Therapy For mCRC Research Articles

Using Bayesian Evidence Synthesis Methods to Incorporate Real-World Evidence in Surrogate Endpoint Evaluation.

Traditionally, validation of surrogate endpoints has been carried out using randomized controlled trial (RCT) data. However, RCT data may be too limited to validate surrogate endpoints. In this article, we sought to improve the validation of surrogate endpoints with the inclusion of real-world evidence (RWE). We use data from comparative RWE (cRWE) and single-arm RWE (sRWE) to supplement RCT evidence for the evaluation of progression-free survival (PFS) as a surrogate endpoint to overall survival (OS) in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Treatment effect estimates from RCTs, cRWE, and matched sRWE, comparing antiangiogenic treatments with chemotherapy, were used to inform surrogacy patterns and predictions of the treatment effect on OS from the treatment effect on PFS. Seven RCTs, 4 cRWE studies, and 2 matched sRWE studies were identified. The addition of RWE to RCTs reduced the uncertainty around the estimates of the parameters for the surrogate relationship. The addition of RWE to RCTs also improved the accuracy and precision of predictions of the treatment effect on OS obtained using data on the observed effect on PFS. The addition of RWE to RCT data improved the precision of the parameters describing the surrogate relationship between treatment effects on PFS and OS and the predicted clinical benefit of antiangiogenic therapies in mCRC. Regulatory agencies increasingly rely on surrogate endpoints when making licensing decisions, and for the decisions to be robust, surrogate endpoints need to be validated. In the era of precision medicine, when surrogacy patterns may depend on the drug's mechanism of action and trials of targeted therapies may be small, data from randomized controlled trials may be limited.Real-world evidence (RWE) is increasingly used at different stages of the drug development process. When used to enhance the evidence base for surrogate endpoint evaluation, RWE can improve inferences about the strength of surrogate relationships and the precision of predicted treatment effect on the final clinical outcome based on the observed effect on the surrogate endpoint in a new trial.Careful selection of RWE is needed to reduce risk of bias.

Resistance to targeted therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer: Current status and new developments.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most lethal and common malignancies in the world. Chemotherapy has been the conventional treatment for metastatic CRC (mCRC) patients. However, the effects of chemotherapy have been unsatisfactory. With the advent of targeted therapy, the survival of patients with CRC have been prolonged. Over the past 20 years, targeted therapy for CRC has achieved substantial progress. However, targeted therapy has the same challenge of drug resistance as chemotherapy. Consequently, exploring the resistance mechanism and finding strategies to address the resistance to targeted therapy, along with searching for novel effective regimens, is a constant challenge in the mCRC treatment, and it is also a hot research topic. In this review, we focus on the current status on resistance to existing targeted therapies in mCRC and discuss future developments.

Plasma biomarkers to predict clinical outcomes of FOLFIRI plus ramucirumab (RAM) as second-line treatment for RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer: JACCRO CC-16AR.

