Mette Karen Yilmaz

Phase III Trial of Cetuximab With Continuous or Intermittent Fluorouracil, Leucovorin, and Oxaliplatin (Nordic FLOX) Versus FLOX Alone in First-Line Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: The NORDIC-VII Study

PURPOSE The NORDIC-VII multicenter phase III trial investigated the efficacy of cetuximab when added to bolus fluorouracil/folinic acid and oxaliplatin (Nordic FLOX), administered continuously or intermittently, in previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The influence of KRAS mutation status on treatment outcome was also investigated. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients were randomly assigned to receive either standard Nordic FLOX (arm A), cetuximab and FLOX (arm B), or cetuximab combined with intermittent FLOX (arm C). Primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Overall survival (OS), response rate, R0 resection rate, and safety were secondary end points. RESULTS Of the 571 patients randomly assigned, 566 were evaluable in intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses. KRAS and BRAF mutation analyses were obtained in 498 (88%) and 457 patients (81%), respectively. KRAS mutations were present in 39% of the tumors; 12% of tumors had BRAF mutations. The presence of BRAF mutations was a strong negative prognostic factor. In the ITT population, median PFS was 7.9, 8.3, and 7.3 months for the three arms, respectively (not significantly different). OS was almost identical for the three groups (20.4, 19.7, 20.3 months, respectively), and confirmed response rates were 41%, 49%, and 47%, respectively. In patients with KRAS wild-type tumors, cetuximab did not provide any additional benefit compared with FLOX alone. In patients with KRAS mutations, no significant difference was detected, although a trend toward improved PFS was observed in arm B. The regimens were well tolerated. CONCLUSION Cetuximab did not add significant benefit to the Nordic FLOX regimen in first-line treatment of mCRC.

MicroRNA biomarkers in whole blood for detection of pancreatic cancer

IMPORTANCE Biomarkers for the early diagnosis of patients with pancreatic cancer are needed to improve prognosis. OBJECTIVES To describe differences in microRNA expression in whole blood between patients with pancreatic cancer, chronic pancreatitis, and healthy participants and to identify panels of microRNAs for use in diagnosis of pancreatic cancer compared with the cancer antigen 19-9 (CA19-9). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A case-control study that included 409 patients with pancreatic cancer and 25 with chronic pancreatitis who had been included prospectively in the Danish BIOPAC (Biomarkers in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer) study (July 2008-October 2012) plus 312 blood donors as healthy participants. The microRNA expressions in pretreatment whole blood RNA samples were collected and analyzed in 3 randomly determined subcohorts: discovery cohort (143 patients with pancreatic cancer, 18 patients with chronic pancreatitis, and 69 healthy participants), training cohort (180 patients with pancreatic cancer, 1 patient with chronic pancreatitis, and 199 healthy participants), and validation cohort (86 patients with pancreatic cancer, 7 patients with chronic pancreatitis, and 44 healthy participants); 754 microRNAs were screened in the discovery cohort and 38 microRNAs in the training cohort and 13 microRNAs in the validation cohort. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Identification of microRNA panels (classifiers) for diagnosing pancreatic cancer. RESULTS The discovery cohort demonstrated that 38 microRNAs in whole blood were significantly dysregulated in patients with pancreatic cancer compared with controls. These microRNAs were tested in the training cohort and 2 diagnostic panels were constructed comprising 4 microRNAs in index I (miR-145, miR-150, miR-223, miR-636) and 10 in index II (miR-26b, miR-34a, miR-122, miR-126*, miR-145, miR-150, miR-223, miR-505, miR-636, miR-885.5p). The test characteristics for the training cohort were index I area under the curve (AUC) of 0.86 (95% CI, 0.82-0.90), sensitivity of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.79-0.90), and specificity of 0.64 (95% CI, 0.57-0.71); index II AUC of 0.93 (95% CI, 0.90-0.96), sensitivity of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.79-0.90), and specificity of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.80-0.85); and CA19-9 AUC of 0.90 (95% CI, 0.87-0.94), sensitivity of 0.86 (95% CI, 0.80-0.90), and specificity of 0.99 (95% CI, 0.96-1.00). Performances were strengthened in the validation cohort by combining panels and CA19-9 (index I AUC of 0.94 [95% CI, 0.90-0.98] and index II AUC of 0.93 [95% CI, 0.89-0.97]). Compared with CA19-9 alone, the AUC for the combination of index I and CA19-9 was significantly higher (P = .01). The performance of the panels in patients with stage IA-IIB pancreatic cancer was index I AUC of 0.80 (95% CI, 0.73-0.87); index I and CA19-9 AUC of 0.83 (95% CI, 0.76-0.90); index II AUC of 0.91 (95% CI, 0.87-0.94); and index II and CA19-9 AUC of 0.91 (95% CI, 0.86-0.95). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study identified 2 diagnostic panels based on microRNA expression in whole blood with the potential to distinguish patients with pancreatic cancer from healthy controls. Further research is necessary to understand whether these have clinical implications for early detection of pancreatic cancer and how much this information adds to serum CA19-9.

