Sho Saeki

Association of ABCB1 polymorphisms with erlotinib pharmacokinetics and toxicity in Japanese patients with non-small-cell lung cancer

AIMS We analyzed the association of ABCB1 polymorphisms with erlotinib-induced toxicity and the pharmacokinetics in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. MATERIALS & METHODS After erlotinib 150 mg was administered to 50 patients, ABCB1 polymorphisms were analyzed via either TaqMan(®) assays or direct nucleotide sequencing. Plasma concentrations were measured by HPLC. RESULTS The trough concentration at steady state in patients with the ABCB1 1236TT-2677TT-3435TT genotype was higher compared with others groups (p = 0.021) and patients carrying this genotype had a higher risk of developing higher grade 2 toxicity (p = 0.012). CONCLUSION The present study suggested that the ABCB1 1236TT-2677TT-3435TT genotype was associated with higher plasma concentration and the risk of developing higher toxicity in patients treated with erlotinib.

Phase II trial of weekly nab-paclitaxel for previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer: Kumamoto thoracic oncology study group (KTOSG) trial 1301.

OBJECTIVES We performed an open-label, multicenter, single-arm phase II study (UMIN ID 000010532) to prospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of nab-paclitaxel for previously treated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS Patients with advanced NSCLC who experienced failure of prior platinum-doublet chemotherapy received weekly nab-paclitaxel (100mg/m(2)) on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 21-day cycle until disease progression or the development of unacceptable toxicity. The primary end point of the study was objective response rate (ORR). RESULTS Forty-one patients were enrolled between September 2013 and April 2015. The ORR was 31.7% (90% confidence interval, 19.3%-44.1%), which met the primary objective of the study. Median progression-free survival was 4.9 months (95% confidence interval, 2.4-7.4 months) and median overall survival was 13.0 (95% confidence interval, 8.0-18.0 months) months. The median number of treatment cycles was four (range, 1-17) over the entire study period, and the median dose intensity was 89.1mg/m(2) per week. Hematologic toxicities of grade 3 or 4 included neutropenia (19.5%) and leukopenia (17.1%), with no cases of febrile neutropenia being observed. Individual nonhematologic toxicities of grade 3 or higher occurred with a frequency of <5%. CONCLUSION Weekly nab-paclitaxel was associated with acceptable toxicity and a favorable ORR in previously treated patients with advanced NSCLC. Our results justify the undertaking of a phase III trial comparing nab-paclitaxel with docetaxel in this patient population.

Rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease due to anti-MDA-5 antibody-positive clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis complicated with cervical cancer: Successful treatment with direct hemoperfusion using polymyxin B-immobilized fiber column therapy

The anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA-5) antibody is a marker of clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) and rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (ILD) with acute respiratory failure. A 35-year-old woman with cervical cancer showed Gottrons papules, severe hypoxemia, and diffuse ground-glass opacities on chest computed tomography. She was diagnosed with rapidly progressive ILD associated with CADM. Her serum was positive for the anti-MDA-5 antibody. Combination therapy with corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and direct hemoperfusion using polymyxin B-immobilized fiber column (PMX-DHP) improved her respiratory dysfunction. Eventually, surgery for the cancer was performed successfully. This is the first case to demonstrate the efficacy of PMX-DHP for rapidly progressive ILD with anti-MDA-5 antibody-positive CADM and a malignancy.

Gefitinib Combined With Standard Chemoradiotherapy in EGFR-Mutant Locally Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: The LOGIK0902/OLCSG0905 Intergroup Study Protocol

Herein, we describe an ongoing phase II trial in patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with mutated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Patients with chemotherapy-naive locally advanced disease with active EGFR mutations will receive the induction treatment, specified as gefitinib monotherapy (250 mg/body) for 8 weeks. Patients whose disease has not progressed during the induction therapy will receive cisplatin and docetaxel (40 mg/m(2)) on days 1, 8, 29, and 36, and concurrent 3-dimensional conformal thoracic radiotherapy with a single daily fraction of 2 Gy, for 5 consecutive days each week to provide a total dose of 60 Gy. The primary end point is overall survival at 24 months. A target sample size of 21 evaluable patients is considered sufficient to validate an expected rate of 85%, and 60% would be the lower limit of interest, with 80% power and a 1-sided α of 5%. Secondary end points include toxicity, response rate, and overall survival. This study will clarify whether tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeted to EGFR can produce a maximal effect in selected NSCLC patients with the relevant driver mutation, even in the locally advanced setting.

Dose escalation and pharmacokinetic study of carboplatin plus pemetrexed for elderly patients with advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer: Kumamoto thoracic oncology study group trial 1002

Objectives: This study was designed to determine the recommended dose of carboplatin and pemetrexed for elderly (≥70-year-old) chemotherapy-naïve patients with advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to investigate the pharmacokinetics of pemetrexed. Methods: The patients were treated with 4-6 cycles of carboplatin plus a fixed dose of pemetrexed (500 mg/m2) every 3 weeks; the dose of carboplatin was escalated [from area under the curve (AUC) 4 to AUC 6]. To examine the pharmacokinetics of pemetrexed, blood samples were collected before and after pemetrexed infusion, and the blood levels of pemetrexed were measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results: Grade 3 infection as a dose-limiting toxicity was observed at a carboplatin dose of AUC 6. We therefore determined a carboplatin dose of AUC 5 and a pemetrexed dose of 500 mg/m2 as the recommended doses from this study. The pharmacokinetic study showed a significant inverse correlation between the AUC of pemetrexed and the creatinine clearance. Conclusions: For elderly chemotherapy-naïve patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC, the combination of carboplatin AUC 5 plus pemetrexed 500 mg/m2 is recommended as a promising regimen; however, a reduction of the pemetrexed dose may be required for patients with renal dysfunction because of the high risk of hematotoxicities.

