Real-world Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients With Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy Versus Androgen Receptor-targeted Therapy After Failure of First-line Androgen Receptor-targeted Therapy in the Community Setting

Background

In metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), optimal treatment sequences are unknown. We assessed second-line taxane (TT) versus androgen receptor-targeted therapy (ART), after initial ART failure, in United States oncology community practices.

Activity of cabazitaxel in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer after treatment with single or dual regimens of novel androgen receptor-targeting agents

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cabazitaxel for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) after sequential therapy with docetaxel (DTX) and single or dual regimens of novel androgen receptor-axis-targeted (ARAT) agents. We retrospectively reviewed 84 consecutive patients treated with cabazitaxel at Kobe University Hospital and related hospitals from September 2014 to September 2016. The association of each prognostic parameter with progression-free survival (PFS) was evaluated, including the sequence of therapy. Patients were divided according to their treatment after receiving cabazitaxel as follows: group 1 (after DTX and single regimen of novel ARAT agent) and group 2 (after DTX and dual novel ARAT agents). Median PFS for cabazitaxel treatment was 10.3 months (range 4.5–14.2 months). Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response rates (≥30%) were 46.8 and 46.1% in group 1 and group 2, respectively [p = 0.96, hazard ratio (HR) 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57–1.80]. PSA response rates (≥50%) were 43.8 and 26.9% in patients of group 1 and group 2, respectively (p = 0.18, HR 1.54, 95% CI 0.78–3.04). Univariate analysis revealed that PFS for cabazitaxel treatment was significantly associated with baseline alkaline phosphatase, bone metastasis, and prior sequential therapy. Multivariate analysis revealed that bone metastasis and prior sequential therapy were independently associated with PFS. Prior sequential therapy with single regimen or dual regimens of novel ARAT agents was independently associated with PFS of patients with mCRPC treated with cabazitaxel. The effect of cabazitaxel after the administration of DTX and single novel ARAT agent was more sustained.     

Real-World Cabazitaxel Use and Outcomes in Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer: The Impact of Response to First ARPI

BackgroundFor post-docetaxel treatment of metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), cabazitaxel has demonstrated superior third line PFS and OS compared to androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) in patients who progress within 12 months on first ARPI. The impact of first ARPI response, in particular responses beyond 12 months, on cabazitaxel outcomes in real-world populations is uncertain, as are other factors impacting cabazitaxel use.Materials and MethodsmCRPC patients in Alberta, Canada who received docetaxel from October 1, 2012 to December 31, 2017 were included. We reviewed mCRPC therapies, correlating cabazitaxel use with patient characteristics and TROPIC trial inclusion/exclusion criteria. OS and PFS were evaluated in patients who received cabazitaxel, stratified by time to progression on first ARPI ≤ 12 months (poor ARPI responders, PAR) or >12 months (strong ARPI responders, SAR), using the Kaplan-Meier method.ResultsPAR patients had inferior OS compared to SAR patients (12.3 vs. 24.8 months, P < .001). OS was longer in PAR patients receiving cabazitaxel compared to those not treated with cabazitaxel (16.9 vs. 10.3 months, P = .015), but this benefit was not seen in the SAR group (17.1 vs. 32 months, P = .084). Cabazitaxel use was associated with reduced PFS first line post-docetaxel in SAR (3.5 vs. 14.7 months, P < .001) but not PAR patients.Of 592 patients, 170 (29%) received cabazitaxel post-docetaxel, compared to 280 (47%) and 250 (42%) for abiraterone and enzalutamide. 238 patients (40%) did not have a discussion of cabazitaxel documented. Cabazitaxel use was increased in patients who fit TROPIC trial criteria (P < .001).ConclusionsIn a real-world mCRPC cohort, cabazitaxel use was associated with longer OS among PAR patients, but crucially not among strong ARPI responders. Cabazitaxel was used less frequently and later than ARPIs post-docetaxel. These data help support first ARPI progression time as a consideration in treatment sequencing.     

