Japanese subgroup analysis of a phase III study of S-1 versus docetaxel in non-small cell lung cancer patients after platinum-based treatment: EAST-LC.

INTRODUCTION: The East Asia S-1 Trial in Lung Cancer (EAST-LC) was a randomized phase III study conducted in East Asia that demonstrated the non-inferiority of S-1 to docetaxel in previously treated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we reported the results of the Japanese subgroup treated with docetaxel 60 mg/m2, the standard dosage in Japan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive either S-1 or docetaxel. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS); the secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), response rate (RR), quality of life (QOL), and safety. RESULTS: Patient characteristics in the Japanese subgroup (n = 724) were similar to those in the overall EAST-LC population. Median OS was 13.4 months in the S-1 group and 12.6 months in the docetaxel group. In pemetrexed-pretreated patients, OS with S-1 was similar to that with docetaxel. Median PFS was 2.9 and 3.0 months in the S-1 and docetaxel groups, respectively. RR was 9.4% and 10.3% in the S-1 and docetaxel groups, respectively. The QOL of patients treated with S-1 was better compared with that of patients treated with docetaxel. Decreased appetite and diarrhea were more common in the S-1 group, whereas the frequency of neutropenia and febrile neutropenia was markedly higher in the docetaxel group. CONCLUSIONS: This Japanese subgroup analysis showed that S-1 had similar efficacy to docetaxel in patients with previously treated advanced NSCLC. These results are similar to those of the overall EAST-LC population.

Pneumonectomy after induction chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: should curative intent pulmonary resection be avoided?

PURPOSE: We conducted a retrospective analysis to assess the practicality of pneumonectomy, especially after concurrent induction chemoradiotherapy (i-CRT), for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). The operative risks vs. the survival benefit of this procedure for such patients is a subject of controversy. METHODS: The subjects of this retrospective study were 71 consecutive LA-NSCLC patients with cStage IIIA-C NSCLC, who underwent i-CRT followed by curative intent pulmonary resection between February, 2001 and March, 2013. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients underwent pneumonectomy (group P) and 39 patients underwent lobectomy (group L). In group P, 17 (54.8%) patients underwent right pneumonectomy. There was no 30-day postoperative mortality in either group and no significant difference in 90-day postoperative mortality between the groups (3.1% vs. 2.6% in groups P and L, respectively). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 58.7% (95% CI: 41.5-75.9%) in group P and 57.3% (95% CI 41.2-73.4%) in group L, without a significant difference between the groups. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that i-CRT followed by pneumonectomy is feasible, with a similar survival benefit to lobectomy. Thus, pneumonectomy after i-CRT should not be avoided as it is a potentially curative intent strategy for carefully selected patients.

A randomised phase II trial of S-1 plus cisplatin versus vinorelbine plus cisplatin with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy for unresectable, locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: WJOG5008L.

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy is the standard treatment for unresectable, locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This trial evaluated two experimental regimens that combine chemotherapy with concurrent radiotherapy. METHODS: Eligible patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC were randomised to either the SP arm (S-1 and cisplatin) or VP arm (vinorelbine and cisplatin), with early concurrent thoracic radiotherapy of 60 Gy, comprising 2 Gy per daily fraction. The primary endpoint was the overall survival rate at 2 years (2-year overall survival (OS)) (Study ID: UMIN000002420). RESULTS: From September 2009 to September 2012, 112 patients were enroled. Of the 108 eligible patients, the 2-year OS was 75.6% (80% confidence interval (CI), 67-82%) in the SP arm and 68.5% (80% CI: 60-76%) in the VP arm. The hazard ratio (HR) for death between the two arms was 0.85 (0.48-1.49). The median progression-free survival was 14.8 months for the SP arm and 12.3 months for the VP arm with an HR of 0.92 (0.58-1.44). There were four treatment-related deaths in the SP arm and five in the VP arm. CONCLUSIONS: The null hypotheses for 2-year OS were rejected in both arms. The West Japan Oncology Group will employ the SP arm as the investigational arm in a future phase III study.

