Systematic review and non-inferiority meta-analysis of randomised phase II/III trials on S-1-based therapy versus 5-fluorouracil- or capecitabine-based therapy in the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

Case report: Durable response from tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil (S-1) combined with fruquintinib and sintilimab as a third-line treatment for MSS metastatic colorectal cancer with a BRAF V600E mutation

Patients with microsatellite stable (MSS) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who fail first- and second-line treatments face significant challenges in third-line therapy, where monotherapies often yield poor outcomes and limited survival benefits. The prognosis is particularly poor for mCRC with the unique molecular subtype of BRAF V600E mutation. This report describes sustained benefits from a third-line treatment regimen (SFS) combining tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil (S-1), fruquintinib, and sintilimab in a patient with BRAF V600E-mutated MSS mCRC. A 23-year-old woman was admitted with dizziness, and enhanced computed tomography (CT) and colonoscopy revealed colon cancer. Based on pathological and genetic testing, the final diagnosis was colon adenocarcinoma with lymph node and liver metastases (cT3N1M1, stage IVc, BRAF-V600E(+), MSS type). Following progressive disease (PD) after FOLFOX chemotherapy and surgery, the patient received 40 cycles of the SFS regimen (S-1 60 mg bid po d1-14 + fruquintinib 3 mg qd d1-21 + sintilimab 200 mg ivd q3w), achieving stable disease (SD). At the most recent follow-up, the patient has remained in sustained remission for over 3 years. The SFS regimen may be an attractive therapeutic strategy for patients with BRAF V600E-mutated MSS mCRC, warranting further evaluation in a larger patient cohort. We have registered a related clinical study (registration number: ChiCTR2300079188) and hope that the results will bring new hope for patients with MSS mCRC.

Ischemic cardiopathy induced by capecitabine in gastric cancer: The role of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase metabolites

OBJECTIVES

Fluoropyrimidine-based therapies, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and its oral prodrugs, capecitabine and tegafur/oteracil/gimeracil (S-1), are pivotal drugs to treat gastric cancer. Fluoropyrimidines are associated with cardiotoxicity including ischemic cardiopathy. The mechanisms of ischemic cardiopathy are considered to be multifactorial, potentially involving metabolites of 5-FU generated by the dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD). By using Vigibase®, the World Health Organization pharmacovigilance database, we aimed to investigate the implication of the 5-FU metabolites induced by DPD in the occurrence of ischemic cardiopathy in patients with gastric cancer using capecitabine.

METHODS

In Vigibase®, we included serious reports of ischemic cardiopathy with capecitabine and S-1 from January 1st, 2013, to September 16th, 2023. Among patients with gastric cancer, we calculated the reporting odds ratio (ROR) of ischemic cardiopathy to compare capecitabine (a prodrug without DPD antagonist) with S-1 (a prodrug associated with a DPD antagonist). The ROR was also calculated regardless of the drug indication. An ancillary analysis based on the French pharmacovigilance database was also performed. We evaluated the ROR of serious cardiac disorders induced by 5-FU intravenous infusion according to the DPD status (no deficiency versus complete or partial deficiency).

RESULTS

In gastric cancer, 1843 reports (including 23 ischemic cardiopathy) for capecitabine and 2225 reports (including 17 ischemic cardiopathy) for S-1 were included. Median time-to-onset was 7 (3-26) days for capecitabine and 22 (13.25-30) days for S-1. Capecitabine was associated with an increased ROR of ischemic cardiopathy compared with S-1 in gastric cancer (ROR=1.6; [95% CI=1.5-1.8]) and regardless of the indication (7.3; [95% CI=6.6-8.0]). In the ancillary analysis, among 5-FU users, the lack of DPD deficiency increased the ROR for cardiac disorders (2.1; [95% CI=1.9-2.3]) compared to the DPD deficiency.

CONCLUSION

This work supports the role of toxic 5-FU metabolites generated by dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase in the occurrence of ischemic cardiopathy among patients with gastric cancer using capecitabine.

Detailed analysis of metastatic colorectal cancer patients who developed cardiotoxicity on another fluoropyrimidine and switched to S-1 treatment (subgroup analysis of the CardioSwitch-study)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The CardioSwitch-study demonstrated that patients with solid tumors who develop cardiotoxicity on capecitabine or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment can be safely switched to S-1, an alternative fluoropyrimidine (FP). In light of the European Medicines Agency approval of S-1 in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), this analysis provides more detailed safety and efficacy information, and data regarding metastasectomy and/or local ablative therapy (LAT), on the mCRC patients from the original study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective cohort study was conducted at 12 European centers. The primary endpoint was recurrence of cardiotoxicity after switch. For this analysis, safety data are reported for 78 mCRC patients from the CardioSwitch cohort (N = 200). Detailed efficacy and outcomes data were available for 66 mCRC patients.

