Venous thromboembolism and mortality associated with recombinant erythropoietin and darbepoetin administration for the treatment of cancer-associated anemia

End of an era for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in oncology

Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are available to treat chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA). In 2007-2008, regulatory notifications advised of venous thromboembolism and mortality risks while the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' restricted ESA initiation to patients with hemoglobin <10 g/dl. In 2010, a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies required consent prior to administration. We evaluated ESA utilization from 2003 to 2012 and obtained private health insurer claims data for persons with lung, colorectal, or breast cancer from 2001 to 2012. ESA use for CIA was determined by an ESA claim after chemotherapy, up to 6 months after treatment. We identified 839,948 commercially insured patients, including 24,785 patients with ESA-treated CIA (3.2%). Darbepoetin use increased 3.9-fold from 2003 to 2007 (12.3% to 48.7%) and then decreased 95% to 2.6% by 2012. Epoetin use decreased 90% from 2003 to 2012 (30.3% to 3.1%). Between 2003 and 2012, mean epoetin dosing decreased 0.8-fold (244,979 in 2003 vs. 196,216 units in 2012), but increased 1.8-fold for darbepoetin-treated CIA (262 in 2003 to 467 μg in 2012). Among CIA patients, transfusions were low (4.5%) in 2002-2007, then increased 2.2-fold between 2008 and 2012. Safety initiatives between 2007 and 2010 facilitated reductions in ESA use combined with changes in coverage. These data show the efficacy of regulatory efforts, publication of adverse events and changes in reimbursement in reducing use of ESAs. Future studies are warranted to optimize deimplementation strategies to improve patient safety.

Treatment of acute leukaemia in adult Jehovah's Witnesses

Since Jehovah's Witness (JW) patients diagnosed with leukaemia refuse blood transfusions, they are often denied intensive chemotherapy for fear they could not survive myeloablation without blood transfusion support. Treatment of JW patients with acute leukaemia is challenging and carries a higher morbidity and mortality; however, the refusal of blood products should not be an absolute contraindication to offer multiple treatment modalities including haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In this review we discuss their optimal management and describe alternative modalities to blood transfusions to provide sufficient oxygenation and prevent bleeding.

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Phase III Noninferiority Study of the Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Darbepoetin Alfa for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia in Patients With Advanced NSCLC

INTRODUCTION

This study evaluated noninferiority of darbepoetin alfa versus placebo for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in anemic patients with NSCLC treated to a 12.0-g/dL hemoglobin (Hb) ceiling.

METHODS

Adults with stage IV NSCLC expected to receive two or more cycles of myelosuppressive chemotherapy and Hb less than or equal to 11.0 g/dL were randomized 2:1 to blinded 500 μg darbepoetin alfa or placebo every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was OS; a stratified Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate noninferiority (upper confidence limit for hazard ratio [HR] < 1.15). Secondary endpoints were PFS and incidence of transfusions or Hb less than or equal to 8.0 g/dL from week 5 to end of the efficacy treatment period.

RESULTS

The primary analysis set included 2516 patients: 1680 were randomized to darbepoetin alfa; 836 to placebo. The study was stopped early per independent Data Monitoring Committee recommendation after the primary endpoint was met with no new safety concerns. Darbepoetin alfa was noninferior to placebo for OS (stratified HR = 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.83‒1.01) and PFS (stratified HR = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.87‒1.04). Darbepoetin alfa was superior to placebo for transfusion or Hb less than or equal to 8.0 g/dL from week 5 to end of the efficacy treatment period (stratified odds ratio = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.57‒0.86; p < 0.001). Objective tumor response was similar between the groups (darbepoetin alfa, 36.4%; placebo, 32.6%). Incidence of serious adverse events was 31.1% in both groups. No unexpected adverse events were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Darbepoetin alfa dosed to a 12.0-g/dL Hb ceiling was noninferior to placebo for OS and PFS and significantly reduced odds of transfusion or Hb less than or equal to 8.0 g/dL in anemic patients with NSCLC receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy.

Caveat Medicus: Clinician experiences in publishing reports of serious oncology-associated adverse drug reactions

Oncology-associated adverse drug/device reactions can be fatal. Some clinicians who treat single patients with severe oncology-associated toxicities have researched case series and published this information. We investigated motivations and experiences of select individuals leading such efforts. Clinicians treating individual patients who developed oncology-associated serious adverse drug events were asked to participate. Inclusion criteria included having index patient information, reporting case series, and being collaborative with investigators from two National Institutes of Health funded pharmacovigilance networks. Thirty-minute interviews addressed investigational motivation, feedback from pharmaceutical manufacturers, FDA personnel, and academic leadership, and recommendations for improving pharmacovigilance. Responses were analyzed using constant comparative methods of qualitative analysis. Overall, 18 clinicians met inclusion criteria and 14 interviewees are included. Primary motivations were scientific curiosity, expressed by six clinicians. A less common theme was public health related (three clinicians). Six clinicians received feedback characterized as supportive from academic leaders, while four clinicians received feedback characterized as negative. Three clinicians reported that following the case series publication they were invited to speak at academic institutions worldwide. Responses from pharmaceutical manufacturers were characterized as negative by 12 clinicians. One clinician’s wife called the post-reporting time the “Maalox month,” while another clinician reported that the manufacturer collaboratively offered to identify additional cases of the toxicity. Responses from FDA employees were characterized as collaborative for two clinicians, neutral for five clinicians, unresponsive for negative by six clinicians. Three clinicians endorsed developing improved reporting mechanisms for individual physicians, while 11 clinicians endorsed safety activities that should be undertaken by persons other than a motivated clinician who personally treats a patient with a severe adverse drug/device reaction. Our study provides some of the first reports of clinician motivations and experiences with reporting serious or potentially fatal oncology-associated adverse drug or device reactions. Overall, it appears that negative feedback from pharmaceutical manufacturers and mixed feedback from the academic community and/or the FDA were reported. Big data, registries, Data Safety Monitoring Boards, and pharmacogenetic studies may facilitate improved pharmacovigilance efforts for oncology-associated adverse drug reactions. These initiatives overcome concerns related to complacency, indifference, ignorance, and system-level problems as barriers to documenting and reporting adverse drug events- barriers that have been previously reported for clinician reporting of serious adverse drug reactions.

Management of the toxicity of chemotherapy and targeted therapies in elderly cancer patients

The elderly form a very heterogeneous group in relation to their general health state, degree of dependence, comorbidities, performance status, physical reserve and geriatric situation, so cancer treatment in the older patient remains a therapeutic challenge. The physiological changes associated with aging increase the risk of developing a serious toxicity induced by chemotherapy treatment, as well as other undesirable consequences as hospitalizations, dependence and non-compliance with treatment, that can negatively affect survival, quality of life and treatment efficacy. The use of hematopoietic growth factors and other active supportive interventions in the elderly can help prevent and/or alleviate these toxicities. However, we have little data on the efficacy and tolerance of support treatments in the older patient. The objective of this work is to review the most frequent toxicities of oncological treatments in the elderly and their management.

