Association between serum ligands and the skin toxicity of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody in metastatic colorectal cancer

Evaluation of the additional prophylactic effect of topical steroid ointment to systemic minocycline against anti-epidermal growth factor antibody-induced skin toxicities in metastatic colorectal cancer treatment

BACKGROUND

Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibodies often cause skin toxicities. Preemptive skin treatments using systemic antibiotics with or without topical steroid are reportedly effective although the most suitable method remains unclear. This study aimed to determine whether combination prophylaxis using systemic minocycline and topical steroid is superior to minocycline alone in a real-world metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treatment.

METHODS

Patients with mCRC (n = 87) who received anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies were retrospectively assessed. The primary objective was to compare the incidence of grade ≥ 2 overall skin toxicities during all treatment periods between the control group receiving prophylactic minocycline 100 mg/day, and the combination prophylaxis group receiving minocycline 100 mg/day + topical steroid. The incidence of each skin symptom was also evaluated.

RESULTS

The incidence of grade ≥ 2 overall skin toxicities was 63.6% in the control and 56.9% in the combination groups, with no significant difference (P = 0.63). Similarly, the incidence of grade ≥ 2 dry skin, fissures, paronychia, and pruritus did not significantly differ. In addition, incidence of all-grade skin toxicities was not different. However, the incidence of grade ≥ 2 papulopustular rashes was significantly lower in the combination group (23.1% vs. 50.0%, P = 0.03). Propensity score-matched analysis supported these results. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed no significant association between combination prophylaxis and grade ≥ 2 overall skin toxicities, but it did show a reduction in grade ≥ 2 papulopustular rashes.

CONCLUSION

Adding topical steroids to systemic minocycline did not mitigate grade ≥ 2 overall skin toxicities induced by anti-EGFR antibodies; however, it significantly improved papulopustular rashes.

Risk factor analysis for anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody-induced skin toxicities in real-world metastatic colorectal cancer treatment

PURPOSE

Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) monoclonal antibodies are effective in treating RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, their administration induces skin toxicity, markedly reducing patients' quality of life. This study is aimed at identifying the risk factors associated with anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody-induced skin toxicities.

METHODS

Patients with mCRC (n = 116) who received anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody treatment were retrospectively evaluated. Primary endpoint was evaluation of the risk factors for grade ≥ 2 overall skin toxicities during all the treatment periods. Furthermore, factors associated with each grade ≥ 2 skin symptoms were assessed.

RESULTS

Incidence of total grade ≥ 2 skin toxicity symptoms was 61.2%, and those of grade ≥ 2 rash, dry skin, fissures, and paronychia were 34.5%, 25.9%, 20.7%, and 25.0%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that liver metastasis was an independent risk factor for overall grade ≥ 2 skin toxicities (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.22-6.78; P = 0.02) and prophylactic administration of antibiotics as a preventive factor (OR 0.10; 95%CI 0.01-0.91; P = 0.04). For grade ≥ 2 rash, prophylactic use of systemic antibiotics and topical steroid ointment was a preventive factor (OR 0.37; 95%CI 0.16-0.89; P = 0.03). Moreover, liver metastasis (OR 8.37; 95%CI 1.98-35.47; P = 0.004) and prophylactic administration of antibiotics (OR 0.15; 95%CI 0.03-0.76; P = 0.02) were significantly associated with grade ≥ 2 paronychia.

CONCLUSION

Liver metastasis was suggested to be a risk factor for the incidence of overall grade ≥ 2 skin toxicities; moreover, preemptive systemic antibiotic administration drastically decreased this risk during all periods of anti-EGFR treatment for mCRC.

