Brigitte Laguerre

Androgen-deprivation therapy alone or with docetaxel in non-castrate metastatic prostate cancer (GETUG-AFU 15): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial

BACKGROUND Early chemotherapy might improve the overall outcomes of patients with metastatic non-castrate (ie, hormone-sensitive) prostate cancer. We investigated the effects of the addition of docetaxel to androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) for patients with metastatic non-castrate prostate cancer. METHODS In this randomised, open-label, phase 3 study, we enrolled patients in 29 centres in France and one in Belgium. Eligible patients were older than 18 years and had histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate and radiologically proven metastatic disease; a Karnofsky score of at least 70%; a life expectancy of at least 3 months; and adequate hepatic, haematological, and renal function. They were randomly assigned to receive to ADT (orchiectomy or luteinising hormone-releasing hormone agonists, alone or combined with non-steroidal antiandrogens) alone or in combination with docetaxel (75 mg/m(2) intravenously on the first day of each 21-day cycle; up to nine cycles). Patients were randomised in a 1:1 ratio, with dynamic minimisation to minimise imbalances in previous systemic treatment with ADT, chemotherapy for local disease or isolated rising concentration of serum prostate-specific antigen, and Glass risk groups. Patients, physicians, and data analysts were not masked to treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was overall survival. Efficacy analyses were done by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00104715. FINDINGS Between Oct 18, 2004, and Dec 31, 2008, 192 patients were randomly allocated to receive ADT plus docetaxel and 193 to receive ADT alone. Median follow-up was 50 months (IQR 39-63). Median overall survival was 58·9 months (95% CI 50·8-69·1) in the group given ADT plus docetaxel and 54·2 months (42·2-not reached) in that given ADT alone (hazard ratio 1·01, 95% CI 0·75-1·36). 72 serious adverse events were reported in the group given ADT plus docetaxel, of which the most frequent were neutropenia (40 [21%]), febrile neutropenia (six [3%]), abnormal liver function tests (three [2%]), and neutropenia with infection (two [1%]). Four treatment-related deaths occurred in the ADT plus docetaxel group (two of which were neutropenia-related), after which the data monitoring committee recommended treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. After this recommendation, no further treatment-related deaths occurred. No serious adverse events were reported in the ADT alone group. INTERPRETATION Docetaxel should not be used as part of first-line treatment for patients with non-castrate metastatic prostate cancer. FUNDING French Health Ministry and Institut National du Cancer (PHRC), Sanofi-Aventis, AstraZeneca, and Amgen.

Temsirolimus and bevacizumab, or sunitinib, or interferon alfa and bevacizumab for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (TORAVA): a randomised phase 2 trial

BACKGROUND Combining targeted treatments for renal cell carcinoma has been suggested as a possible method to improve treatment efficacy. We aimed to assess the potential synergistic or additive effect of the combination of bevacizumab, directed against the VEGF receptor, and temsirolimus, an mTOR inhibitor, in metastatic renal cell carcinoma. METHODS TORAVA was an open-label, multicentre randomised phase 2 study undertaken in 24 centres in France. Patients aged 18 years or older who had untreated metastatic renal cell carcinoma were randomly assigned (2:1:1) to receive the combination of bevacizumab (10 mg/kg every 2 weeks) and temsirolimus (25 mg weekly; group A), or one of the standard treatments: sunitinib (50 mg/day for 4 weeks followed by 2 weeks off; group B), or the combination of interferon alfa (9 mIU three times per week) and bevacizumab (10 mg/kg every 2 weeks; group C). Randomisation was done centrally and independently from other study procedures with computer-generated permuted blocks of four and eight patients stratified by participating centre and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) at 48 weeks (four follow-up CT scans), which was expected to be above 50% in group A. Analysis was by intention to treat. The study is ongoing for long-term overall survival. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00619268. FINDINGS Between March 3, 2008 and May 6, 2009, 171 patients were randomly assigned: 88 to the experimental group (group A), 42 to group B, and 41 to group C. PFS at 48 weeks was 29.5% (26 of 88 patients, 95% CI 20.0-39.1) in group A, 35.7% (15 of 42, 21.2-50.2) in group B, and 61.0% (25 of 41, 46.0-75.9) in group C. Median PFS was 8.2 months (95% CI 7.0-9.6) in group A, 8.2 months (5.5-11.7) in group B, and 16.8 months (6.0-26.0) in group C. 45 (51%) of 88 patients in group A stopped treatment for reasons other than progression compared with five (12%) of 42 in group B and 15 (38%) of 40 in group C. Grade 3 or worse adverse events were reported in 68 (77%) of 88 patients in group A versus 25 (60%) of 42 in group B and 28 (70%) of 40 in group C. Serious adverse events were reported in 39 (44%) of 88, 13 (31%) of 42, and 18 (45%) of 40 patients in groups A, B, and C, respectively. INTERPRETATION The toxicity of the temsirolimus and bevacizumab combination was much higher than anticipated and limited treatment continuation over time. Clinical activity was low compared with the benefit expected from sequential use of each targeted therapy. This combination cannot be recommended for first-line treatment in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. FUNDING French Ministry of Health and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

