Docetaxel Chemotherapy Research Articles

ABCB1 and ABCC2 genetic polymorphism as risk factors for neutropenia in esophageal cancer patients treated with docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy.

The combination of docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) is a newly developed chemotherapy regimen for esophageal cancer. Severe neutropenia is dose-limiting toxicity of docetaxel and it is well known to be frequently occurred during DCF chemotherapy. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between severe neutropenia and genetic polymorphisms in patients treated with preoperative DCF chemotherapy. A total of 158 patients were investigated for their absolute neutrophil count (ANC) within the first cycle of DCF chemotherapy at the National Cancer Center (NCC) Hospital East. DNA samples obtained from the NCC Biobank Registry were used for the analysis of nine genetic polymorphisms related to docetaxel pharmacokinetics. These genotypes were evaluated for their association with severe neutropenia, and further their risk factors were examined using a multivariate logistic regression. A total 81 (51.3%) patients developed severe neutropenia. Multivariate analysis revealed that age (OR 1.054; CI 1.008-1.102, P = 0.022), baseline ANC (OR 1.019; CI 1.002-1.037, P = 0.030), ABCB1 3435C>T (OR 2.191; CI 1.087-4.417, P = 0.028) and ABCC2 *+9383C>G (OR 2.342; CI 1.108-4.948, P = 0.026) were significant risk factors for severe neutropenia development. The results from this study showed that age, ANC, ABCB1 3435C>T, and ABCC2 *+9383 G>C increased the incidence of severe neutropenia with the number of identified risk factors. In addition to age and baseline ANC, ABCB1 3435C>T and ABCC2 *+9383C>G were identified as independent predictors for severe neutropenia in esophageal cancer patients treated with DCF chemotherapy.

Adding carboplatin to chemotherapy regimens for metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer in postsecond generation hormone therapy setting: Impact on treatment response and survival outcomes.

The clinical course in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) can be complicated when patients have disease progression after prior treatment with second generation hormone therapy (second HT), such as enzalutamide or abiraterone. Currently, limited data exist regarding the optimal choice of chemotherapy for mCRPC after failing second generation hormone therapy. We sought to evaluate three common chemotherapy regimens in this setting. We retrospectively identified 150 mCRPC patients with disease progression on enzalutamide or abiraterone. Of these 150 patients, 92 patients were chemo-naïve while 58 patients had previously received docetaxel chemotherapy before being started on second HT. After failing second HT, 90 patients were assigned for docetaxel-alone (group A), 33 patients received carboplatin plus docetaxel (group B), while 27 patients received cabazitaxel-alone (Group C). A favorable response was defined by more than or equal to 50% reduction in prostate-specific antigen from the baseline level after a complete course of chemotherapy. Survival outcomes were assessed for 30-month overall survival. Patients in group (B) were 2.6 times as likely to have a favorable response compared to patients in group (A) (OR = 2.625, 95%CI: 1.15-5.99) and almost three times compared to patients in group (C) (OR = 2.975, 95%CI: 1.04-8.54) (P = .0442). 30-month overall survival was 70.7%, 38.9% and 30.3% for group (B), (A), and (C), respectively (P = .008). We report a Hazard Ratio of 3.1 (95% CI, 1.31-7.35; P = .0037) between patients in group (A) versus those in group (B) and a Hazard Ratio of 4.18 (95% CI, 1.58-11.06; P = .0037) between patients in group (C) compared to those in group (B) CONCLUSION: This data demonstrates improved response and overall survival in treatment-refractory mCRPC with a chemotherapy regimen of docetaxel plus carboplatin when compared to docetaxel alone or cabazitaxel alone. Further investigations are required.

The Tumor Suppressor Role of the Ras Association Domain Family 10.

The Ras association domain family 10(RASSF10), a tumor suppressor gene, is located on human chromosome 11p15.2, which is one of the members homologous to other N-terminal RASSF families obtained through structural prediction. RASSF10 plays an important role in inhibiting proliferation, invasion, and migration, inducing apoptosis, making cancer cells sensitive to docetaxel, and capturing G2/M phase. Some studies have found that RASSF10 may inhibit the occurrence and development of tumors by regulating Wnt/β-catenin, P53, and MMP2. Methylation of tumor suppressor gene promoter is a key factor in the development and progression of many tumors. Various methylation detection methods confirmed that the methylation and downregulation of RASSF10 often occur in various tumors, such as gastric cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, and leukemia. The status of RASSF10 methylation is positively correlated with tumor size, tumor type, and TNM stage. RASSF10 methylation can be used as a prognostic factor for overall survival and disease-free survival, and is also a sign of tumor diagnosis and sensitivity to docetaxel chemotherapy. In this review, we mainly elucidate the acknowledged structure and progress in the verified functions of RASSF10 and the probably relevant signaling pathways.

