Extensive Stage Research Articles

IDeate-Lung02: A phase 3, randomized, open-label study of ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd) vs treatment of physician’s choice (TPC) in relapsed small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

TPS8126 Background: SCLC is an aggressive malignancy, and patients (pts) with extensive stage (ES)-SCLC have a relatively short median overall survival (OS), with limited treatment options beyond first-line (1L) therapy. B7 homolog 3 (B7-H3 [CD276]) is a transmembrane protein expressed in many solid tumors but with low/no expression in normal tissue. In SCLC, B7-H3 is highly expressed and associated with poor prognosis and lack of response to standard therapy. I-DXd is a B7-H3-directed antibody–drug conjugate comprising an anti-B7-H3 mAb linked to a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload (DXd) via a stable cleavable linker, designed to enhance selective tumor cell death and reduce systemic exposure. I-DXd demonstrated durable efficacy (objective response rate [ORR] 52.4%; median duration of response [DoR] 5.9 mo; median OS 12.2 mo) irrespective of B7-H3 status, with a manageable safety profile in 21 ES-SCLC pts with a median of 2 prior lines of therapy in a Phase 1/2 trial (NCT04145622). I-DXd is being investigated in an ongoing Phase 2 trial in pretreated ES-SCLC, IDeate-Lung01 (NCT05280470). We describe a Phase 3 trial comparing the efficacy and safety of I-DXd vs TPC in relapsed SCLC. Methods: IDeate-Lung02 (NCT06203210) is a global, multicenter, randomized, open-label, Phase 3 trial in adult pts with relapsed SCLC who have received 1 prior line of platinum-based therapy and have an ECOG PS of ≤1; pts with asymptomatic brain metastases are eligible. Pts are randomized 1:1 to receive I-DXd 12 mg/kg iv every 3 wks (n = 234) or TPC (n = 234; topotecan, amrubicin, or lurbinectedin). Randomization is stratified by chemotherapy-free interval after 1L therapy (< 90 vs ≥90 days); TPC (topotecan vs amrubicin vs lurbinectedin); prior treatment with PD-(L)1 (yes vs no); and presence/history of asymptomatic brain metastases (yes vs no). Study treatment continues until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, withdrawal of consent, death, loss to follow-up, or other reasons per protocol. Radiographic tumor assessments occur every 6 wks for 48 wks, then every 12 wks. Dual primary efficacy endpoints are ORR per RECIST v1.1 by blinded independent central review (BICR) and OS. Secondary efficacy endpoints are ORR per investigator; progression-free survival, DoR, disease control rate and time to response by BICR and investigator; and patient-reported outcomes. Safety endpoints include incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), deaths, serious TEAEs, and TEAEs leading to dose modification or discontinuation. Immunogenicity of I-DXd and relationship between B7-H3 expression and clinical outcome are also secondary objectives. ORR will be analyzed using a Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test at a 2-sided 1% alpha level, and OS will be analyzed using a log-rank test at a 2-sided 4% significance level, under a 2-look group sequential design. Clinical trial information: NCT06203210 .

Patient-centered perspectives: Examining quality-of-life integration in phase III lung cancer trials (2019-2023).

e23181 Background: In the dynamic landscape of lung cancer treatment, marked by precision medicine advancements, addressing the persistent global health challenge of lung cancer requires nuanced evaluations beyond traditional endpoints like Overall Survival (OS). Aligned with the emphasis on patient-centered care, both the US FDA and ASCO advocate for consistent integration of Quality of Life (QoL) and Patient-Reported Outcomes (PRO). The FDA's 2021 guidance underscores standardized assessment strategies, and ASCO's conceptual framework highlights the pivotal role of QoL and PRO data in elucidating the genuine value of cancer treatment options. This investigation aims to illuminate the extent to which recent trials consider patients' subjective experiences without presupposing an impact on QoL. Methods: This systematic review analyzed PubMed for Phase III lung cancer clinical trials involving anticancer drugs conducted between 2019 and 2023 to assess if QoL was included as an endpoint. Subgroup analyses categorized trials by cancer subtype (e.g., non-small cell lung cancer [NSCLC], small cell lung cancer [SCLC]). Analyses were also stratified by publication year to explore potential temporal trends. The total prevalence of QoL as an endpoint was calculated across all lung cancer subtypes for the entire 5-year period. Subanalyses included impact factor categories (≥ 10 and < 10) and differentiation between superiority and noninferiority trials. Results: The systematic analysis identified 191 Phase III lung cancer clinical trials published between 2019 and 2023, meeting the criteria. QoL was included in 31.93% of trials across all subtypes. Subgroup analyses showed that 33.72% of NSCLC trials incorporated QoL, with variations observed in early-stage resectable disease (26.31%) and unresectable advanced and metastatic cases (34.66%). For SCLC, 19.04% of trials included QoL, with none in the limited stage and 22.22% in the extensive stage. Stratified by publication year, 2019 had 33.33%, 2020 had 39.02%, 2021 had 33.33%, 2022 had 23.33%, and 2023 had 28.94% trials with QoL assessments. Stratification based on impact factor (IF) and trial type revealed 29.4% in Journals ≥10 IF, 35.6% in Journals < 10 IF, 35.5% in superiority trials, and 21.6% in non-inferiority trials. Conclusions: Our analysis reveals a significant shortfall in incorporating QoL as an endpoint. Across all subtypes and stages, a limited percentage of trials included PRO, highlighting a crucial gap in evaluating the comprehensive impact of interventions. The underrepresentation of QoL assessments signals a need for greater attention to the holistic patient experience in lung cancer research. Moving forward, a more standardized and comprehensive integration of QoL assessments in Phase III trials is essential to enhance our understanding of treatment impact and inform more patient-centered care decisions.

