Beyond traditional therapies: clinical significance of complex molecular profiling in patients with advanced solid tumours-results from a Turkish multi-centre study

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this multi-centre, real-world study was to examine the potential influence of comprehensive molecular profiling on the development of treatment decisions or adjustments for patients with advanced solid malignancies. We then evaluated the impact of these informed choices on patient treatment outcomes.

METHODS

The study encompassed 234 adult patients (mean age: 52.7 ± 14.3 years, 54.7% women) who were diagnosed with solid tumours at 21 different medical centres in Turkey. Remarkably, 67.9% of the patients exhibited metastasis at the time of diagnosis. We utilized an OncoDNA (Gosselies, Belgium) platform (OncoDEEP) integrating next-generation sequencing with additional tests to harvest complex molecular profiling data. The results were analyzed in relation with two specific outcomes: (i) the impact on therapeutic decisions, including formulation or modifications, and (ii) associated treatment response.

RESULTS

Out of the 228 patients with final molecular profiling results, 118 (50.4%) had their treatment modified, whilst the remaining 110 (47.0%) did not. The response rates were comparable, with 3.9 versus 3.4% for complete response, 13.6 versus 29.3% for partial response, 66.9 versus 51.7% for progressive disease and 15.5 versus 15.5% for stable disease for treatments informed and not informed by complex molecular profiling, respectively (P = 0.16).

CONCLUSION

Our real-world findings highlight the significant impact of complex molecular profiling on the treatment decisions made by oncologists for a substantial portion of patients with advanced solid tumours. Regrettably, no significant advantage was detected in terms of treatment response or disease control rates.

Efficacy and safety of folfiri plus aflibercept in second-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: Real-life data from Turkish oncology group

Aims

The addition of aflibercept to the fluorouracil and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) regimen significantly improved clinical outcomes in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) previously treated with oxaliplatin. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of second-line FOLFIRI and aflibercept combination in patients with metastatic CRC in real-life experience.

Materials and Methods

Four hundred and thirty-three patients who treated with FOLFIRI and aflibercept in the second-line were included in the study. The clinical and pathological features of the patients were recorded retrospectively. Survival (overall and progression-free survival [PFS]), response rates, and safety data were analyzed.

Results

The median age was 61. Majority of patients (87.5%) received first-line bevacizumab and 10.1% of patients received anti-epidermal growth factor receptor agents. About 80% of patients had KRAS, 18.6% of patients had NRAS, and 6.4% of patients had BRAF mutations. The median OS was 11.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.6-12.6) and the median PFS was 6 months (95% CI, 5.5-6.5). About 4.6% of patients had complete response and 30.6% of patients had partial response as best tumor response. Grade 1-2 toxicities were seen in 33.4% of patients, while grade 3-4 toxicities were recorded in 27% of patients. Eight patients (2%) died due to treatment toxicity.

Conclusions

Overall and PFS were similar in routine clinical practice compared to phase III pivotal VELOUR trial. However, response rates were found to be higher. It was observed that there were fewer adverse events compared to the VELOUR trial.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the treatment of metastatic renal cell cancer patients with early cytokine intolerance: TURCOS, a Turkish national, prospective observational study

OBJECTIVE

Cytokines have been the mainstay of treatment in metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC) for decades before the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), which dramatically changed the therapeutic landscape in these patients. This observational study was designed to evaluate use of TKIs in the treatment of cytokine-intolerant mRCC patients.

METHODS

A total of 151 cytokine-intolerant mRCC patients who were treated with TKIs (sunitinib, pazopanib and sorafenib) were enrolled in this prospective, non-interventional, multi-center observational study at 16 oncology centers across Turkey. Mean (SD) age was 61.3 (11.1) years and 74.8% were males. Data on duration of TKI treatment was the primary outcome measure. Additionally, overall response rate (ORR), progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and safety data were recorded.

RESULTS

Median duration of treatment was 8.2 months at a median follow up of 17.9 months. ORR and disease control rate were 12.5% and 70.8%, respectively. Median PFS and OS were 7.5 months (95%CI: 6.4-10.4) and 27.3 months (95%CI: 17.6-27.3) with no significant difference among three TKI agents in terms of treatment duration, ORR, PFS and OS. The most common adverse events excluding progression-which was the protocol requirement were diarrhea (13.6%), asthenia (13.6%) and hand-foot syndrome (12.6%). Dose modifications were required in 30.5% of the patients and 15% discontinued TKIs because of toxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings confirm the efficacy and safety profile of TKIs in the first-line treatment of mRCC patients intolerant to cytokine treatment. There was no significant difference among three TKI agents in terms of treatment duration, ORR, PFS and OS.Trial registration: TURCOS ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01585974. Registered April 25, 2012.

Quality of life study of patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with gemcitabine+nab-paclitaxel versus gemcitabine alone: AX-PANC-SY001, a randomized phase-2 study

BACKGROUND

Combination of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel has superior clinical efficacy than gemcitabine alone. Nevertheless, health-related quality of life. (QoL) associated with this combination therapy when administered at first-line in advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma is unknown.

METHODS

A total of 125 patients were randomized to combination therapy (1000 mg/m2 gemcitabine + 125 mg/m2 nab-paclitaxel) and single-agent gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2) arms to take treatment weekly for 7 of 8 weeks, and following 3 of 4 weeks, until progression or severe toxicity. Primary endpoints were three-months of definitive deterioration free percent of patients, and QoL.

