CA125 Kinetics as a Potential Biomarker for Peritoneal Metastasis Progression following Taxane-Plus-Ramucirumab Administration in Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer

Currently, no established marker exists for predicting peritoneal metastasis progression during chemotherapy, although they are major interruptive factors in sequential chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC). This multicenter retrospective study was conducted from June 2015 to July 2019, analyzing 73 patients with AGC who underwent taxane-plus-ramucirumab (TAX/RAM) therapy and had their serum carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) concentrations measured. Of 31 patients with elevated CA125 levels above a cutoff of 35 U/mL, 25 (80.6%) had peritoneal metastasis. The CA125 concentrations before TAX/RAM treatment were associated with ascites burden. The overall survival was significantly shorter in the CA125-elevated group. CA125 kinetics, measured at a median of 28 days after chemotherapy, were associated with the ascites response (complete or partial response: -1.86%/day; stable disease: 0.28%/day; progressive disease: 2.33%/day). Progression-free survival in the CA125-increased group, defined by an increase of 0.0067%/day using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, was significantly poorer among patients with peritoneal metastases. In conclusion, this study highlights that CA125 kinetics can serve as an early predictor for the progression of peritoneal metastasis during TAX/RAM treatment.

Presence of ectopic germinal center structures in autoimmune hepatitis

Autoimmune tissues may contain ectopic germinal centers (EGCs). However, these structures have never been described in the liver of patients suffering from autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). We retrospectively reviewed histological features of 120 definite AIH cases, and found 10 cases harboring markers of EGCs. In these cases, CD21+ follicular dendritic cells were intermixed with CD3+ T and CD20+ B lymphocytes. The latter expressed the GC-specific marker bcl6, and some were proliferative as assessed by Ki67 expression. Antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) defined by expression of the mum-1 transcription factor and presence of cytoplasmic IgMs were usually present in the periphery of these structures, but some were also present within the EGCs. Notably, some ASCs were IgG-switched. Common treatment applied to AIH patients achieved biochemical normalization as efficiently as in patients without EGCs. In the present study, we provide the proof for the occurrence of functional EGCs enabling differentiation of B cells into ASCs and occurrence of immunoglobulin switch in AIH livers.

The Short- and Long-Term Surgical Results of Consecutive Hepatopancreaticoduodenectomy for Wide-Spread Biliary Malignancy

BACKGROUND

Cancer-free resection (R0) is one of the most important factors for the long-term survival of biliary carcinoma. For some patients with widespread invasive cancer located between the hilar and intrapancreatic bile duct, hepatopancreaticoduodenectomy (HPD) is considered a radical surgery for R0 resection. However, HPD is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Furthermore, previous reports have not shown lymph node metastasis (LNM) status, such as the location or number, which could influence the prognosis after HPD. In this study, first, we explored the prognostic factors for survival, and second, we evaluated whether the LNM status (number and location of LNM) would influence the decision on surgical indications in patients with widely spread biliary malignancy.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 54 patients who underwent HPD with hepatectomy in ≥2 liver sectors from January 2003 to December 2021 (HPD-G). We also evaluated 54 unresectable perihilar cholangiocarcinoma patients who underwent chemotherapy from January 2010 to December 2021 (CTx-G).

RESULTS

R0 resection was performed in 48 patients (89%). The median survival time (MST) and 5-year overall survival rate of the HPD-G and CTx-G groups were 36.9 months and 31.1%, and 19.6 months and 0%, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that pathological portal vein involvement was an independent prognostic factor for survival (MST: 18.9 months). Additionally, patients with peripancreatic LNM had worse prognoses (MST: 13.3 months) than CTx-G.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with peripancreatic LNM or PV invasion might be advised to be excluded from surgery-first indications for HPD.

Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor treatment for patients with NeoRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer: a case report of two cases

The NeoRAS phenomenon is defined as the conversion of tumor RAS status from mutant-type (MT) to wild-type (WT) after systemic chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Cetuximab, an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody, is effective in patients with RAS WT mCRC but ineffective in those with RAS MT mCRC; however, its outcome in patients with NeoRAS WT mCRC is unclear. Herein, we report two cases of NeoRAS WT mCRC that responded clinically to anti-EGFR treatment. The first was a 40-year-old man with synchronous peritoneal metastatic rectosigmoid cancer. The first RAS testing on tumor tissue revealed a KRAS G12C mutation, which was converted to RAS WT after two lines of chemotherapy, as assessed by liquid biopsy. After initiating irinotecan plus cetuximab treatment, a computed tomography (CT) scan revealed that malignant ascites had resolved. The treatment was discontinued after 4 months because of disease progression. The second was a 68-year-old male patient with synchronous liver metastasis from sigmoid colon cancer. The KRAS G12D mutation, initially detected in tumor tissue, was not detected by liquid biopsy after six lines of chemotherapy. Cetuximab monotherapy was initiated, and the liver metastases shrank significantly. The patient continued cetuximab monotherapy for 8 months without disease progression. Our cases demonstrate the efficacy of anti-EGFR therapy for NeoRAS WT mCRC and highlight the importance of capturing the gene mutation profile throughout the clinical course for optimal treatment selection.

Utility of 5-aminolaevulinic acid fluorescence-guided endoscopic biopsy for malignant mesothelioma in a cat and dog

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is uncommon in cats and dogs and can be challenging to diagnose. Adequate tissue sampling is required for superior diagnostic accuracy. Protoporphyrin IX, a metabolite of 5-aminolaevulinic acid (5-ALA), is a photosensitiser for photodynamic diagnosis (PDD). To the best of our knowledge, no study has reported the use of 5-ALA-PDD to detect MM in veterinary medicine. The present study describes the use of 5-ALA-PDD for MM diagnosis in a cat and dog, as well as the effectiveness of intracavitary chemotherapy. We evaluated the use of PDD with 5-ALA hydrochloride (5-ALA-PDD) in two cases of MM. A 12-year-old cat presented with a 1-month history of respiratory distress, and a 9-year-old dog presented with a 3-month history of mild abdominal distention. We endoscopically biopsied lesions in both the cases using 5-ALA-PDD. Histopathological examination revealed mesothelioma, and immunohistochemical staining was positive for calretinin. Both patients were treated with carboplatin. The cat died of respiratory failure. Although, the dog's condition improved 21 days after the first chemotherapeutic drug administration, the dog died on day 684 owing to cardiac-related issues. 5-ALA-PDD is thus, safe and feasible for the diagnosis of MM in veterinary medicine.

Correlation of UGT1A1 Gene Polymorphisms or Prior Irinotecan Treatment and Treatment Outcomes of Nanoliposomal-Irinotecan plus 5-Fluorouracil/Leucovorin for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Multicenter, Retrospective Cohort Study (HGCSG2101)

The effects of UGT1A1 gene polymorphisms or prior irinotecan treatment on treatment outcomes of nanoliposomal-irinotecan plus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (nal-IRI+5-FU/LV) in patients with unresectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are not established. This multicenter, retrospective cohort study compared treatment outcomes in patients with UGT1A1*1/*1 and those with UGT1A1*1/*6 or *1/*28 genotypes. We also analyzed the impact of prior irinotecan treatment on survival outcomes in 54 patients treated with nal-IRI+5-FU/LV. Comparable effectiveness was found regardless of the UGT1A1 genotypes. While no significant differences were found, grade ≥3 neutropenia and febrile neutropenia were more frequent in patients with UGT1A1*1/*6 or *1/*28 than in those with UGT1A1*1/*1 genotypes (grade ≥3 neutropenia, 50.0% vs. 30.8%, p = 0.24; febrile neutropenia, 9.1% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.20, respectively). No significant difference in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was observed between irinotecan-naïve-patients and other patients. However, irinotecan-resistant patients showed significantly shorter PFS (hazard ratio (HR) 2.83, p = 0.017) and OS (HR 2.58, p = 0.033) than other patients. Our study indicated that patients with UGT1A1*1/*6 or *1/*28 may be prone to neutropenia, though further study is needed. The survival benefit of nal-IRI+5-FU/LV could be maintained in patients without disease progression after irinotecan therapy.

