[Incidence and causes of hospitalization in patients with transthyretin (ATTR-CA) and light chain (AL-CA) cardiac amyloidosis]. / Incidencia y causas de hospitalización en pacientes con amiloidosis cardiaca por transtiretina (AC-ATTR) y por cadenas ligeras (AC-AL).

INTRODUCTION AND OBJETIVES: Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is a disorder associated with high number of hospital admissions. Given the scarce information available, we propose an analysis of the incidence and causes of hospitalization in this disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred and forty-three patients [128 by transthyretin (ATTR-CA) and 15 by light chains (AL-CA)] included in Registro de Amiloidosis Cardiaca de Galicia (AMIGAL) were evaluated, including all hospitalizations. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 959 days there were 179 unscheduled hospitalizations [incidence rate (IR) 512.6 admissions per 1000 patients-year], most common due to cardiovascular reasons (n=109, IR 312.2). Most frequent individual cause of hospitalization was heart failure (n=87, TI 249.2). AL-CA was associated with a higher IR of unscheduled hospitalizations than ATTR-CA (IR 781 vs. 483.2; HR 1.62; p=0,029) due to non-cardiovascular admissions (IR 376 vs. 181.2; HR 2.07; p=0.027). Unscheduled admission-free survival at 1 and 3 years in AL-CA was inferior than in ATTR-CA (46.7% and 20.0% vs. 73.4% and 35.2%, respectively; p=0.021). CONCLUSIONS: CA was associated with high incidence of hospitalizations, being heart failure the most frequent individual cause; unscheduled admission-free survival in AL-CA was lower than in ATTR-CA due mostly to non-cardiovascular admissions.

[Cytomegalovirus reactivation in patients with immune-mediated gastritis]. / Reactivación de citomegalovirus en pacientes con gastritis inmunomediada.

INTRODUCTION: Reactivation of cytomegalovirus can complicate the evolution of patients with gastritis induced by immune checkpoint inhibitors. METHODS: The experience in our center is described and a review of the literature is performed. RESULTS: A case of severe gastritis induced by treatment with a programmed cell death receptor-1 (anti-PD1) inhibitor, associated with reactivation of cytomegalovirus (CMV) is described. In the systematic review, we identified 5 cases of immune-related gastritis associated with CMV reactivation. Ganciclovir treatment contributed to clinical improvement in most patients. CONCLUSION: The early identification of a CMV infection in patients with severe or refractory immune-related gastritis will allow the initiation of targeted treatment, and may avoid increasing immunosuppressive therapy.

Nivolumab after selective internal radiation therapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a phase 2, single-arm study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) and liver-only disease ineligible for chemoembolization. PATIENTS AND METHODS: NASIR-HCC is a single-arm, multicenter, open-label, phase 2 trial that recruited from 2017 to 2019 patients who were naïve to immunotherapy and had tumors in the BCLC B2 substage (single or multiple tumors beyond the up-to-7 rule), or unilobar tumors with segmental or lobar portal vein invasion (PVI); no extrahepatic spread; and preserved liver function. Patients received SIRT followed 3 weeks later by nivolumab (240 mg every 2 weeks) for up to 24 doses or until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Safety was the primary endpoint. Secondary objectives included objective response rate (ORR), time to progression (TTP), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: 42 patients received SIRT (31 BCLC-B2, 11 with PVI) and were followed for a median of 22.2 months. 27 patients discontinued and 1 never received Nivolumab. 41 patients had any-grade adverse events (AE) and 21 had serious AEs (SAE). Treatment-related AEs and SAEs grade 3-4 occurred in 8 and 5 patients, respectively. Using RECIST 1.1 criteria, ORR reported by investigators was 41.5% (95% CI 26.3% to 57.9%). Four patients were downstaged to partial hepatectomy. Median TTP was 8.8 months (95% CI 7.0 to 10.5) and median OS was 20.9 months (95% CI 17.7 to 24.1). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of SIRT and nivolumab has shown an acceptable safety profile and signs of antitumor activity in the treatment of patients with uHCC that were fit for SIRT. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03380130.

