Gemcitabine versus cisplatin, epirubicin, fluorouracil, and gemcitabine in advanced pancreatic cancer: a randomised controlled multicentre phase III trial

Exploring external validity of chemotherapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in real life

INTRODUCTION

Cisplatin, nab-paclitaxel, capecitabine, and gemcitabine (PAXG) regimen activity was assessed in a single institution phase II trial (PACT-19) on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The PACT-31 study explored the external validity of PACT-19 results.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients aged ≥18 and ≤75 years with KPS ≥70, and PDAC diagnosis receiving PAXG in the participating institutions were eligible and categorized as follows: A) PACT-19; B) PACT-31-HSR; C) PACT-31-non-HSR. With a sample of 175 patients, assuming a target 1-year overall survival of 60 % for metastatic and of 80 % for non-metastatic patients, the trial will be considered successful with the 1-year OS falling into the 95 % CI.

RESULTS

Data from 68 PACT-19 and 168 PACT-31 patients were retrieved. After 124 events, 1yOS was 52.5 % (95 %CI: 44.6-60.4 %) for metastatic and 80.5 % (95 %CI: 71.9-89.1 %) for non-metastatic patients. Survival overlapped between PACT-19 and PACT-31-HSR (median 17.6 and 17.4 months, p = 0.21) and was significantly shorter in PACT-31-non-HSR (median 11.3 months; p = 0.03). Differences of dose-intensity, use of maintenance therapy, and treatment after progression between PACT-31-HSR and non-HSR were evidenced.

DISCUSSION

PACT-19 results have external validity. The outcome difference between HSR and non-HSR centers endorses the need of creating a hub-and-spoke network aimed at sharing the expertise on rare-diseases.

Efficacy and safety of first-line chemotherapies for patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal disease, often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Systemic chemotherapy is the primary treatment, but direct comparisons of different regimens are limited. This study conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) to compare the efficacy and safety of various chemotherapy regimens, with the unique advantage of only including Phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods

NMA was conducted regarding the searched phase III RCTs by comparing overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and adverse events (AEs) of different chemotherapy protocols.

Results

The analysis included 24 studies with 11470 patients across 25 treatment modalities. Among the chemotherapy regimens evaluated, FOLFIRINOX (fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin) demonstrated the highest OS and PFS, with a risk ratio (logHR) of 4.5 (95 % confidence interval 4.32-4.68) compared to gemcitabine monotherapy. The PEFG regimen (cisplatin, epirubicin, 5-fluorouracil, and gemcitabine) exhibited the highest ORR, with an odds ratio (OR) of 6.67 (2.08-20) compared to gemcitabine monotherapy. Notably, gemcitabine plus sorafenib was associated with the lowest hematological toxicity, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.1 (0.02-0.48).

Conclusion

Combination therapies may offer greater benefits but also cause more toxic effects. However, combinations with targeted agents seem to have fewer adverse reactions.

Oral Delivery of Photopolymerizable Nanogels Loaded with Gemcitabine for Pancreatic Cancer Therapy: Formulation Design, and in vitro and in vivo Evaluations

Background

Gemcitabine (GEM) faces challenges of poor oral bioavailability and extensive first-pass metabolism. Currently, only injectable formulations are available for clinical use. Hence, there is an urgent demand for the development of advanced, efficacious, and user-friendly dosage forms to maintain its status as the primary treatment for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Nanogels (NGs) offer a novel oral drug delivery system, ideal for hydrophilic compounds like GEM. This study aims to develop NGs tailored for GEM delivery, with the goal of enhancing cellular uptake and gastrointestinal permeability for improved administration in PDAC patients.

Methods

We developed cross-linked NGs via photopolymerization of methacryloyl for drug delivery of GEM. We reveal characterization, cytotoxicity, and cellular uptake studies in Caco-2 and MIA PaCa-2 cells. In addition, studies of in vitro permeability and pharmacokinetics were carried out to evaluate the bioavailability of the drug.

Results

Our results show NGs, formed via photopolymerization of methacryloyl, had a spherical shape with a size of 233.91±7.75 nm. Gemcitabine-loaded NGs (NGs-GEM) with 5% GelMA exhibited efficient drug loading (particle size: 244.07±19.52 nm). In vitro drug release from NGs-GEM was slower at pH 1.2 than pH 6.8. Cellular uptake studies indicated significantly enhanced uptake in both MIA PaCa-2 and Caco-2 cells. While there was no significant difference in GEM's AUC and Cmax between NGs-GEM and free-GEM groups, NGs-GEM showed markedly lower dFdU content (10.07 hr∙μg/mL) compared to oral free-GEM (19.04 hr∙μg/mL) after oral administration (p<0.01), highlighting NGs' efficacy in impeding rapid drug metabolism and enhancing retention.

Conclusion

In summary, NGs enhance cellular uptake, inhibit rapid metabolic degradation of GEM, and prolong retention after oral administration. These findings suggest NGs-GEM as a promising candidate for clinical use in oral pancreatic cancer therapy.

Advances in the management of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer remains among the malignancies with the worst outcomes. Survival has been improving, but at a slower rate than other cancers. Multimodal treatment, including chemotherapy, surgical resection, and radiotherapy, has been under investigation for many years. Because of the anatomical characteristics of the pancreas, more emphasis on treatment selection has been placed on local extension into major vessels. Recently, the development of more effective treatment regimens has opened up new treatment strategies, but urgent research questions have also become apparent. This review outlines the current management of pancreatic cancer, and the recent advances in its treatment. The review discusses future treatment pathways aimed at integrating novel findings of translational and clinical research.

Real-world outcomes of cisplatin, capecitabine, and gemcitabine with either epirubicin (PEXG) or docetaxel (PDXG) as first-line palliative treatment in metastatic or unresectable locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

First-line palliative chemotherapy regimens in advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma include triplet chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan, and the doublet of nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine. Use of triplet chemotherapy in real-world populations is limited by tolerability and nab-paclitaxel is not universally available. Regimens using the combination of cisplatin, capecitabine, gemcitabine, and either epirubicin or docetaxel may be better tolerated, more widely available, and similarly effective, but no published real-world data exist.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort review of patients with metastatic or unresectable locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with first-line palliative cisplatin, capecitabine, gemcitabine, and either epirubicin or docetaxel chemotherapy at Auckland City Hospital between July 1, 2013 and July 30, 2020. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes were rates of grade 3 or 4 hematological toxicity, rate of febrile neutropenia, number of cycles received, and reasons for discontinuation.

RESULTS

Eighty-eight patients were included. Median age was 66 years (range 39-79), 28.4% had unresectable, locally advanced disease and 71.6% metastatic disease. Median OS was 8.5 months. Patients stopped treatment due to disease progression (53.4%), completing 12 cycles (19.3%), or toxicity (10.2%). Grade 4 neutropenia was experienced by 21.6%; 10.2% had febrile neutropenia. There were four treatment-related deaths.

CONCLUSION

This retrospective study in a real-world population demonstrates that chemotherapy with cisplatin, capecitabine, and gemcitabine with epirubicin (PEXG) or docetaxel (PDXG) had similar effectiveness to more commonly used combination regimens. PDXG/PEXG are viable alternatives to nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine in countries that have restricted drug funding.

Nab-Paclitaxel in the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Cancers-Improvements in Clinical Efficacy and Safety

Taxanes (paclitaxel and docetaxel) are one of the most useful classes of anticancer drugs. Taxanes are highly hydrophobic; therefore, these drugs must be dissolved in organic solvents (polysorbate or Cremophor EL), which contribute to their toxicities. To reduce this toxicity and to enhance their efficacy, novel formulations have been developed. Nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) is an albumin-stabilized, Cremophor-free, and water-soluble nanoparticle formulation of paclitaxel. Nab-paclitaxel has better solubility and less infusion-associated toxicity compared to solvent-based paclitaxel. Additionally, nab-paclitaxel can be given at higher doses and concentrations compared with solvent-based paclitaxel. Based on its superior clinical efficacy and safety profile, nab-paclitaxel received FDA approval for metastatic breast cancer (2008) and NSCLC (2011). Among gastrointestinal cancers, it is now approved in the USA for treating patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas as first-line therapy in combination with gemcitabine. Furthermore, several clinical trials have suggested the potential efficacy of nab-paclitaxel as a single agent or in combination with other agents for the treatment of metastatic esophageal, gastric, bowel, and biliary tract cancers. Nab-paclitaxel has been demonstrated to have greater overall response rates (ORR) with enhanced progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and a superior safety profile with fewer adverse effects in patients with gastrointestinal tract cancers. This review summarizes the advantages associated with nab-paclitaxel-based regimens in terms of improving clinical efficacy and the safety profile in upper gastrointestinal cancer.

