Phase II study of S-1, an oral fluoropyrimidine, in patients with advanced or recurrent cervical cancer

Docetaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy for treating patients with stage IVB or recurrent non-squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix: a phase II study

BACKGROUND

This phase II study evaluated the efficacy and safety of docetaxel/carboplatin chemotherapy for treating patients with stage IVB or recurrent non-squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

METHODS

A total of 50 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IVB or recurrent non-squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix were enrolled and administered docetaxel at a dose of 60 mg/m², followed by carboplatin at a dose based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 6. The treatments were repeated every 21 days until disease progression or unacceptable adverse events. Except for two patients, 48 were eligible for evaluation. Another patient withdrew consent before treatment; adverse events were evaluated in 47.

RESULTS

The response rate was 47.9% with 5 patients achieving complete response, 18 partial response, 14 stable disease, and 6 progressive disease. The disease control rate was 77.1%. With a median follow-up duration of 368 days, the median progression-free survival and overall survival were 6.1 months (95% CI 5.5-8.6) and 15.8 months (95% CI 18.2-28.3), respectively. The most frequent grade 3 and grade 4 hematological toxicity was neutropenia, with 38 patients (81%) having grade 4 and 4 (9%) having grade 3 neutropenia. The non-hematological toxicities were mainly grade 1 or 2 in severity.

CONCLUSION

Docetaxel/carboplatin chemotherapy was effective, with a higher disease control rate and well-tolerated chemotherapeutic regimen for patients with stage IVB or recurrent non-squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

A phase II study of irinotecan combined with S-1 in patients with advanced or recurrent cervical cancer previously treated with platinum based chemotherapy

OBJECTIVES

We conducted a phase II study to investigate the efficacy and toxicities of irinotecan plus oral S-1 in patients with advanced or recurrent uterine cervical cancer.

METHODS

Patients with advanced or recurrent cervical cancer previously treated with platinum based chemotherapy were enrolled. Irinotecan (150 mg/m²) was administered intravenously over the course of 90 min on day 1, and S-1 (80 mg/m²) was given orally in two divided doses from days 1 to 14 of a 21 day cycle. The primary endpoint of this phase II study was response rate. Secondary endpoints included safety, progression free survival, and overall survival.

RESULTS

A total of 19 patients were enrolled and treated. The response rate was 29.4%. Grade 3-4 hematologic toxicities were observed in three patients (15.7%). The only grade 3-4 non-hematologic toxicity observed was grade 3 diarrhea. The median progression free survival and overall survival were 3 months and 9 months, respectively.

CONCLUSION

S-1 plus irinotecan in a 3 weekly setting is safe and active in women with advanced or recurrent cervical cancer previously treated with platinum based chemotherapy. Future corroborative clinical studies are warranted.

Phase III study of cisplatin with or without S-1 in patients with stage IVB, recurrent, or persistent cervical cancer

Background

This open-label phase III trial evaluated efficacy and safety of S-1 plus cisplatin vs. cisplatin alone as first-line chemotherapy in patients with stage IVB, recurrent, or persistent cervical cancer.

Methods

Patients were randomised (1:1) to S-1 plus cisplatin (study group) or cisplatin alone (control group). In each cycle, cisplatin 50 mg/m² was administered on Day 1 in both groups. S-1 was administered orally at 80–120 mg daily on Days 1–14 of a 21-day cycle in the study group. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS).

Results

A total of 375 patients were enrolled, of whom 364 (188, study group; 176, control group) received treatment. Median OS was 21.9 and 19.5 months in the study and control groups, respectively (log-rank P = 0.125; hazard ratio [HR] 0.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67–1.05). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.3 and 4.9 months in the study and control groups, respectively (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.48–0.80, P < 0.001). The adverse event (AE) rate increased in the study group despite the absence of any unexpected AEs.