Association between miRNA signatures in serum samples from epidermal growth factor inhibitor treated patients and skin toxicity

Objective: Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRI) are used as targeted cancer therapy. On average 70% of patients treated with EGFRIs suffer from skin toxicity. Studies showed a correlation between overall survival and the appearance of a skin rash, which is used as a biomarker for therapy efficacy. Micro RNAs (miRNA) as tumor or resistance biomarkers for cancer therapy are also highly investigated. In our study, we searched for associations of miRNA expression profiles in serum, with the severity of skin rash, in order to identify tentative therapy predictive biomarkers.

Materials and Methods: Five candidate miRNAs were selected, based on an earlier in vitro next-generation-sequencing-experiment and after literature search. MiR-21, miR-31, miR-17, miR-106b and miR-520e were investigated in serum samples from patients (n = 254) treated with EGFRI. The quantitative expression of miRNA was tested for association with the occurrence/severity of the rash.

Results: In our cohort of patients treated with EGFR inhibiting monoclonal antibodies, miR-21 and miR-520e serum concentrations were negatively correlated with severity of skin rash (p-value 0.000582 and 1.53e-07 linear-trend-test) whereas for miR-31, a positive correlation was observed (p-value 9.01e-06 linear-trend-test).

Conclusions: This suggests that miR-21, miR-31 and miR-520e expression might be a treatment dependent marker for EGFRI induced skin rash.

Is there any clinical or laboratory predictive factor for cetuximab-induced skin toxicity?

BACKGROUND: We aim to explore the predictive role of clinical and hematological parameters for cetuximab-induced skin toxicity (CI-ST) and survival outcomes in patients according to risk categories.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The optimal cut-off values for hematological parameters were assessed by the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. Patients were classified as High risk, Intermediate risk and Low risk subgroups with respect to platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and red blood cell count (RBC) values. Kaplan-Meier test was used for survival analysis, and outcomes were analyzed by Log-rank test. P-value <0.05 considered as statistically significant.RESULTS: Among hematological parameters, only PLR and RBC were statistically significant prognostic factors.Optimal cut-off value for PLR was 196.2 (82.9% sensitivity and 61.1% specificity), and 4.610x106/µL for RBC count (65.9% sensitivity and 81.1% specificity). Patients in high risk group had increased risk with an OR:69.34 (p<0.0001), and in the intermediate risk group had an OR:28.73 (p=0.002) for CI-ST. De novo metastatic patients had 9.11-fold increased risk for CI-ST compared to recurrent metastatic patients (p=0.028).CONCLUSION: Our study indicates that risk categories based on PLR and RBC can predict CI-ST and de novo metastatic patients had higher risk for CI-ST.

Predictive Value of EGFR-PI3K-AKT-mTOR-Pathway Inhibitor Biomarkers for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Understanding molecular pathogenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) has considerably improved in the last decades. As a result, novel therapeutic strategies have evolved, amongst which are epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted therapies. With the exception of cetuximab, targeted therapies for HNSCC have not yet been introduced into clinical practice. One important aspect of new treatment regimes in clinical practice is presence of robust biomarkers predictive for therapy response.

METHODS

We performed a systematic search in PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane library. Articles were included if they investigated a biomarker for targeted therapy in the EGFR-PI3K-AKT-mTOR-pathway.

RESULTS

Of 83 included articles, 52 were preclinical and 33 were clinical studies (two studies contained both a preclinical and a clinical part). We classified EGFR pathway inhibitor types and investigated the type of biomarker (biomarker on epigenetic, DNA, mRNA or protein level).

CONCLUSION

Several EGFR-PI3K-AKT-mTOR-pathway inhibitor biomarkers have been researched for HNSCC but few of the investigated biomarkers have been adequately confirmed in clinical trials. A more systematic approach is needed to discover proper biomarkers as stratifying patients is essential to prevent unnecessary costs and side effects.

Management of EGFR Inhibitor-induced Skin Toxicity and Factors Impacting Patients' Adherence to Skin Toxicity Treatment: Health Care Provider and Patient Surveys in European Oncology Centers

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to provide a description of existing measures for the prevention and management of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor monoclonal antibody-induced skin toxicities and factors impacting patients' adherence to those measures in France, Germany, and Spain.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study consisted of 2 separate surveys. Health care professionals (HCPs; oncologists and nurses) in France, Germany, and Spain were interviewed, and patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and head-and-neck cancer in France and Germany self-completed questionnaires. The study was conducted between February and July 2018.

