Twenty percent of patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) experience progression of disease (POD) within 2 years of initial chemoimmunotherapy. We analyzed data from the National LymphoCare Study to ...identify whether prognostic FL factors are associated with early POD and whether patients with early POD are at high risk for death.
In total, 588 patients with stage 2 to 4 FL received first-line rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP). Two groups were defined: patients with early POD 2 years or less after diagnosis and those without POD within 2 years, the reference group. An independent validation set, 147 patients with FL who received first-line R-CHOP, was analyzed for reproducibility.
Of 588 patients, 19% (n = 110) had early POD, 71% (n = 420) were in the reference group, 8% (n = 46) were lost to follow-up, and 2% (n = 12) died without POD less than 2 years after diagnosis. Five-year overall survival was lower in the early-POD group than in the reference group (50% v 90%). This trend was maintained after we adjusted for FL International Prognostic Index (hazard ratio, 6.44; 95% CI, 4.33 to 9.58). Results were similar for the validation set (FL International Prognostic Index-adjusted hazard ratio, 19.8).
In patients with FL who received first-line R-CHOP, POD within 2 years after diagnosis was associated with poor outcomes and should be further validated as a standard end point of chemoimmunotherapy trials of untreated FL. This high-risk FL population warrants further study in directed prospective clinical trials.
Summary Background Everolimus, an oral inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), has shown antitumour activity in patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. We aimed to ...assess the combination of everolimus plus octreotide long-acting repeatable (LAR) in patients with low-grade or intermediate-grade neuroendocrine tumours (carcinoid). Methods We did a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study comparing 10 mg per day oral everolimus with placebo, both in conjunction with 30 mg intramuscular octreotide LAR every 28 days. Randomisation was by interactive voice response systems. Participants were aged 18 years or older, with low-grade or intermediate-grade advanced (unresectable locally advanced or distant metastatic) neuroendocrine tumours, and disease progression established by radiological assessment within the past 12 months. Our primary endpoint was progression-free survival. Adjusted for two interim analyses, the prespecified boundary at final analysis was p≤0·0246. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT00412061. Findings 429 individuals were randomly assigned to study groups; 357 participants discontinued study treatment and one was lost to follow-up. Median progression-free survival by central review was 16·4 (95% CI 13·7–21·2) months in the everolimus plus octreotide LAR group and 11·3 (8·4–14·6) months in the placebo plus octreotide LAR group (hazard ratio 0·77, 95% CI 0·59–1·00; one-sided log-rank test p=0·026). Drug-related adverse events (everolimus plus octreotide LAR vs placebo plus octreotide LAR) were mostly grade 1 or 2, and adverse events of all grades included stomatitis (62% vs 14%), rash (37% vs 12%), fatigue (31% vs 23%), and diarrhoea (27% vs 16%). Interpretation Everolimus plus octreotide LAR, compared with placebo plus octreotide LAR, improved progression-free survival in patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumours associated with carcinoid syndrome. Funding Novartis Pharmaceuticals.