RESULTS

Overall QoL analyses showed that 34 and 58.3% of cases in gemcitabine and gemcitabine+nab-P arms had no deterioration in 3rd month QoL scores (p = 0.018). These proportions were 27.3 and 36.6% in 6^th month assessments, respectively (p = 0.357). Median overall survivals in combination and single-agent arms were 9.92 months and 5.95 months, respectively (HR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.42-0.86, p = 0.038). Median progression free survivals in these treatment arms were 6.28 and 3.22 months, respectively (HR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.39-0.87, p = 0.008). Median time-to-deterioration were 5.36 vs 3.68 months, and objective response rates were 37.1% vs 23.7% (p = 0.009), respectively in combination and single-agent arms.

CONCLUSIONS

Combination therapy with gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel had better overall and progression-free survival than gemcitabine alone. Also, combination therapy showed increased response rate without toxicity or deteriorated QoL. Combination treatment with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel may provide significant benefit for advanced pancreatic cancer.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study has been registered in ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT03807999 on January 8, 2019 (retrospectively registered).

Is eribulin treatment prognostic factor in patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with this drug? Retrospective analysis of a multicentre study

PURPOSE

This study aimed to analyze prognostic factors for survival and the reliability and the effectiveness of eribulin therapy in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients.

METHODS

A total of 80 patients treated with eribulin in 12 medical oncology centers in Turkey between 2013-2017 were retrospectively evaluated. Sixteen potential prognostic variables were assessed for analysis.

RESULTS

The patients had received a median of 5 prior chemotherapy regimens and a median of 3 eribulin cycles for MBC. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.5 months (95% Cl: 4.1-7.8) and median overall survival (OS) was 11 months (95 % Cl: 6-15). Multivariate analysis showed that eribulin treatment line was shown to have independent prognostic significance for PFS. PFS difference was demostrated in patients who received 3 chemotherapy lines for advanced disease compared to those who had more than 3 chemotherapy lines [median PFS; 3 lines: 8.6 months (6.2-11) and ˃3 lines: 4.6 months (3.7-4.6) p=0.00]. The clinical benefit rate (CBR) was 52.5 and 35% in patients treated with three lines and with ˃3 previous chemotherapeutic regimens. Most common toxicities were neutropenia (62.5%), fatigue (52.5%), alopecia (50%) and nausea (37.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

Eribulin treatment line was identified as indepedent prognostic factor for PFS in MBC patients.

Is eribulin treatment prognostic factor in patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with this drug? Retrospective analysis of a multicentre study

PURPOSE

This study aimed to analyze prognostic factors for survival and the reliability and the effectiveness of eribulin therapy in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients.

METHODS

A total of 80 patients treated with eribulin in 12 medical oncology centers in Turkey between 2013-2017 were retrospectively evaluated. Sixteen potential prognostic variables were assessed for analysis.

RESULTS

The patients had received a median of 5 prior chemotherapy regimens and a median of 3 eribulin cycles for MBC. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.5 months (95% Cl: 4.1-7.8) and median overall survival (OS) was 11 months (95 % Cl: 6-15). Multivariate analysis showed that eribulin treatment line was shown to have independent prognostic significance for PFS. PFS difference was demostrated in patients who received 3 chemotherapy lines for advanced disease compared to those who had more than 3 chemotherapy lines [median PFS; 3 lines: 8.6 months (6.2-11) and ˃3 lines: 4.6 months (3.7-4.6) p=0.00]. The clinical benefit rate (CBR) was 52.5 and 35% in patients treated with three lines and with ˃3 previous chemotherapeutic regimens. Most common toxicities were neutropenia (62.5%), fatigue (52.5%), alopecia (50%) and nausea (37.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

Eribulin treatment line was identified as indepedent prognostic factor for PFS in MBC patients.

Effectiveness and Safety of LMWH Treatment in Patients With Cancer Diagnosed With Non-High-Risk Venous Thromboembolism: Turkish Observational Study (TREBECA)

We compared the efficacy and safety of low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) in patients with cancer who are at low risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Patients were treated by medical oncologists in Turkey at 15 sites, where they were enrolled and followed up for a period of 12 months. Due to the study design, there was no specific treatment protocol for LMWH. Primary end points were efficacy and the time to change in VTE status. Of the included 250 patients, 239 (95.6%), 176 (70.4%), 130 (52.0%), and 91 (36.4%) completed their day 15, month 3, month 6, and month 12 visits, respectively. Number of patients treated with enoxaparin, bemiparin, and tinzaparin were 133, 112, and 5, respectively. Anticoagulant therapy provoked thrombus resolution in 1.2% and 12.7% of patients using enoxaparin and bemiparin, respectively ( P = .004). Thrombus resolution was observed in 81 more patients at month 3 visit. This ratio was 35 (40.2%) of 87 and 46 (54.1%) of 85 patients administered enoxaparin and bemiparin at the third visit, respectively ( P = .038). Thrombus resolution was observed in 21 more patients during month 6 visit. This ratio was 5 (7.7%) of 65 and 15 (23.4%) of 64 patients administered enoxaparin and bemiparin at the fourth visit, respectively ( P = .022). The LMWH was discontinued in only 2 patients due to gastrointestinal bleeding. This pioneering study shows bemiparin is more effective than enoxaparin in thrombosis resolution and has a similar tolerability profile.

Middle East observational study in metastatic soft tissue sarcoma: an epidemiological study on the treatment patterns (MOON)

PURPOSE

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a heterogeneous group of rare mesenchymal neoplasms, accounting for < 1% of all newly diagnosed malignancies. These tumors can occur in almost any anatomic site though they most frequently occur in the extremities. The objective of the study was to describe the epidemiology, treatment paradigm, and real-world outcomes in the clinical management of metastatic STS (mSTS) in the Middle East and North Africa (MEA) region.