C9orf16 represents the aberrant genetic programs and drives the progression of PDAC

Background

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), constituting 90% of pancreatic cancers, is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Lack of early detection of PDAC contributes to its poor prognosis as patients are often diagnosed at an advanced stage of disease. This is mostly due to the lack of promising diagnostic and therapeutic targets and corresponding drugs.

Methods and results

Here, by bioinformatic analysis of single cell RNA-sequencing data on normal pancreas tissues, primary and metastatic PDAC tumors, we identified a promising PDAC biomarker, C9orf16. The expression of C9orf16, rarely detectable in normal epithelial cells, was upregulated in primary PDAC cancer cells and was further elevated in metastatic PDAC cancer cells. Gain or loss of function of C9orf16 demonstrated its critical functions in regulating the cell proliferation, invasion and chemotherapy resistance of cancer cells. Pathway analysis and functional studies identified MYC signaling pathways as the most activated pathways in regulating C9orf16 expression and in mediating the development and progression of PDAC.

Conclusions

These data suggested a crucial gene regulation system, MYC-C9orf16, which is actively involved in PDAC development and progression, and targeting this system should be a novel diagnostic and therapeutic target for PDAC.

Intraperitoneal chemotherapy in the management of pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cancer represents one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), normothermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (NIPEC), and pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) has been proven with curative intent mainly for other tumors and there is a lack of consensus regarding possible benefits also in pancreatic cancer. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aim to provide an up-to-date overview of the effectiveness and safety of intraperitoneal treatments in the management of pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

A systematic review of articles was conducted according to PRISMA and AMSTAR-2 guidelines. 11 studies were included in the analysis.

RESULTS

We included in our analysis 212 patients subdivided in three groups: 64 in the HIPEC group (57 with prophylactic intent and 7 with curative intent), 55 in the PIPAC group and 93 in the NIPEC group. Primary outcomes were represented by survival rates; we evidenced at an observation time of three years a survival of 24% in the HIPEC group (25.5% in the prophylactic arm and 6.2% in the curative arm), 5.3% in the PIPAC group and 7.9% in the NIPEC group.

CONCLUSIONS

HIPEC could be considered as a promising technique for prophylaxis and treatment of peritoneal metastasis (PM) in case of borderline resectable and locally advanced disease. Increased survival rates emerged without additional morbidity when surgical resection and CRS are possible. In addition, our data about PIPAC and NIPEC as palliative treatment in unresectable disease seems to identify more favorable survival rates compared to literature.

Chrysin-Induced G Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor Activation Suppresses Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer (PC) has a high mortality rate due to its poor prognosis and the possibility of surgical resection in patients with the disease. Importantly, adjuvant chemotherapy is necessary to improve PC prognosis. Chrysin, a natural product with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties, has been studied for several years. Our previous study demonstrated that chrysin induced G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) expression and regulated its activity in breast cancer. Herein, we investigated whether chrysin-induced GPER activation suppresses PC progression in MIA PaCa-2 cells and a xenograft model. To determine its mechanism of action, cytotoxicity and clonogenic assays, a FACS analysis, and Western blotting were performed. Furthermore, the delay in tumor growth was evaluated in the MIA PaCa-2-derived xenograft model. Tumor tissues were investigated by Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and a proteomic analysis. Chrysin caused cell cycle arrest and significantly decreased cell viability. Following co-treatment with chrysin and 17β-estradiol, the inhibitory effect of chrysin on cell proliferation was enhanced. In the xenograft model, chrysin and G1 (a GPER agonist) significantly delayed tumor growth and reduced both Ki-67 (a proliferation marker) and c-Myc expressions in tumor tissues. The proteomic analysis of tumor tissues identified that rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1), transgelin 2 (TAGLN2), and FCH and Mu domain containing endocytic adaptor 2 (FCHO2) levels were significantly reduced in chrysin-treated tumor tissues. High ROCK1, TAGLN2, and FCHO2 expressions were indicative of low overall PC survival as found using the Kaplan–Meier plotter. In conclusion, our results suggest that chrysin suppresses PC progression through the activation of GPER and reductions in ROCK1, TAGLN2, and FCHO2 expressions.

A phase 1b study of OXIRI in pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients and its immunomodulatory effects

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal and debilitating disease with limited therapeutic options. The aim of this clinical study was to evaluate the safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of a novel regimen comprised of metronomic oxaliplatin (O), chronomodulated capecitabine (X) and UGT1A1 genotype-guided dosing of irinotecan (IRI) [OXIRI] as well as its immunomodulatory effects. Thirty-six patients were enrolled into either dose-escalation or expansion cohorts. In the dose escalation phase, capecitabine doses (2000, 2650, 3500 and 4500 mg/day) were administered at midnight on days 1 to 14 while oxaliplatin and irinotecan were intravenously infused at fixed doses of 50 and 75 mg/m2 respectively on days 1, 8 in a 21-day cycle. The maximum tolerated dose of capecitabine was 2650 mg/day and the most common grade 3 adverse events were neutropenia (30.6%) and diarrhea (13.9%). No grade 4 toxicity was observed. UGT1A1-genotype directed dosing resulted in similar exposure levels of irinotecan, SN-38 and SN-38G in all patients. Objective response rate was 22.2%. Median overall survival and progression-free survival were 8.1 and 5.2 months, respectively. Exploratory immunoprofiling by flow cytometry and quantitative spatial localization analysis of infiltrated immune cells performed on biopsy and plasma samples revealed significant declines in CCL22, CCL2 and TNFα levels at end of first cycle and an active host immune response. Our study showed that OXIRI was well-tolerated and exhibited good efficacy, with immunomodulatory effects. It may be considered as an alternative to FOLFIRINOX in patients intolerant to the latter.

The identification of the anthracycline aclarubicin as an effective cytotoxic agent for pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal types of cancer, mainly due to its delayed diagnosis and lack of effective therapeutic options. Therefore, it is imperative to find novel treatment options for PDAC. Here, we tested a series of conventional chemotherapeutics together with anthracycline compounds as single agents or in combination, determining their effectivity against established commercial and patient-derived, low-passage PDAC cell lines. Proliferation and colony formation assays were performed to determine the anticancer activity of anthracyclines; aclarubicin and doxorubicin, on commercial and patient-derived, low-passage PDAC cell lines. In addition, the effect of standard-of-care drugs gemcitabine and individual components of FOLFIRINOX were also investigated. To evaluate which mechanisms of cell death were involved in drug response, cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase was evaluated by western blot. Aclarubicin showed superior antitumor activity compared to other anthracyclines and standard of care drugs (gemcitabine and individual components of FOLFIRINOX) in a patient-derived, low-passage PDAC cell line and in commercial cell lines. Importantly, the combination of gemcitabine and aclarubicin showed a synergistic effect at a dose range where the single agents by themselves were ineffective. In parallel, evaluation of the antitumor activity of aclarubicin demonstrated an apoptotic effect in all PDAC cell lines. Aclarubicin is cytotoxic for commercial and patient-derived low-passage PDAC cell lines, at doses lower than peak serum concentrations for patient treatment. Our findings support a (re)consideration of aclarubicin as a backbone of new combination regimens for pancreatic cancer patients.