Results of a phase III clinical trial with anti-PDL1 treatment in combination with chemotherapy for extensive stage small cell lung cancer.

8095 Background: In China, small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for over 15% of lung cancers. The morbidity of SCLC has been continuously increasing. SCLC is invasive, fast-growing cancer that distinctly differs from other cancers. Approximately 70% of cases present with metastasis at diagnosis and the median overall survival rate is about 8 to 11 months with a 5-year survival rate of less than 5%. Although being sensitive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, SCLC patients are liable to relapse and often present with drug resistance. Here we study the combination of Socazolimab, an anti-PDL1 antibody, carboplatin and etoposide to treat extensive stage small cell lung cancer. Methods: The study is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled multicenter Phase III clinical trial. Patients who have extensive-stage SCLC are eligible to the trial. Patients are randomly assigned to the study group (Socazolimab + carboplatin + etoposide) or control group (placebo + carboplatin + etoposide) at 1:1 ratio, with a treatment cycle of every 3 weeks. There are 4 cycles of chemotherapy followed by Socazolimab or placebo alone until termination events occurred or for up to 2 years. The primary endpoint is overall survival (OS). The major secondary endpoint is progression free survival (PFS). Results: There were a total of 498 patients recruited for the study with average age of 61.9 amount which 449 patients were diagnosed with stage IV SCLC. All the analysis was based on intent-to-treat (ITT). The median baseline performance status score was 1.0. The median OS of study group and control group are 13.90 months (95% CI: 12.22-15.34) and 11.58 months (95% CI: 10.64-12.81) respectively, with a P-value of 0.0316. The 24 month survival rate of study group and control group are 20.7% (95% CI:14.8-27.3) and 5.9 %(95% CI: 0.8-18.9). The median PFS of the two groups are 5.55 months (95% CI:5.06-5.82) and 4.37 months (95% CI: 4.27-4.70) with a P-value < 0.0001. The treatment related adverse event were similar in both groups. Conclusions: These results show that Socazolimab plus chemotherapy continued to provide clinically meaningful improvements in OS for patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer. Clinical trial information: NCT04878016 .

Real world outcomes in extensive stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) treated with consolidative thoracic radiation (cTRT) and chemoimmunotherapy (CIT): A population level study.

Real world outcomes in extensive stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) treated with consolidative thoracic radiation (cTRT) and chemoimmunotherapy (CIT): A population level study.

The results of adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy in patients with small cell lung cancer: Registurk-Lung study—Real-world data.

e20006 Background: Evaluation of real-world data together with data in clinical studies is very important in the evaluation of treatment algorithms. In real life, treatments are applied to the elderly, patients with poor performance and unusual groups with comorbidities. Determining these treatment results is important in the creation of treatment algorithms. The studies on the addition of immunotherapeutic agents to the standard chemotherapy regimen in patients with small cell lung cancer have found a significant survival advantage. In this study, we evaluated the real-life reflections of the results of these clinical trials. Methods: In our country, within the scope of the Registurk-Lung observational study (NCT05254119), a total of 1008 patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer were evaluated between December 2021 and December 2023 in 42 centers representing the whole country. The demographic, histopathological, molecular and clinical data of the patients were recorded. The relationship between progression-free survival (PFS) time and overall survival (OS) time with these characteristics was investigated. Results: The median age was 64 (31-88) years and 17.6% of the patients were female. The proportion of patients who never smoked was only 4.7 %. Histopathologically, 36.4% of the patients were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. At the time of diagnosis, brain metastases were present in 13.9 % of the patients and liver metastases were present in 12.1% of the patients. Only 19.4 percent of patients received chemoimmunotherapy. Eighty-three percent of the patients received atezolizumab as immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy and as maintenance treatment. The other patients received durvalumab and pembrolizumab.Patients who did not receive immunotherapy received platinum plus etoposide chemotherapy regimen as a medyan 4 cycle. The overall response rate was 49.0 % in the chemotherapy group and 52.8 % in the combination group. The PFS was 7.6 (95% CI: 6.9-8.3) months in chemoimmunotherapy group and 7.3 (95% CI: 6.5-8.1) months in chemotherapy group. Also, the OS was 15.5 months (95% CI: 11.1-19.9) in chemoimmunotherapy group and 11.8 (95% CI: 10.5-13.2) months in chemotherapy group. When the two groups were compared, there was a positive trend in terms of PFS in the immunochemotherapy group, but this difference was not statistically significant (p:0,802). In terms of overall survival, there was a statistically significant improvement in the chemoimmunotherapy group (p:0,049). Conclusions: The addition of immunotherapy to the treatment of patients with small cell lung cancer, which we have been treating with dual combination chemotherapy for many years, has provided a survival benefit. This situation brings with it new hopes for future studies.

