Randomized phase III study of high-dose methotrexate and whole brain radiotherapy with or without concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide in patients with newly diagnosed primary central nervous system lymphoma: JCOG1114C

2500

Background: Temozolomide (TMZ) is an oral alkylating agent that penetrates the blood-brain barrier with moderate toxicity, and has shown anti-tumor activity in primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) in single arm studies. Our goal was to determine whether the addition of concomitant and adjuvant TMZ chemotherapy to standard treatment of high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) and whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) for PCNSL improves survival in a randomized controlled trial. Methods: We did an open-label, randomized phase III trial at 30 hospitals in Japan enrolling immunocompetent patients (pts) aged 20-70 years with histologically confirmed newly diagnosed PCNSL. Pts enrolled at step 1 registration received HD-MTX (MTX; 3.5 g/m2 at day 1, 15, 29). Pts who received at least 1 cycle of HD-MTX were randomly assigned (1:1) at step 2 registration to receive WBRT (30 Gy) ± 10 Gy boost (control arm: A) or WBRT ± boost with concomitant TMZ (75 mg/m2 daily) and adjuvant TMZ (150-200 mg/m2 daily for 5 days every 28 days) for two years after initiation of HD-MTX or until tumor progression (experimental arm: B). Randomization was adjusted by institution, PS (0-1 / 2-3), age (≤60/≥61 years), presence or absence of intraparenchymal tumor after HD-MTX. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). The planned sample size was 130 pts in total, to provide an 80% power to detect a 0.52 hazard ratio (65% vs 80% in 2y-OS) for arm B to A and a one-sided alpha of 5%. Results: Between September 29, 2014 and October 15, 2018, 134 pts were enrolled, of whom 122 were randomly assigned and analyzed; 62 to arm A and 60 to arm B. At the planned interim analysis, the 2-y OS was 86.8% (95% CI: 72.5-94.0) in arm A and 71.4% (56.0-82.2) in arm B. The hazard ratio was 2.18 (95% CI: 0.95 to 4.98) with predictive probability for showing the superiority of arm B at the final analysis was calculated to be 1.3%. The study was terminated due to futility. The 2-y progression-free survival was 60.6% (43.6-73.8) in arm A and 49.9% (34.4-63.5) in arm B with a hazard ratio of 1.54 (0.88 to 2.70). The most common grade 3 and 4 toxicities were lymphopenia, observed in 7 (11.5%) pts during WBRT in arm A, 18 (30%) pts during WBRT + concomitant TMZ and 18 (37.5%) pts during adjuvant TMZ in arm B. Conclusions: This study failed to demonstrate the benefit of the addition of TMZ to WBRT and adjuvant TMZ in newly diagnosed PCNSL. Possible biomarkers including methylation status of the MGMT promoter in the tumors will be analyzed. Clinical trial information: jRCTs031180207 .

Final analysis of single-arm confirmatory study of definitive chemoradiotherapy including salvage treatment in patients with clinical stage II/III esophageal carcinoma: JCOG0909

4545

Background: Definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) consisting of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin (CDDP) with 60 Gy radiotherapy (RT) for clinical (c) Stage II/III esophageal carcinoma (EC) is a standard treatment for patients (pts) refusing surgery (S) in Japan based on the previous trial (JCOG9906). However, poor survival, high incidence of late toxicities, and severe complications of salvage S are problems. We conducted a single-arm confirmatory study of CRT modifications including salvage treatment (ST) to reduce CRT toxicities and facilitate ST to improve survival. We reported the 3-year survival at 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting. We report the final data after 5-year follow-up. Methods: EC pts with cStage II/III (UICC 6th, non-T4), PS 0-1, and age 20-75 years were eligible. Chemotherapy (CT) was CDDP (75 mg/m2 on days 1, 29) and 5-FU (1000 mg/m2/d on days 1-4, 29-32). RT was administered to a total dose of 50.4 Gy with elective nodal irradiation of 41.4 Gy. Good responders after dCRT received additional 1-2 cycles of CT. For residual or recurrent disease, salvage endoscopic resection (ER) or S was performed based on the prespecified criteria. Planned sample size was 95, with one-sided alpha of 5% and power of 80%, expected and threshold 3-year overall survival (OS) as 55% and 42%. Key secondary endpoint was ST related toxicity. Final analysis was planned after 5-year follow-up for all pts. Results: From 4/2010 to 8/2014, 96 pts were enrolled, two were ineligible and 94 were included in efficacy analysis (cStage IIA/IIB/III, 22/38/34). Complete response was achieved in 55 pts (59%). Salvage ER and S were performed in 5 (5%) and 27 pts (29%). R0 resection of salvage S was achieved in 23 (85%). With a median follow-up of 5.95 years, 3- and 5-year OS was 74.2% (90% CI 65.9-80.8%) and 64.5% (95% CI 53.9-73.3%). 5-year progression-free survival and esophagectomy-free survival were 48.3% (95% CI 37.9-58.0%) and 54.9% (95% CI 44.3-64.4%). 5-year OS after salvage S was 31.0% and hazard ratio of R1-2 to R0 was 5.635 (95% CI: 1.818-17.467). No complications occurred after salvage ER. Five pts (19%) showed ≥ grade 3 operative complications and 1 treatment related death due to bronchus-pulmonary artery fistula occurred after salvage S. Only 9 pts (9.6%) showed grade 3 late toxicities. And no late operative complications more than grade 3 were observed. Conclusions: This combined modality treatment of dCRT with ST showed acceptable toxicities, favorable 5-year survival, and promising esophageal preservation. Clinical trial information: jRCTs031180110 .

