Treatment options for previously treated metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) are limited. In cohort A of the phase II KEYNOTE-086 study, we evaluated pembrolizumab as second or later ...line of treatment for patients with mTNBC.
Eligible patients had centrally confirmed mTNBC, ≥1 systemic therapy for metastatic disease, prior treatment with anthracycline and taxane in any disease setting, and progression on or after the most recent therapy. Patients received pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenously every 3 weeks for up to 2 years. Primary end points were objective response rate in the total and PD-L1–positive populations, and safety. Secondary end points included duration of response, disease control rate (percentage of patients with complete or partial response or stable disease for ≥24 weeks), progression-free survival, and overall survival.
All enrolled patients (N = 170) were women, 61.8% had PD-L1–positive tumors, and 43.5% had received ≥3 previous lines of therapy for metastatic disease. ORR (95% CI) was 5.3% (2.7–9.9) in the total and 5.7% (2.4–12.2) in the PD-L1–positive populations. Disease control rate (95% CI) was 7.6% (4.4–12.7) and 9.5% (5.1–16.8), respectively. Median duration of response was not reached in the total (range, 1.2+–21.5+) and in the PD-L1–positive (range, 6.3–21.5+) populations. Median PFS was 2.0 months (95% CI, 1.9–2.0), and the 6-month rate was 14.9%. Median OS was 9.0 months (95% CI, 7.6–11.2), and the 6-month rate was 69.1%. Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 103 (60.6%) patients, including 22 (12.9%) with grade 3 or 4 AEs. There were no deaths due to AEs.
Pembrolizumab monotherapy demonstrated durable antitumor activity in a subset of patients with previously treated mTNBC and had a manageable safety profile.
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02447003
Only human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)2 status determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has been validated to predict efficacy of ...HER2-targeting antibody-drug-conjugate trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1). We propose molecular imaging to explore intra-/interpatient heterogeneity in HER2 mapping of metastatic disease and to identify patients unlikely to benefit from T-DM1.
HER2-positive mBC patients with IHC3+ or FISH ≥2.2 scheduled for T-DM1 underwent a pretreatment HER2-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) with 89Zr-trastuzumab. 18F2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)–PET/CT was performed at baseline and before T-DM1 cycle 2. Patients were grouped into four HER2–PET/CT patterns according to the proportion of FDG-avid tumor load showing relevant 89Zr-trastuzumab uptake (>blood pool activity): patterns A and B were considered positive (>50% or all of the tumor load ‘positive’); patterns C and D were considered negative (>50% or all of the tumor load ‘negative’). Early FDG–PET/CT was defined as nonresponding when >50% of the tumor load showed no significant reduction of FDG uptake (<15%). Negative (NPV) and positive predictive values (PPV) of HER2–PET/CT, early FDG response and their combination were assessed to predict morphological response (RECIST 1.1) after three T-DM1 cycles and time-to-treatment failure (TTF).
In the 56 patients analyzed, 29% had negative HER2–PET/CT while intrapatient heterogeneity (patterns B and C) was found in 46% of patients. Compared with RECIST1.1, respective NPV/PPV for HER2–PET/CT were 88%/72% and 83%/96% for early FDG–PET/CT. Combining HER2–PET/CT and FDG–PET/CT accurately predicted morphological response (PPV and NPV: 100%) and discriminated patients with a median TTF of only 2.8 months n = 12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4–7.6 from those with a TTF of 15 months (n = 25, 95% CI 9.7–not calculable).
Pretreatment imaging of HER2 targeting, combined with early metabolic response assessment holds great promise for improving the understanding of tumor heterogeneity in mBC and for selecting patients who will/will not benefit from T-DM1.
NCT01565200.
Molecular screening programs use next-generation sequencing (NGS) of cancer gene panels to analyze metastatic biopsies. We interrogated whether plasma could be used as an alternative to metastatic ...biopsies.
The Ion AmpliSeq™ Cancer Hotspot Panel v2 (Ion Torrent), covering 2800 COSMIC mutations from 50 cancer genes was used to analyze 69 tumor (primary/metastases) and 31 plasma samples from 17 metastatic breast cancer patients. The targeted coverage for tumor DNA was ×1000 and for plasma cell-free DNA ×25 000. Whole blood normal DNA was used to exclude germline variants. The Illumina technology was used to confirm observed mutations.
