Effect of HLA Genotype on Anti-PD-1 Antibody Treatment for Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma in the SNiP-RCC Study.

Immune checkpoint blockade therapies are widely used for cancer treatment, including advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study aimed to investigate the impact of zygosity in HLA genes and individual HLA genotypes on the efficacy of an anti-PD-1 Ab, nivolumab, in treating advanced RCC. Patient enrollment was conducted across 23 institutions in Japan from August 19, 2019, to September 30, 2020, with follow-up concluding on March 31, 2021. HLA genotype imputation of HLA-A, B, and C, DQB1, and DRB1 loci was performed. Among 222 patients, the presence of at least one homozygosity of the HLA-II allele significantly improved the best objective response (hazard ratio, 0.34; 95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.96; p = 0.042). The HLA evolutionary divergence (HED) of the HLA-A and HLA-B loci was higher than the HLA-C (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0001, respectively), with high HED of the HLA-B locus correlating to clinical benefits in nivolumab treatment (hazard ratio, 0.44; 95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.90; p = 0.024) and improving cancer-specific survival compared with the low group (p = 0.0202). Additionally, high HED of the HLA-B locus was correlated with the number of infiltrated CD8+ cells in the tumor microenvironment (correlation coefficient, 0.4042). These findings indicate that the diversity of the HLA-B locus plays a significant role in the anti-tumor effect of nivolumab treatment in advanced RCC, potentially offering insights for improved risk stratification in nivolumab treatment and leading to better medical management of advanced RCC.

No clear influence of treatment escalation on flare prevention in serologically active clinically quiescent patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a retrospective cohort study.

This study aimed to clarify the efficacy and safety of treatment escalation by initiating therapeutic agents in serologically active clinically quiescent (SACQ) patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We retrospectively evaluated SACQ patients with SLE for ≥ 180 days, with the introduction of a therapeutic agent for SLE defined as exposure. The efficacy endpoints included the time to flare and time to remission, whereas the safety endpoint was the incidence of adverse events. The efficacy endpoints were assessed via Cox proportional hazards model with time-dependent covariates, which included exposure, serological activity, and prednisolone dose. Among 109 SACQ patients, 24 were initiated on the following therapeutic agents for SLE: hydroxychloroquine (10 patients), belimumab (6 patients), and immunosuppressive agents (8 patients). A total of 37 patients experienced a flare (8 and 29 patients during exposure and nonexposure periods, respectively). The time to flare was comparable between the exposure and control groups. Among 68 patients who were not in remission at the start of observation, 27 patients achieved remission (5 and 22 patients during exposure and nonexposure periods, respectively). Although both groups had a similar time to remission, the exposure group treated with belimumab had a significantly higher rate of remission than the control group. The adverse events were more frequent during the exposure period than during the nonexposure period. Thus, this study did not reveal a clear influence of treatment escalation on flare prevention and remission achievement.

Association Between Reduced Posterior Occlusal Contact and Alzheimer's Disease Onset in Older Japanese Adults: Results from the LIFE Study.

BACKGROUND: An association between poor oral health and cognitive decline has been reported. Most of these studies have considered the number of teeth as a criterion, only a few studies have analyzed the relationship between occlusal status and Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVE: To elucidate whether posterior occlusal contact is associated with AD, focusing on the Eichner classification, among an older population aged 65 years or older in Japan. METHODS: This study used monthly claims data of National Health Insurance in Japan from April 2017 to March 2020. The outcome was newly diagnosed AD defined according to ICD-10 code G30. The number of teeth was estimated by dental code data, and occlusal contact was divided into three categories, namely A, B, and C, according to the Eichner classification. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze the association between a new diagnosis of AD and the Eichner classification. RESULTS: A total of 22,687 participants were included, 560 of whom had newly diagnosed AD during a mean follow-up period of 12.2 months. The AD participants had a lower proportion of Eichner A and a higher proportion of Eichner C. After adjusting for covariates, hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) with Eichner B and C were 1.34 (1.01-1.77) and 1.54 (1.03-2.30), respectively. CONCLUSION: In older people aged≥65 years old, reduced posterior occlusal contact as well as tooth loss have an impact on AD. This study emphasizes the importance of paying attention to occlusal contacts to reduce the risk of AD.

Survival and acute exacerbation for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) or non-IPF idiopathic interstitial pneumonias: 5-year follow-up analysis of a prospective multi-institutional patient registry.