METHODS

MOON was an observational, multicenter, retrospective patient chart review study which included 200 patients with mSTS in the final analysis. The primary objective of the study is exploratory, so it is presented using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

At the time of presentation, 62.0% patients had metastatic disease, 27.5% had received only their primary diagnosis and 10.0% had experienced a local recurrence. The most frequent STS localizations were lower extremities (74%), trunk (28.5%) and upper extremities (10.5%). Primary tumor was staged as T2b in the majority (60%) of patients. Surgical treatment was performed most often for the primary disease, whereas radiation therapy and chemotherapy were predominantly administered with palliative intent. A total of 38 patients received treatment with pazopanib. Thirteen adverse events (AEs) were attributed to pazopanib in eight patients.

CONCLUSION

Adult patients treated for STS have al most equal gender ratio and mostly are middle aged. The majority of patients have metastatic disease and disease progression, and half of the patients died from the disease during the period of evaluation. This study obtained real-life data on the clinical management of STS in MEA countries which could be shared with the medical community.

Quality of life study in patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine in combination with nab-paclitaxel versus gemcitabine alone:ax-panc-sy001: A phase II randomized study

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Background: Although clinical efficacy of gemcitabine in combination with nabpaclitaxel has been shown to be superior to single agent gemcitabine in a randomize phase 3 trial, data are lacking on the quality of life of this combination regimen as first-line therapy in patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods: We randomly assigned 125 patients with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score of 0 or 1 to receive gemcitabine, 1000 mg/m2 plus nabpaclitaxel 125 mg/m2 or gemcitabine at a dose of 1000 mg per square meter weekly for 7 of 8 weeks and then weekly for 3 of 4 weeks. Treatment continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary end point was 3-months deterioration-free rate (percentage of patients free from definitive deterioration) and quality of life of patients. Results: The median overall survival was 9.92 months in the gemcitabine plus nabpaclitaxel group as compared with 5.95 months in the gemcitabine group (hazard ratio for death, 0.642, 95% confidence interval, 0.422 to 0.866; p < 0.038). Median progression-free survival was 6.28 months in the combination group and 3.22 months in the gemcitabine group (hazard ratio for disease progression, 0.582; 95% CI, 0.391 to 0.866; p < 0.008). The objective response rate was 37.1% in the combination group versus 23.7% in the gemcitabine group (p < 0.009). Median time to deterioration was 3.68 months in the gemcitabine arm versus 5.36 months in the combination arm. More data on quality of life will be presented. Conclusions: As compared with gemcitabine, gemcitabine plus nabpaclitaxel was associated with an overall and progressive free survival advantage, with increased response rate, without increasing toxicity and deterioration of quality of life. Gemcitabine and nabpaclitaxel combination regimen with this form is a preferable option for the treatment of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer Clinical trial information: EudraCT: 2013-004180-32.

Effectiveness and safety of LMWH treatment in patients with cancer diagnosed with nonhigh-risk venous thromboembolism (VTE): Results of the Turkish observational study (TREBECA)

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Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is one of the most important causes of death in cancer patients, with VTE risk being 4-7 times higher among these patients compared to normal population. TREBECA is an observational study on cancer outpatients with low risk VTE treated with LMWH. Methods: Patients were treated by medical oncologists in Turkey at 15 sites, where they were enrolled and followed-up for a period of 12 months. Each center used their own treatment protocol. Primary endpoints were efficacy and the time to a change inVTE status (dissolution of thrombosis). The doses of LMWHs have been calculated according to patients’ body weights based on the dosage scheme and administered subcutaneously once or twice daily. Results: Data for 250 patients who met the study inclusion criteria were examined and analyzed. Of the included patients; 239 patients (95.6%) completed their Day 15 visit, 176 (70.4%) completed their Month 3 visit, 130 (52.0%) completed their Month 6 visit, and 91 (36.4%) completed the entire study. The mean age of the patients was 60.2 ± 13.7, while 53.2% (n = 133) of the patients were women. Colorectal (21.2%), lung (16.8%) and breast (14.8%) cancers were the most common forms of cancer. One hundred thirty-three patients were treated with enoxaparin, 112 patients were treated with bemiparin and 5 patients were treated with tinzaparin. Bemiparin resulted thrombosis resolution in more patients than enoxaparin, during day 15, month 3 and month 6 visits (table 1; p < 0.05). Conclusions: The observation that bemiparin is more effective in resolution of thrombosis was noteworthy. Thrombosis could not be effectively treated within the first 15 days in a significant number of patients, but could effectively be treated in most patients by Month 3. We can conclude that a treatment of at least 3 months is appropriate for cancer patients, even among those who are at low risk for venous thromboembolism. [Table: see text]

Surgical Treatment of a Giant Primary Cardiac Angiosarcoma

Primary cardiac angiosarcoma is a rare tumor, and surgical resection is often required to relieve its symptoms. A 54-year-old male with a large primary cardiac angiosarcoma is described in this case report. The tumor was located in the right atrium and right ventricle. The bulk was resected with the right coronary artery (RCA), and partial right atrium and partial right ventricle resections were performed during cardiopulmonary bypass. The resected tumor measured 15 x 10 x 8 cm, and the histopathological diagnosis was well differentiated primary cardiac angiosarcoma. In the postoperative period, the patient was followed up for 22 months, and radiotherapy and chemotherapy were performed for metastases. The optimal therapy for cardiac angiosarcoma is still controversial, but combined treatment including surgical resection should be considered.

Sorafenib with TACE improves the survival of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with more than 10 cm tumor: a single-center retrospective study

PURPOSE

Sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor, is effective in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an important palliative treatment for unresectable HCC, but TACE-induced ischemic injury can upregulate angiogenic factors and it might be associated with poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of conventional TACE with or without sorafenib in patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage A-B HCC.