Biodegradable Ultrasmall-in-Nano Architectures Loaded with Cisplatin Prodrug in Combination with Ionizing Radiation Induces DNA Damage and Apoptosis in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Considering the dismal survival rate, novel therapeutic strategies are warranted to improve the outcome of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Combining nanotechnology for delivery of chemotherapeutics-preferably radiosensitizing agents-is a promising approach to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of chemoradiation. We assessed the effect of biodegradable ultrasmall-in-nano architectures (NAs) containing gold ultra-small nanoparticles (USNPs) enclosed in silica shells loaded with cisplatin prodrug (NAs-cisPt) combined with ionizing radiation (IR). The cytotoxic effects and DNA damage induction were evaluated in PDAC cell lines (MIA PaCa2, SUIT2-028) and primary culture (PDAC3) in vitro and in the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) in ovo model. Unlike NAs, NAs-cisPt affected the cell viability in MIA PaCa2 and SUIT2-028 cells. Furthermore, NAs-cisPt showed increased γH2AX expression up to 24 h post-IR and reduced β-globin amplifications resulting in apoptosis induction at DNA and protein levels. Similarly, combined treatment of NAs-cisPt + IR in PDAC3 and SUIT2-028 CAM models showed enhanced DNA damage and apoptosis leading to tumor growth delay. Our results demonstrate an increased cytotoxic effect of NAs-cisPt, particularly through its release of the cisplatin prodrug. As cisplatin is a well-known radiosensitizer, administration of cisplatin prodrug in a controlled fashion through encapsulation is a promising new treatment approach which merits further investigation in combination with other radiosensitizing agents.

Comparative Outcomes of First-Line Chemotherapy for Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Among the Regimens Used in Japan: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis

IMPORTANCE

Various first-line chemotherapy treatment regimens for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer have been approved in Japan, including gemcitabine (GEM); fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin combination (FOLFIRINOX); GEM plus albumin-bound paclitaxel (GEM+NPTX), and S-1 (tegafur + gimeracil + oteracil). However, direct comparisons of these chemotherapy regimens are limited.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the short-term and long-term outcomes associated with first-line chemotherapy regimens for metastatic pancreatic cancer compared with chemotherapy regimens recommended in Japanese guidelines.

DATA SOURCES

In this systematic review and network meta-analysis, the bibliographic databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, as well as medical journals published between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2018, were searched for clinical trials comparing chemotherapy regimens.

STUDY SELECTION

Randomized 2-arm clinical trials evaluating first-line chemotherapy for advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer were included.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) Extension Statement for Reporting of Systematic Reviews Incorporating Network Meta-analyses of Health Care Interventions was followed for data abstractions. Data were pooled using a random-effects model. The SIGN 50 Quality Assessment Instrument was used to assess the risk of bias and overall study quality of the selected trials.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary end point was overall survival (OS), and the secondary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) compared with GEM for first-line chemotherapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer. The Kaplan-Meier curve of GEM from the literature and the estimated hazard ratios (HRs) were used to model the long-term associations to calculate the area under the curve (AUC) (person-months) for OS and PFS of each chemotherapy. Sensitivity analyses with multiple functional models were conducted to confirm the long-term estimations.

RESULTS

A total of 22 regimens (25 studies) for OS and a total of 18 regimens (21 studies) for PFS were identified from literature. The total number of participants was 10 186, with 5856 male (57.5%) and 4330 female (42.5%). The FOLFIRINOX and GEM+NPTX regimens were associated with reduction in the risk of death, with an HR of 0.57 (95% CI, 0.41-0.79) and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.55-0.95) compared with GEM, respectively. The curve estimation also showed that FOLFIRINOX had the largest AUC for survival at 15.49 person-months (range, 13.84-15.51 person-months), followed by GEM+NPTX with 12.36 person-months (range, 10.98-12.59 person-months), GEM+ERLO with 10.84 person-months (range, 9.66-11.23 person-months), S-1 with 8.44 person-months (range, 8.26-9.74 person-months), and GEM with 8.10 person-months (range, 7.93-9.38 person-months).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The results of this network meta-analysis support the relative short-term and long-term outcomes associated with first-line chemotherapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer used clinically in Japan.

Phase I/II Study of LDE225 in Combination with Gemcitabine and Nab-Paclitaxel in Patients with Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

BACKGROUND

Desmoplasia is a central feature of the tumor microenvironment in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). LDE225 is a pharmacological Hedgehog signaling pathway inhibitor and is thought to specifically target tumor stroma. We investigated the combined use of LDE225 and chemotherapy to treat PDAC patients.

METHODS

This was a multi-center, phase I/II study for patients with metastatic PDAC establishing the maximum tolerated dose of LDE225 co-administered with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (phase I) and evaluating the efficacy and safety of the treatment combination after prior FOLFIRINOX treatment (phase II). Tumor microenvironment assessment was performed with quantitative MRI using intra-voxel incoherent motion diffusion weighted MRI (IVIM-DWI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI.

RESULTS

The MTD of LDE225 was 200 mg once daily co-administered with gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 and nab-paclitaxel 125 mg/m2. In phase II, six therapy-related grade 4 adverse events (AE) and three grade 5 were observed. In 24 patients, the target lesion response was evaluable. Three patients had partial response (13%), 14 patients showed stable disease (58%), and 7 patients had progressive disease (29%). Median overall survival (OS) was 6 months (IQR 3.9-8.1). Blood plasma fraction (DCE) and diffusion coefficient (IVIM-DWI) significantly increased during treatment. Baseline perfusion fraction could predict OS (>222 days) with 80% sensitivity and 85% specificity.

CONCLUSION

LDE225 in combination with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel was well-tolerated in patients with metastatic PDAC and has promising efficacy after prior treatment with FOLFIRINOX. Quantitative MRI suggested that LDE225 causes increased tumor diffusion and works particularly well in patients with poor baseline tumor perfusion.

Performance status as prognostic factor in phase III trials of first-line chemotherapy of unresectable or metastatic pancreatic cancer: A trial-level meta-analysis

For patients with unresectable or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (mPDAC), there are no standardized prognostic and predictive factors beyond performance status (PS). A poor PS, as defined by Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score of 2 or more, has been related with a detrimental effect of chemotherapy. Therefore, even more trials enrolled patients with good PS. The current analysis aims to evaluate the results of PS as a prognostic factor in phase III trials of patients with mPDAC receiving first-line chemotherapy. A literature search on two databases, from 2000 to 2019, and a further selection of clinical trials were performed by predefined criteria. Twelve phase III studies have been included in the analysis: the trials, enrolling 5619 patients, confirmed the worse prognosis of patients with higher ECOG PS scores (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-1.74; p-value < 0.001), and a similar trend was evident for patients with an ECOG PS 1 versus 0 (HR = 1.61; 95% CI, 1.43-1.80; p-value < 0.001) in six studies, enrolling 2799 patients. Heterogeneity of trials was high, with I²  = 91%. Some possible moderators have been suggested, such as the number of drugs in the chemotherapy regimen and the male gender. In conclusion, a low ECOG PS score appears to be related with a longer survival even in trials that excluded patients with an ECOG PS 2 score, but the meta-analyses reported high heterogeneity and publication bias.

Overcoming the Tumor Microenvironmental Barriers of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinomas for Achieving Better Treatment Outcomes

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive disease with the lowest survival rate among all solid tumors. The lethality of PDAC arises from late detection and propensity of the tumor to metastasize and develop resistance against chemo and radiation therapy. A highly complex tumor microenvironment composed of dense stroma, immune cells, fibroblast, and disorganized blood vessels, is the main obstacle to current PDAC therapy. Despite the tremendous success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in cancers, PDAC remains one of the poorest responders of ICIs therapy. The immunologically "cold" phenotype of PDAC is attributed to the low mutational burden, high infiltration of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and T-regs, contributing to a significant immunotherapy resistance mechanism. Thus, the development of innovative strategies for turning immunologically "cold" tumor into "hot" ones is an unmet need to improve the outcome of PDAC ICIs therapies. Other smart strategies, such as nanomedicines, sonic Hedgehog inhibitor, or smoothened inhibitor, are discussed to enhance chemotherapeutic agents' efficiency by disrupting the PDAC stroma. This review highlights the current challenges and various preclinical and clinical strategies to overcome current PDAC therapy difficulties, thus significantly advancing PDAC research knowledge.

