Summary Background Clinical trials have shown that trastuzumab, a recombinant monoclonal antibody against HER2 receptor, significantly improves overall survival and disease-free survival in women ...with HER2-positive early breast cancer, but long-term follow-up data are needed. We report the results of comparing observation with two durations of trastuzumab treatment at a median follow-up of 11 years, for patients enrolled in the HERA (HERceptin Adjuvant) trial. Methods HERA (BIG 1-01) is an international, multicentre, open-label, phase 3 randomised trial of 5102 women with HER2-positive early breast cancer, who were enrolled from hospitals in 39 countries between Dec 7, 2001, and June 20, 2005. After completion of all primary therapy (including, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy as indicated), patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive trastuzumab for 1 year (once at 8 mg/kg of bodyweight intravenously, then 6 mg/kg once every 3 weeks) or for 2 years (with the same dose schedule), or to the observation group. Primary endpoint is disease-free survival, and analyses are in the intention-to-treat population. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated from Cox models, and survival curves were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Comparison of 2 years versus 1 year of trastuzumab is based on 366-day landmark analyses. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT00045032 ). Findings Of the 5102 women randomly assigned in the HERA trial, three patients had no evidence of having provided written informed consent to participate. We followed up the intention-to-treat population of 5099 patients (1697 in observation, 1702 in 1-year trastuzumab, and 1700 in 2-years trastuzumab groups). After a median follow-up of 11 years (IQR 10·09–11·53), random assignment to 1 year of trastuzumab significantly reduced the risk of a disease-free survival event (HR 0·76, 95% CI 0·68–0·86) and death (0·74, 0·64–0·86) compared with observation. 2 years of adjuvant trastuzumab did not improve disease free-survival outcomes compared with 1 year of this drug (HR 1·02, 95% CI 0·89–1·17). Estimates of 10-year disease-free survival were 63% for observation, 69% for 1 year of trastuzumab, and 69% for 2 years of trastuzumab. 884 (52%) patients assigned to the observation group selectively crossed over to receive trastuzumab. Cardiac toxicity remained low in all groups and occurred mostly during the treatment phase. The incidence of secondary cardiac endpoints was 122 (7·3%) in the 2-years trastuzumab group, 74 (4·4%) in the 1-year trastuzumab group, and 15 (0·9%) in the observation group. Interpretation 1 year of adjuvant trastuzumab after chemotherapy for patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer significantly improves long-term disease-free survival, compared with observation. 2 years of trastuzumab had no additional benefit. Funding F Hoffmann-La Roche (Roche).
Different regions of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) have particular histopathological and molecular characteristics limiting the standard tumor-node-metastasis prognosis classification. ...Therefore, defining biological signatures that allow assessing the prognostic outcomes for OSCC patients would be of great clinical significance. Using histopathology-guided discovery proteomics, we analyze neoplastic islands and stroma from the invasive tumor front (ITF) and inner tumor to identify differentially expressed proteins. Potential signature proteins are prioritized and further investigated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and targeted proteomics. IHC indicates low expression of cystatin-B in neoplastic islands from the ITF as an independent marker for local recurrence. Targeted proteomics analysis of the prioritized proteins in saliva, combined with machine-learning methods, highlights a peptide-based signature as the most powerful predictor to distinguish patients with and without lymph node metastasis. In summary, we identify a robust signature, which may enhance prognostic decisions in OSCC and better guide treatment to reduce tumor recurrence or lymph node metastasis.
Pembrolizumab and pembrolizumab-chemotherapy demonstrated efficacy in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in KEYNOTE-048. Post hoc analysis of long-term efficacy and ...progression-free survival on next-line therapy (PFS2) is presented.
Patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to pembrolizumab, pembrolizumab-chemotherapy, or cetuximab-chemotherapy. Efficacy was evaluated in programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) combined positive score (CPS) ≥ 20, CPS ≥ 1, and total populations, with no multiplicity or alpha adjustment.
