Lars Henrik Jensen

High-dose chemoradiotherapy and watchful waiting for distal rectal cancer: a prospective observational study

BACKGROUND Abdominoperineal resection is the standard treatment for patients with distal T2 or T3 rectal cancers; however, the procedure is extensive and mutilating, and alternative treatment strategies are being investigated. We did a prospective observational trial to assess whether high-dose radiotherapy with concomitant chemotherapy followed by observation (watchful waiting) was successful for non-surgical management of low rectal cancer. METHODS Patients with primary, resectable, T2 or T3, N0-N1 adenocarcinoma in the lower 6 cm of the rectum were given chemoradiotherapy (60 Gy in 30 fractions to tumour, 50 Gy in 30 fractions to elective lymph node volumes, 5 Gy endorectal brachytherapy boost, and oral tegafur-uracil 300 mg/m(2)) every weekday for 6 weeks. Endoscopies and biopsies of the tumour were done at baseline, throughout the course of treatment (weeks 2, 4, and 6), and 6 weeks after the end of treatment. We allocated patients with complete clinical tumour regression, negative tumour site biopsies, and no nodal or distant metastases on CT and MRI 6 weeks after treatment to the observation group (watchful waiting). We referred all other patients to standard surgery. Patients under observation were followed up closely with endoscopies and selected-site biopsies, with surgical resection given for local recurrence. The primary endpoint was local tumour recurrence 1 year after allocation to the observation group. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00952926. Enrolment is closed, but follow-up continues for secondary endpoints. FINDINGS Between Oct 20, 2009, and Dec 23, 2013, we enrolled 55 patients. Patients were recruited from three surgical units throughout Denmark and treated in one tertiary cancer centre (Vejle Hospital, Vejle, Denmark). Of 51 patients who were eligible, 40 had clinical complete response and were allocated to observation. Median follow-up for local recurrence in the observation group was 23·9 months (IQR 15·3-31·0). Local recurrence in the observation group at 1 year was 15·5% (95% CI 3·3-26·3). The most common acute grade 3 adverse event during treatment was diarrhoea, which affected four (8%) of 51 patients. Sphincter function in the observation group was excellent, with 18 (72%) of 25 patients at 1 year and 11 (69%) of 16 patients at 2 years reporting no faecal incontinence at all and a median Jorge-Wexner score of 0 (IQR 0-0) at all timepoints. The most common late toxicity was bleeding from the rectal mucosa; grade 3 bleeding was reported in two (7%) in 30 patients at 1 year and one (6%) of 17 patients at 2 years. There were no unexpected serious adverse reactions or treatment-related deaths. INTERPRETATION High-dose chemoradiotherapy and watchful waiting might be a safe alternative to abdominoperineal resection for patients with distal rectal cancer. FUNDING CIRRO-The Lundbeck Foundation Center for Interventional Research in Radiation Oncology and The Danish Council for Strategic Research.

Phase II marker-driven trial of panitumumab and chemotherapy in KRAS wild-type biliary tract cancer

BACKGROUND Combination chemotherapy has proven beneficial in biliary tract cancer and further improvements may be achieved by individualizing treatment based on biomarkers and by adding biological agents. We report the effect of chemotherapy with panitumumab as first-line therapy for KRAS wild-type irresectable biliary tract cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients were treated with gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2, oxaliplatin 60 mg/m2, and panitumumab 6 mg/kg i.v. every 2 weeks followed by two daily administrations of capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 in 7 days. RESULTS During 22 months, 46 patients were included in a single institution. The primary end point, fraction of progression-free survival (PFS) at 6 months, was 31/42 [74%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 58% to 84%]. Forty-two patients had measurable disease. Response rate was 33% and disease control rate 86%. Median PFS was 8.3 months (95% CI 6.7-8.7 months) and median overall survival was 10.0 months (95% CI 7.4-12.7 months). Toxicity was manageable including eight cases of epidermal growth factor receptor-related skin adverse events of grade 2 or more. CONCLUSIONS Marker-driven patient selection is feasible in the systemic treatment of biliary tract cancer. Combination chemotherapy with panitumumab in patients with KRAS wild-type tumors met the efficacy criteria for future testing in a randomized trial.BACKGROUND Combination chemotherapy has proven beneficial in biliary tract cancer and further improvements may be achieved by individualizing treatment based on biomarkers and by adding biological agents. We report the effect of chemotherapy with panitumumab as first-line therapy for KRAS wild-type irresectable biliary tract cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients were treated with gemcitabine 1000 mg/m(2), oxaliplatin 60 mg/m(2), and panitumumab 6 mg/kg i.v. every 2 weeks followed by two daily administrations of capecitabine 1000 mg/m(2) in 7 days. RESULTS During 22 months, 46 patients were included in a single institution. The primary end point, fraction of progression-free survival (PFS) at 6 months, was 31/42 [74%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 58% to 84%]. Forty-two patients had measurable disease. Response rate was 33% and disease control rate 86%. Median PFS was 8.3 months (95% CI 6.7-8.7 months) and median overall survival was 10.0 months (95% CI 7.4-12.7 months). Toxicity was manageable including eight cases of epidermal growth factor receptor-related skin adverse events of grade 2 or more. CONCLUSIONS Marker-driven patient selection is feasible in the systemic treatment of biliary tract cancer. Combination chemotherapy with panitumumab in patients with KRAS wild-type tumors met the efficacy criteria for future testing in a randomized trial.

