Multicenter, randomised, open-label, non-comparative phase 2 trial on the efficacy and safety of the combination of bevacizumab and trabectedin with or without carboplatin in women with partially platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer

Trabectedin and Lurbinectedin Modulate the Interplay between Cells in the Tumour Microenvironment-Progresses in Their Use in Combined Cancer Therapy

Trabectedin (TRB) and Lurbinectedin (LUR) are alkaloid compounds originally isolated from Ecteinascidia turbinata with proven antitumoral activity. Both molecules are structural analogues that differ on the tetrahydroisoquinoline moiety of the C subunit in TRB, which is replaced by a tetrahydro-β-carboline in LUR. TRB is indicated for patients with relapsed ovarian cancer in combination with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, as well as for advanced soft tissue sarcoma in adults in monotherapy. LUR was approved by the FDA in 2020 to treat metastatic small cell lung cancer. Herein, we systematically summarise the origin and structure of TRB and LUR, as well as the molecular mechanisms that they trigger to induce cell death in tumoral cells and supporting stroma cells of the tumoral microenvironment, and how these compounds regulate immune cell function and fate. Finally, the novel therapeutic venues that are currently under exploration, in combination with a plethora of different immunotherapeutic strategies or specific molecular-targeted inhibitors, are reviewed, with particular emphasis on the usage of immune checkpoint inhibitors, or other bioactive molecules that have shown synergistic effects in terms of tumour regression and ablation. These approaches intend to tackle the complexity of managing cancer patients in the context of precision medicine and the application of tailor-made strategies aiming at the reduction of undesired side effects.

"DEPHENCE" system-a novel regimen of therapy that is urgently needed in the high-grade serous ovarian cancer-a focus on anti-cancer stem cell and anti-tumor microenvironment targeted therapies

Ovarian cancer, especially high-grade serous type, is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. The lack of screening programs and the scarcity of symptomatology result in the late diagnosis in about 75% of affected women. Despite very demanding and aggressive surgical treatment, multiple-line chemotherapy regimens and both approved and clinically tested targeted therapies, the overall survival of patients is still unsatisfactory and disappointing. Research studies have recently brought some more understanding of the molecular diversity of the ovarian cancer, its unique intraperitoneal biology, the role of cancer stem cells, and the complexity of tumor microenvironment. There is a growing body of evidence that individualization of the treatment adjusted to the molecular and biochemical signature of the tumor as well as to the medical status of the patient should replace or supplement the foregoing therapy. In this review, we have proposed the principles of the novel regimen of the therapy that we called the "DEPHENCE" system, and we have extensively discussed the results of the studies focused on the ovarian cancer stem cells, other components of cancer metastatic niche, and, finally, clinical trials targeting these two environments. Through this, we have tried to present the evolving landscape of treatment options and put flesh on the experimental approach to attack the high-grade serous ovarian cancer multidirectionally, corresponding to the "DEPHENCE" system postulates.

INOVATYON/ ENGOT-ov5 study: Randomized phase III international study comparing trabectedin/pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) followed by platinum at progression vs carboplatin/PLD in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer progressing within 6-12 months after last platinum line

BACKGROUND

This trial investigated the hypothesis that the treatment with trabectedin/PLD (TP) to extend the platinum-free interval (TFIp) can improve overall survival (OS) in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer (OC).

METHODS

Patients with OC (up to two previous platinum-based lines), with a TFIp of 6-12 months, were randomised to receive carboplatin/PLD (CP) or TP followed by platinum therapy at relapse. The primary endpoint was OS (HR: 0.75).

RESULTS

The study enrolled 617 patients. The median TFIp was 8.3 months and 30.3% of patients had received two previous platinum lines. 74% and 73.9% of patients, respectively, received a subsequent therapy (ST) in the CP and TP arm; in the latter TP arm 87.2% of ST was platinum-based, as per protocol. The median OS was 21.4 for CP and 21.9 months for TP (HR 1.13; 95% CI: 0.94-1.35; p = 0.197). Grade 3-5 adverse reactions occurred in 37.1% of patients in the CP arm and 69.7% of patients in the TP arm, and the most frequent were neutropenia (22.8% CP, 39.5% TP), gastrointestinal (7.1% CP, 17.4% TP), hepatic (0.7% CP, 19.1% TP).