177 Background: Angiogenesis-factors (AFs) have been reported as prognostic biomarkers for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). RAS status in circulating-tumor DNA (ctDNA) is considered to be associated with resistance and potential efficacy of re-challenge treatment of anti-EGFR antibody in mCRC with RAS wild-type tumors. However, there were few evidence to prospectively evaluate the dynamic change of AFs and association of RAS status in ctDNA with clinical outcomes in anti-angiogenic therapies after anti-EGFR therapy for mCRC. Methods: Plasma samples were collected at pre-, day 15 after, and post-treatments in the pre-planned biomarker study of the JACCRO CC-16 trial which evaluated 2nd-line FOLFIRI plus RAM after anti-EGFR therapy in mCRC patients with RAS wild-type tumors (UMIN000034885). In 42 enrolled patients (median age, 68-y; ECOG PS 0/1, 31/11; all pts with left-sided tumors; median PFS, 6.8 months; median OS, 21.4 months; ORR, 10.3 %), some AFs (VEGF-A, VEGF-D, PlGF, HGF, IL-8, and angiopoietin-2) and RAS status in plasma were measured using the multiplex assay with Luminex technology and OncoBEAM RAS CRC Kit, respectively. The associations between clinical outcomes and AFs/ RAS status were investigated at timepoint of pre-treatment, using t-test and log-rank test. The median value was used as the cut-off value of AFs for high or low. The associations between AFs and RAS status were investigated using Brunner-Munzel test. Results: AFs and RAS status were evaluable in 38 and 41 patients, respectively. The OS was significantly longer in patients with IL-8 low compared to patients with IL-8 high (32.2 vs. 14.5 months, HR 0.36, p= 0.024). However, there was no difference in PFS between patients with IL-8 high and low. On the contrary, RAS mutations were detected at pre-treatment in 18 (44%) patients: KRAS codon12 83%, codon13 17%, codon61 67%, codon117 6%, codon146 11%, NRAS codon12 39%, codon61 78% in RAS mutations. Median PFS was 6.4 months in patients with RAS mutations in ctDNA, while it was 7.4 months in patients without RAS mutations (p = 0.10). Median OS was significantly longer in patients without RAS mutations compared to patients with RAS mutations (25.4 vs. 14.5 months, HR 0.39, p = 0.024). The ORR was 14.3% and 5.6% in patients without RAS mutations and with RAS mutations, respectively. In an exploratory analysis regarding the relationship between AFs and RAS status, IL-8 level was significantly higher in patients with RAS mutations than those without in ctDNA. Conclusions: This biomarker study demonstrated the associations between clinical outcomes and IL-8/ RAS status in blood before treatment in RAS wild-type mCRC treated with 2nd-line FOLFIRI plus RAM after anti-EGFR antibody therapy. Clinical trial information: UMIN000034885 .

Using a combination of fruquintinib, raltitrexed, and S-1 as a third-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer with co-existence of Hodgkin lymphoma: a case report.

Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) beyond second line treatment have a poor prognosis. Fruquintinib, regorafenib, trifluridine/tipiracil (TAS-102), panitumumab and cetuximab combined with single-agent chemotherapy regimens are currently recommended as third-line therapies for patients exhibiting disease progression. Effective late-line therapies for mCRC are urgently needed. The FRESCO randomized clinical trial (RCT) prompts fruquintinib as a third-line treatment in advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). A phase II study in our center reported the efficacy and safety of S-1 plus raltitrexed for the treatment of chemo-refractory mCRC. The combination of the fruquintinib, raltitrexed, and S-1 has not been reported in mCRC. This case report presents a patient with mCRC who received third-line treatment with fruquintinib, raltitrexed, and S-1. A 54-year-old male presenting with hematochezia was admitted to West China Hospital of Sichuan University in June 2017 and underwent surgery for a tumor between the rectum and sigmoid colon. Postoperative pathology identified adenocarcinoma (wild-type RAS/RAF, no PIK3CA mutation), and the patient was diagnosed with mCRC (pathological stage, pT3pN1apM0). The mFOLFOX6 regimen was administered. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in May 2018 and treated with the ABVD regimen after multidisciplinary discussions. Liver metastases (intestinal-type adenocarcinoma) were detected in November 2018, and second-line therapy with the FOLFIRI regimen was initiated in January 2019. Lung metastases were identified in September 2019, so the patient was treated with a combination of raltitrexed, S-1, and fruquintinib. A partial response (PR) was detected in November 2019, and the patient underwent resection of the hepatic lesion on November5, 2020. Computed tomography (CT) images in November 2021 revealed a stable disease; thus, raltitrexed was discontinued, and S-1 and fruquintinib were maintained. The treatment is still responding until the last follow-up (December 2022). The case was characterized by the simultaneous existence of mCRC and Hodgkin lymphoma, which required management by a multidisciplinary team. Third-line therapy with fruquintinib, raltitrexed, and S-1 achieved a PR that permitted surgical resection and enabled a relatively long progression-free survival. The findings suggest that the three agents regimen might be clinically effective as late-line therapy for mCRC.