METHODS

Thirty patients with BCLC stage A or B HCC who had undergone TACE were enrolled in this retrospective study. Child-Pugh score, BCLC staging classification, size and number of lesions were recorded. Sorafenib was given 1 month after TACE to some patients who responded to TACE. Repeated TACE was performed on demand. Tumor response was assessed every 12 weeks. The primary objective of this trial was the progression free survival (PFS). Secondary objectives were overall survival (OS), disease control rate (DCR) and total number of TACE interventions. Kaplan-Meier method was used for the estimation of survival and survival curves were compared with Log-rank test.

RESULTS

Twenty-five (83.3%) patients had Child-Pugh A and 5 (16.7%) Child-Pugh B, and 24 (80%) patients had BCLC stage B disease and remanining had stage A disease. Lesion size >10 cm was found in 6 patients and 16/7/7 patients had single/two/multiple lesions, respectively. Mean number of TACE was 2.10±1.369. Seventeen (56.7%) patients used sorafenib after TACE whereas 13 (43.3%) patients were followed without any treatment but received consequent TACEs if needed. PFS of all patients was 10 months (range 3-48); it was 13 months for TACE plus sorafenib group and 9 months for TACE group (p=0.081). In subgroup analysis, TACE plus sorafenib group had better PFS (36 vs 12 months) in patients with tumor size > 10 cm (p=0.025). In the analysis of Child- Pugh A cases, PFS of TACE plus sorafenib group was 23 months while it was 10 months in TACE group (p=0.007).

CONCLUSION

Concurrent treatment in Child-Pugh A group HCC with conventional TACE and sorafenib demonstrates a significant efficacy in patients having tumor size >10 cm. In Child-Pugh A group, PFS was superior in the sorafenib plus TACE group than in TACE alone group.

Outcomes of surveillance versus adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with stage IA and IB nonseminomatous testicular germ cell tumors

BACKGROUND

Currently, it is accepted that risk assessment of clinical stage I (CS I) nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT) patient is mainly dependent on the presence of lymphovascular invasion (LVI). Initial active surveillance, adjuvant chemotherapy and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) are acceptable treatment options for these patients, but there is no uniform consensus. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes of active surveillance with adjuvant chemotherapy.

METHODS

A total of 201 patients with CS I NSGCT after orchiectomy were included. Outcomes of active surveillance and adjuvant chemotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. The prognostic significance of risk factors for survival and relapse was evaluated.

RESULTS

Of the 201 patients, 110 (54.7%) received adjuvant chemotherapy, while the remaining 91 patients (45.3%) underwent surveillance. Relapses were significantly higher for patients underwent surveillance compared to adjuvant chemotherapy group (18.3 vs. 1.2%, p < 0.001). The 5-year relapse-free survival (RFS) rate for patients who were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy was significantly better than those of patients underwent surveillance (97.6 vs. 80.8%, respectively; p < 0.001). Univariate analysis showed that the presence of LVI (p = 0.01) and treatment option (p < 0.001) were prognostic factors for RFS and pT stage (p = 0.004) and invasion of rete testis (p = 0.004) and the presence of relapse (p < 0.001) were significant prognostic factors for OS. Multivariate analysis revealed that the treatment strategy was an independent prognostic factor for RFS (p < 0.001, HR 0.54). A logistic regression analysis demonstrated that treatment options (p = 0.031), embryonal carcinoma (EC) >50% (p = 0.013) and tumor diameter (p = 0.016) were found to be independent factors for predicting relapse.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that adjuvant chemotherapy is associated with improved RFS compared with surveillance for CS I NSGCT patients. Moreover, the treatment strategy is an important prognostic indicator for RFS and a predictive factor for relapse. Although adjuvant chemotherapy seems to be a suitable treatment for patients with risk factors for relapse, surveillance is still preferred management option.

Polymorphisms in the MTHFR gene are associated with recurrence risk in lymph node-positive breast cancer patients

Purpose

The aim of this study is to clarify the relationship between recurrence risk of breast cancer and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphisms.

Patients and methods

Breast cancer patients who had undergone surgery in Gaziantep University Oncology Hospital between June 2005 and June 2012 were followed-up and retrospectively enrolled in this study. Blood samples were collected from all patients to assess MTHFR C677T polymorphisms. Stage according to tumor–node–metastasis system, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status, grade of disease, menopausal status, and administered chemotherapy or hormonal therapy were recorded. Effects of these parameters on recurrence risk were evaluated using univariate analysis and multivariate binary logistic regression model.

Results

Association of MTHFR C677T polymorphisms with recurrence risk was evaluated in 298 patients whose median age was 47 years (range: 21–79 years). In all patients, age (odds ratio [OR] =0.953, P=0.005) and N3 lymph node status (OR =6.293, P=0.001) were found to affect the recurrence risk. While MTHFR homozygote genotype did not have an effect on recurrence risk in all patients, increased risk was observed in lymph node-positive subgroup (OR =4.271; 95% CI 1.515–12.023; P=0.006). Adjusting for age, tumor size (T), and node status (N), MTHFR homozygote genotype had more statistically significant risk for recurrence (OR =3.255; 95% CI 1.047–10.125; P=0.041).

Conclusion

MTHFR TT genotype was found to be associated with increased recurrence risk in patients with lymph node-positive breast cancer.

The isolated extranodal relapse of the isolated extranodal non- Hodgkin lymphoma: A case report

Diffuse large lymphomas of B-cell origin (DLBCL) comprise approximately one-third of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) and extranodal involvement is detected in 50% of these cases at initial diagnosis. Primary malignant lymphoma of the adrenal gland is extremely rare. Here we report a 64-year-old male patient with nasopharyngeal lymphoma who had been in remission for 2 years. An adrenal mass was detected on a control abdominal computed tomography (CT) at one of his follow-up visits. The biopsy showed DLBCL. Since the tumor was solitary without any other nodal involvement, a new/de novo primary tumor was considered. Metachronous NHLs develop between 3 months and 15 years after a primary NHLs and VDJ (variable, diversity, joining) rearrangement gene analysis of the tumor tissue is recommended to discriminate recurrence from a metachronous NHLs. VDJ rearrangement gene analysis was consistent with the recurrence of the original neoplasm.