Evaluating Alternative Ramucirumab Doses as a Single Agent or with Paclitaxel in Second-Line Treatment of Locally Advanced or Metastatic Gastric/Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma: Results from Two Randomized, Open-Label, Phase II Studies.

Studies JVDB and JVCZ examined alternative ramucirumab dosing regimens as monotherapy or combined with paclitaxel, respectively, in patients with advanced/metastatic gastric/gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma. For JVDB, randomized patients (N = 164) received ramucirumab monotherapy at four doses: 8 mg/kg every 2 weeks (Q2W) (registered dose), 12 mg/kg Q2W, 6 mg/kg weekly (QW), or 8 mg/kg on days 1 and 8 (D1D8) every 3 weeks (Q3W). The primary objectives were the safety and pharmacokinetics of ramucirumab monotherapy. For JVCZ, randomized patients (N = 245) received paclitaxel (80 mg/m2-D1D8D15) plus ramucirumab (8 mg/kg- or 12 mg/kg-Q2W). The primary objective was progression-free survival (PFS) of 12 mg/kg-Q2W arm versus placebo from RAINBOW using meta-analysis. Relative to the registered dose, exploratory dosing regimens (EDRs) led to higher ramucirumab serum concentrations in both studies. EDR safety profiles were consistent with previous studies. In JVDB, serious adverse events occurred more frequently in the 8 mg/kg-D1D8-Q3W arm versus the registered dose; 6 mg/kg-QW EDR had a higher incidence of bleeding/hemorrhage. In JVCZ, PFS was improved with the 12 mg/kg plus paclitaxel combination versus placebo in RAINBOW; however, no significant PFS improvement was observed between the 12 mg/kg and 8 mg/kg arms. The lack of a dose/exposure-response relationship in these studies supports the standard dose of ramucirumab 8 mg/kg-Q2W as monotherapy or in combination with paclitaxel as second-line treatment for advanced/metastatic gastric/GEJ adenocarcinoma.

SEOM-GEMCAD-TTD Clinical Guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal cancer (2021).

Esophageal cancer is an aggressive tumor, and is the sixth-leading cause of death from cancer. Incidence is rising in Spain, particularly among men. Two main pathological different subtypes have been described: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Growing evidence of their epidemiology and molecular differences explains their different response to novel treatments, and they are therefore likely to be treated as two separate entities in the near future. The best results are obtained with a multidisciplinary therapeutic strategy, and the introduction of immunotherapy is a promising new approach that will improve prognosis. In these guidelines, we review the evidence for the different methods of diagnosis and therapeutic strategies that form the basis of our standard of care.

A Definitive Prognostication System for Patients With Thoracic Malignancies Diagnosed With Coronavirus Disease 2019: An Update From the TERAVOLT Registry.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with thoracic malignancies are at increased risk for mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and a large number of intertwined prognostic variables have been identified so far. METHODS: Capitalizing data from the Thoracic Cancers International COVID-19 Collaboration (TERAVOLT) registry, a global study created with the aim of describing the impact of COVID-19 in patients with thoracic malignancies, we used a clustering approach, a fast-backward step-down selection procedure, and a tree-based model to screen and optimize a broad panel of demographics and clinical COVID-19 and cancer characteristics. RESULTS: As of April 15, 2021, a total of 1491 consecutive eligible patients from 18 countries were included in the analysis. With a mean observation period of 42 days, 361 events were reported with an all-cause case fatality rate of 24.2%. The clustering procedure screened 73 covariates in 13 clusters. A further multivariable logistic regression for the association between clusters and death was performed, resulting in five clusters significantly associated with the outcome. The fast-backward step-down selection procedure then identified the following seven major determinants of death: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-performance status (ECOG-PS) (OR = 2.47, 1.87-3.26), neutrophil count (OR = 2.46, 1.76-3.44), serum procalcitonin (OR = 2.37, 1.64-3.43), development of pneumonia (OR = 1.95, 1.48-2.58), C-reactive protein (OR = 1.90, 1.43-2.51), tumor stage at COVID-19 diagnosis (OR = 1.97, 1.46-2.66), and age (OR = 1.71, 1.29-2.26). The receiver operating characteristic analysis for death of the selected model confirmed its diagnostic ability (area under the receiver operating curve = 0.78, 95% confidence interval: 0.75-0.81). The nomogram was able to classify the COVID-19 mortality in an interval ranging from 8% to 90%, and the tree-based model recognized ECOG-PS, neutrophil count, and c-reactive protein as the major determinants of prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: From 73 variables analyzed, seven major determinants of death have been identified. Poor ECOG-PS was found to have the strongest association with poor outcome from COVID-19. With our analysis, we provide clinicians with a definitive prognostication system to help determine the risk of mortality for patients with thoracic malignancies and COVID-19.

