NRG-CC004 ancillary data study-exploring the effect of bupropion on sexual desire in female cancer survivors with and without vulvovaginal symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Female cancer survivors often experience estrogen-deprivation symptoms, which may lead to decreases in sexual desire, vulvovaginal health (lubrication, dryness, discomfort), and sexual satisfaction. Interventions are needed to address these concerns. AIM: The objective of this secondary analysis was to determine if women with higher (better) scores on the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) lubrication and pain subscales reported higher desire scores based on treatment with bupropion vs placebo. METHODS: Participants were part of NRG Oncology's NRG-CC004 (NCT03180294), a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating bupropion (150 vs 300 mg) to improve sexual desire in survivors of breast or gynecologic cancer. All participants with baseline data from the FSFI lubrication, pain, and desire subscales with 5- and/or 9-week data were analyzed. The FSFI subscale scores were correlated using Spearman correlation coefficients. Logistic regression was used to determine associations between FSFI desire and other FSFI subscales while accounting for treatment arm and other covariates. OUTCOMES: The primary outcome of NRG Oncology's NRG-CC004 (NCT03180294) randomized phase II dose-finding trial was change from baseline to 9 weeks on the FSFI desire subscale score. Similar to the parent study, the primary outcome for this ancillary data study was the FSFI desire subscale score at 5 and 9 weeks. RESULTS: Overall, 230 participants completed the FSFI at baseline and 189 at 9 weeks. The strongest correlations were between lubrication and pain at baseline (all participants, rho = 0.77; bupropion arms, rho = 0.82), week 5 (all participants, rho = 0.71; bupropion arms, rho = 0.68), and week 9 (all participants, rho = 0.75; bupropion arms, rho = 0.78), and the weakest correlations were between desire and pain. In patients in the treatment arms there were no interactions between lubrication or pain.The impact of various covariates on the FSFI score for desire at 9 weeks demonstrated that participants of non-White race (odds ratio [OR], 0.42; 95% CI, 0.21-0.81; P = .010), with a high lubrication score (OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.21-0.61; P = .0002), with a high pain score (less pain) (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.29-0.87; P = .014), or with prior pelvic surgery (OR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.23-0.63; P = .0002) had lower odds of having low desire. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Acute estrogen-deprivation symptoms should be addressed prior to sexual desire intervention. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: This secondary analysis was not powered to examine all variables. CONCLUSION: Lubrication and pain were predictors of low desire. Therefore, vulvovaginal atrophy and associated genitourinary symptoms of menopause such as vaginal dryness and dyspareunia should be addressed prior to or in parallel with interventions for sexual desire.

Body composition and mortality in men receiving prostate radiotherapy: A pooled analysis of NRG/RTOG 9406 and NRG/RTOG 0126.

PURPOSE: To validate the association between body composition and mortality in men treated with radiation for localized prostate cancer (PCa). Secondarily, to integrate body composition as a factor to classify patients by risk of all-cause mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants of NRG/Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 9406 and NRG/RTOG 0126 with archived computed tomography were included. Muscle mass and muscle density were estimated by measuring the area and attenuation of the psoas muscles on a single slice at L4-L5. Bone density was estimated by measuring the attenuation of the vertebral body at mid-L5. Survival analyses, including Cox proportional hazards models, assessed the relationship between body composition and mortality. Recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) was used to create a classification tree to classify participants by risk of death. RESULTS: Data from 2066 men were included in this study. In the final multivariable model, psoas area, comorbidity score, baseline prostate serum antigen, and age were significantly associated with survival. The RPA yielded a classification tree with four prognostic groups determined by age, comorbidity, and psoas area. Notably, the classification among older (≥70 years) men into prognostic groups was determined by psoas area. CONCLUSIONS: This study strongly supports that body composition is related to mortality in men with localized PCa. The inclusion of psoas area in the RPA classification tree suggests that body composition provides additive information to age and comorbidity status for mortality prediction, particularly among older men. More research is needed to determine the clinical impact of body composition on prognostic models in men with PCa.