TP53 Mutation is an Independent Prognostic Marker for Poor Outcome in Both Node-negative and Node-positive Breast Cancer

TP53 gene-mutation and protein expression of p53 are described as being of prognostic importance for the outcome of breast cancer. The present study was therefore carried out to evaluate whether TP53 mutation would be a feasible prognostic marker in the routine diagnostic evaluation of breast cancer, and, in particular, to analyse the relationship between TP53 mutation and nodal status. Tumour material was obtained from women with sporadic early breast cancer. Gene mutations in exon 2-11 were identified using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) as the initial scanning procedure and characterized by sequencing. All patients were treated according to the guidelines of the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group for the DBCG 89 protocols. The results were correlated with clinico-pathological parameters and the prognosis evaluated by uni- and multivariate analysis using local control, freedom from distant metastasis, disease-free survival, and overall survival as endpoints. The study included 294 patients. TP53 mutations were found in 23% of cases. Mutations were significantly more frequent in tumours from patients who were node-positive and with tumours characterized as being ductal, large of size, with a high degree of anaplasia, and oestrogen receptor negative. Using univariate analysis, it was found that distant metastasis, disease-free, and overall survival were correlated to tumour size, nodal status, degree of anaplasia, oestrogen receptor status, and TP53 mutation. In addition, overall survival was also correlated to age and menopausal status. When analysed according to nodal status, TP53 mutation was found to have a significantly poor survival probability in each of the subgroups. A Cox proportional hazard analysis, including all 294 patients, demonstrated that positive nodal status and TP53 mutation were the only parameters that had an independent poor influence on the risk of developing distant metastasis and reduced recurrence-free survival. The same factors together with postmenopausal status were found to be significantly associated with increased risk of death. TP53 mutation is a strong marker for the prediction of overall and disease-free survival in breast cancer, irrespective of nodal status. A better understanding of the role of the p53 pathway, including analysis of different types of TP53 mutations, is required in order further to investigate the prognostic potential of this marker.

Biweekly cetuximab and irinotecan as third-line therapy in patients with advanced colorectal cancer after failure to irinotecan, oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil

BACKGROUND Standard weekly cetuximab and irinotecan (CetIri) is an effective regimen in heavily pretreated patients with advanced colorectal cancer (ACRC). Inspired by a pharmacokinetic study demonstrating no differences between weekly and biweekly cetuximab, we present the results of 74 consecutive patients treated with biweekly CetIri. METHODS Biweekly CetIri schedule: cetuximab 500 mg/m(2), first course was given as a 120-min infusion followed 1 h later by irinotecan 180 mg/m(2) as a 30-min infusion. Subsequent courses of cetuximab were given in 60 min, immediately followed by irinotecan-resulting in an overall treatment time of 90 min. RESULTS All patients had ACRC resistant to 5-fluorouracil and irinotecan and 95% to oxaliplatin. Median age was 63 years, median performance status was 0. Median duration of therapy was 4.3 months. Response rate was 25%. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 5.4 months and 8.9 months, respectively, comparable to own historical controls receiving weekly CetIri. Grade 3-4 toxicity was rare (skin 7%, nail 3%, diarrhoea 10%, fatigue 3%, neutropenia 9%). One patient experienced severe allergic reaction. CONCLUSION Salvage therapy with simplified biweekly CetIri is a convenient, effective and well-tolerated regimen in heavily pretreated patients with ACRC. A confirmatory phase II study is ongoing.