Two decades of research toward the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer: Remarkable effort and limited gain

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive malignancy that is diagnosed at the locally advanced or metastatic stage in approximately 80% of cases. Relative to other tumor types, progress in the treatment of this disease has been painfully slow. While agents targeting DNA repair have proven successful in a subset of patients, the majority of PDACs do not exhibit validated molecular targets. Hence, conventional chemotherapy remains at the forefront of therapy for this disease. In this review, we study two decades of efforts to improve upon the gemcitabine backbone - 67 phase II and III trials enrolling 16,446 patients - that culminated in the approvals of gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (Gem/NabP) and FOLFIRINOX. Today, these remain gold standards for the first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable and metastatic PDAC, while ongoing efforts focus on improving upon the Gem/NabP backbone. Because real world data often do not reflect the data of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), we also summarize the retrospective evidence comparing the efficacy of Gem/NabP and FOLFIRINOX in the first-line setting - 29 studies reporting a median overall survival of 10.7 and 9.1 months for FOLFIRINOX and Gem/NabP, respectively. These values are surprisingly comparable to those reported by the pivotal RCTs at 11.1 and 8.5 months. Finally, there is a paucity of RCT data regarding the efficacy of second-line therapy. Hence, we conclude this review by summarizing the data that ultimately demonstrate a small but significant survival benefit of second-line therapy with Gem/NabP or FOLFIRINOX. Collectively, these studies describe the long journey, the steady effort, and the myriad lessons to be learned from 20 years of PDAC trials to inform strategies for success in clinical trials moving forward.

Simultaneous microRNA-612 restoration and 5-FU treatment inhibit the growth and migration of human PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells

Despite the recent advances in the treatment of other cancers, the 5-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer remains under 9 %. Chemotherapy and surgical resection are the most common therapy methods. The regulatory role of microRNAs in different types of cancer has given them therapeutic importance. miR-612 has been downregulated in colorectal, bladder, liver, and some other types of cancer and could be considered a tumor-suppressor miRNA. 5-FU is one of the most common chemotherapeutic agents used in pancreatic cancer treatment, which is used in multiple drug regimens and combinatorial therapy methods. The aim of this study is the evaluation of miR-612 restoration in the PANC-1 cell line and using the tumor-suppressive effect of it in combination with 5-FU on cell growth and migration. MiR-612 mimic was transfected to PANC-1 cells through electroporation. Following the transfection, expression levels of miR-612 and BAX, BCL-2, Caspase-3, MMP9, and PD-L1 genes were measured by qRT-PCR. MTT assay was used to determine the cytotoxicity of miR-612 and 5-FU on PANC-1 cell viability. To confirm MTT results and to evaluate the quantitative effect of apoptosis induction flow cytometry test was used and in order to confirm apoptosis test results and cell cycle arrest evaluation DAPI staining and cell, cycle tests were conducted, respectively. Finally, to assess the inhibitory effect of miR-612 in combination with 5-FU on migration and growth wound healing and colony formation assays were used, respectively. Results demonstrated that miR-612 alongside 5-FU has an important role in the inhibition of migration and growth and also apoptosis induction in PANC-1 cells and could be considered as a supporting agent of chemotherapy and a novel therapeutic modality in pancreatic cancer treatment.

Multidrug regimens for treatment of older patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Older patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (MPDAC) are under-represented in clinical trials.

METHODS

Our single-center, retrospective study enrolled MPDAC patients ≥ 70 treated with chemotherapy RESULTS: 105 patients were divided in groups based on the received treatments: 44 gemcitabine or capecitabine monotherapy (A), 34 nabpaclitaxel-gemcitabine (B) 27 4-drugs combinations (gemcitabine, cisplatin, capecitabine plus either nab-paclitaxel or epirubicin or docetaxel) (C). Group A: median age was 78 (70-87) and Karnofsky performance status (KPS) ≥80 was found in 84% of patients; Group B: median age 77 (71-84) and KPS ≥ 80 in 88% of patients; Group C: median age 73 (70-78) and KPS ≥ 80 in 93% of patients. Median OS was 7.9, 11.7 and 14.2 months in group A, B and C respectively; 1 and 2-year OS were 27% and 8% in group A; 44% and 5% in group B; 52% and 22% in group C. When lung metastatic only patients were excluded, patients <75 and ≥ 75 had similar OS in group A (6.4 vs 5.6 months) and in group B (12.3 vs 11.1 months). In group B grade 3 thrombocytopenia, fatigue and peripheral neuropathy were more frequent in patients ≥ 75.

CONCLUSIONS

In older patients, combination chemotherapy shows acceptable feasibility and promising efficacy.

A Critical Overview of Systematic Reviews of Chemotherapy for Advanced and Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer using both AMSTAR2 and ROBIS as Quality Assessment Tools

BACKGROUND

We performed a critical overview of published systematic reviews (SRs) of chemotherapy for advanced and locally advanced pancreatic cancer, and evaluated their quality using AMSTAR2 and ROBIS tools.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PubMed and Cochrane Central Library were searched for SRs on 13th June 2020. SRs with meta-analysis which included only randomized controlled trials and that had assessed chemotherapy as one of the treatment arms were included. The outcome measures, which were looked into, were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse events (AEs) of grade 3 or above. Two reviewers independently assessed all the SRs with both ROBIS and AMSTAR2.

RESULTS

Out of the 1,879 identified records, 26 SRs were included for the overview. Most SRs had concluded that gemcitabine-based combination regimes, prolonged OS and PFS, but increased the incidence of grade 3-4 toxicities when compared to gemcitabine monotherapy, but survival benefits were not consistent when gemcitabine was combined with molecular targeted agents. As per ROBIS, 24/26 SRs had 'high' risk of bias, with only 1/26 SR having 'low' risk of bias. As per AMSTAR2, 25/26 SRs had 'critically low', and 1/26 SR had 'low' confidence in the results. The study which scored 'low risk of bias' in ROBIS scored 'low confidence in results' in AMSTAR2. The inter- rater reliability for scoring the overall confidence in the SRs with AMSTAR2 and the overall domain in ROBIS was substantial; ROBIS: kappa=0.785, SEM=0.207, p<0.001; AMSTAR2: kappa= 0.649, SEM=0.323, p<0.001.

CONCLUSION

Gemcitabine-based combination regimens can prolong OS and PFS but also worsen AEs when compared to gemcitabine monotherapy. The included SRs have an overall low methodological quality and high risk of bias as per AMSTAR2 and ROBIS respectively.

Maintenance therapies in metastatic pancreatic cancer: present and future with a focus on PARP inhibitors

Metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) are now more effectively controlled using chemotherapy combinations such as FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (NabP) regimens with a subset of patients who achieve a sustained tumor stabilization or response. The next challenge is to design maintenance therapies that result in continued tumor control with minimal toxicity. Quality of life should always be a priority in these patients with prolonged survival. Gradually tapering off the intensity of chemotherapy by suppressing drug(s) in the combination is one option. Thus, maintenance with 5-fluorouracil or gemcitabine as single agents after FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine-NabP induction, respectively, seems to be a promising approach to minimize neurotoxicity while maintaining efficacy. Another option is to introduce maintenance drug(s) with different anti-tumoral actions. The recent example of olaparib in patients with BRCA mutated PDAC provides a promising proof-of-concept of a switch maintenance strategy in this setting.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Diagnosis, Treatment and Follow-Up of Exocrine Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Evidence Evaluation and Recommendations by the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM)

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in women (7%) and the sixth in men (5%) in Italy, with a life expectancy of around 5% at 5 years. From 2010, the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM) developed national guidelines for several cancers. In this report, we report a summary of clinical recommendations of diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of PDAC, which may guide physicians in their current practice. A panel of AIOM experts in upper gastrointestinal cancer malignancies discussed the available scientific evidence supporting the clinical recommendations.

