Clinical and Diagnostic Utility of Genomic Profiling for Digestive Cancers: Real-World Evidence from Japan.

The usefulness of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) in the Japanese healthcare insurance system remains underexplored. Therefore, this large-scale study aimed to determine the usefulness of CGP in diagnosing digestive cancers. Patients with various cancer types recruited between March 2020 and October 2022 underwent the FoundationOne® CDx assay at the Keio PleSSision Group (19 hospitals in Japan). A scoring system was developed to identify potentially actionable genomic alterations of biological significance and actionable genomic alterations. The detection rates for potentially actionable genomic alterations, actionable genomic alterations, and alterations equivalent to companion diagnosis (CDx), as well as the signaling pathways associated with these alterations in each digestive cancer, were analyzed. Among the 1587 patients, 547 had digestive cancer. The detection rates of potentially actionable genomic alterations, actionable genomic alterations, and alterations equivalent to CDx were 99.5%, 62.5%, and 11.5%, respectively. APC, KRAS, and CDKN2A alterations were frequently observed in colorectal, pancreatic, and biliary cancers, respectively. Most digestive cancers, except esophageal cancer, were adenocarcinomas. Thus, the classification flowchart for digestive adenocarcinomas proposed in this study may facilitate precise diagnosis. CGP has clinical and diagnostic utility in digestive cancers.

Cancer history and physical function in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Both cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) cause skeletal muscle mass loss, thereby increasing the likelihood of a poor prognosis. We investigated the association between cancer history and physical function and their combined association with prognosis in patients with CVD. We retrospectively reviewed 3,796 patients with CVD (median age: 70 years; interquartile range [IQR]: 61-77 years) who had undergone physical function tests (gait speed and 6-minute walk distance [6MWD]) at discharge. We performed multiple linear regression analyses to assess potential associations between cancer history and physical function. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate prognostic associations in four groups of patients categorized by the absence or presence of cancer history and of high or low physical function. Multiple regression analyses showed that cancer history was significantly and independently associated with a lower gait speed and 6MWD performance. A total of 610 deaths occurred during the follow-up period (median: 3.1 years; IQR: 1.4-5.4 years). The coexistence of low physical function and cancer history in patients with CVD was associated with a significantly higher mortality risk, even after adjusting for covariates (cancer history/low gait speed, hazard ratio [HR]: 1.93, P < 0.001; and cancer history/low 6MWD, HR: 1.61, P = 0.002). Cancer history is associated with low physical function in patients with CVD, and the combination of both factors is associated with a poor prognosis.

Real-world data on the comprehensive genetic profiling test for Japanese patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: comprehensive genomic profiling test has been covered by Japanese health insurance since June 2019. However, no real-world data on the test have been reported with a focus on Japanese patients with prostate cancer. METHODS: we retrospectively reviewed the data of 45 consecutive patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, who underwent the comprehensive genomic profiling tests at Kitasato University Hospital between August 2019 and December 2022. Patients' characteristics, prevalence of gene alterations and therapeutic impact of genotype-matched therapy were assessed. RESULTS: genomic data were obtained using a tissue-based test (n = 32) and liquid-based test (n = 13). Actionable genomic alternations were identified in 51.1% of patients, and 22.2% were treated with genotype-matched therapy. The main reason for not receiving genotype-matched therapy was disease progression, accounting for 46.2% (6/13). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed significantly longer overall survival after the comprehensive genomic profiling tests in patients with genotype-matched therapy under public insurance (17.8%, n = 8) than those without it (median: not reached vs. 18.1 months; P = 0.003). Five (62.5%) out of the eight patients with genotype-matched therapy under public insurance had BRCA1 or 2 deleterious alteration. Multivariate analyses showed that BRCA deleterious alteration (17.8%, n = 8) was an independent risk factor for shorter time to castration-resistant prostate cancer (hazard ratio: 2.46, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-5.87; P = 0.041), and no patients with the alteration had ≤5 bone metastases. CONCLUSIONS: the results of this study showed the promising survival outcomes in patients with genotype-matched therapy under public insurance, even in the castration-resistant prostate cancer setting. Further detection of promising therapeutic target gene is expected to increase the number of patients who reach genotype-matched therapies.

