Real‑world treatment outcomes among patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer in Japan: The Tokushukai real‑world data project

The present study aimed to investigate temporal trends in treatment patterns and prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) among patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. From the Tokushukai REAl-world Data project, 1,093 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine, tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil (S-1), gemcitabine plus S-1, gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel, or fluorouracil, folic acid, oxaliplatin and irinotecan (FOLFIRINOX) between April 2010 and March 2020 were identified. Stratified/conventional Cox regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between patient- and tumor-related factors, study period, hospital volume, hospital type and first-line chemotherapy regimens. Overall, 846 patients were selected (503 male patients; median age, 70 years) after excluding ineligible patients. Over a median follow-up of 5.4 months, the median OS was 6.8 months (95% confidence interval, 6.3-7.4). The median OS for gemcitabine, S-1, gemcitabine plus S-1, gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel and FOLFIRINOX regimens was 5.9, 5.3, 7.7, 9.0 and 9.5 months, respectively. The median OS for 2010-2013, 2014-2017 and 2017-2020 was 6.2, 7.1 and 7.8 months, respectively. Performance status, body mass index and first-line chemotherapy regimens were identified to be significant prognostic factors. In summary, the real-world data indicated that standard care, including chemotherapy, for metastatic pancreatic cancer was widely used in hospitals throughout Japan and verified the survival benefits of gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel and FOLFIRINOX observed in prior clinical trials. This trial has been registered in the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry as UMIN000050590 on April 1, 2023.

Treatment Outcomes and Prognostic Factors of Gemcitabine Plus Nab-Paclitaxel as Second-Line Chemotherapy after Modified FOLFIRINOX in Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

Outcomes and prognostic factors of second-line gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP) after modified FOLFIRINOX (mFFX) for unresectable pancreatic cancer were unclear. We retrospectively analyzed consecutive patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer treated with GnP after first-line mFFX treatment between March 2015 and March 2022 at our hospital. A total of 103 patients were included. Median overall survival (OS) from the start of first-line and second-line treatments was 14.9 months and 7.2 months, respectively. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.6 months. Performance status, modified Glasgow prognostic score, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio were independently associated with OS. Our prognostic model using these parameters classifies patients into good (n = 70) and poor (n = 33) prognosis groups. Median OS and PFS were longer in the good prognosis group than in the poor prognosis group (OS: 9.3 vs. 3.8 months, p < 0.01; PFS: 4.1 vs. 2.3 months, p < 0.01). Grade 3/4 adverse events were observed in 70.9% of patients, with neutropenia being the most frequent. While GnP as second-line treatment was well-tolerated, efficacy of second-line gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel was notably limited, particularly in the poor prognosis group.

Perioperative or only adjuvant gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel for resectable pancreatic cancer (NEONAX)-a randomized phase II trial of the AIO pancreatic cancer group

BACKGROUND

Data on perioperative chemotherapy in resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (rPDAC) are limited. NEONAX examined perioperative or adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel in rPDAC (National Comprehensive Cancer Network criteria).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

NEONAX is a prospective, randomized phase II trial with two independent experimental arms. One hundred twenty-seven rPDAC patients in 22 German centers were randomized 1 : 1 to perioperative (two pre-operative and four post-operative cycles, arm A) or adjuvant (six cycles, arm B) gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2) and nab-paclitaxel (125 mg/m2) on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle.

RESULTS

The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS) at 18 months in the modified intention-to-treat (ITT) population [R0/R1-resected patients who started neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CTX) (A) or adjuvant CTX (B)]. The pre-defined DFS rate of 55% at 18 months was not reached in both arms [A: 33.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 18.5% to 48.1%), B: 41.4% (95% CI 20.7% to 62.0%)]. Ninety percent of patients in arm A completed neoadjuvant treatment, and 42% of patients in arm B started adjuvant chemotherapy. R0 resection rate was 88% (arm A) and 67% (arm B), respectively. Median overall survival (mOS) (ITT population) as a secondary endpoint was 25.5 months (95% CI 19.7-29.7 months) in arm A and 16.7 months (95% CI 11.6-22.2 months) in the upfront surgery arm. This difference corresponds to a median DFS (mDFS) (ITT) of 11.5 months (95% CI 8.8-14.5 months) in arm A and 5.9 months (95% CI 3.6-11.5 months) in arm B. Treatment was safe and well tolerable in both arms.

CONCLUSIONS

The primary endpoint, DFS rate of 55% at 18 months (mITT population), was not reached in either arm of the trial and numerically favored the upfront surgery arm B. mOS (ITT population), a secondary endpoint, numerically favored the neoadjuvant arm A [25.5 months (95% CI 19.7-29.7months); arm B 16.7 months (95% CI 11.6-22.2 months)]. There was a difference in chemotherapy exposure with 90% of patients in arm A completing pre-operative chemotherapy and 58% of patients starting adjuvant chemotherapy in arm B. Neoadjuvant/perioperative treatment is a novel option for patients with resectable PDAC. However, the optimal treatment regimen has yet to be defined. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02047513) and the European Clinical Trials Database (EudraCT 2013-005559-34).

