Chemotherapy In Japanese Patients Research Articles

KEYNOTE-434 part B: A phase 1 study evaluating the combination of epacadostat, pembrolizumab, and chemotherapy in Japanese patients with previously untreated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Pembrolizumab plus epacadostat (indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 inhibitor) was well tolerated in Japanese patients with advanced solid tumors in part A of the nonrandomized, open-label, phase 1 KEYNOTE-434 study (NCT02862457). We report results from part B, which evaluated epacadostat plus pembrolizumab and chemotherapy in Japanese patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Eligible patients aged ≥ 20 years had histologically or cytologically confirmed stage IIIB or IV NSCLC with no prior systemic therapy, and ECOG performance status of 0 or 1. Patients received epacadostat 100mg orally twice-daily, pembrolizumab 200mg intravenously every-3-weeks for ≤ 35 cycles, and 4 cycles of chemotherapy (cohort 1: cisplatin plus pemetrexed, non-squamous; cohort 2: carboplatin plus pemetrexed, non-squamous; cohort 3: carboplatin plus paclitaxel, squamous or non-squamous). Primary endpoint was incidence of dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs). Following unfavorable results from other studies, a protocol amendment removed epacadostat from the treatment combination. Of 19 patients, 7 were enrolled in cohort 1, and 6 each in cohorts 2 and 3. Median follow-up was 13.7 (range, 4.2-27.8) months. Five of 17 (29%) DLT-evaluable patients experienced ≥ 1 DLT (cohort 1, n = 1; cohorts 2 and 3, n = 2 each); most commonly maculopapular rash (grade 3, n = 3) and increased alanine aminotransferase (grade 2, n = 1; grade 3, n = 2). All patients experienced treatment-related adverse events (AEs); 58% experienced grade 3 or 4 treatment-related AEs. Objective response rate was 47%. The combination of epacadostat plus pembrolizumab and chemotherapy was found to be tolerable in Japanese patients with advanced NSCLC. ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT02862457.

Subclinical myocardial damage after anthracycline chemotherapy in Japanese patients with breast cancer

BackgroundData on the incidence, timing, and severity of myocardial damage after anthracycline-based chemotherapy (AC) in Japanese patients with breast cancer are limited. MethodWe evaluated cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) in Japanese women with breast cancer (n = 51) after the first AC according to the definitions of the 2022 European Society of Cardiology onco-cardiology guideline, including assessment of high-sensitivity troponin I (TnI) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels. ResultsCTRCD was detected in 67 % of the patients (3.9 %, 7.8 %, 9.8 %, 43 %, 37 %, 22 %, 20 %, and 9.8 % of patients at 1 week and 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 months post-AC, respectively) without significant left ventricular ejection fraction reduction (<50 %) and heart failure. Elevated TnI levels (>26 pg/mL) were found in 43 % of patients, and elevated BNP levels (≥35 pg/mL) were observed in 22 % of patients during the follow-up period. ConclusionsApproximately two-thirds of the Japanese patients in this study experienced CTRCD, which was frequently observed at 3 or 6 months post-AC. However, all patients with CTRCD were diagnosed with mild asymptomatic CTRCD. Although, these patients were diagnosed with mild asymptomatic CTRCD, careful long-term follow-up will be required.

Phase 1 study of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy in Japanese patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer

