Chemotherapy In Japanese Patients Research Articles

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

Treating Japanese Patients With Pembrolizumab for Platinum-Refractory Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma in Real-World Clinical Practice.

BackgroundSince December 2017, pembrolizumab has been approved in Japan as a second-line treatment for radical unresectable urothelial carcinoma (UC) that has become exacerbated after chemotherapy by the international randomized phase 3 trial, KEYNOTE-045. 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 real-world clinical practice.MethodsA total of 34 patients who received pembrolizumab after the failure of platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced urothelial carcinoma at four institutions between January 2018 and August 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. In all patients, UC was histopathologically diagnosed, and disease progression after platinum-based chemotherapy was radiologically confirmed.ResultsThe median follow-up period was 7.7 months. The objective response rate, median progression-free survival, and median overall survival were 20.6%, 3.3 months, and 11.7 months, respectively. Regarding the toxicities associated with pembrolizumab, adverse events (AEs) of any grade occurred in 61.8%, and grade 3 AEs occurred in 23.5%; grade ≥ 4 AEs did not occur in any patients. Univariate analyses revealed that the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, liver metastases, and time from previous chemotherapy were prognostic variables. Multivariate analyses revealed that liver metastases (positive: hazard ratio, 4.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.48 - 12.08; P < 0.01) and time from previous chemotherapy (≥ 3 months: hazard ratio, 5.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.43 - 17.91; P = 0.01) were independent prognostic factors.ConclusionsIn this real-world clinical study, these findings concerning the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab for advanced UC in Japanese patients were comparable to those of the open-label, international, phase 3 trial KEYNOTE-045. Liver metastases and time from previous chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors in the present study.

Pertuzumab plus trastuzumab and chemotherapy for Japanese patients with HER2-positive metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer: a subgroup analysis of the JACOB trial

BackgroundThe phase III JACOB trial (NCT01774786) compared the efficacy and safety of pertuzumab and trastuzumab plus chemotherapy with placebo and trastuzumab plus chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer. We conducted a subgroup analysis in Japanese patients.MethodsPatients were randomized 1:1 to pertuzumab 840 mg or placebo, plus trastuzumab (loading dose, 8 mg/kg; maintenance dose, 6 mg/kg) and chemotherapy (cisplatin 80 mg/m2, and capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 twice daily for 28 doses or 5-fluorouracil 800 mg/m2 every 24 h for 120 h), every 3 weeks. Continuation of chemotherapy after 6 cycles was at the discretion of the patient and the treating physician.ResultsA total of 40 Japanese patients were included in each arm. Median overall survival was 22.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 13.8–not evaluable) and 15.6 months (95% CI 9.7–19.2) in the pertuzumab and placebo arms, respectively (hazard ratio [HR] 0.64 [95% CI 0.37–1.10]). Median progression-free survival was 12.4 months (95% CI 6.1–14.1) in the pertuzumab arm and 6.3 months (95% CI 4.3–8.1) in the placebo arm (HR 0.50 [95% CI 0.30–0.82]). Grade ≥ 3 adverse events and serious adverse events were more frequent in the pertuzumab arm than the placebo arm.ConclusionsResults from this subgroup analysis of the JACOB trial suggest similar efficacy of pertuzumab in Japanese patients and patients in the overall population, encouraging continued investigation of new agents for gastric cancer in Japanese patients.

Comprehensive biomarker analyses identifies HER2, EGFR, MET RNA expression and thymidylate synthase 5'UTR SNP as predictors of benefit from S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy in Japanese patients with stage II/III gastric cancer.