Usefulness of the G8 Geriatric Assessment Tool as a Prognostic Factor in Gemcitabine Plus Nab-paclitaxel Combination Therapy for Elderly Patients with Pancreatic Cancer

INTRODUCTION

The usefulness of various prognostic factors for advanced pancreatic cancer (APC) has been reported, but the number of elderly patients in these studies is disproportionately fewer than those in general practice. This study aimed to examine the prognostic factors for elderly patients with APC receiving gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP) considering the G8 geriatric assessment tool.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 77 elderly (≥65 years old) patients with APC who received GnP as first-line chemotherapy at our hospital. We used the receiver operating characteristic curve to set the optimal cutoff value for G8. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were applied to study independent prognostic factors.

RESULTS

The progression-free survival was 5.5 months, and the overall survival (OS) was 12.0 months in all patients. The most optimal cutoff of G8 was 10.5. OS of G8 ≥10.5 patients was superior to that of G8 <10.5 patients (18.5 versus 8.0 months). Multivariate analysis showed that Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 1 (hazard ratio [HR] 3.00, p = 0.02), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio ≥3.9 (HR 2.73, p = 0.03), and G8 geriatric assessment <10.5 (HR 5.38, p < 0.001) were independent negative prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONS

G8 is useful for predicting prognoses in elderly patients with APC receiving GnP.

Clinical Outcomes of S-1 Monotherapy and Modified FOLFIRINOX Therapy after Gemcitabine plus Nab-paclitaxel Therapy in Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

Objective S-1 and modified FOLFIRINOX (mFFX) were often used as the second-line chemotherapies after failure of gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP) in unresectable pancreatic cancer (UPC) until nanoliposomal irinotecan plus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin therapy was approved as an alternative in Japan in 2020. However, the clinical outcomes of S-1 and mFFX after GnP have scarcely been reported. Therefore, we retrospectively studied them. Methods We extracted the clinical data of 86 patients with UPC who received second-line chemotherapy after GnP between 2015 and 2020. Among the patients who had a good organ functions and no massive ascites, 41 patients treated with S-1 and 21 treated with mFFX were enrolled. Results Compared to S-1, mFFX tended to be used for younger patients with a good general condition (median age, 63 vs. 71 years, p<0.01; and performance status 0, 67% vs. 37%, p<0.05). The median progression-free and overall survival were similar between the S-1 (3.7 and 7.2 months, respectively) and mFFX (3.3 and 7.4 months, respectively) groups. The response rate in patients with measurable lesions was 4% (n=1/23) in the S-1 group and 17% (n=2/12) in the mFFX group. The incidence of grade 3 or 4 adverse events was 20% in the S-1 group and 57% (neutrophil count decreased in 43%) in the mFFX group (p<0.01). Conclusion S-1 and mFFX were both acceptable second-line chemotherapies after GnP therapy for UPC, although attention should be paid to myelosuppression during mFFX treatment. Further studies involving nanoliposomal irinotecan plus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin therapy are necessary to facilitate the selection of the optimal regimen for each patient.

The prognostic impact of tumour location and first-line chemotherapy regimen in locally advanced pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

The prognostic impact of tumour location (pancreatic head vs. pancreatic body/tail) and first-line chemotherapy regimen (gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel vs. modified FOLFIRINOX) has not been fully elucidated in locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Therefore, we conducted this study to examine the prognostic impact of tumour location and first-line chemotherapy regimen.

METHODS

We retrospectively investigated locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients who initiated first-line chemotherapy (gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel or modified FOLFIRINOX) between March 2014 and December 2019. We compared clinical characteristics and survival outcomes according to chemotherapy regimen and tumour location. Furthermore, we examined the prognostic factors associated with overall survival using cox proportional hazards model. Distant metastasis pattern was also compared according to tumour location.