SummaryBackgroundPart E of the KEYNOTE-011 (NCT01840579) study assessed the safety and antitumor activity of pembrolizumab plus platinum-etoposide chemotherapy in Japanese patients with previously untreated extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC).MethodsPatients received 4 cycles of pembrolizumab (200 mg) every 3 weeks in combination with cisplatin (75 mg/m2) and etoposide (100 mg/m2; days 1, 2, 3) in cohort 1; with carboplatin (AUC 5 mg/mL/min) and etoposide (100 mg/m2; days 1, 2, 3) in cohort 2; or with cisplatin/etoposide and pegfilgrastim (3.6 mg; cycle 1, day 4) in cohort 3. Combination therapy was followed by pembrolizumab monotherapy (31 cycles). The primary endpoint was safety and tolerability (including dose-limiting toxicities; DLTs).ResultsFifteen patients were included in the study (cohort 1, n = 6; cohort 2, n = 6; cohort 3, n = 3). Median time from treatment allocation to data cutoff was 22.1 months (range, 4.1‒32.4 months). DLTs occurred in 3 patients in cohort 1 (one patient with grade 4 laryngeal stenosis and grade 3 febrile neutropenia; two patients with grade 3 febrile neutropenia); no patients in cohorts 2 or 3 experienced DLTs. Grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events included leukopenia (67%) and neutropenia (87%). Among all patients, ORR was 67% (95% CI, 38%‒88%) and median DOR was 4.5 months (range, 2.8‒28.8 months). Median PFS was 4.2 months (95% CI, 3.0‒7.8 months) and median OS was 22.1 months (95% CI, 7.4‒25.9 months).ConclusionPembrolizumab in combination with platinum-etoposide therapy had manageable toxicity with no new safety signals and was associated with antitumor activity in Japanese patients with ES-SCLC.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01840579.

Second-line tislelizumab versus chemotherapy in Japanese patients with advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: subgroup analysis from RATIONALE-302.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has a poor prognosis, with limited second-line systemic therapy options, and represents an increasing disease burden in Japan. In the phase 3 RATIONALE-302 study, the anti-programmed cell death protein 1 antibody, tislelizumab, significantly improved overall survival (OS) versus chemotherapy as second-line treatment for advanced/metastatic ESCC. Here, we report the Japanese patient subgroup results. Patients with advanced/metastatic ESCC, with disease progression during/after first-line systemic therapy were randomized 1:1 to open-label tislelizumab 200mg every 3weeks or investigator's choice of chemotherapy (paclitaxel/docetaxel). Efficacy and safety were assessed in all randomized Japanese patients. The Japanese subgroup comprised 50 patients (n = 25 per arm). Tislelizumab improved OS versus chemotherapy (median: 9.8 vs. 7.6months; HR 0.59; 95% CI 0.31, 1.12). Among patients with programmed death-ligand 1 score ≥ 10%, median OS was 12.5months with tislelizumab (n = 10) versus 2.9months with chemotherapy (n = 6) (HR 0.31; 95% CI 0.09, 1.03). Tislelizumab improved progression-free survival versus chemotherapy (median: 3.6 vs. 1.7months, respectively; HR 0.50; 95% CI 0.27, 0.95). Objective response rate was greater with tislelizumab (32.0%) versus chemotherapy (20.0%), and responses were more durable (median duration of response: 8.8 vs. 2.6months, respectively). Fewer patients experienced ≥ grade 3 treatment-related adverse events with tislelizumab (24.0%) versus chemotherapy (47.8%). Tislelizumab demonstrated an improvement in health-related quality of life versus chemotherapy. As second-line therapy for advanced/metastatic ESCC, tislelizumab improved OS versus chemotherapy, with a favorable safety profile, in the Japanese patient subgroup, consistent with the overall population. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03430843.

Radiation-induced angiosarcoma of the breast: individual participant meta-analysis of Japanese population.