Purpose: A comprehensive molecular analysis was conducted to identify prognostic and predictive markers for adjuvant S-1 chemotherapy in stage II/III Japanese gastric cancer (GC) patients and to evaluate their potential suitability for alternative cytotoxic or targeted drugs.Experimental Design: We investigated genetic polymorphisms of enzymes potentially involved in 5-fluoruracil (5-FU) metabolism as well as platinum resistance, previously identified genomic subtypes potentially predicting 5-FU benefit, and mRNA expression levels of receptor tyrosine kinases and KRAS as potential treatment targets in a single institution cohort of 252 stage II/III GC patients treated with or without S-1 after D2 gastrectomy.Results: 88% and 62% GC had a potentially 5-FU sensitive phenotype by SNP analyses of TS 3'UTR, and TS 5'UTR, respectively. 24%, 46%, 40%, 5%, and 44% GC had a potentially platinum sensitive phenotype by SNP analyses of GSTP1, ERCC1 rs11615, ERCC1 rs3212986, ERCC2, and XRCC1, respectively. High HER2, EGFR, FGFR2, or MET mRNA expression was observed in 49%, 66%, 72%, and 54% GC, respectively. High HER2 expression was the only significant prognosticator (HR=3.912, 95%CI: 1.706-8.973, p=0.0005). High HER2 (p=0.031), low EGFR (p=0.124), high MET (p=0.165) RNA expression, and TS 5'UTR subtype 2R/2R, 2R/3C, or 3C (p=0.058) were significant independent predictors for S-1 resistance.Conclusions: The present study suggests that platinum-based or RTK targeted agents could be alternative treatment options for a substantial subgroup of Japanese GC patients currently treated with S-1. HER2, EGFR, MET, and TS 5'UTR SNP appear to be promising predictive markers for S-1 resistance warranting validation in an independent GC series.

Watch-and-wait policy versus rituximab-combined chemotherapy in Japanese patients with intestinal follicular lymphoma.

Few reports have demonstrated the effectiveness of treatments for intestinal follicular lymphoma (FL) because of the limited number of patients who undergo comprehensive small intestinal examinations. This study compared the efficacy of rituximab-combined chemotherapy in patients with asymptomatic and low tumor burden (LTB) intestinal FL, according to the criteria of the Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes Folliculaires, with that of a "watch and wait" (W&W) approach. The endoscopic examination for entire gastrointestinal tracts was performed in 29 Japanese patients with intestinal FL. These patients had CD21-positive follicular dendritic cells arranged in a duodenal pattern. In a prospective, two-center, open-label trial, this study evaluated the efficacy of rituximab-combined chemotherapy ([cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone] or [cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone]) and prolonged treatment with rituximab (R-Chemo+prolongedR) in 14 patients and compared their outcomes with those of 15 patients managed with a W&W approach. Four patients managed with the W&W plan showed worsening macroscopic findings, lesion area enlargement, or clinical stage progression but stayed on this plan because they had LTB and experienced no changes in bowel function. In the R-Chemo+prolongedR group, all patients achieved complete remission; recurrence occurred in one patient, who was subsequently managed with the W&W plan because of LTB. There were no significant differences in progression-free survival between the two groups (P=0.1045). Overall survival was 100% in both groups. The prognoses of patients with asymptomatic intestinal FL and LTB who were managed with a W&W strategy were comparable with those of patients receiving R-Chemo+prolongedR.

Role of Pharmacists in Completion of Adjuvant Cisplatin-Vinorelbine Chemotherapy in Japanese Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Adjuvant cisplatin-vinorelbine chemotherapy has been shown to be effective in patients with completely resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in several Phase III trials, but not yet in the Japanese population. Pharmacists are expected to assist patients with completion of adjuvant chemotherapy. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the compliance with and safety of adjuvant cisplatin-vinorelbine chemotherapy in Japanese patients and to evaluate the contribution of pharmacists to completion of treatment. Thirty-four patients with NSCLC who received adjuvant cisplatin-vinorelbine chemotherapy at Kyorin University Hospital between January 2006 and June 2015 were reviewed. The treatment schedule comprised cisplatin 80 mg/m2 on day 1 and vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks. Four 3-week cycles were planned. A pharmacist provided guidance to all patients and monitored them for adverse effects thereafter. The pharmacist intervened with advice to doctors as necessary. The 4 cycles were administered in 67.6% of cases. There were no treatment-related deaths. The main grade 3 or 4 toxicities were neutropenia (76.5%) and anorexia (38.2%). The most common reason for discontinuation and dose reduction was anorexia. There were 56 instances of pharmacist intervention. In total, 96.4% of the pharmacist interventions were implemented by doctors, which included administration of an antiemetic on 15 occasions and hot fomentation for prevention of vasculitis on 7 occasions. Adjuvant cisplatin-vinorelbine chemotherapy was tolerated by most patients but was discontinued because of adverse events in some. Pharmacist intervention aids completion of planned chemotherapy and management of treatment-related adverse events.

