatment strategy up to 2 years after diagnosis.

RESULTS

Overall, 3418 of the 3943 included patients had NSCLC. 741 patients (21.7%) underwent curative surgery (stage 0-II, IIIA, IIIB, and IV: 65%, 27%, 3% and 5%, respectively). The therapeutic strategy changed less often in surgical than non-surgical patients and average follow-up time was longer: 23.3 months (SD: 9.3) versus 10.4 months (SD: 9.5) for non-surgical patients. Among patients with a surgical first strategy (92.6% of surgical patients as a whole), 56.9% did not receive any other treatment, 34.7% received chemotherapy, 5.9% radio-chemotherapy, 2.6% radiotherapy. At the end of follow-up, 55.8% were still alive without any other strategy, 13.1% had died, and 31.1% had received at least one more strategy. Among patients with a surgical second strategy, 63% had received chemotherapy alone during the first strategy.

CONCLUSIONS

ESCAP -2011- CPHG assessed everyday professional practice in the surgical management of NSCLC in general hospitals. It pointed out the discrepancies between current guidelines and the therapeutic strategies applied in real life conditions.

Second- or third-line nivolumab (Nivo) versus nivo plus ipilimumab (Ipi) in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) patients: Results of the IFCT-1501 MAPS2 randomized phase II trial

LBA8507

Background: To date, no treatment is recommended in MPM pts progressing after 1st-line pemetrexed-platinum doublet. Disease control rate (DCR) is <30% with all drugs tested in 2nd-line setting. Preliminary results suggested possible activity of anti-PD-1 mAb in 2nd/3rd-line, opposed to single agent anti-CTLA-4 mAb. Therefore anti-PD1 mAb efficacy deserves confirmation, and anti-PD-1 + anti-CTLA-4 combination value is currently unknown in MPM. Methods: In this multicenter randomized non comparative phase 2 trial, eligible pts had age>18, PS 0-1, histologically proven MPM relapsing after 1 or 2 prior lines including pemetrexed/platinum doublet, measurable disease. Randomized pts (1:1) received Nivo 3 mg/kg q2w, or Nivo 3 mg/kg q2w + Ipi 1 mg/kg q6w, until progression or unacceptable toxicity. Primary endpoint was DCR at 12 weeks with a blinded independent central review (BICR). 114 patients were to be randomized (with 108 eligible), with one-step Fleming procedure, H0 P<20% vs H1 P>40%, with 95% power, 5% one-sided a-risk: ≥17 failure-free pts had to be observed at 12 weeks in either arm, to conclude to the activity of the corresponding regimen. Results: From March to August 2016, 125 pts were enrolled in 21 centers. Males: 80%, median age: 71.8 years (range 32.5-88.1), PS 1: 62.4%, epithelioid 83.2%, 1 previous line: 69.6%; 70% of pts received ≥ 3 cycles of either treatment. Twelve weeks-DCR assessed by BICR in the first 108 eligible pts was 42.6% [IC95%: 29.4-55.8%] with Nivo (n=23/54), and 51.9% [38.5-65.2%] with Nivo+Ipi (n=28/54). ORR was 16.7% [6.7%-26.6%] with Nivo (n=9/54), and 25.9% [14.2-37.6%] with Nivo+Ipi (n=14/54). All grade/G3-4 toxicities were slightly increased in the combo arm (86.9%/16.4%) vs Nivo alone (77.8%/9.5%); 3 treatment-related deaths were observed in the combo arm (1 metabolic encephalopathy, 1 fulminant hepatitis, 1 acute renal failure). Full QoL, PFS and OS data will be presented at 2017 ASCO meeting. Conclusions: Both Nivo and Nivo+Ipi arms reached their endpoint in 2nd/3rd-line MPM pts, suggesting that immunotherapy may provide new options for these pts. Clinical trial information: NCT02716272.