Radiation-induced angiosarcoma (RIAS) of the breast is a very rare and poor prognostic disease. According to previous studies, the efficacy of chemotherapy for RIAS is still controversial. However, no study has assessed the prognosis of RIAS and the prognostic impact of preoperative or postoperative chemotherapy in Japanese patients. Our study aimed to assess them in Japanese people using publication data with our three patients. Thirty-nine patients diagnosed with RIAS, including 36 patients from 34 published case series, and three patients from our hospital were used for analysis. Disease-free survival (DFS), distant disease-free survival (DDFS), and overall survival (OS) were assessed. Among the 39 patients, 36 patients (92.3%) underwent surgery. The median DFS and OS periods were 14months (range 1-75months) and 23months (range 4-84months), respectively. Chemotherapy with taxane-based regimen was administered in 13 cases (33.2%) pre- or post-operatively. DFS was significantly improved with chemotherapy in addition to surgery (p = 0.037). However, addition of chemotherapy to surgery did not improve DDFS (p = 0.09) and OS (p = 0.878). In multivariate analysis, age ≥ 70years was an independent but poor prognostic factor of DFS. Additionally, a lack of chemotherapy showed a trend to be associated with worse DFS. There was no independent variable contributing to DDFS and OS. Chemotherapy may have reduced the recurrence rate of RIAS in Japanese patients but did not improve OS. Further data are needed to confirm the efficacy and proper regimen of chemotherapy.

A single-center retrospective analysis of the efficacy and safety of a modified regimen of irinotecan plus S-1 (IRIS) with molecular targeting agents as second-line chemotherapy in Japanese patients with recurrent or nonresectable colorectal cancer.

As the second-line chemotherapy for stage IV recurrent or nonresectable colorectal cancer, our hospital started a modified treatment regimen comprising of irinotecan plus S-1 (IRIS) [tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil (S-1)] plus molecular targeting agents (MTAs), i.e., an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor such as panitumumab (P-mab) or cetuximab (C-mab) or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor such as bevacizumab (B-mab) since October 2012. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this modified regimen. This retrospective study included 41 patients with advanced recurrent colorectal cancer at our hospital whom at least 3 courses of chemotherapy were conducted from January 2015 to December 2021. Based on the location of the primary tumor, patients were classified into two group (right-sided group, proximal to the splenic curve, and left-sided, distal to the splenic curve). We assessed archived data on RAS and BRAF status and UGT1A1 polymorphisms and use of the VEGF inhibitor bevacizumab (B-mab) and the EGFR inhibitors panitumumab (P-mab) and cetuximab (C-mab). In addition, progression-free survival rate (36M-PFS) and the overall survival rate (36M-OS) were calculated. Furthermore, the respective median survival time (MST), the median number of treatment courses; the objective response rate (ORR) and clinical benefit rate (CBR) and the incidence of adverse events (AEs) were assessed as well. There were 11 patients (26.8%) in the right-sided group, and 30 patients (73.2%) in the left-sided group. There were 19 patients with RAS wild type (46.3%) (1 in the right sided group and 18 in the left sided group). P-mab was used for 16 of these patients (84.2%), C-mab for 2 (10.5%), and B-mab for 1 (5.3%); the remaining 22 patients (53.7%). Ten patients in the right group and 12 patients in the left group were a mutated type and received B-mab. BRAF testing was performed in 17 patients (41.5%); as more than 50% of patients (58.5%) were included before the assay's introduction. Five patients in the right-sided group and 12 patients in the left-sided group had wild type. There was no mutated type. UGT1A1 polymorphism was tested in 16/41 patients: Eight were wild type (8/41 patients, 19.5%) and 8, mutated type. Regarding the *6/*28 double heterozygous type, there was only 1 patient in the right-sided group and the remaining 7 patients were in the left-sided group. The total number of chemotherapy courses was 299, and the median number, 6.0 (range, 3-20). PFS, OS, and MST were as follows: 36M-PFS (total/Rt/Lt), 6.2%/0.0%/8.5% (MST; 7.6/6.3/8.9 months); and 36M-OS (total/Rt/Lt), 32.1%/0.0%/44.0% (MST; 22.1/18.8/28.6 months). The ORR and CBR were 24.4% and 75.6%, respectively. The majority of AEs were grades 1 or 2 and were improved with conservative treatment. Grade 3 leukopenia was observed in 2 cases (4.9%), neutropenia in 4 cases (9.8%), and malaise/nausea/diarrhea/perforation in 1 case each (2.4%). Grade 3 leukopenia (2 patients) and neutropenia (3 patients) were more commonly observed in the left-sided group. Diarrhea and perforation were also common in the left-sided group. This second-line modified IRIS regimen with MTAs is safe and effective and results in good PFS and OS.

Pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy in Japanese patients with triple-negative breast cancer: Results from KEYNOTE-355.

Pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with placebo plus chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated locally recurrent inoperable or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer with tumor programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) combined positive score (CPS) ≥10 in the global, phase 3, randomized controlled trial KEYNOTE-355. We report results for patients enrolled in Japan. Patients were randomized 2:1 to pembrolizumab 200 mg or placebo Q3W for 35 cycles plus chemotherapy (nab-paclitaxel, paclitaxel, or gemcitabine-carboplatin). Primary endpoints were PFS per RECIST version 1.1 by blinded independent central review and OS in patients with PD-L1 CPS ≥10, PD-L1 CPS ≥1, and the intention-to-treat (ITT) population. No alpha was assigned to this exploratory analysis. Eighty-seven patients were randomized in Japan (pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy, n=61; placebo plus chemotherapy, n=26), 66 (76%) had PD-L1 CPS ≥1, and 28 (32%) had PD-L1 CPS ≥10. Median time from randomization to data cutoff (June 15, 2021) was 44.7 (range, 37.2-52.9) months in the ITT population. Hazard ratios (HRs; 95% CI) for OS were 0.36 (0.14-0.89), 0.52 (0.30-0.91), and 0.46 (0.28-0.77) in the PD-L1 CPS ≥10, PD-L1 CPS ≥1, and ITT populations, respectively. HRs (95% CI) for PFS were 0.52 (0.20-1.34), 0.61 (0.35-1.06), and 0.64 (0.39-1.05). Grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 85% of patients in each group (no grade 5 events). Consistent with the global population, pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy tended to show improvements in OS and PFS with manageable toxicity versus placebo plus chemotherapy in Japanese patients and supports this combination in this setting.

Impact of Results of TTF-1 Immunostaining on Efficacy of Platinum-Doublet Chemotherapy in Japanese Patients with Nonsquamous Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Pemetrexed is a key drug in chemotherapy for nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (nonsq NSCLC). Several studies have reported thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) as a biomarker of the efficacy in chemotherapy regimens, including pemetrexed in non-Asian people. We aimed to examine the impact of the results of the TTF-1 immunostaining of tumor cells on the therapeutic effect of chemotherapy in Japanese patients with nonsq NSCLC. We examined the results of TTF-1 immunostaining and the clinical background of Japanese patients with nonsq NSCLC who received platinum-doublet chemotherapy at our hospital, from April 2009 to April 2021, and the correlation between regimens with or without pemetrexed in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The efficacy of each regimen was then compared between TTF-1-positive and TTF-1-negative tumors. TTF-1 immunostaining was performed in 145 patients during the study period: 92 were positive, and 53 were negative. A total of 24 patients presented with EGFR/ALK gene abnormality (16.6%). The PFS and OS of patients who were TTF-1-positive tended to be longer than those of the patients who were TTF-1-negative under either regimen. In other words, patients who were TTF-1-negative were frequently resistant to numerous chemotherapy drugs and experienced a poor prognosis under both regimens. The OS of patients who were TTF-1-positive and treated with the pemetrexed regimen was significantly longer than those on regimens without pemetrexed (963 vs. 412 days, HR = 0.73; 95% CI 0.55-0.96, p = 0.022), whereas there was no difference in PFS. The positivity of TTF-1 immunostaining in tumors could be a predominant prognostic marker for patients who have advanced nonsq NSCLC. Our analysis examined the possibility of a pemetrexed regimen leading to a longer prognosis in Asian patients who were TTF-1-positive for nonsq NSCLC, as shown in previous studies.

Lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab in Japanese patients with endometrial cancer: Results from Study 309/KEYNOTE-775.

Study 309/KEYNOTE‐775 is a phase 3 open‐label, randomized trial of lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab versus treatment of physician's choice (TPC) in patients with advanced endometrial cancer with progression after platinum‐based therapy. Primary endpoints of superiority for lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab were met for progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in all‐comers (ie, regardless of mismatch repair [MMR] status) and patients with MMR proficiency (pMMR). We present results for the Japanese subset. Patients were randomized to oral lenvatinib 20 mg/day plus intravenous pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks (Q3W; up to 35 cycles of pembrolizumab) or TPC (intravenous doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 Q3W or paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 QW [3 weeks on/1 week off]). Primary endpoints were PFS by blinded independent central review per RECIST version 1.1 and OS. One hundred four patients were randomized in Japan (data cutoff, October 26, 2020; median follow‐up, 11.8 [range, 1.1–26.9] months). Hazard ratios (HRs) for PFS with lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab versus TPC were 1.04 (95% CI, 0.63–1.73) in patients with pMMR and 0.81 (0.50–1.31) in all‐comers. Hazard ratios for OS were 0.74 (0.41–1.34) with pMMR and 0.59 (0.33–1.04) for all‐comers. Adverse events were manageable and led to discontinuation of one/both study drugs in 36.5% of patients in the lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab group versus 7.8% in the TPC group. Similar to the global Study 309/KEYNOTE‐775 results, this analysis suggested favorable efficacy and manageable safety with lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab after platinum‐based chemotherapy in Japanese patients with advanced endometrial cancer and supports this combination as a new standard of care in this population.

O14-1 Pembrolizumab + chemotherapy in Japanese patients with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer: KEYNOTE-826

Pembrolizumab (pembro) + chemotherapy (chemo) ± bevacizumab (bev) prolonged PFS and OS vs chemo in patients (pts) with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer in the protocol-specified first interim analysis of the global, phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled KEYNOTE-826 (NCT03635567) study. We present outcomes in pts enrolled in Japan in KEYNOTE-826.

First-line pembrolizumab + chemotherapy in Japanese patients with advanced/metastatic esophageal cancer from KEYNOTE-590

BackgroundThe phase 3 KEYNOTE-590 (NCT03189719) study showed first-line pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy significantly prolonged overall survival and progression-free survival versus placebo plus chemotherapy in patients with advanced unresectable or metastatic adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus or advanced/metastatic Siewert type I adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction. We describe a subgroup analysis of Japanese patients from KEYNOTE-590.MethodsEligible patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenously every 3 weeks or placebo plus chemotherapy (cisplatin 80 mg/m2 and 5-fluorouracil 800 mg/m2/day). Efficacy was evaluated in all Japanese patients and those with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and programmed death ligand 1 combined positive score ≥ 10. Dual primary endpoints were overall survival and progression-free survival per RECIST v1.1 by investigator. Secondary endpoints included objective response rate per RECIST v1.1 by investigator and safety and tolerability.ResultsAt data cutoff (July 2, 2020), 141 Japanese patients were randomly assigned (pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy, 74; placebo plus chemotherapy, 67). In all Japanese patients, median overall survival was 17.6 months with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy versus 11.7 months with chemotherapy (hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.47–1.09), median progression-free survival was 6.3 versus 6.0 months (hazard ratio, 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.40–0.84), and objective response rate was 56.8% versus 38.8%. Grade 3–5 treatment-related adverse events were 74.3% and 61.2%.ConclusionFirst-line pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy demonstrated improvement in overall survival and progression-free survival compared with placebo plus chemotherapy in Japanese patients with advanced/metastatic esophageal cancer; safety was comparable between treatment groups.Clinical trial registryClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03189719.

Real-world data on the efficacy and safety of adjuvant chemotherapy in Japanese patients with a high-risk of gastrointestinal stromal tumor recurrence.