Efficacy and feasibility of induction chemotherapy with paclitaxel, carboplatin and cetuximab for locally advanced unresectable head and neck cancer patients ineligible for combination treatment with docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil.

Docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (TPF) induction chemotherapy (ICT) is a treatment option for locally advanced unresectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC). However, patients with advanced age, or renal, cardiac or neurogenic dysfunction are ineligible for ICT-TPF. We retrospectively assessed 24 unresectable LA-HNSCC patients who received paclitaxel, carboplatin and cetuximab (PCE) as ICT at the Shizuoka Cancer Center between April 2013 and October 2018. Patient characteristics were as follows: median age, 72years (range 60-81); 0, 1, and 2 performance status (PS), 1, 15, and 8 patients, respectively, and creatinine clearance ≥ 60mL/min or < 60mL/min, 8 and 16 patients, respectively. The main reasons for PCE selection were renal impairment, older age, cardiac dysfunction, poor PS, and cerebral infarction. Twenty-two patients (92%) completed two or three cycles of ICT-PCE. After ICT-PCE, one patient (4%) and 20 patients (83%) achieved a complete response and partial response, respectively. Twenty-one patients (87%) advanced to definitive locoregional treatment. Median observation period was 25.2months. The 12-month progression-free and overall survival rates were 75 and 92%, respectively. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 29.4 and 34.8months, respectively. Grade 3 or 4 toxicities included neutropenia (58%), oral mucositis (8%), and febrile neutropenia (4%). ICT-PCE may be a tolerable and potential option for unresectable LA-HNSCC patients ineligible for TPF.

Cabozantinib as a choice for platinum-refractory metastatic urothelial cancer.

In the field of systemic therapy for metastatic urothelial cancer, more than 30 years has passed without the development of any definitive subsequent-line of therapy for patients who do not respond to platinum-based combination chemotherapy. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab, have built a solid evidence base for a role as a second-line therapy for patients with platinum-refractory metastatic urothelial cancer. The pivotal phase 3 trial, KEYNOTE-045,1 evaluating the survival benefit of pembrolizumab in 542 patients with platinum-refractory metastatic urothelial cancer, showed that median overall survival in the pembrolizumab group was 10·3 months (95% CI 8·0–11·8), which was significantly longer than that in paclitaxel, docetaxel, or vinflunine chemotherapy group (7·4 months [6·1–8·3]).

PSMA-Directed CAR T Cells Combined with Low-Dose Docetaxel Treatment Induce Tumor Regression in a Prostate Cancer Xenograft Model

While chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy targeting CD19 has shown remarkable success in patients with lymphoid malignancies, the potency of CAR T cells in solid tumors is low so far. To improve the efficacy of CAR T cells targeting prostate carcinoma, we designed a novel CAR that recognizes a new epitope in the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and established novel paradigms to apply CAR T cells in a preclinical prostate cancer model. In vitro characterization of the D7 single-chain antibody fragment-derived anti-PSMA CAR confirmed that the choice of the co-stimulatory domain is a major determinant of CAR T cell activation, differentiation, and exhaustion. In vivo, focal injections of the PSMA CAR T cells eradicated established human prostate cancer xenografts in a preclinical mouse model. Moreover, systemic intravenous CAR T cell application significantly inhibited tumor growth in combination with non-ablative low-dose docetaxel chemotherapy, while docetaxel or CAR T cell application alone was not effective. In conclusion, the focal application of D7-derived CAR T cells and their combination with chemotherapy represent promising immunotherapeutic avenues to treat local and advanced prostate cancer in the clinic.

Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer (mHSPC): Advances and Treatment Strategies in the First-Line Setting.