OBJECTIVE: Few prospective cohort studies with relatively large numbers of patients with non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (non-IPF) of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) have been described. We aimed to assess disease progression and cause of death for patients with non-IPF IIPs or IPF under real-life conditions. METHODS: Data were analysed for a prospective multi-institutional cohort of 528 IIP patients enrolled in Japan between September 2013 and April 2016. Diagnosis of IPF versus non-IPF IIPs was based on central multidisciplinary discussion, and follow-up surveillance was performed for up to 5 years after patient registration. Survival and acute exacerbation (AE) were assessed. RESULTS: IPF was the most common diagnosis (58.0%), followed by unclassifiable IIPs (35.8%) and others (6.2%). The 5-year survival rate for non-IPF IIP and IPF groups was 72.8% and 53.7%, respectively, with chronic respiratory failure being the primary cause of death in both groups. AE was the second most common cause of death for both non-IPF IIP (24.1%) and IPF (23.5%) patients. The cumulative incidence of AE did not differ significantly between the two groups (p=0.36), with a 1-year incidence rate of 7.4% and 9.0% in non-IPF IIP and IPF patients, respectively. We found that 30.2% and 39.4% of non-IPF IIP and IPF patients, respectively, who experienced AE died within 3 months after an AE event, whereas 55.8% and 66.7% of such patients, respectively, died within 5 years after registration. CONCLUSION: Closer monitoring of disease progression and palliative care interventions after AE are important for non-IPF IIP patients as well as for IPF patients.

Clinical factors for tumor response, progression, and survival in nivolumab for advanced renal cell carcinoma in the SNiP-RCC study.

BACKGROUND: This study is part of the SNPs in Nivolumab PD-1 inhibitor for RCC (SNiP-RCC). Here we aimed to reveal clinical factors for tumor response, progression, and survival in nivolumab for advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in Japanese patients. METHODS: We included patients from 23 institutions in Japan. We evaluated the objective response, radiographic progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and treatment-related grade ≥ 3 (serious adverse events [SAEs]). RESULTS: We included 222 patients. The median age was 69 years (interquartile range 62-74 years), and 71% of the patients were male. Pancreas metastasis, lung metastases, prior cytokine therapy, and SAEs, were associated with objective response. The median PFS was 18 months. Liver metastases (hazard ratio [HR], 1.61), age ≥ 75 (HR, 0.48), previous resection of primary sites (HR, 0.47), and SAEs (HR, 0.47) were independent prognostic factors for PFS. Karnofsky Performance Status <70 (HR, 2.90), high platelets (HR, 4.48), previous resection of primary sites (HR, 0.23), and pathological grade (HR, 0.19 for grade 2 and HR, 0.12 for grade 3) were independent prognostic factors for OS. SAEs were reported in 45 (20.3%) cases. In the group of patients with prior nephrectomy, SAEs were associated with objective response, PFS, and OS. CONCLUSION: The SNiP-RCC study identified clinical parameters correlated with treatment outcomes in Japanese patients with priorly treated advanced clear cell RCC undergoing nivolumab monotherapy.

Transcatheter arterial steroid injection therapy improves the prognosis of patients with acute liver failure.

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a disorder defined by coagulopathy and encephalopathy with a poor prognosis. No effective therapies have been established except for liver transplantation. We previously reported a subgroup of patients with acute liver injury who developed microcirculatory disturbance. We also established and reported transcatheter arterial steroid injection therapy (TASIT) as a new treatment of ALF. Here, we analyze the effectiveness of TASIT in a larger cohort and evaluate the impact on ALF patients with or without microcirculatory disturbance. We conducted a single-center retrospective study to evaluate the effectiveness of TASIT in patients with ALF admitted at Kyushu University Hospital between January 2005 and March 2018. TASIT is performed by injecting methylprednisolone via the proper hepatic artery for 3 days. One hundred ninety-4 patients with ALF were enrolled and analyzed in this study. Of the 87 patients given TASIT, 71 (81.6%) recovered without any complications and 16 (18.4%) died or underwent liver transplantation. Of the 107 patients not administered TASIT, 77 (72.0%) recovered and 30 (28.0%) progressed to irreversible liver failure. In the high-lactate dehydrogenase subgroup, 52 (86.7%) of the 60 patients with TASIT recovered, and the survival rate was significantly higher than that in patients who did not receive TASIT. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the TASIT procedure was one of the significant prognostic factors in the high-lactate dehydrogenase subgroup and was significantly associated with prothrombin activity percentage improvement. TASIT is an effective treatment for patients with ALF, especially in those with microcirculatory disturbance.