Adjuvant versus salvage radiotherapy in prostate cancer: multi-institutional retrospective analysis of the Spanish RECAP database

Purpose

To compare adjuvant radiotherapy (ART) to salvage radiotherapy (SRT) after radical prostatectomy (RP) in a cohort of prostate cancer (PCa) patients. The primary aim was to comparatively assess 2- and 5-year biochemical relapse-free survival (BRFS). A secondary aim was to identify predictors of survival.

Patients and methods

Data were acquired from the RECAP database, a population-based prostate cancer registry in Spain. Inclusion criteria included RP (with or without lymphadenectomy) followed by ART or SRT. A total of 702 patients were analyzed. Pre-RT PSA values (>0.5 vs. ≤0.5 ng/ml), pathological stage (T1–2 vs. T3–4), post-surgical Gleason score (≤7 vs. 8–10), margin status (positive vs. negative), hormonal treatment (yes vs. no), and RT dose (≤66 Gy vs. >66 Gy) were evaluated to assess their impact on BRFS.

Results

The mean patient age in the ART and SRT groups, respectively, was 64 years (range 42–82) and 64.8 years (range 42–82). Median follow-up after RT in the whole sample was 34 months (range 3–141). A total of 702 patients were included: 223 (31.8%) received ART and 479 (68.2%) SRT. BRFS rates (95% CI) in the ART and SRT groups at months 24 and 60 were, respectively: 98.1% (95.9–100.0%) vs. 91.2% (88.2–94.2%) and 84.5% (76.4–92.6%) vs. 74.0% (67.4–80.7%) (p = 0.004). No significant differences in OS were observed (p = 0.053). The following variables were significant predictors of biochemical recurrence in the SRT group: (1) positive surgical margin status (p = 0.049); (2) no hormonotherapy (p = 0.03); (3) total prostate dose ≤66 Gy (p = 0.004); and pre-RT PSA ≥0.5 ng/ml (p = 0.013).

Conclusions

This is the first nationwide study in Spain to evaluate a large cohort of PCa patients treated with RP followed by postoperative RT. ART yielded better 2- and 5-year BRFS rates, although OS was equivalent. These findings are consistent with most other published studies and support ART in patients with adverse prognostic characteristics after radical prostatectomy. Prospective trials are needed to compare immediate ART to early SRT to better determine their relative benefits.

     

Docetaxel-related toxicity in metastatic hormone-sensitive and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

Docetaxel plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) offers a survival benefit in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). However, one trial evaluating docetaxel in mHSPC (GETUG-AFU15) showed unexpected toxicity; raising concerns that docetaxel may carry increased toxicity when used to treat mHSPC compared to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). We conducted a retrospective analysis evaluating differences in toxicity based on the clinical state (i.e., mHSPC vs. mCRPC) that docetaxel was used. Patients initiating docetaxel between 1/1/2014 and 7/15/2015 were included, with the former date chosen to coincide with the press release for the first mHSPC study that showed a survival benefit with early docetaxel; ensuring contemporary docetaxel-treated cohorts. Thirty-nine mCRPC and 22 mHSPC patients were included. Compared to mCRPC, mHSPC patients were younger (median years: 66.3 vs. 71.8, P = 0.007); had better performance status (ECOG 0-1: 100 vs. 62 %, P < 0.0001); and used opiates less frequently (29 vs. 66 %, P = 0.04). Neutropenic fevers occurred in 9 and 5 % (P = 0.95) of men with mHSPC and mCRPC, respectively. Other toxicities also occurred at similar rates between cohorts. The incidence of any toxic event was 73 and 67 % (P = 0.84) for men with mHSPC and mCRPC, respectively. Within the mHSPC cohort, neutropenic fevers occurred at a similar rate regardless of the time interval between initiating ADT and the start of docetaxel. We did not observe a significant difference in toxicity between mHSPC and mCRPC patients receiving docetaxel. However, the small sample size and retrospective nature of this study limit our ability to draw definitive conclusions.     