The median study follow-up was 45.0 months (interquartile range, 41.0-49.2; n = 882). At data cutoff (February 18, 2020), overall survival improved with pembrolizumab in the PD-L1 CPS ≥ 20 (hazard ratio HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.81) and CPS ≥ 1 populations (HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.61 to 0.89) and was noninferior in the total population (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.68 to 0.97). Overall survival improved with pembrolizumab-chemotherapy in the PD-L1 CPS ≥ 20 (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.84), CPS ≥ 1 (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.78), and total (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.85) populations. The objective response rate on second-course pembrolizumab was 27.3% (3 of 11). PFS2 improved with pembrolizumab in the PD-L1 CPS ≥ 20 (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.84) and CPS ≥ 1 (HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.66 to 0.95) populations and with pembrolizumab-chemotherapy in the PD-L1 CPS ≥ 20 (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.86), CPS ≥ 1 (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.55 to 0.81), and total (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.61 to 0.88) populations. PFS2 was similar after pembrolizumab and longer after pembrolizumab-chemotherapy on next-line taxanes and shorter after pembrolizumab and similar after pembrolizumab-chemotherapy on next-line nontaxanes.
With a 4-year follow-up, first-line pembrolizumab and pembrolizumab-chemotherapy continued to demonstrate survival benefit versus cetuximab-chemotherapy in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Patients responded well to subsequent treatment after pembrolizumab-based therapy.
JCO
We report 5-year results from the phase III KEYNOTE-042 study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02220894). Eligible patients with locally advanced/metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) ...without
alterations and with programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥ 1% received pembrolizumab 200 mg once every 3 weeks for 35 cycles or chemotherapy (carboplatin + paclitaxel or pemetrexed) for 4-6 cycles with optional maintenance pemetrexed. Primary end points were overall survival (OS) in PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50%, ≥ 20%, and ≥ 1% groups. Patients who completed 35 cycles of pembrolizumab with ≥ stable disease could begin second-course pembrolizumab upon progression. One thousand two hundred seventy-four patients were randomly assigned (pembrolizumab, n = 637; chemotherapy, n = 637). Median follow-up time was 61.1 (range, 50.0-76.3) months. OS outcomes favored pembrolizumab (
chemotherapy) regardless of PD-L1 TPS (hazard ratio 95% CI for TPS ≥ 50%, 0.68 0.57 to 0.81; TPS ≥ 20%, 0.75 0.64 to 0.87; TPS ≥ 1%, 0.79 0.70 to 0.89), with estimated 5-year OS rates with pembrolizumab of 21.9%, 19.4%, and 16.6%, respectively. No new toxicities were identified. Objective response rate was 84.3% among 102 patients who completed 35 cycles of pembrolizumab and 15.2% among 33 patients who received second-course pembrolizumab. First-line pembrolizumab monotherapy continued to show durable clinical benefit versus chemotherapy after 5 years of follow-up in PD-L1-positive, locally advanced/metastatic NSCLC without
alterations and remains a standard of care.
Background
Cutaneous squamous‐cell carcinoma (CSCC) is among the most frequent malignancies worldwide. For those not amenable to treatment with curative intent, immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) ...with anti‐programmed death receptor 1 (PD‐1) antibodies has emerged as a novel therapeutic option. In this study, the authors sought to investigate the activity of the anti‐PD‐1 agent nivolumab in patients with advanced CSCC (aCSCC).
Methods
CA209‐9JC was an open‐label, single‐arm, phase 2 study to evaluate the safety and/or efficacy of nivolumab in systemic treatment‐naive patients with aCSCC. Nivolumab (3 mg/kg) was administered every 2 weeks until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or 12 months of treatment. The primary end point was the best objective response rate (BORR) as per RECIST 1.1 criteria. Secondary end points included safety, progression‐free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).
Results
Twenty‐four patients with aCSCC were enrolled with a median age of 74 years (range, 48–93). Among the 24 patients evaluable for response, the BORR was 58.3% (14/24); there were no complete responses. With a median follow‐up of 17.6 months, median duration of response has not been reached, and the estimated median PFS and OS were 12.7 and 20.7 months, respectively. Prior exposure to radiotherapy was associated with worse outcomes (p = .035, univariate analysis). Treatment‐related adverse events of any grade and grade ≥ 3 occurred in 21 (87.5%) and six (25%) patients, respectively, and one patient discontinued nivolumab due to toxicities.