Clinical and immune responses to anti-CD3 x anti-EGFR bispecific antibody armed activated T cells (EGFR BATs) in pancreatic cancer patients

Purpose

This was a phase I/II adoptive T cell trial in 7 locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer patients using 3–8 infusions of anti-CD3 x anti-EGFR bispecific antibody armed activated T cells (BATs) to determine safety, the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), immune responses, time to progression (TTP), and overall survival (OS). Study Design: T cells obtained by apheresis were expanded and armed with EGFRBi, cryopreserved for infusions. In a phase I dose escalation, five patients received three weekly infusions of 10–40 × 10⁹ BATs/infusion followed by a booster infusion 3 months later, and 2 patients received 8 infusions twice weekly for 4 weeks in a phase II. The trials were registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01420874 and NCT02620865. Results: There were no dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs), and the targeted dose of 80 × 10⁹ BATs was met. The median TTP is 7 months, and the median OS is 31 months. Two patients had stable disease for 6.5 and 25+ months, and two patients developed complete responses (CRs) after restarting chemotherapy. Infusions of BATs induced anti-pancreatic cancer cytotoxicity, innate immune responses, cytokine responses (IL-12, IP-10), and shifts in CD4 and CD8 Vβ repertoire with enhanced cytoplasmic IFN-γ staining in the Vβ repertoire of the CD8 subset that suggest specific clonal TCR responses. Conclusions: Infusions of BATs are safe, induce endogenous adaptive anti-tumor responses, and may have a potential to improve overall survival.

Impact of circulating tumor DNA in hepatocellular and pancreatic carcinomas

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and pancreatic cancer (PC) belong to the most lethal malignancies worldwide. Despite advances in surgical techniques and perioperative multidisciplinary management, the prognosis of both carcinoma entities remains poor mainly because of rapid tumor progression and early dissemination with diagnosis in advanced tumor stages with poor sensitivity to current therapy regimens. Both highly heterogeneous visceral carcinomas exhibit unique somatic alterations, but share common driver genes and mutations as well. Recently, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) could be identified as a liquid biopsy tool with huge potential as non-invasive biomarker in early diagnosis and prognosis. CtDNA released from necrotic or apoptotic cells of primary tumors, metastasis, and circulating tumor cells can reveal genetic and epigenetic alterations with tumor-specific and individual mutation and methylation profiles. In this article, we focus on clinical impact of ctDNA as potential biomarker in patients with HCC and PC.

Matrix Metalloproteases in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Key Drivers of Disease Progression?

Pancreatic cancer is a dismal disorder that is histologically characterized by a dense fibrotic stroma around the tumor cells. As the extracellular matrix comprises the bulk of the stroma, matrix degrading proteases may play an important role in pancreatic cancer. It has been suggested that matrix metalloproteases are key drivers of both tumor growth and metastasis during pancreatic cancer progression. Based upon this notion, changes in matrix metalloprotease expression levels are often considered surrogate markers for pancreatic cancer progression and/or treatment response. Indeed, reduced matrix metalloprotease levels upon treatment (either pharmacological or due to genetic ablation) are considered as proof of the anti-tumorigenic potential of the mediator under study. In the current review, we aim to establish whether matrix metalloproteases indeed drive pancreatic cancer progression and whether decreased matrix metalloprotease levels in experimental settings are therefore indicative of treatment response. After a systematic review of the studies focusing on matrix metalloproteases in pancreatic cancer, we conclude that the available literature is not as convincing as expected and that, although individual matrix metalloproteases may contribute to pancreatic cancer growth and metastasis, this does not support the generalized notion that matrix metalloproteases drive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression.

Time to CA19-9 nadir: a clue for defining optimal treatment duration in patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Defining optimal treatment duration in patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) receiving primary chemotherapy is an unmet need. The role of time to CA19-9 nadir and of nadir magnitude was explored in this study.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The databases of our institution's prospective trials were queried to speculate on the time to maximum chemotherapy response. Patients with pathologically proven, metastatic (N = 356) or non-metastatic non-resected (N = 163) PDAC and elevated baseline (> 34 UI/mL) CA19-9 were analyzed. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by means of the log-rank test for analyses including at least 45 patients. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate clinical features for their association with OS. All probability values were from two-sided tests.

RESULTS

Time to CA19-9 nadir was ≥ 4 months in 184 of 346 (53%) metastatic and 121 of 163 (74%) non-metastatic patients (p = 0.002). The likelihood of a later nadir was higher with taxane-based chemotherapy as compared to taxane-free combinations (73% versus 56%; p = 0.02). Both metastatic and non-metastatic patients had significantly longer survival when nadir occurred later. Patients with a larger CA19-9 nadir magnitude had significantly longer survival. Metastatic patients with CA19-9 reduced by < 50%, 50-89%, or > 89% and had a median survival of 7.4, 9.8, and 14.7 months, respectively (p ≤ 0.001 for all comparisons). The corresponding figures for non-metastatic patients were 10.6; 17.0; and 18.7 months, respectively (p ≤ 0.02 for < 50% versus 50-89% or > 89%; p = 0.14 for 50-89% versus > 89%). Multivariable analyses showed that time to CA19-9 nadir but not CA19-9 nadir magnitude was independently predictive of survival.

CONCLUSION

The present study suggests that a 4-6 months program might be a more suitable candidate for prospective assessment in comparison to shorter pre-defined period in patients who are candidates to surgery after primary chemotherapy.

Exosomes derived from cancer stem cells of gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cells enhance drug resistance by delivering miR-210

PURPOSE

Gemcitabine (GEM)-based chemotherapy is the first-line treatment for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. GEM resistance, however, remains a significant clinical challenge. Here, we investigated whether exosomes derived from GEM-resistant pancreatic cancer stem cells (CSCs) mediate cell-cell communication between cells that are sensitive or resistant to GEM and, by doing so, regulate drug resistance.

METHODS

GEM-sensitive BxPC-3-derived Bx_S and PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells were cultured with exosomes extracted from CSCs isolated from GEM-resistant BxPC-3-derived Bx_R cells (Bx_R-CSC). The effect of exosomes on drug resistance, cell cycle progression, apoptosis and miRNA expression was evaluated in Bx_S and PANC-1 cells. Relevant miRNAs associated with GEM resistance were identified and the role of miR-210 in conferring drug resistance was examined in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

Bx_R-CSC-derived exosomes induced GEM resistance, inhibited GEM-induced cell cycle arrest, antagonized GEM-induced apoptosis, and promoted tube formation and cell migration in Bx_S and PANC-1 cells. Elevated miR-210 expression levels were detected in Bx_R-CSCs and Bx_R-CSC-derived exosomes compared to those in Bx_S-CSCs and Bx_S-CSC-derived exosomes. In addition, increased expression levels of miR-210 were observed in Bx_S and PANC-1 cells cultured with Bx_R-CSC-derived exosomes upon exposure to GEM in a dose-dependent manner. Also, a series of biological changes was observed in Bx_S cells after transfection with miR-210 mimics, including activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, and these changes were similar to those triggered by Bx_R-CSC-derived exosomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that exosomes derived from GEM-resistant pancreatic cancer stem cells mediate the horizontal transfer of drug-resistant traits to GEM-sensitive pancreatic cancer cells by delivering miR-210.

Evaluation of Phase II Trial Design in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

OBJECTIVES

We evaluated how well phase II trials in locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer (LAMPC) meet current recommendations for trial design.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of phase II first-line treatment trial for LAMPC. We assessed baseline characteristics, type of comparison, and primary end point to examine adherence to the National Cancer Institute recommendations for trial design.

RESULTS

We identified 148 studies (180 treatment arms, 7505 participants). Forty-seven (32%) studies adhered to none of the 5 evaluated National Cancer Institute recommendations, 62 (42%) followed 1, 31 (21%) followed 2, and 8 (5%) followed 3 recommendations. Studies varied with respect to the proportion of patients with good performance status (range, 0%-80%) and locally advanced disease (range, 14%-100%). Eighty-two (55%) studies concluded that investigational agents should progress to phase III testing; of these, 24 (16%) had documented phase III trials. Three (8%) phase III trials demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements for investigational agents. One of 38 phase II trials that investigated biological investigational agents was enriched for a biomarker.

CONCLUSIONS

Phase II trials do not conform well to current recommendations for trial design in LAMPC.

An update on treatment options for pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal solid organ tumors. Due to the rising incidence, late diagnosis, and limited treatment options, it is expected to be the second leading cause of cancer deaths in high income countries in the next decade. The multidisciplinary treatment of this disease depends on the stage of cancer at diagnosis (resectable, borderline, locally advanced, and metastatic disease), and combines surgery, chemotherapy, chemoradiotherapy, and supportive care. The landscape of multidisciplinary pancreatic cancer treatment is changing rapidly, especially in locally advanced disease, and the number of treatment options in metastatic disease, including personalized medicine, innovative targets, immunotherapy, therapeutic vaccines, adoptive T-cell transfer, or stemness inhibitors, will probably expand in the near future. This review summarizes the current literature and provides an overview of how new therapies or new therapeutic strategies (neoadjuvant therapies, conversion surgery) will guide multidisciplinary disease management, future clinical trials, and, hopefully, will increase overall survival.

