Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC), an aggressive subtype of salivary gland cancer, is androgen receptor (AR)–positive in 67–96% of cases. In patients with locally recurrent and metastatic (R/M) ...AR-positive SDC, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has an overall response rate of 18–64.7%. In this study, we describe the efficacy of adjuvant ADT in patients with poor-risk (stage 4a) AR-positive SDC.
This is a retrospective cohort study in which patients with stage 4a AR-positive SDC were offered adjuvant ADT, i.e. bicalutamide, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analogue or a combination of these after tumour resection. In the control group, data were collected on patients with stage 4a SDC who underwent a tumour resection but did not receive adjuvant ADT.
Twenty-two AR-positive SDC patients were treated with adjuvant ADT for a median duration of 12 months. The control group consisted of 111 SDC patients. After a median follow-up of 20 months in the ADT-treated patients and 26 months in the control group, the 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) was estimated as 48.2% (95% confidence interval CI 14.0–82.4%) and 27.7% (95% CI 18.5–36.9%) (P = 0.037). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed a hazard ratio of 0.138 (95% CI 0.025–0.751, P = 0.022) for DFS and 0.064 (95% CI 0.005–0.764, P = 0.030) for overall survival (OS) in favour of the ADT-treated patients.
Poor-risk, AR-positive SDC patients who received adjuvant ADT have a significantly longer DFS compared with patients in the control group, who did not receive adjuvant ADT. For OS, this was just below and above the significance level, in case there was or was no correction for confounders.
•Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is an aggressive subtype of salivary gland cancer.•Palliative androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has a response rate of 18–64.7%.•In this retrospective cohort study, we describe the efficacy of adjuvant ADT in poor-risk SDC.•Adjuvant ADT showed a significantly longer disease-free survival.•Overall survival was significantly longer after correction for confounders.
Lenvatinib is a multi-kinase inhibitor approved for patients with radioactive iodine (RAI)–resistant differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Before the drug approval from the Italian National Regulatory ...Agency, a compassionate use programme has been run in Italy. This retrospective study aimed to analyse data from the first series of patients treated with lenvatinib in Italy.
The primary aim was to assess the response rate (RR) and progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary end-points include overall survival (OS) and toxicity data.
From November 2014 to September 2016, 94 patients were treated in 16 Italian sites. Seventeen percent of patients had one or more comorbidities, hypertension being the most common (60%). Ninety-eight percent of patients were treated by surgery, followed by RAI in 98% of cases. Sixty-four percent of patients received a previous systemic treatment. Lenvatinib was started at 24 mg in 64 subjects. Partial response and stable disease were observed in 36% and in 41% of subjects, respectively; progression was recorded in 14% of patients. Drug-related side-effects were common; the most common were fatigue (13.6%) and hypertension (11.6%). Overall, median PFS and OS were 10.8 months (95% confidence interval CI, 7.7–12.6) and 23.8 months (95% CI, 19.7–25.0) respectively.
Lenvatinib is active and safe in unselected, RAI-refractory, progressive DTC patients in real-life setting. RR and PFS seem to be less favourable than those observed in the SELECT trial, likely due to a negative selection that included heavily pretreated patients or with poor performance status.
•Patients with metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) have poor survival rate.•Lenvatinib improved clinical outcomes in patient with metastatic radioactive iodine-refractory DTC.•Lenvatinib is active and safe, even in a real-life patient population.•Older patients show survival benefit from lenvatinib, without safety concern.
