Longitudinal Changes and Association of Respiratory Symptoms with Preserved Ratio Impaired Spirometry (PRISm): The Nagahama Study.

Rationale: Subjects with preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) experience increased respiratory symptoms, although they present heterogeneous characteristics. However, the longitudinal changes in these symptoms and respiratory function are not well known. Objectives: To investigate PRISm from the viewpoint of respiratory symptoms in a longitudinal, large-scale general population study. Methods: The Nagahama study included 9,789 inhabitants, and a follow-up evaluation was conducted after 5 years. Spirometry and self-administered questionnaires regarding respiratory symptoms, including prolonged cough, sputum and dyspnea, and comorbidities were conducted. Results: In total, 9,760 subjects were analyzed, and 438 subjects had PRISm. Among the subjects with PRISm, 53% presented with respiratory symptoms; dyspnea was independently associated with PRISm. Follow-up assessment revealed that 73% of the subjects with PRISm with respiratory symptoms were consistently symptomatic, whereas 39% of the asymptomatic subjects with PRISm developed respiratory symptoms within 5 years. In addition, among subjects with respiratory symptoms without airflow limitation at baseline, PRISm was a risk factor for the development of airflow limitation independent of smoking history and comorbidities. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that 53% of the subjects with PRISm had respiratory symptoms; dyspnea was a distinct characteristic of PRISm. Approximately three-fourths of the symptomatic subjects with PRISm consistently complained of respiratory symptoms within 5 years. Together with our result that PRISm itself is an independent risk factor for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among subjects with respiratory symptoms, the clinical course of subjects with PRISm with symptoms requires careful monitoring.

The importance of central airway dilatation in patients with bronchiolitis obliterans.

BACKGROUND: Bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) is a clinical syndrome characterised by progressive small airway obstruction, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Central airway dilatation is one of its radiological characteristics, but little is known about the clinical and pathological associations between airway dilatation and BO. METHODS: This retrospective study consecutively included patients who underwent lung transplantation due to BO at Kyoto University Hospital from 2009 to 2019. Demographic and histopathological findings of the resected lungs were compared between patients with and without airway dilatation measured by chest computed tomography (CT) at registration for lung transplantation. RESULTS: Of a total of 38 included patients (median age, 30 years), 34 (89%) had a history of hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation, and 22 (58%) had airway dilatation based on CT. Patients with airway dilatation had a higher frequency of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolation with greater residual volume than those without airway dilatation. Quantitative CT analysis revealed an increase in lung volume to predictive total lung capacity and a percentage of low attenuation volume <-950 HU at inspiration in association with the extent of airway dilatation. Airway dilatation on CT was associated with an increased number of bronchioles with concentric narrowing of the lumen and thickening of the subepithelium of the walls on histology. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with BO, airway dilatation may reflect increased residual volume or air trapping and pathological extent of obstructive bronchioles, accompanied by a risk of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolation. More attention should be paid to the development of airway dilatation in the management of BO.

Tumour content ratio matters for detecting epidermal growth factor receptor mutation by cobas test in small biopsies; a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies indicate the benefit of treatment with osimertinib over that with conventional epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) for untreated EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Cobas ver2 is the only companion diagnostic method for detecting EGFR mutations with osimertinib treatment. We clinically experience false negative cases with this test, but its actual sensitivity is unknown. Moreover, no study has suggested the importance of tumour dissection, and most facilities do not routinely perform them on small biopsies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of cobas in clinical practice and clarify the role of dissection as a component of the cobas testing. METHODS: We examined 132 patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC diagnosed by bronchoscopy and confirmed with PCR clamp. Patients were tested with cobas and the EGFR-positive rate was calculated. Samples with undetected EGFR mutations were retested after tumour dissection and the rate of samples whose EGFR mutation was corrected to positive was assessed. To evaluate tumour cellularity, the tumour content ratio was assessed by calculating tumour cell count over the total cell count on the slide. RESULTS: The positive rate of EGFR mutation identification was 76% with cobas, although EGFR mutation-negative patients retained responses to TKI therapy equivalent to positive patients did; however, the tumour content ratio of negative samples was significantly lower than that of positive samples. Twenty-nine negative samples underwent dissection and 24% were corrected to positive. Moreover, 53% of the samples with a tumour content ratio below 10% was negative for cobas, but 33% of these turned positive after dissection. CONCLUSIONS: Cobas had a high false negative rate in clinical practice, and tumour content ratio might be associated with this rate. Dissection could improve the sensitivity of cobas, especially in samples with low tumour cellularity.