The influence of prior novel androgen receptor targeted therapy on the efficacy of cabazitaxel in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

IntroductionThe treatment armamentarium for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) has expanded with the introduction of several new therapies. In this treatment continuum, it is unclear whether the efficacy of cabazitaxel is affected by prior novel androgen receptor targeted therapies (ART) such as abiraterone and enzalutamide. In this study, we investigated the influence of prior ART on the efficacy of cabazitaxel in men with mCRPC.Patients and methodsData from an ongoing multicentre, phase II trial were used comprising 114 men with mCRPC treated with cabazitaxel in the post-docetaxel setting. The primary endpoints of the current analysis were prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response (⩾50%), and overall survival (OS). Univariate and multivariable analyses were conducted to investigate the influence of prior ART on the efficacy of cabazitaxel.ResultsFrom the 114 patients included in this analysis, 44 men received prior ART and 70 men did not receive prior ART before treatment with cabazitaxel. PSA response rates while on cabazitaxel treatment were similar in patients with and without prior ART (34% versus 40%, respectively, P = 0.53). Likewise, median OS was not significantly different between men with and without prior ART (13.0 versus 14.0 months, respectively, logrank P = 0.65). In multivariable analysis, the only variables significantly associated with OS were performance status, serum albumin and alkaline phosphatase.ConclusionOur study showed that prior treatment with ART may not influence the efficacy of cabazitaxel in men with mCRPC. With emerging evidence of cross-resistance in the treatment of mCRPC, cabazitaxel provides a good treatment option irrespective of prior ART.     

Adjuvant radiotherapy following pancreaticoduodenectomy for ampullary adenocarcinoma improves survival in node-positive patients: a propensity score analysis

Introduction

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of adjuvant radiotherapy in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for ampullary adenocarcinoma.

Methods

Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results, patients with non-metastatic ampullary adenocarcinoma between 2004 and 2013 were identified. Cancer-specific survival and overall survival were estimated using Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression to obtain adjusted hazard ratio of survival.

Results

In this study, 1106 patients with ampullary adenocarcinoma were identified, of which 27% received adjuvant radiotherapy and the remaining 73% (803/1106) patients did not receive any adjuvant radiotherapy. In the matched cohort, there were still no significant difference in CSS (median 41 vs 35, p = 0.28) and OS (median 32 vs 30, p = 0.26) between patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy and those under observation alone. However, in patients with N2 (Fig. 4) disease, both CSS (median 27 vs 19 months, p = 0.0044) and OS (median 23 vs 17 months, p = 0.0091) were significantly longer for patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy.

Conclusion

In summary, adjuvant radiotherapy following PD for ampullary adenocarcinoma significantly improves survival in patients with N2 disease. Future studies defining “high-risk” groups using larger cohorts will enable reliable appraisal on the benefit of adjuvant radiotherapy to allow for a more personalized approach in treating patients.

     

Prognostic factors in HIV-positive patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a Peruvian experience

Background

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is the most common cancer in people with HIV. Although 95% of HIV patients are in developing countries like Peru, the majority of these studies have been conducted in developed countries. In this study we aim to evaluate prognostic factors associated with outcomes in HIV positive patients undergoing systemic therapy for treatment of NHL.

Methods

This retrospective study includes patients with NHL seen in the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas (INEN) between 2004 to 2014. Patients were divided into two groups: antiretroviral therapy (ART) -naïve (n?=?34) and those previously treated, ART-exposed (n?=?13), at the time of diagnosis. All patients received chemotherapy and ART. The medical records were reviewed. Data were analyzed using t-test and chi-square test. Survival curves were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and comparison was done by log-rank test. Multivariate analysis for overall survival (OS) was performed with the Cox proportional hazard regression model.