Complete surgical resection is the only treatment for resectable gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Three-year adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) is recommended for patients with high-risk GISTs. However, there are scarce data on this topic in Japan. We aimed to study the efficacy and safety of AC in Japanese patients with high-risk GISTs. Patients with high-risk GISTs who received complete resections during 1992-2019 in our hospitals were included in this retrospective study. We evaluated patients' treatments with or without AC, completion rates, adverse events (AEs), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS). Overall, 89 patients categorized as high risk were enrolled in this study. Fifty-five patients received AC (AC group), and 34 patients did not receive AC (control group). Twenty-three (41.8%) patients experienced Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Grade 2 or higher AEs. At a median follow-up of 61.6months, 41 (74.5%) patients completed the planned treatment (including six patients with ongoing treatment), whereas 14 (25.4%) patients did not complete the treatment owing to the development of AEs (nine patients), patients' request (three patients), recurrence (one patient), and mutational analysis (one patient). Comparing the data between the treatment and control groups, the RFS rate was significantly better for the AC group (P < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the OS rate between the two groups. Postoperative AC was well tolerated by Japanese patients at an acceptable rate, and its use may reduce the risk of recurrence in patients with high-risk GISTs.

FOLFIRINOX as First-line Chemotherapy in Japanese Patients Suffering from Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer (KOBE FOLFIRINOX Study)

Background/Aim: FOLFIRINOX (oxaliplatin, irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin) combination chemotherapy is the gold-standard therapy for advanced pancreatic cancer. In this study, FOLFIRINOX dosages for Japanese patients were established enabling FOLFIRINOX therapy optimization for efficient use. Patients and Methods: Patients with advanced pancreatic cancer were treated with varying doses of FOLFIRINOX to determine the optimum dosage for highest remission outcomes with the least post-chemotherapy toxicities. Results: Patients given 180 mg of irinotecan and a 400 mg bolus of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) showed a marked difference in outcome when compared to irinotecan 180 mg given without the 5-FU bolus, with the overall response rate being 28%, a survival time of 6.4 months and progression-free survival time of 4.5 months. Conclusion: The optimum dose of FOLFIRINOX was a dosage combination of oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2, irinotecan 180 mg/m2, l-leucovorin 400 mg/m2 and 5-FU 2,400 mg/m2, administered as a continuous 46-h infusion.

Outcomes of long-term nivolumab and subsequent chemotherapy in Japanese patients with head and neck cancer: 2-year follow-up from a multicenter real-world study

BackgroundWe have previously reported the effectiveness and safety of nivolumab in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) in real-world clinical practice in Japan. Here, we report long-term outcomes from this study in the overall population and subgroups stratified by subsequent chemotherapy.MethodsIn this multicenter, retrospective observational study, Japanese patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) HNC receiving nivolumab were followed up for 2 years. Effectiveness endpoints included overall survival (OS), OS rate, progression-free survival (PFS), and PFS rate. Safety endpoints included the incidence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs).ResultsOverall, 256 patients received a median of 6.0 doses (range: 1–52) of nivolumab over a median duration of 72.5 days (range: 1–736). Median OS was 9.5 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 8.2–12.0] and median PFS was 2.1 months (95% CI 1.8–2.7). A significant difference between 2-year survivors (n = 62) and non-2-year survivors was observed by median age (P = 0.0227) and ECOG PS (P = 0.0001). Of 95 patients who received subsequent chemotherapy, 54.7% received paclitaxel ± cetuximab. The median OS and PFS from the start of paclitaxel ± cetuximab were 6.9 months (95% CI 5.9–11.9) and 3.5 months (95% CI 2.3–5.5), respectively. IrAEs were reported in 17.2% of patients. Endocrine (7.0%) and lung (4.3%) disorders were the most common irAEs; kidney disorder (n = 1) was newly identified in this follow-up analysis.ConclusionsResults demonstrated the long-term effectiveness of nivolumab and potential effectiveness of subsequent chemotherapy in patients with R/M HNC in the real-world setting. Safety was consistent with that over the 1-year follow-up.