The C-Reactive Protein/Albumin Ratio is a Novel Significant Prognostic Factor in Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: A Retrospective Multi-institutional Study.

BACKGROUND: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), a devastating neoplasm, is traditionally considered to be resistant to antitumor therapy. Identification of clinical prognostic indicators is therefore needed. Although the C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR) has been used to predict the prognosis of many types of malignancy, its utility in patients with MPM is unknown. METHODS: The data of 100 patients diagnosed as having MPM from 1995 to 2015 at the National Kyushu Cancer Center and Kyushu University were analyzed. The CAR was calculated as serum C-reactive protein concentration divided by albumin concentration. A cutoff for CAR was set at 0.58 according to a receiver operating characteristics curve for 1-year survival. RESULTS: Thirty-five of the 100 (35.0%) patients were classified as having a high CAR. A high CAR was significantly associated with advanced clinical stage (p < 0.001) and chemotherapy alone (p = 0.002). Patients with a high CAR had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) (p < 0.001) and disease- or progression-free survival (DFS/PFS) (p < 0.001). These associations between CAR and prognosis remained significant after propensity score-matching. In multivariate analysis, a high CAR was an independent predictor of shorter OS and DFS/PFS (p = 0.003 and p = 0.008, respectively). Multivariate analyses of the subgroups of patients who had received chemotherapy and of patients who had undergone surgery also showed that a high CAR was an independent predictor of shorter OS and DFS/PFS. CONCLUSIONS: CAR is an independent predictor of prognosis in MPM patients. This prognostic index contributes to clinicians' ability to predict benefit from treatment. Further larger, prospective studies are necessary to validate these findings.

Insights into brain metastasis in patients with ALK+ lung cancer: is the brain truly a sanctuary?

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) has been identified to exert a potent transforming activity through its rearrangement in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and patients (pts) with ALK rearrangement can be treated more successfully with ALK inhibitors, such as crizotinib, alectinib, and ceritinib, than with chemotherapy. Despite the excellent efficacy of ALK inhibitors, resistance to these drugs is inevitably encountered in most ALK-rearranged pts. Cases of resistance are subtyped into three groups, i.e., systemic, oligo, and central nervous system (CNS) types, with the CNS being used to be considered a sanctuary. With regard to the management of CNS lesions in pts with ALK+ NSCLC, a growing body of evidence has gradually demonstrated the intracranial (IC) efficacy of ALK inhibitor (ALKi) in ALK+ NSCLC pts with brain metastases (BMs). Although the efficacy of crizotinib for the CNS lesions remains controversial, a recent retrospective investigation of ALK+ pts with BM enrolled in PROFILE 1005 and PROFILE 1007 demonstrated that crizotinib is associated with a high disease control rate for BM. However, BM comprises the most common site of progressive disease in pts with or without baseline BMs, which is a serious problem for crizotinib. Furthermore, alectinib can be used to achieve strong and long-lasting inhibitory effects on BM. In addition to alectinib, the IC efficacy of other next-generation ALK inhibitors, such as ceritinib, AP26113 and PF-06463922, has been demonstrated. In this article, we review the latest evidence regarding the BM and IC efficacy of ALK inhibitors in pts with ALK+ NSCLC.

The efficacy and safety of cefepime or meropenem in the treatment of febrile neutropenia in patients with lung cancer. A randomized phase II study.

Febrile neutropenia frequently develops after chemotherapy. There is little evidence to indicate the type of antimicrobial agents that should be used in the treatment of febrile neutropenia in patients with solid tumors. The objective is to determine the efficacy and safety of cefepime (CFPM) and meropenem (MEPM) in the treatment of febrile neutropenia in lung cancer patients in a prospective randomized study. FN patients with lung cancer were randomly divided into CFPM or MEPM groups. The primary end-point was the response rate. The secondary end-points were the defervescence rates at 72 h, 7 days, 14 days and the incidence of adverse events. Twenty-one patients were treated with CFPM and 24 patients were treated with MEPM. One patient died of FN. The CFPM treatment completion rate was 17.65% (95% CI; 0.00-35.77%), while the MEPM treatment completion rate was 38.10% (95% CI; 17.33-58.87%). The defervescence rates at 72 h, 7 days, and 14 days were 70.59%, 86.67%, and 100.00%, respectively in the CFPM group; and 65.00%, 84.21%, and 92.31% in the MEPM group. Adverse events were observed in 33.33% of the CFPM group and 45.83% of the MEPM group. The response rate of the CFPM group was 94.12% (95% CI; 73.02-98.95%), while that of the MEPM group was 85.71% (95% CI; 65.36-95.02%). No differences were found in the efficacy or safety of CFPM and MEPM in the treatment of febrile neutropenia in patients with lung cancer.

