Durvalumab for Stage III EGFR-Mutated NSCLC After Definitive Chemoradiotherapy.

INTRODUCTION: In 2018, durvalumab was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as consolidation immunotherapy for patients with stage III NSCLC after definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT). However, whether durvalumab benefits patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC remains unknown. METHODS: We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective analysis of patients with unresectable stage III EGFR-mutated NSCLC who completed concurrent CRT. Kaplan-Meier analyses evaluated progression-free survival (PFS) between patients who completed CRT with or without durvalumab. RESULTS: Among 37 patients, 13 initiated durvalumab a median of 20 days after CRT completion. Two patients completed 12 months of treatment, with five patients discontinuing durvalumab owing to progression and five owing to immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Of 24 patients who completed CRT without durvalumab, 16 completed CRT alone and eight completed CRT with induction or consolidation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Median PFS was 10.3 months in patients who received CRT and durvalumab versus 6.9 months with CRT alone (log-rank p = 0.993). CRT and EGFR TKI was associated with a significantly longer median PFS (26.1 mo) compared with CRT and durvalumab or CRT alone (log-rank p = 0.023). Six patients treated with durvalumab initiated EGFR TKIs after recurrence, with one developing grade 4 pneumonitis on osimertinib. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC did not benefit with consolidation durvalumab and experienced a high frequency of irAEs. Patients who initiate osimertinib after durvalumab may be susceptible to incident irAEs. Consolidation durvalumab should be approached with caution in this setting and concurrent CRT with induction or consolidation EGFR TKIs further investigated as definitive treatment.

Correction to: Community Low-Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening: A Prospective Cohort Study.

The original version of this article contained an error in the usage of the term "false positive rate". The intention of the authors in those instances was simply to compare the absolute percentage of false positive results in the study vs the NLST, not to make any observations about false positive rate in the strict statistical sense (i.e. Type I error probability).

Community low-dose CT lung cancer screening: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) in 2011 showed that low-dose CT (LDCT) screening in high-risk groups reduces lung cancer deaths. Major professional organizations, as well as the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, have endorsed LDCT screening in these select populations. However, major questions remain about whether widespread deployment of CT screening can achieve results similar to the NLST, especially in the community setting. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was initiated in November 2010. Participants at least 50 years old and with at least 20 pack-years of smoking history underwent LDCT screening in a community setting. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty four participants underwent LDCT screening with median follow-up of 2.7 years. Compared with the NLST, there was a higher rate of positive screening tests (35.7 vs. 27.3 %), higher false positive rate (100 vs. 96.4 %), and poor adherence (43 vs. 95 %). Invasive diagnostic follow-up was uncommon and uncomplicated. No interval lung cancer was detected. Late follow-up was mostly attributed to participant or primary care provider preference (67.5 %), participants lost to follow-up (17.5 %), and lack of insurance (10 %). CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the potential challenges of generalizing the NLST mortality benefits in the broad deployment of CT screening. Our results support current recommendations that LDCT screening be performed in a highly structured and integrated setting.

A phase I trial of vandetanib combined with capecitabine, oxaliplatin and bevacizumab for the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Vandetanib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of both the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFR) and epidermal growth factor (EGFR) receptors. The primary objectives of this study were to determine the maximum tolerated dose of vandetanib with capecitabine and oxaliplatin, without and with bevacizumab, for the first line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), and to define the dose limiting toxicities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three cohorts of patients were studied, with capecitabine at 1,000 mg/m(2) twice daily p.o. on days 1-14 of a 3 week cycle, with oxaliplatin i.v. at 130 mg/m(2) on day 1. Vandetanib dosing was 100 mg/day in cohort 1 and 300 mg/day in cohorts 2 and 3. Bevacizumab was added in cohort 3 at 7.5 mg/kg i.v. on day 1 every 3 weeks. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were enrolled and received from one to eight cycles per patient. Grade 4 dermatitis developed in one patient in the first cohort, and the cohort was expanded to six patients with no further dose limiting toxicities (DLT). The second cohort of 3 patients was well tolerated. The third cohort resulted in grade 3 diarrhea, requiring several days of hospitalization and i.v. hydration, in 3 of the 4 patients. Given the severity and duration of diarrhea, each of these was considered a DLT, and therefore cohort 3 was considered to be above the maximum tolerated dose. Six of the 13 patients achieved a partial or complete remission (46%). The time to progression ranged from 2 to 14 months. CONCLUSIONS: Vandetanib at doses of 100 mg and 300 mg daily in combination with capecitabine and oxaliplatin was well tolerated. However, the addition of bevacizumab resulted in severe diarrhea in three out of four patients. Bevacizumab was not well tolerated with vandetanib and XELOX in combination.

Adjuvant treatment of resected lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, and efforts to improve outcomes of patients with this disease require a multidisciplinary approach. While surgical resection is the optimal treatment for early stage lung cancer, the high rates of recurrence after resection pose a distinct challenge. In recent years, substantial evidence has accumulated to support adjuvant chemotherapy in Stage II and III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A recent meta-analysis of large clinical trials of cisplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy for resected NSCLC showed that the 5-year survival benefit in favor of chemotherapy was 5.3% (hazard ratio for death, 0.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-0.96; P = 0.005). The use of adjuvant chemotherapy in Stage I NSCLC remains controversial. Current and future efforts are being directed toward identification of prognostic and predictive markers to select patients at highest risk for recurrence, and of chemotherapeutic agents to which their tumors are most likely to respond. The role of targeted therapies, including those directed at the epidermal growth factor receptor and vascular endothelial growth factor in adjuvant treatment, is currently under investigation. At this time, there are no data to support the routine use of adjuvant radiation treatment, except in cases in which surgical margins are positive.