Quality-adjusted survival in women with gynecologic malignancies receiving IMRT after surgery: A Ppatient Rreported Ooutcome study of NRG oncology's RTOG 1203.

INTRODUCTION: NRG/RTOG 1203 compared 3-D conformal radiotherapy (3D CRT) to intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in patients with endometrial or cervical cancer requiring post-operative radiotherapy after hysterectomy. The purpose of this study was to report the first quality-adjusted survival analysis comparing the two treatments. METHODS: NRG/RTOG 1203 randomized patients having undergone hysterectomy to either 3DCRT or IMRT. Stratification factors included RT dose, chemotherapy, and disease site. The EQ-5D, both index and visual analog scale (VAS), were obtained at baseline, 5 weeks after the start of RT, 4-6 weeks post RT and 1 and 3-years post RT. EQ-5D index and VAS scores along with quality-adjusted survival (QAS) were compared between treatment arms using the t-test at a two-sided significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: NRG/RTOG 1203 enrolled 289 patients of which 236 consented to participate in the patient reported outcome (PRO) assessments. QAS was higher in women treated with IMRT, 1374 vs 1333 days (p = 0.5) compared to patients treated with 3DCRT, but this difference was not statistically different. Patients treated with IMRT had less of a decline in VAS score 5 weeks post RT, -5.04, compared to patients treated with 3DCRT, -7.48, although not statistically significant (p = 0.38). CONCLUSION: This is the first report of the use of the EQ-5D comparing two radiotherapy techniques in the treatment of gynecologic malignancies after surgery. While there were no significant differences in QAS and VAS scores between patients who received IMRT vs. 3DCRT, RTOG 1203 was not powered to show statistical differences in these secondary endpoints.

Independently validated sex-specific nomograms for predicting survival in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma: NRG Oncology RTOG 0525 and 0825.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor. Sex has been shown to be an important prognostic factor for GBM. The purpose of this study was to develop and independently validate sex-specific nomograms for estimation of individualized GBM survival probabilities using data from 2 independent NRG Oncology clinical trials. METHODS: This analysis included information on 752 (NRG/RTOG 0525) and 599 (NRG/RTOG 0825) patients with newly diagnosed GBM. The Cox proportional hazard models by sex were developed using NRG/RTOG 0525 and significant variables were identified using a backward selection procedure. The final selected models by sex were then independently validated using NRG/RTOG 0825. RESULTS: Final nomograms were built by sex. Age at diagnosis, KPS, MGMT promoter methylation and location of tumor were common significant predictors of survival for both sexes. For both sexes, tumors in the frontal lobes had significantly better survival than tumors of multiple sites. Extent of resection, and use of corticosteroids were significant predictors of survival for males. CONCLUSIONS: A sex specific nomogram that assesses individualized survival probabilities (6-, 12- and 24-months) for patients with GBM could be more useful than estimation of overall survival as there are factors that differ between males and females. A user friendly online application can be found here- https://npatilshinyappcalculator.shinyapps.io/SexDifferencesInGBM/ .

Do reminder emails and past due notifications improve patient completion and institutional data submission for patient-reported outcome measures?

PURPOSE: NRG Oncology, part of the National Cancer Institute's National Clinical Trials Network, took efforts to increase patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) completion and institutional data submission rates within clinical trials. Lack of completion diminishes power to draw conclusions and can be a waste of resources. It is hypothesized that trials with automatic email reminders and past due notifications will have PROM forms submitted more timely with higher patient completion. METHODS: Automatic emails sent to the research associate were added to selected NRG Oncology trials. Comparisons between trials with and without automatic emails were analyzed using Chi-square tests with respect to patient completion and timeliness of form submission rates. Multivariable analyses were conducted using repeated measures generalized estimating equations. If PROMs were not completed, a form providing the reason why was submitted and counted towards form submission. RESULTS: For both disease sites, form submission was significantly higher within 1 month of the form's due date for the studies with automatic emails vs. those without (prostate: 79.7% vs. 75.7%, p < 0.001; breast: 59.2% vs. 31.3%, p < 0.001). No significant differences in patient completion were observed between the breast trials. The prostate trial with automatic emails had significantly higher patient completion but this result was not confirmed in the multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Although patient completion rates were higher on trials with automatic emails, there may be confounding factors requiring future study. The automatic emails appeared to have increased the timeliness of form submission, thus supporting their continued use on NRG Oncology trials.