CA125 kinetics as a potential biomarker of prognosis in nivolumab monotherapy for patients with advanced gastric cancer and peritoneal metastasis

445

Background: The ascites develop in large proportion of patients during salvage-line chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Serum CA125 is reported to be potential biomarker in peritoneal metastasis and associate with prognosis in first-line treatment for AGC. Therefore we aimed to clarify the association between serum CA125 and therapeutic efficacy for AGC treated with third of later-line nivolumab monotherapy (Nivo). Methods: This multicenter retrospective study comprised AGC patients who received Nivo in third line or later setting between Jun. 2015 to May 2019. Patient background and treatment outcome was assessed in CA125 elevated and non-elevated group before Nivo (cut-off, 37 U/ml). The CA125 kinetics after chemotherapy was calculated based on baseline and first measure of CA125. Further, the association between CA125 kinetics and ascites burden during chemotherapy were evaluated based on optimal cut off value calculated receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: A total 50 patients from 5 hospitals were assessable. The proportion of poor PS, moderate/severe peritoneal effusion, low albumin was significantly larger in CA125 elevated group (n=29) than those in non-elevated group. The median value of CA125 before Nivo was elevated according to ascites burden (none, 31.0 U/ml; mild, 49.4 U/ml; moderate/severe, 187.0 U/ml; p<0.001). The overall survival was significantly shorter in elevated group than that in non-elevated group (median, 3.2 vs. 9.4 months, p=0.035). After Nivo, first-time measure of CA125 was performed in a median of day 27. The median change of CA125 was correlated with ascites response (CR/PR, 0.04%/day; SD, 2.06%/day; PD, 4.17 %/day, p=0.013). ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-off value of CA125 kinetics for ascites progression was 2.4%/day (specificity 75%, sensitivity 70%). The progression free survival in increased group was significantly shorter than that of non-increased group in patients with peritoneal dissemination (median, 1.4 vs 3.3 months, p=0.016). Conclusions: The serum CA125 before Nivo was associated with ascites burden. Further, CA125 kinetics after Nivo was associated with prognosis in AGC patients with peritoneal dissemination.

Retrospective analysis of drug intake affecting the intestinal microbiota and the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy on gastric cancer

379

Background: Administration of some medications, such as antibiotics, antacids, and probiotic supplementation, may affects the treatment outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), through the change of gut microbiota in cancer patients. Even when ICIs are combined with cytotoxic chemotherapy (Chemo), a use of such medications is expected to be a potential biomarker. However, the impacts of medications that affect gut microbiota on the efficacy of Chemo alone is unclear. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who received fluoropyrimidines and platinum-based therapy for advanced gastric cancer in our institutions between January 2010 and December 2019. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) by history of antibiotic/antacid/probiotic supplementation, were analysed. Results: A total of 101 pts were analyzed. Median age was 66 years (range, 30-81), female/male; 36/65, 1st-line regimen SP/XP/SOX/XELOX/FOLFOX; 52/2/39/1/7. In all patients, The median PFS for first-line treatment was 5.8 months (95% CI: 5.0-7.3) and the median OS was 15.5 months (95% CI: 12.5-18.6).Univariate analysis for PFS of first-line treatment did not show a significant difference in antibiotic use (median 7.6 vs 5.5 months, HR: 0.79 [95%CI: 0.50-1.24], p=0.31), oral antacids (median 6.6 vs 5.8 months, HR: 0.96 [95%CI: 0.61-1.54], p=0.89) and probiotic supplementation (median 9.1 vs 5.5 months, HR: 0.7 [95%CI: 0.38-1.26], p=0.24). Similarly in OS, the use of antibiotics (median 18.4 versus 13.4 months, HR: 0.85 [95%CI: 0.53-1.37], p=0.49), oral antacids (median 16.3 vs 13.8 months, HR: 1.15 [95%CI: 0.70-1.88], p=0.58), and oral probiotic supplementation (median 20.2 vs 13.8 months, HR: 0.77 [95%CI: 0.42-1.40], p=0.40), with no statistically significant differences. Conclusions: In this study, there were no significant differences in PFS and OS between patients administered with or without antibiotics, antacids, or probiotic supplementation. Future studies are expected to investigate the impacts of these medications on the treatment outcomes of ICIs+Chemo combination.

BAYONET trial: A multicenter phase II trial of staged combination with encorafenib + binimetinib + cetuximab following encorafenib + cetuximab in patients with BRAF V600E-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer

TPS271

Background: While the triplet combination of encorafenib (ENCO) + binimetinib (BINI) + cetuximab (CET) indicated higher response rate compared to the doublet combination of ENCO + CET, no significant survival benefits of the triplet combination were observed in patients with BRAF V600E-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) according to BEACON CRC study. Although ENCO + CET is the standard 2nd-line therapy in the United States and European Union, poor prognoses are expected after disease progression. As resistant mechanisms of BRAF + EGFR blockage, several MAPK pathway alternations, including RAS and RAF mutations were reported, which suggests the additional blockade of MAPK signaling may be an effective strategy for ENCO + CET refractory mCRC. In addition, the preclinical study suggested BRAF inhibitor + anti-EGFR antibody resistant BRAF V600E-mutant colorectal cancer cell-lines were sensitive to the combination of BRAF inhibitor + MEK inhibitor + anti-EGFR antibody (Oddo D, et al. Cancer Res. 2016). Methods: BAYONET is a single-arm multicenter phase II trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the staged combination with ENCO + BINI + CET for patients with BRAF V600E-mutant mCRC who were refractory to ENCO + CET. The main eligibility criteria are as follows; RAS wild-type/ BRAF V600E-mutant mCRC; age ≥ 20; ECOG PS 0 or 1; within 4 weeks from the last administration of previous ENCO or CET; no administration of other systemic therapy after refractoriness to ENCO + CET; complete response, partial response, or ≥4 months of stable disease were observed in the previous ENCO + CET. Included patients receive the combination treatment of ENCO (300mg once a day) + BINI (45mg twice a day) + CET (400mg/m2 initial dose and then 250mg/m2 once a week) in a 28 day-cycle as a study treatment. The primary endpoint of this trial is 12-week progression-free survival (PFS) rate. The secondary endpoints include PFS, overall survival, objective response rate, disease control rate, time to treatment failure, and the incidence of adverse events. The targeted sample size was calculated to be 30 on the basis of a power of 80%, a significant level of 10% (one-sided), the threshold 12-week PFS rate of 20%, and the expected 12-week PFS rate of 40%. As a translational analysis, circulating tumor DNA for next-generation sequencing using Guardant360 is collected at twice time points (before and after study treatment) to investigate the resistance mechanisms. Enrollment started from Jan 2022 and is ongoing at 25 facilities in Japan. As of Sep 20, 2022, 9 patients were enrolled. Clinical trial information: jRCTs031210510 .

TRIDENTE trial: A phase II study of rechallenge with encorafenib, binimetinib, and cetuximab in patients with RAS wild-type/BRAF V600E–mutant metastatic colorectal cancer

TPS264

Background: The BEACON CRC trial demonstrated survival benefit of combination therapy with encorafenib (ENCO) + cetuximab (CET) +/- binimetinib (BINI) in patients with RAS wild-type (WT)/ BRAF V600E mutant metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, prognosis of those patients still be poor after the refractoriness to the BEACON combination therapy. One of resistant mechanisms to BRAF inhibitor has been reported as MAPK alterations including RAS mutation, similar to those for anti-EGFR antibody in patients with RAS/ BRAF V600E WT mCRC. Promising results of rechallenge therapy with anti-EGFR antibody in patients with RAS/ BRAF V600E WT mCRC and with combination of BRAF inhibitor + MEK inhibitor in patients with BRAF V600 mutant melanoma suggest the treatment strategy of rechallenge therapy with the BEACON triplet therapy in patients with RAS WT/ BRAF V600E mutant mCRC. Methods: TRIDENTE trial is a multicenter phase II trial to assess efficacy and safety of rechallenge therapy with ENCO + BINI + CET in patients with RAS WT/ BRAF V600E mutant mCRC after the refractoriness to either the BEACON doublet or triplet therapy. Key eligibility criteria includes RAS WT/ BRAF V600E mutant mCRC; ≥ 20 years old; ECOG PS 0-1; refractory or intolerant to at least one fluoropyrimidine-based regimen (including irinotecan or oxaliplatin); refractory or intolerant to anti-PD-1 antibody if patients with MSI-high; history of previous combination therapy containing ENCO + CET with at least partial response by RECIST v1.1; confirmed disease progression within 4 weeks after last administration of previous ENCO; ≥ 4 months of period between the last administration of previous ENCO and the start of study treatment. Enrolled patients receive the combination therapy with ENCO (300 mg, QD), BINI (45 mg, BID), and CET (initially 400 mg/m2, and subsequently 250 mg/m2, QW) as the study treatment. Primary endpoint is the objective response rate (ORR) by investigators’ assessment in patients receiving at least one dose of study treatment. A target sample size is calculated to be 21 on the hypothesis that the threshold ORR is 3% and expected ORR is 20%, with a significant level of 5% (one-sided) and power of 80%. Secondary endpoint includes progression-free and overall survivals, disease control rate, and safety. Exploratory molecular analysis is performed using targeted next-generation sequencing in circulating-tumor DNA at the timepoints of baseline and discontinuation of study treatment. As of September 19, 2022, 8 patients have been enrolled. Clinical trial information: jRCTs031210511 .

