A Single Arm Prospective Pilot Study Examining the Efficacy and Safety of Bevacizumab Single Maintenance Therapy Following Platinum-Based Chemotherapy in Patients with Advanced or Recurrent Cervical Cancer

Real-world efficacy and safety of bevacizumab single-maintenance therapy following platinum-paclitaxel chemotherapy plus bevacizumab in patients with advanced cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

Bevacizumab maintenance therapy following platinum-based combination chemotherapy for metastatic, recurrent, or persistent cervical cancer is not recommended as standard therapy. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of bevacizumab maintenance therapy and the contribution of the platinum-free interval to the efficacy of subsequent chemotherapy for advanced cervical cancer.

METHODS

We retrospectively identified 115 patients with metastatic, recurrent, or persistent cervical cancer treated with platinum-paclitaxel chemotherapy plus bevacizumab at 7 institutions between 2015 and 2020. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients who received bevacizumab maintenance therapy and those who did not. We also analyzed the adverse events associated with bevacizumab and survival time from the start of subsequent chemotherapy in both groups.

RESULTS

Following platinum-paclitaxel plus bevacizumab chemotherapy, 34 patients received bevacizumab maintenance therapy and 81 patients did not. Of the 115 patients, 56 received chemotherapy for subsequent relapse. Although bevacizumab maintenance therapy prolonged PFS (median of 16.0 months vs. 9.0 months, p=0.041), significant differences were not observed in OS (p=0.374). Furthermore, bevacizumab maintenance therapy did not prolong OS and PFS after the start of subsequent chemotherapy (p=0.663 and p=0.136, respectively). Bevacizumab maintenance therapy significantly increased hypertension (p=0.035) and proteinuria (p=0.005) but did not cause complications leading to death.

CONCLUSION

Bevacizumab single-maintenance therapy for advanced cervical cancer can be considered in selected cases, such as those with acceptable bevacizumab-related side effects. The outcomes of our study will likely contribute to decision-making regarding practical treatment strategies.

Real-world Efficacy Data on Anti-Angiogenic Drugs in Recurrent Small Cell Cervical Carcinoma: A Retrospective Study

OBJECTIVE

Small cell carcinoma of the cervix (SCCC) is rare but extremely aggressive and resistant to current therapies. We herein evaluate the efficacy of bevacizumab, apatinib, and anlotinib in recurrent/metastatic SCCC patients in a real-world setting.

METHODS

Recurrent/metastatic SCCC patients were recruited between January 2013 and July 2020. Baseline characteristics were extracted from medical records, and patients were divided into an anti-angiogenic group and non-anti-angiogenic group. The efficacy of treatments was determined using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 criteria. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed for survival analysis.

RESULTS

Sixteen patients received anti-angiogenic drugs after tumor recurrence/metastasis; of them, 10 cases received them as first-line treatment, 5 cases as second-line treatment, and 1 case as fourth-line treatment. Another 23 patients received traditional therapies, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The use of anti-angiogenic drugs in first-line treatment significantly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) compared to the controls, with a median PFS of 8 months (2-20 months) and 3 months (1-10 months), respectively (P = .025). This trend was also notable in patients who started anti-angiogenic treatment after the second-line recurrence/metastasis. However, there was no benefits for overall survival (OS) in either the 10 first-line cases or all 16 cases (P = .499 and .31, respectively). Both bevacizumab and small molecule drugs (apatinib and anlotinib) presented similar efficacy in SCCC patients.

CONCLUSIONS

At present, this is the largest cohort study that provides real-world data, showing that anti-angiogenic regimens could significantly prolong PFS in recurrent/metastatic SCCC. Aside from bevacizumab, the novel oral small molecule drugs provide more choices with similar efficacy. These findings warrant further validation in well-designed future studies.

The Impact of Histological Subtype on Survival Outcome of Patients with Stage IIB-IVA Cervical Cancer Who Received Definitive Radiotherapy

The impact of histologic subtype on definitive radiotherapy for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer remains unclear. The aim of this retrospective analysis was to assess clinicopathological findings and clinical outcome by histological type in patients with stage IIB-IVA cervical cancer. Ninety-two patients with stage IIB-IVA [International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2008] cervical cancer, who underwent definitive radiotherapy between 2013 to 2018, were identified as eligible for this study. The clinical information of the eligible patients was obtained from medical records of our hospital. Seventy-eight patients underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and the remaining 14 patients received radiotherapy alone. Of 92 patients, 83 had squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 9 had non-SCC histology. Progression-free survival (PFS) rate of patients with non-SCC was significantly worse than of those with SCC (2-year PFS: 62.0% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.0020), but overall survival (OS) rate did not statistically differ between the two subtypes (2-year OS: 82.4% vs. 62.5%, p = 0.2157). Pelvic failure-free (PFF) rate of patients with non-SCC histology was significantly worse than of those with non-SCC (2-year PFF; 88.2% vs. 25.0%, p < 0.0001). In univariate analysis, non-SCC histology was associated with PFS rate, although there was no association with OS rate. In multivariate analysis, non-SCC histology and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors for shorter PFS. In patients with stage IIB-IVA cervical cancer who underwent definitive radiotherapy, patients with non-SCC showed significantly worse PFS rate than those with SCC.

Synergistic therapeutic effect of low-dose bevacizumab with cisplatin-based chemotherapy for advanced or recurrent cervical cancer

BACKGROUND

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy (CBC) is highly efficacious for advanced cervical cancer; its efficacy can be enhanced by combining with 15 mg/kg (standard dose) bevacizumab (BEV). However, this standard dose is associated with various adverse events (AEs). Therefore, in this retrospective study, we analyzed the survival outcomes and AEs in patients with advanced or recurrent cervical cancer treated with CBC in combination with BEV 7.5 mg/kg.

METHODS

Registered patient data were retrieved between October 2014 and September 2019, and 64 patients with advanced or recurrent cervical cancer treated with CBC + BEV (n = 21) or CBC alone (n = 43) were analyzed. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS); the secondary endpoints were the frequency and severity of AEs. The Cox proportional-hazards model was applied to explore prognostic factors associated with PFS and OS.

RESULTS

The 1-, 2-, and 3-year PFS rates (95% CI) were 36.24% (22.0-50.5), 20.7% (9.8-34.2), and 17.7% (7.7-31.1) for the CBC group; and 71.4% (47.1-86.0), 51.0% (27.9-70.1), and 51.0% (27.9-70.1) for the CBC + BEV group, respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates were 62.6% (46.4-75.18), 32.4% (18.8-46.9), and 23.2% (11.2-37.6) for the CBC group; and 85.7% (61.9-95.1), 66.6% (42.5-82.5), and 55.5% (27.1-76.7) for the CBC + BEV group, respectively. The CBC + BEV group presented higher PFS and OS rates, p = 0.003 and p = 0.005, respectively. Proteinuria (6 vs 9, p = 0.025) and hypertension (0 vs 10, p < 0.001) were less common, but anemia was more common in the CBC group (35 vs 11, p = 0.021).

CONCLUSION

Overall, CBC + BEV significantly improved the PFS and OS compared with CBC alone. CBC + BEV also prevents severe AEs and hence is an efficacious and safe therapeutic option.