A phase II study of low starting dose of afatinib as first-line treatment in patients with EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (KTORG1402).

OBJECTIVES: Afatinib is an effective treatment in patients who have epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but its toxicities often require dose adjustment. Exploratory analyses of previous trials have suggested that reducing the dose of afatinib can decrease treatment-related adverse events without negatively affecting effectiveness. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of low starting dose of afatinib with dose modification according to its toxicity in patients with EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a multicenter, single-arm, open-label phase II trial. Treatment-naïve patients with advanced NSCLC positive for common EGFR mutations received afatinib starting in a dose of 20 mg/day. If tolerated, the dose was increased in 10-mg increments up to 50 mg/day. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: From February 2015 through March 2016, 46 patients were enrolled. The median age was 73 years (range, 43-86), and 35 patients (72%) were women.EGFR mutation subtypes included exon 19 deletion (54%) and Leu858Arg point mutation (46%). Most patients had a performance status of 0 or 1 (91%) and a histological diagnosis of adenocarcinoma (98%). As of the data cut-off date of June 2017, the median follow-up was 18.9 months. The median PFS was 15.2 months (95% CI: 13.2-not estimable). The 1-year overall survival rate was 95.6% (95% CI: 89.7%-100%). The objective response rate was 81.8% (95% CI, 81.3%-98.6%). Adverse events of grade 3 or higher occurred in 14 patients (30.4%) and included rash/acne in 4 patients (8.7%), paronychia in 4 patients (8.7%), diarrhea in 2 patients (4.3%). There was no treatment-related death. CONCLUSIONS: Low starting dose of afatinib therapy showed promising clinical efficacy and good tolerability. Further investigations are warranted.

Ineligibility for the PACIFIC trial in unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Recently, based on results of the PACIFIC trial, durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy (CRT) became the standard therapy for unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, in the PACIFIC trial, patients were recruited and randomized after CRT, and certain patients were considered ineligible after CRT in the real world. No study has been conducted on the patients who were ineligible for the PACIFIC trial, and hence, we conducted a retrospective study on them. METHODS: We identified 82 patients with stage III NSCLC who received definitive platinum-based concurrent CRT and had World Health Organization performance status of 0-1. We investigated the proportion, clinical characteristics, and prognoses of patients who became ineligible for the PACIFIC trial after CRT. RESULTS: After CRT, 19 of 82 patients (23%) became ineligible for the PACIFIC trial. Comparison between eligible and ineligible patients revealed that old age (p = 0.042), male gender (p = 0.031), and radiation therapy with V20 ≥ 35% (p = 0.032) were associated with ineligibility after CRT. Moreover, ineligible patients showed shorter PFS (6.6 vs. 15.7 months, hazard ratio [HR] 2.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-5.89, p = 0.016) and shorter OS (18.6 vs. 44.3 months, HR 3.03, 95% CI 1.29-7.10, p = 0.007) than eligible patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed the clinical characteristics and prognoses of patients who became ineligible for the PACIFIC trial after CRT. Physicians should be careful while prescribing CRT for patients with characteristics such as old age, male gender, and radiation therapy with V20 ≥ 35%.

Early depth of tumor shrinkage and treatment outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer treated using Nivolumab.