Cost trends in standard-of-care cancer treatments, 2017-2021.

11073 Background: Financial burden of cancer care in the United States is substantial. Prior studies have explored price trends at the level of individual cancer drugs but not that of clinical indications, which can be impacted not only by changes in drug prices but also changes in standard-of-care. This study evaluates temporal trends in the cost of providing the contemporary best guideline-concordant therapy for each cancer indication. Methods: We analyzed trends in the cost of the standard-of-care treatments for the 20 most prevalent cancer types, using NCCN Guidelines to identify the standard-of-care (SOC) treatment for each indication. Our primary comparison of interest was the cost of providing the SOC treatment regimen for each indication in 2021 vs. 2017. All solid tumor treatment indications present in the NCCN Guidelines at both study time points, 7/1/2017 and 7/1/2021, were included. Indications that involved radiotherapy or stem cell transplant among the treatment options were excluded. Costs of all recommended treatment options for each included indication were calculated using Medicare reimbursement rates. We included costs of the antineoplastic agents themselves as well as necessary supportive medications. Costs were inflation-adjusted to 2021 USD. We identified the SOC treatment for every indication at both time points by referring to NCCN Evidence Blocks and identifying the regimen(s) with the highest scores (prioritizing Efficacy, then Safety, then Quality, then Consistency, in that order). If multiple SOC treatments for a single indication had identical scores, we chose the least-costly treatment. Results: 83 clinical indications across 16 solid tumor cancer types (bladder, brain, breast, colon, kidney, liver, lung, melanoma, oropharyngeal, ovary, pancreas, prostate, rectal, soft tissue, stomach, and uterus) were included. Median SOC cost was $8,364 (IQR = $3,838, $15,783) in 2017, compared to a median of $4,290 (IQR = $1,438, $14,947) in 2021. 57 indications (68.7%) had lower SOC costs in 2021 vs 2017, with median change of -$935 (IQR = -$4,432, +$452), representing a 31% decrease (IQR = -50%, 8%). Gastric cancer perioperative chemotherapy had the biggest absolute cost decrease at $65,612 (-90%), while extensive stage small cell lung cancer had the biggest absolute increase at $37,213 (706%). 45 indications (54.2%) had the same SOC regimen across this study period, of which 75.6% saw price drops. Of the 38 indications with new SOCs, 60.5% had lower costs. Conclusions: Majority of the best SOC treatments decreased in cost over a 4 year period. Although introduction of newly approved drugs can cause large price increases for some indications, more commonly the financial cost of delivering the standard-of-care treatment for a given cancer trended down due to slower-than-inflation price increases and new generic entrants.

A phase II trial of monalizumab in combination with durvalumab (MEDI4736) plus platinum-based chemotherapy for first-line treatment of extensive stage small cell lung cancer (MOZART): Hoosier Cancer Research Network LUN21-530 study.

TPS8129 Background: Chemoimmunotherapy consisting of platinum, etoposide, and PD-L1 inhibitor remains the standard of care first-line treatment for extensive stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) yielding median overall survival (OS) of slightly over a year. NKG2A/CD94 is an immune checkpoint that is selectively expressed on natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment. When engaging with its ligand, HLA-E, NKG2A transduces inhibitory signals that suppress immune-mediated cytotoxicity. Thus, NKG2A blockade enhances anti-tumor immunity by promoting both, NK and CD8+ T cell, effector functions. Monalizumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting NKG2A, enhances NK cell activity against tumor cells and rescues CD8+ T cell function in combination with PD-(L)1 axis blockade. Pre-clinical data have demonstrated that the absence of NK cells substantially enhances metastatic dissemination of SCLC tumor cells in vivo. NK cell function is modulated in response to cytotoxic chemotherapy, especially platinum. Post-chemotherapy NK cells display an induced expression of NKG2A compared with pre-chemotherapy patients and is associated with a reduced NK cell mediated anti-tumor activity. Hyperactivation of NK cell activity ameliorates SCLC metastases, an effect that is enhanced when combined with anti PD-(L)1 therapy. Altogether, these data suggest that addition of monalizumab to standard of care first-line treatment may be associated with improved efficacy in patients with SCLC. Methods: Patients with extensive-stage SCLC with ECOG performance status of 0-2 and adequate organ function are eligible for enrollment on this single-arm phase II study with an initial safety lead-in cohort. Patients may have received one prior cycle of platinum doublet with or without durvalumab and may have treated or untreated asymptomatic brain metastasis. Patients will receive platinum (cis or carbo), etoposide, durvalumab, and monalizumab every 3 weeks for 4 cycles followed by durvalumab and monalizumab every 4 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Primary endpoints include 1-year progression-free survival, safety, and tolerability. Secondary endpoints include objective response rate, 1-year overall survival, and intracranial progression-free survival. Exploratory objectives include analyzing association of treatment efficacy with minimal residual disease status, blood- and tissue-based genomic and transcriptomic signatures, tumor infiltrating immune cells, and peripheral blood NK cell and CD8+ T cell activity. Five of the planned 30 patients have been enrolled to date. Clinical trial information: NCT05903092 .