Summary Background Non-clear cell renal cell carcinomas are histologically and genetically diverse kidney cancers with variable prognoses, and their optimum initial treatment is unknown. We aimed to ...compare the mTOR inhibitor everolimus and the VEGF receptor inhibitor sunitinib in patients with non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Methods We enrolled patients with metastatic papillary, chromophobe, or unclassified non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma with no history of previous systemic treatment. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive everolimus (10 mg/day) or sunitinib (50 mg/day; 6-week cycles of 4 weeks with treatment followed by 2 weeks without treatment) administered orally until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Randomisation was stratified by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center risk group and papillary histology. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population using the RECIST 1.1 criteria. Safety was assessed in all patients who were randomly assigned to treatment. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT01108445. Findings Between Sept 23, 2010, and Oct 28, 2013, 108 patients were randomly assigned to receive either sunitinib (n=51) or everolimus (n=57). As of December, 2014, 87 progression-free survival events had occurred with two remaining active patients, and the trial was closed for the primary analysis. Sunitinib significantly increased progression-free survival compared with everolimus (8·3 months 80% CI 5·8–11·4 vs 5·6 months 5·5–6·0; hazard ratio 1·41 80% CI 1·03–1·92; p=0·16), although heterogeneity of the treatment effect was noted on the basis of histological subtypes and prognostic risk groups. No unexpected toxic effects were reported, and the most common grade 3–4 adverse events were hypertension (12 24% of 51 patients in the sunitinib group vs one 2% of 57 patients in the everolimus group), infection (six 12% vs four 7%), diarrhoea (five 10% vs one 2%), pneumonitis (none vs five 9%), stomatitis (none vs five 9%), and hand-foot syndrome (four 8% vs none). Interpretation In patients with metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma, sunitinib improved progression-free survival compared with everolimus. Future trials of novel agents should account for heterogeneity in disease outcomes based on genetic, histological, and prognostic factors. Funding Novartis and Pfizer.
Alterations in hedgehog signaling are implicated in the pathogenesis of basal-cell carcinoma. Although most basal-cell carcinomas are treated surgically, no effective therapy exists for locally ...advanced or metastatic basal-cell carcinoma. A phase 1 study of vismodegib (GDC-0449), a first-in-class, small-molecule inhibitor of the hedgehog pathway, showed a 58% response rate among patients with advanced basal-cell carcinoma.
In this multicenter, international, two-cohort, nonrandomized study, we enrolled patients with metastatic basal-cell carcinoma and those with locally advanced basal-cell carcinoma who had inoperable disease or for whom surgery was inappropriate (because of multiple recurrences and a low likelihood of surgical cure, or substantial anticipated disfigurement). All patients received 150 mg of oral vismodegib daily. The primary end point was the independently assessed objective response rate; the primary hypotheses were that the response rate would be greater than 20% for patients with locally advanced basal-cell carcinoma and greater than 10% for those with metastatic basal-cell carcinoma.
In 33 patients with metastatic basal-cell carcinoma, the independently assessed response rate was 30% (95% confidence interval CI, 16 to 48; P=0.001). In 63 patients with locally advanced basal-cell carcinoma, the independently assessed response rate was 43% (95% CI, 31 to 56; P<0.001), with complete responses in 13 patients (21%). The median duration of response was 7.6 months in both cohorts. Adverse events occurring in more than 30% of patients were muscle spasms, alopecia, dysgeusia (taste disturbance), weight loss, and fatigue. Serious adverse events were reported in 25% of patients; seven deaths due to adverse events were noted.
Vismodegib is associated with tumor responses in patients with locally advanced or metastatic basal-cell carcinoma. (Funded by Genentech; Erivance BCC ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00833417.).
Molecular tumor profiling is a promising diagnostic technique to determine the tissue of origin in patients with carcinoma of unknown primary site (CUP). However, the clinical value of these ...molecular predictions is unknown. We used tumor profiling results to direct site-specific therapy for patients with CUP.
Tumor biopsy specimens from previously untreated patients with CUP were tested with a 92-gene reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction cancer classification assay. When a tissue of origin was predicted, patients who were treatment candidates received standard site-specific first-line therapy.
Of 289 patients enrolled, 252 had successful assays performed, and 247 (98%) had a tissue of origin predicted. Sites most commonly predicted were biliary tract (18%), urothelium (11%), colorectal (10%), and non-small-cell lung (7%). Two hundred twenty-three patients were treatment candidates, and 194 patients received assay-directed site-specific treatment. In these 194 patients, the median survival time was 12.5 months (95% CI, 9.1 to 15.4 months). When the assay predicted tumor types that were clinically more responsive, the median survival was significantly improved when compared with predictions of more resistant tumors (13.4 v 7.6 months, respectively; P = .04).