Role of anti-angiogenesis agents in treating NSCLC: focus on bevacizumab and VEGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

OPINION STATEMENT: Successful inhibition of angiogenesis with the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody bevacizumab has improved the efficacy seen with standard cytotoxic therapy in NSCLC. The addition of bevacizumab to first-line chemotherapy improved response rate and progression free survival and added 2 months to median overall survival for those patients with advanced stage NSCLC on the treatment arm of E4599. Bevacizumab is now a standard agent to add to frontline carboplatin and paclitaxel for patients with newly diagnosed NSCLC who meet the eligibility criteria from the landmark E4599 trial. Unfortunately about half of all patients are not eligible either because they have squamous histology, brain metastases, or are on anti-coagulation. Ongoing trials are further exploring the safety of bevacizumab in these patient populations, as well as in combination with other cytotoxic regimens. Exploration of other applications of bevacizumab in the second-line and adjuvant setting are ongoing as well. The largest class of drugs that block angiogenesis are the multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that target the VEGF receptor (VEGFR). These drugs are still in development, and though two are now on the market for treating other malignancies, their role in NSCLC is under investigation. These agents have the advantages of hitting multiple targets, convenient oral administration, and potential for lower cost. Their lack of target specificity leads to unexpected toxicity, but also promising efficacy. For example, the overall objective response rate of 9.5% with single agent sunitinib compares similarly to that of pemetrexed or docetaxel in previously treated NSCLC patients, but toxicity, notably fatigue, lead to discontinuation in 38% of patients. Hypertension, hemorrhage and cavitation are common toxicities amongst this class of agents. Rash, fatigue, myalgia, and hand-foot syndrome are more specifically seen with TKIs. These compounds may also be synergistic or additive with traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs and other novel compounds. In early trials sorafenib as a single agent has shown no clinical response in previously treated NSCLC patients, whereas clinical benefit in combination with erlotinib or chemotherapy has been seen in early studies. Vandetanib has demonstrated objective responses as a single agent and in combination with chemotherapy in previously treated NSCLC patients. A phase I trial of AZD2171 with carboplatin and paclitaxel in newly diagnosed advanced stage NSCLC also demonstrated promising results with 6 of 15 patients achieving partial responses. NSCLC specific trials are also underway, or in development for pazopanib, axitinib, AMG 706, XL647, enzastaurin, and other TKIs. Other anti-angiogenesis agents with different mechanisms of action include thalidomide and its derivatives, monoclonal antibodies to the VEGFRs, and VEGF Trap, a chimeric molecule which combines extracellular portions of VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 with the Fc portion of immunoglobulin G1 to form a molecule that binds and "traps" VEGF. Despite modest improvements, prognosis continues to be poor for patients with advanced NSCLC. Bevacizumab is a first step into the world of angiogenesis inhibitors for NSCLC and though it only offers a modest survival benefit in a limited patient population, it paves the way for the development of the next generation of anti-angiogenesis inhibitors. We can hope that further improvements in survival will follow.

Clinical trials of VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Western countries and is among the deadliest diseases in humans. At present, gemcitabine is the standard chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer, although (despite its use) prognosis continues to be dismal with a median survival of < 6 months. While targeting tumor vasculature has provided improved outcomes in colon, lung, breast and renal cell cancers, trials of angiogenesis inhibitors have lagged behind in pancreatic cancer. This review provides the rationale for exploring antiangiogenic therapies in the treatment of pancreatic cancer as well as summarizes present clinical development of VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors and their application to pancreatic cancer.

Sunitinib: a newly approved small-molecule inhibitor of angiogenesis.

The advent of targeted therapies has allowed treatment to be directed at signaling pathways integral to tumor growth and survival. Sunitinib (SU11248, sunitinib malate; Pfizer Inc., New York, NY, USA) is a novel oral small-molecule multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has demonstrated direct antitumor activity and antiangiogenic action. It targets the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), platelet derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), stem-cell factor receptor and Fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor 3 receptor tyrosine-kinases. In January 2006, sunitinib malate was granted approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor after disease progression on, or intolerance to, imatinib mesylate, as well as for the treatment of metastatic renal cell cancer. This review will discuss the development of sunitinib, particularly in acute myeloid leukemia, imatinib-resistant gastrointestinal stromal tumors and renal cell cancer. The review will also discuss ongoing trials with sunitinib in other malignancies such as neuroendocrine tumors and breast cancer, as well as its potential future development in combination therapy with other agents and in other malignancies.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy for the spine at the University of California, Irvine.

Radiation treatment of malignant diseases of the spine poses unique challenges to the radiation oncology treatment team. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) offers the capability of delivering high doses to targets near the spine while respecting spinal cord tolerance. At the University of California, Irvine, 8 patients received a total of 10 courses to the spine for a variety of primary and metastatic malignant conditions. This paper discusses anatomical considerations, spinal cord radiation myelopathy, and treatment planning issues as it relates to the treatment of spinal cord lesions. Between October 1997 and August 2001, a total of 8 patients received 10 courses of IMRT for primary or metastatic disease of the spine. Cancers treated included metastatic lung, renal, adrenocortical cancers, and primary sarcomas and giant cell tumor. Five cases had 6 courses given for re-irradiation of symptomatic disease and 3 cases had 4 courses of IMRT as primary management of their spinal lesions. Although 3 courses were given postoperatively, these were for grossly residual disease. For the re-irradiation patients, the mean follow-up interval was 4 months. The local control was estimated at 14%. Of the patients treated with primary intent, the mean follow-up was 9 months and the local control rate 75%. No patients developed spinal cord complications.