Fluorouracil versus combination of irinotecan plus cisplatin versus S-1 in metastatic gastric cancer: a randomised phase 3 study

Paclitaxel/oxaliplatin/fluorouracil (TOF) regimen versus S-1/oxaliplatin (SOX) regimen for metastatic gastric cancer patients

Aims and background

This study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel/oxaliplatin/fluorouracil (TOF) regimen and S-1/oxaliplatin (SOX) regimen for metastatic gastric cancer (GC) patients.

Methods

Sixty patients were divided into TOF group and SOX groups randomly. Patients in the TOF group received paclitaxel (135 mg/m² iv) on day 1, oxaliplatin (100 mg/m² iv) on day 1, fluorouracil (500 mg/m² continuous iv) on day 1-5. The patients in the SOX group received oxaliplatin (130 mg/m² iv) on day 1 and S-1 (40 mg~60mg orally twice/day based on body surface area) on days 1-14. All the treatments were repeated every 21d for 4-6 cycles.

Results

The ORR and DCR of TOF group was 43.3% and 60.0%, respectively while that of SOX group was 36.7% and 56.7%. There were no statistical differences between the ORRs (?² = 0.278) and the DCRs (?² = 0.069) of the 2 groups. The majority of adverse events of two groups were hematological and digestive ones. Most of them were grade I and II. The adverse event rate of TOF group was higher than SOX group. The PFS times of TOF and SOX groups were 6.5 and 5.8 months, respectively. There was no statistical difference between the PFSs of the 2 groups (P = 0.451).

Conclusions

The efficacies of TOF and SOX regimens are similar but the safety of SOX regimen better than TOF regimen.

Antitumor Efficacy of Combination Therapy Consisting of S-1, Leucovorin, and Oxaliplatin against Human Gastric Cancer Xenografts

BACKGROUND/AIM

A phase 3 trial of S-1, leucovorin (LV), and oxaliplatin for treating gastric cancer is now underway. However, the antitumor efficacy of the combination has not yet been examined in an in vivo preclinical study. This study examined the antitumor efficacy of combination therapy consisting of S-1, LV, and oxaliplatin against 4 human gastric cancer xenografts: NUGC-4, St-40, SC-2, and SC-4.

METHODS

The antitumor efficacy was evaluated using human gastric cancer xenograft-bearing nude mice. S-1 and LV were administered orally once daily on days 1-7 at doses of 6.9 and 10 mg/kg, respectively. Oxaliplatin was administered intravenously at a dose of 8.3 mg/kg on day 1. The tumor volume was measured on day 15, and the relative tumor volume (RTV) was calculated.

RESULTS

In all 4 xenograft models, S-1 alone and oxaliplatin alone, but not LV alone, had significant antitumor activities (p < 0.001). Combination therapy consisting of S-1 and LV resulted in a significantly smaller RTV than S-1 alone (p < 0.001). Combination therapy consisting of S-1 and oxaliplatin also resulted in a significantly smaller RTV than either S-1 alone (p < 0.001) or oxaliplatin alone (p < 0.001). Furthermore, combination therapy consisting of S-1, LV, and oxaliplatin resulted in the highest antitumor activity in these models (p < 0.001 vs. S-1 + LV; p < 0.001 or p = 0.003 vs. S-1 + oxaliplatin).

CONCLUSION

Combination therapy consisting of S-1, LV, and oxaliplatin administered according to a 1-week-on/1-week-off schedule may be useful for the treatment of patients with gastric cancer.

A retrospective analysis of ramucirumab monotherapy in previously treated Japanese patients with advanced or metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The REGARD trial demonstrated that ramucirumab monotherapy improved both overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared with best supportive care plus placebo as second-line treatment for patients with advanced gastric cancer. However, the efficacy and safety of ramucirumab monotherapy for previously treated Japanese patients with advanced gastric cancer remains unknown.

METHODS

Previously treated Japanese patients with advanced gastric cancer who received ramucirumab monotherapy between June 2015 and March 2016 at the Cancer Institute Hospital were enrolled in the study. OS, PFS, best overall response, and safety profiles were retrospectively evaluated.

RESULTS

Nineteen patients were enrolled in this study. Ramucirumab monotherapy was generally administered as third-line therapy. After a median follow-up period of 7.4 months, the median PFS was 2.1 months (95% CI 1.0-3.5), and median OS was 12.9 months (95% CI 2.3, not reached). In 13 patients who had measurable lesions on radiologic examination, partial response was observed in one patient (7.7%) and stable disease was observed in five patients (38.5%). A total of 12 patients (63.2%) had adverse events (AEs). Common AEs included hypertension (8 patients, 42.1%), fatigue (6 patients, 31.6%), and bleeding (5 patients, 26.3%). Grade 3 AEs included gastrointestinal bleeding and aspiration pneumonia (1 patient each, 5.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that ramucirumab monotherapy in Japanese patients with previously treated advanced gastric cancer has comparable efficacy and safety profiles as reported in the REGARD trial.

The Capsule Endoscopy Findings in S-1-induced Enteritis with Severe Diarrhea during Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Gastric Cancer (with Video)

Although S-1 chemotherapy is used widely as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer, some patients experience diarrhea during treatment. The patient was a 39-year-old woman who underwent distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer and who had started S-1 chemotherapy as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy 1 week before her presentation. She experienced severe diarrhea immediately after starting the course of S-1 tablets. Capsule endoscopy revealed severe S-1-induced enteritis with extensive mucosal injury in the ileum and red intestinal fluid due to the oozing of blood in the ileum. After reducing the dosage of S-1, her diarrhea became milder, and she was able to continue S-1 chemotherapy.

Current therapeutic landscape for advanced gastroesophageal cancers

Treatment of advanced gastroesophageal cancers remains challenging for clinicians, patients, and caregivers alike. Despite considerable research, the therapeutic armamentarium is restricted and hardly personalized. In the first-line setting, trastuzumab with a fluoropyrimidine and platinum agent is the standard-of-care in patients with HER2-positive tumor. For the others, a platinum-based doublet (preferably with oxaliplatin) is recommended. Three-drug cytotoxic regimens should be reserved for exceptional cases where patients have good performance status. Triple combinations produce higher toxicity and provide marginal advantage. In the second line setting, the combination of paclitaxel and ramucirumab is preferred over all others. Currently, nothing is approved in the 3rd or later line. Nivolumab has resulted in an improved benefit in an Asian trial. Early trials of TAS-102, STAT3 inhibitors, anti-claudin 18.2 and other immune checkpoint inhibitors (alone or in combination) are ongoing. However, development of reproducible biomarkers for patient enrichment is critical for future progress.

Docetaxel, cisplatin and S-1 (DCS) combination chemotherapy for gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis: a retrospective study

PURPOSE

Peritoneal metastasis (PM) in advanced or recurrent gastric cancer (AGC) is the most frequent cause of death from this disease. However, current treatments remain unsatisfactory. We previously conducted studies of docetaxel, cisplatin and S-1 (DCS) combination chemotherapy for AGC. The aim of this study was to investigate the benefits and tolerability of DCS in PM patients.

METHODS

Patients were divided into three groups: patients without PM (non-PM); PM patients without ascites, or mild to moderate ascites (None-Mod); and PM patients with massive ascites (Massive). Patients received oral S-1 (40 mg/m² b.i.d.) on days 1-14, and intravenous cisplatin (60 mg/m²) and docetaxel (50-60 mg/m²) on day 8 every 3 weeks. Drug exposure, adverse events, tumor response, progression-free and overall survival (OS) rates were evaluated.

RESULTS

Of the 111 AGC patients who received DCS as first-line therapy, 37 cases had complicated PM, 15 of whom displayed massive ascites. The response rate for PM patients was 81.5%. Drug exposure and toxicities were not meaningfully different among the groups. The MSTs were also similar: 22.6 months for the non-PM, 21.7 months for the None-Mod PM, and 16.8 months for the Massive, respectively. Ten (27.0%) patients with PM achieved downstaging and underwent curative surgery, subsequently demonstrating an excellent MST of 28.0 months. An independent prognostic factor for OS, as revealed by multivariate analyses. was a good performance status.

CONCLUSION

DCS is feasible and efficacious for AGC with PM, especially when patients present with a good PS.

Retrospective Analysis on the Management of Metastatic Gastric Cancer Patients. A Mono-institutional Experience. What happens in Clinical Practice?