Complete Remission With Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Renal Cell Carcinoma

PURPOSE Complete remission (CR) is uncommon during treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), but it may occur in some patients. It remains a matter of debate whether therapy should be continued after CR. METHODS A multicenter, retrospective analysis of a series of patients with mRCC who obtained CR during treatment with TKIs (sunitinib or sorafenib), either alone or with local treatment (surgery, radiotherapy, or radiofrequency ablation), was performed. RESULTS CR was identified in 64 patients; 36 patients had received TKI treatment alone and 28 had also received local treatment. Most patients had clear cell histology (60 of 64 patients), and all had undergone previous nephrectomy. The majority of patients were favorable or intermediate risk; however, three patients were poor risk. Most patients developed CR during sunitinib treatment (59 of 64 patients). Among the 36 patients who achieved CR with TKI alone, eight continued TKI treatment after CR, whereas 28 stopped treatment. Seventeen patients who stopped treatment (61%) are still in CR, with a median follow-up of 255 days. Among the 28 patients in CR after TKI plus local treatment, 25 patients stopped treatment, and 12 of these patients (48%) are still in CR, with a median follow-up of 322 days. CONCLUSION CR can occur after TKI treatment alone or when combined with local treatment. CR was observed at every metastatic site and in every prognostic group.

Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) Plus Docetaxel Versus ADT Alone in Metastatic Non castrate Prostate Cancer: Impact of Metastatic Burden and Long-term Survival Analysis of the Randomized Phase 3 GETUG-AFU15 Trial

BACKGROUND The role of chemotherapy in metastatic non castrate prostate cancer (mNCPC) is debated. Survival benefits of docetaxel (D) added to androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) were shown in the CHAARTED trial in patients with metastatic high-volume disease (HVD). OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of metastatic burden and to update overall survival (OS) data of the GETUG-AFU15 study. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Randomized phase 3 trial of ADT plus D versus ADT alone in 385 mNCPC patients; median follow-up of 7 yr. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Primary end point was OS. Secondary end points were biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS) and radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS). Retrospective analysis was by tumor volume. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS After a median follow-up of 83.9 mo, median OS in the overall population was 62.1 mo (95% confidence interval [CI], 49.5-73.7) and 48.6 mo (95% CI, 40.9-60.6) for ADT plus D and ADT arms, respectively (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.88 [95% CI, 0.68-1.14]; p=0.3). Median OS in ADT plus D and ADT arms, respectively, was for HVD patients: 39.8 mo (95% CI, 28.0-53.4) versus 35.1 mo (95% CI, 29.9-43.6) (HR: 0.78 [95% CI, 0.56-1.09]; p=0.14), for low-volume disease (LVD) patients; median was not reached (NR; 95% CI, 69.5-NR) and 83.4 mo (95% CI, 61.8-NR) (HR: 1.02 [95% CI, 0.67-1.55]; p=0.9). For upfront metastatic patients, OS was 52.6 mo (95% CI, 43.3-66.8) and 41.5 mo (95% CI, 36.3-54.5), respectively (HR: 0.93 [95% CI, 0.69-1.25]; p=0.6). The bPFS (HR: 0.73 [95% CI, 0.56-0.94]; p=0.014) and rPFS (HR: 0.75 [95% CI, 0.58-0.97]; p=0.030) were significantly longer in the ADT plus D arm. Limitations included the retrospective analysis of metastatic extent and the lack of statistical power to detect a significant difference in subgroups. CONCLUSIONS The post hoc analyses of the GETUG-AFU15 study demonstrated a nonsignificant 20% reduction in the risk of death in the HVD subgroup. Patients with LVD had no survival improvement with early D. PATIENT SUMMARY In this study, docetaxel added to castration did not improve survival in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, partly due to methodological issues. However, early chemotherapy should be discussed with all patients, given the data of three randomized trials including GETUG-AFU15.