CONCLUSIONS

This study did not meet the primary endpoint. CP combination remains the standard for patients with recurrent OC and a 6-12 months TFIp; TP is an effective treatment in patients suffering from persistent platinum toxicities.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01379989.

DNA Damage Response Alterations in Ovarian Cancer: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapeutic Opportunities

The DNA damage response (DDR), a set of signaling pathways for DNA damage detection and repair, maintains genomic stability when cells are exposed to endogenous or exogenous DNA-damaging agents. Alterations in these pathways are strongly associated with cancer development, including ovarian cancer (OC), the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. In OC, failures in the DDR have been related not only to the onset but also to progression and chemoresistance. It is known that approximately half of the most frequent subtype, high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC), exhibit defects in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair by homologous recombination (HR), and current evidence indicates that probably all HGSCs harbor a defect in at least one DDR pathway. These defects are not restricted to HGSCs; mutations in ARID1A, which are present in 30% of endometrioid OCs and 50% of clear cell (CC) carcinomas, have also been found to confer deficiencies in DNA repair. Moreover, DDR alterations have been described in a variable percentage of the different OC subtypes. Here, we overview the main DNA repair pathways involved in the maintenance of genome stability and their deregulation in OC. We also recapitulate the preclinical and clinical data supporting the potential of targeting the DDR to fight the disease.

Trabectedin in Cancers: Mechanisms and Clinical Applications

Trabectedin, a tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid, is the first marine antineoplastic agent approved with special anticancer mechanisms involving DNA binding, DNA repair pathways, transcription regulation and regulation of the tumor microenvironment. It has favorable clinical applications, especially for the treatment of patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma, who failed in anthracyclines and ifosfamide therapy or could not receive these agents. Currently, trabectedin monotherapy regimen and regimens of combined therapy with other agents are both widely used for the treatment of malignancies, including soft tissue sarcomas, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and non-small-cell lung cancer. In this review, we summarized the basic information and some updated knowledge on trabectedin, including its molecular structure, metabolism in various cancers, pharmaceutical mechanisms, clinical applications, drug combination, and adverse reactions, along with prospections on its possibly more optimal use in cancer treatment.

Trabectedin-Related Heart Failure: Case Report and a Systematic Review of the Literature

New drugs come not only with benefits but also with unexpected toxicities which need to be promptly recognized and managed. Starting from a scholar case of acute heart failure with preserved ejection fraction following the administration of trabectedin (ET-743, Yondelis^®) in a patient with a metastatic solitary fibrous tumor, we performed a systematic review of the literature encompassing the results of previous cardiac safety analysis published ten years ago, a review of clinical trials published during the last 10 years as well as single-case descriptions related to trabectedin cardiotoxicity. The estimated incidence of cardiac toxicity was 3,4% among patients receiving trabectedin, with recent data suggesting a higher rate of heart failure than previously recognized. Previous or concomitant anthracyclines exposure may represent a risk factor. Assaying for NT-pro-BNP may be useful for the early detection of individuals with trabectedin-induced heart failure.

Impact of Value Frameworks on the Magnitude of Clinical Benefit: Evaluating a Decade of Randomized Trials for Systemic Therapy in Solid Malignancies

In the era of rapid development of new, expensive cancer therapies, value frameworks have been developed to quantify clinical benefit (CB). We assessed the evolution of CB since the 2015 introduction of The American Society of Clinical Oncology and The European Society of Medical Oncology value frameworks. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) assessing systemic therapies for solid malignancies from 2010 to 2020 were evaluated and CB (Δ) in 2010–2014 (pre-value frameworks (PRE)) were compared to 2015–2020 (POST) for overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), response rate (RR), and quality of life (QoL). In the 485 studies analyzed (12% PRE and 88% POST), the most common primary endpoint was PFS (49%), followed by OS (20%), RR (12%), and QoL (6%), with a significant increase in OS and decrease in RR as primary endpoints in the POST era (p = 0.011). Multivariable analyses revealed significant improvement in ΔOS POST (OR 2.86, 95% CI 0.46 to 5.26, p = 0.02) while controlling for other variables. After the development of value frameworks, median ΔOS improved minimally. The impact of value frameworks has yet to be fully realized in RCTs. Efforts to include endpoints shown to impact value, such as QoL, into clinical trials are warranted.

The use of bevacizumab in the modern era of targeted therapy for ovarian cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

The optimal systemic therapy strategy for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains unclear. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess oncologic outcomes and toxicity of bevacizumab combination treatment in advanced EOC.