Results of a randomized phase II/III study comparing perioperative adriamycin plus ifosfamide and gemcitabine plus docetaxel for high-grade soft tissue sarcomas: Japan Clinical Oncology Group study JCOG1306

11504

Background: Our previous phase II study for high-grade soft tissue sarcomas (STS), JCOG0304, suggested long-term favorable effects of perioperative adriamycin plus ifosfamide (AI) on survival of STS patients. We have also reported in 2015 ASCO Annual Meeting that a phase II/III trial to confirm the non-inferiority of perioperative gemcitabine plus docetaxel (GD) to AI for high-grade STS (JCOG1306) had been started. We herein report the results of JCOG1306 at the early termination by the preplanned second interim analysis. Methods: Patients with operable, FNCLCC grade 2/3 STS primary tumor (T2bN0M0 or anyTN1M0, AJCC 7th edition) or first local recurrent tumor in the extremities or trunk were randomized to AI or GD. Chemotherapy consisted of adriamycin 60 mg/m2 plus ifosfamide 10 g/m2 for AI or gemcitabine 1,800 mg/m2 plus docetaxel 70 mg/m2 for GD. The treatments were repeated for 3 courses preoperatively and 2 courses postoperatively in a 3-week interval. The primary endpoint in phase III part was overall survival (OS). Planned sample size was 140 with a one-sided alpha of 0.1, power of 0.7 and a non-inferiority margin of 8% at 3-year OS, assuming 3-year OS of AI to be 85% and that of GD as 87%. The patient accrual has started in February 2014 and finished in September 2018. Results: A total of 143 patients were enrolled and included in the efficacy analysis. Seventy and 73 patients were assigned to AI and GD, respectively. At the second interim-analysis on December 2019, the estimated 2-year OS was 94.3 % (95% confidence interval (CI) 83.4–98.1) in AI and 91.6 % (80.9–96.4) in GD (hazard ratio (HR) 2.55, 95% CI 0.67–9.78). The estimated 2-year progression-free survival was 81.9 % (95% CI: 69.5–89.7) in AI and 64.0 % (51.1–74.4) in GD (HR 2.32, 95% CI 1.22–4.39). There were no treatment-related deaths in both groups. The most common Grade 3 or higher adverse events in AI were neutropenia (88.4%), anemia (49.3%), and febrile neutropenia (36.2%), whereas those in GD were neutropenia (79.5%), febrile neutropenia (17.8%), and alanine aminotransferase (9.6%). Based on the result of this analysis, the Data Monitoring and Safety Committee of JCOG recommended terminating the study since the point estimate of HR was above the pre-specified allowable HR of 1.61. Conclusions: Although the toxicities were modest in GD, non-inferiority of GD to AI could not be confirmed. In the perioperative chemotherapy for high-grade STS in the extremities and trunk, AI remains the standard regimen. Clinical trial information: UMIN000013175 .

The skin types closely related to development of the facial acneiform rash and the therapeutic effects of EGFR inhibitors in RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer: Ancillary analysis of FAEISS study

3637

Background: At ESMO2019, we reported the primary results of a randomized controlled trial (FAEISS study) investigating the efficacy of topical corticosteroid treatment to facial acneiform rash (AR) by EGFR inhibitors comparing groups starting with a very strong topical corticosteroid and the standard weak topical corticosteroid. As an ancillary analysis, we investigated the association between AR and the pre-treatment skin types, as well as between the skin types and therapeutic effects of EGFR inhibitors on the primary disease. Methods: Utilizing pre-treatment clinical photos of the face taken according to the method determined by FAEISS study protocol, we divided the skin types into categories including enlarged pore, oiliness, xerosis, wrinkles, skin color/redness, and allocated the score (1-3) by central review. The severity of AR occurred during the study was graded and was evaluated the association with the specific skin type by Fisher’s exact test. We also investigated the association between the skin types and the best overall response (RECISTv1.1) to EGFR inhibitor therapy on the primary disease using the Cochran-Armitage trend test. Results: Of the registered 172 cases of RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer [104 men and 68 women, median age = 68 (26-79)], omitting the cases with unevaluable data, finally we analyzed 146 cases for associations between the skin types and AR and 147 cases for best overall response. Interestingly, AR developed 13.6% of enlarged pore score 1, 29% of score 2 and 45.8% of score 3, and patients with enlarged pore tended to have more AR (p = 0.058). Surprisingly, the response(CR/PR/SD) of the primary disease were 59.1% of the enlarged pore score 1, 70.6% of score 2 and 87.0% of score 3, and showed statistically significant trend(p < 0.038). Conclusions: This study suggested that a skin type (enlarged pore) is a possible marker predicting AR risk in EGFR inhibitor therapy for RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer, and better therapeutic effects of EGFR inhibitors.

A randomized phase II/III trial comparing hepatectomy followed by mFOLFOX6 with hepatectomy alone for liver metastasis from colorectal cancer: JCOG0603 study