RESULTS

Data for the safety of S-1 in mCRC patients were similar to the original CardioSwitch cohort and that expected for FP-based treatment, with no new concerns. Recurrent cardiotoxicity (all grade 1) with S-1-based treatment occurred in 4/78 (5%) mCRC patients; all were able to complete FP treatment. Median progression-free survival from initiation of S-1-based treatment was 9.0 months and median overall survival 26.7 months. Metastasectomy and/or LAT was performed in 33/66 (50%) patients, and S-1 was successfully used in recommended neoadjuvant/conversion or adjuvant-like combination regimens and schedules as for standard FPs.

INTERPRETATION

S-1 is a safe and effective FP alternative when mCRC patients are forced to discontinue 5-FU or capecitabine due to cardiotoxicity and can be safely used in the standard recommended regimens, settings, and schedules.

Harnessing the Potential of Real-World Evidence in the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer: Where Do We Stand?

OPINION STATEMENT

Treatment guidelines for colorectal cancer (CRC) are primarily based on the results of randomized clinical trials (RCTs), the gold standard methodology to evaluate safety and efficacy of oncological treatments. However, generalizability of trial results is often limited due to stringent eligibility criteria, underrepresentation of specific populations, and more heterogeneity in clinical practice. This may result in an efficacy-effectiveness gap and uncertainty regarding meaningful benefit versus treatment harm. Meanwhile, conduct of traditional RCTs has become increasingly challenging due to identification of a growing number of (small) molecular subtypes. These challenges-combined with the digitalization of health records-have led to growing interest in use of real-world data (RWD) to complement evidence from RCTs. RWD is used to evaluate epidemiological trends, quality of care, treatment effectiveness, long-term (rare) safety, and quality of life (QoL) measures. In addition, RWD is increasingly considered in decision-making by clinicians, regulators, and payers. In this narrative review, we elaborate on these applications in CRC, and provide illustrative examples. As long as the quality of RWD is safeguarded, ongoing developments, such as common data models, federated learning, and predictive modelling, will further unfold its potential. First, whenever possible, we recommend conducting pragmatic trials, such as registry-based RCTs, to optimize generalizability and answer clinical questions that are not addressed in registrational trials. Second, we argue that marketing approval should be conditional for patients who would have been ineligible for the registrational trial, awaiting planned (non) randomized evaluation of outcomes in the real world. Third, high-quality effectiveness results should be incorporated in treatment guidelines to aid in patient counseling. We believe that a coordinated effort from all stakeholders is essential to improve the quality of RWD, create a learning healthcare system with optimal use of trials and real-world evidence (RWE), and ultimately ensure personalized care for every CRC patient.

The Evaluation of Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase Enzyme Level in the Serum of Colorectal Cancer Iraqi Males on Fluoropyrimidine-Based Chemotherapy (Capecitabine)

The cornerstone of systemic chemotherapy for colorectal cancer (CRC) revolves around fluoropyrimidines. This class encompasses 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), which is administered intravenously, along with its oral prodrug counterpart, capecitabine. Central to the metabolism of both 5-FU and capecitabine is the pivotal enzyme dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD). Operating at the rate-limiting juncture, DPD assumes a critical role. Notably, a deficiency in DPD significantly elevates the risk quotient for encountering unfavorable outcomes linked to the administration of fluoropyrimidines. This study seeks to assess the significance of DPD enzyme levels in the serum of Iraqi colorectal cancer male patients undergoing fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy, specifically with capecitabine. It adopts a case-control design and comprises 80 male participants. Those males are divided into two distinct groups. Group 1 comprises 45 male patients diagnosed with CRC who have experienced relapse subsequent to undergoing chemotherapy based on fluoropyrimidine (capecitabine). Their ages span from 41 to 71 years, and they were treated at the Misan Health Directorate/Misan Center for Tumor Treatment. Group 2 encompasses 35 male patients diagnosed with CRC who underwent fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy (capecitabine) without encountering relapse. Their ages range from 40 to 57 years. All participants were provided with comprehensive information regarding the research, and data collection occurred through a structured questionnaire. Subsequent to capecitabine-based treatment, serum samples were collected from CRC patients (stage III). The findings from this research indicate a notable elevation in DPD enzyme activity. Furthermore, a significant reduction in enzyme activity was observed among patients who experienced relapse, in contrast to those who remained non-relapsed. The results indicate that individuals with an insufficiency in DPD are notably more vulnerable to experiencing severe and potentially life-threatening side effects upon exposure to the commonly utilized chemotherapy drug, 5-FU.