Polymorphism of CYP3A4 and ABCB1 genes increase the risk of neuropathy in breast cancer patients treated with paclitaxel and docetaxel

BACKGROUND

Interindividual variability of pharmacogenetics may account for unpredictable neurotoxicities of taxanes.

METHODS

From March 2011 to June 2015, female patients with operable breast cancer who had received docetaxel- or paclitaxel-containing adjuvant chemotherapy were included in this study. All patients were treated with single-agent paclitaxel intravenously (IV) 175 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks for four cycles, or IV 80 mg/m(2) weekly for 12 cycles, and IV 100 mg/m(2) docetaxel for four cycles as adjuvant treatment. We evaluated the relationship between neurotoxicity of taxanes and single-nucleotide polymorphisms of ABCB1, CYP3A4, ERCC1, ERCC2, FGFR4, TP53, ERBB2, and CYP2C8 genes. Taxane-induced neurotoxicity during the treatment was evaluated according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria version 4.03 prior to each cycle. Chi-squared tests were used to compare the two groups, and multivariate binary logistic regression models were used for determining possible risk factors of neuropathy.

RESULTS

Pharmacogenetic analysis was performed in 219 females. ABCB1 3435 TT genotype had significantly higher risk for grade ≥2 neurotoxicity (odds ratio [OR]: 2.759, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.172-6.493, P: 0.017) compared to TC and CC genotype, and also CYP3A4 392 AA and AG genotype had significantly higher risk for grade ≥2 neurotoxicity (OR: 2.259, 95% CI: 1.033-4.941, P: 0.038) compared to GG genotype. For FDGF4 gene with AG and GG genotype, OR was 1.879 (95% CI: 1.001-3.525, P: 0.048) compared to AA genotype with regard to any grade of neuropathy risk. We could not find any other association of other genotypes with neurotoxicity grades.

CONCLUSION

ABCB1 3435 TT genotype and CYP3A4 392 AA/AG genotypes may be used as predictors of neurotoxicity during taxane chemotherapy.

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura and Bone Marrow Necrosis as the Initial Presentation of Lung Cancer

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a disseminated form of thrombotic microangiopathy. Although most cases are held to be idiopathic, its association with malignancy is well recognized, and it usually occurs at the terminal stage of cancer. Bone marrow necrosis (BMN) is another rare disorder defined pathologically as the necrosis of myeloid tissue and medullary stroma with preservation of bone. Although hematologic malignancy is the most common underlying disease associated with BMN, it can also be caused by solid tumors. The occurrence of TTP with BMN associated with lung cancer has not been reported in the English literature. First described is a patient with the rare association of TTP and BMN displayed as the first manifestations of a lung cancer.

An Interesting Cause of Pulmonary Emboli: Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide poisoning, a public health problem of considerable significance, is a relatively frequent event today, resulting in thousands of hospitalizations annually. A 70-year-old lady was seen in the emergency department with a provisional diagnosis of carbon monoxide poisoning. The previous night, she slept in a tightly closed room heated with coal ember. She was found unconscious in the morning with poor ventilation. She had a rare presentation of popliteal vein thrombosis, pulmonary emboli, and possible tissue necrosis with carbon monoxide poisoning. Oxygen treatment with low-molecular-weight heparin (nadroparine) and warfarin therapy resulted in an improvement in both popliteal and pulmonary circulations. In conclusion, the presence of pulmonary emboli should be sought in patients with carbon monoxide poisoning.

Survival analysis in second-line and third-line chemotherapy with irinotecan followed by topotecan or topotecan followed by irinotecan for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer patients: a single-center retrospective study

Purpose

The number of patients who make it to receive third-line chemotherapy is increasing owing to the improvements in adverse-event management of chemotherapy for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Sequencing of optimal treatment for SCLC is still a challenge for oncologists. In this paper, we aim to present a different approach to the treatment of SCLC.

Methods

Between January 2008 and July 2014, all patients diagnosed with extensive-stage SCLC and treated with third-line chemotherapy at Gaziantep University Oncology Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Disease control rates and progression-free survival (PFS) for first-, second-, and third-line chemotherapy, and overall survival (OS) were recorded. Survival analysis was calculated by using Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

A total of 255 SCLC patients were screened, and 25 of those patients who received third-line chemotherapy were included in this study. Median age was 57±10.131 years (range: 39–74 years). Disease control rates at first-, second-, and third-line chemotherapy were 92%, 68%, and 44%, respectively. Fourteen patients received irinotecan followed by topotecan, and eleven patients received topotecan followed by irinotecan. Second-line median PFS was statistically better in patients treated with irinotecan at second-line compared with those treated with topotecan (21 vs 12 weeks, P=0.018). Comparison of third-line median PFS of the two groups was not statistically significant (14 vs 12 weeks, P=0.986). Median OS was not statistically significant in patients who received irinotecan followed by topotecan vs those who received topotecan followed by irinotecan (18 vs 14 months, P=0.112).