4005

Background: The role of adjuvant chemotherapy after hepatectomy is controversial for liver only metastases from colorectal cancer (LM). Current recommendations for oxaliplatin-containing adjuvant regimen (FOLFOX) for LM are based on extrapolation of the results of the EORTC intergroup trial 40983, which showed that perioperative FOLFOX confirmed a progression-free survival benefit but did not affect overall survival (OS) in LM patients. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to determine if adjuvant modified FOLFOX (mFOLFOX) is superior to hepatectomy alone for LM. Methods: Eligible patients aged 20-75 years who had histologically proven colorectal adenocarcinoma with an unlimited number of LM were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either adjuvant mFOLFOX6 (oxaliplatin 85mg/m2, l-LV 200 mg/m2, 5-FU bolus 400 mg/m2 and 2400mg/m2 over 48 h), for 12 cycles after surgery (CTX arm), or surgery alone (S alone arm). When treatment compliance after 9 courses of CTX was as high as expected in phase II, the registration was continued in phase III. The primary endpoint of phase III was disease-free survival (DFS), and the secondary endpoints were OS, toxicity, and sites of relapse. The planned sample size was 150 patients (pts) per arm, with a one-sided alpha of 5%, and 80% power detecting a 5y-DFS difference of 12% (25% with S alone vs. 37% with CTX). Results: Between Mar. 2007 and Jan. 2019, 300 patients were randomized. 151 pts were allocated to CTX, and 149 pts to S alone. When the third interim analysis of phase III was performed in Dec. 2019, the DSMC recommended the early termination of the trial because a statistically significant difference in terms of DFS but the futility in terms of OS was found. With a median follow-up period of 54 months for disease-free surviving patients, the 3y-DFS was 52.1% (95% CI 43.2 – 60.2) with CTX and 41.5% (33.2 – 49.6) with S alone (hazard ratio 0.63 [0.45 – 0.89], one-sided p = 0.002 < 0.0163 for the one-sided alpha level at the interim analysis). However, the 3y-OS was 86.6% (79.2-91.4) with CTX and 92.2% (86.0 – 95.8) with S alone (hazard ratio 1.35 [0.84 – 2.19]). The 5y-OS was 69.5% (59.6-77.5) with CTX and 83.0% (74.5-88.9) with S alone. Median OS after recurrence was 38.4 months in the CTX arm and 87.6 in the S alone arm. Conclusions: DFS did not correlate with OS for LM. Postoperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 improves DFS but worsens OS over surgery alone due to more deaths after recurrence in the CTX arm. Adjuvant mFOLFOX is not beneficial to patients after hepatectomy for LM. Clinical trial information: UMIN000000653 .

Evaluation of the representativeness and generalizability of Japanese clinical trials for localized rectal/colon cancer: Comparing participants in the Japan Clinical Oncology Group study with patients in Japanese registries

INTRODUCTION

It is unclear if clinical trial results including patients who meet trial eligibility criteria, are applicable to actual patients in daily practice (generalizability). Moreover, the extent to which are trial participants different from patients seen in daily practice (representativeness) is also unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the representativeness of the patients registered in randomized clinical trials to patients in daily practice and examine the generalizability of trial results to daily practice.

METHODS

We compared the results of surgical trials conducted by the Japan Clinical Oncology Group with data from two Japanese cancer registries, representing patients seen in daily practice. We compared overall survival (OS) between trial participants and registry patients to evaluate representativeness of trial participants. We then compared the OS of registry patients who received open surgery (OP) and laparoscopic surgery (LAP) to evaluate the generalizability of trial results.

RESULTS

We analyzed 3051 patients (701 in JCOG0212, 2350 registry patients) with rectal cancer and 3116 patients (1057 in JCOG0404, 2059 registry patients) with colon cancer. Trial participants tended to possess lower clinical stages. Multivariable analyses revealed registry patients with significantly worse survival compared with trial participants. The hazard ratio of LAP to OP among registry patients was 0.305 (95% CI; 0.048-2.188), which did not meet the prespecified generalizability criteria of 0.9.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results failed to ensure either the representativeness or generalizability of clinical trial results, compared to daily practice. Careful considerations are required when applying trial results to patients in daily practice.

Clinical impact of D3 lymph node dissection with left colic artery (LCA) preservation compared to D3 without LCA preservation: Exploratory subgroup analysis of data from JCOG0404

AIM

We investigated the clinical impact of D3 lymph node dissection preserving left colic artery (LCA) compared to D3 without LCA preservation using data from JCOG0404. LCA preservation is expected to maintain adequate blood supply, which is effective in preventing anastomotic leakage, intestinal paralysis, and bowel obstruction. Whether D3 with LCA preservation (Group A) improves clinical outcomes following resection of sigmoid colon cancer compared to D3 without LCA preservation (Group B) is unclear.

METHODS

Procedure type was identified from photographs of the surgical field collected for central surgical review in JCOG0404. Clinical outcomes were compared between each procedure.

RESULTS

Among the 1057 randomized patients in JCOG0404, 631 patients receiving sigmoid colectomy or anterior resection were included in the subgroup analysis. Group A comprised of 135 patients and Group B of 496 patients. Patient backgrounds did not differ between groups. Median operative time, blood loss, anastomotic leakage, and intestinal paralysis were not remarkably different (Group A vs Group B: 185 vs 186 minutes, 60 vs 50 mL, 3.0% vs 5.0%, and 2.2% vs 3.8%). More overall postoperative complications occurred in Group B than Group A (21.6% vs 9.6%, P = .022). Five-year relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) tended to be better in Group A than Group B (RFS: 83.7% and 80.5%, HR 0.80 [95% CI 0.51-1.26], OS: 96.3% and 91.1%, HR 0.41 [95% CI 0.19-0.89]).

CONCLUSIONS

Short- and long-term outcomes tend to be better in Group A than Group B, indicating that preservation of LCA could be an alternative treatment.

Geriatric Research Policy: Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG) policy

Due to the rapid aging of Japan’s population, clinical research focusing on older patients with cancer is urgently needed. The Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG) has conducted several such clinical trials, but there has been no formal policy for geriatric research. We have therefore established a JCOG policy for geriatric cancer research.

We defined the patient selection policy based on treatment tolerance and chronological age. Older patients are categorized into three conceptual groups: ‘fit patients’ who can undergo the same standard treatment given to younger patients, ‘frail patients’ for whom best supportive or palliative care is indicated and ‘vulnerable patients’ who fall between the fit and frail categories. Unmet needs often exist for vulnerable patients.

