Triplet chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab as first line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer: An AGEO multicenter real-world study

BACKGROUND

Prior trials validated triplet chemotherapy (Tri-CT) with bevacizumab as first line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) but real-world data are scarce and practices remain heterogeneous.

AIMS

To evaluate Tri-CT +/- bevacizumab efficacy and safety, and to identify factors influencing treatment decisions.

METHODS

The COLOTRIP retrospective study enrolled mCRC patients treated from 2014 to 2019 in 14 French centers.

RESULTS

Of 299 patients (81% PS 0-1, 58% RAS-mutated and 19% BRAF-mutated), 51% received Tri-CT and 49% Tri-CT + bevacizumab. Metastatic disease was classified as resectable (6.5%), potentially resectable (40%), and unresectable (54%). Bevacizumab use was associated with primary tumor location, mutational status and number of metastases. Median overall survival was 33.5 months in the Tri-CT group and 23.9 months in the Tri-CT + bevacizumab group, with median progression-free survival being 14.5 and 11.4 months. After adjusting for initial characteristics, no difference in survival was noted. Around 30% of patients experienced grade ≥3 adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights several factors influencing Tri-CT use +/- bevacizumab decision and confirms the real-world good oncological outcomes and tolerability of these regimens in mCRC patients. Our results suggest that Tri-CT alone may by an appropriate option for specific subgroups of patients.

Optimal treatment strategy after first-line induction therapy in advanced HER2-positive oeso-gastric adenocarcinoma-a retrospective, international, multicentric AGEO study

BACKGROUND

The optimal treatment strategy after first-line induction therapy in advanced HER2-positive oeso-gastric adenocarcinoma (OGA) remains challenging.

METHODS

Patients treated with trastuzumab (T) plus platinum salts and fluoropyrimidine (F) as first-line chemotherapy between 2010 and 2020 for HER2-positive advanced OGA at 17 academic care centers in France, Italy, and Austria were included. The primary objective was the comparison of F + T vs T alone as maintenance regimen in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) after a platinum-based chemotherapy induction + T. As secondary objective, PFS and OS between patients treated with reintroduction of initial chemotherapy or standard second-line chemotherapy at progression were assessed.

RESULTS

Among the 157 patients included, 86 (55%) received F + T and 71 (45%) T alone as a maintenance regimen after a median of 4 months of induction chemotherapy. Median PFS from start of maintenance therapy was 5.1 months in both groups (95% CI 4.2-7.7 for F + T and 95% CI 3.7-7.5 for T alone; p = 0.60) and median OS was 15.2 (95% CI 10.9-19.1) and 17.0 months (95% CI 15.5-21.6) for F + T and T alone, respectively (p = 0.40). Of 112/157 patients (71%) receiving systemic therapy after progression under maintenance, 26/112 (23%) were treated with a reintroduction of initial chemotherapy + T and 86/112 (77%) with a standard second-line regimen. Here, median OS was significantly longer with the reintroduction (13.8 (95% CI 12.1-19.9) vs 9.0 months (95% CI 7.1-11.9); p = 0.007) as confirmed by multivariate analysis (HR 0.49; 95% CI 0.28-0.85; p = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

No additional benefit of adding F to T monotherapy as a maintenance treatment could be observed. Reintroduction of initial therapy at first progression may be a feasible approach to preserve later treatment lines.

Assessment of an emergency 14-day (d) integrative supportive care program (14-EISCP) followed by early chemotherapy (CTx) in symptomatic patients (pts) with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (aPDAC): A prospective ARCAD cohort study

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Background: Pts with aPDAC often have general health impairment due to high symptom burden at diagnosis. We investigated prospectively the clinical benefit (CB) of an EISCP followed by CTx as early as suspicion of aPDAC in pts with ECOG performance status (PS)≥2. Methods: In this multicenter study, PS≥2 pts with pathologically confirmed or suspected aPDAC on imaging were included at first oncology visit (V1) in a personalized 14-d EISCP including pain, nutritional, diagnostic/stenting procedures. Post-EISCP PS≤1 pts received mFOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine(Gem)/Nab-paclitaxel(NP), PS≥2 received mFOLFOX7 or investigator choice CTx or best supportive care (BSC). The primary endpoint was the 14-EISCP success on both feasibility of procedures within 14-d±2 and CB defined by post-EISCP PS≤1, ≥5 points improvement of either fatigue/pain/global health EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL quality of life (QOL) scores, or CTx start ≤30d, aiming 59% success for clinical relevance. Secondary endpoint included uni/multivariate median overall survival (mOS) analyses. Results: As of 07/2022, 106 pts were included; 93 pts were evaluable for primary endpoint: male 46%, mean age 74 yrs, PS2/3 79%/21%, metastases (M1) 62%, pathological diagnosis needed 53%, biliary stenting 16%. V1 mean QOL global health score was 48±23. mOS was 4.1 months (IC95 2.8-5.7). The 14-d feasibility was achieved in 71%. Post-EISCP CB was observed in 82% of pts: 13%, PS improvement to 0/1, 23% QOL improvement and/or 73% CTx start ≤30-d. Eight pts (9%) died during the EISCP. The primary endpoint was achieved in 59% of pts (n=55). Overall, 17 pts (16%) received mFOLFIRINOX/GemNP, 32 (30%) FOLFOX, 29 (27%) Gem or 5FU alone, and 28 (27%) BSC. OS analyses are shown. At d30, pts receiving CTx had a mean change of QOL global health score from 51±23 to 60±23. Conclusions: In PS≥2 pts with aPDAC, a personalized 14-EISCP is feasible and lead to a meaningful CB allowing the administration of doublet/triplet CTx in nearly half of the pts. Pts starting CTx within 30d had improved OS. Clinical trial information: NCT02979483 . [Table: see text]

Second-line therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with regorafenib or cabozantinib: Multicenter French clinical experience in real-life after matching

BACKGROUND

Starting a second-line systemic treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common situation. The only therapeutic options in France are two broad-spectrum tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), regorafenib (REG) and cabozantinib (CBZ), but no comparative real-life studies are available.