Evaluable NGS results were obtained for 60 tumor and 31 plasma samples from 17 patients. When tumor samples were analyzed, 12 of 17 (71%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 44% to 90%) patients had ≥1 mutation (median 1 mutation per patient, range 0–2 mutations) in either p53, PIK3CA, PTEN, AKT1 or IDH2 gene. When plasma samples were analyzed, 12 of 17 (71%, 95% CI: 44–90%) patients had ≥1 mutation (median 1 mutation per patient, range 0–2 mutations) in either p53, PIK3CA, PTEN, AKT1, IDH2 and SMAD4. All mutations were confirmed. When we focused on tumor and plasma samples collected at the same time-point, we observed that, in four patients, no mutation was identified in either tumor or plasma; in nine patients, the same mutations was identified in tumor and plasma; in two patients, a mutation was identified in tumor but not in plasma; in two patients, a mutation was identified in plasma but not in tumor. Thus, in 13 of 17 (76%, 95% CI 50% to 93%) patients, tumor and plasma provided concordant results whereas in 4 of 17 (24%, 95% CI 7% to 50%) patients, the results were discordant, providing complementary information.
Plasma can be prospectively tested as an alternative to metastatic biopsies in molecular screening programs.
Highlights • Comprehensive review about role of immune system in HNSCC. • Description of interplay between tumor immune infiltration and HPV status in HNSCC. • Immune escape mechanisms in HNSCC and ...clinical perspectives for the future.
EndoTAG-1, composed of paclitaxel embedded in liposomal membranes targeting tumor endothelial cells, was evaluated for safety and efficacy in advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
One ...hundred and forty patients were treated with weekly EndoTAG-1 (22 mg/m2) plus paclitaxel (70 mg/m2), twice weekly EndoTAG-1 (2× 44 mg/m2), or weekly paclitaxel (90 mg/m2) for greater than or equal to four cycles (3-week treatment + 1-week rest) or until progression/toxicity. Primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) rate evaluated centrally after four cycles of therapy (week 16). The study was not powered for intergroup comparisons.
The PFS rate at week 16 was 59.1% one-sided 95% CI: 45.6, ∞ on combination treatment, 34.2% 21.6, ∞ on EndoTAG-1, and 48.0% 30.5, ∞ on paclitaxel. Median PFS reached 4.2, 3.4, and 3.7 months, respectively. After complete treatment (week 41 analysis), median overall survival (OS) was 13.0, 11.9, and 13.1 months for the modified Intention-to-Treat (ITT) population and 15.1, 12.5, and 8.9 months for the per-protocol population, respectively. The clinical benefit rate was 53%, 31%, and 36% for the treatment groups. Safety analysis revealed known toxicities of the drugs with slight increases of grade 3/4 neutropenia on combination therapy.
Treatment of advanced TNBC with a combination of EndoTAG-1 and standard paclitaxel Taxol® (Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH), or equivalent generic formulation was well tolerated and showed antitumor efficacy. The positive trend needs to be confirmed in a randomized phase III trial.
European Clinical Trials Database: EudraCT number 2006-002221-23. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00448305.
•Benzene exposure at low levels induces severe hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia in a sex-specific manner.•Benzene exposure rapidly activates hypothalamic inflammation and ER stress.•Pharmacological ...inhibition of ER stress response alleviates benzene-induced glial inflammatory responses.•An anti-diabetes drug Acarbose, protected against benzene induced central and peripheral metabolic imbalance.
Benzene is a well-known human carcinogen that is one of the major components of air pollution. Sources of benzene in ambient air include cigarette smoke, e-cigarettes vaping, and evaporation of benzene containing petrol processes. While the carcinogenic effects of benzene exposure have been well studied, less is known about the metabolic effects of benzene exposure. We show that chronic exposure to benzene at low levels induces a severe metabolic imbalance in a sex-specific manner, and is associated with hypothalamic inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Benzene exposure rapidly activates hypothalamic ER stress and neuroinflammatory responses in male mice, while pharmacological inhibition of ER stress response by inhibiting IRE1α-XBP1 pathway significantly alleviates benzene-induced glial inflammatory responses. Additionally, feeding mice with Acarbose, a clinically available anti-diabetes drug, protected against benzene induced central and peripheral metabolic imbalance. Acarbose imitates the slowing of dietary carbohydrate digestion, suggesting that choosing a diet with a low glycemic index might be a potential strategy for reducing the negative metabolic effect of chronic exposure to benzene for smokers or people living/working in urban environments with high concentrations of exposure to automobile exhausts.