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and biomarker assessments in daNIS-3, a phase II platform study of NIS793 (anti–TGF-β monoclonal antibody) and other investigational drug combinations with standard of care (SOC) vs SOC alone in patients (pts) with second-line metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

TPS272 Background: Despite the utilization of systemic targeted agents with chemotherapy for mCRC, long-term survival remains poor. Disease progression in mCRC is common, and SOC options are associated with reduced quality of life (QoL) that has been negatively associated with survival. Here, we present daNIS-3, a Phase II, randomized, open-label platform study (NCT04952753) of NIS793 and other investigational drug combinations in pts with second-line mCRC, with an emphasis on the exploratory PROs and biomarker assessments. Methods: Eligible pts are adults with microsatellite-stable mCRC who have progressed on or within 6 months of one prior line of systemic therapy for mCRC and are not amenable to potentially curative surgery. Pts are treated with NIS793 (Day [D]1 ± D15; 2100 mg) + SOC (D1 + D15; bevacizumab [5 mg/kg] + FOLFIRI/mFOLFOX6) +/- tislelizumab (D1; 300 mg), or SOC alone. All drugs are administered intravenously on 28-day cycles. Each investigational arm begins with a safety run-in involving ≥6 eligible pts; safety run-in of the tislelizumab arm follows completion of the NIS793 + SOC safety run-in. Following confirmation of the recommended dose, pts are randomized (2:1) in the expansion part to receive investigational drug(s) + SOC (n≈75) or SOC alone (n≈38). Exploratory objectives include PROs (expansion part only) and biomarker assessments. PRO measures (EORTC-QLQ-C30, QLQ-CR29, PRO-CTCAE, and FACT-GP5) will be collected electronically throughout the study and used to explore pt-reported disease symptoms, health-related QoL, functioning, and treatment-related side effects. Potential biomarkers of response and mechanisms of resistance will be assessed in tumor and blood samples. Baseline archival/tumor biopsies will be collected to assess the correlations between clinical response and molecular subtype, tumor mutational burden, TGF-β gene signatures, and immune-related biomarkers. Optional biopsies during Cycle 3 and at the end of treatment will be used to assess pharmacodynamic effects of NIS793 on the tumor microenvironment and resistance mechanisms, respectively. Circulating tumor DNA and cytokine and TGF-β levels will be continuously monitored through serial blood samples to evaluate treatment benefit, correlate alterations with response, and assess the effect(s) of NIS793. An additional blood sample for nucleic acid analysis will evaluate the effect(s) of TGF-β blockade. The daNIS-3 study started on November 15, 2021, and plans to recruit approximately 266 pts from 77 sites across 19 countries. Clinical trial information: NCT04952753 .

Current Targeted Therapy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Surgery or surgery plus radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy for patients with metastatic CRC (mCRC) were accepted as the main therapeutic strategies until the early 2000s, when targeted drugs, like cetuximab and bevacizumab, were developed. The use of targeted drugs in clinical practice has significantly increased patients' overall survival. To date, the emergence of several types of targeted drugs has opened new possibilities and revealed new prospects for mCRC treatment. Therapeutic strategies are continually being updated to select the most suitable targeted drugs based on the results of clinical trials that are currently underway. This review discusses the up-to date molecular evidence of targeted therapy for mCRC and summarizes the Food and Drug Administration-approved targeted drugs including the results of clinical trials. We also explain their mechanisms of action and how these affect the choice of a suitable targeted therapy.

Molecular Basis of HER2-Targeted Therapy for HER2-Positive Colorectal Cancer.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) amplification has emerged as a biomarker in colorectal cancer (CRC), occurring in 1-4% of metastatic CRC (mCRC). In addition to conventional methods, such as immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization, next-generation sequencing-based tissue or circulating tumor DNA analysis has recently been used to identify HER2 amplification and assess HER2 overexpression. Prospective clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of HER2-targeted therapies in HER2-positive mCRC. The TRIUMPH study, a phase II study of dual HER2 antibodies, i.e., pertuzumab plus trastuzumab, demonstrated promising efficacy for patients with HER2-positive mCRC confirmed by tissue-and/or blood-based techniques, which led to the regulatory approval of this combination therapy in Japan. The mechanisms associated with efficacy and resistance have also been explored in translational studies that incorporate liquid biopsy in prospective trials. In particular, HER2 copy number and co-alterations have repeatedly been reported as biomarkers related to efficacy. To improve the therapeutic efficacy of the current strategy, many clinical trials with various HER2-targeted agents are ongoing. This review discusses the molecular basis of HER2-targeted therapeutic strategies for patients with HER2-positive mCRC.