Efficacy of the oral neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist aprepitant for nausea and vomiting induced by cisplatin and carboplatin in Japanese patients with gynecological cancer.

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and the difference in effects of the oral neurokinin-1(NK-1) receptor antagonist aprepitant for chemotherapy-induced nausea/vomiting (CINV) in Japanese patients with gynecological cancer receiving highly emetogenic (cisplatin) and moderately emetogenic (carboplatin) chemotherapy. Aprepitant was added during the second course of chemotherapy in Japanese patients with grade≥2 (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 3.0) nausea and vomiting during the first course despite receiving antiemetic therapy (a first-generation 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 receptor antagonist + dexamethasone), and in patients who requested stronger antiemetic therapy despite only having grade 1 nausea and vomiting. The incidence of nausea and vomiting was compared between the first and second courses in each group. Ninety-six (55.5%) out of 173 patients received add-on therapy with aprepitant. There was a significant increase in the complete response (CR: no vomiting or salvage therapy) rate in the patients receiving aprepitant, with marked improvement being confirmed for delayed CINV. Stratified analysis showed that patients with delayed CINV treated with carboplatin had a significantly higher CR rate, while patients with both acute and delayed CINV treated with cisplatin had significantly higher CR rates. There was a positive correlation between the incidence of nausea and the incidence of vomiting in the patients treated with aprepitant. The oral NK-1 receptor antagonist aprepitant could be effective for both acute and delayed CINV with cisplatin and for delayed CINV with carboplatin in Japanese gynecological cancer patients.

Efficacy and safety of paclitaxel/ramucirumab as the second-line chemotherapy in Japanese patients with advanced gastric cancer.

e15540 Background: Second-line chemotherapy can now be considered as a proven treatment option for metastatic or locally advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Two global randomized phase III trials (REGARD and RAINBOW) showed that survival benefit was significantly observed in patients treated with ramucirumab (RAM) alone and in combination with weekly doses of PTX, compared with placebo, respectively. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of weekly dose of PTX combined with RAM practically as the second-line treatment in Japanese patients with AGC refractory to an S-1-containing chemotherapy regimen. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of the data of 18 patients with AGC who received more than 2 cycles of PTX/RAM combined chemotherapy as the second-line regimen following S-1-based treatment. The objective response rate (ORR), adverse events, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed and compared with PTX monotherapy group. Results: Median number of courses were 5 for the PTX/RAM group and the discontinuation of treatment except for disease progression was found in 2 cases (33.3%). The rates of hematological toxicities of higher than grade 3 were 33.3% in the PTX/RAM group, which were higher than those found in the PTX groups. The tumor responses of the PTX/RAM group were 22% for the ORR and 78% for the DCR, compared with 21% and 48% in the PTX group, respectively. The dose intensities of PTX were 72.4% in the former group. The survival data showed that the MST after second-line exposure was 290 days and the median PFS was 131 days in the PTX/RAM group, compared with 159 days and 90 days in the PTX group, which were not significantly different. Conclusions: PTX/RAM might be one of the best regimens for Japanese patients with AGC as the second-line treatment following S-1-containing chemotherapy.

North Japan multicenter phase II study of oxaliplatin-containing regimen as adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer (NORTH/HGCSG1003).