The policy recommends that study endpoints include not only survival but also other endpoints such as physical and cognitive function because the objective of therapy in older patients is not only extended life expectancy but also maintenance of the patient’s general condition. In this viewpoint, co-primary or composite endpoints that incorporate geriatric assessment in the study design are often applicable.

Study design will differ depending on the study population, clinical question, and treatment. Even for older patients, a randomized clinical trial is still the gold standard when the clinical question asks which treatment is better. An observational study of a broader population is applicable for investigating actual conditions of older patients.

This JCOG Geriatric Research Policy includes several practical solutions for various issues in geriatric research. We plan to revise this policy periodically to guide future geriatric research.

A randomized phase III trial comparing primary tumor resection plus chemotherapy with chemotherapy alone in incurable stage IV colorectal cancer: JCOG1007 study (iPACS)

7

Background: It is still controversial whether primary tumor resection (PTR) before chemotherapy (CTX) improves overall survival (OS) of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients (pts) with synchronous unresectable metastases. There are several retrospective analyses suggesting better outcomes in pts who underwent PTR compared to pts without it, but no prospective studies confirming these results. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to confirm the superiority of PTR plus CTX to CTX alone in asymptomatic unresectable stage IV CRC patients. Methods: Eligibility criteria included histologically proven colon and upper rectal adenocarcinoma, cT1-4 without involvement of other organs, presence of three or less unresectable factors confined to either liver, lungs, distant lymph nodes, or peritoneum, aged 20-74, no symptoms due to primary tumor and PS 0-1. Eligible patients were randomized to either PTR followed by CTX or CTX alone. CTX regimens were declared before study entry; options included mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab or CapeOX plus bevacizumab. The primary endpoint was the OS. The planned sample size was 140 pts per arm, with one-sided alpha of 5%, and 70% power detecting a median OS difference of 8 months (24 months vs. 32 months). Results: Between Jun 2012 and Apr 2019, 160 patients were randomized. 78 pts were allocated to PTR plus CTX, and 82 pts to CTX alone. When the first interim analysis was performed in Sep 2019, with 50% (114/227) of the expected events observed, the DSMC recommended the early termination of the trial based on its futility. With a median follow-up period of 22.0 months for 160 patients, median OS was25.9 months (95% CI 19.9 – 31.5) with PTR plus CTX and 26.7(21.9 – 32.5) with CTX alone (hazard ratio 1.10 [0.76 – 1.59], one-sided p = 0.69). Median PFS was 10.4 (8.6-13.4) with PTR plus CTX and 12.1 (9.4 – 13.2) with CTX alone (hazard ratio 1.08 [0.77 – 1.50]). There were three treatment related deaths following PTR due to postoperative complications. Conclusions: PTR followed by CTX has no survival benefit over CTX alone. PTR is not recommended for CRC patients with asymptomatic primary tumor and synchronous unresectable metastases. Clinical trial information: UMIN000008147.

A phase III randomized controlled trial comparing surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy with or without preoperative chemoradiotherapy for locally recurrent rectal cancer: A Japan Clinical Oncology Group study (JCOG1801)

TPS263

Background: Local recurrence is one of the most common forms of recurrence after curative resection for primary rectal cancer. Surgical resection is recommended for locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC) to achieve radical cure if the tumor is judged as resectable with negative margins. However, a high local re-recurrent risk after surgery is a major problem due to the difficulty of re-resection and the serious symptoms, such as pain or fistula, resulting from re-recurrence. Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (preCRT) is expected to improve local control after radical surgery for radiation naïve LRRC; however, high frequency of surgical complications after preCRT cannot be ignored. Due to the refractory nature and rarity of LRRC, the true impact of preCRT on oncological and surgical outcomes has not been clarified by clinical trials. The purpose of this study is to confirm the superiority of preCRT followed by surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy over surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy alone, in terms of local relapse-free survival for resectable LRRC. Methods: Eligibility criteria include resectable LRRC without distant metastasis, no prior pelvic irradiation, no prior surgery for LRRC, aged 20-80 years, and sufficient organ function. Eligible patients are randomized into the surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy (arm A) or preCRT followed by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy (arm B). PreCRT consists of the standard dose of capecitabine and radiotherapy (50.4Gy). Adjuvant chemotherapy consists of mFOLFOX6, CAPOX, capecitabine, or 5FU+l-LV. The primary endpoint is local relapse-free survival (LRFS), and the secondary endpoints include overall survival, relapse-free survival, %R0 resection, incidence of adverse events, and quality of life after surgery. The 3-year LRFS of arm A is assumed to be 60% with a 13% increase expected in arm B. The sample size was calculated as 106 (53 per arm) with a one-sided alpha of 10%, power of 70%, and accrual period of 6 years. This trial was initiated on 19 August 2019. Clinical trial information: jRCTs031190076.

Long-term survival outcome after lobectomy in patients with clinical T1 N0 lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess long-term outcomes after lobectomy in patients with clinical T1 N0 lung cancer based on thin-section computed tomography.

METHODS

We collected the data of patients with pathological adenocarcinoma who had undergone lobectomy. The patients were categorized into 4 groups according to a consolidation tumor ratio and tumor size. Groups A and B included tumors with consolidation tumor ratio ≤0.5 and size ≤3 cm. Group A consisted of tumors ≤2 cm. Group B consisted of the remaining tumors. Groups C and D consisted of tumors with consolidation tumor ratio >0.5. Group C consisted of those with tumors ≤2 cm and Group D consisted of tumors of size 2 to 3 cm. The 10-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates were examined.