BRCA1/2 reversion mutations in a pan-cancer cohort.

Tumor sensitivity to platinum (Pt)-based chemotherapy and poly(adenosine diphosphate ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors is increased by homologous recombination deficiency-causing mutations; in particular, reversion mutations cause drug resistance by restoring protein function. Treatment response is predicted by breast cancer susceptibility gene 1/2 (BRCA1/2) mutations; however, BRCA1/2 reversion mutations have not been comprehensively studied in pan-cancer cohorts. We aimed to characterize BRCA1/2 reversion mutations in a large pan-cancer cohort of Japanese patients by retrospectively analyzing sequencing data for BRCA1/2 pathogenic/likely pathogenic mutations in 3738 patients with 32 cancer types. We identified somatic mutations in tumors or circulating cell-free DNA that could restore the ORF of adverse alleles, including reversion mutations. We identified 12 (0.32%) patients with somatic BRCA1 (n = 3) and BRCA2 (n = 9) reversion mutations in breast (n = 4), ovarian/fallopian tube/peritoneal (n = 4), pancreatic (n = 2), prostate (n = 1), and gallbladder (n = 1) cancers. We identified 21 reversion events-BRCA1 (n = 3), BRCA2 (n = 18)-including eight pure deletions, one single-nucleotide variant, six multinucleotide variants, and six deletion-insertions. Seven (33.3%) reversion deletions showed a microhomology length greater than 1 bp, suggesting microhomology-mediated end-join repair. Disease course data were obtained for all patients with reversion events: four patients acquired mutations after PARP-inhibitor treatment failure, two showed somatic reversion mutations after disease progression, following Pt-based treatment, five showed mutations after both treatments, one patient with pancreatic cancer and BRCA1 reversion mutations had no history of either treatment. Although reversion mutations commonly occur in BRCA-associated cancers, our findings suggest that reversion mutations due to Pt-chemotherapy might be correlated with BRCA1/2-mediated tumorigenesis even in non-BRCA-associated histologies.

The Glasgow Prognostic Score Predicts Survival Outcomes in Patients with Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) is an inflammation-related score based on C-reactive protein and albumin concentrations. Few studies have assessed the correlation between the GPS and the efficacy of chemotherapy in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the utility of the GPS in predicting the survival outcomes of patients with ES-SCLC. METHODS: This retrospective study evaluated patients with ES-SCLC who had undergone chemotherapy between February 2008 and November 2021. GPS values were evaluated before the initiation of first-line chemotherapy. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: The GPS values of the 113 patients were zero (54 patients, 48%), 1 (37 patients, 33%), and 2 (22 patients, 19%). The median follow-up duration was 10.7 months. Median PFS was 6.2, 5.6, and 3.8 months in the GPS 0, 1, and 2 groups, respectively, suggesting that the GPS zero group had a significantly more favorable PFS than the GPS 2 group (p < 0.001). Median OS was 17.1, 9.4, and 5.6 months in the GPS 0, 1, and 2 groups, respectively, suggesting that the GPS zero group had a significantly more favorable OS than the GPS 2 group (p = 0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed that a GPS of 2 independently predicted unfavorable PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 2.89; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.68-4.88; p < 0.001) and OS (HR, 3.49 [95% CI: 1.83-6.63], p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The study's findings suggest that the GPS can predict the survival outcomes of patients with ES-SCLC who have undergone chemotherapy. The GPS is an easy-to-calculate biomarker and would be ideal for routine use in clinical settings.

The Glasgow Prognostic Score Predicts Survival in Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Harboring Sensitive Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutations Who Are Treated with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors.