Effect of genetic polymorphisms on outcomes following nivolumab for advanced renal cell carcinoma in the SNiP-RCC trial.

BACKGROUND: Anti-PD-1 antibodies are widely used for cancer treatment including advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, their therapeutic and adverse effects vary among patients. This study aimed to identify genetic markers that predict outcome after nivolumab anti-PD-1 antibody treatment for advanced RCC. METHODS: This study was registered on the website of the University Hospital Medical Information Network (protocol ID, UMIN000037739). Patient enrollment was conducted at 23 institutions in Japan between August 19, 2019, and September 30, 2020. Patient follow-up ended on March 31, 2021. Patients were treated with nivolumab for advanced clear cell RCC. A genome-wide association study was performed in the development set, while genotyping of target regions in the validation set was undertaken. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes of interest CD274, PDCD1LG2 and PDCD1 were genotyped in the combined set. The primary endpoint was the association of SNPs with objective response following nivolumab treatment. As secondary endpoints, the associations of SNPs with radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) and treatment-related grade ≥ 3 adverse events (AEs) were evaluated. RESULTS: A genome-wide association study followed by a validation study identified that SNPs in FARP1 (rs643896 and rs685736) were associated with objective response and rPFS but not AEs following nivolumab treatment. Furthermore, SNPs in PDCD1LG2 (rs822339 and rs1411262) were associated with objective response, rPFS, and AEs following nivolumab treatment. Genetic risk category determined according to the number of risk alleles in SNPs (rs643896 in FARP1 and rs4527932 in PDCD1LG2) excellently predicted objective response and rPFS in nivolumab treatment. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that SNPs in FARP1 and PDCD1LG2 were correlated with outcome in nivolumab treatment. The use of these SNPs may be beneficial in selecting appropriate treatment for individual patients and may contribute to personalized medicine.

A Prospective Multicenter Phase II Trial of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy with Gemcitabine Plus Nab-Paclitaxel for Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer with Arterial Involvement.

BACKGROUND: Only two clinical trials have shown the effects of neoadjuvant treatment for borderline resectable pancreatic cancer with arterial involvement (BRPC-A). Here, we aimed to analyze the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP) for BRPC-A. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective, single-arm, multicenter phase II trial was conducted. Patients who were radiologically and histologically diagnosed with BRPC-A were enrolled. A central review was conducted to confirm the presence of BRPC-A. Patients received two to four cycles of GnP before surgery. The primary endpoint of the study was the R0 resection rate. Overall survival (OS) was evaluated in an ancillary study. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were enrolled, of whom 33 were subjected to central review and 28 were confirmed to have BRPC-A. All eligible patients with BRPC-A received neoadjuvant GnP. Nineteen patients underwent pancreatic resections. Postoperative complications of Clavien-Dindo IIIa or lower were observed in 11 patients. No treatment-related mortalities were observed. R0 resection was achieved in 17 patients (89%); the R0 resection rate was 61% in eligible patients. One patient underwent curative resection after termination of the treatment protocol, resulting in an overall R0 resection rate of 64%. The median overall survival (OS) and 2-year OS rate were 24.9 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 19.0 months to not estimatable] and 53.6%, respectively. OS in patients with BRPC-A who achieved overall R0 resection was significantly longer than that in the other patients (p = 0.0255). CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant GnP is a safe and effective strategy for BRPC-A, providing a chance for curative resection and improved survival.

Rapid decrease in eGFR with concomitant use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and renin-aldosterone-angiotensin system inhibitors in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have revolutionized the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, TKI-related chronic renal toxicity has been reported, particularly in patients with hypertension. We assessed whether incidental use of specific types of antihypertensive drugs, including renin-aldosterone-angiotensin system inhibitors (RAASis), affects the change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) during TKI treatment. We retrospectively analyzed all eGFR measurements during TKI treatment for 142 CML patients at Kyushu University Hospital, estimating the rate of eGFR change using a mixed-effects model. Overall, a significant interaction was found between the type of antihypertensive medication used and the yearly change in eGFR (P < 0.01), with RAASi users exhibiting the most rapid decrease in eGFR (- 5.5%/year). The analysis by TKI used showed that the interaction was significant only in imatinib and bosutinib users (P < 0.01 and P = 0.04, respectively). The yearly rate of eGFR decrease was the most notable in RAASi users, at - 5.7 (- 6.6, - 4.9) and - 10.1 (- 12.3, - 7.9) for imatinib and bosutinib users, respectively. Our findings indicate that eGFR should be carefully monitored in patients taking these TKIs.