110P Fecal microbiota transplantation in combination with fruquintinib and tislelizumab in refractory microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer: A single center phase II trial

Microsatellite stable (MSS) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is one of the tumor type in which PD-1 inhibitor as monotherapy has proven less effective. Studies have shown that anti-VEGF therapies may enhance anti-PD-1 efficacy and microbiome-based therapies can overcome resistance to anti-PD-1. This study was to explore the efficacy and safety of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) combined with anti-VEGF and anti-PD-1 therapy in advanced mCRC with MSS.

TGF-β Signaling in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (mCRC): From Underlying Mechanism to Potential Applications in Clinical Development.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a serious public health issue, and it has the leading incidence and mortality among malignant tumors worldwide. CRC patients with metastasis in the liver, lung or other distant sites always have poor prognosis. Thus, there is an urgent need to discover the underlying mechanisms of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and to develop optimal therapy for mCRC. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling plays a significant role in various physiologic and pathologic processes, and aberrant TGF-β signal transduction contributes to mCRC progression. In this review, we summarize the alterations of the TGF-β signaling pathway in mCRC patients, the functional mechanisms of TGF-β signaling, its promotion of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, its facilitation of angiogenesis, its suppression of anti-tumor activity of immune cells in the microenvironment and its contribution to stemness of CRC cells. We also discuss the possible applications of TGF-β signaling in mCRC diagnosis, prognosis and targeted therapies in clinical trials. Hopefully, these research advances in TGF-β signaling in mCRC will improve the development of new strategies that can be combined with molecular targeted therapy, immunotherapy and traditional therapies to achieve better efficacy and benefit mCRC patients in the near future.

Pharmacogenetics Role of Genetic Variants in Immune-Related Factors: A Systematic Review Focusing on mCRC.

Pharmacogenetics plays a key role in personalized cancer treatment. Currently, the clinically available pharmacogenetic markers for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) are in genes related to drug metabolism, such as DPYD for fluoropyrimidines and UGT1A1 for irinotecan. Recently, the impact of host variability in inflammatory and immune-response genes on treatment response has gained considerable attention, opening innovative perspectives for optimizing tailored mCRC therapy. A literature review was performed on the predictive role of immune-related germline genetic biomarkers on pharmacological outcomes in patients with mCRC. Particularly, that for efficacy and toxicity was reported and the potential role for clinical management of patients was discussed. Most of the available data regard therapy effectiveness, while the impact on toxicity remains limited. Several studies focused on the effects of polymorphisms in genes related to antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (FCGR2A, FCGR3A) and yielded promising but inconclusive results on cetuximab efficacy. The remaining published data are sparse and mainly hypothesis-generating but suggest potentially interesting topics for future pharmacogenetic studies, including innovative gene-drug interactions in a clinical context. Besides the tumor immune escape pathway, genetic markers belonging to cytokines/interleukins (IL-8 and its receptors) and angiogenic mediators (IGF1) seem to be the best investigated and hopefully most promising to be translated into clinical practice after validation.

The Validity of Surrogate Endpoints in Sub Groups of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients Defined by Treatment Class and KRAS Status.