Fluoropyrimidine-induced hand-foot syndrome and cardiotoxicity: recommendations for the use of the oral fluoropyrimidine S-1 in metastatic colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Fluoropyrimidines (FPs) are an essential part of the majority of systemic regimens in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). The use of the oral FP S-1 has been approved by the European Medicines Agency as monotherapy or in combination with oxaliplatin or irinotecan, with or without bevacizumab, for the treatment of patients with metastatic CRC in whom it is not possible to continue treatment with another FP due to hand-foot syndrome (HFS) or cardiovascular toxicity (CVT). Subsequently, this indication has been included in the 2022 ESMO guidelines for metastatic CRC. Recommendations for use in daily practice are not available.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Based on peer-reviewed published data on the use of S-1 in Western patients with metastatic CRC who switched from infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or capecitabine to S-1 for reasons of HFS or CVT, recommendations for its use were formulated by an international group of medical oncologists with expertise in the treatment of metastatic CRC and a cardio-oncologist.

RESULTS

In patients who experience pain and/or functional impairment due to HFS during treatment with capecitabine or infusional 5-FU, a switch to S-1 is recommended without prior dose reduction of capecitabine/5-FU. S-1 should preferably be initiated at full dose when HFS has decreased to grade ≤1. In patients with cardiac complaints, in whom an association with capecitabine or infusional 5-FU treatment cannot be excluded, capecitabine/5-FU should be discontinued and a switch to S-1 is recommended.

CONCLUSIONS

These recommendations should guide clinicians in daily practice in the treatment of patients with metastatic CRC with FP-containing regimens.

Capecitabine-induced hand-foot syndrome: A pharmacogenetic study beyond DPYD

AIM OF THE STUDY

Occurrence of hand-foot syndrome (HFS) during capecitabine treatment often results in treatment interruptions (26 %) or treatment discontinuation (17 %), and can severely decrease quality of life. In this study, we investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes involved in capecitabine metabolism - other than DPYD - are associated with an increased risk for capecitabine-induced HFS.

METHODS

Patients treated with capecitabine according to standard of care were enrolled after providing written informed consent for genotyping purposes. Prospectively collected blood samples were used to extract genomic DNA, which was subsequently genotyped for SNPs in CES1, CES2 and CDA. SNPs and clinical baseline factors that were univariably associated with HFS with P ≤ 0.10, were tested in a multivariable model using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of the 446 patients eligible for analysis, 146 (32.7 %) developed HFS, of whom 77 patients (17.3 %) experienced HFS ≥ grade 2. In the multivariable model, CES1 1165-33 C>A (rs2244613, minor allele frequency 19 %) and CDA 266 + 242 A>G (rs10916825, minor allele frequency 35 %) variant allele carriers were at higher risk of HFS ≥ grade 2 (OR 1.888; 95 %CI 1.075-3.315; P = 0.027 and OR 1.865; 95 %CI 1.087-3.200; P = 0.024, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

We showed that CES1 1165-33 C>A and CDA 266 + 242 A>G are significantly associated with HFS grade 2 and grade 3 in patients treated with capecitabine. Prospective studies should assess whether this increased risk can be mitigated in carriers of these SNPs, when pre-emptive genotyping is being followed by dose adjustment or by alternative treatment by a fluoropyrimidine that is not substrate to CES1, such as S1.

Recognition and release of uridine and hCNT3: From multivariate interactions to molecular design

As a vital target for the development of novel anti-cancer drugs, human concentrative nucleoside transporter 3 (hCNT3) has been widely concerned. Nevertheless, the lack of a comprehensive understanding of molecular interactions and motion mechanism has greatly hindered the development of novel inhibitors against hCNT3. In this paper, molecular recognition of hCNT3 with uridine was investigated with molecular docking, conventional molecular dynamics (CMD) simulations and adaptive steered molecular dynamics (ASMD) simulations; and then, the uridine derivatives with possibly highly inhibitory activity were designed. The result of CMD showed that more water-mediated H-bonds and lower binding free energy both explained higher recognition ability and transported efficiency of hCNT3. While during the ASMD simulation, nucleoside transport process involved the significant side-chain flip of residues F321 and Q142, a typical substrate-induced conformational change. By considering electronegativity, atomic radius, functional group and key H-bonds factors, 25 novel uridine derivatives were constructed. Subsequently, the receptor-ligand binding free energy was predicted by solvated interaction energy (SIE) method to determine the inhibitor c8 with the best potential performance. This work not only revealed molecular recognition and release mechanism of uridine with hCNT3, but also designed a series of uridine derivatives to obtain lead compounds with potential high activity.