Elevated serum IgG4 levels in two cases of paragonimiasis.

Paragonimiasis is a parasitic pleuropulmonary infection caused by eating raw crustaceans and wild boar meat and this infection is endemic in Asia. We herein report two cases of pulmonary Paragonimus westermani infection associated with elevated levels of serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G4 and dense infiltration of IgG4‐positive plasma cells in the lung lesions. Treatment with praziquantel resolved the pulmonary lesions and decreased the serum levels of IgG4. IgG4‐related disease is a systemic disease occasionally involving the lungs and leads to increased serum levels of IgG4. Our findings suggest that P. westermani infection requires a differential diagnosis from IgG4‐related diseases and the serum IgG4 level may be a potentially useful marker of P. westermani infection.

A Phase I/II Trial of Irinotecan Plus Amrubicin Supported with G-CSF for Extended Small-cell Lung Cancer

OBJECTIVE This study reports the findings of a Phase I/II, cohort, dose-escalation trial of amrubicin and irinotecan with the support of granulocyte colony-stimulation factor. This study aimed to determine the dose-limiting toxicity of the combination and to define the maximum-tolerated dose, as a recommended dose for Phase II trials. We also sought to obtain preliminary data on the efficacy of this combination as a frontline therapy for extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer. METHODS We included 23 chemo-naïve patients with extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer in the trial. The amrubicin dose was escalated from 35 to 40 mg/m(2) (Levels 1 and 2, respectively) to determine the dose-limiting toxicity, with an unchanged dose of irinotecan at 50 mg/m(2). RESULTS Of nine patients, three experienced dose-limiting toxicities at Level 1 of prolonged Grade 4 neutropenia, Grade 3 febrile neutropenia and Grade 3 febrile neutropenia with Grade 3 diarrhea. At Level 2, two patients experienced dose-limiting toxicities of Grade 4 neutropenia and Grade 3 neutropenia with Grade 4 diarrhea. The maximum-tolerated doses and recommended doses for amrubicin and irinotecan were therefore determined to be 35 and 50 mg/m(2), respectively. The Level 1 trial was then expanded to 21 patients, 14 (70%) of whom showed partial responses to the recommended dose. The median progression-free and overall survival times were 6.37 and 15.21 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The combination of amrubicin and irinotecan with the support of granulocyte colony-stimulation factor produced a potent effect in chemo-naïve extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer patients. The use of biomarkers for this regimen may identify patients who are likely to suffer from treatment-ending severe adverse effects.

Long-term complete response to carboplatin plus paclitaxel combined with bevacizumab in a patient with metastatic spindle cell carcinoma

We report the case of a 62-year-old Japanese male with metastatic spindle cell carcinoma (SpCC) who showed a long-term complete response (CR) to bevacizumab combination chemotherapy. We performed chemotherapy with carboplatin (AUC 6, day 1) plus paclitaxel (200mg/m2, day 1) plus bevacizumab (15mg/kg, day 1) for four cycles. After the chemotherapy, CT imaging demonstrated a CR. We subsequently administered bevacizumab (15mg/kg) repeated every 3 weeks as maintenance therapy for 12 cycles. The patient discontinued maintenance chemotherapy because of grade 3 proteinuria, but the anti-tumor effect of CR was maintained at 35 months after the discontinuation of chemotherapy.

A Case of Biphasic Pulmonary Blastoma Treated with Carboplatin and Paclitaxel plus Bevacizumab

Background. Pulmonary blastoma is a rare lung tumor similar to fetal lung tissues. Surgical resection at early stage is more curative than other treatments, but there is no standard treatment in unresectable cases. We show a case treated with carboplatin and paclitaxel plus bevacizumab. Case. A 68-year-old man received surgical resection and was diagnosed with biphasic pulmonary blastoma (pT3N0M0 stage IIB). Metastasis to the spleen was detected six weeks after the surgery. Carboplatin, paclitaxel, and bevacizumab were administered and showed an effect on the metastasis. Four courses of the chemotherapy were completed, but a metastasis was found and the metastatic tumor in the spleen was enlarged. After that, chemotherapy was not effective afterward and he died of the progression of biphasic pulmonary blastoma on the 292nd day of illness. Conclusion. In this case, chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel plus bevacizumab was temporarily efficacious for biphasic pulmonary blastoma.

Successful treatment by pembrolizumab in a patient with end-stage renal disease with advanced non-small cell lung cancer and high PD-L1 expression

We report a 66-year-old Japanese male with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who was on hemodialysis. The patient harbored high programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and was successfully treated with pembrolizumab. Laboratory examination upon diagnosis showed elevated serum creatinine (6.58 mg/dL). We administered pembrolizumab (200 mg/body) and repeated every 3 weeks. His renal dysfunction gradually progressed, hemodialysis was initiated after eight courses of pembrolizumab, and the antitumor effect was maintained at five months after hemodialysis initiation. Therefore, pembrolizumab can be administered for patients with ESRD and advanced NSCLC, who harbor high PD-L1 expression, during preparation for hemodialysis.