Strategy in clinical practice for classification of unselected colorectal tumours based on mismatch repair deficiency.

Objective  Deficiency of DNA mismatch repair (MMR) causes microsatellite instability (MSI) in a subset of colorectal cancers. Patients with these tumours have a better prognosis and may have an altered response to chemotherapy. Some of the tumours are caused by hereditary mutations (hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer or Lynch syndrome), but most are epigenetic changes of sporadic origin. The aim of this study was to define a robust and inexpensive strategy for such classification in clinical practice.

EGF61A>G polymorphism as predictive marker of clinical outcome to first-line capecitabine and oxaliplatin in metastatic colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND The purpose of the present study was to investigate polymorphisms related to the metabolism of fluoropyrimidine and oxaliplatin, thymidylate synthase (TS) and excision repair cross-complementing gene 1 (ERCC1) 118, in metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with capecitabine and oxaliplatin (XELOX). We also investigated the importance of the EGF61A>G polymorphism, which holds a functional influence on the tyrosine kinase receptor regulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS We included 68 patients treated with first-line XELOX. Polymorphism analyses were carried out on pretreatment blood samples. Response was evaluated according to the RECIST. Survival analysis was described by the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank testing. RESULTS The overall response rate was 38% and the median overall survival 19.4 months. A favorable outcome was seen in patients with the EGF61A/G genotype compared with the combined group of A/A and G/G, with response rates of 57% and 18%, respectively (P = 0.001). There was a significantly different progression-free survival (P = 0.018) in favor of the A/G group. The TS and ERCC1 genotypes failed to provide any significant impact on the outcome. CONCLUSION Polymorphism analysis of a simple blood sample is a feasible approach to biomarker analysis and the EGF61A>G polymorphism may influence the effect of first-line XELOX. Consequently, this marker deserves further investigation.

Prognostic factors for progression-free and overall survival in advanced biliary tract cancer

BACKGROUND Biliary tract cancer is an uncommon cancer with a poor outcome. We assembled data from the National Cancer Research Institute (UK) ABC-02 study and 10 international studies to determine prognostic outcome characteristics for patients with advanced disease. METHODS Multivariable analyses of the final dataset from the ABC-02 study were carried out. All variables were simultaneously included in a Cox proportional hazards model, and backward elimination was used to produce the final model (using a significance level of 10%), in which the selected variables were associated independently with outcome. This score was validated externally by receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis using the independent international dataset. RESULTS A total of 410 patients were included from the ABC-02 study and 753 from the international dataset. An overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) Cox model was derived from the ABC-02 study. White blood cells, haemoglobin, disease status, bilirubin, neutrophils, gender, and performance status were considered prognostic for survival (all with P < 0.10). Patients with metastatic disease {hazard ratio (HR) 1.56 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20-2.02]} and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) 2 had worse survival [HR 2.24 (95% CI 1.53-3.28)]. In a dataset restricted to patients who received cisplatin and gemcitabine with ECOG PS 0 and 1, only haemoglobin, disease status, bilirubin, and neutrophils were associated with PFS and OS. ROC analysis suggested the models generated from the ABC-02 study had a limited prognostic value [6-month PFS: area under the curve (AUC) 62% (95% CI 57-68); 1-year OS: AUC 64% (95% CI 58-69)]. CONCLUSION These data propose a set of prognostic criteria for outcome in advanced biliary tract cancer derived from the ABC-02 study that are validated in an international dataset. Although these findings establish the benchmark for the prognostic evaluation of patients with ABC and confirm the value of longheld clinical observations, the ability of the model to correctly predict prognosis is limited and needs to be improved through identification of additional clinical and molecular markers.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced colon cancer. A phase II trial

Background. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has proven valuable in several tumors, but it has not been elucidated in colon cancer. The present phase II trial addressed the issue in high-risk patients selected by computed tomography (CT) scan. Material and methods. Patients with resectable colon cancer fulfilling the following criteria were offered inclusion; Histopathological verification of adenocarcinoma, T3 tumor on CT scan with extramural tumor invasion > 5 mm or T4 tumor, age ≥ 18 years, PS ≤ 2, adequate hematology, and informed consent. Patients with KRAS, BRAF or PIK3CA mutation or unknown mutational status received three cycles of capecitabine 2000 mg/m2 days 1-14 q3w and oxaliplatin 130 mg iv day 1 q3w. Wild-type patients received the same chemotherapy supplemented with panitumumab 9 mg/kg iv q3w. After the operation, patients fulfilling the international criteria for adjuvant chemotherapy, i.e. high-risk stage II and III patients, received five cycles of the same chemotherapy without panitumumab. Patients not fulfilling the criteria were offered follow-up only. The primary endpoint was the fraction of patients not fulfilling the criteria for adjuvant chemotherapy (converted patients). Secondary endpoints were recurrence rate, disease-free survival (DFS), and toxicity. Results. The study included 77 patients. The conversion rate was 42% in the wild-type group compared to 51% in patients with a mutation. The cumulative recurrence rate in converted versus unconverted patients was 6% versus 32% (p = 0.005) translating into a three-year DFS of 94% versus 63% (p = 0.005). Conclusion. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in colon cancer is feasible and the results suggest that a major part of the patients can be spared adjuvant chemotherapy. Validation in a randomized trial is warranted.