Second-line pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy in Japanese patients with advanced esophageal cancer: subgroup analysis from KEYNOTE-181

BackgroundSafe and effective treatments for advanced esophageal cancer are an unmet need in Japan. We report results of a subgroup analysis of Japanese patients enrolled in KEYNOTE-181, a randomized, open-label, phase 3 study of pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy as second-line therapy for patients with advanced or metastatic esophageal cancer whose disease progressed after standard first-line therapy.MethodsPatients were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks or investigator’s choice of paclitaxel, docetaxel, or irinotecan. Efficacy was evaluated in all Japanese patients and in those with programmed death ligand 1 combined positive score ≥ 10.ResultsOf the 152 Japanese patients enrolled (pembrolizumab, n = 77; chemotherapy, n = 75), 150 (98.7%) had squamous cell carcinoma and 79 (52.0%) had combined positive score ≥ 10. At the final analysis, median overall survival was improved among all patients (12.4 vs 8.2 months with pembrolizumab and chemotherapy, respectively; hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI 0.48–0.97) and patients with combined positive score ≥ 10 (12.6 vs 8.4 months; hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI 0.42–1.10). Fewer patients had any-grade (74.0% vs 95.9%) or grade 3–5 (16.9 vs 50.0%) treatment-related adverse events with pembrolizumab than with chemotherapy.ConclusionConsistent with the global trial results, second-line pembrolizumab therapy showed a survival benefit and a favorable safety profile compared with chemotherapy in Japanese patients with advanced esophageal cancer.

Gilteritinib versus chemotherapy in Japanese patients with FLT3-mutated relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia

BackgroundUntil recently, no effective targeted therapies for FLT3-mutated (FLT3mut+) relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were available in Japan. The FLT3 inhibitor, gilteritinib, was approved in Japan for patients with FLT3mut+ R/R AML based on the phase 3 ADMIRAL trial, which demonstrated the superiority of gilteritinib over salvage chemotherapy (SC) with respect to overall survival (OS; median OS, 9.3 vs 5.6 months, respectively; hazard ratio, 0.64 [95% confidence interval 0.49, 0.83]; P < 0.001).MethodsWe evaluated the Japanese subgroup (n = 48) of the ADMIRAL trial, which included 33 patients randomized to 120-mg/day gilteritinib and 15 randomized to SC.ResultsMedian OS was 14.3 months in the gilteritinib arm and 9.6 months in the SC arm. The complete remission/complete remission with partial hematologic recovery rate was higher in the gilteritinib arm (48.5%) than in the SC arm (13.3%). After adjustment for drug exposure, fewer adverse events (AEs) occurred in the gilteritinib arm than in the SC arm. Common grade ≥ 3 AEs related to gilteritinib were febrile neutropenia (36%), decreased platelet count (27%), and anemia (24%).ConclusionFindings in Japanese patients are consistent with those of the overall ADMIRAL study population.

Nivolumab versus chemotherapy in Japanese patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a subgroup analysis of a multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase 3 trial (ATTRACTION-3)