A prospective observational study of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer in elderly patients (≥ 75 years).

BACKGROUND: To examine the effects of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for elderly (≥ 75 years of age) patients with completely resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we conducted a multi-institutional and prospective observational study. METHODS: Patients were recruited between January 2014 and December 2017, and assigned to two cohort groups based on the patients' choice either to receive postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (Cohort B) or not (Cohort A). All the patients were observed for 2 years after enrollment. The primary endpoint was the postoperative change of Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) at 2 years. The secondary endpoints were postoperative recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) at 2 years, and the completion rate of the adjuvant chemotherapy. RESULTS: Two hundred and seventy-two patients were enrolled (Cohort A, n = 225; Cohort B, n = 47). At any time point after surgery, no marked difference of KPS was observed between Cohort B and Cohort A. The RFS at 2 years was 70.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 64.3-76.4) in Cohort A and 76.0% (95% CI 60.8-85.9) in Cohort B. The OS at 2 years was 85.9% (95% CI 80.4-89.9) in Cohort A and 89.1% (95% CI 75.8-95.3) in Cohort B. The completion rate of planned chemotherapy was 49.9% (95% CI 34.1-63.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The elderly patients were not likely to choose to receive postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy; however, no significant adverse effect on postoperative KPS was identified. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trial Registration ID: UMIN000020736.

Factors affecting patient satisfaction related to cost and treatment effectiveness in rheumatoid arthritis: results from the multicenter observational cohort study, FRANK Registry.

BACKGROUND: To further improve rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment, it is necessary to understand each RA patient's satisfaction and to identify the factors affecting their satisfaction. Despite the rise in medical costs for RA, little is known about the factors that influence patient satisfaction with the cost of treatment in RA patients. METHODS: This is a multicenter observational study of Japanese RA patients from the FRANK Registry with data analyzed from March 2017 to August 2020. We collected data on demographic characteristics, clinical data, quality of life which was evaluated using the EuroQol 5-dimensional questionnaire (EQ5D), and patient satisfaction. The four categories of patient satisfaction were evaluated individually (i.e., cost, treatment efficacy, activities of daily living [ADL], and global treatment satisfaction). We analyzed the factors that affected each patient's satisfaction, such as age, sex, EQ5D, disease duration, disease activity, and treatment. RESULTS: This study included 2235 RA outpatients (406 males, 1829 females). In RA patients, "very satisfied" and "satisfied" were given for nearly half of each satisfaction aspect (cost 49%; efficacy 72%; ADL 58%; global treatment 66%) at the time of the initial registration. To investigate the factors influencing each satisfaction, multivariate analysis has revealed that the use of b/tsDMARDs increased satisfaction of treatment effect (odds ratio [OR] 0.66) and ADL (OR 0.78) but decreased cost satisfaction (OR 2.21). Age (50-64 years; OR 0.91; 65-74 years, 0.55: ≥ 75 years, 0.35), female (OR 0.81), and history of musculoskeletal surgery (OR 0.60) all increased cost satisfaction. Patients with lower disease activity and higher EQ5D scores had higher levels of satisfaction in all areas. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, patient satisfaction in terms of cost, treatment effect, ADL, and overall treatment was generally higher, but some patients were dissatisfied. The cost of satisfaction increased with age and a history of musculoskeletal surgery, while it decreased with a lower EQ5D score and the use of b/tsDMARDs.