INTRODUCTION: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the standard first-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with sensitive EGFR mutations. The Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) is an inflammation-assessing score based on C-reactive protein and albumin concentrations. Information regarding the association between the GPS and EGFR-TKI treatment effectiveness is limited; hence, we investigated whether the GPS can predict the response of NSCLC to EGFR-TKIs. METHODS: We evaluated 340 patients with NSCLC harboring sensitive EGFR mutations who received EGFR-TKI monotherapy between March 2009 and July 2021. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 26.6 months, patients with a GPS of 0, 1, and 2 had PFS of 15.7, 10.0, and 6.3 months, respectively, and OS of 40.1, 25.8, and 14.4 months, respectively; patients with a GPS of 0 had significantly better PFS and OS than those with a GPS of 1 (p = 0.03, p = 0.001, respectively) or 2 (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis identified poor performance status, stage 4 at diagnosis, type of EGFR-TKI (gefitinib/erlotinib vs. afatinib), and GPS = 2 as predictors of a short PFS. Meanwhile, poor performance status, gefitinib/erlotinib administration, and GPS = 2 were predictors of a short OS. CONCLUSION: The GPS predicted the survival of NSCLC patients harboring sensitive EGFR mutations who were undergoing EGFR-TKI treatment. The GPS might be ideal for routine use in clinical practice, given that it is an easily calculated parameter.

Less demand on stem cell marker-positive cancer cells may characterize metastasis of colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: CD44 and CD133 are stem cell markers in colorectal cancer (CRC). CD44 has distinctive isoforms with different oncological properties like total CD44 (CD44T) and variant CD44 (CD44V). Clinical significance of such markers remains elusive. METHODS: Sixty colon cancer were examined for CD44T/CD44V and CD133 at mRNA level in a quantitative PCR, and clarified for their association with clinicopathological factors. RESULTS: (1) Both CD44T and CD44V showed higher expression in primary colon tumors than in non-cancerous mucosas (p<0.0001), while CD133 was expressed even in non-cancerous mucosa and rather decreased in the tumors (p = 0.048). (2) CD44V expression was significantly associated with CD44T expression (R = 0.62, p<0.0001), while they were not correlated to CD133 at all in the primary tumors. (3) CD44V/CD44T expressions were significantly higher in right colon cancer than in left colon cancer (p = 0.035/p = 0.012, respectively), while CD133 expression were not (p = 0.20). (4) In primary tumors, unexpectedly, CD44V/CD44T/CD133 mRNA expressions were not correlated with aggressive phenotypes, but CD44V/CD44T rather significantly with less aggressive lymph node metastasis/distant metastasis (p = 0.040/p = 0.039, respectively). Moreover, both CD44V and CD133 expressions were significantly decreased in liver metastasis as compared to primary tumors (p = 0.0005 and p = 0.0006, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our transcript expression analysis of cancer stem cell markers did not conclude that their expression could represent aggressive phenotypes of primary and metastatic tumors, and rather represented less demand on stem cell marker-positive cancer cells.

Combination carboplatin and nab-paclitaxel as a first-line treatment for advanced thymic carcinoma.

Thymic carcinoma is a very rare neoplasm for which no optimal chemotherapeutic regimen has been established to date. Hence, we performed this study to investigate the efficacy and safety of carboplatin plus nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab)-paclitaxel as a first-line regimen for patients with advanced thymic carcinoma. We conducted this multi-institutional retrospective cohort study of patients with advanced thymic carcinoma who had received carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel as a first-line chemotherapy between August 2013 and December 2021. Twelve patients were included in this study and were subjected to efficacy and safety analysis. Their median age was 62 years (range, 47-74 years), and all had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score of 0 or 1. After a median follow-up time of 19.7 months, the overall response rate was 50%; the median progression-free and overall survival times were 8.8 months and 23.3 months, respectively. Chemotherapy-related peripheral neuropathy was observed in 2 patients (16%; each with grade 1). Other toxicities were manageable, and there were no treatment-related deaths. Carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel as a first-line chemotherapy regimen showed good efficacy and safety in patients with advanced thymic carcinoma.