Abstract Background Pre-clinical and clinical evidence suggests a rationale for the use of anti-angiogenic agents, including sorafenib, in recurrent and/or metastatic salivary gland carcinomas ...(RMSGCs). This study evaluates the activity of sorafenib in patients with RMSGCs and also investigates whether the activity of sorafenib could be related to its main tailored targets (i.e. BRAF, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 VEGFR2, platelet-derived growth factor receptor α PDGFRα and β, RET, KIT). Patients and methods Patients received sorafenib at 400 mg BID. The primary end-point was response rate (RR) including complete response or partial response (PR); secondary end-points included RR according to Choi criteria, disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS). Results Thirty-seven patients (19 adenoid cystic cancers, ACC) were enrolled. Six PRs were recorded. RR was 16% (95% confidence interval CI: 6–32; 11% in ACC and 22% in non-ACC). Choi criteria could be applied in 30 out of 37 cases with a RR of 50% (95% CI: 31–69%); DCR was 76% (95% CI: 59–88%). Incidence of ≥G3 adverse events was 29.7%. Median PFS and OS for the entire population were 5.9 months and 23.4 months, respectively. Median PFS and OS were 8.9 and 26.4 months for ACC versus 4.2 and 12.3 months for non-ACC patients. All the cases showed expression of PDGFRβ in the stroma and VEGFR2 in endothelial cells; PDGFRα positivity was found in the stroma of four (27%) cases. All except for two cases showed no PDGFRβ, VEGFR2 and PDGFRα expression in the tumour cells. KIT expression was restricted to ACC and a weak RET expression was limited to one adenocarcinoma, not otherwise specified (NOS). No BRAF mutation was found. No correlation was observed between the sorafenib activity and the expression of its markers although all six responders (two ACC, one adenocarcinoma, NOS, one salivary duct cancer SDC, one high-grade mucoepidermoid HG-MEC and one poorly-differentiated cancer) are enriched in the stromal component showing a PDGFRβ immunodecoration. In ACCs, immunohistochemistry revealed MYB protein expression in 15/16 cases (94%) and the MYB-NFIB fusion oncogene was observed in 9/14 (64%). Conclusions Sorafenib is the first anti-angiogenic agent to demonstrate activity in RMSGC patients, particularly in some histotypes such as HG-MEC, SDC and adenocarcinoma, NOS. The PDGFRβ-positive rich stromal component characterising these histotypes and the lack of correlation between the activity of sorafenib and its targets suggests anti-angiogenic effect as the prevalent mechanism of action of sorafenib in SGCs.
•This special article provides updated treatment recommendations on thyroid cancer.•New targeted systemic therapies have now been approved for treating patients with advanced/metastatic thyroid ...cancers.•This article summarises these new options and the order in which they should be used.•Recommendations are based on available scientific data and the authors’ collective expert opinion.•ESCAT scores are given to describe the evidence level for genomic alterations as biomarkers for using targeted therapies.•Authorship includes a multidisciplinary group of thyroid cancer experts.
Summary EGFR overexpression in salivary gland carcinomas provides the rational for the investigation of anti-EGFR treatments in recurrent and/or metastatic salivary gland cancers (RMSGCs). The ...activity of cetuximab in terms of clinical benefit rate (CBR) defined as the occurrence of objective response (CR or PR) or stable disease (SD) for ⩾6 months was investigated. From April to December 2005, 30 patients 23 adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) and 7 non-ACC were treated with cetuximab at 400 mg/m2 /week followed by 250 mg/m2 /week until progression, major toxicity or voluntary discontinuation. EGFR expression and gene status were retrospectively analyzed by immunocytochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization, respectively. A median of 14 courses of cetuximab (range 5–54) were infused. Skin toxicity was the main adverse event. Cetuximab provides a CBR in 50% (95% CL, 31 to 69%) of cases. None tumor sample showed EGFR gene amplification and an increased EGFR copy number was observed in 12% of samples, all ACC. Skin rash ⩾G2, EGFR overexpression and EGFR copy number were not statistically correlated to CB. In RMSGCs further evaluations of EGFR targeting agents are advisable and should take place by appropriate tumor biological selection, differentiating ACC from non-ACC.
Abstract Four tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been recently licensed in thyroid cancer (TC), sorafenib and lenvatinib for differentiated TC, vandetanib and cabozantinib for medullary TC. ...Others TKIs such as axitinib, pazopanib, sunitinib, have been tested within phase II trials. The toxicity burden associated to TKIs is not negligible. Drug reductions and interruptions are common, definitive drug withdrawals have also been reported as well as toxic deaths in more rare cases. In this context, the prevention of toxicities is mandatory to allow patients to stay on treatment as long as possible without dose and schedule modifications. Both physicians and patients should be educated to recognize drug-related toxicities in order to manage them in an early phase. Tools (e.g. toxicities summary booklet) for physicians and patients could be considered to improve the knowledge on side effects management. Guidelines, whenever available, should be followed.
In recurrent or metastatic (R/M) skin squamous cell cancer (sSCC) not amenable to radiotherapy (RT) or surgery, chemotherapy (CT) has a palliative intent and limited clinical responses. The role of ...oral pan-HER inhibitor dacomitinib in this setting was investigated within a clinical trial.
Patients with diagnosis of R/M sSCC were treated. Dacomitinib was started at a dose of 30 mg daily (QD) for 15 d, followed by 45 mg QD. Primary end-point was response rate (RR). Tumour samples were analysed through next-generation sequencing using a custom panel targeting 36 genes associated with sSCC.