RESULTS

A total of 53 oncologists, 44 nurses, and 143 patients participated in the study. HCPs stated that skin toxicities moderately (52%) or severely (28%) impacted patient care. Ninety percent of HCPs reported routine provision of prophylactic measures. The great majority of patients self-reported adherence with the prophylactic (80% to 88% depending on the type of measures) and reactive (93% to drug prescription) skin toxicity recommendations. HCPs estimated patient adherence to be 45% for full adherence and 40% for partial adherence. Most HCPs reported a positive or very positive impact of preventive measures and recommendations on skin toxicity incidence and severity, patients' quality of life, and various aspects of quality of anti-cancer treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Skin toxicities are an important adversity negatively impacting on patient care. However, despite the positive perception of the effectiveness of skin toxicity prophylaxis, almost one-third of oncology centers did not provide formal guidelines, and 10% of HCPs did not provide routine prophylactic measures. Patient adherence appears to be high for epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor monoclonal antibody-induced skin toxicity prevention measures.

Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor Panitumumab in the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

Despite progress in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in the last 15 years, it is still a condition with a relatively low 5-year survival rate. Panitumumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody directed against the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), is able to prolong survival in patients with mCRC. Panitumumab is used in different lines of therapy in combination with chemotherapy, and as monotherapy for the treatment of wild-type (WT) RAS mCRC. It is administered as an intravenous infusion of 6 mg/kg every 2 weeks and has a t_½ of approximately 7.5 days. Elimination takes place via two different mechanisms, and immunogenicity rates are low. Only RAS mutations have been confirmed as a negative predictor of efficacy with anti-EGFR antibodies. Panitumumab is generally well tolerated and has a manageable toxicity profile, despite a very high prevalence of dermatologic side effects. This article presents an overview of the clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of panitumumab, including a description of the studies that led to its approval in the different lines of therapy of mCRC.

The DNA-polymorphism rs849142 is associated with skin toxicity induced by targeted anti-EGFR therapy using cetuximab

Skin toxicity (ST) is a frequent adverse effect (AE) in anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) resulting in decreased quality of life and problems in clinical management. We wanted to identify biomarkers predicting ST in this setting and focused on 70 DNA polymorphisms associated with acne, the (immunoglobulin fragment crystallizable region) Fcγ-receptor pathway, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) applying next-generation-sequencing (NGS). For the analysis patients with mCRC treated with cetuximab were selected from the FIRE-3 study. A training group consisting of the phenotypes low (1) - and high-grade (3) ST (n = 16) and a validation group (n = 55) representing also the intermediate grade (2) were genotyped and investigated in a genotype-phenotype association analysis. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs849142 significantly associated with ST in both the training- (p < 0.01) and validation-group (p = 0.04). rs849142 is located in an intron of the juxtaposed with another zinc finger protein 1 (JAZF1) gene. Haplotype analysis demonstrated significant linkage disequilibrium of rs849142 with JAZF1. Thus, rs849142 might be a predictive biomarker for ST in anti-EGFR treated mCRC patients. Its value in the clinical management of AE has to be validated in larger cohorts.

Predictive blood plasma biomarkers for EGFR inhibitor-induced skin rash

Epidermal growth factor receptor overexpression in human cancer can be effectively targeted by drugs acting as specific inhibitors of the receptor, like erlotinib, gefitinib, cetuximab and panitumumab. A common adverse effect is a typical papulopustular acneiform rash, whose occurrence and severity are positively correlated with overall survival in several cancer types. We studied molecules involved in epidermal growth factor receptor signaling which are quantifiable in plasma, with the aim of identifying biomarkers for the severity of rash. With a predictive value for the rash these biomarkers may also have a prognostic value for survival and disease outcome.