Mutations of the EGFR, K-ras, EML4-ALK, and BRAF genes in resected pathological stage I lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The EGFR, K-ras, EML4-ALK, and BRAF genes are oncogenic drivers of lung adenocarcinoma. We conducted this study to analyze the mutations of these genes in stage I adenocarcinoma. METHODS: The subjects of this retrospective study were 256 patients with resected stage I lung adenocarcinoma. We analyzed mutations of the EGFR, K-ras, and BRAF genes, and the EML4-ALK fusion gene. We also assessed disease-free survival (DFS) to evaluate the prognostic value and overall survival (OS) to evaluate the predictive value of treatment after recurrence. RESULTS: Mutations of the EGFR, K-ras, EML4-ALK, and BRAF genes were detected in 120 (46.8 %), 14 (5.5 %), 6 (2.3 %), and 2 (0.8 %) of the 256 tumors. Two tumors had double mutations (0.8 %). The incidence of EGFR mutations was significantly higher in women than in men. The EML4-ALK fusion gene was detected only in younger patients. The DFS and OS of the K-ras mutant group were significantly worse than those of the EGFR mutant group, the EML4-ALK fusion gene group, and the wild-type group. Six of the seven patients with the EML4-ALK fusion gene are still alive without recurrent disease. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with stage I adenocarcinoma, mutation of the K-ras gene was a poor prognostic factor for recurrence. The presence of a mutation of the EGFR or EML4-ALK gene was not a prognostic factor.

Post-recurrence survival of elderly patients 75 years of age or older with surgically resected non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of elderly patients 75 years of age or older with recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: A total of 1237 consecutive patients with NSCLC underwent pulmonary resection at our institution. Of these patients, 280 experienced postoperative recurrence. The rate of the post-recurrence survival and predictors were analyzed independently in a group of younger patients (<75 years) and a group of elderly patients (≥75 years). RESULTS: There were 215 younger patients (<75 years) and 65 elderly (≥75 years) patients at the time of diagnosis of recurrence. The median post-recurrence survival time and the five-year survival rate of all cases were 25 months and 20.8%, respectively. There were no significant survival differences between the younger and elderly groups (p = 0.20). A univariate analysis determined that gender, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, smoking status, histological type and epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status were factors influencing the post-recurrence survival among the elderly patients. In addition, a multivariate analysis determined the EGFR mutation status to be an independent prognostic factor for the post-recurrence survival. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients 75 years of age or older in this study achieved satisfactory long-term outcomes.

Clinical Significance of Detecting Somatic Gene Mutations in Surgically Resected Adenosquamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lung in Japanese Patients.

BACKGROUND: Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) and echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK) inhibitors are effective and useful agents for treating patients who harbor EGFR-TKI-sensitive mutations or EML4-ALK rearrangement. Therefore, the importance of determining the presence of these somatic mutations when treating lung adenocarcinomas is widely accepted. However, genetic mutations are rarely evaluated in patients with adenosquamous cell carcinoma of the lung, a relatively infrequent histologic type of lung cancer, because of limited knowledge and the unclear value of assessing these oncogenic mutations in these patients. Therefore, we investigated the clinical implications of somatic mutations in surgically resected adenosquamous cell carcinoma of the lung in Japanese patients. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 32 patients with adenosquamous cell carcinoma of the lung who underwent surgical resection at two institutes in Japan. EGFR mutations and EML4-ALK rearrangement were assessed in all of the patients. RESULTS: Overall, 7 (21.9 %) of 32 patients had EGFR mutations: three patients had an exon 19 deletion and 4 had an exon 21, L858R mutation. There were no T790 M mutations. The median relapse-free survival was 766 days and the median overall survival was 1,152 days in the total cohort. Relapse-free survival and overall survival were not significantly different between patients with or without EGFR mutations. CONCLUSIONS: Detecting EGFR mutations in patients with adenosquamous cell carcinoma is clinically important, especially in patients with disease recurrence because EGFR-TKIs may be effective in this histologic type of lung cancer.

