Yuki Takeyasu

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as an early marker of outcomes in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with nivolumab

BackgroundThere is an unmet need to identify markers that predict the response to nivolumab in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was recently recognized as an indicator of a poor prognosis in patients with various cancers. In the present study, we quantified the predictive impact of NLR in patients with NSCLC treated with nivolumab.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 101 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with nivolumab at Kansai Medical University Hospital from December 2015 to December 2016. Patients were administered nivolumab at a dose of 3xa0mg/kg every 2xa0weeks. The predictive value of NLR for disease progression before treatment and 2 and 4xa0weeks after nivolumab treatment was assessed.ResultsThe median progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with an NLR of <xa03 before treatment was 3.4xa0months, whereas that of patients with an NLR of ≥xa03 was 2.9xa0months (pxa0=xa00.484). The median PFS of patients with an NLR of <xa03 at 2xa0weeks after treatment was 5.3xa0months, whereas that of patients with an NLR of ≥xa03 was 2.1xa0months (pxa0=xa00.00528). The median PFS of patients with an NLR of <xa03 at 4xa0weeks after treatment was 5.3xa0months, whereas that of patients with an NLR of ≥xa03 was 2.0xa0months (pxa0=xa00.00515).ConclusionThe NLR at 2 and 4xa0weeks after treatment might be a useful marker for the prediction of the treatment response or disease progression in patients with advanced NSCLC receiving nivolumab.

Retrospective analysis of single‑agent nab‑paclitaxel in patients with platinum‑resistant non‑small cell lung cancer

A retrospective study was conducted to investigate the efficacy and toxicity of single-agent nab-paclitaxel in 67 patients with platinum-resistant non-small cell lung cancer in Kansai Medical University Hospital from August 2013 to December 2015. Overall, 25% of patients experienced disease progression, 48% exhibited a partial response, 27% had stable disease and 0% had a complete response. The median progression-free survival (PFS) time was 4.8 months and the median overall survival time was 18.2 months. There was no statistically significant difference in PFS between patients with non-squamous carcinoma and squamous carcinoma, or between second-line use and post-second-line use. The most common severe adverse event was neutropenia, followed by interstitial lung disease, infection and fatigue. The results revealed that single agent nab-paclitaxel was associated with an acceptable level of toxicity and a favorable response. This regimen has been developed recently, thus it has not been sufficiently evaluated its toxicity and efficacy. Additional studies to evaluate these parameters in non-small cell lung cancer are warranted.

Interstitielle Lungenerkrankung nach Monotherapie mit an Albumin-Nanopartikel gebundenem Paclitaxel bei Patienten mit fortgeschrittenem nicht-kleinzelligem Bronchialkarzinom

Eine Interstitielle Lungenerkrankung (interstitial lung disease, ILD) ist ein schwerwiegendes und lebensbedrohendes unerwünschtes Ereignis in der Behandlung von Lungenkrebs. Nab-PTX (an Albumin-Nanopartikel gebundenes Paclitaxel) ist eine neuartige, lösungsmittelfreie Formulierung von Paclitaxel (PTX). Die Inzidenz der nab-PTX-induzierten ILD ist zwar nicht bekannt, man geht jedoch davon aus, dass diese Formulierung mit einem vergleichbaren ILD-Risiko verbunden ist wie PTX. Wir berichten hier über 3 Patienten, die nach der Behandlung mit nab-PTX eine schwere ILD entwickelten. Wir unterstreichen damit das Risiko für das Auftreten einer medikamenteninduzierten ILD nach einer nab-PTX-Therapie und heben hervor, dass diese neue Formulierung in Bezug auf das ILD-Risiko möglicherweise weniger sicher ist als PTX. Übersetzung aus Case Rep Oncol 2017;10:683-688 (DOI: 10.1159/000479148).

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor and rituximab-CHOP treatment for concurrent chronic myeloid leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a case report

Non‐Hodgkin lymphoma can occur concurrently with chronic phase‐chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) at initial diagnosis. Combination treatment with second‐generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors and rituximab‐CHOP for patients newly diagnosed with CML and non‐Hodgkin lymphoma is effective for both diseases. However, we found that this treatment combination may induce severe myelosuppression.

Interstitial Lung Disease Following Single-Agent Nanoparticle Albumin-Bound Paclitaxel Treatment in Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a serious and potentially fatal adverse event in lung cancer therapy. Nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-PTX) is a novel, solvent-free formulation of paclitaxel (PTX). Although the incidence of nab-PTX-induced ILD is not clear, it is generally considered that this formulation presents a similar risk of developing ILD as PTX. Here, we report 3 patients who developed severe ILD following treatment with nab-PTX. We draw attention to the risk of developing drug-induced ILD following nab-PTX treatment, and highlight that this novel formulation might therefore not be as safe as PTX with respect to the development of ILD.

O2-5-6Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as an early marker for outcome in patients treated with nivolumab in advanced NSCLC

CD4þCD25þFoxp3þ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are known to suppress immune responses. Treg-mediated immunosuppression is a key mechanism for tumor immune-evasion, which could lead cancer immunotherapies to failures. Systemic depletion of Tregs has been tried by using antibodies against them; however, intravenously delivering these antibodies might not sufficiently deplete Tregs in tumor microenvironment or could deplete effector cells. Furthermore, systemic severe autoimmune responses could cause potential side effects. To address these problems, we exploited near infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) to deplete only intratumoral Tregs with anti-CD25-antibody aiming to induce anti-tumor immune activation within manageable side effects. NIR-PIT is a recently developed cancer treatment that combines the specificity of intravenously injected antibodies that target tumors/cells with the toxicity induced by photosensitizers activated by NIR-light.