CA125 kinetics as a potential biomarker for ascites progression during taxane plus ramucirumab therapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer

437

Background: Ascites and peritoneal metastases are major interruptive factors in sequential chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer (AGC), although there are no established markers that predict ascites burden during treatment. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the association between serum CA125 and therapeutic efficacy for AGC treated with taxane plus ramucirumab (TAX/RAM). Methods: This multicenter retrospective study comprised AGC patients who received TAX/RAM in second or third line setting between Jun. 2015 to May 2019. Patient background and treatment outcome was assessed in CA125 elevated and non-elevated group before TAX/RAM (cut-off, 37 U/ml). The CA125 kinetics after chemotherapy was calculated based on baseline and first measure of CA125. Further, the association between early CA125 change and ascites burden during chemotherapy were evaluated based on optimal cut off value calculated receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: A total 73 patients from 5 hospitals were assessable. The proportion of poor PS, moderate/severe peritoneal effusion, low albumin was significantly larger in CA125 elevated group (n=31) than those in non-elevated group. The median value of CA125 before TAX/RAM was elevated according to ascites burden (none, 37.5 U/ml; mild, 57.9 U/ml; moderate/severe, 134.8 U/ml; p<0.001). The overall survival was significantly shorter in elevated group than that in non-elevated group (median, 8.2 vs. 14.6 months, p=0.0004). Baseline CA125 elevation and peritoneal metastasis were independent prognostic factors in multivariate analysis. After TAX/RAM, first-time measure of CA125 was performed in a median of day 28. The median change of CA125 was correlated with ascites response (CR/PR, -1.86%/day; SD, 0.28%/day; PD, 2.33 %/day, p<0.001). ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-off value of CA125 kinetics for ascites progression was 0.0067%/day (specificity 74%, sensitivity 100%). The progression free survival in increased group was significantly shorter than that of non-increased group in patients with peritoneal dissemination (median, 2.5 vs 6.1 months, p=0.0008). Conclusions: The serum CA125 before TAX/RAM was associated with ascites burden. Further, early change of CA125 after TAX/RAM was associated with prognosis in AGC patients with peritoneal dissemination. CA125 monitoring may be biomarker in determining timing of treatment change.

The impacts of initiating regorafenib with reduced dose on treatment outcomes in metastatic colorectal cancer

133

Background: Since the results of the ReDOS study were published, starting regorafenib (REG) at a reduced dose is now considered a treatment option for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, the impact of starting REG at a reduced dose on treatment outcomes in the real-world setting has not been fully investigated. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who received REG for mCRC at 4 institutions between May 2013 and December 2020. These patients were divided into two groups: those who started REG before (Period A) and after (Period B) the ReDOS study publication (May 2018). The treatment outcomes between Period A and B were compared in this analysis. Results: A total of 573 patients were evaluated (385 in Period A and 188 in Period B, respectively). In Period B, significantly more patients started REG with reduced dose (34.3% vs. 75.5%, p< 0.001). The median time to first dose reduction was 32.0 days [95% CI: 29.1-34.9] in Period A and 61.0 days [95% CI: 33.7-88.9] in Period B, which was significantly longer in Period B (HR = 0.685, p= 0.003). Both any grades and ≥grade3 hand foot skin reaction (HFSR) were significantly less frequent in Period B than in Period A (any grades: 65.5% vs 54.8%, p= 0.017, ≥grade3: 21.3% vs 14.4%, p= 0.054). The median time to onset of any grades HFSR was 16.0 days [95% CI: 13.6-18.4] in Period A and 28.0 days [95% CI: 15.6-40.4] in Period B, which was significantly longer in Period B (HR = 0.738, p= 0.007). The median overall survival was 6.7 months [95% CI: 5.9-7.4] in Period A, and 5.4 month [95% CI: 4.3-6.5] in Period, respectively (HR = 1.105, p= 0.281). The median progression free survival was 2.0 months [95% CI: 1.9-2.1] in Period A and 2.1 months [95% CI: 1.8-2.4] in Period B, respectively (HR = 1.064, p= 0.498). Conclusions: Our results suggest that starting REG at a reduced dose may contribute to reducing the frequency and delaying the onset of HFSR, whereas it may not affect efficacy.

A multicenter retrospective cohort study evaluating the clinical significance of CA125 in later line of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

253

Background: The peritoneal dissemination is one of the metastatic forms of gastrointestinal cancer and has a poor prognosis. It has been reported that the presence of CA125 in mesothelial cells lining the peritoneum is involved in the elevation of CA125 due to peritoneal dissemination and inflammation of cancerous ascites, and CA125 may be a useful predictor of peritoneal dissemination in gastrointestinal cancer. It has also been reported that CA125 correlates with ascites volume and prognosis. However, there are no reports evaluating the clinical significance of CA125 in the later line of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Therefore, we conducted a multicenter retrospective study. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 121 patients who received trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI) or Regorafenib from January 2012 to May 2018 in 10 centers and had the result of serum CA125 just before the treatment. Patients who had received either FTD/TPI or Regorafenib were excluded. In this study, the levels of ascites were classified as follows: "none" as undetectable by computed tomography scanning, "mild" as confined to the pelvic cavity or upper abdomen, "severe" as continuous from the pelvic cavity to the upper abdomen, and "moderate" as between "mild" and "severe". RECIST ver.1.1 was used for analysis of tumor response. Survival analyses were performed with Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model. Results: There were 75 patients in the baseline CA125 normal group (group N) and 46 patients in the high group (group H). ECOG PS tended to be worse in group H than in group N (ECOG PS (0/1/2) 26/43/6 and 9/28/9 in N and H groups, p=0.076). There were significantly more patients with ascites in group H than in group N (Yes/No 7/68 and 26/20 in N and H groups, p<0.001). Furthermore, ALP, CRP, CA19-9 and NLR were significantly higher, and Alb was significantly lower in group H than in group N. Baseline CA125 correlated with baseline ascites volume (p<0.001). PFS and OS were significantly shorter in group H compared to group N (PFS; 1.9 vs. 3.0 months; HR 1.576 [95%CI 1.081-2.299]; p=0.016, OS; 4.1 vs. 11.0 months; HR 2.418 [95%CI 1.634-3.576]; p<0.001). The rate of change for CA125 was significantly higher in patients with progressive disease on first evaluation CT compared to patients with disease control (p=0.002), and PFS and OS were significantly shorter in the increased CA125 group measured first after treatment than in the non-increased CA125 group (PFS; 1.9 vs. 4.6 months; HR 3.104 [95%CI, 2.004-4.809]; p<0.001, OS; 5.9 vs. 13.0 months; HR 2.199 [95%CI, 1.474-3.282]; p<0.001). Conclusions: In this retrospective analysis, baseline CA125 correlated with ascites volume in later line treatment of patients with mCRC, suggesting that increased CA125 may be a predictive and prognostic factor. Clinical trial information: UMIN000040059 .

Predictive Validity of Different Walking Measures to Identify the Incident Long-Term Care Needs in Older Adults

OBJECTIVES

A comfortable walking speed is a suitable measurement of functional status in older adults. In addition to assessing their comfortable walking speed, two complex walking tests were administered to a cohort of older people, assuming that these tests would be a more sensitive predictor of the incident long-term care needs than comfortable walking speed.

DESIGN

A prospective observational study was conducted to collect data.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Among the initial 5,563 community-dwelling independent older adults (aged ≥ 65 years), 935 were excluded and the data of 4,628 (mean age, 73.9 ± 5.5 years, 65-94 years; 2,052 men, 2,576 women) older adults were finally analyzed.