Aims and background

Few studies show what happens outside of randomized clinical trials. The purpose of the study was to describe the clinical management of metastatic gastric cancer patients resident in the Forlì area from 2000 to 2009.

Methods and study design

A total of 270 metastatic gastric cancer patients at diagnosis or relapse were considered. Data from medical records were analysed, and survival probabilities were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results

A total of 115 patients received best supportive care, 155 at least one line of chemotherapy, 71 (45.8%) underwent second-line therapy, and 49 (31.6%) required a drug dose reduction during the first cycle of first-line therapy. Twelve (7.7%) patients died within 15 days of finishing the last chemotherapy. Median overall survival with best supportive care or chemotherapy was 3 months (95% CI, 2–4) and 11 months (95% CI, 9–12) (P <0.0001), respectively.

Conclusions

Drug dose reductions and delivery of second-line therapy were common. Chemotherapy given towards the end of life was similar to other experiences. Median overall survival was similar to randomized clinical trials.

Study protocol of a phase II clinical trial (KSCC1501A) examining oxaliplatin + S-1 for treatment of HER2-negative advanced/recurrent gastric cancer previously untreated with chemotherapy

Background

Oxaliplatin + S-1 is a recognized treatment regimen in Japan, but there are no Japanese clinical data on an oxaliplatin dose of 130 mg/m². The current research involves a single-arm, prospective, phase II clinical trial to examine the efficacy and safety of oxaliplatin + S-1 with an oxaliplatin dose of 130 mg/m² to treat HER2-negative advanced/recurrent gastric cancer previously untreated with chemotherapy in Japan.

Methods/design

The primary endpoint of this trial will be the response rate, and the secondary endpoints will be the safety profile of oxaliplatin + S-1, progression-free survival, the response rate in subjects under the age of 75, overall survival, time to treatment failure, duration of treatment, time to failure of strategy, and dose intensity. The threshold response rate is 45% and the expected response rate is 60%. Assuming that a one-tailed score test will be performed with an α of 0.05, 68 patients are needed to ensure a statistical power of 80%. Planned enrollment is 70 subjects and the total duration of this trial is expected to be 3 years.

Discussion

Since replacing cisplatin with oxaliplatin should provide the same level of therapeutic efficacy while limiting adverse events and simplifying treatment, oxaliplatin + S-1 may be increasingly used to treat gastric cancer in Japan. Verifying the efficacy and safety of oxaliplatin + S-1 with an oxaliplatin dose of 130 mg is an important task that the current trial has set out to achieve.

Trial registration

The protocol was registered at the website of the University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN), Japan (protocol ID UMIN000017550) on May 29, 2015. The details are available at the following web address: http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/.

Update on the Treatment of Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer remains a major health concern worldwide, particularly in Asia. Surgery is the only curative treatment, and D2 gastrectomy is the standard therapy for resectable cases. Several clinical trials have been conducted in Japan to achieve higher cure rates via extended surgery; however, despite higher morbidity, none demonstrated prolonged survival. Against this background, minimally invasive surgical approaches that preserve gastric function and improve postoperative quality of life have been developed in recent years. For early gastric cancer, endoscopic resection and laparoscopic gastrectomy have achieved remarkable success even for later-stage cases. Long-term outcomes have been investigated in large-scale, randomized controlled trials. In addition, robot-assisted gastrectomy is now more common in clinical practice. S-1, an anti-tumor drug, is a key agent for treating gastric cancer and has resulted in dramatic improvements in survival. For locally advanced gastric cancer, patients are usually treated with surgery and adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and the efficacies of various regimens have been examined in many clinical trials. For unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer, new agents such as molecular-targeted agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors have emerged as notable treatments and are now being tested in numerous clinical trials. This review provides an update on gastric cancer treatment, highlighting current individualized strategies and future perspectives.

Multicenter phase II study of trastuzumab plus S-1 alone in elderly patients with HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer (JACCRO GC-06)

BACKGROUND

S-1 plus cisplatin is a standard regimen for advanced gastric cancer (AGC) in Asia. The ToGA trial established a fluoropyrimidine plus cisplatin and trastuzumab as a standard treatment for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive AGC. In the HERBIS-1 trial, trastuzumab combined with S-1 plus cisplatin showed promising antitumor activity in patients with HER2-positive AGC. However, cisplatin has several important drawbacks, including vomiting and renal toxicity. These disadvantages of cisplatin are prominent in elderly patients. Therefore, we conducted a prospective phase II study of trastuzumab plus S-1 without cisplatin in elderly patients with HER2-positive AGC.

METHODS

Patients 65 years or older who had HER2-positive AGC received S-1 orally on days 1-28 of a 42-day cycle and trastuzumab intravenously on day 1 of a 21-day cycle.

RESULTS

A total of 51 patients were enrolled. Two patients were ineligible. The full analysis set thus comprised 49 patients. The median age was 71 years (range 65-85). The confirmed response rate was 40.8% (95% CI 27.1-54.6%), and the null hypothesis was rejected. The median follow-up period was 10.6 months. Median overall survival was 15.8 months. Median progression-free survival was 5.1 months, and time to treatment failure was 4.0 months. Major grade 3 or 4 adverse events included neutropenia (12.0%), anemia (24.0%), diarrhea (10.0%), and anorexia (12.0%). There was one treatment-related death.

CONCLUSIONS

Trastuzumab in combination with S-1 alone demonstrated promising antitumor activity and manageable toxic effects as well as promising survival results in elderly patients with HER2-positive AGC.

CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION

UMIN000007368.

Oral fluoropyrimidine versus intravenous 5-fluorouracil for the treatment of advanced gastric and colorectal cancer: Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIM

5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu) is one of the most commonly prescribed antineoplastic agents against gastric and colorectal cancers. Continuous infusion would be the optimal way of its administration, however, may usually cause thrombosis, infection, and prolonged hospital stay. Oral fluoropyrimidines would be an attractive alternative, but their efficiency and toxicities for the treatment of gastric and colorectal cancer are still obscure as compared with infusion 5-Fu.

METHODS

Literature retrieval, trials selection and assessment, data collection, and statistic analysis were performed according to the Cochrane Handbook. The outcome measures were tumor response rate, progression-free survival, overall survival, and adverse effects.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine randomized controlled trials, comprising totally 15 154 patients, were included. Meta-analysis showed similar overall outcome in terms of response rate (1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.92-1.12), progression-free survival (hazard ratio 1.00; 95%CI, 0.94-1.06), and overall survival (hazard ratio 0.96; 95%CI, 0.92-1.01) between oral fluoropyrimidine-based and intravenous 5-Fu-based regimens in gastric and colorectal cancer patients. The risk of grade 3/4 neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and stomatitis was more prominent in intravenous 5-Fu-based regimens; while more frequent grade 3/4 hand-foot syndrome, diarrhea, and anorexia were detected in oral fluoropyrimidine-based regimens.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral-fluoropyrimidines showed equivalent response and similar survival outcomes, but different toxicity profiles, as compared with intravenous 5-Fu. Thus, it would be a more convenient and adjustable alternative in treatment of advanced gastric and colorectal cancer.

A case of advanced gastric cancer achieved a pathological complete response by chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Although chemotherapy is the first recommended treatment of unresectable gastric cancer, a pathological complete response is a rare event.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 58-year-old male was diagnosed as gastric cancer with a bulky tumor, lymphadenopathy, and suspicious peritoneal dissemination. The patient underwent chemotherapy with S-1 and cisplatin. After three courses of chemotherapy, a computed tomography showed dramatic improvements in gastric wall thickening, shrinkage of lymphadenopathy, and disappearance of disseminated peritoneal lesion. The patient underwent potentially curative resection by total gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection. Histological examination revealed the absence of malignant cells not only in the resected specimen but also in the harvested lymph nodes. At present, more than 7 years after the initial surgery, the patient is still alive without any recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

We obtained a pathological complete response by chemotherapy with S-1 and cisplatin for advanced gastric cancer. Although a pathological complete response is a rare event, it would be associated with the long-term survival of patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Gastric Cancer in Asia: Unique Features and Management

Gastric cancer (GC) poses a burden to patients across the globe as the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Incidence of GC is particularly high in Asian countries, which is attributed to the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and has prompted the establishment of unique treatment strategies. D2 gastrectomy, which was established in the 1950s in Japan, has served as a gold standard for locally advanced GC for over half a century. Since the beginning of the 21st century, endoscopic resection (ER) techniques and minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery have greatly changed the treatment of patients with early GC. S-1, which showed a striking survival benefit in a large randomized trial in Japan, has been used as adjuvant therapy for the last decade. Likewise, S-1-based chemotherapy regimens are currently the standard of care for the treatment of unresectable/metastatic GC in Asia. Along with the development of standardized therapy, novel techniques and new drugs have been rapidly brought into clinical practice. State-of-the-art sentinel node (SN) navigation surgery enables clinicians to perform truly minimally invasive surgery for early GC, and appropriate chemotherapy regimens are now determined by a tumor's molecular expression. New classifications based on gene signatures are proposed and may replace conventional clinical classifications. Such highly individualized treatment has the potential to alter our clinical practice in GC in the near future. The best practice in each geographic region should be shared and integrated, resulting in the best practice without borders.