Comparative safety analysis of immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy versus monotherapy in solid tumors: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Background: Combination treatment (chemotherapy plus immune checkpoint blockade [ICB]) has shown promising activity in terms of efficacy, but it has been suggested that its toxicity profile is less favorable compared to monotherapy.

Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis of published randomized clinical trials comparing combination treatment to monotherapy (chemotherapy or ICB) in patients with metastatic solid tumors. Differences in rates of safety issues (all-grade adverse events, grade 3/4 adverse events, treatment-related deaths, treatment discontinuations) between groups were estimated. Subgroup analyses for the control group (chemotherapy or ICB as monotherapy) and immune checkpoint inhibitor (anti-CTLA-4 or anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies) were performed.

Results: A total of 4379 patients (ten studies) were included (monotherapy: 2026 patients; combination treatment: 2353 patients). Combination treatment presented more grade 3/4 adverse events (RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.12–1.55) and discontinuations (RR 2.31, 95% CI 1.28–4.16). There were no differences in the mortality rate between groups. Subgroup analyses showed a potentially more toxic profile with anti-CTLA-4 agents.

Conclusions: Combination treatment is associated with an increase in grade 3/4 adverse events and treatment discontinuations compared to monotherapy, but not increased mortality. The toxicity profile of combination therapy should be considered with regard to the overlapping safety profiles.

The effects of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents on the management of chemotherapy-induced anemia and tumor growth in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients

Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), such as erythropoietin (EPO) and darbepoetin, may alleviate anemia in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients. However, many cancer cells express EPO receptors (EPOR), through which exogenously administered ESAs potentially promote cancer cell growth. We conducted preclinical/phase II studies to investigate the safety and efficacy of ESAs for managing chemotherapy-related anemia in DLBCL patients. We examined EPOR expression in germinal center B-cell (GCB)- and activated B-cell (ABC)-DLBCL cell lines, and investigated the effects of ESAs on cell proliferation, and rituximab-mediated complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC). The clinical study enrolled 50 histologically confirmed DLBCL patients receiving rituximab/cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine/prednisolone (R-CHOP) who had hemoglobin levels <10.0 g/dl after a maximum of three R-CHOP cycles and received ≥4 doses of fixed-dose darbepoetin (360 μg) once every 3 weeks. EPOR mRNA was detected in all GCB-DLBCL cell lines, but little/none was detected in ABC-DLBCL cell lines. GCB-DLBCL and ABC-DLBCL cell proliferation was unaffected by EPO or darbepoetin. Rituximab-mediated CDC of DLBCL cell lines with/without EPOR expression was not affected adversely by EPO. In the clinical study, baseline mean hemoglobin was 9.19 g/dl; the overall mean change in hemoglobin was 1.59 ± 1.3 g/dl (16 weeks). Forty-eight percent of enrolled patients achieved a hematopoietic response. Our study shows that ESAs do not affect the growth of DLBCL cells or rituximab-mediated CDC under the experimental conditions that we used, and the appropriate use of ESAs may be effective and safe for DLBCL patients with anemia after R-CHOP.

Iron deficiency in heart failure

: Due to aging of the patients with heart failure, comorbidities are an emerging problem and, among them, iron deficiency is an important therapeutic target, independently of concomitant hemoglobin level. Iron deficiency affects up to 50% of heart failure patients, and it has been largely established its association with poor quality of life, impaired exercise tolerance and higher mortality. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses have demonstrated that intravenous iron supplementation in heart failure patients with iron deficiency positively affects symptoms, quality of life, exercise tolerance (as measured by VO2 peak and 6MWT), with a global trend to reduction of hospitalization rates. Current European Society of Cardiology Guidelines for heart failure recommend a diagnostic work-up for iron deficiency in all heart failure patients and intravenous iron supplementation with ferric carboxymaltose for symptomatic patients with iron deficiency, defined by ferritin level less than 100 μg/l or by ferritin 100-300 μg/l with TSAT less than 20%. On-going studies will provide new evidence for a better treatment of this important comorbidity of heart failure patients.

Medication overuse in oncology: current trends and future implications for patients and society

The high cost of cancer care worldwide is largely attributable to rising drugs prices. Despite their high costs and potential toxic effects, anticancer treatments could be subject to overuse, which is defined as the provision of medical services that are more likely to harm than to benefit a patient. We found 30 studies documenting medication overuse in cancer, which included 16 examples of supportive medication overuse and 17 examples of antineoplastic medication overuse in oncology. Few specific agents have been assessed, and no studies investigated overuse of the most toxic or expensive medications currently used in cancer treatment. Although financial, psychological, or physical harms of medication overuse in cancer could be substantial, there is little published evidence addressing these harms, so their magnitude is unclear. Further research is needed to better quantify medication overuse, understand its implications, and help protect patients and the health-care system from overuse.

Nutritional Interventions for Treating Cancer-Related Fatigue: A Qualitative Review

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a debilitating syndrome that persists for many cancer survivors for years after treatment. Symptoms include early and persistent fatigue, functional decline, depression, and cognitive difficulties. Inflammation, assessed using pro-inflammatory biomarkers, is increased in cancer survivors with fatigue and treatments for fatigue are often aimed at reducing inflammation. Additionally, cancer and its treatment lead to nutritional complications, changes in body composition, and nutritional deficiencies that potentially weaken the cancer survivor and impact CRF. We conducted a qualitative review of clinical trials that assessed nutritional interventions for preventing and treating CRF. Further studies were examined that used nutritional interventions to address inflammation and fatigue, due to the dearth of nutrition research directly related to CRF. Dietary intake prior to, during, and after cancer treatment appears to affect fatigue levels. Increased protein intake may help preserve lean mass and body composition. Dietary patterns that reduce inflammation, such as the Mediterranean diet and other plant-based diets, appear tolerable to cancer survivors and may reduce fatigue. Supplementation with ginseng, ginger, or probiotics may improve cancer survivors' energy levels. Nutritional interventions, alone or in combination with other interventions should be considered as therapy for fatigue in cancer survivors.

Use and costs of originator and biosimilar erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced anemia: real-world evidence from an Italian hospital

The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate adherence, switch and costs a year after the start of treatment with different erythropoietin-stimulating agents. There were 277 patients, 200 were originators (72.20%) and 77 (27.80%) were biosimilars. Adherence to treatment for originators is 0.84 ± 0.22 versus 0.76 ± 0.27 for biosimilars (p = 0.3241). Medication adherence was calculated as ratio between received daily dose to prescribed daily dose. The optimum value is 1, values less than 1 indicate loss of adherence.  The cost of treatment per year is €7365 per patient for the use of the originator drug versus €2587 for biosimilars, with a difference of €4777 per patient.