Androgen deprivation therapy plus docetaxel and estramustine versus androgen deprivation therapy alone for high-risk localised prostate cancer (GETUG 12): a phase 3 randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND Early risk-stratified chemotherapy is a standard treatment for breast, colorectal, and lung cancers, but not for high-risk localised prostate cancer. Combined docetaxel and estramustine improves survival in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer. We assessed the effects of combined docetaxel and estramustine on relapse in patients with high-risk localised prostate cancer. METHODS We did this randomised phase 3 trial at 26 hospitals in France. We enrolled patients with treatment-naive prostate cancer and at least one risk factor (ie, stage T3-T4 disease, Gleason score of ≥8, prostate-specific antigen concentration >20 ng/mL, or pathological node-positive). All patients underwent a staging pelvic lymph node dissection. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to either androgen deprivation therapy (ADT; goserelin 10·8 mg every 3 months for 3 years) plus four cycles of docetaxel on day 2 at a dose of 70 mg/m(2) and estramustine 10 mg/kg per day on days 1-5, every 3 weeks, or ADT only. The randomisation was done centrally by computer, stratified by risk factor. Local treatment was administered at 3 months. Neither patients nor investigators were masked to treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was relapse-free survival in the intention-to-treat population. Follow-up for other endpoints is ongoing. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00055731. FINDINGS We randomly assigned 207 patients to the ADT plus docetaxel and estramustine group and 206 to the ADT only group. Median follow-up was 8·8 years (IQR 8·1-9·7). 88 (43%) of 207 patients in the ADT plus docetaxel and estramustine group had an event (relapse or death) versus 111 (54%) of 206 in the ADT only group. 8-year relapse-free survival was 62% (95% CI 55-69) in the ADT plus docetaxel and estramustine group versus 50% (44-57) in the ADT only group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0·71, 95% CI 0·54-0·94, p=0·017). Of patients who were treated with radiotherapy and had data available, 31 (21%) of 151 in the ADT plus docetaxel and estramustine group versus 26 (18%) of 143 in the ADT only group reported a grade 2 or higher long-term side-effect (p=0·61). We recorded no excess second cancers (26 [13%] of 207 vs 22 [11%] of 206; p=0·57), and there were no treatment-related deaths. INTERPRETATION Docetaxel-based chemotherapy improves relapse-free survival in patients with high-risk localised prostate cancer. Longer follow-up is needed to assess whether this benefit translates into improved metastasis-free survival and overall survival. FUNDING Ligue Contre le Cancer, Sanofi-Aventis, AstraZeneca, Institut National du Cancer.

All anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs can induce ‘pre-eclampsia-like syndrome’: a RARe study

BACKGROUND Specific therapies that target vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors have improved the survival of patients with metastatic cancers, but can induce side effects. Renal side effects (proteinuria, hypertension and renal failure) are underestimated. METHODS The French RARe (Reins sous traitement Anti-VEGF Registre) study collects data on patients with cancer who had a renal biopsy because of major renal side effects during treatment with anti-VEGF drugs. RESULTS We collected 22 renal biopsies performed 16.2±10.6 months after the beginning of treatment; of which 21 had hypertension, mean proteinuria was 2.97±2.00 g/day and mean serum creatinine, 134±117 µmol/L. Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) was observed in 21 biopsy specimens, sometimes associated with acute tubular necrosis (ATN; n=4). TMA histological lesions were more important than the biological signs of TMA could suggest. Patients with ATN of >20% had higher serum creatinine levels than those with only TMA (231 versus 95 µmol/L). Nephrin, podocin and synaptopodin were variably down-regulated in all renal biopsies. VEGF was down-regulated in all glomeruli. CONCLUSION This study underlines the importance of regular clinical and biological cardiovascular and renal checking during all anti-VEGF therapies for cancer for early detection of renal dysfunction. Collaboration between oncologists and nephrologists is essential. In such cases, renal biopsy might help in appreciating the severity of the renal lesions and after multidisciplinary discussion whether or not it is safe to continue the treatment.

A phase III trial of docetaxel–estramustine in high-risk localised prostate cancer: A planned analysis of response, toxicity and quality of life in the GETUG 12 trial

AIM To assess docetaxel-estramustine in patients with localised high-risk prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS After staging pelvic lymph node dissection, patients with high-risk prostate cancer randomly received androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) (3 years)+DE (4 cycles of docetaxel 70 mg/m(2)/3 weeks+estramustine 10mg/kg/dd1-5) or ADT alone. Local therapy was administered at 3 months. RESULTS Four hundred and thirteen patients were accrued: T3-T4 (67%), Gleason score ~8 (42%), PSA >20 ng/mL (59%), pN+ (29%). In the chemotherapy arm, 94% of patients received the planned four cycles of docetaxel. Local treatment consisted of radiotherapy in 358 patients (87%) (median dose 74 Gy in both arms). ADT was given for 36 months in both arms. A PSA response (PSA ~0.2 ng/mL after 3 months of treatment) was obtained in 34% and 15% in the ADT+DE arm and in the ADT arm, respectively (p<0.0001). Febrile neutropenia occurred in only 2%. Moderate to severe hot flashes occurred less often in the ADT+DE arm (2% versus 22%; p<0.001). There was no toxicity-related death, no secondary leukaemia, and no excess second cancers. Chemotherapy had a negative impact on quality of life (global health status, p = 0.01; fatigue, p = 0.003; role functioning, p = 0.003; social functioning, p = 0.006) at 3 months but this effect disappeared at 1 year. CONCLUSION Docetaxel-estramustine can be combined safely with standard therapy in high-risk prostate cancer, with a promising PSA response rate and no negative impact on quality of life after 1 year. Long-term follow-up is required to assess the impact on relapse and survival.

Prognostic Factors for Survival in Noncastrate Metastatic Prostate Cancer: Validation of the Glass Model and Development of a Novel Simplified Prognostic Model