Results

All ART-exposed patients were from the capital city (p?=?0.039); they had significantly lower hemoglobin levels compared to ART-naïve patients (p?=?0.026). The median OS was 47.7 months with a 5-yr OS of 36.1%. The median OS for ART naïve patients was significantly higher than that for ART-exposed patients (57.05 and 21.09 months, respectively; p?=?0.018). Advanced stage and low serum albumin were associated with lower OS in both groups. Age?>?60 was associated with worse outcomes in the ART-naïve cohort.

Conclusions

Advanced stage, low serum albumin and previous ART treatment were the primary prognostic factors associated with poorer outcomes in patients with NHL and HIV infection. In ART-naïve patients, age?>?60 was associated with worse outcomes but in this cohort, older patients still had better overall outcomes than ART-exposed patients.

     

Correlation of early PET findings with tumor response to molecular targeted agents in patients with advanced driver-mutated non-small cell lung cancer

Recent advances in positron emission tomography with fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) have facilitated not only the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer, but also the prediction of treatment outcome. The present study was designed to assess the usefulness of early FDG-PET examination for predicting subsequent tumor size reduction in response to molecular targeted agents in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with sensitive gene anomalies. I. In 29 targeted lesions of 10 NSCLC patients, changes in FDG uptake before and on day 7 after the initiation of molecular targeted therapy (gefitinib, n = 7; crizotinib, n = 3) were compared with subsequent radiographic tumor size reduction by RECIST. FDG uptake was evaluated as the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of each targeted lesion. SUVmax decreased in all lesions after therapy (mean SUVmax 8.3 ± 3.4 before to 3.7 ± 1.8 after therapy, p < 0.05). The % decrease in SUVmax of each lesion was significantly correlated with the % tumor size reduction (r = 0.44). In addition, the reduction rate of SUVmax in metastatic bone lesions after initiation of molecular targeted therapy was significantly lower than that in targeted organs (27.1 ± 27.5 vs. 51.2 ± 21.3%, respectively, p < 0.05). Early reduction in FDG-PET uptake after initiation of molecular targeted agents was able to predict subsequent tumor reduction in patients harboring EGFR-mutated or ALK-positive NSCLC. In addition, nontargeted bone metastasis may have different glucose metabolism after TKI treatment compared with other involved organs.     

Diffuse optical tomography changes correlate with residual cancer burden after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients

Purpose

Breast cancer (BC) patients who achieve a favorable residual cancer burden (RCB) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) have an improved recurrence-free survival. Those who have an unfavorable RCB will have gone through months of ineffective chemotherapy. No ideal method exists to predict a favorable RCB early during NACT. Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is a novel imaging modality that uses near-infrared light to assess hemoglobin concentrations within breast tumors. We hypothesized that the 2-week percent change in DOT-measured hemoglobin concentrations would associate with RCB.

Methods

We conducted an observational study of 40 women with stage II–IIIC BC who received standard NACT. DOT imaging was performed at baseline and 2 weeks after treatment initiation. We evaluated the associations between the RCB index (continuous measure), class (categorical 0, I, II, III), and response (RCB class 0/I = favorable, RCB class II/III = unfavorable) with changes in DOT-measured hemoglobin concentrations.

Results

The RCB index correlated significantly with the 2-week percent change in oxyhemoglobin [HbO₂] (r = 0.5, p = 0.003), deoxyhemoglobin [Hb] (r = 0.37, p = 0.03), and total hemoglobin concentrations [HbT] (r = 0.5, p = 0.003). The RCB class and response significantly associated with the 2-week percent change in [HbO₂] (p ≤ 0.01) and [HbT] (p ≤ 0.02). [HbT] 2-week percent change had sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values for a favorable RCB response of 86.7, 68.4, 68.4, and 86.7%, respectively.

Conclusion

The 2-week percent change in DOT-measured hemoglobin concentrations was associated with the RCB index, class, and response. DOT may help guide NACT for women with BC.