807 Background: FOLFOX and XELOX are standard adjuvant chemotherapy for resected stage III colon cancer. MOSAIC and XELOXA trials were performed outside of Japan, thus, we conducted a phase II study (NORTH/HGCSG1003) to assess the efficacy and safety of FOLFOX as adjuvant chemotherapy for Japanese patients(pts) with resected stage III colon cancer (UMIN ID: 000004590). Methods: This phase II study enrolled patients with resected stage III colon cancer. Patients received 12 cycles of FOLFOX4 or mFOLFOX6. Sample size was determined to be 243 pts. Primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). We assumed an expected 3-year DFS rate of 81.2% in this study. Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and safety. In this meeting, we present for the 3-year DFS rate. Results: From Sep 2010 to Mar 2013, 273 pts were enrolled at 28 institutions. Full analysis included 265 patients who received FOLFOX. Patients characteristics were as follows: median age ; 65(33-84), Male/female ; 131/134, PS 0/1 ; 258/7, stage IIIA/IIIB/IIIC ; 37/197/31, colon/rectosigmoid: 214/51. The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were neutrophil count decreased (48.1%), peripheral sensory neuropathy (6.4%), platelet count decreased (2.3%), and allergic reaction (1.5%). The median number of cycles of FOLFOX was 12, and the completion treatment rate was 80.4%. There was no treatment-related death. The 3-year DFS rate was 75.2 percent (95% confidence interval, 69.6 to 80.0). Conclusions: In Japanese patients with stage III colon cancer, FOLFOX is a well-tolerable regimen as adjuvant chemotherapy. In this trial, the 3-year DFS rate of primary endpoint was not meet the expectation (81.2%). However, the 3-year DFS rate in this trial was similar to several pivotal trials. We plan to do subset analysis. Clinical trial information: UMIN000004590.

P-120 Gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel as first-line chemotherapy for Japanese patients with advanced pancreatic cancer in real-world clinical practice: a retrospective study

P-120 Gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel as first-line chemotherapy for Japanese patients with advanced pancreatic cancer in real-world clinical practice: a retrospective study

Subset of patients with unfavorable T1N2-3M0 gastric cancer for whom surgery alone is the standard treatment.

105 Background: ACTS-GC trial demonstrated that S-1 is effective as adjuvant chemotherapy for Japanese patients who have undergone curative D2 gastrectomy for gastric cancer and were diagnosed with pathological stage II disease. However, stages T1N2M0 and T1N3M0, which are classified as part of Stage II, were excluded from the ACTS-GC trial. The aim of the present study was to identify the unfavorable subset of patients with T1N2M0 and T1N3M0 gastric cancer for whom surgery alone is the standard treatment. Methods: The present study examined 59 patients who were diagnosed with T1N2M0 or T1N3M0 gastric cancer at Kanagawa Cancer Center and Yokohama City University Hospital between January 2000 and June 2010. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors for overall survival using a Cox proportional hazards model. Results: When overall survival was compared by the log-rank test, a significant difference was observed with regard to macroscopic tumor diameter. A macroscopic tumor diameter greater than 30mm was regarded as a critical point of classification considering the survival. Mulitivariate Cox’s proportional hazard analyses demonstrated that macroscopic tumor diameter was the only significant independent prognosticator. The five-year survival was 60.0% in patients with a macroscopic tumor diameter &lt; 30mm, and 84.6% in those with a macroscopic tumor diameter &gt; 30mm (P = 0.027). Conclusions: Among T1N2M0 and T1N3M0 gastric cancer patients for whom surgery alone is the standard treatment, having a small T1N2-3 tumor of less than 30 mm in diameter was the sole risk factor for gastric cancer survival. These tumors might be another target for adjuvant chemotherapy.

Safety analysis of FOLFOX as adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer in phase II study (NORTH/HGCSG1003): Detailed analysis of peripheral sensory neuropathy.