BACKGROUND The Glass model developed in 2003 uses prognostic factors for noncastrate metastatic prostate cancer (NCMPC) to define subgroups with good, intermediate, and poor prognosis. OBJECTIVE To validate NCMPC risk groups in a more recently diagnosed population and to develop a more sensitive prognostic model. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS NCMPC patients were randomized to receive continuous androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with or without docetaxel in the GETUG-15 phase 3 trial. Potential prognostic factors were recorded: age, performance status, Gleason score, hemoglobin (Hb), prostate-specific antigen, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), metastatic localization, body mass index, and pain. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS These factors were used to develop a new prognostic model using a recursive partitioning method. Before analysis, the data were split into learning and validation sets. The outcome was overall survival (OS). RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS For the 385 patients included, those with good (49%), intermediate (29%), and poor (22%) prognosis had median OS of 69.0, 46.5 and 36.6 mo (p=0.001), and 5-yr survival estimates of 60.7%, 39.4%, and 32.1%, respectively (p=0.001). The most discriminatory variables in univariate analysis were ALP, pain intensity, Hb, LDH, and bone metastases. ALP was the strongest prognostic factor in discriminating patients with good or poor prognosis. In the learning set, median OS in patients with normal and abnormal ALP was 69.1 and 33.6 mo, and 5-yr survival estimates were 62.1% and 23.2%, respectively. The hazard ratio for ALP was 3.11 and 3.13 in the learning and validation sets, respectively. The discriminatory ability of ALP (concordance [C] index 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.58-0.71) was superior to that of the Glass risk model (C-index 0.59, 95% CI 0.52-0.66). The study limitations include the limited number of patients and low values for the C-index. CONCLUSION A new and simple prognostic model was developed for patients with NCMPC, underlying the role of normal or abnormal ALP. PATIENT SUMMARY We analyzed clinical and biological factors that could affect overall survival in noncastrate metastatic prostate cancer. We showed that normal or abnormal alkaline phosphatase at baseline might be useful in predicting survival.

Treatment with Sunitinib Enabled Complete Resection of Massive Lymphadenopathy not Previously Amenable to Excision in a Patient with Renal Cell Carcinoma

We present a case of previously unresectable lymphadenopathy in a patient with renal cell carcinoma treated with sunitinib. Complete resection of a 15-cm left renal cell carcinoma was initially impossible due to massive retroperitoneal disease and encasement of the great vessels and mesenteric vessels. Residual retroperitoneal disease from a radical nephrectomy was treated with the oral, multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, sunitinib. Tumour shrinkage following five cycles of treatment allowed uncomplicated complete resection of the lymphadenopathy. Follow-up after 6 mo showed no evidence of disease recurrence.

An ambispective observational study in the safety and efficacy of abiraterone acetate in the French temporary authorizations for use (ATU): Predictive parameters of response.

149 Background: The Temporary Authorizations for Use (ATU) procedure is an exceptional measure making available medicinal products that have not yet been granted a Marketing Authorisation. Abiraterone acetate (AA) was available for ATU since December 2010 in France. We then decided to evaluate the tolerance and efficacy of this treatment and identify predictive factors of response. METHODS 82 centers were contacted and clinical data were reported in two months (15th July-19th September 2011). Patients were defined as non-responders in case of interruption of AA due to disease progression or death. PSA values were recorded at each medical visit. Reported toxicities were also recorded. Statistical analyses were descriptive and predictive factors were determined. RESULTS A total of 18 centers accepted to participate in this study including 381 patients. Median age at diagnosis was 63 years. The Gleason score (n=320) were 4-6, 7, and 8-10 in 13.4%, 36.9% and 49.7%, respectively. Before AA, the type of metastasis was bone only, organs only, and bone+organs in 45.4%, 7.9% and 46.7%, respectively. Median PSA before CT and before AA was 58.1 and 137.5 ng/ml, respectively. Median duration of hormonotherapy (HT) before any CT was 34 months. Median duration of CT before AA was 6.1 months with a median number of CT lines of one. Median duration of AA was 117 days. In the non-responders group (n=114), median duration of AA was significantly shorter than in the responders group (n=267), 87 days vs 147 days, respectively (p<0.0001). One third of the patients in the responders group presented a PSA increase over time but continued AA as they clinically improved. Only 13 patients stopped AA for grade 3-4 toxicities. GIeason 8-10 and the number of CT lines (>1) before AA were identified as independent predictive factors of non response. CONCLUSIONS This report is the largest ambispective observational study of AA in an ATU process. PSA values during AA treatment were used as a good indicator of progression. GIeason 8-10 and the number of CT lines (>1) before AA were identified as independent predictive factors and therefore could be used for further strategies in this setting.