Palliative chemotherapy and targeted therapies for esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer

BACKGROUND

Almost half of people with esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer have metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. Chemotherapy and targeted therapies are increasingly used with a palliative intent to control tumor growth, improve quality of life, and prolong survival. To date, and with the exception of ramucirumab, evidence for the efficacy of palliative treatments for esophageal and gastroesophageal cancer is lacking.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of cytostatic or targeted therapy for treating esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer with palliative intent.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, the Web of Science, PubMed Publisher, Google Scholar, and trial registries up to 13 May 2015, and we handsearched the reference lists of studies. We did not restrict the search to publications in English. Additional searches were run in September 2017 prior to publication, and they are listed in the 'Studies awaiting assessment' section.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on palliative chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy versus best supportive care or control in people with esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors independently extracted data. We assessed the quality and risk of bias of eligible studies according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. We calculated pooled estimates of effect using an inverse variance random-effects model for meta-analysis.

MAIN RESULTS

We identified 41 RCTs with 11,853 participants for inclusion in the review as well as 49 ongoing studies. For the main comparison of adding a cytostatic and/or targeted agent to a control arm, we included 11 studies with 1347 participants. This analysis demonstrated an increase in overall survival in favor of the arm with an additional cytostatic or targeted therapeutic agent with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.75 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68 to 0.84, high-quality evidence). The median increased survival time was one month. Five studies in 750 participants contributed data to the comparison of palliative therapy versus best supportive care. We found a benefit in overall survival in favor of the group receiving palliative chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy compared to best supportive care (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.92, high-quality evidence). Subcomparisons including only people receiving second-line therapies, chemotherapies, targeted therapies, adenocarcinomas, and squamous cell carcinomas all showed a similar benefit. The only individual agent that more than one study found to improve both overall survival and progression-free survival was ramucirumab. Palliative chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy increased the frequency of grade 3 or higher treatment-related toxicity. However, treatment-related deaths did not occur more frequently. Quality of life often improved in the arm with an additional agent.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

People who receive more chemotherapeutic or targeted therapeutic agents have an increased overall survival compared to people who receive less. These agents, administered as both first-line or second-line treatments, also led to better overall survival than best supportive care. With the exception of ramucirumab, it remains unclear which other individual agents cause the survival benefit. Although treatment-associated toxicities of grade 3 or more occurred more frequently in arms with an additional chemotherapy or targeted therapy agent, there is no evidence that palliative chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy decrease quality of life. Based on this meta-analysis, palliative chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy can be considered standard care for esophageal and gastroesophageal junction carcinoma.

The efficacy and safety of different pharmacological interventions for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer: A network meta-analysis

Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is the second common cancer in liver cancer. Chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatments for patients with advanced or metastatic disease, while fluorouracil (FU)-based and gemcitabine (GEM)-based treatments are most widely applied. This NMA aimed to figure out whether the addition of platinum (PLA) and target agents (TAR) can influence the efficacy and safety of standard chemotherapy. Network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted based on the records from PubMed, Embase and Cochrane. Eligible data was extracted from available qualified trials and outcomes. Software R 3.2.3 and STATA 13.0 were used to conduct the Bayesian NMA, calculating odds ratios (ORs) and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% credible interval (CrI) to evaluate different treatments.Almost all treatments were superior to best supportive care (BSC) and FU in terms of 1-OS, 2-OS and 1-PFS. GEM+PLA and GEM+PLA+TAR exhibited better efficacy than most treatments in 1-OS, 2-OS and 1-PFS, and yielded better results than BSC and GEM+FU in terms of 2-PFS. Most drug-containing treatments reported higher overall response rate (ORR) than BSC. GEM and GEM+FU were associated with a higher risk of neutropenia and thrombocytopenia compared to FU, FU+PLA and GEM+PLA. No statistical difference was detected in terms of nausea and vomiting.GEM+PLA and GEM+PLA+TAR were both efficacious and were associated with fewer adverse events. In conclusion, the addition of PLA can significantly improve the efficacy of FU and GEM-based treatments, and the addition of TAR to GEM+PLA can contribute to further improvement, but with a mild increase of adverse events.

Cytoreductive surgery and Hyperthermic intra-operative peritoneal chemotherapy with Cisplatin for gastric peritoneal Carcinomatosis Monocentric phase-2 nonrandomized prospective clinical trial

Background

Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) plus hyperthermic intra-operative peritoneal chemotherapy (HIPC) for gastric peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is controversial, and selection criteria for this treatment modality are lacking.

Methods

Thirty-two patients (F/M ratio 12/20; median (range) age 58 (32-75) years) underwent CRS + HIPC with cisplatin for PC from gastric adenocarcinoma in 2010-2014. This monocentric phase-2 nonrandomized prospective study with a power of 90% aimed to improve the 1-year overall survival (OS) rate with 40% (historical reference of 52% to 72%). Median PCI score was 8 (range 1-20), number of regions involved was 6 (range 1-11). The impact of 16 prognostic factors on survival was evaluated using univariable and multivariable Cox regression models. Follow-up was complete in all patients, and closed 2 years after patient inclusion.

Results

All patients had complete cytoreduction (CCR-0) and histopathological R0 resection. PCI </= 12 without PC on any small bowel region with 4 or more non-small bowel regions resulted in a median OS time of 24.7 months (15.6–29.4), and 1, 2, 5-year OS rates of 90%, 55%, 5.6%, respectively. Independent predictors of OS were PC on the small bowel combined with PC on 4 or more non-small bowel regions (p = 0.0004), number of regions involved (p = 0.0029), and overall PCI score (p = 0.0104).

Conclusions

CRS + HIPC with cisplatin to treat gastric PC, providing complete cytoreduction and R0 resection, should be restricted to patients with PCI of 12 or less. Patients having PC on any small bowel region with 4 or more non-small bowel regions should be refused for CRS + HIPC.

Trial registration number

Registration number: NCT01116791. Registration date: May 5, 2010.

Relationship between UGT1A1*27 and UGT1A1*7 polymorphisms and irinotecan-related toxicities in patients with lung cancer

Background

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of gene polymorphisms, including UGT1A1*7, *27, and *29, on the safety of irinotecan therapy.

Methods

The eligibility criteria were: lung cancer patients scheduled to undergo irinotecan therapy, aged ≥ 20 years, with a performance status of 0–2. Thirty‐one patients were enrolled and their blood was collected and used to examine the frequency of UGT1A1*6, *7, *27, *28, and *29 polymorphisms and the concentrations of irinotecan, SN‐38, and SN‐38G after irinotecan therapy.

Results

The patients’ characteristics were as follows: male/female 25/6, median age 71 years (range 55–84), stage IIB/IIIA/IIIB/IV 2/6/11/12, and adenocarcinoma/squamous cell carcinoma/small cell carcinoma/other 14/10/3/4, respectively. The −/−, *6/−, *7/−, *27/−, *28/−, and *29/− UGT1A1 gene polymorphisms were observed in 10 (32%), 10 (32%), 2 (6%), 2 (6%), 7 (23%), and 0 (0%) cases, respectively. The UGT1A1*27 polymorphism occurred separately from the UGT1A1*28 polymorphism. The lowest leukocyte counts of the patients with the UGT1A1*27 and UGT1A1*6 gene polymorphisms were lower than those observed in the wild‐type patients. SN‐38 tended to remain in the blood for a prolonged period after the infusion of irinotecan in patients with UGT1A1*27 or UGT1A1*28 polymorphisms. No severe myelotoxicity was seen in the patients with UGT1A1*7.

Conclusion

UGT1A1*27 can occur separately from UGT1A1*28 and is related to leukopenia during irinotecan treatment. UGT1A1*7 is less relevant to irinotecan‐induced toxicities, and UGT1A1*29 seems to have little clinical impact.

