Nationwide Real-world Cohort Study of First-line Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Treatment in Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-mutated Non–small-cell Lung Cancer

BackgroundOnly a few randomized trials directly compared the relative efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and most trials comprised selected series from Asian populations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the overall survival (OS) of advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC in a large white population and to evaluate variation between different TKIs and identify predictors of survival.Patients and MethodsInformation about clinical characteristics, treatment, and survival for 873 patients with stage IV EGFR + NSCLC, diagnosed from 2015 through 2017, was derived from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. OS was evaluated by actuarial analysis and multivariable Cox regression. Prognostic factors are reported as hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals.ResultsA total of 596 (68%) patients received first-line treatment with regular TKIs, providing a median survival of 20.2 months. Forty-five percent of patients were 70 years and older, and 54% of patients had distant metastasis in multiple organs. In the multivariate analysis, survival was significantly worse for men, and patients with higher age, poorer performance, and ≥ 3 organs with metastasis. Compared with erlotinib, OS was worse for gefitinib users (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.64), predominantly in patients with brain metastasis.ConclusionDutch patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC who received first-line treatment with regular TKIs have a median OS of 20.2 months in a nationwide real-world cohort. In patients with brain metastasis, erlotinib showed superior results compared with gefitinib and was similar to afatinib.     

Critical Assessment in Routine Clinical Practice of Liquid Biopsy for EGFR Status Testing in Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Single-Laboratory Experience (LPCE,Nice, France)

BackgroundThe introduction of liquid biopsy using PCR-based assays into routine practice has had a strong impact on the treatment of EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma and is now commonly used for routine testing of EGFR mutations in certain clinical settings. To assess whether the claimed benefits of PCR-based assays hold true in daily practice at a multicenter clinical institution, we assessed how treatment decisions are affected by PCR-based assays for the analysis of EGFR mutations from plasma samples in a centralized laboratory (LPCE, Nice, France).Patients and MethodsA total of 345 samples were analyzed using the US Food and Drug Administration–approved Cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2 and 103 using the Therascreen EGFR Plasma RGQ PCR Kit over 3 years (395 samples from 324 patients). Eleven plasma samples were validated independently using Cobas at 3 institutions, and 130 samples were analyzed using Stilla digital PCR. Clinical data were collected for 175 (54%) of 324 patients.ResultsCobas was superior to the Therascreen assay and demonstrated 100% reproducibility. Digital PCR showed only 48%, 83%, and 58% concordance with Cobas for exon 19 deletions, L858R mutations, and T790M mutations, respectively. Liquid biopsies helped inform and change treatment when resistance occurred and enabled the detection of EGFR mutations in patients when biopsy tissue results were unavailable.ConclusionPCR-based assays are a fast and convenient test, allowing the detection of primary and secondary EGFR mutations from plasma. Cobas proved to be a reliable test, whereas digital PCR produced too many inconclusive results to be currently recommended as a principal testing device.     

Traitement systémique des métastases cérébrales de cancer bronchique

Systemic treatment of lung cancer patients with brain metastases is based on clinical (presence of symptomatic intracranial lesions), pathological and molecular characteristics of the disease. The efficacy of standard platinum-based chemotherapy is comparable inside and outside the brain, justifying its use as front-line therapy. The intracranial efficacy of targeted therapies (EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, ALK inhibitors) is demonstrated, and is globally superior to the efficacy of standard chemotherapy, justifying their use as front-line therapy in case of EGFR activating mutation or ALK rearrangement (providing the change in the crizotinib label in France). The concomitant use of whole brain radiotherapy and a systemic treatment (chemotherapy or targeted therapy) is not recommended in the absence of a demonstrated better efficacy and/or acceptable safety profile. Several trials are ongoing to assess new whole brain radiotherapy modalities, new targeted therapies alone or in combination, especially exploring immunotherapy.     

厄洛替尼联合放疗在肺腺癌脑转移中的疗效观察

目的观察厄洛替尼联合脑部放疗在肺腺癌患者中的疗效、不良反应和生存率。方法回顾性分析我院2008年1月-2011年1月113例EGFR敏感突变的肺癌腺癌脑转移患者,比较单纯口服厄洛替尼药物治疗(A组)、单纯接受脑部放疗(B组)、联合厄洛替尼口服及脑部放疗(C组)三种治疗方法患者的骨髓抑制程度、胃肠道反应、皮疹程度、中位生存期、以及1年、2年、3年生存率。结果所有研究对象至治疗第3月末复查头颅MRI或全身PET/CT检查评价疗效,A组为:CR 2例、PR 14例;1年、2年、3年生存率为39.5%、23.2%、18.6%;中位生存期14.5月;B组为:CR 4例、PR 15例;1年、2年、3年生存率为47.4%、26.3%、5.3%;中位生存期11月;C组为:CR 4例、PR 14例;1年、2年、3年生存率为50%、31.3%、18.8%;中位生存期18.5月;各组主要不良反应为骨髓抑制、恶心呕吐、腹泻、皮疹,均在可控制范围。C组同A、B组比较,除中位生存期明显延长外(P0.05、P0.01),其余指标无明显变化,具有统计学意义。结论厄洛替尼联合放疗治疗EGFR敏感突变的肺腺癌脑转移患者可明显延长生存期,改善生活质量,且毒副反应轻。     

GLI inhibitors overcome Erlotinib resistance in human pancreatic cancer cells by modulating E-cadherin