An open-label, multicenter, phase Ib/II study of the ATR inhibitor SC0245 in combination with irinotecan in patients with relapsed and refractory extensive stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC).

8102 Background: Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3 related (ATR) is activated in response to replication stress induced by topoisomerase 1 inhibitors (TOP1i) and other DNA damaging agents. SC0245 is a novel potent ATR inhibitor, showing synergistic inhibitory effects when combined with TOP1i in DMS-114 and H446 small cell lung cancer. This is the first report on an ongoing phase Ib/II study of SC0245 in combination with irinotecan (IRI) in patients (pts) with ES-SCLC (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05731518). Methods: Multiple escalating doses of SC0245 are being administered orally with a fixed dose of IRI. Pts are being enrolled into five escalating dose cohorts (80 mg once daily (QD), 120 mg QD, 80 mg twice daily (BID), 120 mg BID, 160 mg BID) using a BOIN design. SC0245 is administered daily for 3 days weekly x 3 (e.g, Days 1-3, 8-10 and 15-17) with IRI 80 mg/m2 on Days 1, 8 and 15. Cycles are repeated every 4 weeks. The primary endpoint is the rate of dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). Tumor assessments are being performed every 8 weeks using RECIST v1.1. Dose expansion in ES-SCLC patients will follow after definition of the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). Results: As of the data cut-off-date (December 21, 2023), 15 pts (median age, 65; male, 73.3%) with previously treated solid tumors have been enrolled, with 3, 4, 3 and 5 pts in 80mg QD, 120mg QD, 80mg BID and 120 mg BID dose cohorts, respectively. 12 of 15 pts were DLT evaluable, and one DLT event (Grade 3 febrile neutropenia) occurred in the 80 mg QD dose cohort. Cytopenia, diarrhea, and liver function test elevations, were the main adverse events (AEs) experienced in 73.3%, 46.7% and 40% pts, respectively. Most AEs were grade 1 or 2 in severity and manageable. The only ≥ Grade 3 TRAEs experienced by more than 2 subjects has been leukopenia (3/15, 20.0%). No drug-related deaths occurred. Among the 9 pts who were evaluable for tumor response, one confirmed partial response (PR) was reported in a pt with ES-SCLC (progressed on prior 1st line of etoposide + carboplatin + serplulimab treatment) treated in the 120mg QD dose cohort, and the response sustained for 32+ weeks; five pts (5/9, 55.6%) had stable disease (SD) as their best response. PK characteristics indicated that SC0245 was rapidly absorbed (median Tmax, 1.0 to 2.0 h), and drug exposure was proportional to dose for the QD and BID regimens. No drug-drug interactions (DDI) between SC0245 and either IRI or its active metabolite SN38 were observed. Conclusions: SC0245 exhibited favorable safety and PK characteristics when administered in combination with IRI at doses ranging from 80mg QD to 120mg BID and the regimen has demonstrated preliminary antitumor activity in ES-SCLC, supporting further evaluation of the regimen in ES-SCLC and other relevant malignancies. Clinical trial information: NCT05731518 .

ARTEMIS-001: Data from a phase 1a/b study of HS-20093 in patients with relapsed small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

8093 Background: SCLC is characterized by a high rate of proliferation and poor prognosis, and new therapies are urgently needed. B7-H3 is highly expressed in SCLC. HS-20093, a B7-H3-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), demonstrated antitumor activity in advanced solid tumors in the dose escalation part of ARTEMIS-001 study (Jie Wang et al., JCO, 2023) (NCT05276609). Here, we present results on the efficacy and safety of the expansion doses in patients (pts) with SCLC from phase 1a/b. Methods: ARTEMIS-001 study consisted of dose escalation (1a) and expansion (1b) part. Pts were treated with doses of 1.0 to 16.0 mg/kg HS-20093 every 3 weeks in dose escalation, and were treated with doses at 8.0 mg/kg and 10.0 mg/kg randomly in dose expansion. Pts with SCLC were required to have received prior platinum-based standard therapy. B7-H3 expression was retrospectively evaluated by IHC. Results: As of data cutoff November 30th 2023, a total of 56 pts with extensive stage SCLC (ES-SCLC) were enrolled and received ≥1 dose of HS-20093 with doses at 8.0 mg/kg (n=31) or 10.0 mg/kg (n=25). Median prior lines of therapy was 2.0 (range: 1-6). All pts received platinum plus etoposide and 73.2% (41/56) received immunotherapy. Safety profile was consistent with previous reports. The most common grade≥3 treatment-related adverse events (≧10%) were neutropenia, leukopenia, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia and anemia. Out of 56 pts, 52 pts were efficacy evaluable (8.0 mg/kg: 31 pts; 10.0 mg/kg: 21 pts). HS-20093 showed encouraging efficacy in relapsed ES-SCLC (Table). Tumor shrinkage in target lesions occurred in 96.2% (50/52) pts with a post-baseline scan. Deep response defined as tumor shrinkage ≥50% was obtained in 44.2% (23/52) pts. Median overall survival has not yet reached. Responses were observed regardless of B7-H3 expression. Pharmacokinetic (PK) showed approximately dose-proportional increase in exposure with a half-life of 3-7 days. PK profiles of total antibody and ADC were similar and exposure to payload was considerably low. Conclusions: HS-20093 demonstrated promising antitumor activity and manageable safety in pts with previously-treated SCLC. Phase 3 study is planned to compare the efficacy and safety of HS-20093 with standard-of-care chemotherapy in relapsed SCLC. Clinical trial information: NCT05276609 . [Table: see text]