Serum carbohydrate antigen 125 is a significant prognostic marker in patients with unresectable advanced or recurrent gastric cancer

PURPOSE

We evaluated the diagnostic and prognostic value of three tumor markers: carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), in the pretreatment serum of patients with unresectable advanced or recurrent gastric cancer.

METHODS

The subjects of this retrospective analysis were 245 patients with unresectable advanced or recurrent gastric cancer diagnosed at Kochi Medical School between 2007 and 2015. We ascertained the sensitivity of CEA, CA19-9, and CA125 to identify a certain survival time and then evaluated the relative prognosis of the patients.

RESULTS

The overall positive rates for each tumor marker in the study group were as follows: 57.6% (141/245) for CEA, 38.4% (94/245) for CA19-9, and 34.3% (84/245) for CA125; the sensitivity of these three biomarkers in combination was 73.1% (179/245). The median survival time of the CA125-positive patients was 4.5 months, which was significantly shorter than that of a normal range group (18.3 months, P < 0.001). Multivariate survival analysis identified that high CA125 was independently associated with a worse prognosis (HR 3.941; 95% CI 2.544-6.106; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Pretreatment serum CA125 is a useful prognostic biomarker in patients with unresectable advanced or recurrent gastric cancer. Evaluating a panel of serum tumor biomarkers is a useful diagnostic tool as elevated values might be associated with poor survival.

First-line bolus 5-fluorouracil plus leucovorin for peritoneally disseminated gastric cancer with massive ascites or inadequate oral intake

BACKGROUND

There are few chemotherapeutic options for advanced gastric cancer with severe disseminated peritoneal metastases, which are usually accompanied by ascites. Bolus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) plus leucovorin therapy has been widely used against gastrointestinal malignancies, with resulting mild toxicities.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the efficacy and safety of first-line chemotherapy with bolus 5-FU plus l-leucovorin in 30 advanced gastric cancer patients who had massive ascites and/or inadequate oral intake. This therapy consisted of 5-FU (600 mg/m² IV bolus) plus l-leucovorin (250 mg/m² 2-h IV infusion) administered on a 6 weeks on/2 weeks off schedule.

RESULTS

Among all the patients, 26 (87%) were unable to eat and 12 (40%) had massive ascites. Major grade 3 or 4 adverse events were neutropenia (17%), nausea (7%), fatigue (7%), and diarrhea (3%); no treatment-related deaths were observed. The median progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) were 2.4 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.6-4.1] and 6.0 months (95% CI, 2.1-9.9), respectively. Objective improvement in oral intake was seen in 7 patients (27%). Improvement in ascites occurred in 9 (39%) of 23 patients. In multivariate analyses, the presence of both massive ascites and inadequate oral intake was significantly associated with worse OS (hazard ratio, 5.25; 95% CI, 1.61-17.1). The median OS for patients (n = 22) without this factor was 7.2 months (95% CI, 4.2-10.3).

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that bolus 5-FU plus l-leucovorin therapy is feasible and has clinical activity as palliative therapy in patients with severe peritoneal metastases from gastric cancer.

Early relapses after adjuvant chemotherapy suggests primary chemoresistance in diffuse gastric cancer

Background

Survival from gastric cancer remains poor, particularly in Western populations. Previous pre-clinical and subgroup analyses of clinical trials have suggested differing benefits from fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapeutics for diffuse and intestinal gastric cancer. This analysis examines patterns of relapse with and without adjuvant chemotherapy after curative resection for gastric cancer in these subtypes to explore the Lauren classification as a predictive marker of benefit for fluoropyrimidine-based adjuvant chemotherapy.

Patients and methods

Gastric cancer patients enrolled in an ongoing tissue banking study were analysed, 164 patients who would currently be considered for adjuvant therapy after curative resection were included in the analysis. Patients who did and did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy were compared. The primary end point was relapse free survival.

Results

Approximately 50% of patients received adjuvant chemotherapy, the majority receiving a fluoropyrimidine-based regimen. The comparison of Kaplan-Meier curves for patients who did and did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy are different between patients with intestinal and diffuse gastric cancer, and suggest that there may be a benefit in intestinal gastric cancer. The hazard ratio for adjuvant chemotherapy for intestinal gastric cancer was 0.56, (95% CI 0.27–1.17), suggesting a trend towards benefit that was lacking in diffuse gastric cancer patients (1.26, 95% CI 0.70–2.38). The patterns of relapse after adjuvant chemotherapy also differed between diffuse and intestinal gastric cancer. More than 50% of diffuse gastric cancer patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy relapsed within 12 months of surgery despite similar surgical parameters.

Conclusions

Lauren classification is prognostic in gastric cancer. This analysis adds further evidence that it may also be predictive of benefit for fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapeutics, with lower chemosensitivity seen in diffuse gastric cancer. Treating diffuse and intestinal gastric cancer as separate entities, with identification of efficacious treatments for diffuse gastric cancer will help in improving outcomes from gastric cancer.

Multicenter phase II study of capecitabine plus cisplatin as first-line therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced gastric cancer: Yokohama Clinical Oncology Group Study YCOG1107

PURPOSE

S-1 plus cisplatin therapy is the recommended standard first-line regimen for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2)-negative advanced unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer (AGC) in the Japanese Gastric Cancer Treatment Guidelines. By contrast, capecitabine plus cisplatin (XP) therapy has been second-line therapy for these patients. This prospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of XP as a first-line regimen for HER2-negative patients with AGC.

METHODS

In this multicenter, open-label, phase II study, patients received cisplatin (80 mg/m² i.v. day 1) plus capecitabine (1000 mg/m² orally, twice daily, days 1-14) at 3 week intervals until disease progression or non-continuation for various reasons. The primary endpoint was overall response rate; secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity profiles.

RESULTS

Thirty-six patients with HER2-negative AGC were enrolled in this study. Of these, 16 patients with evaluable lesions were assessable for efficacy and 36 were assessable for toxicity. One patient achieved a complete response and five partial responses. The overall response rate was 37.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 13.7-61.2%] calculated on an intention-to-treat basis. The median PFS and median OS were 5.2 months (95% CI 4.2-6.2 months) and 16.9 months (95% CI 5.8-27.9 months), respectively. Treatment-related adverse events were generally mild; the most common grade 3/4 adverse event was neutropenia (27.8%), followed by anorexia (19.4%), leucopenia (16.7%), anemia (16.7%), and nausea (13.9%).

CONCLUSION

XP as first-line therapy is effective and well tolerated by patients with HER2-negative AGC.

Lauren subtypes of advanced gastric cancer influence survival and response to chemotherapy: real-world data from the AGAMENON National Cancer Registry

BACKGROUND

The choice of chemotherapy in HER2-negative gastric cancer is based on centre's preferences and adverse effects profile. No schedule is currently accepted as standard, nor are there any factors to predict response, other than HER2 status. We seek to evaluate whether Lauren type influences the efficacy of various chemotherapies and on patient overall survival (OS).

METHODS

We have conducted a multicenter study in 31 hospitals. The eligibility criteria include diagnosis of stomach or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, HER2 negativity, and chemotherapy containing 2-3 drugs. Cox proportional hazards regression adjusted for confounding factors, with tests of 'treatment-by-histology' interaction, was used to estimate treatment effect.

RESULTS

Our registry contains 1303 tumours analysable for OS end points and 730 evaluable for overall response rate (ORR). A decrease in ORR was detected in the presence of a diffuse component: odds ratio 0.719 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.525-0.987), P=0.039. Anthracycline- or docetaxel-containing schedules increased ORR only in the intestinal type. The diffuse type displayed increased mortality with hazard ratio (HR) of 1.201 (95% CI, 1.054-1.368), P=0.0056. Patients receiving chemotherapy with docetaxel exhibited increased OS limited to the intestinal type: HR 0.65 (95% CI, 0.49-0.87), P=0.024, with no increment in OS for the subset having a diffuse component. With respect to progression-free survival (PFS), a significant interaction was seen in the effect of docetaxel-containing schedules, with better PFS limited to the intestinal type subgroup, in the comparison against any other schedule: HR 0.65 (95% CI, 0.50-0.85), P=0.015, and against anthracycline-based regimens: HR 0.64 (95% CI, 0.46-0.88), P=0.046.

CONCLUSIONS

As a conclusion, in this registry, Lauren classification tumour subtypes predicted survival and responded differently to chemotherapy. Future clinical trials should stratify effect estimations based on histology.