Radiation with or without Antiandrogen Therapy in Recurrent Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Salvage radiation therapy is often necessary in men who have undergone radical prostatectomy and have evidence of prostate-cancer recurrence signaled by a persistently or recurrently elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level. Whether antiandrogen therapy with radiation therapy will further improve cancer control and prolong overall survival is unknown. METHODS: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted from 1998 through 2003, we assigned 760 eligible patients who had undergone prostatectomy with a lymphadenectomy and had disease, as assessed on pathological testing, with a tumor stage of T2 (confined to the prostate but with a positive surgical margin) or T3 (with histologic extension beyond the prostatic capsule), no nodal involvement, and a detectable PSA level of 0.2 to 4.0 ng per milliliter to undergo radiation therapy and receive either antiandrogen therapy (24 months of bicalutamide at a dose of 150 mg daily) or daily placebo tablets during and after radiation therapy. The primary end point was the rate of overall survival. RESULTS: The median follow-up among the surviving patients was 13 years. The actuarial rate of overall survival at 12 years was 76.3% in the bicalutamide group, as compared with 71.3% in the placebo group (hazard ratio for death, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.59 to 0.99; P=0.04). The 12-year incidence of death from prostate cancer, as assessed by means of central review, was 5.8% in the bicalutamide group, as compared with 13.4% in the placebo group (P<0.001). The cumulative incidence of metastatic prostate cancer at 12 years was 14.5% in the bicalutamide group, as compared with 23.0% in the placebo group (P=0.005). The incidence of late adverse events associated with radiation therapy was similar in the two groups. Gynecomastia was recorded in 69.7% of the patients in the bicalutamide group, as compared with 10.9% of those in the placebo group (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of 24 months of antiandrogen therapy with daily bicalutamide to salvage radiation therapy resulted in significantly higher rates of long-term overall survival and lower incidences of metastatic prostate cancer and death from prostate cancer than radiation therapy plus placebo. (Funded by the National Cancer Institute and AstraZeneca; RTOG 9601 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00002874 .).

Radiation plus Procarbazine, CCNU, and Vincristine in Low-Grade Glioma.

BACKGROUND: Grade 2 gliomas occur most commonly in young adults and cause progressive neurologic deterioration and premature death. Early results of this trial showed that treatment with procarbazine, lomustine (also called CCNU), and vincristine after radiation therapy at the time of initial diagnosis resulted in longer progression-free survival, but not overall survival, than radiation therapy alone. We now report the long-term results. METHODS: We included patients with grade 2 astrocytoma, oligoastrocytoma, or oligodendroglioma who were younger than 40 years of age and had undergone subtotal resection or biopsy or who were 40 years of age or older and had undergone biopsy or resection of any of the tumor. Patients were stratified according to age, histologic findings, Karnofsky performance-status score, and presence or absence of contrast enhancement on preoperative images. Patients were randomly assigned to radiation therapy alone or to radiation therapy followed by six cycles of combination chemotherapy. RESULTS: A total of 251 eligible patients were enrolled from 1998 through 2002. The median follow-up was 11.9 years; 55% of the patients died. Patients who received radiation therapy plus chemotherapy had longer median overall survival than did those who received radiation therapy alone (13.3 vs. 7.8 years; hazard ratio for death, 0.59; P=0.003). The rate of progression-free survival at 10 years was 51% in the group that received radiation therapy plus chemotherapy versus 21% in the group that received radiation therapy alone; the corresponding rates of overall survival at 10 years were 60% and 40%. A Cox model identified receipt of radiation therapy plus chemotherapy and histologic findings of oligodendroglioma as favorable prognostic variables for both progression-free and overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: In a cohort of patients with grade 2 glioma who were younger than 40 years of age and had undergone subtotal tumor resection or who were 40 years of age or older, progression-free survival and overall survival were longer among those who received combination chemotherapy in addition to radiation therapy than among those who received radiation therapy alone. (Funded by the National Cancer Institute and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00003375.).