METHODS

We conducted an electronic search of all phase 2 and 3 clinical trials involving bevacizumab combination therapy in advanced-stage EOC between 2010 and March 2020, using Embase, Medline, Epub Ahead of Print, Cochrane for clinical trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Web of Science and clinicaltrials.gov databases. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and their hazard ratios (HR) when available were extracted. Pooled HR were calculated for each efficacy endpoint in the meta-analysis using inverse variance weighted method. Bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias I (ROB1) tool for randomized controlled trials.

RESULTS

Thirty-five studies were included in the qualitative analysis and eight studies in the quantitative synthesis. In the first-line setting, bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy revealed a significant improvement in PFS (pooled HR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.65-0.81) when compared to chemotherapy alone but no significant OS benefit (pooled HR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.72-1.06). In the recurrent setting, bevacizumab combinations showed significant PFS (pooled HR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.47-0.58) and OS benefits (pooled HR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.99) compared with non-bevacizumab regimens. Rate of bowel perforation was low at 1.24% (range 0-4.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

Bevacizumab-containing regimens are associated with significant PFS benefit in advanced and recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer. While the difference in OS did not reach statistical significance in the first-line setting, bevacizumab was associated with improved survival in the recurrent setting.

Extreme complications related to bevacizumab use in the treatment of ovarian cancer: a case series from a III level referral centre and review of the literature

In patients undergoing debulking surgery for ovarian cancer (OC), bevacizumab-combined chemotherapy has been reported to be associated with an increased incidence of adverse events (AEs). Reports in the literature have noted the overall morbidity of bevacizumab to be between 3.7% and 9%. The aim of this study is to report uncommon and unusual manifestations of morbidity in surgical cases performed at our third level referral centers for gynecologic oncology. Additionally, we review the rare and severe bevacizumab-related complications that have been described in the literature. We defined as "extreme", the particularly rare and/or severe complications up to determining a life-threatening condition or death, which are related to the use of bevacizumab. A case-series of extreme complications registered at our institutions were reported. In addition, a literature search of the PubMed, MEDLINE and EMBASE electronic databases was performed for this review. The studies collected included: 8 randomized controlled trials (RCT) and 5 prospective observational, 1 prospective phase-IV, 10 prospective phase-II, 2 prospective phase-I, and 20 retrospective studies, as well as 9 case reports. Bevacizumab was administered as primary treatment in adjuvant and neo-adjuvant setting in 16 and 5 studies respectively, as treatment for recurrence in 36 trials, and for secondary cytoreductive surgery (SCS) in 3 studies. The overall population administered with bevacizumab numbered 7,096 women. Extreme complications were observed in 591 patients, with a morbidity rate of the 8.3%. Overall, central nervous system (CNS), cardiovascular, gastrointestinal (GI) and primary infectious complications were seen in 22 patients (0.3%), 261 patients (3.7%), 159 patients (2.2%), and 8 patients (0.13%), respectively. Hemorrhagic and wound complications occurred in 18 women (0.25%), and 112 women (1.6%), respectively. Extreme complications related to the use of bevacizumab are rare, and often go unrecognized. The recognition and immediate management of such rare and life-threatening complications in patients treated at third level referral centers could significantly improve patient survival.

Novel method for fast trabectedin quantification using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry for human pharmacokinetic studies

Few time-consuming bioanalytical methods are currently available for trabectedin quantification in clinical investigations. Here we present a novel, fast and sensitive method for trabectedin determination in human plasma based on hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS). Plasma samples are treated with acetonitrile-0.1 % formic acid and the solvent extract is directly injected into an Acquity BEH Amide column (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.7 μm) operating in HILIC mode at 0.2 mL/min with 80:20 acetonitrile-0.1 % formic acid in water. The analyte is separated by an organic solvent gradient and quantified by an Agilent Ultivo triple quadrupole mass spectrometer operating in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The quantitative MRM transitions were m/z 762→234 and m/z 765→234 for trabectedin and its d₃-labeled derivative, respectively. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.01 ng/mL and the assay was linear up to 2.5 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day relative error ranged from 1.19 % to 8.52 %, while the relative standard deviation was less than 12.35 %. The method was used to determine the pharmacokinetic profiles of trabectedin in 26 patients with soft tissue sarcoma, showing that this new HILIC-MS/MS method is suitable for use in clinical research.