The concentrations of amphiregulin, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and calcidiol were determined by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in plasma samples from 211 patients.

We observed a significant inverse correlation between the plasma concentration of HGF and overall survival in patients with an inhibitor-induced rash (p-value = 0.0075; mean overall survival low HGF: 299 days, high HGF: 240 days) but not in patients without rash. The concentration of HGF was also significantly inversely correlated with severity of rash (p-value = 0.00124).

High levels of HGF lead to increased signaling via its receptor MET, which can activate numerous pathways which are normally also activated by epidermal growth factor receptor. Increased HGF/MET signaling might compensate the inhibitory effect of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors in skin as well as tumor cells, leading to less severe skin rash and decreased efficacy of the anti-tumor therapy, rendering the plasma concentration of HGF a candidate for predictive biomarkers.

Hierarchical investigating the predictive value of p53, COX2, EGFR, nm23 in the post-operative patients with colorectal carcinoma

The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlations between p53, COX2, EGFR, nm23 expression and the progression free survival (PFS) of post-operative patients with colorectal carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of p53, COX2, EGFR and nm23 in 459 specimens from colorectal carcinoma patients. Kaplan-Meier estimates, Cox proportional hazard regression analyses and hierarchical analyses were performed on the collected data. Kaplan-Meier estimates analysis suggested that EGFR expression was as a negative predictor, the median PFS of patients with EGFR high expression was 21.73 months, and the median PFS of patients with low EGFR expression was 57.83 months (χ²=20.880, P<0.001); nm23 expression was positive predictive factor for the prognosis of patients with colorectal carcinoma, the median PFS of patients with high nm23 expression was 37.77 months, and the median PFS was 21.47 months in the patients with low nm23 expression (χ²=7.364, P=0.007). Cox regression analysis revealed that comparing with the patients with low expression of EGFR, the patients with high EGFR expression were at higher risk of tumor progression (HR=1.667, P=0.004); Comparing with the patients with high nm23 expression, the patients with nm23 low expression had a higher risk of tumor progression (HR=0.412, P<0.001); and the risk of tumor progression was higher in the patients with high EGFR expression and low nm23 expression (HR=0.245, P<0.001). Hierarchical analysis showed that EGFR expression mainly correlates with the PFS of TNM stage I-II colorectal cancer patients, the median PFS was 33.53 months in the TNM stage I-II colorectal cancer patients with high EGFR expression patients; The median PFS of the TNM stage I-II colorectal cancer patients with low EGFR expression was 70.43 months (χ²=9.530, P=0.002); The median PFS was 19.2 months in the TNM stage III-IV colorectal cancer patients with high expression EGFR, the PFS of the TNM stage III-IV colorectal cancer patients with low EGFR expression was 37.87 months (χ²=7.97, P=0.005). nm23 expression mainly correlates with the PFS of TNM stage III-IV colorecatal cancer patients. The median PFS was 47.27 months in TNM stage I-II colorectal cancer patients with nm23 high expression, the median PFS was 48.85 months in TNM stage I-II colorectal cancer patients with low nm23 expression (χ²=0.101, P=0.750); The median PFS was 28.8 months in TNM stage III-IV colorectal cancer patients with nm23 high expression, the median PFS was 14.7 months in TNM stage III-IV colorectal cancer patients with low nm23 expression (χ²=13.213, P<0.001). EGFR is mainly a predictive factor for the prognosis of post-operative patients with TNM stage I-II colorectal cancer, and nm23 is important for predicting the prognosis of patients with stage III-IV, and EGFR and nm23 could be as predictor of combination.