In this large prospective trial, molecular tumor profiling predicted a tissue of origin in most patients with CUP. The median survival time of 12.5 months for patients who received assay-directed site-specific therapy compares favorably with previous results using empiric CUP regimens. Patients with CUP predicted to have more responsive tumor types had longer survival compared with patients with less responsive tumor types. Molecular tumor profiling contributes to the management of patients with CUP and should be a part of their standard evaluation.
Therapies targeting HER2 have improved clinical outcomes in HER2-positive breast and gastric cancers, and are emerging as potential treatments for HER2-positive metastatic colorectal cancer. ...MyPathway evaluates the activity of targeted therapies in non-indicated tumour types with potentially predictive molecular alterations. We aimed to assess the activity of pertuzumab and trastuzumab in patients with HER2-amplified metastatic colorectal cancer.
MyPathway is an ongoing, phase 2a, multiple basket study. Patients in this subset analysis were aged 18 years or older and had treatment-refractory, histologically confirmed HER2-amplified metastatic colorectal cancer with measurable or evaluable disease and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score of 2 or less, enrolled from 25 hospitals or clinics in 16 states of the USA. Patients received pertuzumab (840 mg loading dose, then 420 mg every 3 weeks, intravenously) and trastuzumab (8 mg/kg loading dose, then 6 mg/kg every 3 weeks, intravenously). The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who achieved an objective response based on investigator-reported tumour responses. Analyses were done per protocol. This ongoing trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02091141.
Between Oct 20, 2014, and June 22, 2017, 57 patients with HER2-amplified metastatic colorectal cancer were enrolled in the MyPathway study and deemed eligible for inclusionin this cohort analysis. Among these 57 evaluable patients, as of Aug 1, 2017, one (2%) patient had a complete response and 17 (30%) had partial responses; thus overall 18 of 57 patients achieved an objective response (32%, 95% CI 20–45). The most common treatment-emergent adverse events were diarrhoea (19 33% of 57 patients), fatigue (18 32% patients), and nausea (17 30% patients). Grade 3–4 treatment-emergent adverse events were recorded in 21 (37%) of 57 patients, most commonly hypokalaemia and abdominal pain (each three 5% patients). Serious treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in ten (18%) patients and two (4%) of these adverse events (ie, chills and infusion-related reaction) were considered treatment related. There were no treatment-related deaths.
Dual HER2-targeted therapy with pertuzumab plus trastuzumab is well tolerated and could represent a therapeutic opportunity for patients with heavily pretreated, HER2-amplified metastatic colorectal cancer.
F Hoffmann-La Roche/Genentech.
Systemic therapies for metastatic biliary tract cancers are few, and patients have a median overall survival of less than 1 year. MyPathway evaluates the activity of US Food and Drug ...Administration-approved therapies in non-indicated tumours with potentially actionable molecular alterations. In this study, we present an analysis of patients with metastatic biliary tract cancers with HER2 amplification, overexpression, or both treated with a dual anti-HER2 regimen, pertuzumab plus trastuzumab, from MyPathway.
MyPathway is a non-randomised, multicentre, open-label, phase 2a, multiple basket study. Patients aged 18 years and older with previously treated metastatic biliary tract cancers with HER2 amplification, HER2 overexpression, or both and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–2 were enrolled from 23 study sites in the USA and received intravenous pertuzumab (840 mg loading dose, then 420 mg every 3 weeks) plus trastuzumab (8 mg/kg loading dose, then 6 mg/kg every 3 weeks). The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed objective response rate according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1. The primary outcome and adverse events were analysed in all patients who received at least one dose of pertuzumab and trastuzumab. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02091141, and is ongoing.
39 patients enrolled in the MyPathway HER2 biliary tract cancer cohort between Oct 28, 2014, and May 29, 2019, were evaluable for anti-tumour activity by the March 10, 2020, data cutoff date. Median follow-up was 8·1 months (IQR 2·7–15·7). Nine of 39 patients achieved a partial response (objective response rate 23% 95% CI 11–39). Grade 3–4 treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 18 (46%) of 39 patients, most commonly increased alanine aminotransferase and increased aspartate aminotransferase (each five 13% of 39). Treatment-related grade 3 adverse events were reported in three (8%) of 39 patients, including increased alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, blood alkaline phosphatase, and blood bilirubin. Serious treatment-emergent adverse events were observed in ten (26%) of 39 patients, of which only abdominal pain occurred in more than one patient (two 5% of 39). There were no treatment-related serious adverse events, treatment-related grade 4 events, or deaths.