     

High preoperative serum CA19-9 level is predictive of poor prognosis for patients with colorectal liver oligometastases undergoing hepatic resection

Oligometastasis is defined as a transitional state between localized and widespread systemic metastatic cancers. In colorectal cancer, the prognostic factors and prognostic value of preoperative serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) for patients with colorectal liver oligometastases (CLOM) undergoing hepatic resection have not been well explored. Therefore, the present study included 141 patients with CLOM (≤5 liver metastases) who underwent R0 resection from 2005 to 2012. The association of clinicopathological factors including preoperative CA19-9 and CEA levels with overall survival (OS) was analyzed with univariate and multivariate analyses. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients with high CA19-9 levels tended to have poorer OS than those with low levels (median OS 21.5 vs. 64.0 months, P = 0.002). Preoperative CEA levels were not significantly associated with OS (P > 0.05). Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that larger tumor size of liver metastases (HR 1.911; 95 % CI 1.172–3.114; P = 0.009), bilobar distribution (HR 1.776; 95 % CI 1.097–2.873; P = 0.019), and higher preoperative CA19-9 levels (HR 1.954; 95 % CI 1.177–3.242; P = 0.010) were independent predictors of poor OS for patients with CLOM. Our study identified tumor size, distribution, and preoperative CA19-9 levels as independent prognostic factors for OS of patients with CLOM. In particular, measurement of preoperative CA19-9 levels offers an easy tool that could help identify high-risk patients and aid in improving the management of patients with CLOM.     

Intratumoral expression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC)

The immunological checkpoints of programmed death 1 and its ligand (PD-L1) are currently in focus as novel therapeutic targets in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic association of PD-L1 expression in clear cell (cc) RCC with clinical parameters, tumor aggressiveness and overall survival (OS). Patients who underwent renal surgery due to RCC between 1994 and 2003 were retrospectively evaluated. Tumor specimens were analyzed for PD-L1 expression by immunohistochemistry. One hundred and seventy-seven ccRCC patients were eligible for analysis, in which 140 (79.1 %) were negative and 37 (20.9 %) were positive for PD-L1 expression. PD-L1 positivity was associated with female gender (p = 0.001), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.004), distant metastasis (p = 0.002), higher AJCC stage (p = 0.004), as well as advanced disease (pT3/4 and/or N+ and/or M1) (p < 0.001). Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed a significantly diminished 5- and 10-year overall survival of 46.7 and 28.3 % for PD-L1⁺ compared to PD-L1^? tumors with 66 and 53.4 % (p = 0.005), respectively. Univariate analysis showed a significant negative association of OS with PD-L1 positivity [p = 0.005; HR: 2 (95 % CI 1.2–3.3)], even though PD-L1 positivity only tends to predict independently the OS using multivariate analyses [p = 0.066; HR: 1.6 (95 % CI 0.98–2.7)]. PD-L1 expression in ccRCC is associated with parameters of aggressiveness, as well as with poor OS, even though PD-L1 status was not identified as a significant independent prognostic parameter. However, further studies in larger cohorts are warranted.     

Results of the FLAC European Database of Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Patients Treated With Docetaxel,Cabazitaxel, and Androgen Receptor–Targeted Agents

Background

Several agents have demonstrated an overall survival (OS) benefit in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC); however, the optimal sequencing of these therapies is unknown as a result of a lack of prospective randomized controlled trials. This retrospective study aimed to identify clinical factors influencing outcomes and to determine optimal treatment sequencing in patients with mCRPC treated with cabazitaxel (CABA) and/or androgen receptor–targeted agents (ART) after androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) and docetaxel (DOC).

Prognostic factors affecting survival in metastatic soft tissue sarcoma: an analysis of 110 patients

Background

Data on treatment outcome and prognostic factors in patients with metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS) are limited in the literature.

Methods

A total of 119 patients with metastatic STS treated between June 2003 and December 2012 were analyzed for treatment outcome and prognostic factors.