A feasibility trial of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1, an oral fluoropyrimidine, for elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a report of the Lung Oncology Group in Kyushu (LOGIK) protocol 0901.

BACKGROUND: The present study was designed to determine whether adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 after surgical resection is feasible in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), using a multi-institutional trial. METHODS: From July 2009 to July 2011, 25 patients received the following regimen: 2 weeks of administration and 1 week of withdrawal of S-1 at 50-100 mg/body per day in an outpatient setting. The primary endpoint of this trial was the completion rate of eight cycles. RESULTS: The completion rate of eight cycles was 70.8 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) 52.7-89.0 %]. The perfect completion rate of eight cycles on schedule with full doses without delays was 50 % (95 % CI 30.0-70.0 %). The reasons for incomplete cycles were: patient refusal in four cases, anorexia in two cases and thrombocytopenia in one case. As a consequence of delays and/or dose reductions, the relative dose intensity of S-1 was 76.3 %. CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 at a reduced dose and schedule was therefore found to be a feasible treatment for elderly Japanese patients who had undergone surgical resection for NSCLC (UMIN Clinical Trials Registry number UMIN000002383).

Gemcitabine and vinorelbine as second-line or beyond treatment in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma pretreated with platinum plus pemetrexed chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive neoplasm that responds poorly to chemotherapy. Although treatment with pemetrexed in combination with cisplatin serves as first-line chemotherapy for MPM, the optimal second-line and beyond therapy has not yet been fully examined. METHODS: Between March 2008 and October 2011, 17 consecutive Japanese patients pretreated with at least one regimen of platinum plus pemetrexed chemotherapy received gemcitabine and vinorelbine. Responses, survival time, and toxicity were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: Response [partial response (PR) + complete response (CR)] and disease control [stable disease (SD) + PR + CR] rates were 18 and 82 %, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) after combination chemotherapy was 6.0 months, whereas the median overall survival (OS) was 11.2 months. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia and anemia were observed in 41 and 29 % of patients, respectively, and one patient experienced febrile neutropenia. Grade 3 or 4 nonhematologic toxicities included constipation (6 %) and phlebitis (6 %). CONCLUSION: Combination chemotherapy using gemcitabine with vinorelbine was shown to have moderate activity in Japanese MPM patients pretreated with platinum plus pemetrexed chemotherapy. A further multicenter phase II trial is warranted to confirm the efficacy and safety of this combination treatment.

Mutations of the EGFR and K-ras genes in resected stage I lung adenocarcinoma and their clinical significance.

PURPOSE: This study retrospectively assessed the mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and K-ras genes and their clinical significance in patients with resected stage I adenocarcinomas. METHODS: A total of 354 patients with resected lung adenocarcinomas were included, and 256 patients with stage I disease were analyzed for the prognostic and predictive value of these mutations. RESULTS: Mutations of EGFR and K-ras genes were detected in 149 (41.1 %) and 23 (6.4 %) of all tumors, and in 122 (47.6 %) and 14 (5.5 %) of stage I tumors, respectively. There were no significant differences in the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) between the EGFR-mutant and wild-type groups. However, the DFS and OS were significantly shorter in patients with K-ras mutations than in those without (5-year DFS: 50.8 vs. 76.9 %, 5-year OS: 70.0 vs. 86.6 %, p < 0.01). A multivariate analysis showed that K-ras mutations were an independent poor prognostic factor. Twenty-four of the 41 patients with recurrent disease after surgery were treated with an EGFR-TKI. Fifteen EGFR-mutant patients treated with an EGFR-TKI had a better prognosis than did the nine EGFR-wild-type patients. CONCLUSION: The presence of an EGFR gene mutation was a predictive factor for the response to EGFR-TKI treatment in patients with resected stage I adenocarcinoma, but was not a prognostic factor. The presence of a K-ras gene mutation was a poor prognostic factor.