METHODS

Three walking tasks were administered: comfortable, complicated balance, and Go-stop walking. Complicated balance walking was measured under comfortable walking conditions, with participants having to walk with their hands crossed at the shoulder joint at 90°. For the Go-stop walking test, the time taken to walk 2 meters was measured using a stopwatch. For two years following baseline assessments, participants received monthly follow-ups for incident certification of the need for care under the long-term care insurance (LTCI) system.

RESULTS

Low performance in comfortable, complicated balance, and Go-stop walking were 29.8%, 37.7%, and 35.1%, respectively. During the 24-month follow-up period, 246 participants (5.3%) required LTCI certification. The Youden Index was used to determine the cut-points of the incident long-term care needs in the comfortable, complicated balance, and Go-stop walking conditions, which were 1.055 m/s, 0.936 m/s, and 3.205 seconds, respectively. Participants classified as exhibiting low performance included 1,381 (29.8%) under comfortable walking, 1,746 (37.7%) under complicated balance walking, and 1,623 (35.1%) under the Go-stop walking tests. The C-indices of the comfortable, complicated balance, and Go-stop walking tests were 0.72 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.69-0.76), 0.71 (95% CI 0.67-0.74), and 0.65 (95% CI 0.61-0.69), respectively. Cox proportional hazards regression model revealed significant relationships between the incident long-term care needs and the comfortable (hazard ratio (HR) 2.14, 95% CI 1.62-2.84), complicated balance (1.81, 1.36-2.41), and Go-stop (1.46, 1.12-1.91) walking conditions.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The findings suggest that slow walking speed has a considerably greater impact on the incident long-term care needs in older adults. However, the complex walking task did not improve the predictive performance. Comfortable walking speed tests, which can easily be measured to predict the future incident long-term care needs, are effective tools in community health promotion and primary care.

Study protocol for HGCSG1801: A multicenter, prospective, phase II trial of second-line FOLFIRI plus aflibercept in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer refractory to anti-EGFR antibodies

BACKGROUND

The first-line chemotherapy for patients with RAS and BRAF wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) commonly involves cytotoxic regimens, such as FOLFOX and FOLFIRI, combined with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibodies. When progression occurs following anti-EGFR antibody-combined chemotherapy, anti-angiogenic inhibitors can be used as second-line treatment. Although randomized controlled trials have shown that anti-angiogenic inhibitors [bevacizumab, ramucirumab, and aflibercept (AFL)] carry survival benefit when combined with FOLFIRI as second-line chemotherapy, such trials did not provide data on patients with mCRC refractory to anti-EGFR antibody-combined chemotherapy. Therefore, our group planned a multicenter, nonrandomized, single-arm, prospective, phase II study to investigate the safety and efficacy of FOLFIRI plus AFL as a second-line chemotherapy for patients with mCRC refractory to oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy combined with anti-EGFR antibodies.

METHODS

FOLFIRI (irinotecan 180 mg/m2, l-leucovorin 200 mg/m2, bolus 5-FU 400 mg/m2, and infusional 5-FU 2400 mg/m2/46 h) and AFL (4 mg/kg) will be administered every 2 weeks until progression or unacceptable toxicities occur. The primary endpoint will be the 6-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate, whereas the secondary endpoints will include overall survival, PFS, response rate, disease control rate, adverse events, and relative dose intensity for each drug. A sample size of 41 participants will be required. This study will be sponsored by the Non-Profit Organization Hokkaido Gastrointestinal Cancer Study Group and will be supported by a grant from Sanofi.

DISCUSSION

There is only an observational study reporting data on FOLFIRI plus AFL for patients with mCRC who previously received anti-EGFR antibodies; therefore, a prospective clinical trial is needed. This study will prospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of FOLFIRI plus AFL in patients with mCRC who are resistant to anti-EGFR antibodies and have limited data. Moreover, this study will reveal predictive biomarkers for AFL-based chemotherapy.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Japan Registry of Clinical Trials, jRCTs011190006. Registered 19 November, 2019, https://jrct.niph.go.jp/latest-detail/jRCTs011190006.

Usefulness of ultrasonography and elastography in diagnosing oxaliplatin-induced sinusoidal obstruction syndrome

Background

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) refers to liver injury caused by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and anticancer drugs including oxaliplatin. Increased splenic volume (SV) on computed tomography (CT) indicates oxaliplatin-induced SOS. Similarly, ultrasonography and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by shear-wave elastography (SWE) can help diagnose SOS after HSCT; however, their usefulness for diagnosing oxaliplatin-induced SOS remains unclear. We investigated the usefulness of the Hokkaido ultrasonography-based scoring system with 10 ultrasonographic parameters (HokUS-10) and SWE in diagnosing oxaliplatin-induced SOS early.

Methods

In this prospective observational study, ultrasonography and SWE were performed before and at 2, 4, and 6 months after oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. HokUS-10 was used for assessment. CT volumetry of the SV was performed in clinical practice, and an SV increase ≥ 30% was considered the diagnostic indicator of oxaliplatin-induced SOS. We assessed whether HokUS-10 and SWE can lead to an early detection of oxaliplatin-induced SOS before an increased SV on CT.

Results

Of the 30 enrolled patients with gastrointestinal cancers, 12 (40.0%) with an SV increase  ≥ 30% on CT were diagnosed with SOS. The HokUS-10 score was not correlated with an SV increase ≥ 30% (r = 0.18). The change in rate of three HokUS-10 parameters were correlated with an SV increase ≥ 30% (r = 0.32–0.41). The change in rate of LSM by SWE was correlated with an SV increase  ≥ 30% (r = 0.40).

Conclusions

The usefulness of HokUS-10 score was not demonstrated; however, some HokUS-10 parameters and SWE could be useful for the early diagnosis of oxaliplatin-induced SOS.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10147-022-02235-4.

Phase II Study of Ramucirumab Plus Irinotecan Combination Therapy as Second-Line Treatment in Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer: HGCSG1603

BACKGROUND

Ramucirumab is a human IgG1 monoclonal vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 antibody that inhibits tumor cell growth and affects the tumor cell microenvironment. We assessed the efficacy and safety of ramucirumab plus irinotecan combination therapy as second-line treatment in patients with previously treated advanced gastric cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with advanced gastric cancer refractory or intolerant to primary chemotherapy were included. Ramucirumab 8 mg/kg plus irinotecan 150 mg/m2 combination therapy was administered every 2 weeks. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival rate at 6 months and secondary endpoints were overall survival, progression-free survival, response rate, safety, and dose intensity for each drug.

RESULTS

Thirty-five patients were enrolled between January 2018 and September 2019. The progression-free survival rate at 6 months was 26.5% [95%CI, 13.2%-41.8%, P = .1353)]. Median progression-free and overall survivals were 4.2 months (95%CI, 2.5-5.4 months) and 9.6 months (95%CI, 6.4-16.6 months), respectively. The overall response rate was 25.9% (95%CI, 11.1-36.3%) and disease control rate was 85.2% (95%CI, 66.3-95.8%). Grade ≥3 adverse events that occurred in >10% of patients included neutropenia, leucopenia, anemia, anorexia, and febrile neutropenia. No death or new safety signals with a causal relation to the study treatment were observed.