Conclusions
Nivolumab resulted in robust antitumor activity, sustained responses, and good tolerability in systemic treatment‐naive patients with aCSCC. These data provide further evidence to support the use of ICI as the standard treatment of aCSCC.
In CA209‐9JC, a single‐arm, phase 2 study, 24 systemic treatment‐naive patients with advanced cutaneous squamous‐cell carcinoma were treated with nivolumab (3 mg/kg every 2 weeks) until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or 12 months of treatment. Nivolumab resulted in significant antitumor activity, prolonged responses, and a good tolerability in patients with advanced cutaneous squamous‐cell carcinoma in the first‐line setting.
Summary Background Despite recent advances in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, there remains a need for effective treatments for progressive disease. We assessed the efficacy of ...pembrolizumab for patients with previously treated, PD-L1-positive, advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Methods We did this randomised, open-label, phase 2/3 study at 202 academic medical centres in 24 countries. Patients with previously treated non-small-cell lung cancer with PD-L1 expression on at least 1% of tumour cells were randomly assigned (1:1:1) in blocks of six per stratum with an interactive voice-response system to receive pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg, pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg, or docetaxel 75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks. The primary endpoints were overall survival and progression-free survival both in the total population and in patients with PD-L1 expression on at least 50% of tumour cells. We used a threshold for significance of p<0·00825 (one-sided) for the analysis of overall survival and a threshold of p<0·001 for progression-free survival. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT01905657. Findings Between Aug 28, 2013, and Feb 27, 2015, we enrolled 1034 patients: 345 allocated to pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg, 346 allocated to pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg, and 343 allocated to docetaxel. By Sept 30, 2015, 521 patients had died. In the total population, median overall survival was 10·4 months with pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg, 12·7 months with pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg, and 8·5 months with docetaxel. Overall survival was significantly longer for pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg versus docetaxel (hazard ratio HR 0·71, 95% CI 0·58–0·88; p=0·0008) and for pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg versus docetaxel (0·61, 0·49–0·75; p<0·0001). Median progression-free survival was 3·9 months with pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg, 4·0 months with pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg, and 4·0 months with docetaxel, with no significant difference for pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg versus docetaxel (0·88, 0·74–1·05; p=0·07) or for pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg versus docetaxel (HR 0·79, 95% CI 0·66–0·94; p=0·004). Among patients with at least 50% of tumour cells expressing PD-L1, overall survival was significantly longer with pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg than with docetaxel (median 14·9 months vs 8·2 months; HR 0·54, 95% CI 0·38–0·77; p=0·0002) and with pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg than with docetaxel (17·3 months vs 8·2 months; 0·50, 0·36–0·70; p<0·0001). Likewise, for this patient population, progression-free survival was significantly longer with pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg than with docetaxel (median 5·0 months vs 4·1 months; HR 0·59, 95% CI 0·44–0·78; p=0·0001) and with pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg than with docetaxel (5·2 months vs 4·1 months; 0·59, 0·45–0·78; p<0·0001). Grade 3–5 treatment-related adverse events were less common with pembrolizumab than with docetaxel (43 13% of 339 patients given 2 mg/kg, 55 16% of 343 given 10 mg/kg, and 109 35% of 309 given docetaxel). Interpretation Pembrolizumab prolongs overall survival and has a favourable benefit-to-risk profile in patients with previously treated, PD-L1-positive, advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. These data establish pembrolizumab as a new treatment option for this population and validate the use of PD-L1 selection. Funding Merck & Co.
The phase III KEYNOTE-048 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02358031) trial of pembrolizumab in recurrent or metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) included planned efficacy ...analyses in the total population and in participants with programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) combined positive score (CPS) ≥ 1 and CPS ≥ 20. To further characterize the predictive value of PD-L1 expression on outcome, we conducted efficacy analyses in the PD-L1 CPS < 1 and CPS 1-19 subgroups in KEYNOTE-048.
Participants with R/M HNSCC and no prior systemic therapy for R/M disease were randomly assigned 1:1:1 to pembrolizumab, pembrolizumab-chemotherapy, or cetuximab-chemotherapy. Post hoc efficacy analyses of the PD-L1 CPS < 1 and CPS 1-19 subgroups were performed.