Regression of thymoma associated with a multilocular thymic cyst: report of a case.

A 28-year-old male was diagnosed with acute pericarditis after presenting with acute chest pain, fever and an abnormality in an electrocardiogram. No symptoms suggestive of myasthenia gravis were observed. Although the symptoms were alleviated by antibiotics, computed tomography (CT) showed an anterior mediastinal mass with bilateral pleural effusion. He was, therefore, diagnosed with thymoma and referred to our hospital. Surgery was performed, since the pleural effusion disappeared. The pathological examination revealed the mass to be a type B2 thymoma classified as pathological stage I (Masaoka's classification) with a multilocular thymic cyst.

Phase II trial of erlotinib for Japanese patients with previously treated non-small-cell lung cancer harboring EGFR mutations: results of Lung Oncology Group in Kyushu (LOGiK0803).

OBJECTIVE: Erlotinib has been reported to be useful for treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer harboring mutation of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene EGFR-mt. However, no prospective trial has yet assessed the utility of erlotinib in Japanese patients. METHODS: Patients with EGFR-mt (exon 19/21) non-small-cell lung cancer who had previously received one to two chemotherapy regimens were enrolled in this trial. Erlotinib was initially administered at a dose of 150 mg/day orally until disease progression or unacceptable toxicities occurred. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were enrolled between February 2009 and January 2011. Objective response was observed in 14 patients (53.8%, 95% confidence interval: 33.4-73.4%), and the disease control rate reached 80.8% (95% confidence interval: 60.7-93.5%). After a median follow-up time of 17.3 months (range: 5.8-29.5 months), the median progression-free survival was 9.3 months (95% confidence interval: 7.6-11.6 months). The median survival time is yet to be determined. Major toxicities were skin disorder and liver dysfunction; most episodes were grade 2 or less, and all were tolerable. Only one patient with grade 3 skin rash discontinued the study. No patients developed interstitial lung disease, and there were no treatment-related deaths. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study is the first to have investigated the usefulness of erlotinib in Japanese patients with previously treated EGFR-mt non-small-cell lung cancer. Although this trial could not meet the primary endpoint, erlotinib was well tolerated and showed clinical benefit such as promising disease control rate or progression-free survival in this population, similar to gefitinib.

Amrubicin as second-line and beyond treatment for platinum-refractory advanced thymic carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Thymic carcinoma is a rare mediastinal neoplasm, and the prognosis of patients with advanced thymic carcinoma is poor. No standard chemotherapeutic regimen has yet been established for the disease. This is the first report to evaluate the role of amrubicin, a novel anthracycline anticancer drug, in second-line and beyond treatment for patients with platinum-refractory advanced thymic carcinoma. METHODS: This study was a review of thymic carcinoma patients who had received amrubicin monotherapy between June 2003 and December 2011 for the progression of disease previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. Amrubicin was administered at 35 or 40 mg/m(2) for three consecutive days every 3 weeks, until progression. RESULTS: Nine patients with recurrent thymic carcinoma were registered. Their median age was 61 years (range 45-72), and the patients included five males and four females. All nine patients had Masaoka's Stage IVb disease. There were three squamous cell carcinomas, one adenocarcinoma, one small-cell carcinoma and two other histological types. The mean number of chemotherapy cycles was five (range 2-13). Grade 3 or higher toxicities included mainly neutropenia (55.5%), anemia (25.0%) and febrile neutropenia (11.1%). No treatment-related deaths were observed. The response rate was 44.4% (95% confidence interval: 19-73). The median progression-free survival after the amrubicin monotherapy was 4.9 months, while the median overall survival was 6.4 months. CONCLUSIONS: Single-agent amrubicin was found to be potentially useful as second-line and beyond chemotherapy for patients with advanced thymic carcinoma. Further multi-institutional prospective studies are warranted.