The Glasgow Prognostic Score Predicts Outcomes of Pembrolizumab or Atezolizumab Monotherapy in Patients with Pretreated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Predictors of the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) monotherapy in previously treated patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain ill-defined. We investigated whether the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) could serve as such predictors. METHODS: Eighty patients treated with pembrolizumab or atezolizumab monotherapy as second- or subsequent-line therapy for NSCLC were retrospectively reviewed, and the associations between GPS, body mass index (BMI), and each of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 11.1 months. Patients with a BMI ≥20.4 kg/m2 had significantly longer PFS and OS (3.7 and 22.2 month, respectively) than did those with a BMI <20.4 kg/m2 (2.2 and 11.5 months, respectively). Patients with a GPS of 0 had a significantly longer PFS (6.6 months) than did those with a GPS of 1 (2.2 months, p = 0.002) and 2 (1.8 months, p = 0.029). Patients with a GPS of 0 also had a significantly longer OS (22.2 month) than did those with a GPS of 1 (9.2 months, p = 0.002) and 2 (4.7 months, p = 0.002). Notably, the GPS, BMI, and clinical stage were independent predictors of PFS, while the GPS and performance status were independent predictors of OS. The response rate of patients with a GPS of 0 was significantly higher than that of patients with a GPS of 1-2 (26.2% vs. 7.9%, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: The GPS is an independent predictor of PFS and OS in patients with NSCLC who received second- or subsequent-line pembrolizumab or atezolizumab monotherapy.

Rationale and protocol design of a phase II study of first-line osimertinib treatment for patients with poor performance status and EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (OPEN/TORG2040).

BACKGROUND: Cancer chemotherapy indications for patients with poor performance status and advanced lung cancer are limited. Molecular targeted drugs, including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors, can be used in patients with poor performance status owing to their high efficacy and safety. The third-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinib has demonstrated effectiveness in the initial treatment of advanced EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer in patients with good performance status; however, no evidence exists of the drug's effectiveness in patients with poor performance status in a prospective study. We designed a study that aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of first-line osimertinib treatment in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer harboring sensitive EGFR mutations and with poor performance status. METHODS: The OPEN/TORG2040 study is a multicenter, single-arm, phase II trial for patients with unresectable, advanced EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer with a poor performance status (≥ 2). Eligible patients will receive osimertinib until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint is the objective response rate of the first-line osimertinib treatment. Considering a threshold value of 45%, expected value of 70% for objective response rate, one-sided significance level of 5%, statistical power of 80%, and ineligible patients, the sample size was set to 30. The secondary endpoints are disease control rate, performance status improvement rate, and safety and patient-reported outcomes using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core Quality of Life Questionnaire and Lung Cancer 13. Time to treatment failure, progression-free survival, and overall survival will also be assessed. DISCUSSION: Our study can determine the clinical benefits of osimertinib treatment in patients with poor performance status, since the clinical outcomes of patients with EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer with poor performance status treated with this drug as a first-line treatment have not been sufficiently evaluated. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Japan Registry of Clinical Trials: jRCTs041200100 (registration date: February 12, 2021).

Promising Response to Dabrafenib Plus Trametinib in a Patient with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis from Non Small Lung Cancer Harboring BRAF V600E Mutation.

Background: The prognosis of peritoneal carcinomatosis in patients with lung cancer is poor. However, some cases of peritoneal carcinomatosis from lung cancer harboring specific gene alterations have responded to molecular targeted drugs. B-Raf proto-oncogene (BRAF) mutations occur in about 2-4% of NSCLCs, with about half of these cases having the BRAF V600E mutation. Concomitant inhibition of BRAF with dabrafenib and inhibition of the downstream mitogen-activated protein kinase with trametinib showed efficacy in NSCLC patients with the BRAF V600E mutation. Herein, we report a patient with peritoneal carcinomatosis from lung cancer with the BRAF V600E mutation who responded to dabrafenib plus trametinib. Case Presentation: A 67-year-old Japanese male never-smoker was diagnosed with stage IA3 lung adenocarcinoma. He underwent thoracoscopic left lower lobectomy but developed recurrence of the cancer with peritoneal carcinomatosis 33 months after the operation. An Oncomine Dx target test of the resected specimen was positive for the BRAF V600E mutation. He was started on dabrafenib 150 mg twice per day and trametinib 2 mg once per day. He had a good clinical response to dabrafenib/trametinib therapy with resolution of abdominal distention. He continued dabrafenib/trametinib treatment without disease progression for 7 months, with no severe adverse effects. Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of assessing genetic alterations in lung cancer patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis and treating them with appropriate molecular targeted drugs.