Conclusions

S-1 plus cisplatin did not show superiority over cisplatin alone in OS but significantly increased PFS in patients with stage IVB, recurrent, or persistent cervical cancer. Since the standard therapy has changed in the course of this study, further studies are warranted to confirm the clinical positioning of S-1 combined with cisplatin for this population.

A pilot study of oral S-1 for treating heavily pretreated patients with advanced or recurrent cervical cancer among Chinese population

This pilot study retrospectively aimed to assess the feasibility effectiveness and safety of oral S-1 in heavily pretreated patients with advanced or recurrent cervical cancer (ARCC) among Chinese population.Thirty patients with ARCC who had undergone one or more lines of chemotherapy received oral S-1 (40-60 mg/m) twice daily for 6 weeks. Outcome measurements included tumor response, time to progression (TTP), overall survival (OS) time, and occurrence of adverse events (AEs).The overall response rate was 43.3%. After a median follow-up of 6 months, the median TTP was 4.4 months and the median OS time was 10.2 months. The most frequent grade 3 or 4 AEs were neutropenia (13.3%) and nausea (16.7%).The results of this study show that oral S-1 is effective and well-tolerated in patients with ARCC who were heavily pretreated among Chinese population.

Phase I Clinical Study of Irinotecan Plus S-1 in Patients With Advanced or Recurrent Cervical Cancer Previously Treated With Platinum-Based Chemotherapy

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to determine the maximum tolerated dose and acute dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) of intravenous irinotecan plus oral S-1 in patients with advanced or recurrent uterine cervical cancer.

METHODS

Irinotecan was administered intravenously over the course of 90 minutes on day 1, and S-1 was given orally in 2 divided doses from days 1 to 14 of a 21-day cycle. The dose of S-1 was escalated in a stepwise fashion from 40 (level 1) to 60 mg/m (level 2) and then 80 mg/m (level 3), whereas the dosage of irinotecan remained the same (150 mg/m). The primary end point for the escalation study was acute DLT that occurred within 2 cycles of chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Twelve patients were enrolled and treated over 3 dose levels. Their median age was 47 years (range, 28-48 years). At level 1, one episode of grade 3 anemia and a grade 3 fatigue were observed, but no DLT developed. At level 2, the first patient experienced febrile neutropenia, which was considered to be a DLT. To evaluate the toxicity of this dose level, 5 more patients were evaluated. However, no DLT developed in these patients. At level 3, although grade 1 to 2 hematological and nonhematological toxicities developed, no DLT occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

In women with advanced or recurrent cervical cancer previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy, S-1 plus irinotecan in a triweekly setting is a reasonable treatment regimen with an acceptable toxicity profile. The recommended doses of S-1 and irinotecan for this regimen are 80 and 150 mg/m, respectively.

Human papillomavirus oncoproteins differentially modulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition in 5-FU-resistant cervical cancer cells

Etiological role of viral proteins E6 and E7 of high-risk HPV in cervical carcinogenesis is well established. However, their contribution in chemoresistance and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that leads to advanced metastatic lesions and chemoresistance is poorly defined. In the present study, contribution of viral oncoproteins in acquisition of EMT character during onset of chemoresistance was assessed. A chemoresistant cell line (SiHaCR) was developed from an established HPV16-positive cervical cancer cell line, SiHa, by escalating selection pressure of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Expression of Survivin, ABCG2, Snail, Slug, Twist, and Vimentin was examined in SiHa and SiHaCR cells by reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) and immunoblotting assays. Mesenchymal phenotype in SiHaCR cells was confirmed by assessment of migration and invasion potentials. SiHaCR cells displayed elevated level of functional and molecular markers associated with chemoresistance (Survivin, ABCG2) and EMT (Snail, Slug, Twist, Vimentin) and reduced E-cadherin. SiHaCR also showed increased levels of HPV16 E6 and E7 transcripts. Specific silencing of HPV16 E6, but not E7 using corresponding siRNA, demonstrated a differential involvement of HPV oncogenes in manifestation of EMT. HPV16 E6 silencing resulted in reduction of Slug and Twist expression. However, the expression of Snail and Vimentin was only marginally affected. In contrast, there was an increase in the expression of E-cadherin. A reduced migration and invasion capabilities were observed only in E6-silenced SiHaCR cells, which further confirmed functional contribution of HPV16 E6 in manifestation of EMT. Taken together, our study demonstrated an active involvement of HPV16 E6 in regulation of EMT, which promotes chemoresistance in cervical cancer.