The CAIRO4 study: the role of surgery of the primary tumour with few or absent symptoms in patients with synchronous unresectable metastases of colorectal cancer--a randomized phase III study of the Dutch Colorectal Cancer Group (DCCG)

BackgroundThere is no consensus regarding resection of the primary tumour with few or absent symptoms in patients with synchronous unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). A potential benefit of resection of the primary tumour is to prevent complications of the primary tumour in later stages of the disease. We here propose a randomized trial in order to demonstrate that resection of the primary tumour improves overall survival.Methods/designThe CAIRO4 study is a multicentre, randomized, phase III study of the Dutch Colorectal Cancer Group (DCCG). Patients with synchronous unresectable metastases of CRC and few or absent symptoms of the primary tumour are randomized 1:1 between systemic therapy only, and resection of the primary tumour followed by systemic therapy. Systemic therapy will consist of fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy in combination with bevacizumab. The primary objective of this study is to determine the clinical benefit in terms of overall survival of initial resection of the primary tumour. Secondary endpoints include progression free survival, surgical morbidity, quality of life and the number of patients requiring resection of the primary tumour in the control arm.DiscussionThe CAIRO4 study is a multicentre, randomized, phase III study that will assess the benefit of resection of the primary tumour in patients with synchronous metastatic CRC.Trial registrationThe CAIRO4 study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01606098)

miR-345 in metastatic colorectal cancer: a non-invasive biomarker for clinical outcome in non-KRAS mutant patients treated with 3rd line cetuximab and irinotecan.

Introduction MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have important regulatory functions in cellular processes and have shown promising potential as prognostic markers for disease outcome in patients with cancer. The aim of the present study was to find miRNA expression profiles in whole blood that were prognostic for overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with cetuximab and irinotecan. Methods From 138 patients with mCRC in 3rd line therapy with cetuximab and irinotecan in a prospective phase II study, 738 pretreatment miRNAs were isolated and profiled from whole blood using the TaqMan MicroRNA Array v2.0. Mutation status of KRAS, BRAF, and PI3KCA was known. Results After Bonferroni adjustment, 6 miRNAs: (miR-345, miR-143, miR-34a*, miR-628-5p, miR-886-3p and miR-324-3p), were found associated with short OS. miR-345 was the strongest prognostic miRNA, significant in the full cohort and in the non-KRAS mutant population. miR-345, as a continuous variable in the full cohort, resulted in a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.38 per IQR (CI 95%: 1.8–3.1, P-value = 2.86e−07, Bonferroni adjusted, univariable analysis) and a HR = 1.75 per IQR (CI 95%: 1.24–2.48, P-Wald = 1.45e-03) in the multivariable analysis adjusted for gender, age, KRAS, PI3KCA and performance status. miR-345 was prognostic in progression-free survival (PFS) with a HR = 1.63 per IQR (CI 95%: 1.25–2.114, P-Wald = 2.92e-4) in the multivariable analysis. In addition, high miR-345 expression was associated with lack of response to treatment with cetuximab and irinotecan. Conclusion We identified miR-345 in whole blood as a potential biomarker for clinical outcome. MiR-345 was a single prognostic biomarker for both OS and PFS in all patients and also in the non-KRAS mutant population.

Review on adjuvant chemotherapy for rectal cancer – why do treatment guidelines differ so much?

Abstract Background. The use of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is controversial for rectal adenocarcinoma. Both international and national guidelines display a great span varying from recommending no adjuvant chemotherapy at all, over single drug 5-fluororuacil (5-FU), to combinations of 5-FU/oxaliplatin. Methods. A review of the literature was made identifying 24 randomized controlled trials on adjuvant treatment of rectal cancer based on about 10 000 patients. The trials were subdivided into a number of clinically relevant subgroups. Results. As regards patients treated with preoperative (chemo) radiotherapy, four randomized studies were found where use of adjuvant chemotherapy showed no benefit in survival. Three trials were found in which a subset of patients received preoperative (chemo) radiotherapy. Two of these trials showed a statistically significant benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy. Twenty trials were identified in which the patients did not receive preoperative (chemo) radiotherapy, including five Asian studies in which a statistically significant benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy was reported. Conclusions. Most of the data found did not support the use of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for patients already treated with preoperative (chemo) radiotherapy. For patients not treated preoperatively, several studies support the use of single agent 5-FU chemotherapy. Treatment guidelines seem to differ according to if preoperative chemoradiation is considered of importance for use of adjuvant chemotherapy and if adjuvant colon cancer studies are considered transferrable to rectal cancer patients regardless of the molecular differences.