RESULTS

A total of 128 patients were included (GnP 95, mFFX 33; Ph 66, Pbt 62). Distribution of chemotherapy regimen was balanced between pancreatic head and pancreatic body/tail cancers. Eight patients underwent conversion surgery and 81 patients (63%) developed distant metastasis. Although patients receiving modified FOLFIRINOX were significantly younger and tended to have better performance status compared to patients receiving gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel, radiological tumour response, progression-free survival, overall survival and chemotherapy-related adverse events were similar between the two groups except for grades 3-4 anorexia (9% vs. 1%, P = 0.05). Furthermore, overall survival was similar between pancreatic head and pancreatic body/tail cancers. Conversion surgery and radiation therapy were identified as independent prognostic factors for overall survival. The most common site of distant metastasis was liver metastasis in both groups and pattern of distant metastasis was not different between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In our experience, tumour location and first-line chemotherapy regimen were not a prognostic factor for overall survival in locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Association between the use of antibiotics and efficacy of gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel in advanced pancreatic cancer

It is unclear whether the use of antibiotics is related to the efficacy of gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP). Therefore, we investigated the association between the use of antibiotics and efficacy of GnP.We conducted a retrospective single center study from January 2014 to December 2018 in Hokkaido University Hospital.Ninety-nine patients were eligible for the study. Thirty-seven used antibiotics (U) and 62 did not use antibiotics (NU) during GnP therapy. In the U group, 15 patients used β-lactam antibiotics, 21 used new quinolones, and 1 used carbapenem. The median progression-free survival was 5.8 and 2.7 months (hazards ratio [HR] .602, 95% confidence interval [CI] .391-.928, P = .022) and the median overall survival was 11.0 and 8.4 months (HR .768, 95% CI .491-1.202, P = .248) in the U and not use antibiotics groups, respectively. Antibiotic use (HR .489, 95% CI .287-.832, P = .008) and locally advanced pancreatic cancer (HR 1.808, 95% CI 1.051-3.112, P = .032) were independent prognostic factors for progression-free survival.Antibiotic use was associated with a higher efficacy of GnP, and therefore, it may be employed as a novel treatment strategy.

Early Tumor Shrinkage and Depth of Response Evaluation in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Treated with First Line Chemotherapy: An Observational Retrospective Cohort Study

Early tumor shrinkage (ETS) and depth of response (DoR) predict favorable outcomes in metastatic colorectal cancer. We aim to evaluate their prognostic role in metastatic pancreatic cancer (PC) patients treated with first-line modified-FOLFIRINOX (FOLFOXIRI) or Gemcitabine + Nab-paclitaxel (GemNab). Hence, 138 patients were tested for ETS, defined as a ≥20% reduction in the sum of target lesions’ longest diameters (SLD) after 6–8 weeks from baseline, and DoR, i.e., the maximum percentage shrinkage in the SLD from baseline. Association of ETS and DoR with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was assessed. ETS was reached in 49 patients (39.5% in the FOLFOXIRI, 29.8% in the GemNab group; p = 0.280). In the overall population, ETS was significantly associated with better PFS (8.0 vs. 4.8 months, p < 0.001) and OS (13.2 vs. 9.7 months, p = 0.001). Median DoR was −27.5% (−29.4% with FOLFOXIRI and −21.4% with GemNab, p = 0.016): DoR was significantly associated with better PFS (9.0 vs. 6.7 months, p < 0.001) and OS (14.3 vs. 11.1 months, p = 0.031). Multivariate analysis confirmed both ETS and DoR are independently associated with PFS and OS. In conclusion, our study added evidence on the role of ETS and DoR in the prediction of outcome of PC patients treated with first-line combination chemotherapy.

Second-Line Gemcitabine Plus Nab-Paclitaxel for Patients with Unresectable Advanced Pancreatic Cancer after First-Line FOLFIRINOX Failure

FOLFIRINOX (FX) and gemcitabine (GEM) plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP) have been reported as effective regimens for unresectable advanced pancreatic cancer (APC). FX may be more effective but is also associated with more adverse events (AEs). Therefore, first-line treatment with FX followed by second-line GnP may be appropriate. Aims: To assess the safety and efficacy of second-line GnP for patients with APC after first-line FX failure. Methods: This study was a multicenter prospective phase II study evaluating second-line GnP in patients with APC after failed first-line FX. The primary endpoint was response rate (RR), and the secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS), and the frequency and degree of adverse events (AEs). Results: Thirty patients (14 male; median age, 64 years) were enrolled. The RR was 13.3%, with a median follow-up time of 9.3 months. The median OS and PFS were 7.6 and 3.8 months, respectively. From the beginning of first-line treatment, the median OS and PFS were 14.2 and 9.3 months, respectively. Grade 3 or 4 AEs were seen in 70% of patients. Conclusion: Second-line GnP after FX failure for patients with APC could be more effective than GEM alone. Further comparison studies are warranted.