Results

Median age was 37 years (range 2–72 years) with a male to female ratio of 1.5:1. Most common histologic subtypes were synovial sarcoma (36 %) and leiomyosarcoma (16 %). Median tumor size was 12 cm (range 1.6–30 cm). Twenty-four (20 %) patients were treated with multimodality therapy and 80 % patients received systemic chemotherapy alone. At a median follow-up of 10 months (range 1–66 months), the 2-year EFS and OS were 10 and 19 %, respectively, with a median EFS and OS of 6 and 10 months, respectively. Univariate analysis identified albumin ≤4 g/dl (p = 0.001), histologic subtypes other than synovial sarcoma (p = 0.02), non-extremity tumors (p = 0.03) and single modality treatment (p = 0.03) as factors predicting poor EFS; however, for OS, hemoglobin ≤10 g/dl (p = 0.02), tumor size >10 cm (p = 0.01) and single modality treatment (p = 0.04) were identified as poor prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis identified only serum albumin ≤4 g/dl (p = 0.002, HR 0.47, 95 % CI 0.29–0.75) associated with poor EFS; however, for OS, hemoglobin ≤10 g/dl (p = 0.009, HR 0.49, 95 % CI 0.29–0.83), tumor size >10 cm (p = 0.003, HR 2.11, 95 % CI 1.28–3.47) and single modality treatment (p = 0.01, HR 0.47, 95 % CI 0.25–0.86) emerged as poor prognostic factors.

Conclusions

Serum albumin, tumor size, hemoglobin and treatment modality affect survival in metastatic STS.

     

Effect of Changes in Skeletal Muscle Mass on Oncological Outcomes During First-Line Sunitinib Therapy for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

Background

Sarcopenia is a state of degenerative skeletal muscle wasting induced by cancer cachexia.

Objective

To evaluate the prognostic impact of changes in skeletal muscle mass (SMM) during first-line sunitinib therapy on oncological outcomes in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

Patients and Methods

Sixty-nine patients were evaluated retrospectively. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) was calculated based on computed tomography images obtained before the initiation (pre-treatment SMI) and after two cycles of sunitinib treatment (post-treatment SMI). The change in SMM was evaluated based on the value of ΔSMI, which was calculated as [(posttreatment SMI – pretreatment SMI)/ pretreatment SMI]?×?100. Oncological outcomes were compared between patients with ΔSMI <0 (SMM decrease) and ΔSMI ≥0 (SMM maintenance).

Results

A decrease in SMM was observed in 38 patients (55.1%). Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) after sunitinib therapy initiation were significantly shorter in patients with ΔSMI <0 than in those with ΔSMI ≥0 (median PFS: 9.53 vs. 28.4 months, p?<?0.0001; OS: 19.8 vs. 52.6 months, p?=?0.0001). ΔSMI was an independent predictive factor for PFS (HR 3.25, 95% CI 1.74–6.29, p?=?0.0002) and OS (HR 4.53, 95% CI 2.15–10.5, p?<?0.0001). The objective response rate was significantly lower in patients with ΔSMI <0 than in those with ΔSMI ≥0 (23.7% vs. 51.6%, p?=?0.0164).

Conclusion

Decreased SMM during first-line sunitinib therapy can be an effective marker of outcome prediction for mRCC.

     

Identification and analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">CHEK2</Emphasis> germline mutations in Chinese <Emphasis Type="Italic">BRCA1/2</Emphasis>-negative breast cancer patients

Purpose

The estrogen receptor (ER) is involved in control of progesterone receptor (PgR) expression and lack of PgR may be also a surrogate of altered growth factor signaling. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate PgR expression as predictive factor for response to neoadjuvant therapy and long-term outcome.

Methods

Five thousand and six hundred and thirteen patients with primary breast cancer and positive ER expression from ten German neoadjuvant trials of anthracycline and taxane-based chemotherapy were included. Pathologic complete response (pCR), disease-free survival (DFS), distant disease-free survival (DDFS), overall survival (OS), and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) were compared according to PgR expression.