Anatomy of Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS)

This Chapter provides an introduction and overview of the U.S. FDA REMS program and applicable regulatory aspects. Topics covered include the 2015 Draft Guidance, organization structure and functions, a discussion on pharmacovigilance and adverse event reports, and a discussion of the applicability of REMS in oncology.

Practice Patterns for Older Adult Patients With Advanced Cancer: Physician Office Versus Hospital Outpatient Setting

PURPOSE

A shift in outpatient oncology care from the physician's office to hospital outpatient settings has generated interest in the effect of practice setting on outcomes. Our objective was to examine whether medical oncologists' prescribing of drugs and services for older adult patients with advanced cancer is used more in physicians' offices compared with hospital outpatient departments.

METHODS

This was a retrospective comparative study. SEER-Medicare data (2004 to 2011) were used to identify Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with advanced breast, colon, esophagus, non-small-cell lung, pancreatic, or stomach cancer. Between physicians' offices and hospital outpatient departments, we compared use of selected likely low-value supportive drugs, low-value therapeutic drugs, chemotherapy-related hospitalizations, and hospice. We used hierarchical modeling to assess differences between settings to account for correlation within physicians.

RESULTS

Compared with patients treated in a hospital outpatient department, those treated in a physician's office setting were more likely to receive erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (odds ratio, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.53 to 1.94) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (odds ratio, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.38). For combination chemotherapy and nanoparticle albumin-bound-paclitaxel in patients with breast cancer, there was a trend toward higher use in physicians' offices, although this was not statistically significant. Chemotherapy-related hospitalizations and hospice did not vary by setting.

CONCLUSION

We found somewhat higher use of several drugs for patients with advanced cancer in physicians' office settings compared with hospital outpatient departments. Findings support research to dissect the mechanisms through which setting might influence physicians' behavior.

Venous Thromboembolism in Asian Patients with Pancreatic Cancer Following Palliative Chemotherapy: Low Incidence but a Negative Prognosticator for Those with Early Onset

BACKGROUND

Few studies have reported the epidemiology and clinical outcome of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in Asian patients with pancreatic cancer. This study investigated the incidence, risk factors, and clinical outcome of VTE in patients with pancreatic cancer following palliative chemotherapy.

METHODS

The medical records of 838 patients with newly diagnosed locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer who underwent palliative chemotherapy between 2010 and 2016 at four institutes in Taiwan were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical characteristics of all patients were analyzed to identify independent predictors of VTE and their effects on survival outcome.

RESULTS

During the median follow-up period of 7.7 months (range, 0.6⁻55.6), VTE occurred in 67 (8.0%) of the 838 patients. Leukocyte count > 11,000/μL and presence of liver metastases were the independent predictors of VTE. Patients with VTE did not show significantly poorer survival outcomes than those without VTE. However, early-onset VTE that occurred within 1.5 months after chemotherapy initiation was an independent negative prognosticator for overall survival.

CONCLUSION

VTE incidence was found to be lower in Asian patients with pancreatic cancer than in their Western counterparts. Early-onset VTE, but not late-onset VTE, is a negative prognosticator for survival outcomes.

Red blood cell transfusion and its alternatives in oncologic surgery-A critical evaluation

Although blood transfusions have been used for more than 100 years and their potential to save lives is indisputable, there is still limited data on medium- and long-term outcomes after hemotherapy. Until recently, red blood cell transfusions represented the most commonly employed treatment for cancer anemia. As transfusions have been related to worse patient outcome in oncologic surgery, preventive strategies and alternative treatment approaches in the perioperative setting are warranted. This review aims to evaluate the evidence concerning the impact of transfusion on the course of malignant diseases with a focus on oncologic surgery and to provide a bundle of measures to improve patient care. The perioperative period is pivotal in determining long-term cancer outcome. An increasingly recognized area for improvement during this highly sensitive period is the treatment of anemia for three main reasons: Firstly, anemia has been recognized as an independent predictor of poor prognosis in cancer patients. Secondly, anemia is largely undertreated. Thirdly and probably most importantly, anemia therapy relied and often still relies heavily on red blood cell (RBC) transfusions, which may be an often suboptimal stopgap treatment. Perioperative RBC transfusions should be kept to a minimum due to growing concerns regarding the associated risks, which this review tries to clarify by providing an update of recent literature. This review furthermore discusses treatments for anemia and provides best-practice approaches to improve perioperative management of oncology patients undergoing surgery.

Anemia and Iron Deficiency in Cancer Patients: Role of Iron Replacement Therapy

Anemia in cancer patients is quite common, with remarkable negative impacts on quality of life and overall prognosis. The pathogenesis is complex and typically multifactorial, with iron deficiency (ID) often being a major and potentially treatable contributor. In turn, ID in cancer patients can be due to multiple concurring mechanisms, including bleeding (e.g., in gastrointestinal cancers or after surgery), malnutrition, medications, and hepcidin-driven iron sequestration into macrophages with subsequent iron-restricted erythropoiesis. Indeed, either absolute or functional iron deficiency (AID or FID) can occur. While for absolute ID there is a general consensus regarding the laboratory definition (that is ferritin levels <100 ng/mL ± transferrin saturation (TSAT) <20%), a shared definition of functional ID is still lacking. Current therapeutic options in cancer anemia include iron replacement, erythropoietic stimulating agents (ESAs), and blood transfusions. The latter should be kept to a minimum, because of concerns regarding risks, costs, and limited resources. Iron therapy has proved to be a valid approach to enhance efficacy of ESAs and to reduce transfusion need. Available guidelines focus mainly on patients with chemotherapy-associated anemia, and generally suggest intravenous (IV) iron when AID or FID is present. However, in the case of FID, the upper limit of ferritin in association with TSAT <20% at which iron should be prescribed is a matter of controversy, ranging up to 800 ng/mL. An increasingly recognized indication to IV iron in cancer patients is represented by preoperative anemia in elective oncologic surgery. In this setting, the primary goal of treatment is to decrease the need of blood transfusions in the perioperative period, rather than improving anemia-related symptoms as in chemotherapy-associated anemia. Protocols are mainly based on experiences of Patient Blood Management (PBM) in non-oncologic surgery, but no specific guidelines are available for oncologic surgery. Here we discuss some possible approaches to the management of ID in cancer patients in different clinical settings, based on current guidelines and recommendations, emphasizing the need for further research in the field.