RESULTS

Among the 543 patients, the 10-year overall survival was 80.4% and the 10-year recurrence-free survival rate was 77.1%. The 10-year overall survival for group A was 94.0%, 92.7% for group B, 84.1% for group C, and 68.8% for group D, and the 10-year recurrence-free survival rate for each group was 94.0%, 89.0%, 79.7%, and 66.1%, respectively. Group A + B showed better overall survival than group C + D (hazard ratio, 2.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.45-5.06) and better 10-year recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio, 2.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.55-4.88). No patient in group A had recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Those patients with total tumor size ≤3 cm and consolidation tumor ratio ≤0.5 showed excellent prognosis and might be suitable candidates for sublobar resection. If noninferior survival of segmentectomy compared with lobectomy is confirmed in an ongoing Japan Clinical Oncology Group trial, segmentectomy will be included in the standard of care.

Salvage Radiotherapy Versus Hormone Therapy for Prostate-specific Antigen Failure After Radical Prostatectomy: A Randomised, Multicentre, Open-label, Phase 3 Trial (JCOG0401)†

BACKGROUND

No standard therapy has been established for localised prostate cancer patients with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) failure after radical prostatectomy (RP).

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether radiotherapy ± hormone therapy is superior to hormone therapy alone in such patients.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This study is a multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial. Patients with localised prostate cancer whose PSA concentrations had decreased to <0.1 ng/ml after RP, and then increased to 0.4-1.0 ng/ml, were randomised to the salvage hormone therapy (SHT) group (80 mg bicalutamide [BCL] followed by luteinising hormone-releasing hormone agonist in case of BCL failure) or the salvage radiation therapy (SRT) ± SHT group (64.8 Gy of SRT followed by the same regimen as in the SHT group in case of SRT failure). From May 2004 to May 2011, 210 patients (105 in each arm) were registered, with the median follow-up being 5.5 yr.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

The primary endpoint was time to treatment failure (TTF) of BCL.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

TTF of BCL was significantly longer in the SRT ± SHT group (8.6 yr) than in the SHT group (5.6 yr; hazard ratio 0.56, 90% confidence interval [0.40-0.77]; one-sided p =  0.001). Thirty-two of 102 patients (31%) in the SRT ± SHT group did not have SRT treatment failure. However, clinical relapse-free survival and overall survival did not differ between the arms. The most frequent grade 3-4 adverse event was erectile dysfunction (83 patients [80%] in the SHT group vs. 76 [74%] in the SRT ± SHT group). Limitations include the short follow-up periods and surrogate endpoint setting to allow definitive conclusions.

CONCLUSIONS

Initial SRT prolongs TTF of BCL in patients with post-RP PSA failure, indicating that SRT ± SHT is more beneficial than SHT alone.

PATIENT SUMMARY

Patients who have prostate-specific antigen failure after radical prostatectomy benefit from salvage radiation therapy prior to salvage hormone therapy.

Confirmatory trial of non-amputative digit preservation surgery for subungual melanoma: Japan Clinical Oncology Group study (JCOG1602, J-NAIL study protocol)

BACKGROUND

Amputation is the standard of care even for early-stage subungual melanomas (SUMs), known as nail apparatus melanoma, because the nail bed and nail matrix are close to the distal phalanx. However, a recent study demonstrated that not all patients with SUMs had histologic invasion of the underlying distal phalanx. As most SUMs occur in the thumb or big toe, amputation of either the thumb or big toe substantially interferes with activities of daily living, including poor cosmesis, loss of function, and phantom pain. Non-amputative digit preservation surgery can thus be applied in such cases without compromising patient prognosis.

METHODS

We are conducting a multi-institutional single-arm trial to confirm the safety and efficacy of non-amputative digit preservation surgery. We will compare our results with those reported in the Japanese Melanoma Study, in which patients underwent amputation for SUMs as a traditional standard of care. Patients aged between 20 and 80 years with stage I, II, or III without evidence of tumor invasion to the underlying distal phalanx on preoperative radiograph are included in the study. The primary endpoint is major relapse-free survival (major RFS), which does not include local recurrence as an event; secondary endpoints include overall survival, digit-preservation survival, relapse-free survival, local relapse-free survival, partial relapse-free survival, and incidence of adverse events. A total of 85 patients from 21 Japanese institutions will be recruited within 5.5 years, and the follow-up period will last at least 5 years. The Japan Clinical Oncology Group Protocol Review Committee approved this study protocol in August 2017, and patient enrollment began in November 2017. Ethical approval was obtained from each institution's Institutional Review Board prior to patient enrollment.

DISCUSSION

This is the first prospective trial to confirm the safety and efficacy of non-amputative digit preservation surgery for SUM without distant metastasis or bony invasion. The results of this trial could provide evidence to support this less-invasive surgery as a new standard of care to preserve adequately functioning digits.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Registry number: UMIN000029997 . Date of Registration: 16/Nov/2017. Date of First Participant Enrollment: 12/Dec/2017.

Ten-year follow-up results of perioperative chemotherapy with doxorubicin and ifosfamide for high-grade soft-tissue sarcoma of the extremities: Japan Clinical Oncology Group study JCOG0304

BACKGROUND

Soft-tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare malignant tumors those are resistant to chemotherapy. We have previously reported the 3-year follow-up result on the efficacy of perioperative chemotherapy with doxorubicin (DXR) and ifosfamide (IFM) for high-risk STS of the extremities (JCOG0304). In the present study, we analyzed the 10-year follow-up results of JCOG0304.

METHODS

Patients with operable, high-risk STS (T2bN0M0, AJCC 6th edition) of the extremities were treated with 3 courses of preoperative and 2 courses of postoperative chemotherapy, which consisted of 60 mg/m2 of DXR plus 10 g/m2 of IFM over a 3-week interval. The primary study endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) estimated by Kaplan-Meier methods. Prognostic factors were evaluated by univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

A total of 72 patients were enrolled between March 2004 and September 2008, with 70 of these patients being eligible. The median follow-up period was 10.0 years for all eligible patients. Local recurrence and distant metastasis were observed in 5 and 19 patients, respectively. The 10-year PFS was 65.7% (95% CI: 53.4-75.5%) with no PFS events being detected during the last 5 years of follow-up. The 10-year overall survival was 78.1% (95% CI: 66.3-86.2%). Secondary malignancy was detected in 6 patients. The subgroup analysis demonstrated that there was significant difference in survival with regard to primary tumor size.