[Clinical Outcome of Microsatellite Instability-High Patients Treated with Pembrolizumab and Genetic Counseling].

Prospective studies have demonstrated the efficacy of pembrolizumab in patients with previously treated unresectable or metastatic microsatellite instability-high(MSI-H)cancers. Pembrolizumab has been covered by the Japanese health insurance system since December 2018. The frequency of MSI-H in patients is as low as approximately 2%. In addition, some patients with MSI-H cancers are diagnosed with Lynch syndrome. In the present study, we retrospectively investigated patients who received MSI testing at Kitasato University Hospital from April 2019 to June 2020. We also investigated the therapeutic effect of pembrolizumab for MSI-H cancers and patients who received genetic counseling for Lynch syndrome. Results identified that 5 out of 263 patients who underwent MSI testing(1.9%)had MSI-H. The therapeutic outcomes of pembrolizumab in those patients were as follows: 1(20%)complete response, 3(60%)partial response, and 1(20%) progressive disease. The positive-outcome rate of MSI-H treatment in our institution was comparable to that in the previous reports. The high response rate of pembrolizumab was confirmed in the present study. Four out of 5 patients received genetic counseling at the genetic clinic, and 1 patient underwent genetic testing for Lynch syndrome. No deleterious variant of Lynch syndrome was detected in the genetic testing.

First-line osimertinib for poor performance status patients with EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer: A prospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: The clinical outcomes of poor performance status (PS) patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are treated with osimertinib as a first-line treatment have not been sufficiently evaluated. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of osimertinib in chemotherapy-naive and poor PS (2 or more) patients with NSCLC harboring sensitive EGFR mutations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We assessed the clinical effects of osimertinib as a first-line treatment for patients with poor PS NSCLC with an exon 19 deletion or exon 21 L858R mutation in EGFR. All patients were administered osimertinib (80 mg/day) as the initial treatment. RESULTS: Sixteen patients (nine women and seven men) who were treated between August 2018 and July 2021 were included in this study; their median age was 78 years. The overall objective response rate was 56.3%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) of the entire patient population was 10.5 months and the PS score improved in 8 of 16 patients (50%). The most common adverse event was acneiform rash (42%), followed by diarrhea (36%) and paronychia (36%); none of these were of grade ≥ 3. Interstitial lung disease occurred in 2 patients (12.5%); however, no treatment-related deaths occurred. CONCLUSION: Considering the findings of this study, osimertinib appears to be an effective and safe treatment option for patients with poor PS and advanced NSCLC harboring sensitive EGFR mutations. To obtain conclusive results, further studies with larger cohorts are warranted.

Real-world evaluation of second line chemotherapy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer harboring preexisting interstitial lung disease.

BACKGROUND: The optimal second and subsequent lines of chemotherapy for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have preexisting interstitial lung disease (ILD) are unclear. Hence, we examined the clinical efficacy and safety of second-line chemotherapy in such patients, including any exacerbation of preexisting ILD. METHODS: The medical records of patients with NSCLC and preexisting ILD who received both first- and second-line chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients with a median age of 71 years who were treated between April 2013 and March 2021 were included. The response rate after second-line chemotherapy with S-1 (n = 13), docetaxel (n = 8), pemetrexed (n = 2), or docetaxel plus ramucirumab (n = 1) was 12.5%, with a median progression-free survival (2nd line PFS) of 3.8 months. The overall survival from a start of first-line chemotherapy (1st line OS) and post-progression survival (PPS) post-first-line chemotherapy were 18.7 and 9.7 months, respectively. Spearman rank correlation and linear regression analyses showed that PPS was strongly correlated with 1st line OS (R = 0.85, P < 0.00001). Importantly, the 2nd line PFS was also significantly correlated with 1st line OS (R = 0.71, P = 0.0001). While second-line chemotherapy-related acute exacerbation of ILD was observed in 7 patients (29.2%), there were no treatment-related fatalities. Conslusions. Second-line chemotherapy has a strong positive impact on the OS of patients with NSCLC who have preexisting ILD. Given the findings of this study, second-line chemotherapy may be valuable in terms of prolonging long-term OS.