Background It would be useful to have criteria for predicting long-term treatment responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Maximum depth of response correlates with treatment outcomes among patients receiving programmed death protein 1 axis inhibitors for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We investigated associations between early depth of response and survival outcomes among patients receiving nivolumab for NSCLC. Methods Using records from prospective observational cohorts, we identified 83 previously treated advanced patients with NSCLC who received nivolumab during 2016-2017. Thirty-one patients who achieved disease control were analyzed. Tumor assessments followed the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST). Using Kaplan-Meier and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses, treatment outcomes were compared with percent tumor reductions from baseline to the first evaluation (8-12 weeks after starting nivolumab). Results Early depth of response was predictive of 6-month progression-free survival (area under the ROC curve, 0.848). Based on ROC results, early tumor shrinkage was defined as a > 10% reduction by the first evaluation. Early tumor shrinkage was associated with significantly longer median progression-free survival (early tumor shrinkage: 16.6 months, 95% confidence interval [CI] 8.5 months-not reached; no early shrinkage: 5.1 months, 95% CI 3.9-6.8 months; P < 0.001) and significantly longer median overall survival (P = 0.046). Conclusions Early depth of tumor shrinkage was associated with outcomes after ICI treatment. Because of its simplicity and predictive ability, early tumor shrinkage may be a promising factor for use in clinical settings. However, confirmation of our results is needed.

Characteristics and Prognostic Impact of Pneumonitis during Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy in Patients with Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Data on characteristics, outcomes, and prognosis of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who develop pneumonitis during systemic anti-cancer therapy (pneumonitis) are currently lacking. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 910 consecutive patients diagnosed with advanced NSCLC between January 2004 and January 2014. Of these, 140 patients were excluded because they did not receive systemic anti-cancer therapy at this hospital. RESULTS: A total of 770 patients were included in the study, of whom 44 (6%) were diagnosed with pneumonitis. The mortality rate of pneumonitis was 36%. The incidence of pneumonitis was independently associated with pre-existing ILD (adjusted odds ratio, 2.99, P = 0.008), and survivors were significantly associated with younger age (P = 0.003) and radiographic non-acute interstitial pneumonia pattern (P = 0.004). In all patients, pneumonitis was identified as an independent predictor of overall survival (OS) (adjusted hazard ratio 1.53, 95% CI, 1.09-2.09, P = 0.015). Performance status was poor in 82% of survivors of pneumonitis; in 62% of survivors, the PS worsened after the pneumonitis improved. Additionally, 54% of survivors received no further systemic anti-cancer therapy after pneumonitis. The median survival time of survivors after pneumonitis was 3.5 months (95% CI, 2.3-7.2 months). CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicated that 6% of patients with advanced NSCLC developed pneumonitis during systemic anti-cancer therapy. The early mortality rate of pneumonitis is high, and the survival and PS after pneumonitis is extremely poor. Additionally, pneumonitis has an adverse impact on the survival of patients with advanced NSCLC. These data should be considered for the management of pneumonitis, and we recommend that future work focuses on pneumonitis particularly to improve the survival of patients with advanced NSCLC.

The prognostic value of serum CA 19-9 for patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the prognostic accuracy of serum CA 19-9 in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data of 246 patients who were diagnosed at our institute with advanced (stage IIIB or IV) lung adenocarcinoma between March 2006 and December 2012. We excluded patients who received no chemotherapy, or for whom we had no data on pre-treatment tumor markers. We also evaluated 116 consecutive resected specimens from patients with clinical stage I lung adenocarcinoma pathologically. RESULTS: The 76 (31 %) patients who were CA 19-9+ had shorter overall survival (OS) than CA 19-9- group (12.5 vs 26.2 months, P = 0.005). Cox's multivariate regression analysis identified Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status 0 or 1 (P < 0.001), mutated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) status (P < 0.001), stage IIIB (P < 0.001), CYFRA 21-1- (P < 0.001), CA 19-9- (P = 0.005) and use of platinum doublet therapy (P = 0.034) as independent predictors of longer OS. We stratified patients by CA 19-9 and CYFRA 21-1 as double positive (CA 19-9+/CYFRA 21-1+, n = 59), single positive (either CA19-9+ or CYFRA 21-1+, n = 113), or double negative (CA 19-9-/CYFRA 21-1-, n = 74). Their respective OS were 10.0, 23.3 and 31.8 months (P < 0.001). Pathological analysis also correlated CA 19-9 expression with malignant features such as vessel invasion, pleural invasion, cancer invasive factors and mucin production. CONCLUSIONS: CA 19-9 and CYFRA 21-1 are independent prognostic markers in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. Combined use of CA 19-9 and CYFRA 21-1 provides further prognostic information in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma.