Conclusion

Sequential monotherapy with topotecan and irinotecan provides a considerable contribution to OS, and second-line irinotecan showed a better PFS, despite a similar OS, compared with topotecan.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors improve parenchymal findings of liver cirrhosis in a patient exhibiting concomitant hepatocellular carcinoma and renal cell cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and renal cell cancer (RCC) are malignancies, which are chemotherapy resistant and fatal at the advanced stages. Previously developed tyrosine kinase inhibitors are used in the treatment of advanced stage disease. In the present case study, a patient using sunitinib for stage IV RCC presented with HCC following 2 years of treatment. A patient who exhibited Child-Pugh class C cirrhosis initially, exhibited a marked improvement of hepatocellular parenchyma findings following treatment with sunitinib. Sunitinib is suggested to have preventive effects on the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in vitro, via an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor and anti-platelet-derived growth factor mechanism. However, no clinical supportive study has been performed until now. Improvement of liver functions may be explained in this manner. Therefore, investigations are required with different doses of sunitinib and other tyrosine kinase inhibitors in order to evaluate the efficacy on treatment of cirrhosis progression.

Abstract P4-13-09: Clinical effectiveness of everolimus and exemestane in advanced breast cancer patients from Asia and Africa: First efficacy and updated safety results from the phase IIIb EVEREXES study

Background

BOLERO-2 phase III trial established the efficacy of everolimus (EVE) plus exemestane (EXE) for the treatment of postmenopausal patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative, advanced breast cancer (aBC). However, in this study only a minority (&lt;10%) of patients were recruited from African and Asia Pacific countries. Considering the potential effects of ethnic and cultural differences on treatment effectiveness, it remains compelling to confirm the safety and efficacy profile of EVE+EXE in these populations.

Methods

EVEREXES is an open-label phase IIIb, single arm, multi-center trial, which from March 2013 to October 2014 enrolled 232 post-menopausal, HR-positive and HER2-negative, aBC patients previously treated with aromatase inhibitors, across 13 countries in Asia Pacific, Middle East, North and South Africa, with a significant majority of patients being of Asian ethnicity (196, 84.5%). Its primary objective was to investigate the safety and tolerability profile of EVE+EXE. Secondary objectives were the evaluation of efficacy (assessed by PFS, ORR, and CBR based on RECIST 1.1 criteria) and change in ECOG performance status.

Results

At data cut off of 31st of January 2015, at a median follow up of 11.7 months, median PFS for the ITT population was 9.5 months [9.2-11.6 months], based on local assessment, with the observation of 1 (0.4%) CR and 35 (15.4%) PR. Regarding safety and tolerability, a majority (81.1%) of grade (G) 1/2 adverse events (AEs) was reported. In particular, the following pattern was observed in terms of % of patients who developed G1/G2/G3 mTOR-inhibition induced AEs: stomatitis (36.1, 13.7, 10.6), rash (21.6/6.2/0), fatigue (10.6, 4.4, 2.2), hyperglycemia (6.2, 11.5, 7.0), weight decrease (7.5, 7, 0.9), pneumonitis (5.7, 7, 0.9). No Grade 4 AEs related to EVE+EXE treatment were observed, with exception of one case of non infectious pneumonitis (0.4%). Median dose intensity of everolimus was 9.2 mg/day.

Conclusions

Efficacy and safety results from EVEREXES trial further confirm the role of EVE+EXE for the treatment of HR+/Her2- advanced BC patients in Eastern countries. Results were consistent with data previously reported in BOLERO-2 trial.

Citation Format: Im Y-H, Uslu R, Lee KS, Nagarkar R, Sohn J, Sevinc A, Altundag K, Chang Y-C, Abdel-Razeq H, Im S-A, Jeong J, Park HY, Arpornwirat W, Bastick P, Le TH, Ocak Arikan O, Xue HL, Canatar A, Valenti R, Kim S-B. Clinical effectiveness of everolimus and exemestane in advanced breast cancer patients from Asia and Africa: First efficacy and updated safety results from the phase IIIb EVEREXES study. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-13-09.

Abstract P6-08-08: Expression and role of ING3 gene in breast cancer

Background: Inhibitor of growth (ING) tumor suppressor gene family has been discovered over the past decade and five different genes have been identified from ING1 to ING5. They have some functions like cell transcription regulation, cell cycle control, DNA repair and apoptosis. Because of the fact that ING3 gene expression has not been studied in breast cancer so far, we aimed to determine whether there was a relationship between ING3 gene expression and breast cancer prognostic factors.

Methods: 46 female breast cancer patients in different stages were enrolled to our study. ING3 gene expressions obtained from tumoral and healthy breast tissue samples of patients were evaluated together with pathological and histological parameters.

Results: The median age of the patients was 49 years. ING3 expression rate has been significantly higher in the tumor tissue compared to normal tissue and was statistically significant (p=0.001). In estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) positive patients, gene expression ratio was significantly higher than negative ones (p&lt;0.001 and p&lt;0.001, respectively). ING3 expression in tumor tissues of the patients with advanced disease (stage 3-4) was detected higher than ones with early stage disease and it was found to be statistically significant at the border (p=0.048). Moreover, there were no significant changes when ING3 gene expressions were compared with c-erbB2 (Receptor tyrosine-protein kinase erbB-2) status and tumor grade (p&gt; 0.05).

Conclusions: This study was the first study on ING3 gene expression in breast cancer. ING3 gene expression has been shown to be associated with the receptor positivity and advanced stage disease. Further studies should be conducted on the prognostic significance of ING3 gene in breast cancer.

Citation Format: Kalender ME, Cakir M, Ergun S, Oztuzcu S, Cengiz B, Ulasli M, Sevinc A, Camci C. Expression and role of ING3 gene in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-08-08.

Evaluation of prognostic factors and treatment in advanced small bowel adenocarcinoma: report of a multi-institutional experience of Anatolian Society of Medical Oncology (ASMO)

PURPOSE

Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a rare tumor of the gastrointestinal system with poor prognosis. Since these are rarely encountered tumors, there are limited numbers of studies investigating systemic treatment in advanced SBA. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic factors and systemic treatments in patients with advance SBA.