The treatment landscape of metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) has changed radically in recent years. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) alone was for decades the standard of care for treating mHSPC. This changed when studies showed that the addition of docetaxel chemotherapy or abiraterone acetate to ADT significantly increases overall survival of patients with mHSPC, followed by more recent evidence showing the efficacy of androgen receptor antagonists, such as enzalutamide and apalutamide, in this setting. While this rapid therapeutic evolution is welcome, it presents clinicians with a crucial challenge: the choice of treatment selection and sequencing. In the first-line setting there are no comparative data currently available to guide treatment choice between the different available regimens, and no prospective data to guide clinical decision after progression. Decisions on treatment will now need to be personalised based on indirect comparison of the available efficacy data from multiple phase 3 studies, together with considerations of disease volume, comorbidities, treatment aims, toxicity profile and cost reimbursement within the healthcare setting. Here, we provide an overview of the clinical trial data to date and propose some biological and clinical insights which may be helpful in making decisions on treatment selection and sequencing.

Chemotherapy, not androgen receptor-targeted therapy should be used upfront for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. PRO: docetaxel chemotherapy should be the default consideration in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.

Chemotherapy, not androgen receptor-targeted therapy should be used upfront for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. PRO: docetaxel chemotherapy should be the default consideration in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.

MiR-92b as a marker for TPF induced chemotherapy response prediction and prognosis evaluation in with advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma patients

This study aimed to explore the clinical value of miR-92b in advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to observe the relationship between miR-92b and TPF induced chemotherapy and prognosis. Totally 114 patients with advanced OSCC admitted to our hospital were selected as the study subjects, all of whom received docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (TPF) induction chemotherapy. In addition, another 80 healthy subjects who underwent physical examination in our hospital from the same period were enrolled. The serum expression of miR-92b was detected by qRT-PCR. Serum miR-92b was up-regulated in patients with advanced OSCC, and its expression was associated with higher TNM staging and lymph node metastasis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) of serum miR-92b for the diagnosis of advanced OSCC was 0.931. After treatment, the miR-92b expression was significantly reduced, and the ROC curve showed an AUC value of 0.889 for predicting treatment sensitivity of serum miR-92b. What's more, Logistic indicated that TNM staging, lymph node metastasis and serum miR-92b expression were independent risk factors affecting the treatment efficacy. Survival analysis demonstrated that OSCC patients with high miR-92b expression had poorer OS and DFS compared to patients with low miR-92b expression. Multivariate Cox regression exhibited that TNM staging, lymph node metastasis, and serum miR-92b expression were self-regulating risk factors for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with advanced OSCC. MiR-92b is up-regulated in patients with advanced OSCC, which can be used as a marker for induction chemotherapy and prognosis evaluation of advanced OSCC.

Exploring the Promising Potential of High Permeation Vesicle-Mediated Localized Transdermal Delivery of Docetaxel in Breast Cancer To Overcome the Limitations of Systemic Chemotherapy.

The currently available systemic chemotherapy for treating breast cancer often results in serious systemic side effects and compromises patient compliance. The distinct anatomical features of human breasts (e.g., embryological origin of breast skin, highly developed internal lymphatic and venous circulation, and the presence of mammary fat layers) help in preferential accumulation of drugs into breasts after topical application on breast region. This unique feature is termed as localized transdermal delivery which could be utilized for effectively delivering anticancer agents to treat breast cancer and reducing the systemic side effects by limiting their presence in blood. However, the clinical effectiveness of this drug delivery approach is highly limited by barrier properties of skin reducing the permeation of anticancer drugs. In the present work, we have developed high permeation vesicles (HPVs) using phospholipids and synergistic combination of permeation enhancers (SCOPE) to improve the skin permeation of drugs. Docetaxel (DTX) was used as a model drug for hypothesis testing. The optimized SCOPE mixture composed of sodium oleate/sodium lauryl ether sulfate/propylene glycol in 64:16:20% w/w ratio. DTX HPVs were prepared using phospholipid: SCOPE, 8:2% w/w ratio. DTX HPVs exhibited as a uniform deformable vesicles with size range 124.2 ± 7.6 nm, significantly improved skin permeation profile, and sustained drug release until 48 h. Superior vesicle deformability, better vesicle membrane fluidization, and SCOPE mediated enhancement in skin fluidization were the prime factors behind enhancement of DTX permeation. The improved cellular uptake, reduced IC50 values, and higher apoptotic index of DTX HPVs in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells ensured the therapeutic effectiveness of HPV based therapy. Also, HPVs were found to be predominantly internalized inside cells through clathrin and caveolae-dependent endocytic pathways. Bioimaging analysis in mice confirmed the tumor penetration potential and effective accumulation of HPVs inside tumors after topical application. In vivo studies were carried out in comparison with marketed intravenous DTX injection (Taxotere) to compare the effectiveness of topical chemotherapy. The topical application of DTX HPV gel in tumor bearing mice resulted in nearly 4-fold tumor volume reduction which was equivalent to intravenous Taxotere therapy. Toxicity analysis of DTX HPV gel in comparison with intravenous Taxotere dosing showcased remarkably lower levels of toxicity biomarkers (aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine), indicating improved safety of topical chemotherapy. Overall results warranted the effectiveness of topical DTX chemotherapy to reduce tumor burden with substantially reduced risk of systemic toxicities in breast cancer.