Validation of the JCOG prognostic index in advanced gastric cancer using individual patient data from the SPIRITS and G-SOX trials

BACKGROUND

In a phase III study for advanced gastric cancer (AGC), the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG) 9912 trial, we previously identified the following four prognostic factors-performance status ≥1, number of metastatic sites ≥2, no prior gastrectomy, and abnormal serum alkaline phosphatase levels-and proposed a prognostic index (good risk with 0 or 1 factor, moderate risk with 2 or 3 factors, and poor risk with all 4 factors). To assess the generalizability of this index, we attempted an external validation study using an independent data set.

METHODS

Individual patient data from the SPIRITS and G-SOX trials were applied to the JCOG prognostic index. The accuracy of the index for predicting survival was assessed by the Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

The available data were obtained from 936 (94.5%) of the 990 patients in these trials. The three risk groups categorized by the JCOG prognostic index demonstrated highly significant survival differences; the hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) were 1.71 (1.46-2.01) between the good (n = 338) and moderate (n = 537) risk groups and 3.32 (2.47-4.46) between good and poor (n = 61) risk groups. The median overall survival times of the good, moderate, and poor risk groups were 17.2, 12.0, and 7.8 months, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The JCOG prognostic index was externally validated and can be widely utilized for clinical trials. Further studies are needed to apply this index to the Western population.

Chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. In "Western" countries, most people are either diagnosed at an advanced stage, or develop a relapse after surgery with curative intent. In people with advanced disease, significant benefits from targeted therapies are currently limited to HER-2 positive disease treated with trastuzumab, in combination with chemotherapy, in first-line. In second-line, ramucirumab, alone or in combination with paclitaxel, demonstrated significant survival benefits. Thus, systemic chemotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment for advanced gastric cancer. Uncertainty remains regarding the choice of the regimen.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy of chemotherapy versus best supportive care (BSC), combination versus single-agent chemotherapy and different chemotherapy combinations in advanced gastric cancer.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE and Embase up to June 2016, reference lists of studies, and contacted pharmaceutical companies and experts to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

SELECTION CRITERIA

We considered only RCTs on systemic, intravenous or oral chemotherapy versus BSC, combination versus single-agent chemotherapy and different chemotherapy regimens in advanced gastric cancer.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently identified studies and extracted data. A third investigator was consulted in case of disagreements. We contacted study authors to obtain missing information.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 64 RCTs, of which 60 RCTs (11,698 participants) provided data for the meta-analysis of overall survival. We found chemotherapy extends overall survival (OS) by approximately 6.7 months more than BSC (hazard ratio (HR) 0.3, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.24 to 0.55, 184 participants, three studies, moderate-quality evidence). Combination chemotherapy extends OS slightly (by an additional month) versus single-agent chemotherapy (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.89, 4447 participants, 23 studies, moderate-quality evidence), which is partly counterbalanced by increased toxicity. The benefit of epirubicin in three-drug combinations, in which cisplatin is replaced by oxaliplatin and 5-FU is replaced by capecitabine is unknown.Irinotecan extends OS slightly (by an additional 1.6 months) versus non-irinotecan-containing regimens (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.95, 2135 participants, 10 studies, high-quality evidence).Docetaxel extends OS slightly (just over one month) compared to non-docetaxel-containing regimens (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.95, 2001 participants, eight studies, high-quality evidence). However, due to subgroup analyses, we are uncertain whether docetaxel-containing combinations (docetaxel added to a single-agent or two-drug combination) extends OS due to moderate-quality evidence (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.91, 1466 participants, four studies, moderate-quality evidence). When another chemotherapy was replaced by docetaxel, there is probably little or no difference in OS (HR 1.05; 0.87 to 1.27, 479 participants, three studies, moderate-quality evidence). We found there is probably little or no difference in OS when comparing capecitabine versus 5-FU-containing regimens (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.11, 732 participants, five studies, moderate-quality evidence) .Oxaliplatin may extend (by less than one month) OS versus cisplatin-containing regimens (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.98, 1105 participants, five studies, low-quality evidence). We are uncertain whether taxane-platinum combinations with (versus without) fluoropyrimidines extend OS due to very low-quality evidence (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.06, 482 participants, three studies, very low-quality evidence). S-1 regimens improve OS slightly (by less than an additional month) versus 5-FU-containing regimens (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.00, 1793 participants, four studies, high-quality evidence), however since S-1 is used in different doses and schedules between Asian and non-Asian population, the applicability of this finding to individual populations is uncertain.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Chemotherapy improves survival (by an additional 6.7 months) in comparison to BSC, and combination chemotherapy improves survival (by an additional month) compared to single-agent 5-FU. Testing all patients for HER-2 status may help to identify patients with HER-2-positive tumours, for whom, in the absence of contraindications, trastuzumab in combination with capecitabine or 5-FU in combination with cisplatin has been shown to be beneficial. For HER-2 negative people, all different two-and three-drug combinations including irinotecan, docetaxel, oxaliplatin or oral 5-FU prodrugs are valid treatment options for advanced gastric cancer, and consideration of the side effects of each regimen is essential in the treatment decision. Irinotecan-containing combinations and docetaxel-containing combinations (in which docetaxel was added to a single-agent or two-drug (platinum/5-FUcombination) show significant survival benefits in the comparisons studied above. Furthermore, docetaxel-containing three-drug regimens have increased response rates, but the advantages of the docetaxel-containing three-drug combinations (DCF, FLO-T) are counterbalanced by increased toxicity. Additionally, oxaliplatin-containing regimens demonstrated a benefit in OS as compared to the same regimen containing cisplatin, and there is a modest survival improvement of S-1 compared to 5-FU-containing regimens.Whether the survival benefit for three-drug combinations including cisplatin, 5-FU, and epirubicin as compared to the same regimen without epirubicin is still valid when second-line therapy is routinely administered and when cisplatin is replaced by oxaliplatin and 5-FU by capecitabine is questionable. Furthermore, the magnitude of the observed survival benefits for the three-drug regimens is not large enough to be clinically meaningful as defined recently by the American Society for Clinical Oncology (Ellis 2014). In contrast to the comparisons in which a survival benefit was observed by adding a third drug to a two-drug regimen at the cost of increased toxicity, the comparison of regimens in which another chemotherapy was replaced by irinotecan was associated with a survival benefit (of borderline statistical significance), but without increased toxicity. For this reason irinotecan/5-FU-containing combinations are an attractive option for first-line treatment. Although they need to be interpreted with caution, subgroup analyses of one study suggest that elderly people have a greater benefit form oxaliplatin, as compared to cisplatin-based regimens, and that people with locally advanced disease or younger than 65 years might benefit more from a three-drug regimen including 5-FU, docetaxel, and oxaliplatin as compared to a two-drug combination of 5-FU and oxaliplatin, a hypothesis that needs further confirmation. For people with good performance status, the benefit of second-line chemotherapy has been established in several RCTs.

Depth of response predicts the clinical outcome of advanced HER2-positive gastric cancer to trastuzumab-based first-line chemotherapy

PURPOSE

Accumulating evidence suggests that response-related parameters such as depth of response (DpR) might be associated with survival in colorectal cancer, which has not been shown in gastric cancer. This study aimed to evaluate whether DpR was associated with clinical outcomes in HER2-positive AGC patients treated with trastuzumab-based chemotherapy.

METHODS

Fifty-seven HER2-positive AGC patients who were treated with trastuzumab in combination with fluoropyrimidines plus cisplatin therapy as first-line treatment were retrospectively enrolled. DpR was defined as the percent maximal tumor shrinkage of target lesions observed at the lowest point compared with baseline. The cutoff DpR level to discriminate better survival was based on receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis. Association of DpR with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was assessed using the multivariable Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

Median DpR level was 56.8% (range -37.9 to 100%). In multivariate models adjusted for relevant variables, DpR, as a dichotomized variable with a cutoff level of 50% and a continuous variable, was significantly associated with PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.39 and 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.22-0.68 and 0.96-0.98) and OS (HR 0.38 and 0.98; 95% CI 0.21-0.70 and 0.97-0.99). Clinically meaningful differences in PFS (median, 9.8 vs. 4.1 months; p < 0.001) and OS (median, 24.7 vs. 12.8 months; p < 0.001) were observed between the high DpR (≥50%) and the low DpR groups (<50%).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher DpR predicted favorable outcomes following trastuzumab-based chemotherapy in HER2-positive AGC patients.