CONCLUSIONS

Only a few long-term results of clinical trials for perioperative chemotherapy treatment of STS have been reported. Our results demonstrate that the 10-year outcome of JCOG0304 for patients with operable, high-risk STS of the extremities was stable and remained favorable during the last 5 years of follow-up.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This trial was registered at the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry as C000000096 on August 30, 2005.

Study risk assessment of Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG) clinical trials using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) study risk calculator

BACKGROUND

New Japanese ethical guidelines for medical researches and the Clinical Trials Act have come into effect and monitoring is mandated for intervention studies. Methods of monitoring can be modified according to a study risk, but there is no established method in Japan regarding how to assess a study risk. EORTC assesses a study risk using their own study risk calculator and classifies their trials into three categories. For each category, different levels of monitoring are applied. This project is aimed to assess the study risks of JCOG trials using the EORTC calculator.

METHODS

We selected clinical trials open to patient recruitment in JCOG as of Nov 2014. Each trial was scored based on the EORTC study risk calculator and classified into three risk categories; low, medium and high.

RESULTS

A total of 40 studies were included in the assessment. Twenty-seven studies (67.5%) were classified into low risk group, 12 (30%) in medium risk group, and only 1 (2.5%) in high risk group. Clinical trials evaluating multimodality therapy and/or using unapproved drugs tended to be scored higher and most of them were classified into medium or high risk group.

CONCLUSIONS

JCOG conducts central monitoring and site visit audit with sampling source data verification for every trial, which are almost compatible with the way in EORTC for the medium risk group. Because most of the JCOG studies were classified into low or medium risk group, the intensity of monitoring and audit in JCOG was considered as reasonable even from the EORTC perspective.

Efficacy of Endoscopic Resection and Selective Chemoradiotherapy for Stage I Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Esophagectomy is the standard treatment for stage I esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We conducted a single-arm prospective study to confirm the efficacy and safety of selective chemoradiotherapy (CRT) based on findings from endoscopic resection (ER).

METHODS

We performed a prospective study of patients with T1b (SM1-2) N0M0 thoracic ESCC from December 2006 through July 2012; 176 patients underwent ER. Based on the findings from ER, patients received the following: no additional treatment for patients with pT1a tumors with a negative resection margin and no lymphovascular invasion (group A); prophylactic CRT with 41.4 Gy delivered to locoregional lymph nodes for patients with pT1b tumors with a negative resection margin or pT1a tumors with lymphovascular invasion (group B); or definitive CRT (50.4 Gy) with a 9-Gy boost to the primary site for patients with a positive vertical resection margin (group C). Chemotherapy comprised 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin. The primary end point was 3-year overall survival in group B, and the key secondary end point was 3-year overall survival for all patients. If lower limits of 90% confidence intervals for the primary and key secondary end points exceeded the 80% threshold, the efficacy of combined ER and selective CRT was confirmed.

RESULTS

Based on the results from pathology analysis, 74, 87, and 15 patients were categorized into groups A, B, and C, respectively. The 3-year overall survival rates were 90.7% for group B (90% confidence interval, 84.0%-94.7%) and 92.6% in all patients (90% confidence interval, 88.5%-95.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

In a prospective study of patients with T1b (SM1-2) N0M0 thoracic ESCC, we confirmed the efficacy of the combination of ER and selective CRT. Efficacy is comparable to that of surgery, and the combination of ER and selective CRT should be considered as a minimally invasive treatment option. UMIN-Clinical Trials Registry no.: UMIN000000553.

Efficacy of aspirin for stage III colorectal cancer: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (JCOG1503C, EPISODE-III trial)

Adjuvant chemotherapy is the current standard treatment for stage III colorectal cancer after curative resection. However, the prognosis of stage III colorectal cancer is still poor even after curative resection and adjuvant chemotherapy. Several observational studies suggested that the anti-tumor effect of aspirin. Therefore, we planned a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled phase III trial, which commenced in Japan in March 2018, to confirm the superiority of aspirin over placebo added to adjuvant chemotherapy in terms of disease-free survival (DFS) for stage III colorectal cancer patients after curative resection. A total of 880 patients will be accrued from 20 Japanese institutions within 3 years. The primary endpoint is DFS and the secondary endpoints are overall survival, relapse-free survival, relative dose intensity, adverse events, and serious adverse events. This trial has been registered at Japan Registry of Clinical Trials as jRCTs031180009 (https://jrct.niph.go.jp/detail/589).