Pathogenesis and Treatment Options of Cancer Related Anemia: Perspective for a Targeted Mechanism-Based Approach

Cancer-related anemia (CRA) is a common sign occurring in more than 30% of cancer patients at diagnosis before the initiation of antineoplastic therapy. CRA has a relevant influence on survival, disease progression, treatment efficacy, and the patients' quality of life. It is more often detected in patients with advanced stage disease, where it represents a specific symptom of the neoplastic disease, as a consequence of chronic inflammation. In fact, CRA is characterized by biological and hematologic features that resemble those described in anemia associated to chronic inflammatory disease. Proinflammatory cytokine, mainly IL-6, which are released by both tumor and immune cells, play a pivotal action in CRA etiopathogenesis: they promote alterations in erythroid progenitor proliferation, erythropoietin (EPO) production, survival of circulating erythrocytes, iron balance, redox status, and energy metabolism, all of which can lead to anemia. The discovery of hepcidin allowed a greater knowledge of the relationships between immune cells, iron metabolism, and anemia in chronic inflammatory diseases. Additionally, chronic inflammation influences a compromised nutritional status, which in turn might induce or contribute to CRA. In the present review we examine the multifactorial pathogenesis of CRA discussing the main and novel mechanisms by which immune, nutritional, and metabolic components affect its onset and severity. Moreover, we analyze the status of the art and the perspective for the treatment of CRA. Notably, despite the high incidence and clinical relevance of CRA, controlled clinical studies testing the most appropriate treatment for CRA are scarce, and its management in clinical practice remains challenging. The present review may be useful to indicate the development of an effective approach based on a detailed assessment of all factors potentially involved in the pathogenesis of CRA. This mechanism-based approach is essential for clinicians to plan a safe, targeted, and successful therapy, thereby promoting a relevant amelioration of patients' quality of life.

Comprehensive Physicochemical and Biological Characterization of the Proposed Biosimilar Darbepoetin Alfa, LBDE, and Its Originator Darbepoetin Alfa, NESP®

BACKGROUND

For regulatory approval, the comparability of a biosimilar product to an originator product should be ensured through thorough physicochemical and biological characterization.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the biosimilarity between LBDE, the proposed biosimilar darbepoetin alfa, and NESP^®, its originator, we performed a comprehensive physicochemical and biological characterization study.

METHODS

Primary and higher-order protein structures were analyzed using Lys-C peptide mapping with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), disulfide bond identification, circular dichroism, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Glycosylation and isoform distribution were analyzed using MS, LC, and capillary zone electrophoresis. Size variants were evaluated with size-exclusion chromatography-high-performance liquid chromatography (SEC-HPLC) and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Biological characterization included binding affinity for human erythropoietin receptor, in vitro cell proliferation, and in vivo potency. Pharmacokinetics (PK) were evaluated using rats through two injection routes.

RESULTS

Non-reducing and reducing Lys-C peptide mapping showed a highly similar peak profile, confirming that LBDE and NESP^® have the same primary structure and disulfide bonds. Glycosylation and isoform analyses showed that the attached N-glycan and O-glycan structures were the same and their relative contents were similar. Spectroscopic analysis of LBDE showed indistinguishable spectra with NESP^®. For both LBDE and NESP^®, a very small amount of size variants was found in SEC-HPLC, and no minor bands were detected in SDS-PAGE. Furthermore, LBDE did not show any difference with NESP^® in the in vitro and in vivo functional analyses. PK parameters of LBDE were in good agreement with those of NESP^®.

CONCLUSION

LBDE shows high similarity to NESP^® with regard to structure and function.

[Erythropoiesis stimulating agents: Literature review of uses and indications in advanced oncological and non-oncological disease in the elderly]

The aim of this article is to review possible indications and controversies about the most frequent uses of ESAs in the treatment of anaemia in elderly patients with oncological and non-oncological diseases. Using PubMed a systematic review was carried out on articles published from 1985 to September 2016, as well as a review of the main Spanish, European, and American consensus guidelines on each of the following diseases in which could pose the treatment of anaemia associated with ESA. A review was also carried out on the main Spanish, European and American consensus guidelines regarding the management of anaemia related to the diseases outlined in this article. It was found that there are limitations of its use in elderly patients with advanced disease, mainly due to the lack of uniformity and consensus in the recommendations, and the absence of large-scale prospective trials to determine the effectiveness of ESA in this population. There seems to be consensus in the use in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease, individualised in patients with non-myeloid cancer on treatment without curative intent, and in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome, still responders to space transfusional support. In the remainder, it should be individualised, since the risk of mortality and cardioembolic morbidity is clearly increased. It should not be the solution to treat anaemia, in cases of urgency or short-term transfusional need, which are often present in these patients.

Pharmacotherapy in Acutely Anemic Jehovah’s Witnesses: An Evidence-Based Review

Objective: To determine the pharmacological treatment methods available to anemic Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW). Data Sources: MEDLINE and PubMed were searched from inception through February 2018 using the search terms Jehovah’s Witnesses, treatment, erythropoietin, hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier, Sanguinate, Hemopure, bleeding, and anemia. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All clinical trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, and observational trials involving pharmacotherapy in anemic JW patients were evaluated. Case reports and bibliographies were also analyzed for inclusion. Data Synthesis: Two studies involving the use of erythropoietin (EPO) and one study involving recombinant factor VIIa were included. Information was also included from other pharmacotherapeutic modalities that had case report data only. Current published evidence is limited with regard to evidence-based management of JW patients. High-dose EPO, intravenous iron supplementation, and hemostatic agents have demonstrated good clinical outcomes in case reports. EPO doses as high as 40 000 units daily have been advocated by some experts; however, pharmacokinetic studies do not support dose-dependent effects. Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) are currently not Food and Drug Administration approved. They are available through expanded access programs and may represent a lifesaving modality in the setting of severe anemia. Conclusions: There are currently not enough data to make definitive recommendations on the use of pharmacological agents to treat severe anemia in the JW population. Further evidence utilizing EPO and HBOCs will be beneficial to guide therapy.

Incidence and risk of hypertension associated with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors in cancer patients: a comprehensive network meta-analysis of 72 randomized controlled trials involving 30013 patients

Background

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been developed during the last decade that target the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) are currently being evaluated as treatments for malignant tumors. The increased application of VEGFR-TKIs means that the probability of hypertension is a serious concern. However, the reported incidence varies markedly between clinical trials. Here, we undertook an up-to-date, comprehensive meta-analysis on clinical works to build the incidence of hypertension along with VEGFR-TKIs. The goal was to understand better of the overall venture of cancer patients’ hypertension treated with these drugs.

Methods

Databases (EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane library) and the abstracts of the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting and European Society of Medical Oncology were searched to identify related studies. 95% confidence intervals (CIs), summary incidences, and relative risk (RR) were calculated utilizing either fixed-effects models on the basis of the heterogeneity of the included studies or random-effects.