Association between prognosis and complete resection in primary cutaneous myoepithelial carcinoma: two case presentations and literature review.

Myoepithelial carcinoma is a rare tumor that occurs in the salivary glands. Therefore, primary cutaneous myoepithelial carcinoma is extremely rare. The malignancy of this tumor is due to its aggressive nature and high metastatic potential. Despite the general consideration that primary cutaneous myoepithelial carcinoma has a poor prognosis, there are few available prognostic data. Herein, we report two cases of primary cutaneous myoepithelial carcinoma to expand the literature on the clinical and pathological characteristics of this disease. In case 1, the tumor was completely resected and sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed, resulting in long-term survival. In contrast, case 2 progressed aggressively with multiple bone metastases despite treatment with docetaxel chemotherapy, and the patient ultimately died of the disease. Only 14 cases, including the present two cases, of primary cutaneous myoepithelial carcinoma have been reported to date. Overall, patients with clinical regional or distant metastases show a severe clinical course. Nevertheless, even in cases of inappropriate resection or local recurrence, if complete resection is ultimately achieved prior to clinical metastasis, the prognosis is good and survival is prolonged. Therefore, obtaining complete resection appears to be the most important treatment strategy for primary cutaneous myoepithelial carcinoma.

Co-delivery of all-trans-retinoic acid and docetaxel in drug conjugated polymeric nanoparticles: Improving controlled release and anticancer effect

Nanoparticular combination chemotherapy with polymer-drug graft has been designed to overcome the limitations of traditional chemotherapy. In this purpose, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) grafted poly β-amino ester (ATRA-g-PBAE copolymer) was applied to encapsulate docetaxel (DTX) by the solvent displacement method and to make DTX loaded ATRA-g-PBAE nanoparticles (NPs). The size of NPs was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The size and zeta potential of NPs were measured by Zetasizer, and the morphology was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In vitro release was performed at pH 7.4 and 5.8. The anti-angiogenic effect, cytotoxicity, and blood compatibility of DTX loaded ATRA-g-PBAE NPs were investigated. The optimum size of the NPs was 137.9 ± 2.09 nm. The in vitro release of ATRA and DTX from NPs was pH-dependent, and it accelerated as pH decreased from 7.4–5.8. Results demonstrated that NPs had higher cytotoxicity and anti-angiogenic activity than that of free ATRA and DTX. In conclusion, biocompatible ATRA-g-PBAE NPs are a promising controlled released system for co-delivery of ATRA and DTX in chemotherapy.

Risk Factors for Febrile Neutropenia Induced by Docetaxel Chemotherapy in Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

We retrospectively obtained data of patient background and pretreatment characteristics from medical records and identified the predictive factors of febrile neutropenia (FN) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with docetaxel alone or in combination with the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody bevacizumab. Patients were eligible for inclusion in the study if they were 20 years or older, diagnosed with NSCLC, and received docetaxel monotherapy alone or in combination with bevacizumab at the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, between July 1, 2011, and March 31, 2018. Eighty-one patients with recurrent or advanced NSCLC were included. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis with backward selection revealed that lower baseline Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS) scores of 1 and 2 (odds ratio (OR), 5.098; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.045-24.879, p = 0.021) and baseline platelet count below 18.8 × 104/µL (OR, 3.861; 95% CI, 1.211-12.311, p = 0.022) were significant factors influencing the FN occurrence rate. Our results demonstrated that ECOG-PS 1-2 and lower baseline platelet count were significant risk factors of FN in patients with NSCLC receiving docetaxel-based chemotherapy. Moreover, the combination of anti-VEGF antibodies and docetaxel might be associated with increased FN frequency. Despite the limitations of this study including its retrospective design, single-center site, and small sample size, baseline ECOG-PS score and platelet count may be regarded as important indices to identify patients for prophylactic granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) treatment before docetaxel-based chemotherapy.