Clinical usefulness of the oral chemotherapy agent S-1 in heavily pre-treated patients with advanced or recurrent cervical cancer

PURPOSE

Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of S-1 in heavily pre-treated patients with advanced (FIGO stage IVB) or recurrent cervical cancer.

METHODS

The Institutional Review Board of our hospital approved the protocol for this retrospective phase II study. Patients with measurable disease received two oral doses of S-1 (35 mg/m(2)) daily for 4 weeks of a 6-week cycle or 2 weeks of a 3-week cycle. The antitumor effect, time to progression, overall survival, and adverse events were investigated.

RESULTS

We retrospectively analyzed relevant data of 28 patients with advanced or recurrent cervical cancer. Twenty-two patients had prior chemotherapy (not including chemoradiotherapy) and 27 had prior radiotherapy. The median number of prior chemotherapy regimens and cycles was 2 (range 0-4) and 7 (range 0-35), respectively. Two patients (7.1%) had partial response, and 10 patients (35.7%) had stable disease. Ten patients (35.7%) discontinued the therapy because of progressive disease. The response in 5 patients could not be evaluated because of termination of treatment in the middle of the first cycle. The disease control rate was 42.8%. After a median follow-up duration of 7.5 months, the median time to progression was 4.2 months (95% CI 2.7-5.4) and the median overall survival was 9.92 months (95% CI 9.20-NA). The two patients with partial response had received less prior chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral S-1 in palliative chemotherapy is a useful and well-tolerated treatment in heavily pre-treated patients with advanced or recurrent uterine cervical cancer.

Concurrent radiotherapy with S-1 plus cisplatin versus concurrent radiotherapy with cisplatin alone for the treatment of locally advanced cervical carcinoma: a pilot randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

In the present study, we compared the efficacy and safety of concurrent radiotherapy with S-1 plus cisplatin (CRSC) versus concurrent radiotherapy with cisplatin alone (CRC) for the treatment of advanced cervical carcinoma (ACC).

METHODS

Between February 2006 and January 2009, 72 eligible patients with ACC were included and randomly divided into two groups. Thirty-six patients received CRSC with radiotherapy (60 Gy/30 fractions over 6 weeks) beginning on day 1, S-1 (according to body surface area) for 28 days repeated every 6 weeks, and cisplatin (50 mg/m(2), intravenously on day 1) every 4 weeks for two cycles. The other 36 received CRC at the same cisplatin and radiotherapy dosage as for CRSC. The primary outcome was overall survival, whereas the secondary outcomes included progression-free survival and toxicity.

RESULTS

The median overall survival was 75 months (range 4-86 months) for the CRSC group and 66 months (range 3-87 months) for the CRC group (P = 0.039). The median corresponding progression-free survival was 66 months (range 3-75 months) and 58 months (range 3-71 months), respectively (P = 0.042). The toxicity profile was similar in both the groups.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggested that CRSC might be more effective than CRC in patients with ACC with acceptable toxicity.

Emerging drugs for the treatment of cervical cancer

INTRODUCTION

Worldwide, most cervical cancer (CC) patients require the use of drug therapy either adjuvant, concurrent with radiation or palliative.

AREAS COVERED

This review briefly discusses the current achievements in treating CC with an emphasis in emerging agents.