CONCLUSION

Although the primary endpoint was not achieved statistically, combination therapy of ramucirumab plus irinotecan showed anticancer activity and a manageable safety profile for second-line treatment of patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Study protocol of the HGCSG1803: a phase II multicentre, non-randomised, single-arm, prospective trial of combination chemotherapy with oxaliplatin, irinotecan and S-1 (OX-IRIS) as first-line treatment for metastatic or relapsed pancreatic cancer

INTRODUCTION

Combination chemotherapy with oxaliplatin, irinotecan, fluorouracil and leucovorin (FOLFIRINOX) has become one of the standard treatments for metastatic pancreatic cancer. However, the use of FOLFIRINOX requires prolonged infusion. Therefore, we planned to develop a new combination chemotherapy regimen with oxaliplatin, irinotecan and S-1 (OX-IRIS) for advanced pancreatic cancer. In the phase Ⅰ study that was conducted previously, the safety and recommended dose of OX-IRIS were assessed. In this study, we will evaluate the efficacy and safety of OX-IRIS.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The HGCSG1803 study started as a multicentre, non-randomised, single-arm, prospective, phase II study in December 2019. Eligible subjects were patients with untreated metastatic or relapsed pancreatic cancer. OX-IRIS is administered as follows: 30 min infusion of antiemetic; 2-hour infusion of oxaliplatin (65 mg/m2); 1.5-hour infusion of irinotecan (100 mg/m2) on day 1 and 15 of each 4-week cycle; and oral S-1 (40 mg/m2) twice daily from after dinner on day one to after breakfast on day 15, followed by a 14-day rest, to be repeated every 2 weeks until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity or patient refusal. The primary endpoint is response rate. The secondary endpoints are overall and progression-free survival, safety and dose for each drug. Using a binomial test, a sample size of 40 patients was set with a threshold value of 10% and expected value of 30%. Registration of 40 cases is planned from 18 institutions in Japan.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

All the procedures will be conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Declaration of Helsinki of 1964 and its later versions. All the patients will receive written information about the trial and will provide informed consent before enrolment. This trial was approved by the Hokkaido University Certified Review Board (approval No: 018-037).

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

jRCTs011190008.

Analysis of the Pancreatic Cancer Microbiome Using Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration-Derived Samples

OBJECTIVES

Most previous studies have analyzed bacteria in tumors using resected pancreatic cancer (PC) tissues, because it is difficult to obtain tissue samples from unresectable advanced PC. We aimed to determine whether minimal tissue obtained by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration is useful for microbiome analysis.

METHODS

Thirty PC and matched duodenal and stomach tissues (N = 90) were prospectively collected from 30 patients who underwent endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration. Bacterial DNA was extracted, and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed. The primary outcome was the success rate of bacterial detection in tumors. Bacterial diversity and structure were investigated.

RESULTS

The bacterial detection rates were 80%, 100%, and 97% in PC, gastric, and duodenal samples, respectively. Pancreatic cancer tissues showed a lower α-diversity and a significantly different microbial structure than stomach and duodenal tissues. Proteobacteria were more abundant, whereas Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Fusobacteria were less abundant in PC tissues than in stomach and duodenal tissues. Acinetobacter was more abundant in PC tissues than in stomach and duodenal tissues, and Delftia was more frequently detected in resectable PC.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration samples were valuable for PC microbiome analysis, revealing that the bacterial composition of PC is different from that of the stomach and duodenum.

Phase II Study of Continued Trastuzumab Plus Irinotecan in Patients with HER2-positive Gastric Cancer Previously Treated with Trastuzumab (HGCSG 1201)

Background

The efficacy of irinotecan plus continuous trastuzumab beyond progression in patients with gastric cancer previously treated with trastuzumab plus standard first-line chemotherapy has not been reported.

Methods

Patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced gastric cancer who were previously treated with trastuzumab received trastuzumab every 3 weeks and irinotecan every 2 weeks. The primary endpoint was the overall response rate (ORR), and the secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), 6-month survival rates, safety, and subgroup analysis by HER2 status.

Results

Sixteen patients were enrolled in a 3-year pre-planned registration period. This study was prematurely closed due to poor patient accrual. The ORR and disease control rate were 6.7% (95% CI, 0.2-32.0) and 53.3% (95% CI, 26.6-78.7). The median PFS and overall survival (OS) were 2.4 months (95% CI, 0.0-5.2) and 9.7 months (95% CI, 8.2-11.2), respectively. The most frequently reported grades 3-4 adverse events were neutropenia (40%), anemia (27%), anorexia (33%), and fatigue (33%).

Conclusion

With only 16 patients enrolled, the present study has very low power to detect any clinical benefit of trastuzumab plus irinotecan beyond disease progression in patients with HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer who previously received trastuzumab.

Trial Identifier: UMIN000007636.

Expressions of PD-L1 and Nectin-4 in urothelial cancer patients treated with pembrolizumab

OBJECTIVES

Recently, the standard of care for advanced urothelial cancer (UC) has been changed by developing immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, its response rate is limited to 20-30%. The identification of biomarkers to predict the therapeutic effects of ICIs is urgently needed. The present study explored the association between immunohistochemical biomarkers and clinical outcomes in UC patients treated with pembrolizumab.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 85 patients with UC who received pembrolizumab after chemotherapy from January 2018 to May 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Tumor tissues were obtained for immunohistochemical study from 47 out of 85 patients. The protein expressions of PD-L1, WT1, Nectin-4, CD4, CD8, Foxp3, and CD68 in tumor cells and/or tumor infiltrating lymphocytes were immunohistochemically examined. The associations between protein expressions and overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and disease control rate (DCR) were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

Patients with positive PD-L1 in tumor cells showed significantly worse OS (Log-rank test: HR 5.146, p = 0.001, Cox regression analysis: HR 4.331, p = 0.014) and PFS (Log-rank test: HR 3.31. p = 0.022), along with significantly lower DCR (14.3%) compared to the PD-L1 negative patients (67.5%). In addition, patients with strong expression of Nectin-4 in tumor cells showed significantly higher DCR (100%) than the other patients (50%).

CONCLUSION

PD-L1 expression in tumor cells was associated with poor prognosis (OS and PFS) and low DCR. Interestingly, the strong expression of Nectin-4 was correlated with high DCR. PD-L1 and Nectin-4 expression in tumor cells could be prognostic biomarkers useful for pembrolizumab in patients with advanced UC.

Study Protocol of a Comprehensive Activity Promotion Program for the Prevention of Dementia: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol

BACKGROUND

Several technical devices are available to monitor and promote changes in behavior toward higher activity. In particular, smartphones are becoming the primary platform for recognizing human activity. However, the effects of behavior change techniques that promote physical, cognitive, and social activities on incident dementia in older adults remain unknown.

OBJECTIVES

This randomized controlled trial aims to examine the effects of behavior change techniques on the prevention of dementia among community-dwelling older adults using a smartphone as a behavior change tool.

DESIGN

A randomized controlled trial.

SETTING

Community in Japan.

PARTICIPANTS

The study cohort comprises 3,498 individuals, aged ≥60 years, randomized into two groups: the smartphone group (n = 1,749) and the control group (n = 1,749).

INTERVENTION

The smartphone group will be asked to use smartphone applications for at least 30 minutes daily to self-manage and improve their physical, cognitive, and social activities. The smartphone group will perform 60-minute group walking sessions using application-linked Nordic walking poles with cognitive stimulation twice a week during the intervention period. The walking poles are a dual-task exercise tool that works with a smartphone to perform cognitive tasks while walking, and the poles are equipped with switches to answer questions for simple calculation and memory tasks. The smartphone and control groups will receive lectures about general health that will be provided during the baseline and follow-up assessments.

MEASUREMENTS

Incident dementia will be detected using cognitive tests (at baseline, after 15 months, and after 30 months) and by preparing diagnostic monthly reports based on data from the Japanese Health Insurance System. Participants without dementia at baseline who will be diagnosed with dementia over the 30-month follow-up period will be considered to have incident dementia.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has the potential to provide the first evidence of the effectiveness of information communication technology and Internet of Things in incident dementia. If our trial results show a delayed dementia onset for self-determination interventions, the study protocol will provide a cost-effective and safe method for maintaining healthy cognitive aging.

Association of Daily Physical Activity with Disability in Community-Dwelling Older Adults With/Without Chronic Kidney Disease

OBJECTIVES

Physical activity is recommended for disability prevention in the older adult population; however, the level of physical activity required for older adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unknown. This study aimed to examine the associations between daily physical activity and disability incidence in older adults with and without CKD to determine relevant daily physical activity levels.

DESIGN

Prospective observational study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

3,786 community-dwelling older adults aged ≥65 years.

MEASUREMENTS

Mean daily times spent in light- (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were measured using triaxial accelerometers. CKD was defined by a creatinine estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Disability incidence was identified as long-term care insurance certification during a 60-month follow-up period. Associations between physical activity and disability incidence were examined using Cox proportional hazard models stratified by the CKD status. Non-linear and linear associations were tested using the restricted cubic spline.

RESULTS

A total of 1,054 individuals were identified to have CKD. Disability incidence was higher in the CKD group than in the non-CKD group. The adjusted cox proportional hazard models indicated that a 10-minute increase in MVPA time was associated with lower disability incidence in the non-CKD group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.838; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.764-0.918) and the CKD group (HR, 0.859; 95% CI: 0.766-0.960). Linear associations were observed in MVPA for the non-CKD and CKD groups.