Low-dose fractionated radiation with induction docetaxel and cisplatin followed by concurrent cisplatin and radiation therapy in locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer: A randomized phase II–III trial

Objective/BackgroundTo evaluate the efficacy and outcome of adding low-dose fractionated radiotherapy (LDFRT) to induction chemotherapy plus concurrent chemoradiation in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC). MethodsA single-institute, phase II–III, prospectively controlled randomized clinical trial was performed at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. Patients aged 18–70 years with WHO type II and III, stage III–IVB nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score of 0–2, with adequate hematological, renal, and hepatic function were eligible. In total, 108 patients were enrolled in this trial. All patients received two cycles of induction docetaxel and cisplatin (75 mg/m2 each) chemotherapy on Days 1 and 22, followed by concurrent chemoradiation therapy. Radiation therapy consisted of 70 Gy in 33 fractions, with concurrent cisplatin 25 mg/m2 for 4 days on Days 43 and 64. Patients were randomly assigned to either adding LDFRT (0.5 Gy twice daily 6 hours apart for 2 days) to induction chemotherapy in the experimental arm (54 patients) or induction chemotherapy alone in the control arm (54 patients). ResultsThere was no significant difference in the post-induction response rates (RRs) or in toxicity between the two treatment arms. The 3-year overall survival (OS), locoregional control (LRC), and distant metastases-free survival (DMFS) rates for experimental arm and control arm were 94% versus 93% (p = .8), 84.8% versus 87.5% (p = .58), and 84.1% versus 91.6% (p = .25), respectively. ConclusionThe results showed no benefit from adding LDFRT to induction chemotherapy in terms of RR, OS, LRC, and DMFS.

Nasal vestibulitis: An MNCCTN natural history trial—Nasal vestibulitis symptoms associated with paclitaxel, docetaxel, and other chemotherapy agents.

e24086 Background: Nasal vestibulitis has been infrequently described as a side effect of cancer-directed therapy; however, a preliminary study reported that 71% of patients undergoing taxane chemotherapy experienced nasal vestibulitis symptoms. This natural history trial describes the incidence, characteristics, and severity of nasal vestibulitis symptoms among patients undergoing paclitaxel, docetaxel, and non-taxane chemotherapy. Methods: Eligible participants who reported baseline (prior to starting chemotherapy) nasal symptoms ≤ 2 on a 10-point scale were enrolled in this trial upon initiation of a new treatment regimen, involving paclitaxel or docetaxel, or non-taxane chemotherapy. Participants completed nasal symptom logs each time they received a dose of therapy until either the regimen was stopped or four months had passed. The proportion of patients reporting new nasal symptoms was estimated within each cohort with the 95% exact confidence interval (CI). A cumulative incidence model was utilized to quantify the incidence of treatment-emergent nasal symptoms within each cohort, while controlling for age, sex, smoking history, and history of asthma or allergies. Results: Thirty-five participants received paclitaxel, 21 received docetaxel, and 25 received other types of chemotherapy. 86.4% of participants were female, mean age was 60.2 ± 11.2 years; 93.8% of participants completed 2 or more surveys. A higher percentage of participants in the paclitaxel cohort experienced new nasal vestibulitis symptoms than participants in the other two cohorts. The percentage (95% CI) of participants with nasal symptoms, for patients receiving paclitaxel, docetaxel, and non-taxane chemotherapy were 74.3% (56.7%, 87.5%), 47.6% (25.7%, 70.2%), and 44.0% (24.4%, 65.1%), respectively. Epistaxis was reported by 60% of participants in the paclitaxel cohort. Paclitaxel-receiving participants also reported nasal dryness (48.6%), scabbing (40.0%), and pain (20.0%). Nearly half of participants reported moderate symptoms (4-7 out of a 10-point scale), with 8.6% reporting symptoms as severe (8-10 on a 10-point scale). Conclusions: Nasal vestibulitis is a common side effect of chemotherapy, especially paclitaxel chemotherapy.