A Prospective Observational Study of Osimertinib for Chemo-Naive Elderly Patients with EGFR Mutation-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The clinical outcomes of elderly patients with EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are treated with osimertinib have not been sufficiently evaluated. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of osimertinib in elderly chemotherapy-naive patients with NSCLC harboring sensitive EGFR mutations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We assessed the clinical effects of osimertinib as a first-line treatment for elderly NSCLC patients (≥75 years of age) with an exon 19 deletion or exon 21 L858R mutation in EGFR. All patients were administered 80 mg/day osimertinib as initial treatment. RESULTS: Forty-three patients (24 women and 19 men) with adenocarcinoma who were treated between August 2018 and July 2021 were included in this study; their median age was 79 years (range, 75-90 years). The overall objective response rate was 60.5%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and time to treatment failure (TTF) of the entire patient population were 22.1 months and 14.6 months, respectively. The most common adverse event was rash acneiform (42%), followed by diarrhea (33%) and paronychia (28%); none of these were grades ≥3. Interstitial lung disease developed in 8 patients (18.6%); however, no treatment-related deaths occurred. Multivariate analysis identified performance status and disease stage as predictors of PFS and TTF. CONCLUSION: Considering the findings of this study and despite an observed discordance between PFS and TTF, osimertinib appears to be an effective and safe treatment option in elderly patients with advanced NSCLC harboring sensitive EGFR mutations. To obtain conclusive results, further studies in a larger elderly population are warranted.

Factors Related to Oncologists' Use of the Disease Treatment and Employment Support Guidance Fee.

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors related to oncologists' use of the disease treatment and employment support guidance fee in Japan. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in January 2021 among all the diplomates of the subspecialty board of medical oncology in the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology (n = 1,452), using the official mailing list. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between demographic and other factors and use of the disease treatment and employment support guidance fee. In total, 146 individuals participated in the study (response rate 10.0%). Experience of using the fee was associated with medical specialty and knowledge of the Guideline for Workplace Patient Coordination and Disease Treatment. It may be possible to increase the use of the disease treatment and employment support guidance fee among oncologists by raising awareness of the Guideline for Workplace Patient Coordination and Disease Treatment.

Implementation of clinical sequencing for molecular profiling in patients with advanced cancer.

BACKGROUND: The advancement of cancer genomics has allowed for multiplex gene assays using next-generation sequencing (NGS) to be practically implemented, however, a clinical practice system remains to be established. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the feasibility of clinical sequencing using NGS-based multiplex gene assays between cooperating medical institutions in patients with advanced cancers. METHODS: In this observational study, DNA and RNA samples prepared from existing tumor tissues were subjected to comprehensive genomic profiling using targeted sequencing. RESULTS: From January 2017 to March 2019, 36 samples from 33 patients were assessed. Of all patients, 27 (82%) had lung cancer, with the median age of 50 years (range 38-83). Multiplex gene panel tests were successfully carried out on 35/36 (97%) samples. Potentially actionable gene alterations were identified in 10/30 (33%) samples (3 HER2, 2 KRAS, 2 ALK, 1 PIK3CA, 1 RET, and 1 CDKN2A). In the 6 samples examined for resistant mechanisms, ALK I1171N mutation and MET copy number gain were detected in 2 patients with ALK rearrangement-positive lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical sequencing using NGS-based multiplex gene assays between collaborating domestic medical institutions was feasible, with a success rate of > 97%. Overall, clinical sequencing benefits therapeutic decision-making in patients with advanced cancer.

A Case of Synchronous Occurrence of Intracranial Germinoma and Systemic Sarcoidosis.