Treatment was well tolerated in patients with previously treated HER2-positive metastatic biliary tract cancer. The response rate is promising for the initiation of randomised, controlled trials of pertuzumab plus trastuzumab in this patient population.
F Hoffmann-La Roche–Genentech.
Background Primary analysis from the pivotal ERIVANCE BCC study resulted in approval of vismodegib, a Hedgehog pathway inhibitor indicated for treatment of adults with metastatic or locally advanced ...basal cell carcinoma (BCC) that has recurred after surgery or for patients who are not candidates for surgery or radiation. Objective An efficacy and safety analysis was conducted 12 months after primary analysis. Methods This was a multinational, multicenter, nonrandomized, 2-cohort study in patients with measurable and histologically confirmed locally advanced or metastatic BCC taking oral vismodegib (150 mg/d). Primary outcome measure was objective response rate (complete and partial responses) assessed by independent review facility. Results After 12 months of additional follow-up, median duration of exposure to vismodegib was 12.9 months. Objective response rate increased from 30.3% to 33.3% in patients with metastatic disease, and from 42.9% to 47.6% in patients with the locally advanced form. Median duration of response in patients with locally advanced BCC increased from 7.6 to 9.5 months. No new safety signals emerged with extended treatment duration. Limitations Limitations include low prevalence of advanced BCC and challenges of designing a study with heterogenous manifestations. Conclusion The 12-month update of the study confirms the efficacy and safety of vismodegib in management of advanced BCC.
Summary Background Bevacizumab and erlotinib target different tumour growth pathways with little overlap in their toxic-effect profiles. On the basis of promising results from a phase 1/2 trial ...assessing safety and activity of erlotinib plus bevacizumab for recurrent or refractory non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we aimed to assess efficacy and safety of this combination in a phase 3 trial. Methods In our double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised phase 3 trial (BeTa), we enrolled patients with recurrent or refractory NSCLC who presented to 177 study sites in 12 countries after failure of first-line treatment. Patients were randomly allocated in a one-to-one ratio to receive erlotinib plus bevacizumab (bevacizumab group) or erlotinib plus placebo (control group) according to a computer-generated randomisation sequence by use of an interactive voice response system. The primary endpoint was overall survival in all enrolled patients. Patients, study staff, and investigators were masked to treatment assignment. We assessed safety by calculation of incidence of adverse events and tissue was collected for biomarker analyses. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT00130728. Findings Overall survival did not differ between 317 controls and 319 patients in the bevacizumab group (hazard ratio HR 0·97, 95% CI 0·80–1·18, p=0·7583). Median overall survival was 9·3 months (IQR 4·1–21·6) for patients in the bevacizumab group compared with 9·2 months (3·8–20·2) for controls. Progression-free survival seemed to be longer in the bevacizumab group (3·4 months 1·4–8·4) than in the control group (1·7 months 1·3–4·1; HR 0·62, 95% CI 0·52–0·75) and objective response rate suggested some clinical activity of bevacizumab and erlotinib. However, these secondary endpoint differences could not be defined as significant because the study prespecified that the primary endpoint had to be significant before testing of secondary endpoints could be done, to control type I error rate. In the bevacizumab group, 130 (42%) of 313 patients with safety data had a serious adverse event, compared with 114 (36%) controls. There were 20 (6%) grade 5 adverse events, including two arterial thromboembolic events, in the bevacizumab group, and 14 (4%) in the control group. Interpretation Addition of bevacizumab to erlotinib does not improve survival in patients with recurrent or refractory NSCLC. Funding Genentech.
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