Incidence of venous thromboembolism in patients with non-hematological cancer admitted for COVID-19 at a third-level hospital in Madrid.

An increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 has been reported. We aimed to describe the incidence rate of VTE on patients with non-hematological cancer who required hospitalization due to COVID-19 at our center. In this prospective study, non-hematological cancer patients hospitalized for confirmed COVID-19 at our institution from 1st March to 30th April 2020, were evaluated daily for VTE complications during their hospital stay, and after discharge until 30th June 2020. Furthermore, Doppler ultrasound of lower limbs was routinely performed in asymptomatic patients based on D-dimer levels and current active cancer therapy. The primary outcome of this study was the cumulative incidence of VTE. Secondary outcomes were the cumulative incidence of bleeding and mortality. A total of 58 hospitalized non-hematological cancer patients and confirmed COVID-19 were identified. Median follow-up since initial symptoms of COVID-19 was 91 days (IQR 19-104). Pulmonary embolism was diagnosed in three (5%) patients. Symptomatic catheter-related deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was observed in one patient. Doppler ultrasound of lower limbs was done in 11 asymptomatic patients, showing distal DVT in two of them (18%). The cumulative incidence of VTE on day 14 after admission was 10%, without new VTE events after hospital discharge and up to 90 days follow-up. No bleeding complication was observed. Seventeen patients (29%) died in the first 14 days after COVID-19 diagnosis. Four patients died after discharge due to malignancy progression. The cumulative incidence of VTE in non-hematological cancer patients under active treatment was 10% at day 14 after admission, with no further new events in the following 12 weeks.

SARS-CoV-2 infection in cancer patients undergoing active treatment: analysis of clinical features and predictive factors for severe respiratory failure and death.

AIM: Previous studies have suggested a more frequent and severe course of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection in cancer patients undergoing active oncologic treatment. Our aim was to describe the characteristics of the disease in this population and to determine predictive factors for poor outcome in terms of severe respiratory distress (acute respiratory distress syndrome [ARDS]) or death. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients consecutively admitted for SARS-CoV-2 infection were prospectively collected, and retrospective statistical analysis was performed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess potential factors for poor outcomes defined as ARDS or death. RESULTS: Sixty-three patients were analysed, and 34 of them developed respiratory failure (70% as ARDS). Lymphocytes/mm3 (412 versus 686; p = 0.001), serum albumin (2.84 versus 3.1); lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (670 versus 359; p < 0.001) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (25.8 versus 9.9; p < 0.001) discriminate those that developed respiratory failure. Mortality rate was 25%, significantly higher among ARDS, neutropenic patients (p = 0.01) and in those with bilateral infiltrates (44% versus 0%; p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic analyses model confirmed the predictive value of severe neutropenia (odds ratio [OR] 16.54; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.43-190.9, p 0.025), bilateral infiltrates (OR 32.83, CI 95% 3.51-307, p 0.002) and tumour lung involvement (OR 4.34, CI 95% 1.2-14.95, p 0.02). CONCLUSION: Cancer patients under active treatment admitted for SARS-CoV-2 infection have worse outcomes in terms of mortality and respiratory failure rates compared with COVID-19 global population. Lymphopenia, LDH, CRP and albumin discriminate illness severity, whereas neutropenia, bilateral infiltrates and tumour pulmonary involvement are predictive of higher mortality.