Background and Aim: Findings from the literature suggest that the validity of surrogate endpoints in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) may depend on a treatments' mechanism of action. We explore this and the impact of Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) status on surrogacy patterns in mCRC. Methods: A systematic review was undertaken to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for pharmacological therapies in mCRC. Bayesian meta-analytic methods for surrogate endpoint evaluation were used to evaluate surrogate relationships across all RCTs, by KRAS status and treatment class. Surrogate endpoints explored were progression free survival (PFS) as a surrogate endpoint for overall survival (OS), and tumour response (TR) as a surrogate for PFS and OS. Results: 66 RCTs were identified from the systematic review. PFS showed a strong surrogate relationship with OS across all data and in subgroups by KRAS status. The relationship appeared stronger within individual treatment classes compared to the overall analysis. The TR-PFS and TR-OS relationships were found to be weak overall but stronger within the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor + Chemotherapy (EGFR + Chemo) treatment class; both overall and in the wild type (WT) patients for TR-PFS, but not in patients with the mutant (MT) KRAS status where data were limited. Conclusions: PFS appeared to be a good surrogate endpoint for OS. TR showed a moderate surrogate relationship with PFS and OS for the EGFR + Chemo treatment class. There was some evidence of impact of the mechanism of action on the strength of the surrogacy patterns in mCRC, but little evidence of the impact of KRAS status on the validity of surrogate endpoints.

363P Prevalence of acquired (acq) genomic alterations (GAs) after progression on anti-EGFR mAb (EGFRi) based therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC): A systematic review and meta-analysis

While several studies have explored the evolving clonal profile of mCRC under stress of EGFRi using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), the heterogeneity and small samples limit our understanding of true prevalence of acq-GAs associated with EGFR resistance, and potential for concurrent chemotherapy to alter resistance patterns. A systematic literature search (PubMed + Google Scholar) was performed for studies assessing acq-GAs in ctDNA post progression on EGFRi based therapy (± chemotherapy) in mCRC. Data was extracted from 13 identified studies, categorized by their use of EGFRi in either first-line (1L) (N = 2) or second-line and beyond (2L+) (N = 11). The primary objective was to assess prevalence of acq-GAs of interest, expressly, those established as resistance mechanisms to EGFRi: KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, EGFR ectodomain mutations and ERBB2 and MET amplification. The pooled prevalence was calculated using a fixed effect model (heterogeneity assessed by I2 statistic). Across 13 examined studies, the net sample size was 825 (range 4 - 331) [1L (138) and 2L+ (687)] and 325 patients acq GAs at progression on EGFRi with a pooled prevalence of 39% (95%CI 36 – 41). This varied substantially by line of therapy with prevalence of 8% (95%CI 3 – 12) in 1L studies (I2 0%) significantly lower than 55% (95%CI 52 – 58) seen in 2L+ setting (I2 95%) (OR 0.07, 95%CI 0.04 – 0.13, P < 0.0001). Prevalence of specific acq-GAs was also lower in 1L compared to 2L+ studies (Table).Table: 363PGenomic AlterationPooled Prevalence1Comparison21L (%)2L+ (%)OR, 95%CIPMutationsAll RAS5400.08, 0.03-0.17<0.0001KRAS2290.05, 0.02-0.15<0.0001NRAS160.12, 0.01-0.660.0083BRAF190.08, 0.00-0.420.0002EGFR-ectodomain (ECD)2200.09, 0.03-0.26<0.0001AmplificationsERBB2270.23, 0.02-2.100.25MET0170.00, 0.00-0.310.00081. Pooled prevalence and its corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated by meta-analysis of extracted proportions of key GAs with Jamovi software. 2. Odds ratio (OR) and 95%CI were calculated using Fisher-exact test for comparison of prevalence between groups. Open table in a new tab Our analysis demonstrates that acquisition of key GAs associated with resistance to EGFRi in mCRC is rare with upfront use of anti-EGFR mAbs compared to later lines, indicating differing resistance mechanisms. This has implications for prospective trials examining EGFRi rechallenge strategies and its clinical use guided by acq-GAs and highlights need to address alternate resistance mechanisms.