701 Background: Oxaliplatin-containing regimen is a standard adjuvant chemotherapy for resected stage III colon cancer. Oxaliplatin-containing regimens were investigated for their efficacy in patients with resected stage III colon cancer in MOSAIC and XELOXA studies. Since these two international randomized studies were performed outside of Japan, we conducted a phase II study (NORTH/HGCSG1003) to assess the efficacy and safety of FOLFOX as adjuvant chemotherapy in Japanese patients (pts) with resected stage III colon cancer (UMIN ID: 000004590). Methods: This phase II study enrolled patients with resected stage III colon cancer. Patients received 12 biweekly cycles of FOLFOX4 or mFOLFOX6. Sample size was determined to be 243 pts. Primary endpoint was DFS. Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and safety. Results: From September 2010 to March 2013, 273 pts were enrolled at 28 institutions. Safety analysis included 265 patients who received FOLFOX. Patients characteristics were as follows: median age, 65 (33-84); male/female: 131/134; PS 0/1:258/7; stage IIIA/IIIB/IIIC: 37/197/31; colon/rectosigmoid: 214/51. The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were neutrophil count decreased (48.1%), platelet count decreased (2.3%), and allergic reaction (1.5%). The incidence of peripheral sensory neuropathy (PSN) was 41.9% (grade 1), 38.1% (grade 2), and 6.4% (grade 3). PSN tended to be serious depending on the cumulative dose of oxaliplatin (table 1). Median cumulative dose of oxaliplatin at which PSN occurred were as follows: grade 1; 170 mg/m2, ≥ grade 2; 850 mg/m2, ≥ grade 3; (-). The median number of cycles of chemotherapy was 12, and the completion treatment rate was 80.4%. There was no treatment-related death. Conclusions: In Japanese patients with stage III colon cancer, FOLFOX is a well-tolerable regimen as adjuvant chemotherapy. Clinical trial information: 000004590. [Table: see text]

O1-21-4 - Phase I Study of Anti-Pd-1 Antibody Ono-4538 and Chemotherapy in Patients with Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Background: ONO-4538 (BMS-936558, nivolumab) is a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting PD-1 (programmed cell death 1) and enhances antitumor activity by blocking PD-1 / PD-L1 (programmed cell death 1 ligand 1) binding that down-regulates T-cell co-stimulatory signal. This phase I study investigated the tolerability, safety and pharmacokinetics of ONO-4538 in combination with chemotherapy in Japanese patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods: Patients who have stage IIIB without indication for definitive radiotherapy, stage IV, or recurrent NSCLC were eligible. ONO-4538 (10 mg/kg, day 1) and chemotherapy [Arm A: cisplatin (80 mg/m2, day 1) / gemcitabine (1250 mg/m2, day 1 and 8), Arm B: cisplatin (75 mg/m2, day 1) / pemetrexed (500 mg/m2, day 1), Arm C: carboplatin (AUC 6, day 1) / paclitaxel (200 mg/m2, day 1) / bevacizumab (15 mg/kg, day 1), Arm D: docetaxel (75 mg/m2, day 1)] were administered every three weeks. Arm A and B were administrated for four cycles and Arm C was for six cycles as first-line chemotherapy. After that, ONO-4538 in Arm A, ONO-4538 / pemetrexed in Arm B, and ONO-4538 / bevacizumab in Arm C were continued every three weeks as maintenance therapy until disease progression. Arm D were administrated until disease progression as second-line chemotherapy. Dose limiting toxicity was evaluated during the first treatment cycle.Results: As of September 30, 2013, 14 patients (Arm A / B / C / D: 3 / 6 / 3 / 2 patients) were enrolled. There were no dose limiting toxicities during the evaluation periods. A severe infusion reaction (CTCAE version 4.0 grade 3) was observed in a patient receiving the third cycle treatment of Arm D.Conclusions: ONO-4538 10 mg/kg was tolerable in combination with chemotherapy in Japanese patients with advanced NSCLC.