An unsuspected complication with immune checkpoint blockade: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Immunotherapy treatment with immune-checkpoint blockade has become a new paradigm in cancer treatment. Despite its efficacy, it has also given rise to a new class of adverse events, immune-related adverse events, which may affect any organ, including the thyroid and the pituitary. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of a 77-year-old Caucasian man with metastatic renal cell carcinoma on immunotherapy treatment who was admitted to our hospital with a severe persistent headache of sudden onset. He had been on corticosteroid therapy for 10 days for suspected immune-related thyroiditis. The patient had tachycardia and mild diarrhea, and his thyroid function tests were compatible with subclinical hyperthyroidism with a suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone level of 0.01 µIU/ml (0.4-4.5), a raised free T4 level of 2.17 ng/dl (0.7-1.9), and a free T3 level of 4.66 pg/ml (2.27-5). Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an enlargement of the pituitary gland compatible with macroadenoma. In the face of a probable immune-related hypophysitis, high-dose corticosteroid treatment was started. A posterior hormonal evaluation revealed secondary hypothyroidism with a suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone level of 0.11 µIU/ml (0.4-4.5) and low thyroid hormones, a normal free T4 level of 1.02 ng/dl (0.7-1.9), and a low free T3 level of 1.53 pg/ml (2.27-5). These new findings suggested central hypothyroidism possibly due to pituitary apoplexy as a complication of the macroadenoma. Therefore, levothyroxine substitution was started along with the previously started corticosteroid therapy. The patient's headache and asthenia gradually resolved, and after a few days, he was released from the hospital with levothyroxine substitution and corticosteroid tapering. CONCLUSIONS: This case emphasizes the importance of the differential diagnosis when dealing with patients on immune checkpoint inhibitors because other non-immune-related events may present. Our patient was finally diagnosed with immune-related hyperthyroidism and a concurrent pituitary macroadenoma. This case also highlights the importance of a prompt start of corticosteroid therapy once immune-related adverse events such as hypophysitis are suspected, because otherwise the outcome would be fatal.

Genomic Profiling of HER2-Positive Gastric Cancer: PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway as Predictor of Outcomes in HER2-Positive Advanced Gastric Cancer Treated with Trastuzumab.

BACKGROUND: HER2-positive gastric cancer (GC) affects 7%-34% of patients with GC. Trastuzumab-based first-line treatment has become the standard of care for HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer (AGC). However, there are no clinically validated biomarkers for resistance to HER2-targeted therapies. Upregulation of PI3K pathway and tyrosine kinase receptor (TKR) alterations have been noted as molecular mechanisms of resistance in breast cancer. Our study aimed to perform a molecular characterization of HER2-positive AGC and investigate the role of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway activation and TKR gene copy number (GCN) gains as predictive biomarkers in HER2-positive AGC treated with trastuzumab. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-two HER2-positive GC samples from patients treated with trastuzumab-based first-line chemotherapy were selected. DNA samples were sequenced. PTEN and MET immunohistochemistry were also performed. RESULTS: Concurrent genetic alterations were detected in 97.1% of HER2-positive AGC. We found activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in 52.4% of patients and TKR GCN gains in 38.1%. TKR GCN gains did not correlate with overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS). Multivariate Cox models showed that PI3K/Akt/mTOR activation negatively affects the effectiveness of trastuzumab-based chemotherapy in terms of OS and PFS. CONCLUSION: Our results provide for the first time a detailed molecular profile of concurrent genetic alterations in HER2-positive AGC. PI3K pathway activation could be used as a predictive marker of worse outcome in this patient population. In addition, gains in copy number of other TKR genes in this subgroup may also influence the survival benefit obtained with trastuzumab. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This article reports, for the first time, a detailed molecular profile of genomic alterations in patients with HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer (AGC). PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway activation seems to have a differentially negative effect on overall survival and progression-free survival in AGC treated with trastuzumab-based chemotherapy. Combining different targeted agents could be a successful therapeutic strategy to improve the prognosis of HER2-positive AGC.