ProCAID: A randomized double-blind phase II clinical trial of capivasertib (C) in combination with docetaxel and prednisolone chemotherapy (DP) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

5520 Background: DP extends survival in mCRPC, but clinical benefit is modest. PI3K/AKT/PTEN pathway activation is common in mCRPC contributing to disease progression and DP resistance. C is a pan-AKT inhibitor. Pre-clinical data indicate activity in prostate cancer and synergism with DP. This phase II trial combined C with DP in mCRPC. Methods: Key eligibility criteria: histologically or cytologically proven measurable or evaluable mCRPC, suitable for treatment with DP for PSA and/or radiographic disease progression, ECOG performance status 0-1, no prior chemotherapy for mCRPC, not requiring insulin or &gt; 2 oral hypoglycaemic drugs for diabetes mellitus. Treatment: up to 10 cycles of DP (D: 75 mg/m2 IV, day 1; P: 5 mg bd oral, day 1 – 21) and random assignment (1:1, double blind) to oral C (320 mg twice daily, 4 days on/3 days off, from cycle 1, day 2) or matched placebo to disease progression. Primary endpoint: progression free survival (PFS; comprising PSA, radiographic or clinical progression, new cancer therapy or death; PCWG2 criteria) in the intent to treat (ITT) population. Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and safety. PFS and OS were also assessed by composite biomarker (B) subgroup for PI3K/AKT/PTEN pathway activation status (NGS/IHC on archival tumour, contemporaneous ctDNA). Statistics: designed to detect a 50% increase in median PFS (6 to 9 months (mo)) between the placebo and C arms (90% power, 20% 1-sided alpha) by Cox proportional hazards model. Registration: ISRCTN 69139368. Results: 150 patients were randomised to 01/2019. Median follow up 16.77 months (IQR 12.0-26.5). PFS and OS by ITT and B status, are shown in the table (NR, not reached; CI confidence interval). Grade 3–4 adverse events (AE) were equally common between arms (62.2%). The most common AEs were diarrhoea, fatigue and nausea. Conclusions: Adding C to DP did not extend PFS. The OS secondary endpoint was significantly increased. PFS and OS results were consistent irrespective of PI3K/AKT/PTEN pathway activation status. Clinical trial information: 69139368 . [Table: see text]

NCI protocol 10250: A phase II study of temozolomide and olaparib for the treatment of advanced uterine leiomyosarcoma.

TPS11570 Background: Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is a heterogenous malignancy of mesenchymal origin and includes more than 50 biologically distinct subtypes. Leiomyosarcoma (LMS), a neoplasm of smooth muscle origin, represents up to 20% of STS. The uterus is the most common site of origin in women. Advanced uterine LMS (uLMS) is initially treated with gemcitabine + docetaxel or anthracycline-based chemotherapy but overall survival remains &lt; 24 mos. Besides recurrent alterations in RB1, TP53 and ATRX, insight into cancer biology of uLMS remains limited. Recently, whole exome and transcriptomic sequencing studies suggest uLMS harbors characteristic defects in the homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair pathway and thus features of BRCAness. HR-deficient cancers are unable to efficiently repair double-stranded DNA breaks and appear sensitive to treatment with poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. In preclinical studies, the combination of temozolomide (T), an alkylating agent, and olaparib (O), a PARP inhibitor, was synergistic and markedly suppressed proliferation of uLMS models. A recent phase II study in small cell lung cancer defined the RP2D for T + O where the chief toxicity was myelosuppression. Methods: NCI Protocol #10250 is a single-arm, open-label, multi-center phase II clinical trial of T + O in patients with advanced uLMS. Eligible pts have ECOG PS ≤ 2, progression on ≥ 1 prior line of therapy and disease measurable by RECIST v1.1 and amenable to image-guided biopsy. Pts receive T 75 mg/m2 PO daily + O 200 mg PO BID on days 1-7 in 21-day cycles. The 1° endpoint is objective response rate (ORR). A one-stage binomial design is used to evaluate for an ORR ≤ 10% (null hypothesis) versus ≥ 35% (alternative hypothesis). The design calls for 22 patients. If 5/22 respond, the treatment is promising. This design yields 93% power and 1-sided type I error of 6%. 2° endpoints include progression free survival and safety. All pts undergo tumor biopsies pre-treatment and during cycle 2. Tissue is used for correlative analysis interrogating uLMS for features of BRCAness through (a) whole exome sequencing/RNAseq to evaluate for alterations in HR pathway component genes, (b) RAD51 foci formation by immunohistochemistry as a functional marker of HR pathway activity and (c) protein expression of Schlafen family member number 11 (SLFN11), an emerging biomarker for PARPi. Tumors are also evaluated for MGMT protein expression, a known determinant of sensitivity to T. The study opened to accrual 10/2019. Clinical trial information: NCT03880019.