EXPERT OPINION

Concurrent cisplatin with radiation and lately, gemcitabine-cisplatin chemoradiation has resulted in small but significant improvements in the treatment of locally advanced and high-risk early-stage patients. So far, only antiangiogenic therapy with bevacizumab added to cisplatin chemoradiation has demonstrated safety and encouraging results in a Phase II study. In advanced disease, cisplatin doublets yield median survival rates not exceeding 14 months. The first Phase III study of bevacizumab, added to standard chemotherapy cisplatin- or non-cisplatin-containing doublet, has shown significant increase in both overall survival and progression-free survival. Further studies are needed before bevacizumab plus chemotherapy can be considered the standard of care for advanced disease. The characterization of the mutational landscape of CC and developments of novel targeted therapies may result in more effective and individualized treatments for CC. The potential efficacy of knocking down the key alterations in CC, E6 and E7 human papilloma virus oncoproteins must not be overlooked.

New pharmacotherapy options for cervical cancer

INTRODUCTION

Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in females worldwide. Incorporation of chemotherapy to radiation in locally advanced disease and molecular targeted therapy for advanced disease has increased survival; nevertheless, there is room for further improvement.

AREAS COVERED

This review aims to discuss major recent advances in the treatment of invasive cervical cancer from randomized Phase III trials and ongoing late-stage developments.

EXPERT OPINION

Combination chemotherapy concurrent with radiation plus adjuvant chemotherapy has demonstrated better survival rates as compared to standard cisplatin chemoradiation and ongoing Phase III trials would eventually confirm these findings. Gemcitabine and paclitaxel are the most evaluated agents added to cisplatin chemoradiation and in the adjuvant setting. Further survival gains combining classical cytotoxics will be limited by toxicity, hence, novel antitumor drugs; in particular angiogenesis inhibitors must be evaluated to increase the efficacy of current chemoradiation regimens. In advanced disease, modest survival gains were recently achieved with cisplatin doublets as compared to single agent cisplatin. Bevacizumab added to standard chemotherapy has for the first time demonstrated that targeted agents are valuable in the treatment of advanced cervical cancer. Ongoing Phase III trials for cervical cancer are limited reflecting the shortage of promising molecules and the need to increase research efforts for this disease.

Pharmacokinetic evaluation of novel oral fluorouracil antitumor drug S-1 in Chinese cancer patients

AIM

S-1 is an oral anticancer fluoropyrimidine formulation consisting of tegafur, 5-chloro-2,4-dihydroxypyridine and potassium oxonate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence of a newly developed generic formulation of S-1 in Chinese cancer patients in comparison with the branded reference formulation of S-1.

METHODS

A single-dose, randomized-sequence, open-label, two-way self-crossover study was conducted in 30 Chinese cancer patients. The subjects alternatively received the two formulations (40 mg/m(2), po) with a 7-d interval. Plasma concentrations of FT, CDHP, Oxo, and 5-Fu were determined using LC-MS/MS. Pharmacokinetic parameters, including Cmax, Tmax, t1/2, AUC0-t, and AUC0-∞ were determined using non-compartmental models with DAS2.0 software. Bioequivalence of the two formulations were to be evaluated according to 90% CIs for the log-transformed ratios of AUC and Cmax of S-1. Adverse events were evaluated through monitoring the symptom, physical and laboratory examinations, ECGs and subject interviews.

RESULTS

The mean values of Cmax, AUC0-t, and AUC0-∞ of FT, 5-Fu, CDHP, and Oxo for the two formulations had no significant differences. The 90% CIs for natural log-transformed ratios of Cmax, AUC0-t, and AUC0-∞ were within the predetermined bioequivalence acceptance limits. A total of 11 mild adverse events, including fatigue, nausea and vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea and myelosuppression, were observed, and no serious and special adverse events were found.

CONCLUSION

The newly developed generic formulation and reference formulation of S-1 have similar pharmacokinetics with one dose (40 mg/m(2)) in Chinese cancer patients. Both the formulations of S-1 are well tolerated.