Results

The lack of PgR expression (1172 patients) was associated with grade 3 (38.4 vs. 26.3%; p < 0.001), nodal involvement (>cN2) (6.8% vs. 4.7%; p = 0.004), and HER2 positivity (36.2 vs. 22.3%; p < 0.001). pCR rates of PgR-negative tumors were higher in the entire cohort (13.8 vs. 7.5%; p < 0.001) and in the HER2-negative subgroup (11.2 vs. 5.8%; p < 0.001). In multivariable logistic regression, PgR negativity was an independent predictive factor for pCR overall (OR 1.76; p < 0.001) and in the HER2-negative patients (OR 1.99; p < 0.001). Patients with PgR-negative disease had significantly worse outcome (p < 0.001, respectively). Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that PgR was an independent prognostic factor for DFS, OS, DDFS, and LRFS.

Conclusion

ER-positive/PgR-negative breast carcinomas are associated with higher response but also worse long-term outcome after neoadjuvant therapy. PgR negativity is an independent predictive factor for pCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in ER-positive HER2-negative breast cancer.

     

Association between polymorphisms in xenobiotic detoxification-related genes with prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer

This study aimed to evaluate whether GSTM1 and GSTT1 (presents or nulls), GSTP1 c.313A>G and NQO2 c.-102A>C polymorphisms, involved in xenobiotic detoxification pathways, alter outcomes of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients. DNA from 84 EOC patients diagnosed at the University of Campinas Academic Hospital from January 1995 and July 2007 was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism assays. The prognostic impact of genotypes of polymorphisms on progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) of EOC patients was examined using the Kaplan–Meier probability estimates and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard ratio (HR) regression analyses. The significant results of Cox analyses were validated using a bootstrap resampling study (1000 replications). At 60 months of follow-up, lower OS was seen in patients with GSTT1 null genotype (50.0 vs. 76.7 %, P = 0.02) compared with the other genotype (Kaplan–Meier estimate). This outcome remained the same in univariate Cox analysis (HR 2.22, P = 0.02). After multivariate Cox analysis, patients with GSTT1 null (HR 2.11, P = 0.04, P _bootstrap = 0.04) and NQO2 AA (HR 2.13, P = 0.03, P _bootstrap = 0.04) genotypes were under greater risks of progressing to death when compared with those with others genotypes. Our data suggest, for the first time, that inherited abnormalities in xenobiotic detoxification pathway related to GSTT1 and NQO2 c.-102A>C polymorphisms act as independent prognostic factors for OS of EOC patients.     

Surgical Management of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Single-Centre Experience on Oncological Outcomes of Pulmonary Resection vs Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC

Purpose

Metastasectomy is accepted as standard of care for selected patients with colorectal pulmonary metastases (CLM); however, the role of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for colorectal peritoneal metastases (CPM) is not universally accepted. We aim to compare oncological outcomes of patients with CLM and CPM after pulmonary resection and CRS-HIPEC, respectively, by comparing overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

Methods

A retrospective review of 49 CLM patients who underwent pulmonary resection, and 52 CPM patients who underwent CRS-HIPEC in a single institution from January 2003 to March 2015, was performed.

Results

The 5-year OS for CLM patients and CPM patients were 59.6 and 40.5%, respectively (p = 0.100), while the 5-year DFS were 24.0 and 14.2%, respectively (p = 0.173). CPM patients had longer median operative time (8.38 vs. 1.75 h, p < 0.001), median hospital stay (13 vs. 5 days, p < 0.001), a higher rate of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions (67.3 vs. 8.2%, p < 0.001), and a higher rate of high-grade complications (17.3 vs. 4.1%, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that recurrent lung metastasis after metastasectomy was an independent prognostic factor for OS of CLM patients (OR = 0.045, 95%, CL 0.003–0.622, p = 0.021). There were no independent prognostic factors for OS in CPM patients by multivariate analysis. There were no independent prognostic factors for DFS in CLM patients by multivariate analysis, but peritoneal cancer index score, bladder involvement, and higher nodal stage at presentation of the initial malignancy were independent prognostic factors for DFS in CPM patients.