441TiP A multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase III study of anlotinib plus CAPEOX versus bevacizumab plus CAPEOX as first-line therapy in patients with RAS/BRAF wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer

Anlotinib is an oral small molecule tyrosine kinases inhibitor mainly targeting VEGFR 1/2/3, FGFR 1-4, and PDGFR α/β. It has shown potential antitumor activity and manageable safety in patients with RAS/BRAF wild type (WT) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in a phase II study (NCT04080843) when combined with CAPEOX. This phase III study is designed to compare the efficacy and safety of anlotinib plus CAPEOX with standard first-line treatment in patients with RAS/BRAF WT mCRC. This is a multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel-controlled, non-inferiority, phase III study. Enrolled patients should have an ECOG PS of 0/1 with confirmed RAS/BRAF WT colorectal adenocarcinoma, and unresectable metastasis assessed by MDT. Patients classified as MSI-H or dMMR or resectable or potentially resectable metastases or with previous systemic therapy for mCRC will be excluded. A total of 698 patients stratified by primary tumor location and prior adjuvant therapy will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to anlotinib group or bevacizumab group. Patients in both groups will receive 4 to 8 cycles of induction therapy (CAPEOX plus anlotinib or bevacizumab), then maintenance treatment (capecitabine plus anlotinib or bevacizumab) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival (PFS) assessed by an independent review committee. Secondary endpoints are investigator-assessed PFS, overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DOR), resection rate of liver metastases, quality of life, and safety. The planned sample size provides 81.2% power to detect a non-inferiority margin of 1.09 in terms of HR for the primary endpoint after 524 events with a one-sided significance level of 0.025. This trial was initiated in May 2021, and enrollment is ongoing. NCT04854668. Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd.

Sequenced treatment after regorafenib and survival in metastatic colorectal cancer: a qualitative clinical review

There is limited evidence-based guidance regarding treatment sequencing and outcomes following regorafenib in patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). A targeted literature review was conducted to identify studies with clinical outcomes associated with regorafenib therapy and subsequent treatment following regorafenib therapy. The median overall survival range of the nine studies with sequenced-based survival data was 2.1–19.3 months for regorafenib prior to subsequent therapy in refractory mCRC. Safety outcomes in patients treated with regorafenib prior to other therapies in mCRC were generally comparable to reported adverse events in clinical trials for subsequent agents. Data from this review demonstrate a potential correlation between survival and the use of regorafenib prior to subsequent chemotherapy or targeted therapy in patients with refractory mCRC.

Monoclonal Antibodies for First-Line Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

In addition to discontinuing treatment at disease progression, cumulative toxicity limitations and genetic mutations play important roles in chemotherapy choice in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, in recent years, targeted therapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors or monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs), have been used with chemotherapy to improve clinical outcomes in patients with mCRC. Approximately 15% of patients with CRC would be eligible for further targeted therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors based on genetic testing, but most patients with CRC would not qualify, especially Kirsten rat sarcoma wild-type. Therefore, adding MoAb is only an option for most patients until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurs. However, the results are not consistent with the combination of MoAb and different chemotherapy bases. In addition, most results from combining MoAb with different chemotherapy bases are not consistent. This meta-analysis includes published of the PubMed and Embase databases, limited to English literature, and patients were treated with MoAb combination. Randomized control trials conducted published up to May 2021 were considered for inclusion. Fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy has been the backbone of palliative therapy for mCRC, with demonstrated benefits. This article will review the efficacy and safety of randomized control trials comparing different MoAb with fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy as first-line therapy for patients with mCRC, particularly in Kirsten rat sarcoma wild-type. This meta-analysis revealed that MoAb plus chemotherapy has better progression-free survival and objective response rate than chemotherapy alone. However, treatment-related serious adverse events (grade ≥ 3) should be considered, particularly severe rash, diarrhea, and hypertension.

Precision Medicine in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Targeting ERBB2 (HER-2) Oncogene.