Phase II study of TAK228 in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring NFE2L2 and KEAP1 mutations.

9607 Background: Despite past efforts, no targeted therapies exist for squamous cell lung cancer (LUSC) pts. We identified a heretofore untargeted oncogene (NFE2L2)/tumor suppressor (KEAP1) pair, each mutated in ~15% of LUSCs. NFE2L2 encodes NRF2, a transcription factor involved in the oxidative stress response and targeted for degradation by KEAP1. NFE2L2 mutations (mut) occur only in an exon 2 hotspot (Neh2 domain), which is the binding site for KEAP1. Mutations in this region disrupt KEAP1 binding, leading to NRF2 nuclear translocation and increased mTOR signaling via RagD. We report translational studies and results from a phase 2 trial of the oral TORC1/2 inhibitor TAK228 in biomarker-selected pts. Methods: Cell line and xenograft experiments were performed using LK-2 LUSC (NFE2L2 E79K mut), A549 ADCL (KRAS G12S + KEAP1 loss), and SK-MES-1 LUSC cells (NFE2L2/KEAP1 WT) treated with TAK-228, everolimus, rapamycin, or deforolimus. Pts with stage IV LUSC harboring NFE2L2 or KEAP1 mut and ADCL harboring KRAS + KEAP1 co-mut were treated on an NCI CTEP phase 2 study of TAK228 3mg po qd (NCT02417701). Primary endpoint: ORR. Secondary endpoint: PFS. The study used a Simon 2-stage design for each cohort with H0 = 5% (N≥1/5 responses), HA = 40% (N≥2/10 responses). Results: TAK228 exhibited differential anti-tumor activity over TORC1 rapalogs in LK-2 and A549 cells. TAK228 alone was cytotoxic at sub-[μM] (IC50 68nM) in LK-2 cells; all other rapalogs had IC50s &gt; 10μM. This was associated with marked decrease in TORC1/2 &amp; MAPK signaling (decreased pS6, pAKT, pERK). Anti-tumor response was seen in LK-2 and A549 xenografts treated with TAK228. No anti-tumor/growth inhibitory responses were seen with any other rapalog. N = 21 evaluable pts have been treated (10 NFE2L2, 6 KEAP1, 5 KRAS+NFE2L2/KEAP1). Median age = 70; median prior lines tx = 2, smokers = 100%, median pack yrs = 39. Most common AEs included hyperglycemia (72%), fatigue (32%), diarrhea (32%), decreased appetite (32%). In NFE2L2 mut LUSC pts, ORR = 20% (2/10 confirmed PR), DCR = 100% with median PFS = 8.9mos (95%CI 7-NR). In KEAP1 mut LUSC pts, ORR = 17% (1/6 confirmed PR), DCR = 67% with PFS range = 1.8-8.6 mos. In KRAS + NFE2L2/KEAP1 mut ADCL pts, ORR = 0% and DCR = 0%. Conclusions: TAK228 is tolerable with differential activity in NFE2L2 (primary endpoint met) and KEAP1 mutant LUSC. A randomized phase 2 trial of TAK228 + docetaxel vs. SoC chemotherapy in advanced LUSC pts with NFE2L2/KEAP1 mut is in development (LungMAP S1900D) as is an NCI CTEP phase 1/1b trial of TAK228 + CB-839 in advanced NSCLC patients with NFE2L2/KEAP1 mut (NCI #10327). Clinical trial information: NCT02417701 .

Radiographic paradoxical response in patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) undergoing treatment with second-generation hormone therapy (second-HT).