First-line sintilimab combined with platinum-based chemotherapy in extensive stage small cell lung cancer: A phase II study and post-hoc biomarker analysis.

e20127 Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with etoposide and platinum-based chemotherapy improves prognosis of patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). However, nearly 40% of patients do not benefit from Immunochemotherapy. Herein, this phase II study of first-line immunochemotherapy was conducted aiming to investigate potential biomarkers associated with therapeutic efficacy. Methods: A multi-center, single-arm, prospective phase II trial (ChiCTR2000038354) was designed and conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sintilimab combined with platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with ES-SCLC who had not previously received treatment. The primary endpoint of this study is progression-free survival (PFS), with patients being defined as disease progression according to RECIST 1.1. Pre-treatment FFPE samples were analyzed using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole transcriptome sequencing (WTS) to investigate biomarkers. Results: A total of 44 patients were included in the study, with a median follow-up of 10 months and a median PFS of 7.57 months. 8 patients with a PFS greater than 6 months were defined as the responder group (R group) and 5 patients with a PFS less than 6 months belonged to the non-responder group (NR group). WES and WTS were performed on the pre-treatment samples of these 13 patients. WES results revealed mutation frequencies of TP53 (69%), RB1 (31%) and FAT1 (31%) aligning with prior research. Significantly, ZFHX4 mutations correlated with R group (p = 0.05). Genomic instability, as defined by Homologous Recombination Deficiency (HRD) scores, displayed higher scores in NR group than in R group (p = 0.023), which suggests potential benefits of PARP inhibition in the NR group. WTS data revealed that higher M2/M1 macrophage ratio (p = 0.028) in NR group. Additionally, the NR group demonstrated significant VEGFA overexpression. Besides, NOTCH-signaling (p = 0.034), KRAS-signaling-DN (p<0.001), Angiogenesis (p<0.001) and EMT (p<0.001) pathway were also enriched in NR group. Conversely, M1 macrophages (p = 0.079), CD4+T cells (p = 0.093), Mast cells (p = 0.045), NK cells (p = 0.045) and neutrophils (p = 0.06) was higher in R group. Conclusions: This study highlights genomic instability as well as activation of cancer hallmarks such as angiogenesis, EMT may result the resistance to immunotherapy in ES-SCLC patients. These findings may shed light on combinational strategy overcoming therapeutic resistance. Clinical trial information: ChiCTR2000038354.

A real-world study of anlotinib in combination with PD-L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy as first-line therapy for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.

e20135 Background: Current first-line treatment options for extensive stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) are the PD-L1 inhibitor in combination with chemotherapy. Although these regimens have improved outcomes, most patients experience disease progression (PD), and median survival remains approximately 12 months. Anlotinib represents a tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting multiple receptor tyrosine kinases, achieved good efficacy in third-line therapy in ES-SCLC. We conducted a real-world study to explore the safety and efficacy of adding anlotinib to the current first-line therapy in ES-SCLC. Methods: This real-world study included 16 patients with ES-SCLC treated with antirotinib in combination with the PD-L1 inhibitor and etoposide and cisplatin chemotherapy at our hospital between Oct 2020 and Nov 2023. Patients received six cycles of a standard dose of the PD-L1 inhibitor (Atezolizumab; Adebrelimab; Envafolimab; Nivolumab; Pembrolizumab; Tirelizumab or Sugemalimab) in combination with cisplatin (25 mg/m2, day 1-3 of each cycle) and etoposide (100 mg/m2, day 1-3 of each cycle), and anlotinib was taken orally (4-6mg, day 1-14 of each cycle). Maintenance PD-L1 inhibitor plus anlotinib was followed in a 21-day cycle until disease progression, intolerant toxicity, or longer than 2 years of treatment. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary outcomes were disease control rate (DCR), objective response rate (ORR), and adverse reactions. Treatment response and adverse events (AEs) were assessed using the RECIST 1.1 and CTCAE 5.0, respectively. Results: A total of 16 patients were recruited. The median age was 72 years (66-76). Four patients (25%) had brain metastases at baseline, and seven patients (43.8%) had liver metastases. Median PFS was 10.8 months (95% CI, 8.3-13.3 months) and the median OS was 16.4 months (95% CI, 9.6-23.2 months). Totally 15 and 1 participants showed PR and SD, respectively. ORR and DCR were 93.8% and 100%. All patients had treatment-related AEs, of which grade 3-4 AE occurred in 50% (8/16). No serious infection or treatment-related death occurred. Myelosuppression was the most common AE, such as anemia (100%), leukocytopenia (100%), lymphocytopenia (100%), neutropenia (87.5%), and thrombocytopenia (50%). Other common AEs included hypoproteinemia (68.8%); hyponatremia (62.5%); creatinine elevation (56.3%), proteinuria (43.8%); hypertension (37.5%) and hypertriglyceridemia (37.5%). No unexpected AEs were found in this study. No patient stopped treatment due to intolerable toxicity. Conclusions: The addition of anlotinib to first-line immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy results in extended PFS and OS in patients with ES-SCLC without additional AEs. The preliminary results warrant further investigation of this treatment modality in ES-SCLC.