METHODS

Seventy-one patients from 18 Centers with advanced SBA were included in the study. Fifty-six patients received one of the four different chemotherapy regimens as first-line therapy and 15 patients were treated with best supportive care (BSC).

RESULTS

Of the 71 patients, 42 (59%) were male and 29 (41%) female with a median age of 56 years. Median follow- up duration was 14.3 months. The median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 7 and 13 months, respectively (N=71). In patients treated with FOLFOX (N=18), FOLFIRI (N=11), cisplatin-5-fluorouracil/ 5-FU (N=17) and gemcitabine alone (N=10), median PFS was 7, 8, 8 and 5 months, respectively, while median OS was 15, 16, 15 and 11 months, respectively. No significant differences between chemotherapy groups were noticed in terms of PFS and OS. Univariate analysis revealed that chemotherapy administration, de novo metastatic disease, ECOG PS 0 and 1, and overall response to therapy were significantly related to improved outcome. Only overall response to treatment was found to be significantly prognostic in multivariate analysis (p=0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, overall response to chemotherapy emerged as the single significant prognostic factor for advanced SBAs. Platin and irinotecan based regimens achieved similar survival outcomes in advanced SBA patients.

Prognostic impact of initial maximum standardized uptake value of (18)F-FDG PET/CT on treatment response in patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma treated with erlotinib

Purpose

To investigate whether the initial maximum standardized uptake value (SUV_max) on fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT) has a prognostic significance in metastatic lung adenocarcinoma.

Patients and methods

Sixty patients (24 females, mean age: 57.9±12 years) with metastatic stage lung adenocarcinoma who used erlotinib and underwent ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT at the time of diagnosis between May 2010 and May 2014 were enrolled in this retrospective study. The patients were stratified according to the median SUV_max value, which was found as 11. Progression-free survival (PFS) rates for 3, 6, and 12 months were examined for SUV_max values and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status.

Results

The number of EGFR-sensitizing mutation positive/negative/unknown was 26/17/17, respectively, and the number of patients using erlotinib at first-line, second-line, and third-line therapy was 15, 31, and 14 consecutively. The PFS rates of EGFR mutation positive, negative, and unknown patients for 3 months were 73.1%, 35.3%, and 41.2% (P=0.026, odds ratio [OR]=4.39; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.45–13.26), respectively. The PFS rates of EGFR positive, negative, and unknown patients for 6 months were 50%, 29.4%, and 29.4% (P=0.267, OR: 2.4; 95% CI: 0.82–6.96), respectively. The PFS rates of EGFR positive, negative, and unknown patients for 12 months were 42.3%, 29.4%, 23.5% (P=0.408, OR: 2.0; 95% CI: 0.42–5.26), respectively. Thirty-one of 60 patients had SUV_max values ≤11. The PFS rates for 3, 6, and 12 months were 70.5%/28% (P=0.001, OR=9.0; 95% CI: 2.79–29.04), 61.7%/8% (P<0.001, OR=28.35; 95% CI: 5.5–143), and 52.9%/8% (P<0.001, OR=18.69; 95% CI: 3.76–92.9) for low SUV_max (≤11) group/high SUV_max (>11) group, respectively.

Conclusion

Initial SUV_max value on ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT is found to be a prognostic factor anticipating the response to erlotinib for 3, 6, and 12-month rates of PFS in both EGFR-sensitizing mutation and wild-type tumor group.

XELOX plus bevacizumab vs. FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab treatment for first-line chemotherapy in metastatic colon cancer: a retrospective study of the Anatolian Society of Medical Oncology

BACKGROUND

XELOX plus bevacizumab (XELOX-Bev) and FOLFIRI plus Bevacizumab (FOLFIRI - Bev) treatments are an effective strategies patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).The aim of this study was to compare efficacy of first-line XELOX-Bev treatment vs FOLFIRI-Bev treatment for mCRC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 409 patients with mCRC who received chemotherapy were included and divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (n=298) received XELOX-Bev and Group 2 (n=111) FOLFIRI-Bev. Comparisons were made in terms of overall (OS) and progression-free (PFS) survival, response rate (RR), and grade 3-4 toxicity.

RESULTS

Median follow-up was 11 months in Group 1 and 15 months for Group 2. Complete remission was observed in 29 (9.7%) and 2 (1.8%) patients, partial remission in 139 (46.6%) and 27 (24.5%) , stable disease in 88 (29.5%) and 49 (44.1%) and progressive disease in 42 (14.1%) and 33 (30.0%) patients in Group 1 and 2, respectively. Median OS was 25 months (range 2-57 months, 95%CI; 22.2-27.7) for Group 1 and 20 months (range 1-67 months, 95%CI; 16.8-23.1) for Group 2 (p=0.036). Median PFS was 9.6 months (range 2-36 months, 95%CI; 8.8-10.4) for Group 1 and 9 months (range 1-44 months, 95%CI; 7.4-10.5) for Group 2 (p=0.019). Objective RR was 56.4% in Group 1 and 26.1% in Group 2 (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

First-line XELOX-Bev is more effective with a better response rate, prolongation of median PFS/OS, and a superior safety profile compared with FOLFIRI-Bev.

Clinical Significance of HER2 Overexpression in Gastric and Gastroesophageal Junction Cancers

BACKGROUND

In this study, we investigated the rate of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression in gastric (GC) and gastroesophageal junction cancers (GEJCs) and the relationship with HER2 expression and clinical, pathological parameters and prognosis.

METHODS

Surgery or biopsy specimen of 598 (436 males, 162 females) patients with GC or GEJC was evaluated for the presence of HER2 overexpression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) methods.