Impact on health-related quality of life deterioration-free survival of a first-line therapy combining nab-paclitaxel plus either gemcitabine or simplified leucovorin and fluorouracil for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer: Results of the randomized phase II AFUGEM GERCOR clinical trial

BACKGROUND

The phase II AFUGEM GERCOR trial aimed to assess the efficacy of a first-line therapy combining nab-paclitaxel plus either gemcitabine (gemcitabine group) or simplified leucovorin and fluorouracil (sLV5FU2 group) in patients with previously untreated metastatic pancreatic cancer. Results of progression-free survival at 4 months (primary endpoint) were in favor of the sLV5FU2 group. This paper presents health-related quality of life (HRQoL) data as a secondary endpoint.

METHODS

HRQoL was assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire at baseline and at each chemotherapy cycle until the end of treatment. The HRQoL deterioration-free survival (QFS) was used as a modality of longitudinal analysis. QFS was defined as the time between randomization and the first definitive HRQoL score deterioration as compared to the baseline score, or death. Sensitivity analysis was performed excluding death as an event. Univariate Cox models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 90% confidence intervals (CIs) of the treatment effect.

RESULTS

Between 2013 and 2014, 114 patients were randomized in a 1:2 ratio (39 in the gemcitabine group and 75 in the sLV5FU2 group). Patients in the sLV5FU2 group seemed to present longer QFS than those of the gemcitabine group for 14 out of 15 dimensions, with HRs < 1. Results of the sensitivity analysis excluding death as an event were significantly in favor of the sLV5FU2 group for physical functioning (HR = 0.51 [90% CI 0.27-0.97]) and pain (HR = 0.26 [90% CI 0.09-0.74]).

CONCLUSION

The nab-paclitaxel plus simplified leucovorin and fluorouracil combination had no negative impact in exploratory HRQoL analyses.

miRNA Predictors of Pancreatic Cancer Chemotherapeutic Response: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

pancreatic cancer (PC) has increasing incidence and mortality in developing countries, and drug resistance is a significant hindrance to the efficacy of successful treatment. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between miRNAs and response to chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer patients.

METHODS

the systematic review and meta-analysis was based on articles collected from a thorough search of PubMed and Science Direct databases for publications spanning from January 2008 to December 2018. The articles were screened via a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria based on the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Data was extracted, collated and tabulated in MS Excel for further synthesis. Hazard ratio (HR) was selected as the effect size metric to be pooled across studies for the meta-analysis, with the random effects model being applied. Subgroup analysis was also conducted, and the presence of publication bias in the selected studies was assessed. Publication bias of the included studies was quantified.

FINDINGS

of the 169 articles screened, 43 studies were included in our systematic review and 13 articles were included in the meta-analysis. Gemcitabine was observed to be the principal drug used in a majority of the studies. A total of 48 miRNAs have been studied, and 18 were observed to have possible contributions to chemoresistance, while 15 were observed to have possible contributions to chemosensitivity. 41 drug-related genetic pathways have been identified, through which the highlighted miRNA may be affecting chemosensitivity/resistance. The pooled HR value for overall survival was 1.603; (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.2-2.143; p-value: 0.01), with the subgroup analysis for miR-21 showing HR for resistance of 2.061; 95% CI 1.195-3.556; p-value: 0.09.

INTERPRETATION

our results highlight multiple miRNAs that have possible associations with modulation of chemotherapy response in pancreatic cancer patients. Further studies are needed to discover the molecular mechanisms underlying these associations before they can be suggested for use as biomarkers of response to chemotherapeutic interventions in pancreatic cancer.

Clinical impact of different exosomes' protein expression in pancreatic ductal carcinoma patients treated with standard first line palliative chemotherapy

INTRODUCTION

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is associated to dismal prognosis despite the use of palliative chemotherapy, partly due to the lack of knowledge of biological processes underlying disease progression. Exosomes have been identified as biomarkers sources in different cancer types. Aim of the study was to analyse the contents of circulating exosomes in patients with pancreatic cancer who received palliative chemotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients were submitted to blood sample collection before chemotherapy (T0) and after 3 months (T3). We quantified by an ELISA-based technique specific proteins of cancer-derived exosomes (CD44,CD44v6,EpCAM,CD9,CD81,Tspan8,Integrin α6,Integrin β4,CD24,CXCR4). We correlated the baseline levels of these factors and changes between T3 and T0 and survival outcomes. Survival analyses were performed by Kaplan-Meier method. Correlation was assessed by log-rank test and level of statistical significance was set at 0.05. Multivariate analysis was performed by logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Nineteen patients were enrolled. EpCAM T0 levels and increased EpCAM levels from T0 to T3 were those mostly associated with differences in survival. Patients having higher EpCAM had median progression free survival (PFS) of 3.18vs7.31 months (HR:2.82,95%CI:1.03-7.73,p = 0.01). Overall survival (OS) was shorter for patients having higher EpCAM (5.83vs16.45 months,HR:6.16,95%CI:1.93-19.58,p = 0.0001) and also response rates (RR) were worse (20%vs87%,p = 0.015). EpCAM increase during treatment was associated with better median PFS (2.88vs7.31 months,HR:0.24,95%CI:0.04-1.22,p = 0.003). OS was also better (8.75vs11.04 months, HR:0.77,95%CI:0.21-2.73,p = 0.66) and RR were 60%vs20% (p = 0.28). Among clinical factors that might determine changes on PFS and OS, only ECOG PS was associated to significantly worse PFS and OS (p = 0.0137and<0.001 respectively).Multivariate analysis confirmed EpCAM T0 levels and EpCAM T0/T3 changes as independent prognostic factors for PFS.

CONCLUSIONS

Pancreatic cancer patients exosomes express EpCAM, whose levels change during treatment. This represents a useful prognostic factor and also suggests that future treatment modalities who target EpCAM should be tested in pancreatic cancer patients selected by exosome EpCAM expression.

Use of Machine-Learning Algorithms in Intensified Preoperative Therapy of Pancreatic Cancer to Predict Individual Risk of Relapse

Background: Although surgical resection is the only potentially curative treatment for pancreatic cancer (PC), long-term outcomes of this treatment remain poor. The aim of this study is to describe the feasibility of a neoadjuvant treatment with induction polychemotherapy (IPCT) followed by chemoradiation (CRT) in resectable PC, and to develop a machine-learning algorithm to predict risk of relapse. Methods: Forty patients with resectable PC treated in our institution with IPCT (based on mFOLFOXIRI, GEMOX or GEMOXEL) followed by CRT (50 Gy and concurrent Capecitabine) were retrospectively analyzed. Additionally, clinical, pathological and analytical data were collected in order to perform a 2-year relapse-risk predictive population model using machine-learning techniques. Results: A R0 resection was achieved in 90% of the patients. After a median follow-up of 33.5 months, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 18 months and median overall survival (OS) was 39 months. The 3 and 5-year actuarial PFS were 43.8% and 32.3%, respectively. The 3 and 5-year actuarial OS were 51.5% and 34.8%, respectively. Forty-percent of grade 3-4 IPCT toxicity, and 29.7% of grade 3 CRT toxicity were reported. Considering the use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors, the number of resected lymph nodes, the presence of perineural invasion and the surgical margin status, a logistic regression algorithm predicted the individual 2-year relapse-risk with an accuracy of 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.56–0.84, p = 0.005). The model-predicted outcome matched 64% of the observed outcomes in an external dataset. Conclusion: An intensified multimodal neoadjuvant approach (IPCT + CRT) in resectable PC is feasible, with an encouraging long-term outcome. Machine-learning algorithms might be a useful tool to predict individual risk of relapse. A small sample size and therapy heterogeneity remain as potential limitations.

