Quality of life with first-line pembrolizumab for PD-L1-positive advanced gastric/gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma: results from the randomised phase III KEYNOTE-062 study.

BACKGROUND: In the randomised phase III KEYNOTE-062 study, pembrolizumab was non-inferior to chemotherapy for overall survival in patients with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive [combined positive score (CPS) ≥1] advanced gastric/gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer. We present findings of prespecified health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) analyses for pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy in this population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HRQOL, a secondary endpoint, was measured in patients who received ≥1 dose of study treatment and completed ≥1 HRQOL questionnaire [European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 30-question quality-of-life (QLQ-C30), EORTC 22-question quality-of-life gastric-cancer-specific module (QLQ-STO22)]. Least squares mean (LSM) change (baseline to week 18) in global health status/quality of life (GHS/QOL; EORTC QLQ-C30) and time to deterioration (TTD) in GHS/QOL, nausea/vomiting and appetite loss scores (EORTC QLQ-C30) and abdominal pain/discomfort scores (EORTC QLQ-STO22) were evaluated. RESULTS: The HRQOL population comprised 495 patients with CPS ≥1 (pembrolizumab, 252; chemotherapy, 243). Compliance rates at week 18 were similar for pembrolizumab and chemotherapy (EORTC QLQ-C30, 87.9% and 81.9%; EORTC QLQ-STO22, 87.9% and 81.3%, respectively). There was no between-arm difference in LSM score change in GHS/QOL [-0.16; 95% confidence interval (CI) -5.01 to 4.69; P = 0.948]. The LSM score change for most subscales showed comparable worsening in both arms. TTD for GHS/QOL [hazard ratio (HR), 0.96; 95% CI, 0.67-1.38; P = 0.826], appetite loss (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.58-1.20; P = 0.314) and pain (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.78-1.91; P = 0.381) were similar between arms. Longer TTD was observed for pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy for nausea/vomiting (HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.44-0.85; P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: HRQOL was maintained with first-line treatment with pembrolizumab in patients with PD-L1-positive advanced gastric/GEJ cancer and was similar between pembrolizumab and chemotherapy in this population.

The association of flushing bother, impact, treatment satisfaction and discontinuation of niacin therapy.

BACKGROUND: Niacin has lipid-modifying efficacy and cardiovascular benefit, but is underutilised because of niacin-induced flushing (NIF). This real-world, prospective, observational study characterised the severity and impact of NIF symptoms among participants who were newly prescribed extended-release (ER) niacin. METHODS: Participants were surveyed daily during week 1 of therapy, at weeks 5, 9, 13, and at months 7, 10 and 13. Surveys included the Flushing Symptom Questionnaire (FSQ), which includes the Global Flushing Severity Score (GFSS) question, the Flushing Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM). RESULTS: Overall, 306 participants were enrolled. During week 1, 30.0% of participants reported a maximum GFSS ≥ 4 (moderate or greater). Mean FIQ domain scores increased with increasing flushing severity, primarily driven by the Irritation/Frustration domain. By week 13, only 2.5% of participants had attained a 2 g ER niacin dose. By month 13, 43.5% (n = 133) had discontinued ER niacin. At discontinuation, only 3.1% of participants had attained the 2 g dose. Over half of the participants who discontinued experienced flushing symptoms: 82% reported moderate to extreme flushing (GFSS ≥ 4), and 68% reported severe to extreme flushing (GFSS ≥ 7). Participants who discontinued and had flushing side effects reported high degrees of impact in the FIQ Irritation/Frustration domain, and high dissatisfaction as a result of side effects, as measured by the TSQM. CONCLUSION: In a real-world setting, NIF side effects were bothersome and had an impact on the continuation of therapy.

Methods for interpreting change over time in patient-reported outcome measures.

PURPOSE: Interpretation guidelines are needed for patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures' change scores to evaluate efficacy of an intervention and to communicate PRO results to regulators, patients, physicians, and providers. The 2009 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Guidance for Industry Patient-Reported Outcomes (PRO) Measures: Use in Medical Product Development to Support Labeling Claims (hereafter referred to as the final FDA PRO Guidance) provides some recommendations for the interpretation of change in PRO scores as evidence of treatment efficacy. METHODS: This article reviews the evolution of the methods and the terminology used to describe and aid in the communication of meaningful PRO change score thresholds. RESULTS: Anchor- and distribution-based methods have played important roles, and the FDA has recently stressed the importance of cross-sectional patient global assessments of concept as anchor-based methods for estimation of the responder definition, which describes an individual-level treatment benefit. The final FDA PRO Guidance proposes the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of responses as a useful method to depict the effect of treatments across the study population. CONCLUSIONS: While CDFs serve an important role, they should not be a replacement for the careful investigation of a PRO's relevant responder definition using anchor-based methods and providing stakeholders with a relevant threshold for the interpretation of change over time.