Gefitinib or carboplatin-paclitaxel in pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Previous, uncontrolled studies have suggested that first-line treatment with gefitinib would be efficacious in selected patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. METHODS: In this phase 3, open-label study, we randomly assigned previously untreated patients in East Asia who had advanced pulmonary adenocarcinoma and who were nonsmokers or former light smokers to receive gefitinib (250 mg per day) (609 patients) or carboplatin (at a dose calculated to produce an area under the curve of 5 or 6 mg per milliliter per minute) plus paclitaxel (200 mg per square meter of body-surface area) (608 patients). The primary end point was progression-free survival. RESULTS: The 12-month rates of progression-free survival were 24.9% with gefitinib and 6.7% with carboplatin-paclitaxel. The study met its primary objective of showing the noninferiority of gefitinib and also showed its superiority, as compared with carboplatin-paclitaxel, with respect to progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population (hazard ratio for progression or death, 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65 to 0.85; P<0.001). In the subgroup of 261 patients who were positive for the epidermal growth factor receptor gene (EGFR) mutation, progression-free survival was significantly longer among those who received gefitinib than among those who received carboplatin-paclitaxel (hazard ratio for progression or death, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.64; P<0.001), whereas in the subgroup of 176 patients who were negative for the mutation, progression-free survival was significantly longer among those who received carboplatin-paclitaxel (hazard ratio for progression or death with gefitinib, 2.85; 95% CI, 2.05 to 3.98; P<0.001). The most common adverse events were rash or acne (in 66.2% of patients) and diarrhea (46.6%) in the gefitinib group and neurotoxic effects (69.9%), neutropenia (67.1%), and alopecia (58.4%) in the carboplatin-paclitaxel group. CONCLUSIONS: Gefitinib is superior to carboplatin-paclitaxel as an initial treatment for pulmonary adenocarcinoma among nonsmokers or former light smokers in East Asia. The presence in the tumor of a mutation of the EGFR gene is a strong predictor of a better outcome with gefitinib. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00322452.)

Phase I study of topotecan and cisplatin in patients with small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: A single-agent topotecan has an indication for the treatment of small cell lung cancer in Japan. Previous studies demonstrated that topotecan combined with a platinum agent could provide additional antitumor efficacy. This study was to find the recommended dose of topotecan in combination with cisplatin and preferred administration sequence in untreated patients with extensive disease small cell lung cancer for Phase II study. METHODS: Patients received topotecan as a 30 min infusion for 5 days in escalating doses (starting at 0.5 mg/m(2)/day), and cisplatin at a fixed dose of 60 mg/m(2), 3 weeks cycle. This study employed the following stages: cisplatin was given before topotecan on day 1 to previously treated patients (Stage 1). After the maximum-tolerated dose level was achieved, the same schedule was applied for untreated patients (Stage 2). Subsequently, cisplatin was given after topotecan on day 5 to untreated patients (Stage 3). The recommended doses of cisplatin on day 1 and 5 schedules were estimated by considering results obtained from Stages 2 and 3, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 34 patients were enrolled. The maximum-tolerated doses in Stages 1-3 were estimated at 0.65, 0.65, and 1.4 mg/m(2), respectively. The recommended doses of cisplatin on day 1 and 5 schedules in untreated patients were determined at 0.65 and 1.0 mg/m(2), respectively. The major toxicity in this combination was hematological events. CONCLUSIONS: For treatment-naive patients, the combined use of 0.65/60 mg/m(2) topotecan/cisplatin with cisplatin on day 1 schedule or 1.0/60 mg/m(2) topotecan/cisplatin with cisplatin on day 5 schedule is recommended for Phase II study.