BackgroundThe efficacy and safety of nivolumab versus chemotherapy was evaluated in the Japanese subpopulation from the overall intent-to-treat (ITT) population of the ATTRACTION-3 trial conducted in patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) as second-line treatment.MethodsData from Japanese patients enrolled in the multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase 3 ATTRACTION-3 trial were analyzed. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included duration of response (DOR), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety. Exploratory subgroup analyses evaluated the association between OS and stratification factors/baseline variables.ResultsOverall, 274 (nivolumab, 136; chemotherapy, 138) of the 419 patients in ATTRACTION-3 were enrolled from Japan: response-evaluable population (107; 108) and safety population (135; 138). OS tended to be longer in the nivolumab group versus the chemotherapy group (median: 13.4 months vs. 9.4 months; HR, 0.77; 95% CI 0.59–1.01). Median DOR was longer in the nivolumab group (7.6 months) versus the chemotherapy group (3.6 months). ORRs were similar between the nivolumab [22.4% of patients (24/107)] and chemotherapy groups [22.2% (24/108); odds ratio, 0.98; 95% CI 0.52–1.87]. DCR was lower in the nivolumab group [41.1% (44/107)] versus the chemotherapy group [66.7% (72/108)]. OS in the exploratory analysis consistently favored the nivolumab group versus the chemotherapy group. Overall, nivolumab demonstrated favorable efficacy and safety versus chemotherapy in the Japanese subpopulation, and the trend was similar to that observed in the overall ATTRACTION-3 ITT population.ConclusionNivolumab represents a new standard second-line treatment option for Japanese patients with advanced ESCC.

A prospective cohort study on the safety and efficacy of bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy in Japanese patients with relapsed ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer.

this prospective cohort study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy in Japanese patients with relapsed ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer. in this study, 40 Japanese patients with relapsed ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer selected to receive bevacizumab with chemotherapy were enrolled. Patients in poor general condition were excluded. Each patient was monitored prospectively for adverse events, administration status, disease status and survival. Treatment was continued until intolerable adverse events or disease progression. The primary endpoint was safety. bevacizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy was performed for 30 patients (median cycle; 16.5), while bevacizumab plus non-platinum chemotherapy was performed for 10 patients (median cycle; 5.5). Among bevacizumab-related adverse events, hypertension occurred in 80% of patients, proteinuria in 83%, mucositis in 25%, bleeding in 20%, thromboembolic events in 5.0% and fistula in 2.5%. Gastrointestinal perforation or other life-threatening lethal adverse events were not observed. Response rate and median progression-free survival were 73% and 19.3months for patients with bevacizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy, and 30% and 3.9months for patients with bevacizumab plus non-platinum chemotherapy, respectively. There was no correlation between response rate and occurrence of adverse events such as hypertension or proteinuria. bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy was tolerable and effective for Japanese patients with relapsed ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer or primary peritoneal cancer. Hypertension and proteinuria are frequently occurred and managed properly for continuing treatment.

Prognostic outcomes and safety in patients treated with pembrolizumab for advanced urothelial carcinoma: experience in real-world clinical practice.

Prognostic outcomes and safety following treatment with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC) have not been fully elucidated in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the oncological efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab after failure of platinum-based chemotherapy in Japanese patients with advanced UC in a routine clinical setting. This retrospective study included 41 consecutive Japanese patients with advanced UC treated with pembrolizumab as second-line or greater therapy at Iwate Medical University Hospital from January 2018 to April 2019. The mean follow-up period was 6.2months. The objective response rate, median progression-free survival, and median overall survival were 15%, 2.5months, and 11.9months, respectively. Univariate analysis identified poor performance status (> 1), liver metastasis, two or more metastatic organs, low hemoglobin levels, two or more prior regimens, high baseline C-reactive protein levels, higher relative C-reactive protein level change after 6weeks, and higher relative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio change after 6weeks as significant predictors of overall survival. Among these factors, poor performance status (> 1), two or more metastatic organs, and higher relative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio change after 6weeks were identified as independent predictors of overall survival in multivariate analysis. The introduction of pembrolizumab can result in favorable cancer control outcomes in Japanese patients with advanced UC, and the prognosis of these patients can be stratified according to three potential parameters, including poor performance status, high number of metastatic organs, and higher relative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio change.

Quality of Life During Chemotherapy in Japanese Patients with Unresectable Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

Quality of Life During Chemotherapy in Japanese Patients with Unresectable Advanced Pancreatic Cancer