Biological characteristics of gene expression features in pancreatic cancer cells induced by proton and X-ray irradiation

BACKGROUND

Radiation therapy is an important alternative treatment for advanced cancer. The aim of the current study was to disclose distinct alterations of the biological characteristics of gene expression features in pancreatic cancer cells, MIAPaCa-2, following proton and X-ray irradiation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using cDNA microarray, we examined the gene expression alterations of MIAPaCa-2 cells following proton or X-ray irradiation. We also isolated the surviving MIAPaCa-2 cells after irradiation and analyzed their gene expression profiles.

RESULTS

Although the cytocidal effects of both types of irradiation were similar at sufficient doses in vitro and in vivo, the affected gene expression profile alterations of MIAPaCa-2 cells irradiated with protons were distinct from those irradiated with X-ray. Interestingly, clustering analysis of gene expression of the surviving MIAPaCa-2 cells was also completely discernible between the two types of irradiation. However, a similar cytocidal effect was still observed in the proton- and X-ray-irradiated surviving cells after re-irradiation, commonly showing biological effects related to apoptosis and cell cycle processes.

CONCLUSIONS

Proton irradiation treatment for pancreatic cancer provides the distinct biological effect of steady gene expression alterations compared to X-ray irradiation; however, surviving cells from both types of irradiation were still susceptible to the cytocidal effects induced by proton re-irradiation treatment.

Development of novel diagnostic system for pancreatic cancer, including early stages, measuring mRNA of whole blood cells

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most life-threating disease among all digestive system malignancies. We developed a blood mRNA PDAC screening system using real-time detection PCR to detect the expression of 56 genes, to discriminate PDAC from noncancer subjects. We undertook a clinical study to assess the performance of the developed system. We collected whole blood RNA from 53 PDAC patients, 102 noncancer subjects, 22 patients with chronic pancreatitis, and 23 patients with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms in a per protocol analysis. The sensitivity of the system for PDAC diagnosis was 73.6% (95% confidence interval, 59.7%-84.7%). The specificity for noncancer volunteers, chronic pancreatitis, and patients with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms was 64.7% (54.6%-73.9%), 63.6% (40.7%-82.8%), and 47.8% (26.8%-69.4%), respectively. Importantly, the sensitivity of this system for both stage I and stage II PDAC was 78.6% (57.1%-100%), suggesting that detection of PDAC by the system is not dependent on the stage of PDAC. These results indicated that the screening system, relying on assessment of changes in mRNA expression in blood cells, is a viable alternative screening strategy for PDAC.

Consensus statement on mandatory measurements in pancreatic cancer trials (COMM-PACT) for systemic treatment of unresectable disease

Variations in the reporting of potentially confounding variables in studies investigating systemic treatments for unresectable pancreatic cancer pose challenges in drawing accurate comparisons between findings. In this Review, we establish the first international consensus on mandatory baseline and prognostic characteristics in future trials for the treatment of unresectable pancreatic cancer. We did a systematic literature search to find phase 3 trials investigating first-line systemic treatment for locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer to identify baseline characteristics and prognostic variables. We created a structured overview showing the reporting frequencies of baseline characteristics and the prognostic relevance of identified variables. We used a modified Delphi panel of two rounds involving an international panel of 23 leading medical oncologists in the field of pancreatic cancer to develop a consensus on the various variables identified. In total, 39 randomised controlled trials that had data on 15 863 patients were included, of which 32 baseline characteristics and 26 prognostic characteristics were identified. After two consensus rounds, 23 baseline characteristics and 12 prognostic characteristics were designated as mandatory for future pancreatic cancer trials. The COnsensus statement on Mandatory Measurements in unresectable PAncreatic Cancer Trials (COMM-PACT) identifies a mandatory set of baseline and prognostic characteristics to allow adequate comparison of outcomes between pancreatic cancer studies.

Systemic treatment of pancreatic cancer revisited

Pancreatic cancer is considered to be one of the most aggressive cancers. For unknown reasons, the incidence of pancreatic cancer is slowly rising and so too are mortality rates. Over 75% of patients are diagnosed with locally advanced disease or with metastases; and more than 95% of patients have metastases at diagnosis or will develop metastases during their follow-up. Despite recent improvements in the therapy of pancreatic cancer, initially with demonstration of the activity of the FOLFIRINOX regimen and subsequently the approval of nab-paclitaxel in combination with gemcitabine, prognosis remains poor and the 5-year survival rate is less than 5%. To date, neither personalized medicine nor immunotherapy, the 2 recent revolutions of cancer treatment, have delivered major positive results in the treatment of pancreatic cancer; and it is especially clear that immune checkpoint inhibitors will not become a major tool in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. There are many ongoing studies, including those exploring combinations of chemotherapy with immunotherapy. Vaccines or T cells modified with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T cells) could also play a role in the treatment of cancer in the future. The aim of this review is to discuss recent improvements in standard of care, major obstacles to overcome, recent results of new treatment combinations, and the most interesting innovative approaches.

Pancreatic cancer: French clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up (SNFGE, FFCD, GERCOR, UNICANCER, SFCD, SFED, SFRO, ACHBT, AFC)

BACKGROUND

This document is a summary of the French intergroup guidelines regarding the management of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PA), updated in July 2018.

DESIGN

This collaborative work was produced under the auspices of all French medical and surgical societies involved in the management of PA. It is based on the previous guidelines, recent literature review and expert opinions. Recommendations were graded in three categories, according to the level of evidence.

RESULTS

Over the last seven years, significant changes in PA management have been implemented in clinical practice. Imaging/staging: diffusion magnetic resonance imaging is useful before surgery to rule out small liver metastases.

SURGERY

centralization of pancreatic surgery in expert centers is associated with a decreased postoperative mortality. Adjuvant chemotherapy: modified FOLFIRINOX in fit patients, or gemcitabine, or 5-FU, or gemcitabine plus capecitabine, to be discussed on a case-by-case basis. Locally advanced PA: no survival benefit of chemoradiotherapy. Metastatic PA: FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel combination are first-line standards in fit patients; second-line with 5FU/nal-IRI or 5FU/oxaliplatin combination after first-line gemcitabine.

CONCLUSION

Guidelines for management of PA are continuously evolving and need to be regularly updated. This constant progress is made possible through clinical and translational research. However, as each individual case is particular, they cannot substitute to multidisciplinary tumor board discussion.

Real life triplet FIr/FOx chemotherapy in first-line metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients: recommended schedule for expected activity and safety and phase II study

BACKGROUND

Gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel and FOLFIRINOX demonstrated significantly increased survival compared with gemcitabine in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC): objective response rate (ORR) 23 and 31.6%, progression-free survival (PFS) 5.5 and 6.4 months, overall survival (OS) 8.7 and 11.1 months. Present phase II study evaluated recommended first-line triplet FIr/FOx schedule.

METHODS

Simon two-step design: p010%, p130%, power 80%, α5%, β20%. Projected ORR: I step, 1/10; II 5/29. Schedule: 12h-timed-flat-infusion/5-fluorouracil 750-800-900 mg/m2 d1-2,8-9,15-16,22-23; irinotecan 120-140-160 mg/m2 d1,15; oxaliplatin 70-80 mg/m2 d8,22; every 4 weeks, according to clinical parameters (age, comorbidities, performance status (PS), liver function). Activity and efficacy were evaluated, and compared using log-rank; limiting toxicity syndromes (LTS), using chi-square.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine consecutive patients were enrolled, according to primary/intermediate/secondary Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS). Median age 62; elderly 13 (44.7%); PS2 3 (10.4%), secondary CIRS 5 (17.2%). Primary endpoint was met: ORR 53% (7/13 patients) as-treated, 50% intent-to-treat. Cumulative G3-4 toxicities: diarrhea 17%, asthenia 14%, hypertransaminasemy 7%, mucositis 7%, vomiting 3%, anemia 3%, thrombocytopenia 3%. LTS were 27.5% overall, 38.4% in elderly. At 3 months median follow-up, PFS 4 months, OS 11 months. PS2 patients showed significantly worse OS (P 0.022).

CONCLUSION

Intensive first-line triplet FIr/FOx is tolerable at modulated doses, and confirms high activity/efficacy in metastatic PDAC. Patients' careful selection, and exclusion of PS2, can maintain safety profile and efficient dose intensity.