Cetuximab and irinotecan as third line therapy in patients with advanced colorectal cancer after failure of irinotecan, oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil

Cetuximab (Erbitux®) in combination with irinotecan is the most promising combination in heavily pretreated patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Efficacy of this combination was confirmed in the pivotal BOND I study. The aim of the present study was to evaluate efficacy and toxicity of a combination regimen of cetuximab and irinotecan but in contrast to the BOND I study all patients had previously received 5-FU, oxaliplatin and irinotecan and all had progressed during or shortly after completion of treatment. Before January 2005 salvage therapy with cetuximab and irinotecan was not used in Denmark. The Danish government had initiated a national programme for patients with advanced cancer and according to this programme the National Board of Health may approve and finance experimental treatment. From January 2005 to September 2005, 65 consecutive patients were treated with cetuximab (weekly) and irinotecan (each 2 or 3 weeks) at three university hospitals. Median age was 57 years (23–78), and median performance status was 1 (0–3). Response rate was 20%, median TTP was 5.5 months and median OS was 10.4 months. Response and survival was significantly correlated with severity of skin toxicity. Toxicity grade 3 was rare (skin toxicity 8%, diarrhoea 10%, nausea 3%, vomiting 3%, fatigue 8%). Salvage therapy with cetuximab and irinotecan is effective in patients pretreated with irinotecan, and oxaliplatin and in a general population the results from the BOND I study was confirmed.

Clinical utility of KRAS status in circulating plasma DNA compared to archival tumour tissue from patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with anti-epidermal growth factor receptor therapy

BACKGROUND Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in plasma is a mixture of DNA from malignant and normal cells, and can be used as a liquid biopsy to detect and quantify tumour specific mutations e.g. KRAS. We investigated the clinical value of KRAS mutations when detected in plasma compared to tumour in patients from metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) prior to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) therapy. Secondly, we investigated the concentration of total cfDNA in relation to clinical outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients were resistant to 5-FU, oxaliplatin and irinotecan and treated with 3rd line irinotecan (180 mg/m(2)) and cetuximab (500 mg/m(2)) q2w in a prospective phase II trial. The study was conducted prior to implementation of KRAS as selection criteria. Plasma was obtained from a pre-treatment EDTA blood-sample, and the total cfDNA, and KRAS mutations were quantified by an in-house qPCR method. Results are presented according to REMARK. RESULTS One-hundred-and-forty patients were included. Thirty-four percent had detectable KRAS mutations in the tumour, compared to 23% in plasma. KRAS detection in archival tumour tissue showed no correlation to survival, whereas plasma KRAS status remained a strong predictive and prognostic factor in multivariate analysis (Hazard Ratio (HR)=2.98 (95% CI 1.53-5.80, p=0.001) and 2.84 (1.46-5.53, p=0.002), for OS and PFS, respectively). Combining the information of total cell free DNA levels and plasma KRAS mutation status, produced an additional prognostic effect. CONCLUSION The value of clinically relevant mutations could be improved by performing the analysis on circulation plasma DNA rather than archival tumour tissue.

Phase II study of short-time oxaliplatin, capecitabine and epirubicin (EXE) as first-line therapy in patients with non-resectable gastric cancer

Epirubicin, cisplatin and continuous infusion of 5-FU is a widely used palliative regimen in patients with gastric cancer. If cisplatin is substituted by oxaliplatin and 5-FU by capecitabine this regimen can be administered in the outpatient setting. Dose-limiting toxicity of oxaliplatin is peripheral sensory neuropathy and it is recommended to give oxaliplatin as a 120 min infusion. However, in patients with colorectal cancer a 30 min infusion of oxaliplatin can safely be administered without increasing neurotoxicity, standard infusion time is 30 min at our departments. In our phase I study the recommended doses of EXE was established (Dupont et al, 2006). Patients with non-resectable gastric adenocarcinoma were eligible. Patients received EXE (epirubicin 50 mg m−2 day 1; capecitabine 1000 mg m−2 day−1 continuously and oxaliplatin 130 mg m−2 day 1) as outpatient therapy every third week for a maximum of 8 cycles. From June 2004 to September 2005, we enroled 54 patients. Median age was 60 years (31–74 years) Median number of courses was 6 (1–8). Response rate was 45%. Median PFS was 6.8 (5.2–7.9) months and median survival was 10.1 (7.9–11.1) months. Most important grade 3 toxicities were as follows: nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea (6%). Neurotoxicity grade 2 was seen in 36.5%. We therefore conclude, that EXE every third week is a convenient regimen that easily can be administrated in the outpatient setting but the regimen needs further evaluation in a phase III study.