Although the synchronous occurrence of testicular seminoma and systemic sarcoidosis has been reported, that of intracranial germinoma and systemic sarcoidosis is unknown. A 26-year-old man presented with symptoms of panhypopituitarism and consciousness disturbance. Imaging demonstrated a large nodule in the upper right lung field and swelling of multiple bilateral pulmonary and mediastinal lymph nodes in addition to the bifocal pineal and suprasellar tumors with obstructive hydrocephalus. The pathological diagnosis of the intracranial bifocal tumors was pure germinoma, whereas that of the mediastinal lymph nodes was epithelioid granuloma. Three courses of chemotherapy using carboplatin and etoposide were administered, followed by whole ventricle irradiation. The intracranial tumors completely disappeared, but the lung nodule and mediastinal lymph nodes progressed. Whole-body fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography demonstrated accumulation in the mediastinal lymphadenopathy, lung masses, and multiple lymph nodes of the whole body. Transbronchial lung biopsy revealed epithelioid granuloma with multinucleated giant cells. In conjunction with the high blood concentration of angiotensin-converting enzyme and soluble interleukin-2 receptor, these findings established a diagnosis of sarcoidosis. This is the first report of synchronous occurrence of intracranial germinoma and sarcoidosis. Such coexistence is extremely rare, but we should mind that sarcoidosis can occur with intracranial germinoma.

Phase II study of amrubicin plus erlotinib in previously treated, advanced non-small cell lung cancer with wild-type epidermal growth factor receptor (TORG1320).

Background Amrubicin (AMR) is a completely synthetic 9-aminoanthracycline and clinically active against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We conducted a phase I study of AMR and erlotinib (ERL) combination therapy in previously treated patients with advanced NSCLC and have already reported the safety and effectiveness. Methods We conducted a multi-center, single-arm phase II trial to evaluate the efficacy of AMR and ERL combination therapy in patients with previously treated, advanced NSCLC harboring wild-type EGFR, PS 0-1 and < 75 years of age. Patients were treated at 3-week intervals with AMR plus ERL. The primary endpoint was the PFS, and the secondary endpoints were the response rate (RR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS) and toxicity. The trough ERL concentration (Ctrough) was measured as an exploratory study to analyze the relationship between the efficacy/safety and pharmacokinetics. Results From June 2013 to July 2016, 25 patients were enrolled in this trial. The PFS according to the central test was 3.6 months (95% confidence interval 2.1-5.1). The RR and DCR were 24.0% and 64.0%, respectively. We had no treatment-related deaths in this study. Conclusions The PFS of AMR and ERL combination therapy was superior to that of AMR monotherapy in the historical setting, but the primary endpoint was not met in this trial. In our study, the pharmacokinetic analysis showed that the Ctrough of ERL was elevated with combination therapy. This combination therapy might be a viable treatment for previously treated NSCLC patients without a driver oncogene mutation. Clinical trial information UMIN 000010582.

Impact of Amrubicin Monotherapy as Second-Line Chemotherapy on Outcomes in Elderly Patients with Relapsed Extensive-Disease Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

PURPOSE: Amrubicin (AMR) is an anticancer drug for patients with relapsed small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, the efficacy of AMR in elderly patients with relapsed SCLC after chemotherapy by carboplatin plus etoposide (CE) has not been sufficiently evaluated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The medical records of patients with relapsed SCLC who received AMR as second-line chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed, and their treatment outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: Forty-one patients with a median age of 76 years were analyzed. The overall response rate was 26.8%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 3.5 and 8.1 months, respectively. While the median PFS of 4.7 and 2.8 months in the sensitive relapse and the refractory relapse group differed significantly (P=0.043), respectively, the median OS of 10.7 and 6.8 months in the respective relapse groups did not indicate a statistically significant difference (P=0.24). The median PFS in a group with a modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) of 0 and a group with a mGPS 1 or 2 were 4.5 and 1.6 months (P=0.052), respectively, and the median OS in the respective mGPS groups were 10.7 and 4.4 months (P=0.034). Multivariate analysis identified good performance status, limited disease, and mGPS 0 as favorable independent predictors of PFS and OS of AMR monotherapy. Grade 3 or higher neutropenia was observed in 23 patients (56%), and febrile neutropenia was observed in nine patients (22%). Non-hematological toxic effects were relatively mild, and pneumonitis and treatment-related deaths were not observed. CONCLUSION: AMR is an effective and feasible regimen for elderly patients with relapsed SCLC after CE therapy.