Results

Seventy-two randomized controlled trials (including 30013 patients) were involved. The total incidence of high-grade and all-grade hypertensive events along with VEGFR-TKIs was 23.0% (95% CI, 20.1–26.0%) and 4.4% (95% CI, 3.7–5.0%), respectively. The use of VEGFR-TKIs remarkably enhanced the venture of developing high-grade (RR, 4.60; 95% CI, 3.92–5.40; P < 0.001) and all-grade (RR, 3.85; 95% CI, 3.37–4.40; P < 0.001) hypertensive events. Subgroup analyses revealed that the risk of a hypertensive event varied significantly in accordance with tumor type, VEGFR-TKI, trial phase, VEGFR-TKIs-based regimen, control therapy, and chemotherapy regimen.

Conclusions

Patients with cancer that receive VEGFR-TKIs are at a remarkable venture of developing hypertension. Therefore, suitable treatment and monitoring should be introduced to avoid cardiovascular complications.

Anaemia and red blood cell transfusion in intracranial neurosurgery: a comprehensive review

Both anaemia and blood transfusion are associated with poor outcomes in the neurosurgical population. Based on the available literature, the optimal haemoglobin concentration for neurologically injured patients appears to be in the range of 9.0-10.0 g dl^-1, although the individual risks and benefits should be weighed. Several perioperative blood conservation strategies have been used successfully in neurosurgery, including correction of anaemia and coagulopathy, use of antifibrinolytics, and intraoperative cell salvage. Avoidance of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and starch-containing solutions is recommended given the potential for platelet dysfunction.

Cortinovis D, Beretta G, Piazza E, Luchena G, Aglione S, Bertolini A, Buzzoni R, Cabiddu M, Carnaghi C, Danova M, Farina G, Ferrari V, Frascaroli M, Reni M, Tansini G. Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia and Oncologist Perception on Treatment: Results of a Web-Based Survey

Aims and background

Anemia prevalence and incidence in chemotherapy-treated patients is high. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are frequently employed in the management of chemotherapy-induced anemia. However, other treatments such as red blood transfusion or iron supplementation are normally used. Recent international guidelines raised some concern about ESAs employment with a possible impact in chemotherapy-induced anemia management and changes in clinical practice behavior.

Methods

To evaluate opinions about chemotherapy-induced anemia clinical management preference, the Associazione Italiana Oncologia Medica (AIOM) Lombardy section coordinators sent via email a 12-item questionnaire about their knowledge on CIA and usual therapeutic strategies to manage this adverse event to AIOM Lombardy onco-hematologist members.

Results

From January 2011 to March 2011, 81 questionnaires were collected with an approximated share of 30%. The survey was completed mainly by oncologists (91%) aged 35–50 years (50%). Chemotherapy-induced anemia was considered to have clinical impact in changing cancer therapeutic strategy by nearly 60% of the respondents. ESAs were administered largely (80%) with concomitant iron supplementation in 52%; 38% jointly used blood transfusion as part of the therapy. Nearly 20% of those who replied correctly employed transferrin saturation levels as a marker to guide iron supplementation. Physician prescribers strictly followed the guidelines to start and stop ESAs even if 14% were negatively influenced by new ASCO recommendations. ESA biosimilars were considered future substitutes of originators in 45% of the cases.

Conclusions

Chemotherapy-induced anemia was perceived as an adverse event with a mild impact on clinical practice. ESAs were largely employed, however the number of transfusions and lack of employment of markers of iron depletion suggested that adherence to guidelines could be theoretically met but with some discordances regarding the most appropriate strategies in daily clinical practice.

Analysis of response rate with ANTI PD1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies in advanced solid tumors: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Background

Anti-PD1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) increase overall survival compared to standard of care (SOC) in different tumors. However, a proportion of patients (pts) will have progressive disease (PD) as best response. We conducted a meta-analysis to study the rates of response comparing these antibodies with SOC.

Methods

A search of published trials in MEDLINE and EMBASE analyzing anti-PD1/PD-L1mAbs monotherapy compared to SOC. Relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) of response rates between groups was estimated. Subgroup analyses for location of primary tumor, number of previous treatment lines, selected population by PD-L1 expression and type of radiological assessment were made.

Results

Twelve studies accounting for 6,700 pts were included (anti-PD1/PD-L1 mAbs: 3,451 pts; SOC: 3,249 pts [2,823 pts: chemotherapy, 426 pts: targeted therapy]). Adjusted response rates were (N, %): Complete Response (CR) (69/3153, 2.19%), Partial Response (PR) (596/3153, 18.90%), Stable Disease (SD) (632/2463, 25.66%) and PD (1027/2463, 41.70%); and CR (16/2955, 0.54%), PR (263/2955, 8.90%), SD (835/2269, 36.80%) and PD (834/2269, 36.76%) with anti-PD1/PD-L1 mAbs and SOC, respectively. Anti-PD1/PD-L1 mAbs improved CR rate (RR 3.48) and PR rate (RR 2.27). There were no differences in the PD rate between groups (RR 1.10). Subgroup analyses showed an improvement in clinical benefit with anti-PD1/PD-L1 mAbs for melanoma (RR 1.59; 1.37–1.84 95% CI) and those treated in the first line setting (RR 1.57; 1.27–1.95 95% CI).

Conclusions

Anti-PD1/PD-L1 mAbs increase overall response rate compared to SOC without an increase in PD rate. Melanoma and pts treated in first line setting seem to have greater benefit with anti-PD1/PD-L1 mAbs.

Findings

In this systematic meta-analysis, anti-PD1/PD-L1 mAbs were associated with a greater overall response rate. Patients with melanoma and those managed in the first line setting seem to have an additional benefit with anti-PD1/PD-L1 mAbs.

Erythropoietin promoted the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma through hypoxia induced translocation of its specific receptor

Background

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hypoxia-inducible stimulator of erythropoiesis. Besides its traditional application in anemia therapy, it offers an effective treatment in the cancer patients, especially those who receive chemotherapy. Several reports indicated that it could promote the tumor cell proliferation through its specific receptor (EPOR). Unfortunately, the role of EPO/EPOR in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progressing is still uncertain.

Methods

Protein in tumor tissue from HCC patients or H22 tumor-bearing mice was detected with immunohistochemistry. Cells were cultured under 1% oxygen to establish hypoxia. RT-PCR and western blotting were used to measure mRNA and protein of EPO/EPOR, respectively. MTT, flow cytometry and PCNA staining were used to detect cell proliferation. Immunofluorescence staining was applied to study the expression and location of cellular EPOR. The EPOR binding studies were performed with ¹²⁵I-EPO radiolabeling assay.