Functional genetic variants of XRCC4 and ERCC1 predict survival of gastric cancer patients treated with chemotherapy by regulating the gene expression

DNA repair protects genomic integrity and may modulate chemotherapy efficacy. Few large-scale studies have evaluated predictive roles of genetic variants of DNA repair genes in survival of Chinese gastric cancer (GCa) patients treated with chemotherapy. Here, we assessed the roles of 35 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DNA repair genes in survival of 1002 GCa patients, of whom 694 received chemotherapy and 308 did not. Among patients receiving chemotherapy, the ERCC1 rs2298881A allele was associated with a better survival [hazards ratio (HR) = 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.69-0.98; P = 0.03], whereas two XRCC4 SNPs were associated with a worse survival (HR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.03-1.54 for the rs10040363G allele, P = 0.02; and HR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.06-1.59 for the rs2075685T allele, P = 0.01). These three SNPs were unique survival predictors for patients treated with chemotherapy (P < 0.05 for all) but not for patients without chemotherapy (P > 0.05 for all), suggesting that they modulated chemotherapy efficacy. Patients who received chemotherapy and had haplotypes with at least one death-risk allele in XRCC4 had a poor survival, and the trend for an increase in the number of death-risk alleles adversely affecting the survival was also observed in an allelic dose-dependent manner (P_trend  = 0.001). Further functional analysis revealed that the death-risk alleles up-regulated the gene expression, leading to a worse survival as suggested by our meta-analysis pooling both mRNA microarray data from the GEO database and published data (ERCC1: HR = 1.31 [1.08-1.58]; P = 0.006). These functional genetic variants may independently or jointly affect survival in chemotherapy-treated GCa patients by modulating the gene expression in the tumors.

Neoadjuvant Therapy for Esophageal Adenocarcinoma in the Community Setting-Practice and Outcomes

There has been an alarming rise in the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma which continues to have poor survival rates primarily due to lack of effective chemotherapy and presentation at advanced stages. Over a dozen chemotherapeutic agents are FDA approved for esophageal cancer (EC), and a two or three-drug combination is typically prescribed as first-line therapy for the majority of EC patients, administered either pre or post-operatively with esophageal resection. We have noticed significant variability in adjuvant and neoadjuvant regimens used in the community setting. The aim of this study was to review the various drug regimens used in the neoadjuvant setting for EC patients with adenocarcinoma undergoing resection at a single tertiary referral center in the Midwest. A total of 123 patients (stage II–III) underwent esophageal resection after neoadjuvant treatment at the center. Overall, 18 distinct drug regimens were used in 123 patients including two patients who received targeted therapy. Median survival post-surgery for this group was 11.2 months with no single regimen offering a survival advantage. These results reveal an unclear algorithm of how accepted regimens are prescribed in the community setting as well as a dire need for agents that are more effective. Additionally, it was noted that although proteomic markers have been found to predict drug response to 92% of the FDA-approved drugs in EC (12 of 13), according to pathology reports, molecular diagnostic testing was not used to direct treatment in this cohort. We therefore propose potential strategies to improve clinical outcomes including the use of a robust molecular oncology diagnostic panel and discuss the potential role for targeted chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy in the management of EC patients.

Capecitabine, 5-fluorouracil and S-1 based regimens for previously untreated advanced oesophagogastric cancer: A network meta-analysis

As evidence is inconsistent and based on either isolated Asian or Western studies, we conducted a network meta-analysis (NMA) to examine efficacy and safety of 5-FU (5-fluorouracil), capecitabine and S-1-based first-line treatment of advanced esophagogastric cancer in Asian and Western patients. Medline, EMBASE, CENTRAL and conferences ASCO and ESMO were searched up to January 2016 for randomized-controlled-trials comparing 5-FU, capecitabine or S-1-based regimens with equal chemotherapy backbones. Direct and indirect data for overall survival (OS) and progression-free-survival (PFS) were combined on the Hazard Ratio (HR)-scale using random-effects NMA and calculated as combined HRs and 95%credible intervals (95%CrI). Grade 1-2 and grade 3-4 adverse events were compared with pair-wise meta-analysis. Fifteen studies were identified including capecitabine (n = 945), 5-FU (n = 2,132) or S-1 (n = 1,636). No differences were found in respectively OS and PFS for capecitabine-based versus 5-FU-based regimens (HR = 0.89, 95%CrI = 0.76-1.04 and HR = 0.98, 95%CrI = 0.75-1.32), S-1-based versus 5-FU-based regimens (HR = 0.92, 95%CrI = 0.82-1.04 and HR = 0.88, 95%CrI = 0.70-1.11) and S-1-based versus capecitabine-based regimens (HR = 1.03, 95%CrI = 0.87-1.22 and HR = 0.89, 95%CrI = 0.65-1.20). Effects were similar in Asian and Western subgroups. Toxicity profiles were different but a lower frequency of relevant adverse events was observed with S-1 In conclusion, as efficacy was similar, choosing fluoropyrimidines should be based on their individual toxicity profiles.

Randomized phase II study of daily and alternate-day administration of S-1 for advanced gastric cancer (JFMC43-1003)

Purpose

Although S-1 based chemotherapy for patients with advanced gastric cancer has generally been accepted in Japan, discontinuations of treatment have been reported due to grade 3 or more adverse events. The present randomized phase II study was conducted to test whether alternate-day administration of S-1 would be comparably efficient and reduce adverse events compared with conventional daily administration in the first-line chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer.

Methods

132 patients with advanced gastric cancer were randomly assigned to 1:2 ratios to receive treatment with daily at a standard dose of 80 mg/m²/day or alternate-day administration group received S-1 on 4 days a week. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary end points were safety, overall survival, time to treatment failure (TTF), disease control rate, and response rate.

Results

The 6-month PFS rate of the alternate-day administration group was 20.9% and failed to show significant difference from the pre-specified threshold at 15% (p = 0.117), whereas that of the daily administration group was 39.1% and significantly higher than the threshold (p = 0.001). The hazard ratio of the alternate-day administration group compared with the daily administration group was 1.753 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15–2.68, p = 0.010). With regard to OS, the hazard ratio of the alternate-day administration group compared with the daily administration group was 1.487 (95% CI 0.97–2.29, p = 0.072). The median TTF were 4.2 and 2.8 months in the daily and alternate-day administration group, respectively (p = 0.007).

Conclusion

The alternate-day administration of S-1 was not recommended as the first-line therapy for patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Efficacy and safety comparison of chemotherapies for advanced gastric cancer: A network meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Chemotherapy is one of the commonly used therapies for advanced gastric cancer. In this study, we performed a network meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of common treatments to give evidences of their relative benefits.

RESULTS

32 trials with 8550 patients and 20 regimens were included in this study. According to the results of primary outcomes, 5-FU plus OXA, 5-FU plus DOC, CAP plus CIS, CAP plus OXA, S-1 plus OXA and S-1 plus PAC performed well in improving OS and ORR. As for the adverse events, S-1 had a safer effect than other treatments, conversely, 5-FU plus CIS ranked the last. However, there was no regimen with outstanding performances in both efficacy and safety.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Studies were searched from database and screened with criteria. The Bayesian framework based network meta-analysis was performed with software R and STATA. Overall survival (OS) and overall response rate (ORR) were considered as primary outcomes while adverse events as secondary outcomes. The outcomes were represented by hazard ratios or odd ratios with 95% corresponding credible intervals, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The network meta-analysis suggested that 5-FU plus OXA and 5-FU plus DOC were recommended when efficacy was stressed. S-1 was safest but poorly effective. A regimen, as an excellent combination of efficacy and safety, is still waiting to be discovered.

Histological evaluations of primary lesions are independently associated with prognosis in patients with gastric cancer who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy may improve outcomes for patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (GC). To explore useful predictive factors for the response of advanced GC to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, tumor responses were assessed using computed tomography (CT) with histological based criteria. A total of 78 patients with advanced GC undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy were included. CT-based response assessment was performed following 2 courses of treatment. Histological evaluation of resected specimens was also performed according to the Japanese classification of gastric carcinoma. Grade 1b, 2 and 3 (viable tumor cells remaining in <2/3 of the tumorous area) were defined as histological responders. The results were associated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The majority of the cases underwent tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil based preoperative chemotherapy as the first line of treatment (n=76, 96%). A total of 25 (32%) and 29 (37%) cases were considered to be CT and histological responders, respectively. CT-based evaluation was not associated with OS or PFS, while histological evaluation was significantly associated with OS and PFS. Histological based evaluation was not associated with CT and GI X-ray or endoscopy-based evaluation of primary lesions. Multivariate survival analysis using Cox's regression model demonstrated that histological non-response was an independent prognostic factor for predicting worse OS. Histological-based evaluation of primary lesions was independently associated with prognosis in patients with GC who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Maintenance treatment of Uracil and Tegafur (UFT) in responders following first-line fluorouracil-based chemotherapy in metastatic gastric cancer: a randomized phase II study

BACKGROUND

Maintenance therapy proves to be effective in advanced lung and breast cancer after initial chemotherapy. The purpose of this phase II study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Uracil and Tegafur (UFT) maintenance in metastatic gastric cancer patients following the first-line fluorouracil-based chemotherapy.