Prognostic significance of performing universal HER2 testing in cases of advanced gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Trastuzumab significantly improves overall survival (OS) when added to cisplatin and fluoropyrimidine as a treatment for HER2-positive advanced gastric cancers (AGC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the gradual implementation of HER2 testing on patient prognosis in a national registry of AGC. METHODS: This Spanish National Cancer Registry includes cases who were consecutively recruited at 28 centers from January 2008 to January 2016. The effect of missing HER2 status was assessed using stratified Cox proportional hazards (PH) regression. RESULTS: The rate of HER2 testing increased steadily over time, from 58.3 % in 2008 to 92.9 % in 2016. HER2 was positive in 194 tumors (21.3 %). In the stratified Cox PH regression, each 1 % increase in patients who were not tested for HER2 at the institutions was associated with an approximately 0.3 % increase in the risk of death: hazard ratio, 1.0035 (CI 95 %, 1.001-1.005), P = 0.0019. Median OS was significantly lower at institutions with the highest proportions of patients who were not tested for HER2. CONCLUSION: Patients treated at centers that took longer to implement HER2 testing exhibited worse clinical outcomes. The speed of implementation behaves as a quality-of-care indicator. Reviewed guidelines on HER2 testing should be used to achieve this goal in a timely manner.

Positioning of second-line treatment for advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

Tumors of the upper gastrointestinal tract are increasing in incidence; yet, approaches to the treatment of advanced gastric and/or gastroesophageal junction cancer vary widely, with no internationally agreed first-line regimens. Recent clinical trials have shown that second-line treatment is now possible for selected patients with advanced disease, and current data suggest that the combination of ramucirumab plus paclitaxel may become a standard of care in the second-line setting for metastatic gastric cancer. Several prognostic factors have been identified for overall survival in the second-line setting; this emphasizes the need for careful sequencing of all treatments to ensure that individual patients receive optimum care. This article reviews published data on the treatment of advanced gastric cancer, with a particular emphasis on second-line chemotherapy, and suggests treatment sequences based on current understanding.

No evidence of morbidity compression in Spain: a time series study based on national hospitalization records.

OBJECTIVES: Compression of morbidity postulates that as the populations age, the age of onset of disease is postponed. The objective of this study is to test for evidence of compression of morbidity in Spain. METHODS: We calculated the age and sex-specific incidence of myocardial infarction, heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, as well as bladder, prostate, breast, lung, and colon cancer among hospital discharges covering 99.5 % of the Spanish population, approximately 40 million inhabitants for two non-overlapping periods, 1997-2000 and 2007-2010, and estimated the length of life spent with disease using the Sullivan method. RESULTS: We found that expansion of morbidity due to an earlier age-specific onset of incident disease and increase in life expectancy was the norm in Spain. Notable exceptions were cardiovascular disease in women (-0.2 % time spent with disease) and lung cancer for men (-0.9 % time spent with disease) from 1997-2000 to 2007-2010. CONCLUSIONS: Compression of morbidity is often cited by policy makers when discussing adjustments to the health-care system. If morbidity is measured by age at onset of disease, the burden of morbidity has increased in Spain.

A critical review of HER2-positive gastric cancer evaluation and treatment: from trastuzumab, and beyond.

Identification of the importance of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) status, biomarker testing and the development of anti-HER2 treatments have changed the prognosis of breast and gastric cancers. The addition of trastuzumab to chemotherapy has improved outcomes for patients with HER2-positive metastatic adenocarcinoma of the stomach and gastroesophageal junction, but some relevant issues remain to be elucidated or will emerge with new drugs. This article reviews the current state of HER2 in gastric cancer focusing on diagnostic and anti-HER2 targeted treatment issues and the role of trastuzumab in localized disease, and its combination or integration with new therapies.

Level of HER2 gene amplification predicts response and overall survival in HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer treated with trastuzumab.