Measuring flushing symptoms with extended-release niacin using the flushing symptom questionnaire: results from a randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Niacin is underutilised because of flushing. Lack of a quantitative tool to assess niacin-induced flushing has precluded the objective evaluation of flushing associated with extended-release (ER) niacin formulations. We developed the Flushing Symptom Questionnaire((c)) (FSQ), a quantitative tool to assess patient-reported flushing, and assessed its ability to characterise ER niacin-induced flushing. METHODS: This study focused on the responses to one question in the FSQ, the Global Flushing Severity Score (GFSS), reported on a 0-10 scale (none = 0, mild = 1-3, moderate = 4-6, severe = 7-9 and extreme = 10) to assess flushing during ER niacin initiation (week 1) and maintenance (weeks 2-8). RESULTS: Flushing severity with ER niacin was greatest during week 1 and remained greater than placebo for the study duration. During weeks 2-8, 40% of patients on ER niacin vs. 8% of those on placebo had > 1 day/week with 'moderate or greater' GFSS. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the GFSS component of the FSQ was a sensitive and responsive quantitative measure of ER niacin-induced flushing that will aid in the objective comparison of novel strategies intended to improve tolerability and adherence to niacin, an agent proven to reduce cardiovascular risk.

The prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy amongst women with osteoporosis: an international epidemiological investigation.

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D is essential for calcium metabolism as well as for fracture prevention, and a recent review suggested that the optimal serum 25(OH)D lies in the region of 50-80 nmol L-1 (20-32 ng mL-1). A high prevalence of inadequacy has been reported in many studies but the prevalence of inadequacy amongst women with osteoporosis in different regions of the world has not been well characterized. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: A multinational study of 18 countries at various latitudes (range 64N-38S) was conducted in 2004 and 2005 to determine the average levels of serum 25(OH)D and the prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy. A total of 2606 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis (low bone mineral density, history of fragility fracture) seeking routine medical care were enrolled and serum 25(OH)D levels were measured at a single laboratory visit. RESULTS: Mean serum 25(OH)D level was 26.8 ng mL-1 (SE 0.3) and ranged from 7 to 243 ng mL-1. Regional mean values were highest in Latin America (29.6 ng mL-1, SE 0.6) and lowest in the Middle East (20.4 ng mL-1, SE 0.5). Overall, 64% of women had serum levels<30 ng mL-1. Serum parathyroid hormone reached a nadir at serum 25(OH)D levels>35 ng mL-1. In nonequatorial countries, women recruited during the winter months had somewhat lower serum 25(OH)D levels than those recruited during the summer months in some, but not all, countries. CONCLUSIONS: Low levels of serum 25(OH)D are common amongst women with osteoporosis. The results underscore the value of assuring vitamin D adequacy in these women.

A comparison of Rasch with Likert scoring to discriminate between patients' evaluations of total hip replacement surgery.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether there are advantages in terms of outcome assessment of using Rasch methods of scoring the 12-item Oxford Hip Score (OHS) questionnaire over conventionally Likert scores. As part of a prospective cohort study of total hip replacements in five former regions of England the OHS was sent to patients pre-operatively, at 3 months and 1 year post-operatively. Post-operative data was collected on over 5000 cases. Based on the level of satisfaction with surgery, patients were divided into satisfied and dissatisfied. Analyses were performed to test the relative precision (RP) of Rasch scoring vs. conventionally Likert scores in discriminating the groups experiencing different level of satisfaction. Considerable gains in precision were achieved with Rasch scoring methods when groups were compared 3 and 12 months post-operatively. The results from the current study suggest that in some situations there may be substantial gains in measuring health related outcomes using Rasch-based scoring methods.

Deriving summary indices of health status from the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Assessment Questionnaires (ALSAQ-40 and ALSAQ-5).

OBJECTIVES: To use statistical procedures, operationalising what is known as item response theory (IRT), to assess the unidimensionality of the 40 item Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Assessment Questionnaire, and consequently to develop a single index figure from the measure. A secondary objective is to compare scores gained on the ALSAQ-40 with a five item short form (the ALSAQ-5). METHODS: Postal survey of patients diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) on the MND Associations database. Copies of the ALSAQ-40 and, nested within it, the ALSAQ-5 were completed on two occasions. At time one, the survey contained the ALSAQ-40 and demographic questions. In addition, patients were asked to indicate if they were willing to take part in the follow up. Those who agreed to do so were sent another copy of the questionnaire after a period of three months. Respondents were also asked to indicate how much change they had experienced since baseline on each of the five domains of the questionnaire. Rasch analysis, a form of IRT methodology, was used to determine if the 40 items in the ALSAQ-40 tapped an underlying "latent trait", and were consequently measuring a unidimensional construct. The results from the ALSAQ-40 single index were then compared with those gained from the ALSAQ-5. RESULTS: Analyses indicated that, at both baseline and follow up, all items on the ALSAQ-40 fitted the Rasch model. Consequently the 40 items were summed to create a single index. Results on this instrument were compared with those gained by summing the five items of the ALSAQ-5. Results on the instruments were found to be highly correlated. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence from the analyses suggests that 40 item ALSAQ does contain a unidimensional scale, and can, therefore be summed to create a single index. Furthermore the ALSAQ-5 closely replicates the results of the patient measure.