RAD51 Expression as a Biomarker to Predict Efficacy of Preoperative Therapy and Survival for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Large-cohort Observational Study (KSCC1307).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to identify biomarkers that predict efficacy of preoperative therapy and survival for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). BACKGROUND: It is essential to improve the accuracy of preoperative molecular diagnostics to identify specific patients who will benefit from the treatment; thus, this issue should be resolved with a large-cohort, retrospective observational study. METHODS: A total of 656 patients with ESCC who received surgery after preoperative CDDP + 5-FU therapy, docetaxel + CDDP + 5-FU therapy or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) were enrolled. Immunohistochemical analysis of TP53, CDKN1A, RAD51, MutT-homolog 1, and programmed death-ligand 1 was performed with biopsy samples obtained before preoperative therapy, and expression was measured by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In all therapy groups, overall survival was statistically separated by pathological effect (grade 3 > grade 2 > grade 0, 1, P < 0.0001). There was no correlation between TP53, CDKN1A, MutT-homolog 1, programmed death-ligand 1 expression, and pathological effect, whereas the proportion of positive RAD51 expression (≥50%) in cases with grade 3 was lower than that with grade 0, 1, and 2 (P = 0.022). In the CRT group, the survival of patients with RAD51-positive tumor was significantly worse than RAD51-negative expressors (P = 0.0119). Subgroup analysis of overall survival with respect to positive RAD51 expression indicated preoperative chemotherapy (CDDP + 5-FU or docetaxel + CDDP + 5-FU) was superior to CRT. CONCLUSIONS: In ESCC, positive RAD51 expression was identified as a useful biomarker to predict resistance to preoperative therapy and poor prognosis in patients who received preoperative CRT. Administration of preoperative chemotherapy may be warranted for patients with positive RAD51 expression.

Gefitinib With Concurrent Thoracic Radiotherapy in Unresectable Locally Advanced NSCLC With EGFR Mutation; West Japan Oncology Group 6911L.

INTRODUCTION: About 10% of patients with locally advanced NSCLC (LA-NSCLC) harbor EGFR mutation and recent reports suggested the declined benefit with an immune checkpoint inhibitor in this population. The attempt that introduces EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor into the treatment of LA-NSCLC with EGFR mutation has been warranted. METHODS: Chemotherapy-naive patients with unresectable LA-NSCLC with sensitive EGFR mutation (exon 19 deletion or exon 21 L858R point mutation) were enrolled. Patients were treated with gefitinib (250 mg/d for 2 y) plus concurrent thoracic radiotherapy (64 Gy/32 fractions). The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) at 2 years (trial identifier, UMIN000008366). RESULTS: Between August 2012 and November 2017, a total of 28 patients were enrolled and 27 were eligible. The median age was 67 years (range: 45-74); never/current or former smoker in 15/12 patients, respectively; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0/1 in 19/8; EGFR exon 19 deletion/exon 21 L858R in 13/14; and c-stage IIIA/IIIB in 14/13. The PFS rate at 2 years by independent review was 29.6% (one-sided 95% confidence interval [CI]: 17.6%-). The overall response rate was 81.5% (95% CI: 63.3%-91.3%), median PFS was 18.6 months (95% CI: 12.0-24.5 mo), and median overall survival was 61.1 months (95% CI: 38.1 mo-not reached). Approximately half of the patients exhibited solitary brain metastasis as their first site of relapse. Adverse events greater than or equal to grade 3 were fatigue, skin reaction, and appetite loss (3.7% each). CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study revealed the tolerability and the possible efficacy of gefitinib plus concurrent thoracic radiotherapy in patients with LA-NSCLC having EGFR mutation.

Triple Therapy with Tamsulosin, Dutasteride, and Imidafenacin for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Patients with Overactive Bladder Symptoms Refractory to Tamsulosin: Subgroup Analyses of the DIrecT Study.

AIM: To verify if the efficacy of the triple therapy with tamsulosin, dutasteride, and imidafenacin (TDI) is influenced by any background characteristics in patients with overactive bladder (OAB). METHODS: A subanalysis of data from the DIrecT study was conducted. Superiority of TDI over tamsulosin and dutasteride in terms of efficacy based on the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS), total International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), IPSS quality of life index, and postvoid residual (PVR) was evaluated in binary subgroups. RESULTS: In the treatment groups, there was a significant interaction of total OABSS with testosterone level (≥4.8 vs. <4.8 ng/mL, p = 0.043) and PVR (≥20 vs. <20 mL, p = 0.018). For the total IPSS, no significant interaction was found except for the IPSS QOL index. For the IPSS QOL index, a significant interaction was found with testosterone level (≥4.8 vs. <4.8 ng/mL, p < 0.0001) as well as with total IPSS and total OABSS. For the PVR, no significant interaction was found except with total OABSS. CONCLUSIONS: Triple therapy with TDI is suggested to be a therapeutic option for benign prostatic hyperplasia in patients with residual OAB symptoms refractory to tamsulosin and in patients with various background characteristics regardless of severity of OAB symptoms. Trial Registry No. UMIN 000011980.