CONCLUSION

Increasing MVPA was associated with lower disability incidence in older adults with and without CKD. These findings can help devise disability prevention strategies for older CKD patients.

Multicenter, prospective, observational study of chemotherapy-induced dysgeusia in gastrointestinal cancer

PURPOSE

Dysgeusia is an adverse event caused by chemotherapy. Although retrospective studies have shown zinc administration improves dysgeusia, there have been no prospective studies. The present study examined effects of zinc therapy on dysgeusia in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

METHODS

This multicenter, prospective, observational study enrolled patients with dysgeusia during chemotherapy treatment. Patients received no intervention (control), polaprezinc p.o., or zinc acetate hydrate p.o., and serum zinc levels were measured at 0 (baseline), 6, and 12 weeks. Dysgeusia was assessed using CTCAE v5.0 and subjective total taste acuity (STTA) criteria using questionnaires at baseline and 12 weeks.

RESULTS

From February 2020 to June 2021, 180 patients were enrolled from 17 institutes. There were no differences in mean baseline serum zinc levels among the groups (67.3, 66.6, and 67.5 μg/dL in the no intervention, polaprezinc, and zinc acetate hydrate groups, respectively. P = 0.846). The changes in mean serum zinc levels after 12 weeks were - 3.8, + 14.3, and + 46.6 μg/dL, and the efficacy rates of dysgeusia were 33.3%, 36.8%, and 34.6% using CTCAE and 33.3%, 52.6%, 32.7% using STTA in the no intervention, polaprezinc, and zinc acetate hydrate groups, respectively. The STTA scores improved in all groups, with significant improvement observed in the polaprezinc group compared with the no intervention group (P = 0.045).

CONCLUSION

There was no significant correlation between the degree of serum zinc elevation and improvement in dysgeusia, suggesting that polaprezinc, but not zinc acetate hydrate, was effective in improving chemotherapy-induced dysgeusia.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

UMIN000039653. Date of registration: March 2, 2020.

Association between Non-Face-to-Face Interactions and Incident Disability in Older Adults

OBJECTIVES

This observational prospective cohort study, conducted between September 2015 and February 2019, aimed to investigate the association between the incidence of disability and non-face-to-face interactions among community-dwelling older adults in Japan.

DESIGN

Participants reported their interaction status using a self-report questionnaire. Face-to-face interactions comprised in-person meetings, while virtual interactions (e.g., via phone calls or emails) were defined as non-face-to-face interactions. We examined the relationship between their interaction status at baseline and the risk of disability incidence at follow-up. We also considered several potential confounding variables, such as demographic characteristics.

SETTING

The National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology-Study of Geriatric Syndromes.

PARTICIPANTS

We included 1159 adults from Takahama City aged ≥75 years (mean age ± standard deviation = 79.5 ± 3.6 years).

MEASUREMENTS

Interaction status was assessed using a self-reported questionnaire consisting of two sections (face-to-face and non-face-to-face interactions), and four questionnaire items. Based on the responses we categorized study participants into four groups: "both interactions," "face-to-face only," "non-face-to-face only," and "no interactions."

RESULTS

Individuals with both kinds of interactions (49.3/1000 person-years) or only one kind of interaction (face-to-face = 57.7/1000 person-years; non-face-to-face = 41.2 person-years) had lower incidence of disability than those with no interactions (88.9/1000 person-years). Moreover, the hazard ratios adjusted for potential confounding factors for the incidence of disability in the both interaction, face-to-face-only, and non-face-to-face only groups were 0.57 (confidence interval = 0.39-0.82; p = 0.003), 0.66 (confidence interval = 0.44-0.98; p = 0.038), and 0.47 (confidence interval = 0.22-0.99; p = 0.048), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Considering the interaction status of older adults in their day-to-day practice, clinicians may be able to achieve better outcomes in the primary prevention of disease by encouraging older adults to engage in any form of interaction, including non-face-to-face interactions.

Unconventional supercurrent phase in Ising superconductor Josephson junction with atomically thin magnetic insulator

In two-dimensional (2D) NbSe₂ crystal, which lacks inversion symmetry, strong spin-orbit coupling aligns the spins of Cooper pairs to the orbital valleys, forming Ising Cooper pairs (ICPs). The unusual spin texture of ICPs can be further modulated by introducing magnetic exchange. Here, we report unconventional supercurrent phase in van der Waals heterostructure Josephson junctions (JJs) that couples NbSe₂ ICPs across an atomically thin magnetic insulator (MI) Cr₂Ge₂Te₆. By constructing a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), we measure the phase of the transferred Cooper pairs in the MI JJ. We demonstrate a doubly degenerate nontrivial JJ phase (ϕ), formed by momentum-conserving tunneling of ICPs across magnetic domains in the barrier. The doubly degenerate ground states in MI JJs provide a two-level quantum system that can be utilized as a new dissipationless component for superconducting quantum devices. Our work boosts the study of various superconducting states with spin-orbit coupling, opening up an avenue to designing new superconducting phase-controlled quantum electronic devices.

Van der Waals structures provide a new platform to explore novel physics of superconductor/ferromagnet interfaces. Here, NbSe₂ Josephson junction with Cr₂Ge₂Te₆ enables non-trivial Josephson phase by spin-dependent interaction, boosting the study of superconducting states with spin-orbit coupling and phase-controlled quantum electronic device.

Impact of tumor growth rate during preceding treatment on tumor response to nivolumab or irinotecan in advanced gastric cancer

Background

Nivolumab (NIVO) and irinotecan (IRI) are standard treatments for refractory advanced gastric cancer (AGC); however, it is unclear which drug should be administered first or in which cases. The tumor growth rate (TGR) during preceding treatment is reported to be associated with tumor response in metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with regorafenib or trifluridine/tipiracil, suggesting that TGR may be useful for drug selection. Therefore, we evaluated the association between TGR during preceding treatment and the tumor response to NIVO or IRI.

Patients and methods

We retrospectively evaluated consecutive AGC patients treated with NIVO or IRI and divided them into slow-growing (Slow) and rapid-growing (Rapid) groups according to TGR and the presence or absence of new lesions (NL+/NL−, respectively) during preceding treatment (Slow group: NL− with low TGR <0.30%/day; Rapid group: NL+ or high TGR ≥0.30%/day).

Results

A total of 117 patients (Rapid/Slow groups, 72/45; NIVO/IRI groups, 32/85) were eligible. All baseline characteristics except peritoneal metastases were similar between patients treated with NIVO and IRI in the Rapid and Slow groups. The response rate was significantly higher in patients treated with NIVO compared with IRI [31%/3%; odds ratio (OR), 13.8; P = 0.01; adjusted OR, 52; P = 0.002] in the Slow group, but there was no difference between patients treated with NIVO and IRI (5%/8%; OR, 0.68; P = 0.73; adjusted OR, 0.94; P = 0.96) in the Rapid group. Disease control rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival were consistent with these results.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that NIVO treatment is a more favorable option for patients with slow-growing tumors, and NIVO and IRI are similarly recommended for patients with rapid-growing tumors in refractory AGC. TGR and NL emergence during preceding treatment may be helpful for drug selection and warrant further investigation.

•

NIVO and IRI are standard treatments for refractory AGC, although it is unclear which should be administered first.

•

TGR may be useful for drug selection, therefore we evaluated the association between TGR and the tumor response to NIVO or IRI.

•

In the Slow group, the response rate (RR) was significantly higher in patients treated with NIVO compared with IRI.

•

In the Rapid group, there was no significant difference in RR between the NIVO and IRI groups.

•

TGR and NL emergence during preceding treatment may be useful for drug selection.

A Phase I Trial of Oxaliplatin, Irinotecan, and S-1 Combination Therapy (OX-IRIS) as Chemotherapy for Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer (HGCSG 1403)

LESSONS LEARNED

Because S-1 is orally administered, OX-IRIS does not necessitate the continuous infusion of 5-FU and is more convenient. The recommended dose of OX-IRIS was determined to be level -1 (oxaliplatin, 65 mg/m² ; irinotecan, 100 mg/m² ; S-1, 80 mg/m² ), which has manageable safety and promising anticancer activities.