IFCT-GFPC-1101 trial: A multicenter phase III assessing a maintenance strategy determined by response to induction chemotherapy compared to continuation maintenance with pemetrexed in patients (pts) with advanced non-squamous (NSQ) NSCLC

9003

Background: Benefit coming from maintenance treatment appears greater for switch maintenance in pts with disease stabilization (SD) while it might be larger for continuation maintenance in pts with objective response (OR). This study assessed a maintenance strategy conditioned by response to cisplatin-gemcitabine (CG): continuation maintenance with G for pts with OR and switch maintenance with pemetrexed (P) for pts with SD compared with a control arm using P continuation maintenance following cisplatin-pemetrexed (CP) induction regimen. Methods: Eligibility criteria included age 18-70 years, PS of 0-1, untreated stage IV NSQ NSCLC without EGFR mutation or ALK rearrangement, ineligibility to bevacizumab. Pts were randomized 1:1 to receive either experimental CG arm: CG (4 cycles) followed by G maintenance in case of OR followed by second-line P or switch maintenance with P for pts with SD, or standard CP arm: 4 cycles CP induction regimen followed by maintenance P. Overall survival (OS) was the primary endpoint; secondary endpoints included PFS, response rate and safety. Results: Between Jul 2012 and Jun 2016, 932 pts were randomized (CG: 467, CP: 465). Pts characteristics were balanced between the arms. 255 pts (54.6%) in the CG arm received maintenance treatment (G: 142, P: 113) while 274 pts (58.9%) received P maintenance in the CP arm. Median number of maintenance cycles was 5 for G and 4 for P in both arms. The OS adjusted HR was 0.97 (95% CI 0.84, 1.13; p=0.72); median OS: 10.9m CG vs. 10.4m CP. The HR for PFS was 0.96 (95% CI 0.84, 1.10; p=0.56); median PFS: 5.0m CG vs. 4.7m CP. Safety profile was as expected during induction chemotherapy. During maintenance, grade ≥3 hematological AEs occurred in 28% and 31% of pts in CG and CP, respectively, with febrile neutropenia (2.4% vs. 1.1%), anemia (9.4% vs. 11.7%), thrombocytopenia (6.7% vs. 5.8%). No grade ≥3 non-hematological AEs occurred in >5% of pts except for asthenia (3.9% CG vs. 5.1% CP). Conclusions: Adapting maintenance strategy according to response to induction chemotherapy does not improve patient outcome. Clinical trial information: NCT01631136.

Second- or third-line nivolumab (Nivo) versus nivo plus ipilimumab (Ipi) in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) patients: Results of the IFCT-1501 MAPS2 randomized phase II trial

LBA8507

The full, final text of this abstract will be available at abstracts.asco.org at 7:30 AM (EDT) on Monday, June 5, 2017, and in the Annual Meeting Proceedings online supplement to the June 20, 2017, issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Onsite at the Meeting, this abstract will be printed in the Monday edition of ASCO Daily News.

Randomized Trial Comparing a Web-Mediated Follow-up With Routine Surveillance in Lung Cancer Patients

Background

The use of web-based monitoring for lung cancer patients is growing in interest because of promising recent results suggesting improvement in cancer and resource utilization outcomes. It remains an open question whether the overall survival (OS) in these patients could be improved by using a web-mediated follow-up rather than classical scheduled follow-up and imaging.

Methods

Advanced-stage lung cancer patients without evidence of disease progression after or during initial treatment were randomly assigned in a multicenter phase III trial to compare a web-mediated follow-up algorithm (experimental arm), based on weekly self-scored patient symptoms, with routine follow-up with CT scans scheduled every three to six months according to the disease stage (control arm). In the experimental arm, an alert email was automatically sent to the oncologist when self-scored symptoms matched predefined criteria. The primary outcome was OS.

Results

From June 2014 to January 2016, 133 patients were enrolled and 121 were retained in the intent-to-treat analysis; 12 deemed ineligible after random assignment were not subsequently followed. Most of the patients (95.1%) had stage III or IV disease. The median follow-up was nine months. The median OS was 19.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI] = 12.5 to noncalculable) in the experimental and 12.0 months (95% CI = 8.6 to 16.4) in the control arm (one-sided P = .001) (hazard ratio = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.15 to 0.67, one-sided P = .002). The performance status at first detected relapse was 0 to 1 for 75.9% of the patients in the experimental arm and for 32.5% of those in the control arm (two-sided P < .001). Optimal treatment was initiated in 72.4% of the patients in the experimental arm and in 32.5% of those in the control arm (two-sided P < .001).

Conclusions

A web-mediated follow-up algorithm based on self-reported symptoms improved OS due to early relapse detection and better performance status at relapse.