10-year follow-up results of perioperative chemotherapy with doxorubicin (DXR) and ifosfamide (IFM) for high-grade soft tissue sarcomas (STS) in the extremities: Japan Clinical Oncology Group study JCOG0304

e22533

Background: STS are rare malignant tumors and relatively resistant against chemotherapy. We have previously reported 3-year follow-up on the efficacy results of perioperative chemotherapy with DXR and IFM for STS in the extremities (JCOG0304) in ASCO 2011 (abstract ID:#10078). In the present report, we analyzed 10-year follow-up results of JCOG0304. Methods: Patients with operable, FNCLCC grade 2/3 STS (T2bN0M0, AJCC 6th edition) in the extremities were treated with 3 courses of preoperative and 2 courses of postoperative chemotherapy consisted of DXR 60 mg/m2plus IFM 10 g/m2in 3-week interval. Primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Prognostic factors were evaluated by log-rank test. Results: A total of 72 patients were enrolled between March 2004 and September 2008, and 70 patients were eligible. Median follow-up period was 10.0 years for all eligible cases. The local recurrence and distant metastasis were observed in 5 and 19 patients, respectively. Ten-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 65.7% (95% CI, 53.4%-75.5%) with no PFS event within last 5-year of follow-up. Ten-year overall survival (OS) was 78.1% (95% CI, 66.3%-86.2%). Subgroup analysis demonstrated no significant difference in PFS and OS regarding age, sex, histological grade, and histology. Secondary malignancy occurred in 6 patients. Conclusions: Only a few long-term results of clinical trials of perioperative chemotherapy for STS have been reported. Our results demonstrated that the 10-year outcome of JCOG0304 for the patients with operable, high-grade STS in the extremities was stable and remained favorable. Clinical trial information: C000000096.

Efficacy of aspirin for stage III colorectal cancer: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (JCOG1503C, EPISODE-III trial)

TPS3623

Background: Adjuvant chemotherapy is the current standard treatment for stage III colorectal cancer after curative resection. However, the prognosis of stage III colorectal cancer is still poor even after curative resection and adjuvant chemotherapy. Recently, several observational studies suggested the anti-tumor effect of aspirin for advanced colorectal cancer. The main mechanism of the anti-tumor effect by aspirin may be to suppress cyclooxygenase activity in the arachidonic acid cascade and to inhibit the production of prostaglandins involved in tumor growth. So far, aspirin showed a prolongation of survival for colorectal cancer in several retrospective studies. However, in these studies, aspirin was given not to be evaluated the effect on prognosis of colorectal cancer in adjuvant setting but to prevent cardiovascular event. In addition, baseline patient characteristics were imbalanced between aspirin group and non-aspirin group and both dosage amount and dosing period of aspirin were different among patients. Methods: We planned a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled phase III trial commenced in Japan in March 2018 to confirm the superiority of aspirin in terms of disease-free survival (DFS) over placebo for stage III colorectal cancer patients after curative resection. Patients receive aspirin (100 mg/day) or placebo for 3 years with the standard adjuvant chemotherapy of mFOLFOX6, CAPOX or capecitabine until relapse or unacceptable toxicities. The primary endpoint is DFS and the secondary endpoints are overall survival, relapse-free survival, relative dose intensity, adverse events, and serious adverse events. We assumed the 3-year DFS of aspirin arm as 74% based on two previous trials conducted by JCOG and expected a 6% increase in the 3-year DFS with aspirin adding to standard adjuvant chemotherapy after curative surgery. A total of 880 patients will be accrued from 20 Japanese institutions within 3 years, and 47 patients were enrolled as of Jan 31, 2019. Both aspirin and placebo are provided by Bayer Yakuhin Ltd. This trial has been registered at Japan Registry of Clinical Trials as jRCTs031180009 (https://jrct.niph.go.jp/detail/589). Clinical trial information: jRCTs031180009.

A randomized phase III trial of denosumab before curettage for giant cell tumor of bone: Japan Clinical Oncology Group Study JCOG1610

A randomized phase III trial was planned to commence in October 2017. Resectable giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) without possible postoperative large bone defect has been treated by curettage with local adjuvant treatment, with the local recurrence rate found to be as high as 24.6-30.8%. The aim of this study is to confirm the superiority of preoperative denosumab for patients with GCTB without possible postoperative large bone defect. A total of 106 patients will be accrued from 34 Japanese institutions over 5 years. The primary endpoint is relapse-free survival (RFS). Secondary endpoints include overall survival, joint-preserved survival, local RFS, metastasis-free survival, adverse events, serious adverse events, surgical and postoperative complications, and discontinuation of denosumab. This trial is conducted by the Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Study Group in the Japan Clinical Oncology Group and has been registered in the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry as UMIN000029451 [http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm].

Docetaxel plus cisplatin and S-1 versus cisplatin and S-1 in patients with advanced gastric cancer (JCOG1013): an open-label, phase 3, randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

We investigated the superiority of docetaxel plus cisplatin and S-1 compared with cisplatin and S-1 in chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced gastric cancer.

METHODS

In this open-label, phase 3, randomised controlled trial, patients were recruited from 56 hospitals in Japan. We enrolled individuals aged 20-75 years who had unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer, had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1, had received no previous chemotherapy (except adjuvant chemotherapy completed 24 weeks before reccurence), radiotherapy, or hormonal therapy, could take drugs orally, and had adequate organ function. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive docetaxel plus cisplatin and S-1 (docetaxel 40 mg/m² and cisplatin 60 mg/m² on day 1 intravenously, and S-1 40-60 mg twice a day orally for 2 weeks, every 4 weeks) or cisplatin and S-1 (cisplatin 60 mg/m² intravenously on day 8, and S-1 40-60 mg orally twice a day for 3 weeks, every 5 weeks). Randomisation was done centrally with the minimisation method, with a random component balancing for institution, ECOG performance status (0 vs 1), disease status at enrolment (unresectable vs recurrent), measurable lesion (yes vs no), number of metastatic sites (0-1 vs ≥2), and histological type (differentiated vs undifferentiated). Neither investigators or patients were masked to the study treatment. The primary endpoint was overall survival in the intention-to-treat population. The study is registered with UMIN-CTR, number UMIN000007652.