A retrospective study of first line atezolizumab-carboplatin-etoposide in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer: Real world data from a Spanish tertiary center.

e20100 Background: The association of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) with Platinum-Etoposide (PE) has been established as the standard treatment in extensive stage Small Cell Lung Cancer (ES-SCLC). We present a real-world analysis, conducted in a Spanish tertiary hospital, that assesses the efficacy and safety of Atezolizumab combined to Carboplatin-Etoposide (Atezo-CE) in first-line ES-SCLC treatment, based on the Impower-133 Clinical Trial (CT). Methods: In this longitudinal, retrospective study, we analysed the patients (pts) diagnosed with ES-SCLC and treated at our center from July 2020 to June 2023, comparing outcomes of PE chemotherapy and Atezo-CE regime. Primary endpoints were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and safety. We contrasted our findings to those obtained in trials that used different ICIs: Impower-133 (Atezolizumab), CASPIAN (Durvalumab) or KEYNOTE-604 (Pembrolizumab). Data analysis employed Chi-square, Kaplan-Meier and Log-Rank. Results: Over 35 months (m), 41 pts with ES-SCLC were treated in our center: 19 pts received PE (57.9% Cisplatin and 42.1% Carboplatin), and 22 received Atezo-CE. In the PE group: 42.1% completed 6 cycles, 21.1% 4 cycles, and 36.8% less than 4. In the Atezo-CE cohort: 81.8% completed 4 cycles, and 18.2% less than 4. Regarding Performance Status (PS) in the PE cohort vs the Atezo-PE group: PS 0 0 vs 4.5%; PS 1 47.4 vs 77.3%; PS 2 42.1 vs 18.2%; PS 3 10.5 vs 0%. Corticosteroid therapy was ongoing in 52.6% vs 50% of PE vs Atezo-CE pts, respectively, adding the ICI in later cycles without affecting total cycles of Atezo received (6.8 in our study vs 7 in the Impower-133). Adverse effects (AEs) occurred in 73.7% of PE pts vs 100% of Atezo-CE pts (68.2% chemo-induced and 31.8% immune-related). Common AEs in both groups were anemia, thrombopenia, leukopenia, asthenia and vomiting. Skin and thyroid AEs were the most frequent ICI-related. Chemotherapy dose reduction occurred in 47.4% vs 27.3% and suspension in 5.3% vs 13.3% of PE pts vs Atezo-CE pts, respectively. OS was higher in the Atezo-CE group, 11.7m (95% CI: 9.2-14.2m) compared to 6.8m (95% CI: 3.8-9.8m) in the PE cohort, p-value 0.008. PFS also favoured Atezo-CE pts, 6.9m (95% CI: 5-8.7m) vs 5m (95% CI: 2.8-7.2m) in the PE cohort, though not statistically significant, p-value 0.249. Compared to the CTs Impower-133, CASPIAN and KEYNOTE-604, which reported OS of 12.3m, 12.9m and 10.8m, respectively, and PFS of 5.2m (Impower-133) and 4.2m (KEYNOTE-604), our study with pts with worse PS and needing corticosteroids at treatment initiation (exclusion criteria in CTs), showed comparable outcomes. Conclusions: Our study underscores the importance of adding ICIs to ES-SCLC first-line treatment. It further emphasizes the need for a deeper knowledge in molecular profiling and biomarker-driven strategies to tailor ES-SCLC therapy more effectively.

JCOG2002: A randomized phase III study of thoracic radiotherapy for extensive stage small cell lung cancer.