Forty-two patients (33 men; median age 77 years) were treated. Most (86%) received previous treatments consisting in surgery (86%), RT (50%) and CT (14%). RR was 28% (2% complete response; 26% partial response), disease control rate was 86%. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 6 and 11 months, respectively. Most patients (93%) experienced at least one adverse event (AE): diarrhoea, skin rash (71% each), fatigue (36%) and mucositis (31%); AEs grade 3–4 occurred in 36% of pts. In 16% of cases, treatment was discontinued because of drug-related toxicity. TP53, NOTCH1/2, KMT2C/D, FAT1 and HER4 were the most frequently mutated genes. BRAF, NRAS and HRAS mutations were more frequent in non-responders, and KMT2C and CASP8 mutations were restricted to this subgroup.
In sSCC, dacomitinib showed activity similar to what was observed with anti–epidermal growth factor receptor agents, and durable clinical benefit was observed. Safety profile was comparable to previous experiences in other cancers. Molecular pt selection could improve therapeutic ratio.
•Dacomitinib obtained a 28% response rate in recurrent metastatic skin squamous cell cancer.•Safety profile of dacomitinib is similar to other epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors.•BRAF/NRAS/HRAS mutations can be possible markers to ameliorate patient selection.
Tumor human papillomavirus (HPV) status strongly affects overall survival (OS) of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) patients. Recently, three groups with different outcomes were identified based on HPV ...status, smoking history and tumor stage. Our objective was to validate this model using a single-institutional retrospective database.
Patients (n = 120) diagnosed with OPC at our institution, treated with concomitant cisplatin plus radiotherapy (RT) (n = 64), induction chemotherapy followed by concomitant chemoradiation (n = 39) or RT alone (n = 17), were stratified in three groups with respect to the risk of death (low 26, intermediate 46 and high 49 patients) according to tumor p16 expression as surrogate of HPV status, pack-years of tobacco smoking and nodal/tumor stage. Group-stratified Kaplan–Meier OS curves were estimated and compared using the log-rank test.
The 2-year OS estimates were 100%, 86% and 70%, respectively. The difference between the survival curves was statistically significant (P = 0.009). The Harrell's concordance index was 0.70. The calibration plot showed a good concordance between our results and those observed in the original study.
This study validates the risk grouping previously identified. Risk-driven clinical decision making and trial designs will help in better defining the most appropriate treatment in OPC patients.
B490 (EudraCT# 2011-002564-24) is a randomized, phase 2b, noninferiority study investigating the efficacy and safety of first-line cetuximab plus cisplatin with/without paclitaxel (CetCis versus ...CetCisPac) in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M SCCHN).
Eligible patients had confirmed R/M SCCHN (oral cavity/oropharynx/larynx/hypopharynx/paranasal sinus) and no prior therapy for R/M disease. Cetuximab was administered on day 1 (2-h infusion, 400mg/m2), then weekly (1-h infusions, 250mg/m2). Cisplatin was given as a 1-h infusion (CetCis arm: 100mg/m2; CetCisPac arm: 75mg/m2) on day 1 of each cycle for a maximum of six cycles. Paclitaxel was administered as a 3-h infusion (175mg/m2) on day 1 of each cycle. After six cycles, maintenance cetuximab was administered until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). We assumed a noninferiority margin of 1.40 as compatible with efficacy.
A total of 201 patients were randomized 1 : 1 to each regimen; 191 were assessable. PFS with CetCis (median, 6months) was noninferior to PFS with CetCisPac (median, 7months) HR for CetCis versus CetCisPac 0.99; 95% CI: 0.72–1.36,P=0.906; margin of noninferiority (90% CI of 1.4) not reached. Median overall survival was 13 versus 11months (HR=0.77; 95% CI: 0.53–1.11,P=0.117). The overall response rates were 41.8% versus 51.7%, respectively (OR=0.69; 95% CI: 0.38–1.20,P=0.181). Grade≥3 adverse event rates were 76% and 73% for CetCis versus CetCisPac, respectively, while grade 4 toxicities were lower in the two-drug versus three-drug arm (14% versus 33%,P=0.015). No toxic death or sepsis were reported and cardiac events were negligible (1%).
The two-drug CetCis regimen proved to be noninferior in PFS to a three-drug combination with CetCisPac. The median OS of both regimens is comparable with that observed in EXTREME, while the life-threatening toxicity rate appeared reduced.
EudraCT# 2011-002564-24.
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