Results

EPO and EPOR protein were up-regulated in HCC tissue of patients and H22-bearing mice. These were positively correlated with hypoxia-inducible factor -1 α and ki-67. Hypoxia up-regulated the expression of EPO and EPOR in HepG2 cells. It also induced the proliferation and increased the percentage of divided cells after 24, 48 and 72 h treatment. These were inhibited in cells pre-treated with 0.5 μg/mL soluble-EPOR. Immunofluorescence staining presented that EPOR was obviously translocated from nucleus to cytoplasm and membrane under hypoxia. EPOR binding activity was also increased after exposure to hypoxia. Recombinant human erythropoietin obviously elevated cell proliferation rate and the percentage of divided under hypoxia but not normoxia, which were also inhibited by soluble-EPOR.

Conclusions

Our result indicated for the first time that EPO promoted the proliferation of HCC cells through hypoxia induced translocation of it specific receptor.

Trial registration TJC20141113, retrospectively registered

Efficacy and safety of IV ferumoxytol for iron deficiency anemia in patients with cancer

Purpose

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is common in cancer patients due to blood loss and inflammation. Many do not tolerate oral iron or adequately respond. Intravenous (IV) iron is commonly used as an adjunct to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents; data on the use of IV iron monotherapy in these patients are limited. This study aimed to evaluate IV ferumoxytol for the treatment of cancer patients with IDA with a history of unsatisfactory oral iron therapy or in whom oral iron could not be used.

Patients and methods

This post hoc analysis of pooled data from two multicenter, randomized, controlled, Phase III trials evaluating IV ferumoxytol (510 mg ×2) vs placebo or iron sucrose (200 mg ×5) included a subgroup of 98 patients with cancer that the investigator identified as the primary cause of their IDA, or with cancer whose IDA was attributed to another comorbid condition (ferumoxytol, n=75; iron sucrose, n=13; placebo, n=10). Gastrointestinal cancers were most common (42), followed by breast (14), cervix (ten), and lung (nine). The primary endpoint was the mean change in hemoglobin (Hgb) from baseline to week 5.

Results

At week 5, both ferumoxytol and iron sucrose produced significant increases in Hgb from baseline (1.8 g/dL [P<0.0001] and 1.9 g/dL [P=0.002], respectively). During the studies, 45 patients received chemotherapy, 19 with platinum-based regimens. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agent doses were neither increased >20% nor initiated in any treatment group. Overall rates of adverse events and serious adverse events in the cancer subgroup mirrored those in the overall study population.

Conclusion

Monotherapy with IV iron appears to be an effective option for cancer patients with IDA who do not respond to or cannot tolerate oral iron therapy.

Treatment of individuals who cannot receive blood products for religious or other reasons

By virtue of their religious principles, Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) generally object to receiving blood products, raising numerous ethical, legal, and medical challenges for providers who care for these patients, especially in the emergent setting. In this review, we discuss several areas relevant to the care of JWs, including the current literature on "bloodless" medical care in the setting of perioperative and intraoperative management, acute blood loss, trauma, pregnancy, and malignancy. We have found that medical and administrative efforts in the form of bloodless medicine and surgery programs can be instrumental in helping to reduce risks of morbidity and mortality in these patients. Planning prior to an anticipated event associated with blood loss or anemia (such as elective surgery, pregnancy, and chemotherapy) is critical. Specifically, bloodless medicine programs should prioritize vigilant early screening and management of anemias, early establishment of patient wishes regarding transfusion, and the incorporation of those wishes into multidisciplinary medical and surgical care. Although there are now a variety of human-based and nonhuman-based products available as transfusion alternatives, the degree and quality of evidence to support their use varies significantly between products and is also largely dependent on the clinical setting.

Epoetin Alfa: A Cause of Coronary Artery Thrombosis

Introduction

Epoetin alfa is an erythrocyte-stimulating factor. We here present a case of an anemic patient, who was given epogen before a coronary artery bypass (CABG) surgery and developed periprocedural myocardial infarction. To our knowledge, there has been no previous case reported of epogen causing myocardial infarction.

Case Presentation

66-year-old female presented with substernal chest pain. EKG showed ST segment elevations in aVf and L-III. Patient underwent left heart catheterization (LHC) and had triple vessel disease. A bare metal stent was placed in RCA. Patient continued to have symptoms after discharge and presented to the ED again with these complaints. She underwent coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). Before the procedure, patient's hemoglobin was 11.1 grams/deciliter and was given epogen to raise hemoglobin level. Postoperative day (POD) #1 patient had ST elevations in inferior and anterolateral leads. She was diagnosed with periprocedural myocardial infarction. Patient underwent repeat LHC, which identified obstruction of saphenous vein graft (SVG). Hypercoagulable workup was negative for any disease and the patient was diagnosed with epogen induced early graft occlusion.

Conclusion

Epogen administration can cause myocardial infarction and coronary artery thrombosis. We suggest that physicians use epogen very cautiously, especially in population who has underlying coronary artery disease.

Venous thromboembolic events in lymphoma patients: Actual relationships between epidemiology, mechanisms, clinical profile and treatment

Venous thromboembolic events (VTE) are an underestimated health problem in patients with lymphoma. Many factors contribute to the pathogenesis of thromboembolism and the interplay between various mechanisms that provoke VTE is still poorly understood. The identification of parameters that are associated with an increased risk of VTE in lymphoma patients led to the creation of several risk-assessment models. The models that evaluate potential VTE risk in lymphoma patients in particular are quite limited, and have to be validated in larger study populations. Furthermore, the VTE prophylaxis in lymphoma patients is largely underused, despite the incidence of VTE. The lack of adequate guidelines for the prophylaxis and treatment of VTE in lymphoma patients, together with a cautious approach due to an increased risk of bleeding, demands great efforts to ensure the implementation of current knowledge in order to reduce the incidence and complications of VTE in lymphoma patients.

The erythropoietin-derived peptide MK-X and erythropoietin have neuroprotective effects against ischemic brain damage

Erythropoietin (EPO) has been well known as a hematopoietic cytokine over the past decades. However, recent reports have demonstrated that EPO plays a neuroprotective role in the central nervous system, and EPO has been considered as a therapeutic target in neurodegenerative diseases such as ischemic stroke. Despite the neuroprotective effect of EPO, clinical trials have shown its unexpected side effects, including undesirable proliferative effects such as erythropoiesis and tumor growth. Therefore, the development of EPO analogs that would confer neuroprotection without adverse effects has been attempted. In this study, we examined the potential of a novel EPO-based short peptide, MK-X, as a novel drug for stroke treatment in comparison with EPO. We found that MK-X administration with reperfusion dramatically reduced brain injury in an in vivo mouse model of ischemic stroke induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion, whereas EPO had little effect. Similar to EPO, MK-X efficiently ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction followed by neuronal death caused by glutamate-induced oxidative stress in cultured neurons. Consistent with this effect, MK-X significantly decreased caspase-3 cleavage and nuclear translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor induced by glutamate. MK-X completely mimicked the effect of EPO on multiple activation of JAK2 and its downstream PI3K/AKT and ERK1/2 signaling pathways, and this signaling process was involved in the neuroprotective effect of MK-X. Furthermore, MK-X and EPO induced similar changes in the gene expression patterns under glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. Interestingly, the most significant difference between MK-X and EPO was that MK-X better penetrated into the brain across the brain–blood barrier than did EPO. In conclusion, we suggest that MK-X might be used as a novel drug for protection from brain injury caused by ischemic stroke, which penetrates into the brain faster in comparison with EPO, even though MK-X and EPO have similar protective effects against excitotoxicity.