A randomized phase II study of S-1 monotherapy versus cisplatin with vinorelbine for completely resected stage II/IIIA non-small cell lung cancer: rationale and study protocol design for the LOGIK1702 study.

BACKGROUND: The current standard postoperative treatment for stage II-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a regimen of platinum doublet adjuvant chemotherapy. These regimens, which are the same as for solid NSCLC tumors, often cause severe adverse reactions in the treated patients. Therefore, an effective treatment regimen with fewer side effects is needed. METHODS/DESIGN: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of S-1 monotherapy (80 mg/m2 orally administrated twice daily, at day 1-14, 16 cycles) and cisplatin with vinorelbine combination therapy (cisplatin 80 mg/m2 at day 1,vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 at day 1, 8, 4 cycles) in patients with II/IIIA stage non-small-cell lung cancer who underwent a total resection. In addition, we will also evaluate the level of treatment side effects by assessing quality of life (QOL), work productivity and activity performance. The primary endpoint is a 2-year relapse free survival (RFS) and the second primary endpoints are 2-year overall survival (OS), rate of treatment completion, safety, work productivity and activity, and quality of adjusted life years (QALY). At the same time, we aim to obtain precise information required to perform future phase 3 randomized controlled trials. The study is designed to estimate the primary endpoint with accuracy determined as the width of its 95% confidence interval to be less than 20%. Recruitment started in May 2017 and is ongoing. DISCUSSION: This study has been conceived to establish a superior regimen for completely resected NSCLC based on efficacy, safety and QOL. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registry number: UMIN000027435 . Registered May 22, 2017.

A single-arm, phase 2 study of adjuvant chemotherapy with oral tegafur-uracil for pathologically lymphovascular invasion positive stage IA non-small cell lung cancer: LOGIK0602 study.

BACKGROUND: Lymphovascular invasion (LVI), which includes vascular or lymphatic invasions, is a representative prognostic factor even in patients with resected stage IA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Because tegafur-uracil is effective on cancers with LVI, we conducted a multi-center single-arm phase II study to estimate the efficacy of adjuvant tegafur-uracil in patients with LVI-positive stage IA NSCLC. METHODS: Patients with completely resected LVI-positive stage IA NSCLC were registered. LVI was diagnosed by consensus of two of three pathologists. Adjuvant chemotherapy consisted of 2 years of oral tegafur-uracil at 250 mg/m2/day. Fifty-five patients from 7 institutions were enrolled from June 2007 to September 2012. RESULTS: Among the 52 eligible patients, 36 (69.2%) completed the treatment course. There were 39 male and 13 female patients. The observation period was calculated as 562 to 3107 days using the reverse Kaplan-Meier method. The 5-year overall and relapse free survival rates were 94.2 and 88.5% respectively, which were significantly better than that of any other studies conducted on patients with LVI-positive stage IA NSCLC. Notably, the overall survival rate was 15% better than that of our prior retrospective study. The retrospective analysis of stage IA NSCLC patients who had received an operation in the same period revealed that the 5-year overall survival rate of the LVI positive group was 73.6% when adjuvant chemotherapy was not applied. Among 55 safety analysis sets, 4 cases of grade 3 hepatic function disorder (9.1%) and 5 cases of grade 2 anorexia (10.9%) were most frequently observed. No grade 4 adverse effects were encountered. CONCLUSION: A 2-year course of oral tegafur-uracil administration is feasible and might have a significant benefit in the adjuvant treatment of LVI-positive stage IA NSCLC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN identifier: UMIN000005921 ; Date of enrolment of the first participant to the trial: 19 June 2007; Date of registration: 5 July 2011 (retrospectively registered).

Randomized Phase II Study of First-Line Biweekly Gemcitabine and Carboplatin Versus Biweekly Gemcitabine and Carboplatin plus Maintenance Gemcitabine in Elderly Patients with Untreated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: LOGIK0801.