Microsatellite Instability and the Association with Plasma Homocysteine and Thymidylate Synthase in Colorectal Cancer

The possible associations between microsatellite instability, homocysteine and thymidylate synthase were investigated in tumors and plasma from 130 patients with colorectal cancer. Other analyses included thymidylate synthase and 5,10-methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphisms, carcinoembryonic antigen, vitamin B12, and folate. Microsatellite instability of tumors was associated with higher levels of plasma homocysteine (p = 0.008) and higher protein expression of thymidylate synthase (p < 0.001). Supplemental analyses ruled out that the finding could be explained by the other analyzed factors. CEA was not associated with neither homocysteine nor microsatellite instability. The data suggests that there is a more pronounced methyl unit deficiency in microsatellite instable tumors.

A Phase I–II dose escalation study of fixed-dose rate gemcitabine, oxaliplatin and capecitabine every two weeks in advanced cholangiocarcinomas

Abstract Introduction. Gemcitabine based regimens have been widely used in patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma (CC), but no standard therapy exists. In this study we aimed to find the maximally tolerated dose (MTD) of a two-week schedule of fixed dose rate (FDR) gemcitabine (G), oxaliplatin (O) and capecitabine (C), and evaluate the safety and efficacy of this regimen in patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma (CC). Methods. In the Phase I part of the study a dose-escalation schedule of FDR G, O and C, administered every two weeks, was performed in patients with solid tumours and no other treatments or advanced CC. In the Phase II part response rate, toxicity, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival was evaluated in patients with newly diagnosed advanced CC. Results. Thirty-six patients entered the Phase I part and G 1 000 mg/m2 day 1 and 15, O 60 mg/m2 day 1 and 15, and C 1 000 mg/m2 BID day 1–7 and day 15–21 were established as MTD. In the Phase II part, 41 patients with advanced CC were included. Overall response rate was 34% and 51% had stable disease, resulting in a clinical benefit rate of 85%. Grade III and IV adverse events were rare. Median survival was 12.5 months (95% CI 9.2–15.9) and median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.9 months (95% CI 5.1–8.6). Conclusions. This outpatient regimen was very feasible with significant activity and a favourable safety profile. Further studies will explore this combination with addition of newer targeted agents.

Molecular biology from bench-to-bedside – Which colorectal cancer patients should be referred for genetic counselling and risk assessment

Lynch syndrome is associated with deficiency of the mismatch repair genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 or PMS2. However, most MLH1 deficient tumours are sporadic in origin, and they can be identified if harbouring a BRAF V600E mutation or hypermethylation of the MLH1 gene promoter. The aim of this study was to validate our previously suggested clinically applicable strategy based on molecular characteristics for identifying which patients to refer for genetic counselling. The strategy was validated in an unselected cohort of 287 colorectal cancer patients. All tumours were tested for MLH1, PMS2, MSH2 and MSH6 protein expression with immunohistochemistry. DNA from MLH1 negative tumours was sequenced for BRAF mutations. If BRAF was wild-type, MLH1 promoter was subsequently analyzed for promoter hypermethylation. Most tumours, 251 (88%), stained positive for all four proteins. Six (2%) had negative MSH2 and one (<1%) isolated loss of MSH6. MLH1 and PMS2 were negative in 29 cases (10%). DNA quality allowed BRAF analysis in 27 of these with 14 mutations and 13 wild-type. DNA quality allowed methylation analysis in 11 of the 13 BRAF wild-type, and all but one were methylated. Subsequently, Lynch syndrome could not be ruled out in 12 patients. A follow-up at 8-10 years revealed four definite cases of Lynch syndrome and three highly suspicious. An easy and clinically applicable step-wise approach with immunohistochemistry (100%), BRAF sequencing (10%) and methylation analysis (5%) identified several patients with hereditary cancer. It is feasible to perform a molecular screening to select patients for genetic counselling.

Combining biological agents and chemotherapy in the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma

The nonsurgical treatment of cholangiocarcinoma has seen major changes within the last few years. A multidisciplinary approach is the cornerstone in planning optimal treatment, but despite several examinations the diagnosis is often based on a certain probability, and histopathological confirmation is not always possible. Chemotherapy is effective and the combination of cisplatin and gemcitabine is considered a standard treatment of inoperable cholangiocarcinoma. Biological targeted treatment to date has minor effect when given as monotherapy, but some of the drugs hold promise as an adjunct to chemotherapy. It should, however, be noted that most of the trials are based on few patients, and thus far the literature does not allow for a conclusion as to the role of biological treatment on cholangiocarcinoma. This situation calls for well-designed randomized trials, and international cooperation as well as marker-driven therapy seems mandatory for treatment progress within a reasonable time.