5577 Background: Prostate specific antigen (PSA) has well-recognized limitations as a marker for treatment response and disease progression. A post hoc analysis of the PREVAIL trial reported 24.5% of chemotherapy naïve mCRPC patients on enzalutamide had radiographic progression on conventional imaging with non-rising PSA. In this study, we sought to retrospectively compare PSA levels with C-11 choline positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (PET/CT) images in patients with m-CRPC on 2nd-HT with prior use of chemotherapy. Methods: We identified 123 patients with mCRPC on 2nd-HT following prior use of docetaxel chemotherapy (Abiraterone, n = 106; Enzalutamide, n = 17). Patients underwent serial PSA testing and C-11 choline PET/ CTs every 3–6 months. Disease progression was defined by the increase in blood pool corrected maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the index lesion on C-11 choline PET/CT scan. Suspicious lesions were confirmed by biopsy and/or conventional imaging. Results: Approximately 43% (n = 53) of patients had radiographic disease progression while on 2nd-HT. At time of radiographic progression, 60.4% of patients showed a parallel rise in PSA (Group-A), while 39.6% showed a paradoxical response; defined as radiographic progression with stable or down-trending PSA (Group-B). Median PSA at time of progression was 3.1 ng/ml for Group-A, and 1.3 ng/ml for Group-B (p-value = 0.0176). Median SUVmax was the same (4.9 Group-A, 4.6 Group-B; p-value = 0.6072). Bone-predominance progression was more significant in Group-B (90%) versus Group-A (65%) (p-value = 0.0309). The median time for radiographic progression was 9.5 months versus 3.9 months for Group-A and Group-B, respectively (Log-Rank = 0.0063). Conclusions: Metabolic imaging is a useful tool that should complement PSA in the evaluation of treatment response and disease progression in mCRPC patients on 2nd-HT, especially considering the paradoxical response observed in our data.

Use of plasma androgen receptor (AR) testing to optimize docetaxel chemotherapy in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC): A multicenter biomarker study.

5546 Background: Plasma AR status has been identified as a potential biomarker of response in CRPC patients receiving docetaxel or the AR-targeted therapies abiraterone or enzalutamide. However, the relevance of plasma AR in the overall management of CRPC patients (pts) receiving docetaxel at different dose due to the toxicity profiles and physician-patient preferences is unknown. Methods: This was a multi-institution study of associations between baseline plasma AR-copy-number status assessed by droplet digital PCR and outcome in 325 CRPC pts. Between September 2011 and July 2019 pts started treatment with docetaxel administered at standard regimen 75mg/m2 every three weeks or adapted regimen (75-80% of standard recommended dose or 30mg/m2 weekly administration) at the discretion of the treating physician. Patients were assigned randomly into 2 sets with a ratio 2:1 to either training (n=217) and internal validation (n=108) cohorts. Results: In our study, adapted regimen of docetaxel was administered in 68 (31.3%) and 35 (32.4%) of training and validation cohorts, respectively. Based on plasma AR status, 67 (30.9%) and 39 (36.1%) validation and training set pts were classified as AR gain, respectively. In men treated with standard docetaxel regimen, no difference in progression-free/overall survival (PFS/OS) was seen between plasma AR normal and gain in both cohorts. In patients treated with adapted docetaxel regimen, we observed a significantly shorter median PFS (3.9 vs. 6.4 months, HR 4.77, 95%CI 1.48-3.80, p=0.0003) and median OS (11.2 vs . 20.4 months, HR 2.87, 95%CI 1.73-2.13, p=0.0008) in the training cohort. This finding was confirmed in the validation cohort (median PFS: 4.8 vs. 7.4 months, HR 2.54, 95%CI 1.40-4.58, p=0.005, and median OS: 11.8 vs. 26.4 months, HR 5.00, 95%CI 2.59-9.65, p&lt;0.0001). In addition, AR-gained patients were less likely than AR normal to have a PSA decline when receiving an adapted regimen in both cohorts (p=0.010 e p=0.003, respectively). Conclusions: This study suggests that plasma AR may improve clinical decision making in choosing not only between AR-directed therapies and taxanes, but also between adapted and standard regimen of docetaxel in first- and subsequent-therapy lines, providing promising clinical implications to select the proper timing and dose of docetaxel. Prospective trials to validate these findings are warranted.