Inhibition of hedgehog (Hh) signalling pathway, including its end effector GLI1, can reverse epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) which plays an important role in drug resistance of pancreatic cancer cells to Erlotinib (ETB). This study investigated the effect of GLI inhibitors Forskolin (FSK), GANT-61 (GNT), and Arsenic trioxide (ATX) on suppressing the resistance of pancreatic cancer cells to ETB. The effect of GLI inhibitors was evaluated by measuring mRNA expression levels of EMT factors using quantitative RT-PCR. Immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry were used to assess E-cadherin (E-Cad) and GLI1 protein levels. MTT and apoptosis assays were used to evaluate the synergistic effects for the combination treatment of each GLI inhibitor with ETB. Pancreatic cancer cells PANC-1 treated by GNT showed the highest significant reduction in mRNA levels of GLI1 and other EMT pathway genes. Moreover, GNT was able to upregulate E-Cad and downregulate GLI1 proteins, more than FSK, while ATX had no effect. Apoptosis levels of PANC-1 cells following treatment with LD30 concentrations of FSK, GNT, or ATX, showed 57%, 62% and 67%, respectively, in comparison to ETB (～48%). Importantly, combination treatments of ETB with either FSK, GNT, or ATX demonstrated a significant increase in apoptotic cells reaching 61% (ETB?+?FSK), 80% (ETB?+?GNT) or 88% (ETB?+?ATX). FSK did not have much effect on the drug resistance of PANC-1 cells to ETB. However, GNT, but more effectively ATX, were able to reduce the drug resistance of this cell line to ETB.     

Clinical Effectiveness of Erlova in EGFR-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: An Affordable Price with Clinical Benefit

Background: Thyrosin kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is approved for the first line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with  epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation. This study performed to assess clinical effectiveness and safety of Erlova (generic form of Erlotinib). Methods: Somatic mutations of EGFR gene were studied in tumor tissue by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and bi-directional sequencing in 513 chemonaive and histologically verified lung adenocarcinoma Iranian patients. Patients  with EGFR mutation received Erlova at 150 mg/day  as first line treatment. Primary endpoint was progression free survival (PFS). Results: About 21% (n=109) cases had EGFR mutation. Most EGFR mutations were  occurred at exon 19. Among them, sixty nine patients treated with Erlova. Median PFS was 11.4 months and objective response rate (ORR) was about  88%. Most frequent treatment related adverse events was  skin rash. Conclusion: Our findings showed Erlova had remarkable effectiveness. In  mutation-positive patients with EGFR, Erlova can be used  safely instead of  other tyrosine-kinase inhibitors.     

Assessing the selective therapeutic efficacy of superparamagnetic erlotinib nanoparticles in lung cancer by using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging and a nuclear factor kappa-B reporter gene system

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors are commonly used as the first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC; however, the efficacy of drug delivery remains unknown. Hence, we successfully developed erlotinib-conjugated iron oxide nanoparticles (FeDC-E NPs) as theranostic probe that can potentially provide a new avenue for monitoring drug delivering through noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging. MRI ΔR2* relaxivity measurements offer an opportunity to quantitatively evaluate the uptake of FeDC-E NPs at cellular and tumoral levels. Additionally, NF-κB reporter gene system provides NF-κB activation status monitoring to validate the therapeutic efficiency of FeDC-E NPs. FeDC-E NPs not only inhibit the tumor growth and NF-κB-modulated antiapoptotic mechanism but also trigger extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways. Taken together, dual functional FeDC-E NPs offer diagnostic and therapeutic benefits against lung cancers, indicating that our presented probe could be applied in clinical.     

DC-CIK细胞联合EGFR-TKI治疗35例老年晚期EGFR突变肺癌的效果

目的 探讨树突状细胞-细胞因子诱导的杀伤细胞(DC-CIK)联合表皮生长因子受体酪氨酸激酶抑制剂(EGRF-TKI)治疗老年晚期表皮生长因子受体(EGFR)突变肺癌的临床疗效。 方法 将70例Ⅳ期EGFR突变肺癌患者分为治疗组和对照组。治疗组35例,给予DC-CIK细胞治疗联合吉非替尼或厄洛替尼靶向治疗;对照组35例,给予吉非替尼或厄洛替尼靶向治疗。 结果 治疗组的疾病控制率(DCR)为88.6%,高于对照组的68.6%(P=0.041),治疗组生活质量评分改善率为71.4%,高于对照组的45.7%(P=0.029),差异均有统计学意义。治疗组和对照组的1年、2年和3年总生存(OS)率分别为62.9% vs 57.1%、37.1% vs 31.4%和8.6% vs 2.9%,两组比较差异无统计学意义(P=0.217)。治疗组和对照组的1年、2年和3年无进展生存(PFS)率分别为57.1% vs 31.4%、20.0% vs 5.7%和2.9% vs 0%,两组差异有统计学意义(P=0.005)。多因素分析显示,腺癌(HR=0.178,95%CI:0.061~0.523)及高分化(HR=0.058,95%CI:0.015~0.228)患者OS更长,腺癌(HR=0.271,95%CI:0.094~0.777)及高分化(HR=0.089,95%CI:0.029~0.272)患者PFS也更长。治疗组和对照组不良反应发生率差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。 结论 DC-CIK细胞联合EGRF-TKI可以提高晚期老年EGFR突变肺癌患者的疾病控制率和生活质量,延长患者的PFS。