PURPOSE: Previous studies have highlighted the importance of an appropriate human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) evaluation for the proper identification of patients eligible for treatment with anti-HER2 targeted therapies. Today, the relationship remains unclear between the level of HER2 amplification and the outcome of HER2-positive gastric cancer treated with first-line chemotherapy with trastuzumab. The aim of this study was to determine whether the level of HER2 gene amplification determined by the HER2/CEP17 ratio and HER2 gene copy number could significantly predict some benefit in overall survival and response to therapy in advanced gastric cancer treated with trastuzumab-based chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety patients with metastatic gastric cancer treated with first-line trastuzumab-based chemotherapy were studied. The optimal cutoff values for HER2/CEP17 ratio and HER2 gene copy number (GCN) for discriminating positive results in terms of response and prolonged survival were determined using receiver operating characteristic curves analyses. RESULTS: In this study, a median HER2/CEP17 ratio of 6.11 (95% CI, 2.27 to 21.90) and a median HER2 gene copy number of 11.90 (95% CI, 3.30 to 43.80) were found. A mean HER2/CEP17 ratio of 4.7 was identified as the optimal cutoff value discriminating sensitive and refractory patients (P = .005). Similarly, the optimal cutoff for predicting survival longer than 12 months was 4.45 (P = .005), and for survival longer than 16 months was 5.15 (P = .004). For HER2 GCN, the optimal cutoff values were 9.4, 10.0, and 9.5, respectively (P = .02). CONCLUSION: The level of HER2 gene amplification significantly predicts sensitivity to therapy and overall survival in advanced gastric cancer treated with trastuzumab-based chemotherapy.

Phase I study investigating everolimus combined with sorafenib in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Sorafenib is the only therapy shown to improve overall survival in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Combination therapy targeting multiple signaling pathways may improve outcomes. This phase I study was designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of everolimus given with sorafenib 400mg twice daily in patients with advanced HCC of Child-Pugh class A liver function who were naive to systemic therapy. METHODS: Everolimus was initiated at 2.5mg once daily and increased per a Bayesian sequential dose-escalation scheme based on the dose-limiting toxicities experienced within the first 28 days of treatment. Adverse events were assessed continuously. Efficacy was evaluated using the best overall response rate per RECIST. RESULTS: Thirty patients were enrolled; 25 were evaluable for MTD determination. One out of 12 patients treated with everolimus 2.5mg once daily and 6 out of 13 patients treated with everolimus 5.0mg once daily experienced a dose-limiting toxicity, most commonly thrombocytopenia (n=5). All patients experienced 1 adverse event, most commonly diarrhea (66.7%), hand-foot skin reaction (66.7%), and thrombocytopenia (50.0%). Best overall response was stable disease (62.5% and 42.9% in the 2.5-mg and 5.0-mg cohorts, respectively). Median time to progression and overall survival in the 2.5-mg cohort were 4.5 months and 7.4 months, respectively, and 1.8 months and 11.7 months, respectively, in the 5.0-mg cohort. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with advanced HCC, the everolimus MTD in combination with standard-dose sorafenib was 2.5mg once daily. The inability to achieve a biologically effective everolimus concentration at the MTD precluded phase II study of this combination.

A clinical trial of CTLA-4 blockade with tremelimumab in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Tremelimumab is a monoclonal antibody that blocks cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4), an inhibitory co-receptor that interferes with T cell activation and proliferation. The purpose of this pilot clinical trial was to test the antitumor and antiviral effect of tremelimumab in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection; and to study the safety of its administration to cirrhotic patients. METHODS: Tremelimumab at a dose of 15 mg/kg IV every 90 days was administered until tumor progression or severe toxicity. Twenty patients were assessable for toxicity and viral response and 17 were assessable for tumor response. Most patients were in the advanced stage and 43% had an altered liver function (Child-Pugh class B). RESULTS: A good safety profile was recorded and no patient needed steroids because of severe immune-mediated adverse events. Some patients had a transient albeit intense elevation of transaminases after the first dose, but not following subsequent cycles. Partial response rate was 17.6% and disease control rate was 76.4%. Time to progression was 6.48 months (95% CI 3.95-9.14). A significant drop in viral load was observed while new emerging variants of the hypervariable region 1 of HCV replaced the predominant variants present before therapy, particularly in those patients with a more prominent drop in viral load. This antiviral effect was associated with an enhanced specific anti-HCV immune response. CONCLUSIONS: Tremelimumab safety profile and antitumor and antiviral activity, in patients with advanced HCC developed on HCV-induced liver cirrhosis, support further investigation.