: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2-positive) BC represents up to 15% of all BC cases and is associated with a poor ...prognosis. Despite the substantial improvement obtained with the addition to the treatment of trastuzumab in this subtype of BC, disease recurrence can still occur.
: Anti-HER2 targeting drugs such as trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and T-DM1 have shown significant results in (neo)adjuvant setting. In this article, we will focus on available data for neratinib to reduce BC recurrence based mainly on the results of the ExteNET trial. This trial aimed to investigate whether neratinib can further reduce the risk of recurrence of patients diagnosed with HER2-positive BC. This trial demonstrated a significant reduction in the risk of invasive disease-free survival, particularly in hormone receptor-positive population. In addition, this review provides an expert opinion and analysis of the current situation in the adjuvant HER2-positive BC setting and in particular the escalation strategy of HER2 targeting.
: The treatment landscape of HER2 positive BC in this setting will evolve in the coming years with a need for clinical and molecular perspective tools to guide therapy.
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most lethal gynecologic cancer. The gold standard therapeutic approach is a combination of surgery plus chemotherapy. Unfortunately, 80% of patients with EOC ...suffer recurrence within 2-years and the overall response rate for platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer to cytotoxic chemotherapy or poly-(adenosine diphosphate)-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor is modest. New therapies are needed to improve overall survival. The role of immunotherapy has been established in endometrial and cervical cancers, however its effective use in EOC has been limited due to the intrinsic genomics and micro-immune environment associated with EOC. Studies evaluating immunotherapy, largely immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), have shown limited activity, yet some patients benefit greatly. Thus, significant efforts must be devoted to finding new strategies for the use of immunotherapy/immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs). Immunotherapy has a well-tolerated safely profile; however, cost-effectiveness can be an obstacle. The aim of this article is to review the most recent research into the use of IMiDs in patients with platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer. Keywords: ovarian cancer, platinum-resistant, recurrent, immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, adverse events
Neratinib (HKI-272) is a potent irreversible pan-ErbB tyrosine kinase inhibitor with clinical activity in patients with ErbB2/HER2-positive breast cancer.
Phase I of this open-label, phase I/II study ...investigated the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of oral neratinib (160 or 240mg/day) plus vinorelbine (25mg/m2; days 1 and 8 of each 21-day cycle) in patients with solid tumors. Phase II assessed the safety, clinical activity, and pharmacokinetics of the combination in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer; the primary efficacy end point was objective response (OR).
In phase I (n=12), neratinib (240mg) plus vinorelbine (25mg/m2) was established as the MTD. In phase II, 79 patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer were treated at the MTD. The most common treatment-related adverse events were diarrhea (96%), neutropenia (54%), and nausea (50%). Three patients discontinued treatment due to diarrhea. No clinically important skin side-effects were observed. The OR rate in assessable phase II patients was 41% (no prior lapatinib) and 8% (prior lapatinib). There was no evidence of pharmacokinetic interaction between neratinib and vinorelbine.
Neratinib plus vinorelbine showed promising antitumor activity and no unexpected toxic effects in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients.
ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT00706030.
During recent years, the burden of bureaucracy in clinical research has increased dramatically, adversely impacting the activity of investigators and clinical research teams. Although compliance with ...the Declaration of Helsinki, the guidelines for Good Clinical Practice (GCP), and other applicable regulations remains unquestionable, their overinterpretation and substitution by the internal operating procedures of sponsors and Contract Research Organizations (CROs) have increased the administrative burden. A survey conducted by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Clinical Research Observatory (ECRO) among 940 investigators confirmed that they considered that the administrative burden in clinical research is excessive; that administrative procedures could be reduced without affecting the safety and the rights of the patients and the quality of the data; and that bureaucracy represents an obstacle for clinical research.
A panel of physicians with extensive experience in clinical research, composed by members of the ECRO and the ESMO Scientific Medical and Public Policy divisions, analyzed clinical trial procedures related to administrative workflow, pharmacovigilance, and medical care.
The panel identified situations that generate debate between investigators and sponsors/CROs and selected real clinical scenarios that exemplify such situations. The panel discussed and proposed specific recommendations for those situations, based on GCP.
This initiative aspires to streamline clinical research procedures and to become a platform for discussion among all clinical trial stakeholders, with the aim of promoting the sustainability of clinical research and the care of cancer patients.
•The burden of bureaucracy in clinical research is overwhelming investigators and clinical research teams.•This ESMO manuscript proposes a framework of principles to improve sponsoring and monitoring of clinical trials.•We expect this awareness call to streamline clinical research and to promote the welfare of patients.
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