Treatment of elderly patients or patients who are performance status 2 (PS2) with advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer without epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) translocations - Still a daily challenge

Cytotoxic chemotherapy remains the core treatment strategy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with tumours that do not have actionable molecular alterations, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-sensitising mutations, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) translocations or ROS1 translocations. Age and performance status (PS) are two pivotal factors to guide treatment decisions regarding the use of chemotherapy in lung cancer patients. Lung cancer is predominantly a disease of the elderly, with more than two-thirds of patients aged ≥65 years, the current definition of 'elderly'. The prevalence of poor PS, as estimated by patients themselves, can be as high as 50%. Both the elderly and PS2 patients are underrepresented in clinical trials. Therefore, optimising treatment strategy for the subgroup of elderly or PS2 patients with advanced NSCLC remains challenging as a result of a paucity of clinical trial data. The current review focusses on the elderly or PS2 patients without actionable oncogenic drivers and attempts to summarise current available data on recent treatments trials including angiogenesis inhibitors and immune-checkpoint inhibitors.

Therapeutic effect of erythropoietin in patients with traumatic brain injury: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE

Erythropoietin (EPO) exerts a neuroprotective effect in animal models of traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, its effectiveness in human patients with TBI is unclear. In this study, the authors conducted the first meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness and safety of EPO in patients with TBI.

METHODS

In December 2015, a systematic search was performed of PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library databases, and Google Scholar. Only English-language publications of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using EPO in patients with TBI were selected for analysis. The assessed outcomes included mortality, favorable neurological outcome, hospital stay, and associated adverse effects. Continuous variables were presented as mean difference (MD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Dichotomous variables were presented as risk ratio (RR) or risk difference (RD) with a 95% CI. Statistical heterogeneity was examined using both I2 and chi-square tests.

RESULTS

Of the 346 studies identified in the search, 5 RCTs involving 915 patients met the inclusion criteria. The overall results demonstrated that EPO significantly reduced mortality (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.49–0.96, p = 0.03) and shortened the hospitalization time (MD −7.59, 95% CI −9.71 to −5.46, p < 0.0001) for patients with TBI. Pooled results of favorable outcome (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.88–1.15, p = 0.97) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT; RD 0.00, 95% CI −0.05 to 0.05, p = 1.00) did not show a significant difference.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors suggested that EPO is beneficial for patients with TBI in terms of reducing mortality and shortening hospitalization time without increasing the risk of DVT. However, its effect on improving favorable neurological outcomes did not reach statistical significance. Therefore, more well-designed RCTs are necessary to ascertain the optimum dosage and time window of EPO treatment for patients with TBI.

Platelet count as a predictor of metastasis and venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer

Platelets are anucleate cells in the blood at concentrations of 150,000 to 400,000 cells/µL and play a key role in hemostasis. Several studies have suggested that platelets contribute to cancer progression and cancer-associated thrombosis. In this review, we provide an overview of the biochemical and biophysical mechanisms by which platelets interact with cancer cells and review the evidence supporting a role for platelet-enhanced metastasis of cancer, and venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with cancer. We discuss the potential for and limitations of platelet counts to discriminate cancer disease burden and prognosis. Lastly, we consider more advanced diagnostic approaches to improve studies on the interaction between the hemostatic system and cancer cells.

Tale of Two Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents: Utilization, Dosing, Litigation, and Costs of Darbepoetin and Epoetin Among South Carolina Medicaid-Covered Patients With Cancer and Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia

PURPOSE

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved epoetin and darbepoetin for chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA). Approved epoetin and darbepoetin dosing schedules were three times per week and weekly, respectively, although off-label, less frequent scheduling was common. In 2004, 2007, and 2008, a US Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committees warned of risks associated with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents. During this period, lawsuits alleging illegal darbepoetin marketing practices have concluded, resulting in $1.1 billion in fines and settlements and one criminal conviction. No prior study, to our knowledge, has reported on the use of darbepoetin versus epoetin for CIA.

METHODS

We evaluated the dosing, utilization, and costs of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents among 3,761 South Carolina Medicaid patients with CIA.

RESULTS

Epoetin and darbepoetin utilization rates were 22% and 28% in 2003, 10% and 33% in 2007, and 3% and 7% in 2010, respectively. Mean per-patient per-administration epoetin and darbepoetin doses were 40,983 IU and 191 µg, respectively, in 2003 and 47,753 IU and 369 µg, respectively, in 2010. Mean monthly patient costs for epoetin and darbepoetin were $1,030 and $981, respectively, in 2003 and $932 and $1,352, respectively, in 2010. Epoetin use decreased steadily between 2002 and 2010; darbepoetin use increased steadily between 2003 and 2007 and then decreased steadily thereafter. Per-patient dosing of darbepoetin, but not epoetin, increased steadily between 2003 and 2010, and monthly per-patient epoetin costs decreased 3% while the per-patients costs of darbepoetin increased 30% between 2003 and 2010.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, our findings are the first data reporting on epoetin versus darbepoetin use for CIA and support recently concluded lawsuits involving allegations of illegal marketing practices of the manufacturer of darbepoetin.

Effects of the US Food and Drug Administration Boxed Warning of Erythropoietin-Stimulating Agents on Utilization and Adverse Outcome

Purpose In March 2007, a US Food and Drug Administration boxed warning was issued for erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs) regarding serious adverse events, such as venous thromboembolism (VTE). We evaluated the US Food and Drug Administration's boxed warning of ESAs used to treat chemotherapy-induced anemia because evidence on the effectiveness of boxed warnings remains inconclusive. Patients and Methods Using 2004 to 2009 SEER-Medicare data, we exploited a natural experiment to examine the effects of ESA boxed warnings on utilization and risk of VTE. The intervention group included Medicare fee-for-services patients diagnosed with colorectal, breast, or lung cancers targeted by this warning and undergoing chemotherapy; the control group included patients with myelodysplastic syndromes not targeted by this warning. The period from January 2004 to September 2006 was used as the prewarning period; the period from April 2007 to September 2009 was used as the postwarning period. The two binary dependent variables included ESA use and hospitalized VTE. Linear probability models with a difference-in-differences specification were used for estimation. Results Our sample consisted of 45,319 unique patients between 2004 and 2009. The trends in ESA use remained similar between the intervention and control groups before the warning, but started declining sharply in the intervention group only after the warning. The trends in hospitalized VTE were relatively stable. Regressions showed that the ESA boxed warning was associated with a 20.2-percentage-point reduction ( P < .001) in the likelihood of ESAs being used to treat cancers targeted by the warning, but not significantly associated with the likelihood of hospitalized VTE. Conclusion Our study showed that the warning was effective in reducing ESA utilization. Future studies should examine other regulatory drug safety actions, such as the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy initiative, whose effectiveness remains unknown.