RESULTS

HER2 IHC scores were as follows: 418 (69.9%) IHC 0, 58 (9.7%) IHC 1+, 50 (8.4%) IHC 2+, 72 (12%) IHC 3+. Among 50 patients with IHC 2+, 18 (38.2%) were FISH positive, and 29 (61.7%) were FISH negative for HER2 amplification. Patients were regarded as HER2 positive in case of IHC 3+ disease or IHC 2+ disease with a positive FISH test result for HER2 amplification. In the primary analysis population, 90 (15%) were considered HER2 positive. HER2 positivity was higher in intestinal GC compared to diffuse GC (16.9 vs 6.6%, p = 0.014). HER2 positivity was significantly higher in well and moderately differentiated tumors than poorly differentiated tumors (p < 0.0001). HER2 positivity had no significant effect on median OS (23.2 vs 19.1 months, p = 0.44). But in the early stages (stages I and II), median OS of HER2-positive patients was shorter than HER2-negative patients (51.4 months vs not reach, p = 0.047). However, median OS was similar in patients with advanced stages (stages III and IV) HER2-positive and HER2-negative disease (16.2 vs 13.7 months, p = 0.72).

CONCLUSIONS

Rate of HER2 positivity is similar in Turkish patients with GC and GEJCs. HER2 positivity is associated with poor prognosis in patients with early-stage disease.

Is second-line systemic chemotherapy beneficial in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)? A multicenter data evaluation by the Anatolian Society of Medical Oncology

Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) generally require second-line treatment although their prognosis is poor. In this multicenter study, we aimed to detect the characteristics related to patients and disease that can predict the response to second-line treatments in advanced NSCLC. Data of 904 patients who have progressed after receiving first-line platinum-based chemotherapy in 11 centers with the diagnosis of stage IIIB and IV NSCLC and who were evaluated for second-line treatment were retrospectively analyzed. The role of different factors in determining the benefit of second-line treatment was analyzed. Median age of patients was 57 years (range 19-86). Docetaxel was the most commonly used (20.9 %, n = 189) single agent, while gemcitabine-platinum was the most commonly used (6.7 %, n = 61) combination chemotherapy regimen in second-line setting. According to survival analysis, median progression-free survival after first-line treatment (PFS2) was 3.5 months (standard error (SE) 0.2; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 3.2-3.9), median overall survival (OS) was 6.7 months (SE 0.3; 95 % CI, 6.0-7.3). In multivariate analysis, independent factors affecting PFS2 were found to be hemoglobin (Hb) level over 12 g/dl and treatment-free interval (TFI) longer than 3 months (p = 0.006 and 0.003, respectively). Similarly, in OS analysis, Hb level over 12 g/dl and time elapsed after the first-line treatment that is longer than 3 months were found to be independent prognostic factors (p = 0.0001 and 0.045, respectively). In light of these findings, determining and using the parameters for which the treatment will be beneficial prior to second-line treatment can increase success rate.

Cutaneous melanoma in Turkey: analysis of 1157 patients in the Melanoma Turkish Study

PURPOSE

To develop a large Turkish National Melanoma registry in order to define demographic and clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with melanoma.

METHODS

The data was collected from 1635 patients with melanoma through a web-based registry system in 22 centers. Herein we present the results of 1157 patients with cutaneous melanoma.

RESULTS

The patient median age was 56.4 years and 646 (55.8%) were males. The commonest subtype was superficial spreading type (357, 30.9%). The commonest primary site was the lower extremities (N=353, 30.5%). The most common Breslow thickness was 1-2 mm (361 patients, 43.5%). Only 104 (12.5%) patients had a thickness <1mm. Among 694 patients with available data, 136 (19.6%) presented with stage 4 disease while the most frequent stage was stage 3, encountered in 393 (56.6% patients).

CONCLUSION

Our melanoma registry is the largest in our country providing a snapshot view of cutaneous melanoma and its care. Our patients presented with more advanced stages and they had worse prognosis compared to SEER database.

Adult Urological Soft Tissue Sarcomas: A Multicenter Study of the Anatolian Society of Medical Oncology (ASMO)

OBJECTIVE

To analyze clinicopathological characteristics, prognostic factors and survival rates of the patients with urological soft tissue sarcomas treated and followed up in Turkey.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

For overall survival analyses the Kaplan-Meier method was used. From medical records, nine prognostic factors on overall survival were analysed.

RESULTS

For the 53 patients (34 males, 19 females) whose charts were reviewed, the median age was 53 (range 22 to 83) years. Most frequently renal location (n=30; 56.6%) was evident and leiomyosarcoma (n=20, 37.7%) was the most frequently encountered histological type. Median survival time of all patients was 40.3 (95% CI, 14.2-66.3) months. In univariate analysis, male gender, advanced age (≥50 years), metastatic stage, unresectability, grade 3, renal location were determined as worse prognostic factors. In multivariate analysis, metastatic stage, unresectability and grade 3 were determined as indicators of worse prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Urological soft tissue sarcomas are rarely seen tumours in adults. The most important factors in survival are surgical resection, stage of the tumour at onset, grade and location of the tumour, gender and age of the patients.

Could erlotinib treatment lead to acute cardiovascular events in patients with lung adenocarcinoma after chemotherapy failure?

Erlotinib, an epidermal growth factor receptor and tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is a targeted drug that was approved for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancers and pancreatic cancers. Targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors are known to have cardiotoxic effects. However, erlotinib does not have a statistically proven effect of increasing acute cardiovascular event (ACE) risk. Preclinical studies showed that beta agonist stimulation among rats that were administered erlotinib led to cardiovascular damage. Thus, there would be an aggregate effect of erlotinib on ACE, although it is not thought to be a cardiotoxic drug itself. In this paper, we present two non-small-cell lung cancer cases that developed ACE under erlotinib treatment.