Successful treatment of a locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer patient with interstitial pneumonitis by conversion surgery following gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel chemotherapy: A case report

Conversion surgery is an attractive strategy to improve the outcomes for locally advanced unresectable (UR-LA) pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The present case report, presents a case of successful conversion surgery following the treatment of a patient with UR-LA PDAC, suffering from interstitial pneumonitis (IP), using a combination of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (GnP). A 67-year-old woman presented at the hospital with a high level of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9; 1,713 U/ml). Radiological examination revealed a pancreatic tumor in contact with the superior mesenteric artery, with invasion extending to the most proximal draining jejunal branch into the superior mesenteric vein. The patient was diagnosed with UR-LA PDAC. Following 6 courses of GnP therapy, the tumor size markedly decreased from 50 to 18 mm, and the level of CA19-9 also decreased from 1,713 to 60.1 U/ml. Due to the progression of IP, the patient was administered steroid medication along with a restart of tacrolimus for the treatment of dermatomyositis and IP. After recovery from her lung condition, an additional 3 courses of GnP therapy were administered, and then pancreatoduodenectomy was performed. The patient was still alive 14 months post-surgery with no recurrence. Between July 2009 and September 2017, conversion surgery was performed for 18 cases of UR-LA PDAC treated with gemcitabine plus S-1 (GS) therapy, and 11 cases with GnP therapy. The percentage of median CA19-9 and median tumor volume reductions were 73.7 and 51.6%, respectively, following GS therapy, and 86.7 and 68.8%, respectively, following GnP therapy. Tumor reduction following GnP therapy was significantly higher than that after GS therapy (P=0.02). GnP therapy is a suitable regimen to shrink the tumor mass in patients with UR-LA PDAC. Careful management of systemic conditions is required to treat patients with PDAC and IP when using GnP therapy. Conversion surgery should be considered for recognizing radiological responses (tumor shrinkage adjacent to major arteries) and reductions in CA19-9 levels.

Conversion surgery with gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel for locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer: A case report

The standard treatment for locally advanced unresectable (UR-LA) pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is chemo-radiotherapy. Surgery following chemo-radiotherapy (conversion surgery), has been considered a useful strategy and has been used for UR-LA PDAC. The current study presents the case of a 43-year-old woman who complained of back pain. A radiological examination revealed a pancreatic tumor in contact with >270 degrees of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) perimeter, with invasion extending from the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) to the portal vein (PV). An endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma as the pathological diagnosis and the patient was diagnosed with UR-LA PDAC. Following 12 courses of combined gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP) for 9 months, the extent of tumor invasion to the SMA and SMV was improved and the level of cancer antigen (CA) 19-9 decreased. A pancreatoduodenectomy with PV resection and reconstruction using a left renal vein graft were performed. Pathological examination revealed that the operative outcome was R0 (no residual tumor) resection and the patient was alive 19 months after the initial treatment (9 months post surgery), however, there was local tumor recurrence. Between March 2015 and February 2016 a total of 10 cases of UR-LA PDAC were encountered at the Department of General Surgery, Chiba University Hospital (Chiba, Japan), in which GnP therapy was performed. Including the present case, 6 of the 11 cases (55%) underwent conversion surgery with curative resection. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients treated with conversion surgery presented significantly longer overall survival (OS) than those treated with no conversion surgery (median OS, 22.5 vs. 11 months; P=0.047, Wilcoxon test). The minimum reduction of CA19-9 was 67%. In conclusion, conversion surgery following GnP therapy is a desirable option for UR-LA PDAC. A significant reduction in the CA19-9 levels may be useful in determining the timing of changeover from medicine to surgery in patients with UR-LA PDAC in whom conversion surgery is being considered.

Potential predictive role of chemotherapy-induced changes of soluble CD40 ligand in untreated advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreas ductal adenocarcinoma lacks predictive biomarkers. CD40 is a member of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily. CD40-sCD40L interaction is considered to contribute to the promotion of tumor cell growth and angiogenesis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of serum sCD40L as a predictor in metastatic pancreatic cancer. We evaluated 27 consecutive pancreatic cancer patients treated with FOLFIRINOX (21 patients) or gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel combination (six patients). The sCD40L level was measured in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at baseline, at first evaluation (all patients), and at time to progression (18 patients). The radiological response was evaluated according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, Version 1.1. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare pre-post treatment sCD40L levels with respect to clinical response, while Pearson's correlation coefficient was used for the correlation between sCD40L and CA19.9 pre- and post-treatment. The Kruskal-Wallis test was also conducted for further comparisons. We observed a statistically significant reduction in the sCD40L level after 3 months of treatment in patients with partial response (11,718.05±7,097.13 pg/mL vs 4,689.42±5,409.96 pg/mL; P<0.01). Conversely, in patients with progressive disease, the biomarker statistically increased in the same time (9,351.51±7,356.91 pg/mL vs 22,282.92±11,629.35 pg/mL; P<0.01). This trend of sCD40L was confirmed in 18 patients at time to progression after the first evaluation. No differences were recorded within the stable disease group. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the sCD40L and CA19.9 pre-post treatment variation percentage (Pearson's correlation coefficient =0.52; P<0.05). Our data suggest a possible predictive role of sCD40L in pancreatic cancer patients, similar to CA19.9.