Of 882 participants enrolled, 128 had PD-L1 CPS < 1 and 373 had CPS 1-19. For pembrolizumab versus cetuximab-chemotherapy, the median overall survival was 7.9 versus 11.3 months in the PD-L1 CPS < 1 subgroup (hazard ratio HR, 1.51 95% CI, 0.96 to 2.37) and 10.8 versus 10.1 months in the CPS 1-19 subgroup (HR, 0.86 95% CI, 0.66 to 1.12). For pembrolizumab-chemotherapy versus cetuximab-chemotherapy, the median overall survival was 11.3 versus 10.7 months in the PD-L1 CPS < 1 subgroup (HR, 1.21 95% CI, 0.76 to 1.94) and 12.7 versus 9.9 months in the CPS 1-19 subgroup (HR, 0.71 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.94).
Increased efficacy of pembrolizumab or pembrolizumab-chemotherapy was observed with increasing PD-L1 expression. PD-L1 CPS < 1 subgroup analysis was limited by small participant numbers. Results from the PD-L1 CPS 1-19 subgroup support previous findings of treatment benefit with pembrolizumab monotherapy and pembrolizumab-chemotherapy in patients with PD-L1 CPS ≥ 1 tumors. Although PD-L1 expression is informative, exploration of additional predictive biomarkers is needed for low PD-L1-expressing HNSCC.
Summary Background The efficacy of ceritinib in patients with untreated anaplastic lymphoma kinase ( ALK )-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not known. We assessed the efficacy and ...safety of ceritinib versus platinum-based chemotherapy in these patients. Methods This randomised, open-label, phase 3 study in untreated patients with stage IIIB/IV ALK -rearranged non-squamous NSCLC was done in 134 centres across 28 countries. Eligible patients were assigned via interactive response technology to oral ceritinib 750 mg/day or platinum-based chemotherapy (cisplatin 75 mg/m2 or carboplatin AUC 5–6 plus pemetrexed 500 mg/m2 every 3 weeks for four cycles followed by maintenance pemetrexed); randomisation was stratified by World Health Organization performance status (0 vs 1–2), previous neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy, and presence of brain metastases as per investigator's assessment at screening. Investigators and patients were not masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was blinded independent review committee assessed progression-free survival, based on all randomly assigned patients (the full analysis set). Efficacy analyses were done based on the full analysis set. All safety analyses were done based on the safety set, which included all patients who received at least one dose of study drug. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT01828099. Findings Between Aug 19, 2013, and May 11, 2015, 376 patients were randomly assigned to ceritinib (n=189) or chemotherapy (n=187). Median progression-free survival (as assessed by blinded independent review committee) was 16·6 months (95% CI 12·6–27·2) in the ceritinib group and 8·1 months (5·8–11·1) in the chemotherapy group (hazard ratio 0·55 95% CI 0·42–0·73; p<0·00001). The most common adverse events were diarrhoea (in 160 85% of 189 patients), nausea (130 69%), vomiting (125 66%), and an increase in alanine aminotransferase (114 60%) in the ceritinib group and nausea (in 97 55% of 175 patients), vomiting (63 36%), and anaemia (62 35%) in the chemotherapy group. Interpretation First-line ceritinib showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival versus chemotherapy in patients with advanced ALK -rearranged NSCLC. Funding Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
Pembrolizumab is active in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), with programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression associated with improved response.