Simple SummaryColorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in terms of incidence rate in adults and the second most common cause of cancer-related death in Europe. The treatment of metastatic CRC (mCRC) is based on the use of chemotherapy, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) for RAS wild-type tumors. Precision medicine tries to identify molecular alterations that could be treated with targeted therapies. Although ERBB2 (also known as HER-2) has an important therapeutic role in breast and esophagogastric cancer, there are no approved ERBB2-targeted therapies for mCRC. The purpose of this review is to describe the landscape of ERBB2-positive mCRC.Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in terms of incidence rate in adults and the second most common cause of cancer-related death in Europe. The treatment of metastatic CRC (mCRC) is based on the use of chemotherapy, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) for RAS wild-type tumors. Precision medicine tries to identify molecular alterations that could be treated with targeted therapies. ERBB2 amplification (also known as HER-2) has been identified in 2–3% of patients with mCRC, but there are currently no approved ERBB2-targeted therapies for mCRC. The purpose of this review is to describe the molecular structure of ERBB2, clinical features of these patients, diagnosis of ERBB2 alterations, and the most relevant clinical trials with ERBB2-targeted therapies in mCRC.

SY19-5 Future perspective for the targeted/personalized therapy of mCRC

Targeted therapies achieve a breakthrough for mCRC in these years. Genome medicine including BRAF or HER2 already become available in clinic. At present, the others such as Met or KRAS G12C show some activity, although these target population are rare fraction. Especially, RAS is the most common alteration in mCRC, therefore, the targeted drugs against these alterations other than KRAS G12C will be warranted. On the other hand, liquid biopsy based on ctDNA has been widely used to identify the population that is expected to be useful or to reveal the resistance mechanism, and because of that the possibilities for success of drug development will increase.

O7-4 Ramucirumab plus FOLFIRI for RAS wild-type mCRC refractory to 1st-line treatment with anti-EGFR antibody: JACCRO CC-16

Ramucirumab (RAM) plus FOLFIRI has been considered as 2nd-line treatment standard of care for RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) after anti-EGFR antibody containing chemotherapy. However, there have been few studies which prospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of RAM plus FOLFIRI after anti-EGFR antibody therapy in mCRC. We therefore investigated the efficacy and safety of RAM plus FOLFIRI as 2nd-line treatment in patients with RAS wild-type mCRC previously treated with anti-EGFR antibody containing chemotherapy.

P74-1 Encorafenib, binimetinib, and cetuximab combination therapy for patients with BRAF V600E mutant colorectal cancer

Patients with BRAF V600E-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) have a poor prognosis. Encorafenib, binimetinib, and cetuximab (triplet-therapy) became the latest approach for targeting therapy of V600E-mutated mCRC. However, the clinical courses and complications of the combination therapy are still unknown in clinical practice.

Spend less to achieve more: Economic analysis of intermittent versus continuous cetuximab in KRAS wild-type patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

BackgroundIn 2014, the COIN-B clinical trial demonstrated that intermittent cetuximab (IC) was a safe alternative to continuous cetuximab (CC), with less cytotoxic chemotherapy, in first-line treatment for KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Cetuximab has been available for this indication in England since 2015, but treatment breaks beyond 6 weeks were prohibited, despite real-world evidence that therapy de-escalation maintains equivalent disease control, but with superior Quality-of-Life (QoL). We performed health economic analyses of IC versus CC and used this evidence to help underpin policy change and guide clinical practice through reduction in unnecessary treatment for mCRC patients. MethodsEmploying cost-minimization analysis, we conducted partitioned survival modelling (PSM) and Markov Chain Monte-Carlo (MCMC) simulation to determine costs and quality-adjusted-life-years for IC versus CC. ResultsIC reduced costs by £ 35,763 (PSM; p < 0.001) or £ 30,189 (MCMC) per patient annually, while preserving treatment efficacy and enhancing QoL. Extrapolating to all mCRC patients eligible for cetuximab therapy would have generated cost savings of ~£ 1.2 billion over this cohort’s lifetime. These data helped underpin a request to NHS England to remove treatment break restrictions in first-line mCRC therapy, which has been adopted as an interim treatment option policy in colorectal cancer during the Covid-19 pandemic. ConclusionsOur results highlight substantial cost savings achievable by treatment de-escalation, while also reinforcing the importance of therapy breaks to potentially increase tumour responsiveness and reduce treatment toxicity. Our study also highlights how health economic evidence can influence health policy, championing reduced treatment intensity approaches without compromising patient outcomes, which is of particular relevance when addressing the reduced capacity and treatment backlogs experienced during the pandemic.