Plant-Produced Asialo-Erythropoietin Restores Pancreatic Beta-Cell Function by Suppressing Mammalian Sterile-20-like Kinase (MST1) and Caspase-3 Activation

Pancreatic beta-cell death adversely contributes to the progression of both type I and II diabetes by undermining beta-cell mass and subsequently diminishing endogenous insulin production. Therapeutics to impede or even reverse the apoptosis and dysfunction of beta-cells are urgently needed. Asialo-rhuEPO, an enzymatically desialylated form of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhuEPO), has been shown to have cardioprotective and neuroprotective functions but with no adverse effects like that of sialylated rhuEPO. Heretofore, the anti-apoptotic effect of asialo-rhuEPO on pancreatic beta-cells has not been reported. In the current study, we investigated the cytoprotective properties of plant-produced asialo-rhuEPO (asialo-rhuEPO^P) against staurosporine-induced cell death in the pancreatic beta-cell line RIN-m5F. Our results showed that 60 IU/ml asialo-rhuEPO^P provided 41% cytoprotection while 60 IU/ml rhuEPO yielded no effect. Western blotting results showed that asialo-rhuEPO^P treatment inhibited both MST1 and caspase-3 activation with the retention of PDX1 and insulin levels close to untreated control cells. Our study provides the first evidence indicating that asialo-rhuEPO^P-mediated protection involves the reduction of MST1 activation, which is considered a key mediator of apoptotic signaling in beta-cells. Considering the many advantages its plant-based expression, asialo-rhuEPO^P could be potentially developed as a novel and inexpensive agent to treat or prevent diabetes after further performing studies in cell-based and animal models of diabetes.

Comprehensive Meta-analysis of Key Immune-Related Adverse Events from CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors in Cancer Patients

Immune-related adverse events (irAE) have been described with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), but the incidence and relative risk (RR) of irAEs associated with these drugs remains unclear. We selected five key irAEs from treatments with approved cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death 1 (PD-1), and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors (ipilimumab, nivolumab, or pembrolizumab, and atezolizumab, respectively) to better characterize their safety profile. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized phase II/III immunotherapy trials, with non-ICI control arms, conducted between 1996 and 2016. We calculated the incidence and RR of selected all-grade and high-grade gastrointestinal, liver, skin, endocrine, and pulmonary irAEs across the trials using random-effect models. Twenty-one trials were included, totaling 11,454 patients, of whom 6,528 received an ICI (nivolumab, 1,534; pembrolizumab, 1,522; atezolizumab, 751; and ipilimumab, 2,721) and 4,926 had not. Compared with non-ICI arms, ICIs were associated with more all-grade colitis (RR 7.66, P < 0.001), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) elevation (RR 1.80; P = 0.020), rash (RR 2.50; P = 0.001), hypothyroidism (RR 6.81; P < 0.001), and pneumonitis (RR 4.14; P = 0.012). Rates of high-grade colitis (RR 5.85; P < 0.001) and AST elevation (RR 2.79; P = 0.014) were higher in the ICI arms. Ipilimumab was associated with a higher risk of all-grade rash (P = 0.006) and high-grade colitis (P = 0.021) compared with PD-1/PD-L1 ICIs. Incidence of fatal irAE was < 1%. This meta-analysis offers substantial evidence that ICIs are associated with a small but significant increase in risk of selected all-grade irAEs and high-grade gastrointestinal and liver toxicities. Although fatal irAEs remain rare, AEs should be recognized promptly as early interventions may alleviate future complications. Cancer Immunol Res; 5(4); 312-8. ©2017 AACR.

Efficacy and safety of biosimilar epoetin alpha in patients with chronic lymphoid neoplasms and chemotherapy-induced anaemia: An observational, retrospective, monocentric analysis

Epoetin biosimilars are an alternative to originator erythropoietic agents in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced anaemia; however, their effects in patients with lymphoproliferative disorders remain unclear. This analysis examined the response of patients with lymphoproliferative disorders experiencing chemotherapy-induced anaemia to 4- or 8-week treatment with the biosimilar epoetin alpha. Treatment was initiated at first occurrence of haemoglobin (Hb) < 10 g/dL during chemotherapy and was stopped when Hb was >11 g/dL, when chemotherapy was completed, or in case of transfusion dependency. Response to epoetin alpha was defined as an increase in Hb of >1 g/dL or as an Hb > 11 g/dL. Stability was defined as change in Hb of ±1 g/dL, and no response was indicated by a decrease in Hb of >1 g/dL or acquired transfusion dependence. Overall, 65 patients were enrolled (median age 69 years; 47.7% ≥ 70 years old). Mean Hb levels at the initiation of epoetin alpha was 9.3 ± 0.5 g/dL. Mean Hb levels reached 10.7 ± 1.4 and 10.6 ± 1.5 g/dL at weeks 4 and 8, respectively, in patients on first-line chemotherapy and 11.4 ± 1.6 and 9.7 ± 1.3 g/dL in those on a second- or higher-line regimen. Overall, 70.8% of patients responded, 26.1% had stable Hb, and 3.1% did not respond. Delays or interruption of any chemotherapy cycle due to anaemia occurred in 18 patients. The biosimilar epoetin alpha was well tolerated and allowed patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma or chronic lymphoproliferative disorders to continue their course of chemotherapy by effectively increasing and maintaining adequate concentrations of Hb.

Cancer associated thrombosis: risk factors and outcomes

Deep vein thrombosis of the leg and pulmonary embolism are frequent diseases and cancer is one of their most important risk factors. Patients with cancer also have a higher prevalence of venous thrombosis located in other parts than in the legs and/or in unusual sites including upper extremity, splanchnic or cerebral veins. Cancer also affects the risk of arterial thrombotic events particularly in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms and in vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor recipients. Several risk factors need to interact to trigger thrombosis. In addition to common risk factors such as surgery, hospitalisation, infection and genetic coagulation disorders, the thrombotic risk is also driven and modified by cancer-specific factors including type, histology, and stage of the malignancy, cancer treatment and certain biomarkers. A venous thrombotic event in a cancer patient has serious consequences as the risk of recurrent thrombosis, the risk of bleeding during anticoagulation and hospitalisation rates are all increased. Survival of cancer patients with thrombosis is worse compared to that of cancer patients without thrombosis, and thrombosis is a leading direct cause of death in cancer patients.