Conclusions

OS and DFS for CPM patients after CRS and HIPEC are comparable to CLM patients after lung resection, although morbidity appears higher. The prognostic factors affecting survival after surgery are different between CPM and CLM patients and must be considered when selecting patients for metastasectomy.

     

Contribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">UGT1A1</Emphasis> genetic polymorphisms related to axitinib pharmacokinetics to safety and efficacy in patients with renal cell carcinoma

Axitinib is a potent second-line molecular-targeted agent for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Axitinib pharmacokinetics and its relation with genetic polymorphisms were evaluated to predict the adverse events (AEs) and efficacy of axitinib. We analyzed 46 patients with mRCC who were treated with axitinib. The plasma axitinib level was measured at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 h after administration (C₀, C₂, C₄, C₈, and C₁₂; ng/mL) on day 7 of the treatment. Genetic polymorphisms related to axitinib pharmacokinetics, including SLCO1B1, SLCO1B3, SLCO2B1, ABCB1, ABCG2, CYP2C19, CYP3A5, and UGT1A1, were analyzed. Axitinib C₀ and AUC_0–12 in patients with UGT1A1 poor metabolisers (*6/*6, *6/*28, and *28/*28; n?=?10) were significantly higher than those in patients with UGT1A1 extensive metabolisers (*1/*1, *1/*6,*1/*28, and *27/*28; n?=?36) (23.6 vs. 7.8 ng/mL, p?=?0.030, and 441.3 vs. 217.1 ng h/mL, p?=?0.007). The cutoff levels of C₀ to predict ≥?G2 hypothyroidism and ≥?G2 anorexia were 6.6 and 7.1 ng/mL, respectively (p?=?0.005 and p?=?0.035). The overall survival (OS) in patients with C₀?>?5 ng/mL was significantly better than that in patients with C₀?<?5 ng/mL (p?=?0.022). Genetic polymorphisms in UGT1A1 were significantly associated with the plasma axitinib level. The plasma axitinib level was significantly associated with the frequency of AEs and OS in patients with mRCC. No direct relationship was observed between UGT1A1 genotypes and the frequency of AEs or OS.     

Efficacy of fulvestrant in the treatment of postmenopausal women with endocrine-resistant advanced breast cancer in routine clinical practice

Introduction

This study aimed to describe the efficacy of fulvestrant 500 mg in postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive advanced/metastatic breast cancer who had disease progression after receiving anti-estrogen therapy in clinical practice, getting real-world data.

Materials and methods

Multicenter, retrospective, observational study conducted in Spain. Postmenopausal women with locally advanced/metastatic ER-positive breast cancer who received treatment with fulvestrant 500 mg after progression with a previous anti-estrogen therapy were eligible. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS); secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), clinical benefit rate (CBR), duration of clinical benefit (DoCB), and safety profile.

Results

A total of 263 women were evaluated (median age, 65.8 years). At a median follow-up of 21.5 months, median PFS and OS were 10.6 and 43.2 months, respectively. PFS according to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and ≥ 4th lines were 11.5, 10.6, 9.9, and 8.5 months, respectively (p = 0.0245). PFS in patients with visceral involvement was 10 months vs 10.6 months in patients without visceral involvement (p = 0.6604), 9.6 months in patients with high Ki67 vs 10 months in patients with low Ki67 (p = 0.7224), and 10.2 months in HER2+ patients vs 10.3 months in HER2? patients (p = 0.6809). The CBR was 56.5% and the DoCB was 18.4 months. The most frequently adverse events were injection site pain (10.3%) and musculoskeletal disorders (7.6%).

Conclusions

Fulvestrant 500 mg administered in clinical practice was shown to be effective (PFS, 10.6 months; CBR, 56.5%) and well tolerated, in accordance with previous trials.