LKB1 mutations frequently detected in mucinous bronchioloalveolar carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: LKB1 mutations are common in patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, which is characterized by mucocutaneous pigmentation, intestinal polyps and a high incidence of cancers at variable sites. This study investigated the status of the LKB1 gene in mucinous bronchioloalveolar carcinoma with or without Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. METHODS: Three mucinous bronchioloalveolar carcinoma tumors from two Peutz-Jeghers syndrome patients and seven tumors from sporadic mucinous bronchioloalveolar carcinoma patients were collected by surgery between 2002 and 2008, and high molecular weight genomic DNA was extracted from them. The nucleotide sequences in exons 1-9 of LKB1 were determined by genomic polymerase chain reaction-direct sequencing. The loss of heterozygosity was analyzed by high-resolution fluorescent microsatellite analysis using two microsatellite markers that encompass the LKB1 locus, D19S886 and D19S565. The mutations of KRAS, EGFR and p53 were also evaluated. RESULTS: The germline mutation of LKB1 in the Peutz-Jeghers syndrome patients was identified as G215D by analyzing genomic DNA from normal lung tissue specimens. Furthermore, two of the three mucinous bronchioloalveolar carcinomas from these Peutz-Jeghers syndrome patients exhibited additional somatic mutations. On the other hand, four of seven sporadic 'non-Peutz-Jeghers syndrome' mucinous bronchioloalveolar carcinomas had LKB1 mutations. Loss of heterozygosity analyses revealed allelic loss in two tumors with LKB1 mutations. As a result, 70% of the mucinous bronchioloalveolar carcinomas exhibited LKB1 mutations. KRAS, EGFR and p53 mutations were mutually exclusive and observed in four, two and one tumors, respectively. Among them, five mutations occurred concomitantly with LKB1 mutations. CONCLUSIONS: The relatively high frequency of LKB1 mutations in mucinous bronchioloalveolar carcinoma patients may therefore suggest its involvement in lung carcinogenesis, at least in mucinous bronchioloalveolar carcinoma.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy using cisplatin plus S-1, an oral fluoropyrimidine, followed by surgery for selected patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer: a single-center feasibility study.

PURPOSE: This single-institutional study was designed to determine whether S-1, an oral fluoropyrimidine, plus cisplatin with concurrent radiotherapy is feasible as an induction treatment for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Eighteen patients were analyzed in this study from July 2005 to March 2008. The patients received 40 mg/m(2) S-1 orally twice per day on days 1 through 14 and 22 through 35, and cisplatin (60 mg/m(2)) was injected intravenously on days 8 and 29. The patients also underwent radiotherapy, and received a total dose of 40 Gy in 20 fractions beginning on day 1. Surgical resection was performed from 3 to 6 weeks after completing the induction treatment. RESULTS: Nine (50%) of the 18 patients who received the induction treatment achieved a partial response. One patient refused to undergo surgery. The remaining 17 patients underwent a complete surgical resection. There were no deaths nor any major morbidities during the perioperative period. The recurrence-free survival and overall survival rate at 2 years for the patients who underwent resection were 63.3% and 88.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Induction treatment using S-1 plus cisplatin and concurrent radiotherapy and surgical resection for selected patients with stage III NSCLC is a feasible and promising new treatment modality.

Prognosis and therapeutic response according to the World Health Organization histological classification in advanced thymoma.

PURPOSE: The clinical efficacy of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of thymoma has been reported to be a prognostic factor for patients with thymomas. This study focuses on the relationship between the therapeutic response and the WHO histological classification in patients with advanced thymoma. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on 22 patients with Masaoka stage III and IV thymoma treated from 1975 to 2007. There were 1, 1, 7, 3, and 10 patients with WHO histological subtypes A, AB, B1, B2, and B3, respectively. RESULTS: Surgery was performed on 10 patients. There were 2 complete resections, 2 incomplete resections, and 6 exploratory thoracotomies. Of 18 patients with unresectable tumors, 8, 5, and 5 were treated with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and chemoradiotherapy as the initial therapy, respectively. The response rate in 9 patients with type A-B2 was significantly better than that in 9 patients with type B3 regardless of treatment modality (100% vs 11.1%, P = 0.0001). Only the WHO classification was significantly associated with survival, with type B3 having a worse prognosis than A-B2 (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Type B3 thymoma showed a lower response rate to treatments and thus shorter survival. The WHO classification is a good predictive factor for therapeutic response in advanced thymoma.