Second-line Chemotherapy for Patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer and Interstitial Lung Disease.

BACKGROUND: The safety and efficacy of second-line chemotherapy for treating patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) have not been elucidated to date. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 2005 and September 2013, we analyzed 23 patients with SCLC and ILD who received second-line chemotherapy. Pre-existing ILD was diagnosed according to clinical features and pretreatment chest high-resolution computed tomography results. RESULTS: The overall objective response rates and disease control rates were 22% and 52%, respectively. The median respective durations of progression-free survival and overall survival were 2.1 months (95% confidence interval (CI)=2.0-3.0 months) and 7.1 months (95% CI=3.6-11.3 months), respectively. Three patients with unusual interstitial pneumonia pattern (13%) developed chemotherapy-related pneumonitis. CONCLUSION: Second-line treatment may be an effective and safe option for SCLC patients with ILD after sufficient evaluation of risks and benefits.

Transformation to large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma as acquired resistance mechanism of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

OBJECTIVES: Several different acquired resistance mechanisms to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy have been described. Although rare, the transformation from adenocarcinoma to small cell carcinoma (SCLC) is one of these important mechanisms. We report a rare case that indicates transformation into large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) as an acquired resistance mechanism to EGFR-TKI therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patient was a 68-year-old male with a diagnosis of cT2N2M0 pulmonary adenocarcinoma with L858R mutation on exon 21. He received lobectomy and underwent several courses of chemotherapies, including EGFR-TKIs, each time he relapsed. He finally relapsed with a mass that protruded into his left main bronchus. Resection of the metastatic site identified LCNEC that retained the original EGFR mutation. Immunohistochemistry revealed the loss of expression of EGFR and retinoblastoma (Rb) in the LCNEC. CONCLUSIONS: This case highlights acquisition of EGFR-TKI resistance by transformation to LCNEC, not SCLC. Loss of EGFR and Rb expression in the LCNEC suggests the same mechanism as transformation to SCLC. Further study is needed to elucidate this mechanism, especially regarding the similarities and differences to SCLC.

Analysis of advanced lung cancer patients diagnosed following emergency admission.

Data on prognosis and predictors of overall survival in advanced lung cancer patients diagnosed following emergency admission (DFEA) are currently lacking. We retrospectively analysed data from 771 patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer between April 2004 and April 2012. Of the 771 patients, 103 (13%) were DFEA. DFEA was not an independent predictor of overall survival by multivariate Cox proportional hazard models, whereas good performance status (PS), epidermal growth factor receptor gene mutation, stage IIIB, adenocarcinoma and chemotherapy were independent predictors of overall survival (hazard ratio (95% CI) 0.36 (0.29-0.44), p<0.001; 0.49 (0.38-0.63), p<0.001; 0.64 (0.51-0.80), p<0.001; 0.81 (0.67-0.99), p=0.044; and 0.40 (0.31-0.52), p<0.001, respectively). Good PS just prior to opting for chemotherapy, but not at emergency admission, was a good independent predictor of overall survival in DFEA patients (hazard ratio (95% CI) 0.26 (0.12-0.55); p<0.001). DFEA is relatively common. DFEA and PS at emergency admission were not independent predictors of overall survival, but good PS just prior to opting for chemotherapy was an independent predictor of longer overall survival. Efforts to improve patient PS after admission should be considered vital in such circumstances.