BACKGROUND

OX-IRIS is a new combination therapy of oxaliplatin, irinotecan, and S-1 for unresectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which may be beneficial because S-1 is administered orally and continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is not needed.

METHODS

Patients who had not received prior therapy for unresectable PDAC were enrolled. Adenocarcinoma or adenosquamous histology was required. Oxaliplatin and irinotecan were administered on days 1 and 15; S-1 was administered orally twice a day on days 1-14, followed by 14 days of rest (one cycle). Primary endpoints were dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) and maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Secondary endpoints were safety, overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

In level 0 (oxaliplatin, 85 mg/m² ; irinotecan, 100 mg/m² ; S-1, 80 mg/m² ), two of five patients experienced DLT. In level -1 (oxaliplatin, 65 mg/m² ; irinotecan, 100 mg/m² ; S-1, 80 mg/m² ), DLT could not be evaluated in two of eight patients because one cycle was not completed; one of the remaining six patients experienced DLT. Anemia, thrombocytopenia, fatigue, nausea, anorexia, diarrhea, and peripheral sensory neuropathy were seen frequently in levels 0 and -1. ORR was 30% in levels 0 and -1. Median progression-free survival and median overall survival were 4.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.0-8.9 months) and 13.7 months (95% CI, 4.8-22.6 months), respectively.

CONCLUSION

MTD of OX-IRIS therapy was estimated to be level 0, and the recommended dose (RD) for future trial was level -1.

Phase 1 study of the liposomal formulation of eribulin (E7389-LF): Results from the advanced gastric cancer expansion cohort

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Background: Eribulin has proven efficacy in previously treated metastatic breast cancer and liposarcoma. E7389-LF is a new formulation that uses liposomes to encapsulate eribulin, which is anticipated to improve eribulin concentration in tumor tissues. In the dose-expansion part of a phase 1 study of E7389-LF, the safety profile was acceptable and 2 patients (pts) out of 10 with gastric cancer (GC) had an objective response. Thus, the GC cohort was expanded for further evaluation. Here, we report efficacy and safety data from the phase 1 expansion cohort of pts with advanced GC who were treated with E7389-LF. Methods: Eligible pts were those with GC who had no alternative standard or effective therapy options after ≥2 prior chemotherapy regimens. Target total enrollment was 32 pts (10 pts in the initial GC cohort plus an additional 22 pts in the expanded cohort). E7389-LF 2.0 mg/m2 was administered intravenously once every 3 weeks. Tumor responses were assessed every 6 weeks (± 1 week) by RECIST v1.1. Results: At data cutoff (Oct 16, 2020), 34 pts with GC were enrolled (10 pts in the initial GC cohort; 24 pts in the expanded GC cohort) with a median of 5 prior therapies (range, 2–11). Previous immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy was reported for 26 (76.5%) pts. All pts were evaluable for objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS), and 30 pts were evaluable for overall survival (OS). Among all pts with GC, the ORR was 17.6% (95% CI 6.8–34.5) and the disease control rate was 79.4% (95% CI 62.1–91.3). Median PFS was 3.7 months (95% CI 2.7–4.3) and median OS was 7.6 months (95% CI 6.7–15.4). The ORRs were 19.2% (95% CI 6.6–39.4) in ICI-pretreated pts and 12.5% (95% CI 0.3–52.7) in pts without prior ICI therapy. Median PFS was similar regardless of prior treatment with ICIs (3.7 months [95% CI 2.7–5.6] in ICI-pretreated pts vs 3.4 months [95% CI 1.0–4.3] in pts without prior ICI therapy); however, the PFS rate at 6 months in ICI-pretreated pts was higher vs the rate in pts without prior ICI therapy (35.9% [95% CI 17.2–55.1] vs 0%, respectively). Median OS was also longer in ICI-pretreated pts (evaluable pts, n = 23) vs pts without prior ICI therapy (evaluable pts, n = 7) (10.0 months [95% CI 6.7–not estimable] vs 6.7 months [95% CI 3.1–8.5], respectively). Common grade ≥3 adverse events included neutropenia (41.2%), leukopenia (29.4%), and anemia (26.5%). In cycle 1, there were no cases of febrile neutropenia among the 22 pts treated with prophylactic peg-GCSF; among pts who did not receive prophylactic peg-GCSF, 16.7% of pts had febrile neutropenia. Conclusions: E7389-LF had a manageable safety profile and encouraging activity in pts with heavily treated GC. In pts with GC, prior treatment with ICIs might enhance the potential efficacy of E7389-LF. These results support further development of E7389-LF for advanced GC. Clinical trial information: NCT03207672.

Feasibility of a modified search, coagulation, and clipping method with and without the use of polyglycolic acid sheets and fibrin glue for preventing delayed bleeding after gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection

BACKGROUND

Methods have been developed for preventing delayed bleeding (DB) after gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (GESD). However, none of the methods can completely prevent DB. We hypothesized that DB could be prevented by a modified search, coagulation, and clipping (MSCC) method for patients at low risk for DB and by combining the use of polyglycolic acid sheets and fibrin glue with the MSCC method (PMSCC method) for patients at high risk for DB (antibleeding [ABI] strategy). This study assessed the technical feasibility of this novel strategy.

METHOD

We investigated 123 lesions in 121 consecutive patients who underwent GESD in Kushiro Rosai Hospital between April 2018 and January 2020. The decision for continuation or cessation of antithrombotic agents was based on the Guidelines for Gastroenterological Endoscopy in Patients Undergoing Antithrombotic Treatment.

RESULTS

Oral antithrombotic agents were administered to 28 patients (22.8%). The en bloc R0 resection rate was 98.4%. The MSCC method and the PMSCC method for preventing DB were performed in 114 and 9 lesions, respectively. The median time of the MSCC method was 16 min, and the median speed (the resection area divided by the time of method used) was 3.6 cm2/10 min. The median time of the PMSCC method was 59 min, and the median speed was 1.3 cm2/10 min. The only delayed procedural adverse event was DB in 1 (0.8%) of the 123 lesions.

CONCLUSIONS

The ABI strategy is feasible for preventing DB both in patients at low risk and in those at high risk for DB after GESD, whereas the PMSCC method may be necessary for reduction of time.

Evaluating the intratumor microbiome of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) by analyzing the fresh frozen tissues obtained by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA)

418

Background: Recent studies implied that intratumor microbiome was associated with carciniogenesis, development, prognosis and chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer (PC). There was more abundant bacteria in tumor tissue of pancreatic cancer than that of healthy controls. In clinical setting, diversity of intratumor bacteria was associated with good outcome of patients with resected pancreatic cancer. Specific intratumor bacteria could inactivate gemcitabine, which is crucial drug for PDAC, and may contribute to the resistance of gemcitabine.While most previous studies analyzed intratumor bacteria in PC by using resected tumor tissues, it was often impossible to obtain tumor sample from unresectable advanced PC. In addition, it is unclear whether tiny tissue obtained by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is useful for analyzing intratumor microbiome.Therefore, we planned to evaluate the intratumor microbiome by analyzing the sample from EUS-FNA. Methods: This study was carried out as a single center, prospective observational study. The patients with PC were eligible for this study. PC tissues were collected from patients who undergo EUS-FNA. Biopsy tissues from the duodenal and gastric mucosa were also collected from the same patients. All samples were immediately stored at -80°C until use. Bacterial DNA was extracted from these specimens and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed. The endpoints of this study were success rate of detecting intratumor bacteria and association between intratumor bacteria and bacteria on the duodenal or gastric mucosa. Results: A total of 90 tissue samples from 30 patients were collected. The median age was 70 years (range 54-86 years), 19/5/6 patients had pancreatic head/body/tail tumor, 16s rRNA sequencing analyses showed that 24 samples (80%) of FNA from pancreatic tumor, 30 samples (100%) of gastric mucosa and 29 samples (97%) of duodenum mucosa could be analyzed. In diversity analyses, PC showed a lower alpha diversity compared to gastric or duodenum tissue. There was a significant difference in microbial structure between PC and duodenum tissue. In PC, dominant phylum was Proteobacteria and dominant genus was Acinetobacter. Conclusions: PC tissues obtained by EUS-FNA were useful for analyzing intratumor microbiome.