LESSONS LEARNED: The usefulness of maintenance gemcitabine (GEM) after biweekly carboplatin + GEM in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer could not be proved. Superior overall survival was obtained in the group that did not receive maintenance therapy. BACKGROUND: The primary objective of this randomized phase II study was to assess progression-free survival (PFS) in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with gemcitabine (GEM) maintenance therapy versus best supportive care following first-line GEM plus carboplatin (CBDCA). METHODS: Elderly chemotherapy-naive patients with stage IIIB or IV NSCLC were randomly assigned 1:1 to the control arm or the study arm. All patients received biweekly combination therapy with GEM and CBDCA (1,000 mg/m2 GEM and CBDCA at an area under the curve [AUC] of 3 on days 1 and 15, every 4 weeks). In the study arm, patients with objective response or stable disease following three or four cycles of initial chemotherapy received maintenance GEM. RESULTS: Eighty-four patients were enrolled. The objective response rates (ORRs) were 17.5% in the control arm and 14.0% in the study arm. The most common toxicity was neutropenia (control arm: 47.5% and study arm: 69.8%). The median progression-free survivals were 4.99 months (control arm) and 4.44 months (study arm), and the median overall survivals (OSs) were 21.7 months (control arm) and 8.2 months (study arm). CONCLUSION: Our data do not support maintenance GEM after biweekly CBDCA+GEM in elderly patients with NSCLC.

Survival Analysis for Patients with ALK Rearrangement-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and a Poor Performance Status Treated with Alectinib: Updated Results of Lung Oncology Group in Kyushu 1401.

LESSONS LEARNED: Alectinib confers a pronounced survival benefit in patients with ALK rearrangement-positive non-small cell lung cancer and a poor performance status. Survival benefit of alectinib for patients with a poor performance status was consistent regardless of the presence of central nervous system metastases. BACKGROUND: We previously reported a marked objective response rate (ORR) and safety for alectinib treatment in patients with ALK rearrangement-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and a poor performance status (PS) in the Lung Oncology Group in Kyushu (LOGiK) 1401 study. It remained unclear, however, whether alectinib might also confer a long-term survival benefit in such patients. METHODS: Eighteen patients with ALK rearrangement-positive advanced NSCLC and a PS of 2, 3, or 4 (n = 12, 5, and 1, respectively) were enrolled in LOGiK1401 between September 2014 and December 2015 and received alectinib. We have now updated the survival data for the study. RESULTS: The median follow-up time for all patients was 27.3 months. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 16.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.1-30.8 months), and the median survival time (MST) and the 3-year overall survival rate were 30.3 months (95% CI, 11.5 months to not reached) and 43.8% (95% CI, 20.8-64.7%), respectively. This survival benefit was similarly manifest in patients with a PS of 2 (MST, 20.5 months) and those with a PS of ≥3 (MST, not reached). PFS did not differ between patients with or without central nervous system (CNS) metastases at baseline (median of 17.5 and 16.2 months, respectively, p = .886). CONCLUSION: Alectinib showed a pronounced survival benefit for patients with ALK rearrangement-positive NSCLC and a poor PS regardless of the presence of CNS metastases, a patient population for which chemotherapy is not indicated.

Efficacy and feasibility of S-1 plus oxaliplatin (C-SOX) for treating patients with stage III colon cancer (KSCC1303): final analysis of 3-year disease-free survival.

BACKGROUND: Adjuvant chemotherapy is an accepted treatment to improve survival rates in patients with stage III colon cancer, and regimens including oxaliplatin have been shown to be superior to those containing 5-FU alone. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and feasibility of S-1 plus oxaliplatin (C-SOX) as adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with stage III colon cancer following curative resection. METHODS: Patients with colon cancer who underwent curative resection were enrolled and received oral S-1 40-60 mg twice daily on days 1-14 every 3 weeks plus intravenous oxaliplatin 130 mg/m2 on day 1 for eight courses. The primary endpoint was 3-year disease-free survival rate. Secondary endpoints were the rate of treatment completion, adverse events, relative dose intensity, and overall survival. RESULTS: Between February 2014 and December 2014, 89 patients were enrolled. One patient was excluded from the analysis because of ineligibility, and the remaining 88 patients were included. The rate of protocol treatment completion was 72.3%. The relative dose intensity of S-1 and oxaliplatin was 72% and 76.3%, respectively. Hematological severe adverse events (Grade 3/4) were neutropenia (21.3%) and thrombocytopenia (15.7%). The most frequent symptom was diarrhea (Grade 3/4: 5.6%). The incidence of grade 2 neuropathy has decreased from 8.1 to 2.7% after 3 years of the therapy. Three-year disease-free survival rate was 73.9% (95% CI 63.8-81.9), and 3-year overall survival rate was 94.3% (95% CI 86.8-97.6) CONCLUSIONS: C-SOX is a safe and feasible adjuvant chemotherapy regimen in patients with stage III colon cancer undergoing curative resection.