Systemic Chemotherapy for Advanced Rare Pancreatic Histotype Tumors: A Retrospective Multicenter Analysis

OBJECTIVES

Two issues were put forth by clinicians in the management of the advanced stages of rare variants of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and other exocrine histotypes with peculiar clinical and pathological features: Do chemotherapy regimens recommended in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients have a clinical activity in rare pancreatic tumors? Or should other chemotherapy combinations be considered in this subset of patients?

METHODS

We conducted a multicenter retrospective study that collected data from 2005 to 2016 at 14 Italian cancer centers with the aim to evaluate tumor response and time to progression for first- and second-line and overall survival.

RESULTS

Of approximately 4300 exocrine pancreatic cancer patients, 79 advanced cases affected by rare histological types were identified, with pancreatic acinar cell cancer (n = 23), pancreatic adenosquamous cancer (n = 16), and mucinous cystic neoplasm with an associated invasive mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (n = 15) most represented. Survival analyses for each subgroup in relation with the different chemotherapy regimens showed the lack of statistical significance correlations.

CONCLUSIONS

Because of the lack of clinical trials in patients affected by these rare pancreatic histotypes, only their molecular classification would help clinicians in future therapeutic choice.

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly lethal disease with few effective treatment options. Over the past few decades, many anti-cancer therapies have been tested in the locally advanced and metastatic setting, with mixed results. This review attempts to synthesise all the randomised data available to help better inform patient and clinician decision-making when dealing with this difficult disease.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effect of chemotherapy, radiotherapy or both for first-line treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer. Our primary outcome was overall survival, while secondary outcomes include progression-free survival, grade 3/4 adverse events, therapy response and quality of life.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched for published and unpublished studies in CENTRAL (searched 14 June 2017), Embase (1980 to 14 June 2017), MEDLINE (1946 to 14 June 2017) and CANCERLIT (1999 to 2002) databases. We also handsearched all relevant conference abstracts published up until 14 June 2017.

SELECTION CRITERIA

All randomised studies assessing overall survival outcomes in patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy, alone or in combination, were the eligible treatments.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently analysed studies, and a third settled any disputes. We extracted data on overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), response rates, adverse events (AEs) and quality of life (QoL), and we assessed risk of bias for each study.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 42 studies addressing chemotherapy in 9463 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. We did not identify any eligible studies on radiotherapy.We did not find any benefit for chemotherapy over best supportive care. However, two identified studies did not have sufficient data to be included in the analysis, and many of the chemotherapy regimens studied were outdated.Compared to gemcitabine alone, participants receiving 5FU had worse OS (HR 1.69, 95% CI 1.26 to 2.27, moderate-quality evidence), PFS (HR 1.47, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.92) and QoL. On the other hand, two studies showed FOLFIRINOX was better than gemcitabine for OS (HR 0.51 95% CI 0.43 to 0.60, moderate-quality evidence), PFS (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.57) and response rates (RR 3.38, 95% CI 2.01 to 5.65), but it increased the rate of side effects. The studies evaluating CO-101, ZD9331 and exatecan did not show benefit or harm when compared with gemcitabine alone.Giving gemcitabine at a fixed dose rate improved OS (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.94, high-quality evidence) but increased the rate of side effects when compared with bolus dosing.When comparing gemcitabine combinations to gemcitabine alone, gemcitabine plus platinum improved PFS (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.95) and response rates (RR 1.48, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.98) but not OS (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.08, low-quality evidence). The rate of side effects increased. Gemcitabine plus fluoropyrimidine improved OS (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.95), PFS (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.87) and response rates (RR 1.78, 95% CI 1.29 to 2.47, high-quality evidence), but it also increased side effects. Gemcitabine plus topoisomerase inhibitor did not improve survival outcomes but did increase toxicity. One study demonstrated that gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel improved OS (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.84, high-quality evidence), PFS (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.82) and response rates (RR 3.29, 95% CI 2.24 to 4.84) but increased side effects. Gemcitabine-containing multi-drug combinations (GEMOXEL or cisplatin/epirubicin/5FU/gemcitabine) improved OS (HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.79, low-quality evidence), PFS (HR 0.43, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.62) and QOL.We did not find any survival advantages when comparing 5FU combinations to 5FU alone.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Combination chemotherapy has recently overtaken the long-standing gemcitabine as the standard of care. FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel are highly efficacious, but our analysis shows that other combination regimens also offer a benefit. Selection of the most appropriate chemotherapy for individual patients still remains difficult, with clinicopathological stratification remaining elusive. Biomarker development is essential to help rationalise treatment selection for patients.

Gemcitabine in Combination with a Second Cytotoxic Agent in the First-Line Treatment of Locally Advanced or Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

It remains controversial whether the addition of a second cytotoxic agent can further improve the therapeutic effect of gemcitabine monotherapy in advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer (LA/MPC).

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine-based doublet chemotherapy regimens compared to single-agent gemcitabine in the first-line treatment of unresectable LA/MPC.

METHODS

We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of gemcitabine monotherapy versus gemcitabine in combination with a second cytotoxic agent in patients with LA/MPC. The last search date was December 31, 2016.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven RCTs were identified and included in the present systematic review and meta-analysis, involving a total of 7343 patients. The meta-analysis showed that gemcitabine-based combination therapy significantly improved overall survival (OS) (HR: 0.89; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.85-0.94; P < 0.0001), progression-free survival (PFS) (HR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.73-0.88; P < 0.0001), and overall response rate (ORR) (RR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.62-2.07; P < 0.0001) in comparison to single-agent gemcitabine. Subgroup analysis suggested that the antitumor activity differed between gemcitabine-based combination regimens: doublet regimens of gemcitabine plus a taxoid, and gemcitabine plus a fluoropyrimidine, in particular an oral fluoropyrimidine, resulted in a significant OS benefit for the patients. However, the combination of gemcitabine with other cytotoxic agents, such as platinum compounds or topoisomerase inhibitors failed to reduce the mortality risk. Combination therapy caused more grade 3/4 toxicities, including neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue.

CONCLUSIONS

Gemcitabine-based doublet regimens demonstrated superiority over gemcitabine monotherapy in overall efficacy, but were associated with increased toxicity. Different gemcitabine-based combinations showed different antitumor activity, and doublet regimens of gemcitabine in combination with a taxoid or a fluoropyrimidine, in particular an oral fluoropyrimidine provided significant survival benefits in the first-line treatment of unresectable LA/MPC.

Selecting patients for resection after primary chemotherapy for non-metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Patients with borderline (BL) or locally advanced (LA) pancreatic adenocarcinoma are usually treated with primary chemotherapy (CT), followed by resection when feasible. Scanty data are available about the criteria to candidate patients to resection after CT.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between 2002 and 2016 overall 223 patients diagnosed with BL or LA pancreatic adenocarcinoma were primarily treated with Gemcitabine combination (4-drugs or nab-paclitaxel-gemcitabine) for 3-6 months followed by surgery and/or chemoradiation. Resection was carried out when radical resection could be predicted by imaging studies and intraoperative findings. The prognostic value of both pre-treatment factors and treatment response was retrospectively evaluated, searching for criteria that could improve the selection of patients for surgery.

RESULTS

Median survival (MS) for the whole population was 18.3 months. Surgical resection was carried out in 61 patients; MS in resected patients was significantly longer (30.0 months) as compared with 162 non-resected patients (16.5 months) (P < 0.00001). According to response criteria, 48% had a radiological partial response, 47% a stable disease and 5% a disease progression); CA19.9 response (reduction >50%) was obtained in 77.8% of patients. Among resected patients, neither pre-treatment factors, including BL/LA distinction, nor radiological response, were able to prognosticate survival differences. Survival of resected patients having no CA19.9 response was significantly lower as compared with responders (MS 15.0 versus 31.5 months, P = 0.04), and was similar to non-responders patients that did not undergo resection (MS 10.9 months, P= 0.25). Multivariate analysis carried out on the overall population, showed that Karnofsky performance status, T3-T4 status, resection and CA19.9 response were independent prognostic factors, while radiological response, BL/LA distinction and baseline CA19.9 had not significant influence on survival.

CONCLUSIONS

CA19.9 response may allow a better selection of patients who will benefit from resection after primary CT for BL or LA pancreatic adenocarcinoma.