METHODS

Metastatic gastric cancer patients with stable disease or a better response after the completion of first-line chemotherapy were randomized to oral UFT (360mg/m2 × 2 weeks) every 3 weeks until disease progression/intolerable toxicity or to observation (OBS). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS); the secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and safety.

RESULTS

The trial was closed after the interim analysis of the 58 enrolled (120 planned) patients. Median PFS was not improved in the UFT group compared with the OBS group (3.2 months versus 3.6 months, P = 0.752), as well as the median OS (14.2 months for both, P = 0.983). However, subgroup analysis showed that low baseline hemoglobin (< 120 g/L) was associated with poorer PFS with maintenance therapy (P = 0.032), while the normal hemoglobin patients benefit from the UFT treatment (P = 0.008). Grade 3 to 4 toxicities in the UFT group were anemia (3.4%), thrombocytopenia (3.4%) and diarrhea (6.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

This trial did not show superiority of UFT maintenance in non-selected patients responding to fluorouracil-based first-line chemotherapy. The normal hemoglobin level at baseline is a predictive biomarker for favorable patient subsets from the maintenance treatment.

Rapid and sensitive detection of UGT1A1 polymorphisms associated with irinotecan toxicity by a novel DNA microarray

Recent developments in the field of human genomics have greatly enhanced the potential for precision and personalized medicine. We have developed a novel DNA microarray, using a 3‐mm square chip coated with diamond‐like carbon to enhance the signal‐to‐background ratio, for use as an in vitro diagnostic tool in precision medicine. To verify the genotyping effectiveness of this newly developed DNA microarray we examined UDP‐glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) polymorphisms in DNA extracted from patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. It is established that the polymorphisms of UGT1A1*28 and UGT1A1*6 are significantly associated with severe toxicity induced by the anti‐cancer drug irinotecan. For each sample, the results obtained with the novel microarray platform were compared with those obtained using other, more established, methods, including direct sequencing and the Invader assay. The polymorphisms tested included a single nucleotide substitution (UGT1A1*6) and a TA‐repeat polymorphism (UGT1A1*28), both of which were detected simultaneously and accurately using our method. Moreover, our method required 1.5‐fold less time to assay and 20‐fold less sample than those required by the Invader assay. In summary, our newly developed DNA microarray is more practical than established methods, and is at least as accurate; this will increase the efficiency of polymorphism detection prior to diagnosis and the commencement of treatment, and can feasibly be applied in precision medicine.

Second-line chemotherapy for patients with advanced gastric cancer

The first choice for treating patients with metastatic gastric cancer is chemotherapy, and combination therapy with fluorouracil, platinum, and trastuzumab has been established as the standard first-line chemotherapy. For further improvement of treatment outcomes, it is important to develop second- and third-line chemotherapy. In the first decade of this century, irinotecan and taxanes, cytotoxic agents, and various molecular targeted agents began to be developed as second-line therapy. Treatment with paclitaxcel weekly in combination with ramucirumab targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 has become the first choice for second-line therapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are now being developed, and the current treatment strategies for advanced gastric cancer may undergo major changes in the future. This review summarizes the transitions and future prospects of clinical developments for second-line therapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

The survival and prognosticators of peritoneal cytology-positive gastric cancer patients who received upfront gastrectomy and subsequent S-1 chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Upfront surgery and subsequent S-1 chemotherapy is frequently selected for peritoneal cytology-positive (CY1) gastric cancer patients without other distant metastases (CY1-only). The objective of this study was to confirm the efficacy of this strategy in clinical practice and to identify the risk factors associated with survival.

METHODS

Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were examined in 36 CY1-only patients who underwent macroscopic curative resection followed by postoperative S-1 chemotherapy between January 2000 and June 2015. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using a Cox proportional hazards model to identify risk factors.

RESULTS

The median OS was 22.3 months (95% confidence interval 18.7-31.0). When the OS was compared by a log-rank test, significant differences were observed in the status of lymph node metastasis of pathological N3b (pN3b). Moreover, the univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that the status of pN3b was a significant independent risk factor for OS and RFS. The median OS in patients with pathological N0-N3a (pN0-N3a) was 31.0 months, while that in patients with pN3b was 18.2 months (P = 0.002). The median RFS in patients with pN0-N3a was 16.4 months, while that in patients with pN3b was 7.9 months (P = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study confirmed the efficacy of postoperative S-1 chemotherapy for CY1-only gastric cancer patients who received upfront surgery. This strategy might be recommended as clinical practice for patients with CY1 disease but a more effective treatment should be established for CY1-positive patients, especially for those who are diagnosed with CY1 and pN3b disease.

The significance of multi-line chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer: A retrospective analysis

Palliative chemotherapy is known to benefit patients with advanced gastric cancer by palliating symptoms and improving survival. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapy regimens that are commonly used in patients with advanced or recurrent gastric cancer. Patients with advanced or recurrent gastric cancer who were treated by at least two chemotherapy regimens between May 2006 and July 2014 at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital (Hangzhou, China) were retrospectively investigated. Survival was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. A total of 248 patients were reviewed, and 158 were evaluated in the final analysis, with a median age of 57 years and a Karnofsky performance status score of ≥80. The median progression-free survival (PFS) time was 168 days for first-line chemotherapy, 96 days for second-line chemotherapy, and the median overall survival (OS) time was 356 days. Further analysis revealed that patients with the disease controlled [complete response (CR) + partial response (PR) + stable disease (SD)], no matter whether they received first-or second-line chemotherapy, may have had an improved OS compared with patients with disease progression (PD). Patients who were treated with >2 lines of chemotherapy had an improved OS compared those who ceased treatment following failure of the second-line chemotherapy. The cycle number of chemotherapy that patients received was associated with OS. The site of the primary and metastatic tumors was also associated with OS. Other factors, including gender, age, histological type, whether a radical operation was received, and chemotherapy regimens, had no evident association with survival. The toxicities were generally tolerated. Taken together, the results from the present study have demonstrated that an increased cycle number of effective chemotherapy may prolong the survival of patients with advanced gastric cancer. Differences among the chemotherapy regimens had no clear correlation with survival.

Conversion surgery after combination chemotherapy of docetaxel, cisplatin and S-1 (DCS) for far-advanced gastric cancer

PURPOSE

A triplet regimen of docetaxel, cisplatin, and S-1(DCS) is highly effective against metastatic gastric cancer. We performed this study to clarify the safety and efficacy of surgical resection in patients with initially unresectable gastric cancer, after down-staging or disease control was achieved by DCS chemotherapy.

METHODS

The subjects of this retrospective study were 31 consecutive patients with initially unresectable gastric cancer, who underwent surgical resection between October, 2006 and December, 2012, after down-staging or disease control was achieved by DCS chemotherapy. We evaluated the clinicopathological factors and clinical outcomes and assessed radiographic response based on the RECIST criteria, not by central review.

RESULT

Before DCS chemotherapy, 18 patients had extra-regional lymph node metastasis, 5 had liver metastasis, 8 had macroscopic peritoneal metastasis, and 8 had pancreatic head invasion. Twenty-three (74.2%) of the 31 patients underwent R0 resection. Postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were 16.1 and 0%. During chemotherapy, grade 3/4 toxicities included neutropenia (54.8%), leukopenia (32.3%), and anemia (16.1%). Median progression-free survival and median overall survival (OS) were 42.1 and 56.1 months, respectively. These results were similar for all patients, except those with locally advanced disease alone. In the multivariate analysis for OS, ypN remained an independent negative prognostic factor (p = 0.018).

CONCLUSION

Surgical resection after DCS chemotherapy for initially unresectable gastric cancer was safe and provided a reasonable R0 resection rate and good mid-term survival.