FINDINGS

Between April 3, 2012, and March 18, 2016, 741 patients were randomly assigned to receive docetaxel plus cisplatin and S-1 (n=370) or cisplatin and S-1 (n=371). Median overall survival was 14·2 months (95% CI 12·9-15·9) in the docetaxel plus cisplatin and S-1 group and 15·3 months (14·2-16·2) in the cisplatin and S-1 group (hazard ratio [HR] 0·99 [95% CI 0·85-1·16]; one-sided stratified log-rank p=0·47). The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events were neutropenia (209 [59%] of 357 patients in the docetaxel plus cisplatin and S-1 group vs 117 [32%] of 365 patients in the cisplatin and S-1 group), leukopenia (120 [34%] vs 60 [16%]), and anorexia (94 [26%] vs 81 [22%]). The deaths of one patient in the cisplatin and S-1 group and in three patients in the docetaxel plus cisplatin and S-1 group were deemed treatment-related.

INTERPRETATION

The addition of docetaxel to cisplatin and S-1 did not improve overall survival in chemotherapy-naive Japanese patients with advanced gastric cancer. Therefore, cisplatin and S-1 remains the standard first-line chemotherapy.

FUNDING

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development.

Dose-finding and single-arm confirmatory study of definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) with S-1/mitomycin-C (MMC) in patients (pts) with clinical (c) stage II/III squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCCA): JCOG0903

686

Background: dCRT with 5-FU/MMC is a standard treatment for cStage II/III SCCA. S-1 is an oral fluoropyrimidine and has a greater effect on radiosensitivity. We conducted this trial of dCRT with S-1/MMC to determine the recommended dose (RD) of S-1 in phase I part (P I) and to evaluate the efficacy and safety in phase II part (P II) for cStage II/III SCCA. When the primary endpoint in P II part is proven to be satisfactory, we can regard this combined treatment as the new standard treatment. Methods: Eligibility criteria included histologically proven SCCA, cStage II/III (UICC 6th), PS 0-1, and age 20-80 years. dCRT consisted of MMC (10 mg/m2 on days 1, 29) and S-1 (60 mg/m2/d in level 0 and 80 mg/m2/d in level 1 on days 1-14, 29-42) with concurrent 3-dimensional RT of 59.4 Gy/33fr. The P I adopted the 3+3 cohort design. The primary endpoint of P II was proportion of 3-year event-free survival (% 3-year-EFS). The sample size was 65 in the P II, with one-sided alpha of 5% and power of 80%, threshold and expected % 3-year EFS as 60% and 75%. Results: From Feb/2010 to Mar/2015, 69 pts (3 in level 0 and 66 [7 in P I and 59 in P II] in level 1) were enrolled. Pts’s backgrounds for level 1 were as follows: M/F, 12/54; Age, median 64 (range 33-80); cStage II/IIIA/IIIB, 29/9/28. Three in level 1 were ineligible and 63 eligible assigned to level 1 were included in efficacy analysis. In the P I, considering the details of DLTs, RD of S-1 was determined as 80 mg/m2/d. In the 63 eligible of level 1, %3-year EFS was 65.0% (90% CI 54.1-73.9%). % 3-year OS, PFS, and colostomy-free survival were 87.3% (95% CI 76.2-93.4%), 85.7% (74.3-92.3%), and 76.2% (63.7-84.9%), respectively. The complete response rate was 81% on central review. Among 65 pts receiving level 1 dCRT, common grade 3 or 4 acute toxicities were leukopenia (63.1%), neutropenia (40%), diarrhea (20%), radiation dermatitis (15.4%), and febrile neutropenia (3.1%). Only 6 (9.2%) showed grade 3 late toxicities. No treatment-related deaths were observed. Conclusions: Although dCRT with S-1/MMC showed acceptable toxicities and favorable 3-year survival, this study did not meet its primary endpoint. Clinical trial information: UMIN000003237.

Clinical impact of D3 lymph node dissection preserving left colic artery (LCA) compared to D3 without preserving LCA: Exploratory subgroup analysis of data from randomized controlled trial of laparoscopic versus open surgery for colon cancer from Japan Clinical Oncology Group study JCOG0404

653

Background: In curative resection of sigmoid colon and rectal cancer, it is unclear whether D3 lymph node dissection preserving left colic artery (LCA) (Group A) is beneficial compared to D3 without preserving LCA (Group B) in terms of clinical outcomes. Preservation of LCA is expected to maintain blood supply which results in preventing anastomotic leakage, intestinal paralysis, and so on. Methods: The data of JCOG0404 (which is a randomized controlled trial comparing open to laparoscopic surgery for stage II/III colon cancer) were used. Eligibility criteria in JCOG0404 included histologically proven colon cancer; T3 or deeper lesion without involvement of other organs; N0-2 and M0. D3 lymph node dissection with or without preserving LCA was identified according to the photographs of the resected field collected for central surgical review in JCOG0404. The short and long-term outcomes were compared between each procedure. Results: Among all randomized 1057 patients in JCOG0404, 631 patients who received assigned sigmoid colectomy and anterior resection were included in the subgroup analysis. The number of patients were 135 in Group A and 496 in Group B. The patient backgrounds did not differ between groups. The median operative time, median blood loss, and the proportion of grade 1 or more anastomotic leakage and intestinal paralysis were not remarkably different (Group A vs. Group B: 185 min vs 186 min, 60 ml vs. 50 ml, 3.0% vs. 5.0%, and 2.2% vs. 3.8%). However, overall postoperative complication occurred more in Group B than in Group A (9.6% and 21.6%, p = 0.022). In terms of efficacy, 5-year relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) tended to be better in Group A than Group B (RFS: 83.7% and 80.5%, HR 1.25 (95% CI 0.79-1.96), OS: 96.3% and 91.1%, HR 2.47 (95% CI 1.13-5.40)). Conclusions: Short and long-term outcomes were better in Group A than Group B. It was considered that D3 lymph node dissection preserving LCA could be alternative treatment for D3 lymph node dissection. Clinical trial information: C000000105.