Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Plasma and Pleural Effusion Is a Biomarker for Outcome After Bevacizumab plus Carboplatin-Paclitaxel Treatment for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer with Malignant Pleural Effusion.

AIM: Malignant effusion is associated with high serum and plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). There are no biomarkers of outcome for bevacizumab treatment in patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE). We previously reported that carboplatin-paclitaxel plus bevacizumab was effective for patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and MPE, although we did not evaluate the relationship between treatment outcomes and plasma or pleural effusion levels of VEGF. Therefore, this study evaluated whether plasma or pleural effusion VEGF might predict bevacizumab treatment outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We enrolled 23 patients with NSCLC and MPE between September 2010 and June 2012. Plasma VEGF levels were measured in 19 patients and pleural VEGF levels were measured in 22 patients. RESULTS: Compared to patients with a low plasma VEGF level, patients with a high level exhibited significantly shorter overall survival (OS: 13.8 vs. 6.5 months, p=0.04), progression-free survival (PFS: 8.7 vs. 4.8 months, p<0.01), and period to re-accumulation of MPE (pPFS: 9.7 vs. 6.2 months, p=0.02). Compared to patients with a low VEGF level in pleural effusion, patients with a high VEGF level exhibited significantly shorter OS (19.6 vs. 6.9 months, p<0.01) and pPFS (9.6 vs. 6.7 months, p=0.04), although there was no significant difference in their PFS (6.6 vs. 5.9 months, p=0.18). CONCLUSION: VEGF levels in the plasma and pleural effusion may predict the outcome of bevacizumab treatment in patients with NSCLC and MPE.

Clinical significance of the serum crosslinked N-telopeptide of type I collagen as a prognostic marker for non-small-cell lung cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death. Many patients with lung cancer are in its advanced stages at the time of diagnosis. The 5-year survival rate for lung cancer is 10% to 20%, and the prognosis for patients with lung cancer is still poor. The crosslinked N-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (NTx) is a metabolite of type I collagen, the main constituent of bone matrix. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We measured serum NTx levels in patients who underwent staging during hospitalization for the initial treatment of lung cancer in our department. We examined whether serum NTx levels would be relevant to the prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). RESULTS: This study included 176 patients with lung cancer (125 men and 51 women), including 109 with adenocarcinoma, 53 with squamous cell carcinoma, 6 with large-cell carcinoma, and 8 with other cancer types. Univariate and multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model revealed a particularly close association between sex, performance status, disease stage, and serum NTx levels and overall survival (OS). A median OS of 368 days was observed for patients with a serum NTx level < 22 nmol BCE/L, which was significantly longer than the 197 days for patients with a serum NTx level ≥ 22 nmol BCE/L (hazard ratio [HR], 2.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36-2.99; log-rank P = .00037). CONCLUSIONS: We have revealed that a high serum NTx level (> 22 nmol BCE/L) appears to be a risk factor for a reduction in OS in patients with NSCLC.

Phase2 study of bevacizumab with carboplatin-paclitaxel for non-small cell lung cancer with malignant pleural effusion.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is involved in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with malignant pleural effusion (MPE), but little is known regarding the efficacy of bevacizumab (Bev) with carboplatin-paclitaxel (CP) for NSCLC with MPE. Chemotherapy-naive non-SQ NSCLC patients with MPE were eligible to participate. Pleurodesis before chemotherapy was not allowed. In the first cycle, the treated patients received only CP to prevent Bev-induced wound healing delayed after chest drainage. Subsequently, they received 2-6 cycles of CP with Bev. Patients who completed more than 4 cycles of CP and Bev without disease progression or severe toxicities continued to receive Bev alone as a maintenance therapy. The primary end point was overall response, although an increase in MPE was allowed in the first cycle. The VEGF levels in plasma and MPE were measured at baseline, and the VEGF levels in plasma were measured after 3 cycles of chemotherapy. Between September 2010 and June 2012, 23 patients were enrolled. The overall response rate was 60.8 %; the disease control rate was 87.0 %. Sixteen patients received maintenance therapy, following a median of 3 cycles. Median progression-free and overall survival times were 7.1 months (95 % confidence interval [CI], 5.6-9.4 months) and 11.7 months (95 % CI, 7.4-16.8 months), respectively. Most patients experienced severe hematological toxicities, including ≥grade 3 neutropenia; none experienced severe bleeding events. The MPE control rate improved on combining CP with Bev (CP, 78.3 %; CP with Bev, 91.3 %; P = 0.08). The median baseline VEGF level in MPE was 1798.6 (range 223.4-35,633.4) pg/mL. Plasma VEGF levels significantly decreased after 3 chemotherapy cycles (baseline, 513.6 ± 326.4 pg/mL, post-chemotherapy, 25.1 ± 14.1 pg/mL, P < 0.01). CP plus Bev was effective and tolerable in chemotherapy-naïve non-squamous NSCLC patients with MPE.

Usefulness of the serum cross-linked N-telopeptide of type I collagen as a marker of bone metastasis from lung cancer.

Bone metastasis is an important factor for determining the appropriate treatment for patients with lung cancer. The cross-linked N-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (NTx) is a metabolite of type I collagen, the main constituent of the bone matrix. Urinary NTx is recognized as a useful marker of bone metastasis, but the application of serum NTx and its cutoff value for determining bone metastasis from lung cancer have not been characterized. We measured serum NTx by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of individuals who underwent staging during hospitalization for initial treatment of lung cancer in our department and compared the NTx levels with the presence of bone metastasis in staging. The study included 166 patients with lung cancer (128 men and 38 women), including 85 adenocarcinoma, 42 squamous cell carcinoma, 32 small-cell carcinoma, and 7 other cancer types. Bone metastasis was present in 73 cases. The average/median serum NTx of bone metastasis (+) and bone metastasis (-) was 27.8/23.8 and 17.1/16.5 nmol bone collagen equivalents/L, respectively. There was an intentional difference with P < 0.001. The cutoff value of the serum NTx level indicating bone metastasis from lung cancer was estimated using the receiver operating characteristics curve. The optimal cutoff value was found to be 22.0 (sensitivity: 61.6%, specificity: 89.2%). The results of univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that the serum NTx levels were significantly related to bone metastasis from lung cancer (P < 0.001). Measurement of serum NTx levels provides a simple diagnostic marker of bone metastasis from lung cancer.