Results of a phase II trial of ramucirumab plus irinotecan as second-line treatment for patients with advanced gastric cancer (HGCSG 1603)

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Background: Ramucirumab (RAM) is a fully human IgG1 monoclonal vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) antibody. The RAINBOW trial showed RAM plus paclitaxel (PTX) increased overall survival (OS) compared with PTX alone for advanced gastric cancer (AGC) in second-line treatment. WJOG 4007 trial demonstrated equivalent efficacy between irinotecan (IRI) and PTX. We conducted this trial to examine the efficacy and safety of RAM plus IRI combination therapy in the second-line treatment for AGC. Methods: This non-randomized, single arm, phase 2 trial was carried out at 22 institutes in Japan. AGC patients with refractory or intolerance to primary chemotherapy were eligible. RAM 8 mg/kg and IRI 150 mg/m2 combination therapy administered every two weeks were continued until progression or emergence of adverse events requiring discontinuation. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) rate at six-month, the target was set as 16% with an expected threshold of 39%. A total of 35 cases are planned for registration. The secondary endpoints were OS, PFS, response rate (RR) and safety. This trial was registered with Japan Registry of Clinical Trials, number jRCTs011180029. Results: Between Jan 2018 and Sept 2019, 35 patients were enrolled. Median age was 70 (range, 47-80); female/male were 10/25; ECOG PS 0/1, 22/13. PFS rate at six months was 26.5% (95%C.I., 13.2-41.8%, p = 0.1353). Median PFS and OS were 4.2 (95%C.I., 2.5-5.4 months) and 9.6 months (95%C.I., 6.5-16.6 months), respectively. RR was 26% and disease control rate was 85%. Grade 3 or higher adverse events that occurred in more than 5% of patients were neutropenia (51%), leucopenia (43%), anemia (20%), anorexia (14%), febrile neutropenia (11%), diarrhea (9%), hypertension (9%), proteinuria (9%), hypokalemia (9%), hypoalbuminemia (9%), thrombocytopenia (6%), and hyponatremia (6%). No death and new safety signals with a causal relation to study treatment were observed. Conclusions: Although the primary endpoint was not achieved statistically, the results are clinically encouraging, especially take into account that more elderly patients enrolled in this trial. The combination of RAM plus IRI has anti-cancer activity and manageable safety profile in second-line treatment for patients with AGC. Clinical trial information: jRCTs011180029.

Migration Stimulating Factor (MSF): Its Role in the Tumour Microenvironment

Migration Stimulating Factor (MSF) is a 70 kDa truncated isoform of fibronectin (FN); its mRNA is generated from the FN gene by an unusual two-stage processing. Unlike full-length FN, MSF is not a matrix molecule but a soluble protein which displays cytokine-like activities not displayed by any other FN isoform due to steric hindrance. There are two isoforms of MSF; these are referred to as MSF+aa and MSF-aa, while the term MSF is used to include both.MSF was first identified as a motogen secreted by foetal and cancer-associated fibroblasts in tissue culture. It is also produced by sprouting (angiogenic) endothelial cells, tumour cells and activated macrophages. Keratinocytes and resting endothelial cells secrete inhibitors of MSF that have been identified as NGAL and IGFBP-7, respectively. MSF+aa and MSF-aa show distinct functionality in that only MSF+aa is inhibited by NGAL.MSF is present in 70-80% of all tumours examined, expressed by the tumour cells as well as by fibroblasts, endothelial cells and macrophages in the tumour microenvironment (TME). High MSF expression is associated with tumour progression and poor prognosis in all tumours examined, including breast carcinomas, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), salivary gland tumours (SGT) and oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). Epithelial and stromal MSF carry independent prognostic value. MSF is also expressed systemically in cancer patients, being detected in serum and produced by fibroblast from distal uninvolved skin. MSF-aa is the main isoform associated with cancer, whereas MSF+aa may be expressed by both normal and malignant tissues.The expression of MSF is not invariant; it may be switched on and off in a reversible manner, which requires precise interactions between soluble factors present in the TME and the extracellular matrix in contact with the cells. MSF expression in fibroblasts may be switched on by a transient exposure to several molecules, including TGFβ1 and MSF itself, indicating an auto-inductive capacity.Acting by both paracrine and autocrine mechanisms, MSF stimulates cell migration/invasion, induces angiogenesis and cell differentiation and alters the matrix and cellular composition of the TME. MSF is also a survival factor for sprouting endothelial cells. IGD tri- and tetra-peptides mimic the motogenic and angiogenic activities of MSF, with both molecules inhibiting AKT activity and requiring αvβ3 functionality. MSF is active at unprecedently low concentrations in a manner which is target cell specific. Thus, different bioactive motifs and extracellular matrix requirements apply to fibroblasts, endothelial cells and tumour cells. Unlike other motogenic and angiogenic factors, MSF does not affect cell proliferation but it stimulates tumour growth through its angiogenic effect and downstream mechanisms.The epithelial-stromal pattern of expression and range of bioactivities displayed puts MSF in the unique position of potentially promoting tumour progression from both the "seed" and the "soil" perspectives.

Effect of air pollution on acute heart failure hospitalization differ across specific heart failure populations

Introduction

Several report showed the association between ambient air pollution including particular matter under 2.5um (PM2.5) and increasing rate of hospitalization for heart failure. However, these report analyzed mainly cross-sectional, epidemiological data, thus the reports regarding association between vulnerability to PM2.5 and specific populations in acute heart failure (AHF) were scarce.

Purpose

1. To analyze the association between air pollution and rate of hospitalization for AHF

2. To analyze whether the vulnerability to air pollution differ between specific populations in AHF. Methods

A case-cross over analysis was conducted to 4980 consecutive patients registered for multicenter acute heart failure registry in 2017 in our city Japan. This registry enrolled patients transferred to cardiovascular care unit (80 institutions) via emergency medical services across our city area. Logistic regression analysis were conducted to estimate percentage changes in the rate of acute heart failure hospitalization associated with per 1μg/m3 PM2.5 concentration increase. We also conducted subgroup analysis for patients stratified by age, gender, comorbidities, left ventricular ejection fraction, and clinical scenario.

Results

An increase in 1 μg/m3 PM2.5 concentration corresponded to 2.9% (95% CI 1.2–4.6%) increase in AHF hospitalization. Patients with age younger than 75, without prior heart failure hospitalization, without history of hypertension, without anemia, and with reduced ejection fraction were more susceptible to increase in PM2.5 concentration (Figure).

Conclusions

Increase in PM2.5 concentration was associated with increased rate of AHF hospitalization. Effect of PM2.5 may differ across specific AHF subpopulations.

Figure 1

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Other. Main funding source(s): Tokyo Metropolitan Government

Impact of single-heterozygous UGT1A1 on the clinical outcomes of irinotecan monotherapy after fluoropyrimidine and platinum-based combination therapy for gastric cancer: a multicenter retrospective study

BACKGROUND

It is unclear whether the UGT1A1 status, single heterozygous (SH) or wild type (WT), is associated with the efficacy and toxicity of irinotecan monotherapy in advanced gastric cancer (AGC). We investigated the association between clinical outcomes (efficacy and safety) and UGT1A1 status in patients who received irinotecan monotherapy.

METHODS

We evaluated AGC patients who received irinotecan monotherapy between January 2011 and December 2017. Efficacy was assessed according to overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Toxicity was graded using the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events (version 4.0).

RESULTS

A total of 100 patients were evaluated (62 and 38 patients with UGT1A1 WT and SH, respectively). In the WT and SH groups, the irinotecan dose was reduced in 19 (30.6%) and 18 (47.2%) patients (p = 0.135), respectively; treatment was delayed due to adverse events (AEs) in 19 (30.6%) and 13 (34.2%) patients (p = 0.826), respectively; the median PFS was 3.15 and 3.25 months (HR, 0.734; 95% CI 0.465-1.158; p = 0.184), respectively; and the median OS was 10.4 and 7.26 months (HR, 1.137; 95% CI 0.752-1.721; p = 0.543), respectively. Severe hematological AEs (Grade ≥ 3) were significantly more frequent in the SH group than in the WT group (63% vs. 36%; p = 0.008), while severe non-hematological AEs was not significantly different (16.0% vs. 6.5%; p = 0.173).

CONCLUSION

There was no significant difference in the efficacy of irinotecan monotherapy between UGT1A1 WT and UGT1A1 SH, but UGT1A1 SH was associated with a high frequency of severe hematological toxicity.