New ARCHITECT plasma pro-gastrin-releasing peptide assay for diagnosing and monitoring small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Progastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP) is a potential marker for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) in serum; however, it may be more stable in plasma. We investigated a new plasma assay (ProGRPp) and its usefulness in diagnosing and monitoring SCLC. METHODS: The marker concentrations were determined on the ARCHITECT i system. RESULTS: The assay could distinguish SCLC from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC: area under the curve 0.931, 95% CI 0.893-0.969; cross-validated accuracy 0.813; sensitivity 84.0%, specificity 96.3%; at 140 pg ml(-1) cutoff). The probability of SCLC when ProGRPp was >140 pg ml(-1) was 91.8%, after adjusting for age, gender, and renal dysfunction. The NSCLC patients with ProGRPp >140 pg ml(-1) were at high risk (odds ratio=37.0, P<0.001) for tumours with neuroendocrine features. False negatives in SCLC were associated with a lack of thyroid transcription factor-1 (P<0.001). A decrease of ProGRPp to <140 pg ml(-1) during chemotherapy was significantly associated with the image-based response (P<0.001), and independently affected progression-free survival (PFS, relative risk=2.51, P=0.04) and overall survival (OS, relative risk=4.38, P=0.003), after adjustment for imaging response, performance status, and stage. CONCLUSIONS: The ProGRPp assay is specific and sensitive for diagnosing SCLC. Changes in ProGRPp during chemotherapy are significantly associated with image-based response, PFS, and OS.

EGFR mutation testing practice in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Testing tumor samples for the presence of a mutation in the epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene is recommended for advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. We aimed to collect data about common practice among Medical Oncologists treating lung cancer patients, regarding EGFR mutation testing in advanced NSCLC patients. METHODS: An internet-based survey was conducted among members of the Israeli Society for Clinical Oncology and Radiotherapy involved in the treatment of lung cancer patients. RESULTS: 24 Oncologists participated in the survey. The participants encompass the Oncologists treating most of the lung cancer patients in Israel. 79% of them use EGFR testing routinely for all advanced NSCLC patients. Opinions were split regarding the preferable biopsy site for EGFR testing material. 60% of participants recommend waiting for EGFR test results prior to initiation of first-line therapy. CONCLUSIONS: EGFR testing is requested in Israel routinely by most treating Oncologists for all advanced NSCLC patients, regardless of histology. In most cases, systemic treatment is deferred until the results of this test are received.

Preferences for disclosure of disease related information among thoracic cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: Cancer patients in developed countries increasingly express a preference for more detailed information and involvement in decisions about their care. However, data is sparse and conflicting on preferences of ethnic minorities and immigrants. We aimed to identify preferences for illness related information and correlates with clinical characteristics among patients with thoracic cancers. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty two consecutive cancer patients seen at the Thoracic Oncology Unit, Sheba Medical Center, Israel, participated in the study. Prior to their first oncologist visit, patients completed a questionnaire eliciting their preferences for disclosure of illness related information - full, partial or none - as well as additional demographic information. RESULTS: Eighty four percent of subjects requested full disclosure of disease related information including bad news. Patient age, gender, marital status, birth country, immigration status and smoking status were not associated with disclosure preferences. Patients who refused complete-disclosure were more likely to have metastatic disease with a 2.72 odds ratio (95% confidence interval 1.29-5.74). CONCLUSIONS: Most Israeli thoracic cancer patients request full disclosure of illness related information. This preference seems more significantly correlated to disease stage than demographic characteristics.

Serum thymidine kinase 1 activity in the prognosis and monitoring of chemotherapy in lung cancer patients: a brief report.

INTRODUCTION: Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) is a metabolic enzyme involved in DNA synthesis. Most standard treatment protocols for lung cancer (LC) include cytotoxic agents, which are potential modulators of TK1. We aimed to assess the prognostic significance of serum TK1 activity and its role in monitoring chemotherapy in LC patients. METHODS: TK1 activity was measured using the DiviTum (Biovica) assay in sera from 233 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 91 with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), and 90 with benign lung disease. RESULTS: TK1 activity was significantly associated with age, performance status, and stage in NSCLC and with stage and weight loss in SCLC. In multivariate analysis, pretreatment TK1 activity, adjusted for performance status, stage, and weight loss, independently affected survival in NSCLC (relative risk =1.45, p = 0.031) and SCLC (relative risk = 2.49, p = 0.001). In NSCLC patients, adjusted elevated TK1 activity (>100 Du/L) at pretreatment was a significant predictor of treatment failure (odds ratio = 2.55, p = 0.01). A small (less than twofold) increase in TK1 activity after the first and second cycle of chemotherapy was significantly associated with treatment failure and poor overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated pretreatment serum TK1 activity was an independent, adverse prognostic factor, based on survival, in the two main histological types of LC. A small (less than twofold) increase in TK1 activity after the first and second cycle of chemotherapy was associated with treatment failure and poor overall survival.