TPS8132 Background: Consolidative thoracic radiotherapy (cTRT) has shown a marginal improvement in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for extensive-stage small-cell cancer (ES-SCLC). Consequently, ASTRO and NCCN guidelines conditionally recommend the use of cTRT. Despite the recent establishment of anti-PD-L1 antibody (aPD-L1) combined with platinum-doublet chemotherapy as the standard first-line treatment for ES-SCLC, the impact of cTRT in the era of immunotherapy remains uncertain. Methods: The JCOG2002 study, a randomized, multicenter phase 3 trial, initiated in October 2021 to assess the superiority of additional cTRT in terms of OS for ES-SCLC following induction aPD-L1 plus platinum doublet chemotherapy. Eligibility patients must meet criteria for the first registration including ES-SCLC, no prior radiation or chemotherapy history, age 20 or older, ECOG performance status 0 or 1, and adequate organ function. Induction treatment involves atezolizumab + carboplatin + etoposide or durvalumab + cisplatin / carboplatin + etoposide. Responding patients proceed to the second registration, randomization (1:1 between 30 Gy in 10 fractions of cTRT plus aPD-L1 maintenance therapy and maintenance therapy only). The cTRT targets metastatic lymph nodes in stations #1-7 and ipsilateral stations #10-12 identified at diagnosis. The adjustment factors include response to induction treatment (CR/PR versus SD), presence of brain metastasis (yes versus no), participating institutions, and aPD-L1 type (atezolizumab versus durvalumab). The primary endpoint is OS, with secondary endpoints being PFS and safety. The study aims to enroll 240 randomized patients, with 330 in the first registration, providing 80 % power at a one-sided 5 % significance level to detect a hazard ratio of 0.69 with 3-year accrual period and 1-year follow-up. As of February 6, 2024, 239 patients initiated induction treatment, and 121 have been randomized. This trial is registered at Japan Registry of Clinical Trials as jRCTs031210393 (https://jrct.niph.go.jp/detail/jRCTs031210393). Clinical trial information: jRCTs031210393 .

Energy transfer and release during the fracture of UD fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites

This study delves into the complex dynamics of energy transfer and release during the fracture of unidirectional (UD) fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites. Conducted through meticulous experimental observations and rigorous energy analysis, the research presents groundbreaking conclusions on the fracture toughness and energy conversion efficiency of UD carbon fiber composites under various loading conditions. A prominent focus is on how these mechanical properties are intricately linked to the sample’s fiber orientation angles and the external conditions applied during testing.The work employed tapered double cantilever beam (TDCB) as the far-field boundary to investigate the energy changes, transfer, and conversion processes during the crack propagation of unidirectional fiber reinforced thermoplastics (UDFRTPs) structures. It was found that throughout the entire propagation process, blunt extension occurs first followed by inertial extension. This is because in the initial stage of crack propagation, the stored elastic energy in the structure is relatively small, making the crack tip prone to blunting. This continuous blunting impedes the release of internal strain energy in the structure, with blunt extension accounting for a very small proportion of the entire fracture process. When the internal strain energy in the structure continues to increase to a certain extent, the blunting of the crack tip cannot prevent the release of a large amount of elastic energy inside the structure. At the same time, the excess released strain energy converts into kinetic energy and continually impacts the blunted region at the crack tip. At this point, the propagation transitions into the inertial extension stage, which occupies a significant portion of the entire fracture process.

Blocking the angiopoietin-2-dependent integrin β-1 signaling axis abrogates small cell lung cancer invasion and metastasis.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most aggressive lung cancer entity with an extremely limited therapeutic outcome. Most patients are diagnosed at an extensive stage. However, the molecular mechanisms driving SCLC invasion and metastasis remain largely elusive. We used an autochthonous SCLC mouse model and matched samples from patients with primary and metastatic SCLC to investigate the molecular characteristics of tumor metastasis. We demonstrate that tumor cell invasion and liver metastasis in SCLC are triggered by an Angiopoietin-2 (ANG-2)/Integrin β-1-dependent pathway in tumor cells, mediated by focal adhesion kinase/Src kinase signaling. Strikingly, CRISPR-Cas9 KO of Integrin β-1 or blocking Integrin β-1 signaling by an anti-ANG-2 treatment abrogates liver metastasis formation in vivo. Interestingly, analysis of a unique collection of matched samples from patients with primary and metastatic SCLC confirmed a strong increase of Integrin β-1 in liver metastasis in comparison with the primary tumor. We further show that ANG-2 blockade combined with PD-1-targeted by anti-PD-1 treatment displays synergistic treatment effects in SCLC. Together, our data demonstrate a fundamental role of ANG-2/Integrin β-1 signaling in SCLC cells for tumor cell invasion and liver metastasis and provide a potentially new effective treatment strategy for patients with SCLC.

The Incidence of Distant Metastases in Patients with Pleural Mesothelioma Screened for a Multimodal Approach: How Much Staging Do We Really Need?

Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is a very aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. Most patients receive systemic treatment only; however, some patients may benefit from multimodality treatment. A precise staging of patients undergoing multimodal treatment is mandatory. We investigated the pattern of metastasis in a cohort of patients screened for multimodal treatment to define the extent of staging examinations. Additionally, we investigated the occurrence of metastasis during follow-up. We investigated a single-center experience of 545 patients newly diagnosed and/or treated with PM between the years 2010 and 2022. Patients who were treated naïvely and had a whole set of imaging of the brain were included and further analyzed. A total of 54% of all patients with cerebral imaging had an available 18FDG-PET CT scan. We also recorded metastasis during treatment follow-up. There were 110 patients who had a whole set of imaging (CT = 89% and MRI = 11%) of the brain, and 54% of all patients with cerebral imaging had an available 18FDG-PET CT scan. We identified four patients with cerebral metastasis at the time of first diagnosis, which means that 5.4% of the cohort had cerebral metastasis and 13.3% of all patients in the subgroup with complete data of 18FDG-PET CT had distant non-cerebral metastasis. During the longitudinal follow-up, we found 11 patients with newly diagnosed metastases after a median time of 1.6 years (range: 2 months to 3.3 years) after first diagnosis without metastases. Distant metastases are more frequent in mesothelioma patients than previously thought. This implies that extensive staging is needed for patients selected for multimodal treatment, including brain imaging and 18FDG-PET CT.

Research and Institutional Construction of Corporate Compliance Administrative and Criminals Involved in the Case

In the second half of the development of the compliance and rectification system for the companies involved in the case in my country, the poor connection between executions hindered the compliance and rectification system of the companies involved in the case from playing a greater practical role. The two main reasons for the dual illegality of the corporate administrative offenders involved and the independence of our country's execution agencies make the connection of executions a unique practical problem in China. In the illegal investigation, case filing, investigation and prosecution, as well as the compliance extension stage after the end of the criminal process, there are institutional gaps in the connection between executions. Existing problems can be solved one by one by promoting execution agencies to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the stages of illegal investigation, reconnaissance, review and prosecution, mutual recognition of compliance results, relay compliance rectification, optimizing third-party mechanisms and attaching importance to big data empowerment.

Structural snapshots of phenuivirus cap-snatching and transcription.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a human pathogen that is now endemic to several East Asian countries. The viral large (L) protein catalyzes viral transcription by stealing host mRNA caps via a process known as cap-snatching. Here, we establish an in vitro cap-snatching assay and present three high-quality electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of the SFTSV L protein in biologically relevant, transcription-specific states. In a priming-state structure, we show capped RNA bound to the L protein cap-binding domain (CBD). The L protein conformation in this priming structure is significantly different from published replication-state structures, in particular the N- and C-terminal domains. The capped-RNA is positioned in a way that it can feed directly into the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) ready for elongation. We also captured the L protein in an early-elongation state following primer-incorporation demonstrating that this priming conformation is retained at least in the very early stages of primer extension. This structural data is complemented by in vitro biochemical and cell-based assays. Together, these insights further our mechanistic understanding of how SFTSV and other bunyaviruses incorporate stolen host mRNA fragments into their viral transcripts thereby allowing the virus to hijack host cell translation machinery.

Comparative transcriptome profiling reveals that light coordinates auxin to inhibit adventitious root formation in grapevine

Grapevine (Vitis sp.) is one of the most important economic fruit crops all over the world, and the formation of adventitious roots (ARs) is crucial for the vegetative reproduction of grapes. However, studies on the regulatory mechanisms of this process are currently lacking. In this study, we applied an efficient and convenient leave-petiole (LP) system for studying ARs, revealing a significant inhibition of root primordia formation under continuous-light treatment. The results showed that isolated ARs of grapevine were induced and originated from ray cells near the vascular cambium, with the process categorized into induction, initiation, and extension stages. LP samples under light and dark conditions were used for transcriptome sequencing and endogenous hormone measurements at three critical time points of AR formation. A total of 37 155 transcripts were obtained, and 7041 genes showed significantly different expression levels in the petiole. An integrated analysis, including Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and hormonal content determination, showed that several genes (ARF4, LAX1, PIN1, SUS2, APX1, TPXL1, CHS3, etc.) associated with hormone signals, sugar synthesis and transport, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, cell wall biogenesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, microtubule remodeling, and some transcription factors (HY5, COP1, ERF2, MYB15, etc) played vital roles in light-induced AR formation. A hypothetical model was initially constructed, which illustrated the centrality of auxin in HY5-dependent AR formation and the complex crosstalk among various factors. The results of this study provided abundant genetic resources and a novel perspective for understanding the molecular mechanisms of AR formation in grapevine.

Trilaciclib: A Novel Approach to Mitigate Chemotherapy-Induced Myelosuppression in Cancer Treatment

AbstractTrilaciclib, a novel cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor, has demonstrated the ability to protect bone marrow from chemotherapy toxicity, improving patients' quality of life (QoL). This review describes the mechanism of action, efficacy, and toxicity profile of trilaciclib. Trilaciclib halts retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation during the early G1 phase, preventing the transition from the G1/S phase and inducing the cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase, which protects the hematopoietic cell lineages. Trilaciclib is indicated by the United States Food and Drug Administration and National Comprehensive Cancer Network to decrease the incidence of chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression in adult patients before a platinum/etoposide or topotecan containing regimen for extensive stage small cell lung cancer. Its ease of administration as an intravenous infusion, given before starting chemotherapy, and the favorable side effect profile make it a better-tolerated drug, improving patient QoL.