KEYNOTE-048 was a randomised, phase ...3 study of participants with untreated locally incurable recurrent or metastatic HNSCC done at 200 sites in 37 countries. Participants were stratified by PD-L1 expression, p16 status, and performance status and randomly allocated (1:1:1) to pembrolizumab alone, pembrolizumab plus a platinum and 5-fluorouracil (pembrolizumab with chemotherapy), or cetuximab plus a platinum and 5-fluorouracil (cetuximab with chemotherapy). Investigators and participants were aware of treatment assignment. Investigators, participants, and representatives of the sponsor were masked to the PD-L1 combined positive score (CPS) results; PD-L1 positivity was not required for study entry. The primary endpoints were overall survival (time from randomisation to death from any cause) and progression-free survival (time from randomisation to radiographically confirmed disease progression or death from any cause, whichever came first) in the intention-to-treat population (all participants randomly allocated to a treatment group). There were 14 primary hypotheses: superiority of pembrolizumab alone and of pembrolizumab with chemotherapy versus cetuximab with chemotherapy for overall survival and progression-free survival in the PD-L1 CPS of 20 or more, CPS of 1 or more, and total populations and non-inferiority (non-inferiority margin: 1·2) of pembrolizumab alone and pembrolizumab with chemotherapy versus cetuximab with chemotherapy for overall survival in the total population. The definitive findings for each hypothesis were obtained when statistical testing was completed for that hypothesis; this occurred at the second interim analysis for 11 hypotheses and at final analysis for three hypotheses. Safety was assessed in the as-treated population (all participants who received at least one dose of allocated treatment). This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02358031.
Between April 20, 2015, and Jan 17, 2017, 882 participants were allocated to receive pembrolizumab alone (n=301), pembrolizumab with chemotherapy (n=281), or cetuximab with chemotherapy (n=300); of these, 754 (85%) had CPS of 1 or more and 381 (43%) had CPS of 20 or more. At the second interim analysis, pembrolizumab alone improved overall survival versus cetuximab with chemotherapy in the CPS of 20 or more population (median 14·9 months vs 10·7 months, hazard ratio HR 0·61 95% CI 0·45–0·83, p=0·0007) and CPS of 1 or more population (12·3 vs 10·3, 0·78 0·64–0·96, p=0·0086) and was non-inferior in the total population (11·6 vs 10·7, 0·85 0·71–1·03). Pembrolizumab with chemotherapy improved overall survival versus cetuximab with chemotherapy in the total population (13·0 months vs 10·7 months, HR 0·77 95% CI 0·63–0·93, p=0·0034) at the second interim analysis and in the CPS of 20 or more population (14·7 vs 11·0, 0·60 0·45–0·82, p=0·0004) and CPS of 1 or more population (13·6 vs 10·4, 0·65 0·53–0·80, p<0·0001) at final analysis. Neither pembrolizumab alone nor pembrolizumab with chemotherapy improved progression-free survival at the second interim analysis. At final analysis, grade 3 or worse all-cause adverse events occurred in 164 (55%) of 300 treated participants in the pembrolizumab alone group, 235 (85%) of 276 in the pembrolizumab with chemotherapy group, and 239 (83%) of 287 in the cetuximab with chemotherapy group. Adverse events led to death in 25 (8%) participants in the pembrolizumab alone group, 32 (12%) in the pembrolizumab with chemotherapy group, and 28 (10%) in the cetuximab with chemotherapy group.
Based on the observed efficacy and safety, pembrolizumab plus platinum and 5-fluorouracil is an appropriate first-line treatment for recurrent or metastatic HNSCC and pembrolizumab monotherapy is an appropriate first-line treatment for PD-L1-positive recurrent or metastatic HNSCC.
Merck Sharp & Dohme.
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review to assess the effect of exercise on symptoms and quality of life in lung cancer patients.
Methods
We conducted a systematic review ...using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. PubMed, Medline, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and SciELO were searched for studies published from January 1998 to January 2019. The review included all randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effect of exercise on symptoms and quality of life of lung cancer patients. Two reviewers independently assessed the quality of all the included studies using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale.
Results
In total, ten studies (835 participants) met all inclusion criteria. Three studies investigated the effect of exercise after lung resection, whereas four studies investigated it as a pre-surgery intervention. Two studies investigated the effect of exercise in patients under systemic treatment only, and one study included patients on diverse treatment plans. Exercise protocols consisted of different combinations of strength, aerobic, and inspiratory muscle training. Two trials, including 101 participants, found significant difference in quality of life between groups, favoring the intervention group; and five trials, including 549 participants, found significant inter-group differences in isolated symptoms, also favoring the intervention group.
Conclusions
Exercise can lead to improvements of symptoms and of quality of life in lung cancer survivors. Providing resistance training combined with high-intensity interval aerobic exercise after lung resection seems to be particularly effective. Further studies are warranted to investigate exercise for patients with poor performance status.
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