Evaluation of postoperative chemotherapy in patients with uterine carcinosarcoma: a retrospective survey of the Tohoku Gynecologic Cancer Unit.

The aim of this study was to evaluate prognostic factors including efficacy of postoperative chemotherapy in Japanese patients with uterine carcinosarcoma. We conducted a retrospective survey of seven medical facilities in the Tohoku Gynecologic Cancer Unit. A total of 45 patients who had undergone hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were enrolled. No significant difference was observed in overall survival according to patient age (≤ 50 years vs >50 years) or retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy (performed vs. not performed). However, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage (stage I/II vs stage III/IV) and postoperative chemotherapy (provided vs not provided) were significant prognostic factors in both univariate and multivariate analyses for the 25-month median follow-up period. Our results revealed that postoperative chemotherapy should be considered for all uterine carcinosarcoma stages in Japanese patients.

Phase 1 study of efatutazone, a novel oral peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonist, in combination with FOLFIRI as second-line therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

Summary Background Efatutazone, a novel oral highly-selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonist, has demonstrated some inhibitory effects on disease stabilization in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) enrolled in previous phase I studies. Here, we evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of efatutazone combined with FOLFIRI (5-fluorouracil, levo-leucovorin, and irinotecan) as second-line chemotherapy in Japanese patients with mCRC. Methods Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were evaluated at 2 efatutazone dose levels of 0.25 and 0.50 mg (the recommended dose [RD] of efatutazone monotherapy) twice daily in combination with FOLFIRI in a 3–9 patient cohort. Furthermore, tolerability at the RD level was assessed in additional patients, up to 12 in total. Blood samples for pharmacokinetics and biomarkers and tumor samples for archival tissues were collected from all patients. Results Fifteen patients (0.25 mg, 3; 0.5 mg, 12) were enrolled. No DLTs were observed. Most patients experienced weight increase (100 %) and edema (80.0 %), which were manageable with diuretics. Common grade 3/4 toxicities were neutropenia (93.3 %), leukopenia (46.7 %), and anemia (33.3 %). Stable disease was observed in 8 of the 14 patients evaluable for tumor response. The plasma adiponectin levels increased over time and increased dose. No clear relationship was detected between treatment efficacies and plasma levels of adiponectin as well as the expression levels of PPARγ and the retinoid X receptor in tumor tissues. Conclusions Efatutazone combined with FOLFIRI demonstrates an acceptable safety profile and evidence of disease stabilization in Japanese patients with mCRC. The RD for efatutazone monotherapy can be used in combination with FOLFIRI.

FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab as a first-line treatment for Japanese patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: a JACCRO CC-03 multicenter phase II study

The purpose of this multicenter phase II study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a combination of irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and leucovorin (FOLFIRI) plus bevacizumab as first-line chemotherapy in Japanese patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer were eligible for enrollment. On day 1 of a 14-day cycle, patients received bevacizumab 5 mg/kg, irinotecan 150 mg/m², and L-leucovorin 200 mg/m² as an intravenous infusion, followed by 5-FU 400 mg/m² as an intravenous bolus and then 5-FU 2,400 mg/m² as an 46-h intravenous infusion. This treatment cycle was repeated. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). We enrolled 40 patients, but one withdrew consent before starting treatment. The remaining 39 patients received a total of 509 cycles of FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab (median 11 per patient; range 1-30). The median PFS was 11.5 months, the median overall survival (OS) was 22.0 months, and the 1-year OS rate was 81.8 %. All 39 patients had adverse events. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia and stomatitis occurred in 21 (53.9 %) and 4 (10.3 %) patients, respectively. Our results suggest that FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab is a clinically effective regimen with a manageable toxicity profile as first-line chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