Incidence of hand-foot syndrome with capecitabine in combination with chemotherapy as first-line treatment in patients with advanced and/or metastatic gastric cancer suitable for treatment with a fluoropyrimidine-based regimen.

INTRODUCTION: Hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is a limiting toxicity of capecitabine, which is not life-threatening but could compromise capecitabine efficacy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This phase II, multicenter, non-controlled study assessed the safety, particularly grade three HFS incidence, and efficacy of four capecitabine-based chemotherapy regimens [cisplatin/capecitabine (CX), epirubicin/cisplatin/capecitabine (ECX), epirubicin/oxaliplatin/capecitabine (EOX) and docetaxel/cisplatin/capecitabine (DCX)] as first-line treatment for advanced and/or metastatic gastric cancer. RESULTS: One hundred and eight patients were assigned to one of the four treatment groups, according to investigator's criteria, and grouped together for both safety and efficacy primary analyses. HFS was reported in 31 patients (19.6%) and its first presentation occurred at a median of 72 days (range 19-209 days). Grade 3 HFS developed in 6.3, 5.2, 3.7 and 2.4%, of patients receiving ECX, DCX, EOX or CX chemotherapy regimen, respectively. Capecitabine dose reduction/discontinuation due to HFS was required in 5.7% of patients (9/158). The most common (> 10%) grade 3-4 treatment-related AEs were neutropenia (15.2%), asthenia (12.0%) and diarrhoea (11.4%). CONCLUSIONS: A moderate incidence of HFS was reported in patients treated with capecitabine, which generally presented late and required dose reduction in < 1/3 of patients. The results suggest that capecitabine may be useful in combination with standard fluorouracil-based regimens in patients with advanced and/or metastatic gastric cancer with favourable safety profile.

HER2/neu testing for anti-HER2-based therapies in patients with unresectable and/or metastatic gastric cancer.

AIM: To study the HER2 gene amplification or overexpression in patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC) and their association with patient characteristics and patient survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Tumour tissue samples from 148 patients with advanced GC were studied for HER2 by immunohistochemistry (IHC), fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and dual colour silver enhanced in situ hybridisation (dc-SISH) methods. Clinicopathological data from all patients were collected. Progression free survival and overall survival were also analysed. RESULTS: Mean age was 67 (33-83) years; 75% were male subjects, and 51% had intestinal histological type. HER2+ rates were 10.1% (15/148) by IHC, 18.2% (27/148) by FISH+ or 21.6% (32/148) by dc-SISH+. There were significant differences in HER2+ rates according to histological type when FISH (intestinal, 23%; no intestinal, 4%; p<0.0001) or dc-SISH (intestinal, 26%; no intestinal, 6%; p<0.0001) amplification techniques were used. Median overall survival was significantly longer in HER2+ patients despite the determination technique used: IHC (21.4 vs 9.8 months, HR 0.42; p=0.005); FISH (19.6 vs 9.7 months, HR 0.49; p=0.007) or dc-SISH (19.6 vs 9.7 months, HR 0.53; p=0.009). Factors associated with favourable survival in the multivariate analysis were intestinal type and Her2+ determination by IHC, FISH or dc-SISH. CONCLUSION: HER2 gene amplification is significantly associated with patient survival. HER2 gene amplification approaches might be an optimal HER2/neu testing strategy for the selection of HER2+ GC patients who are candidates to be treated with anti-HER2 therapies.