Prognostic value of amphiregulin and epiregulin mRNA expression in metastatic colorectal cancer patients

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its ligands amphiregulin (AREG) and epiregulin (EREG) play a central role in the development of colorectal cancer, but the prognostic values of AREG and EREG are controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies that investigated AREG and/or EREG mRNA levels in primary tumors to determine their prognostic value in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). In addition, RAS status was assessed. Relevant articles were identified by searching the EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model. Nine studies involving 2167 patients were included in this meta-analysis. High AREG expression was associated with longer overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). High EREG expression was also associated with prolonged OS and PFS. In RAS wild-type (WT) patients who received anti-EGFR therapy, high AREG and EREG expression was associated with longer OS. Our results indicate that high AREG and EREG mRNA expression are independent favorable prognostic biomarkers in mCRC. The expression of these ligands should be considered when evaluating prognoses in RAS-WT patients receiving anti-EGFR therapy.

Evaluation of epidermal growth factor receptor serum levels and their association with clinicopathological characteristics in patients with colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major public health concern and one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The aim of the present study was to determine the serum epidermal growth factor receptor (sEGFR) levels in healthy volunteers and patients with CRC, to determine the association between tumor marker levels and clinicopathological findings, and investigate its prognostic value. A total of 140 patients with CRC were enrolled in the present study. Pre-treatment sEGFR levels were determined using ELISA. A total of 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in the analysis. The median age of patients was 60 years (range, 24–84 years); the majority of the tumor localization was to the colon (n=81, 58%). The median follow-up time was 14 months, while 43 (31%) patients experienced disease progression and 31 (22%) succumbed to the disease. A total of 81 patients (58%) were in the early stages of disease (stage II and III), and 42% of the patients had stage IV disease. The estimated 2-year overall and 1-year progression-free survival rates for the whole patient group were 70% [95% confidence interval (CI): 58.8–81.2] and 26.2% (95% CI: 12.9–39.5), respectively. The number of patients who received neoadjuvant treatment was 37. Of the patients who were administered palliative treatment, 24 received oxaliplatin, whereas 22 received irinotecan and 9 received fluorouracil/capecitabine. A total of 36 and 15 of the patients who received targeted therapy were administered bevacizumab and cetuximab, respectively. Of the 55 patients with metastatic disease who received palliative chemotherapy (CTx), 31% were CTx-responsive. The baseline median sEGFR levels were significantly higher in patients with CRC compared with the healthy control group (P=0.002). In addition, established clinical variables, including no surgical resection, metastatic stage, higher pathological tumor stage, poorer regression score (3–4) and higher lactate dehydrogenase levels, were found to be associated with higher sEGFR levels (P=0.03, P=0.009, P=0.05, P=0.05 and P=0.05, respectively). The results of the present study did not reveal statistically significant associations between sEGFR concentrations and overall and progression-free survival rates. In conclusion, sEGFR concentrations may be diagnostic markers in patients with CRC; however, their predictive and prognostic values were not determined.

Biomarkers of skin toxicity induced by anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody treatment in colorectal cancer

Skin toxicity is a common symptom of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody treatment and is also a predictive marker of its efficacy in colorectal cancer patients. However, severe skin disorders induced by such antibodies negatively impact on the quality of life of patients and decreases drug compliance during treatment. If we can predict the high-risk group susceptible to severe skin toxicity before treatment, we can undertake the early management of any arising skin disorders and formulate a more accurate prognosis for anti-EGFR antibody treatment. Previous studies have identified molecular markers of skin toxicity induced by anti-EGFR antibody, such as EGFR polymorphisms, the expression of inflammatory chemokines and serum levels of EGFR ligands. A clinical trial was undertaken involving the escalation of cetuximab doses, guided by the grade of skin toxicity observed, such as no or low-grade, in metastatic colorectal cancer (the EVEREST study). The dose escalation of cetuximab was confirmed by a safety profile and had the tendency to achieve a higher response rate in KRAS wild-type patients. A large, prospective randomized trial is now ongoing (EVEREST 2) and the results of this trial may contribute to personalized medicine in KRAS wild-type colorectal cancer patients.