MYC rearrangements are useful for predicting outcomes following rituximab and chemotherapy: multicenter analysis of Japanese patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and it has several morphologic and clinicopathologic variants. The prognosis of DLBCL can vary according to specific genetic and immunophenotypic abnormalities. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic impact of previously identified prognostic factors, such as activated B cell-like immunophenotype, CD5, BCL2 and MYC rearrangement (MYC-R), in patients treated with rituximab. We retrospectively analyzed the prognosis of 100 patients with DLBCL (median age, 66.5 years) treated with rituximab-containing chemotherapy. The 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 66% and 62%. Outcomes were significantly worse in patients with MYC-R in 3-year OS (50% vs. 67.8%, p = 0.043) and PFS (30% vs. 57.8%, p = 0.003), and multivariate analysis showed that this finding was independent of the International Prognostic Index (IPI). Immunostaining by Muris algorithm had the highest predictive power among the three algorithms. However, other previously reported prognostic factors, such as BCL2 and CD5, were not good predictors of outcomes in these patients. In conclusion, our data suggest that fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis for MYC-R can predict outcomes in response to rituximab-containing chemotherapy in Japanese patients with DLBCL.

Clinical outcomes by relative docetaxel dose and dose intensity as chemotherapy for Japanese patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer: a retrospective multi-institutional collaborative study

The aim of this study was to retrospectively investigate clinical outcomes by relative dose and dose intensity of docetaxel (DOC) as chemotherapy for Japanese patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). A total of 145 CRPC patients who received more than 4 courses of DOC chemotherapy at 14 hospitals between 2005 and 2011 were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups--those receiving a higher or lower dose (mg/m(2)) or dose intensity (mg/m(2)/week). Differences between the groups regarding treatment outcomes and adverse events (AEs) were determined. Additionally, prognostic factors predictive of cancer-specific survival (CSS) in these patients were identified by both univariate and multivariate analysis. The total patient group underwent a mean of 11.2 ± 7.4 DOC cycles, and the mean CSS after therapy was 15.6 ± 10.1 months. The higher-dose group had a better prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response than the lower-dose group. However, there was no significant difference between the groups in prognosis after DOC chemotherapy. Leukopenia and neutropenia were observed more frequently in the higher-dose group. Serum biomarkers (including PSA, lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase), hemoglobin levels and presence of pain at initiation of chemotherapy, as well as the PSA nadir level on first-line hormone therapy, all were significant predictors of CSS. In the Japanese population, relatively low-dose DOC chemotherapy had no deleterious effect on the CSS of CRPC patients, and a lower incidence of AEs occurred, in spite of a diminished PSA response compared with those receiving a higher dose.

Triplet chemotherapy with paclitaxel, gemcitabine, and cisplatin as second-line therapy for advanced urothelial carcinoma

Background: Methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin regimen, and gemcitabine and cisplatin regimen are widely used for advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinomas (UCs). However, a standard treatment for patients who fail these firstline chemotherapies is unavailable. We examined the efficacy and safety of secondline paclitaxel, gemcitabine, and cisplatin (PCG) chemotherapy in Japanese patients. Methods: Between 2004 and 2010, 25 patients with metastatic UCs who failed to respond to platinumbased regimens were treated with PCG. They received intravenous paclitaxel (60 mg/m2) and gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2) on days 1 and 8, and cisplatin (70 mg/m2) on day 2 of every 21 day course. We retrospectively collected patients’ clinical and pathological data and evaluated adverse effects and survivals. Results: Patients underwent 95 PCG cycles in all (average, 3.8 cycles per patient). One patient (4%) achieved complete response, 5 (20%) showed partial response, 8 (42%) had disease stabilization, and 5 (26%) had disease progression. Median overall survival was 8.5 months. Neutropenia and thrombocytopenia of grade ≥ 3 were observed in 68% and 56% of patients, respectively. No treatment related death occurred. Multivariate analysis revealed that hemoglobin levels 1.73 m2) were significant risk factors for overall survival. Conclusion: PCG chemotherapy in the secondline setting potentially contributed to good prognosis in selected patients with relatively significant but tolerable toxicity.