AIM

To evaluate the progression-free survival (PFS) of patients treated with REG or CBZ, we investigated the disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), and safety of both drugs. To identify the variables associated with disease progression over time.

METHODS

A retrospective multicenter study was performed on the clinical data of patients attending one of three referral centers (Avignon, Marseille, and Nice) between January 2017 and March 2021 using propensity score matching. PFS and OS were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate analysis (MA) of progression risk factors over time was performed in matched-pair groups.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight patients 68 (62-74) years old with HCC, Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) B/C (86%), Child-Pugh (CP)-A/B (24%) received REG for 3.4 (1.4-10.5) mo as second-line therapy. Twenty-eight patients 68 (60-73) years, BCLC B/C (75%), CP-A/B (25%) received CBZ for 3.7 (1.8-4.9) mo after first-line treatment with sorafenib [3 (2-4) (CBZ) vs 4 (2.9-11.8) mo (REG), P = 0.0226]. Twenty percent of patients received third-line therapy. After matching, PFS and DCR were not significantly different after a median follow-up of 6.2 (2.7-11.7) mo (REG) vs 5.2 (4-7.2) mo (CBZ), P = 0.6925. There was no difference in grade 3/4 toxicities, dose reductions, or interruptions. The OS of CP-A patients was 8.3 (5.2-24.8) vs 4.9 (1.6-11.7) mo (CP-B), P = 0.0468. The MA of risk factors for progression over time identified C-reactive protein (CRP) > 10 mg/L, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) > 3, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) > 45 IU as predictive factors.

CONCLUSION

This multicenter indirect comparative study found no significant difference in PFS between REG and CBZ as second-line therapy for advanced HCC. Elevated levels of inflammatory markers (CRP and NLR) and AST were associated with non-control of TKIs over time. A 2-mo online progression risk calculation is proposed.

A PK/PD mathematical model to forecast severe toxicities in pancreatic cancer patients treated with FOLFIRINOX regimen

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Background: FOLFIRINOX regimen is the most efficient treatment in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. However, this triple-therapy causes significant and dose-limiting toxic effects leading to empirical dose-reduction, postponement of the forthcoming courses and sometimes treatment discontinuation. Dose-limiting toxicities with FOLFIRINOX are mostly oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) and irinotecan-induced diarrhoea (IID). The first aim of our study was to establish dose-concentration-toxicity relationships for these two main ordinal toxicities. Second, we aimed to perform in silico simulations to define the optimal FOLFIRINOX administration protocol (i.e., dosing, scheduling, sequencing) for a maximal benefit to risk ratio. Methods: We performed a retrospective pharmacometric analysis from clinical data collected in three French institutes. Patients had all confirmed diagnosis of PDAC treated with FOLFIRINOX as first line regimen. Demographic characteristics, toxicity data and dosage modifications were collected. Two mathematical models connecting dose – concentration – toxicity (PKPD Tox model) were developed using Monolix2019 to describe both OIPN and IID. Results: Data from 75 patients (36 females/39 males) treated with FOLFIRINOX regimen between 2015-2018 and representing 566 courses were collected. Median age was 65.4 years (range 29-78). The performance status at the start of treatment was 0-1 for 70% of patients. The most frequent location of the tumor was pancreatic head (50%). 91% of patients were subject to empirical dose reduction during their treatment. Oxaliplatin doses were decreased in 258 courses and stopped in 66 courses. Irinotecan doses were decreased in 257 courses and stopped in 33 courses. Overall, 130 IID and 198 OIPN events were observed. From these data, two different PKPD Tox models were developed. The individual concentrations of SN38 (active metabolite of irinotecan) and oxaliplatin were simulated with population PK models, either home-built or taken from the literature. Concentrations were translated into adequate exposure via an interface model developed by our group. Exposure was finally related to a pharmacodynamic model to predict probabilities assigned to each grade of IID or OIPN. Conclusions: These PKPD Tox models help to predict dose-limiting toxicities upon FOLFIRINOX and are useful to select the administration protocol of FOLFIRINOX minimizing the occurrence probabilities of treatment-related neuropathy and diarrhoea, while maintaining efficacy.

Patients with primary localized high-grade sarcomas of the digestive tract excluding GIST : a retrospective study from the French sarcoma group

INTRODUCTION

The natural history of localized high-grade sarcomas of the digestive tract (SDT) excluding GIST has been rarely considered owing to their low incidence and heterogeneity. We describe the histoclinical characteristics of SDT and correlate them with patients' outcomes.

METHODS

We retrospectively collected medical files from a European database covering connective tissue tumors listed in Europe for about twenty years. Only untreated localized primary high-grade SDT were included. A central histological review was performed for each case. Patients' characteristics were compared and correlated with clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 45 patients were identified. Leiomyosarcomas (LMS) and undifferentiated sarcomas (UDS) were predominant, the former having better overall survival (OS) and progressionfree survival (PFS) while the latter having a worse outcome than the other histological types. Complete remission was obtained in 34 patients (75%) and was associated with male sex, age over 40 years and monofocal tumor. Complete surgery and LMS histology were associated with a better prognosis without any significant difference in baseline characteristics or in treatment modalities.

CONCLUSION

Complete surgery and histological type seem to be prognostic indicators of SDT. These results suggest the importance of treating these patients in a reference center.