The diagnostic and prognostic value of ProGRP in lung cancer.

AIM: To investigate the diagnostic and prognostic significance of pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP) in non-small cell (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and compare this marker with other known serum markers in lung cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Serum levels of ProGRP, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), CYFRA 21-1 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were measured in 37 patients with benign pulmonary disease (BPD), 88 with advanced NSCLC and 37 with SCLC. RESULTS: The ProGRP assay showed a better clinical performance than that of NSE in discriminating between SCLC and BPD or NSCLC, especially at specificity higher than 90%. ProGRP and NSE sensitivity in SCLC at 95% specificity versus the BPD group was 78.4% and 48.6%, (p=0.001) and at 97.7% specificity versus NSCLC, 75.7% and 37.8%, respectively (p=0.001). A significant association of low ProGRP levels with high-grade NSCLC tumors was found (p=0.002). A univariate analysis showed a significant association of ProGRP with survival both in NSCLC and SCLC (p=0.03 and p=0.04, respectively). In multivariate analysis, performance status (PS) and CYFRA 21-1 in NSCLC, and PS, CYFRA 21-1 and serum lactic dehydrogenase in SCLC were found as significant variables with an independent impact on survival. CONCLUSION: ProGRP is a useful marker in SCLC, with diagnostic performance better than that of NSE and demonstrating association with survival in NSCLC and SCLC limited to univariate analysis.

Phase II study of cisplatin, epirubicin, UFT, and leucovorin (PELUF) as first-line chemotherapy in metastatic gastric cancer.

More than two-thirds of patients with gastric cancer present with metastatic disease and their curative options are limited. This phase II study assessed the efficacy and tolerability of cisplatin, epirubicin, tegafur-uracil (UFT) and leucovorin in patients with metastatic gastric cancer (MGC). Thirty-nine patients with previously untreated metastatic or unresectable gastric cancer received intravenous cisplatin 60 mg/m2 and epirubicin 50 mg/m2 on day 1 of a 28-day cycle; UFT 300 mg/m2 was administered with oral leucovorin 30 mg/day in divided doses on days 1-22, followed by a 7-day rest. Two patients achieved a complete response, 13 had a partial response (overall response rate 38%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 24-52%) and 16 patients (41%) had stable disease. Median time to progression was 6.5 months (95% CI 5.5-7.5 months); overall survival was 9.5 months (95% CI 8.5-13.5 months). Grade 3/4 neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia occurred in 20%, 8%, and 3% of patients, respectively; two patients experienced febrile neutropenia. Grade 3 diarrhea occurred in three patients. The combination of cisplatin, epirubicin, UFT, and leucovorin has significant activity and tolerable toxicities in patients with MGC and represents a convenient treatment option for these patients.

The prognostic significance of circulating neuroendocrine markers chromogranin a, pro-gastrin-releasing peptide and neuron-specific enolase in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Chromogranin A (CGA), Pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) are known as immunohistochemical tissue markers closely associated with neuroendocrine differentiation in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). The aim of the present study was to assess the value of serum levels of these markers in predicting response to chemotherapy and survival of patients with unresectable NSCLC. METHODS: The study included 67 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with chemotherapy. Before treatment, serum levels of CGA, ProGRP and NSE were measured with commercial kits. RESULTS: No association was found between serum NSE and age, gender, histology, performance status or extent of the disease. Distribution of serum CGA differed significantly according to gender and histology, with higher levels being found in men (p = 0.01) and in squamous cell carcinoma (p = 0.01). Serum ProGRP levels correlated with disease extent, being higher in patients with metastatic disease (M1) than in those with locoregional disease (M0; p = 0.02). The association of NSE, CGA and ProGRP levels with response to chemotherapy was not significant. While NSE had no impact on survival, the median survival was shorter for patients with elevated serum CGA and longer for patients with high ProGRP levels. Association with survival was significant when the Classification and Regression Tree (CART)-derived or median cutoff points were explored. On inclusion in multivariate Cox models, both CGA and ProGRP retained significance with high levels showing an opposite effect on survival [CART-derived cutoff points: CGA, relative risk (RR) -4.0; p < 0.001, and ProGRP, RR -0.4; p = 0.006, and median cutoff points: CGA, RR -1.8; p = 0.04, and ProGRP, RR -0.5; p = 0.03]. The combined use of CGA, ProGRP and NSE allowed for definition of two sets of patients with significantly different median survival times (25.2 vs. 8.8 months, p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In the circulation, CGA and Pro-GRP appear to bear important information related to the prognosis for NSCLC patients before chemotherapy. While a high CGA before treatment was found as an unfavorable prognostic determinant, a high ProGRP conferred a survival advantage. The combined use of serum CGA, ProGRP and NSE may supply additional information to prognosis.