Evaluations of primary lesions by endoscopy clearly distinguishes prognosis in patients with gastric cancer who receive chemotherapy

Background

Chemotherapy may improve outcomes in gastric cancer (GC), especially for the patients with advanced stage. To explore useful predictive factor for GC performing chemotherapy, we compared the tumor responses assessed using computed tomography (CT) with endoscopy based criteria.

Methods

192 GC patients performing chemotherapy were retrospectively studied. CT based response assessment was performed after 2 courses of treatment. Endoscopic evaluation according to The Japanese classification of gastric carcinoma was also performed at same period. Data were correlated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

Results

Majority of the cases (n = 178, 93%) received S-1 based chemotherapy as the first line treatment. 55 (29%) and 91 (47%) cases were considered to be CT and endoscopic responders. Endoscopic responder was more clearly associated with better OS and PFS compared to CT based responder by the log-rank test (P<0.0001 vs. 0.01 and P<0.0001 vs. 0.008, respectively). The association was more striking among patients performing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P<0.0001 vs. 0.15 and P<0.0001 vs. 0.1, respectively). Multivariate survival analysis using Cox's regression model revealed that endoscopic non-responder was the independent predictive factor, being more strongly associated with worse OS when compared to CT non-responder (hazard ratio: 4.60 vs. 1.77, 95% confidence interval: 2.83–7.49 vs.1.08–2.89, P<0.0001 vs. 0.02). More advanced T, N stage and cases who had peritoneal dissemination were significantly associated with endoscopic non-responder (all P values <0.01).

Conclusion

Endoscopy based evaluation of primary lesions are clearly associated with prognosis in patients with GC who perform chemotherapy.

A phase I study of S-1 in combination with nab-paclitaxel in patients with unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

In Japan, S-1, an oral fluoropyrimidine, plus cisplatin is a standard regimen for advanced gastric cancer, whereas nab-paclitaxel is a treatment option. We aimed to evaluate the tolerance, pharmacokinetics, safety, and clinical efficacy of S-1 combined with nab-paclitaxel in patients with advanced gastric cancer in a phase 1 study.

METHODS

The primary objective was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended dose (RD) of S-1 plus nab-paclitaxel. The study was designed in accordance with a standard 3 + 3 method. Patients received 3-week cycles of treatment. S-1 was administered orally at 80 mg/m² twice daily for 14 days, and nab-paclitaxel was administered as an intravenous infusion at 180, 220, or 260 mg/m² on day 1 or 8.

RESULTS

Among the 16 patients enrolled, dose-limiting toxicity was observed in one patient at level 2a (S-1 80 mg/m² twice daily plus nab-paclitaxel 220 mg/m² on day 1). The MTD was not obtained, but the RD was established as level 3a (S-1 80 mg/m² twice daily plus nab-paclitaxel 260 mg/m² on day 1). The most common grade 3-4 toxicity was neutropenia (62.5 %). The overall response rate was 54.5 %. The pharmacokinetic profiles of coadministered S-1 and paclitaxel were comparable to those of nab-paclitaxel or S-1 alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the present results, the RD was determined as level 3a (S-1 80 mg/m² twice daily plus nab-paclitaxel 260 mg/m² on day 1). This combination therapy was well tolerated and showed antitumor efficacy in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Global chemotherapy development for gastric cancer

To combat the dismal mortality rates from metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC), new drugs and treatment strategies are needed. Today, metastatic GAC is predominantly treated by empiric chemotherapy. Combination of two cytotoxic agents has become commonplace in North America, Europe, and Asia. Human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) overexpression (protein or gene copy numbers) has resulted in the addition of trastuzumab in the first-line chemotherapy combination in patients whose tumor is HER2 positive. The addition of trastuzumab in this select population has provided a modest survival advantage. In this review we trace the global development of systemic therapy in patients with metastatic GAC and ponder what lies in the future.

Advanced gastric adenocarcinoma: optimizing therapy options

INTRODUCTION

Gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) is the fifth most common cancer and third leading cause of cancer related mortality worldwide. When localized, cure is achievable with surgery and adjunctive therapies in some patients, however, once advanced, GAC is not a curable condition. Only two targeted agents (trastuzumab and ramucirumab) have been approved and apatinib was approved only in China. Because of the heterogeneous nature of GAC, it is not possible to assess a standard therapeutic approach. Areas covered: In this review, we aimed to describe the optimal systemic therapy regimens for advanced GAC. A literature search was performed to identify all phase II-III studies about advanced GAC from PubMed, clinicaltrials.gov, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) websites. Expert commentary: A combination of a platinum compound and a fluoropyrimidine is ideal as first line therapy. Trastuzumab should be added if the tumor is HER2 positive. In the second line setting, paclitaxel/ramucirumab is preferred over ramucirumab alone. Recently, two similar molecular classifications for GAC have been proposed. A better understanding of molecular and immune biology of GAC could identify new therapeutic targets.

UGT1A1 polymorphisms in cancer: impact on irinotecan treatment

Mutations in the UGT1A1 gene have been implicated in Gilbert syndrome, which shows mild hyperbilirubinemia, and a more aggressive childhood subtype, Crigler–Najjar syndrome. To date, more than 100 variants have been found in the UGT1A1 gene. Among them, UGT1A1*28 and UGT1A1*6 have been reported to be associated with severe toxicities in patients treated with irinotecan-based chemotherapy by increasing the dose of SN-38 (7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin), an active form of irinotecan. Many association studies and meta-analyses have demonstrated the contribution of UGT1A1*28 and UGT1A1*6 polymorphisms to the toxicities caused by irinotecan-based therapy. The aim of this review was to evaluate the impact of these variants upon the toxicities and the efficacy of irinotecan-based chemotherapy.

Conversion therapy of gastric cancer with massive malignant ascites and ovarian metastases by systemic and intraperitoneal chemotherapy

Intravenous and intraperitoneal paclitaxel with S-1 is showing promising results in gastric cancer with peritoneal metastases. We herein report a successful conversion of unresectable to resectable disease using combination chemotherapy with trastuzumab. The patient was a 39-year-old woman with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive gastric cancer with peritoneal, pulmonary and bilateral ovarian metastases. After 6 cycles of S-1 plus cisplatin with trastuzumab, followed by 15 cycles of intravenous and intraperitoneal paclitaxel with S-1 and trastuzumab, the pulmonary and peritoneal metastases exhibited complete response and no evidence of malignancy was found on diagnostic laparoscopy. We performed metastasectomy of the bilateral sizeable ovaries, followed by total gastrectomy. The patient had no recurrence for 16 months after the gastrectomy. Therefore, satisfactory response to systemic and intraperitoneal chemotherapy may convert unresectable to resectable disease, and primary tumor resection with ovarian metastasectomy may prolong survival. This combination chemotherapy has the potential of becoming a conversion therapy for gastric cancer with peritoneal metastases, even if ascites and ovarian metastases are extensive.

S-1 in combination with docetaxel and oxaliplatin in patients with advanced gastro-esophageal adenocarcinoma: two parallel phase 1/2a studies

BACKGROUND

Docetaxel in combination with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is one of several standard chemotherapy regimens for patients with advanced gastro-esophageal adenocarcinoma (aGEA) in Europe. To enable outpatient treatment, we evaluated the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), recommended dose (RD), dose limiting toxicity (DLT) and safety of docetaxel in combination with oxaliplatin (O) and S-1 (DOS) in Caucasian patients with aGEA.

METHODS

We present final results of two parallel phase 1/2a studies (3 + 3 design). Escalating doses of docetaxel and S-1 with fixed dose O were given for 18 weeks every second week (DOS2w) or every third week (DOS3w) followed by S-1 maintenance therapy.

RESULTS

Thirty-four patients (18 in DOS2w and 16 in DOS3w) were enrolled between October 2013 and June 2015. Median age was 65 years (range 49-78). DLT was most often febrile neutropenia. Most common severe non-hematological adverse events were diarrhea (9%) and fatigue (6%). The RD of DOS3w was: docetaxel 50 mg/m², O 100 mg/m² and S-1 25 mg/m² twice daily and of DOS2w was: docetaxel 40 mg/m², O 70 mg/m² and S-1 35 mg/m² twice daily. Overall, response rate was 56%; median progression-free survival was 9.1 months; and median overall survival was 13.2 months in 34 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

At the RD, DOS2w and DOS3w showed an acceptable safety profile in patients with aGEA. Clinical trials ID: NCT-01928524 and EudraCT 2012-005187-10.