Expanded validation of the EPIC bowel and urinary domains for use in women with gynecologic cancer undergoing postoperative radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: Women with endometrial or cervical cancer at risk for recurrence receive postoperative radiation therapy (RT). A patient reported outcomes (PRO) instrument to assess bowel and urinary toxicities is the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC), which has been validated in men with prostate cancer. As this instrument specifically measures bowel toxicity and the degree to which this is a problem, it was used in NRG Oncology/RTOG 1203 to compare intensity modulated RT (IMRT) to standard RT. This paper reports on the expanded validation of EPIC for use in women receiving pelvic RT. METHODS: In addition to the EPIC bowel domain, urinary toxicity (EPIC urinary domain), patient reported bowel toxicities (PRO-CTCAE) and quality of life (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT)) were completed before, during and after treatment. Sensitivity, reliability and concurrent validity were assessed. RESULTS: Mean bowel and urinary scores among 278 women enrolled were significantly worse during treatment and differed between groups. Acceptable to good reliability for bowel and urinary domain scores were obtained at all time points with the exception of one at baseline. Correlations between function and bother scores within the bowel and urinary domains were consistently stronger than those across domains. Correlations between bowel domain scores and PRO-CTCAE during treatment were stronger than those with the FACT. CONCLUSION: Correlations within and among the instruments indicate EPIC bowel and urinary domains are measuring conceptually discrete components of health. These EPIC domains are valid, reliable and sensitive instruments to measure PRO among women undergoing pelvic radiation.

Screening for depression in cancer patients receiving radiotherapy: Feasibility and identification of effective tools in the NRG Oncology RTOG 0841 trial.

BACKGROUND: Brief tools are needed to screen oncology outpatients for depressive symptoms. METHODS: Patients starting radiotherapy for the first diagnosis of any tumor completed distress screening tools, including the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer (NCCN-DT), and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL) (25-item version). Patients exceeding validated cutoff scores and a systematic sample of patients whose screening was negative completed the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) mood disorder modules via telephone. RESULTS: Four hundred sixty-three patients from 35 community-based radiation oncology sites and 2 academic radiation oncology sites were recruited. Sixty-six percent of the 455 eligible patients (n = 299) were women, and the eligible patients had breast (45%), gastrointestinal (11%), lung (10%), gynecologic (6%), or other cancers (27%). Seventy-five (16.5%) exceeded screening cutoffs for depressive symptoms. Forty-two of these patients completed the SCID. Another 37 patients whose screening was negative completed the SCID. Among the 79 patients completing the SCID, 8 (10.1%) met the criteria for major depression, 2 (2.5%) met the criteria for dysthymia, and 6 (7.6%) met the criteria for an adjustment disorder. The PHQ-2 demonstrated good psychometric properties for screening for mood disorders with a cutoff score of ≥3 (receiver operating characteristic area under the curve [AUC], 0.83) and was comparable to the PHQ-9 ( > 9; AUC = 0.85). The NCCN-DT did not detect depression (AUC = 0.59). CONCLUSIONS: The PHQ-2 demonstrated good psychometric properties for screening for mood disorders, which were equivalent to the PHQ-9 and superior to the NCCN-DT. These findings support using the PHQ-2 to identify patients in need of further assessment for depression, which has a low prevalence but is a clinically significant comorbidity. These findings could inform the implementation of distress screening accreditation standards. Cancer 2017;123:485-493. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

NRG oncology RTOG 0625: a randomized phase II trial of bevacizumab with either irinotecan or dose-dense temozolomide in recurrent glioblastoma.

Angiogenesis, a hallmark of glioblastoma, can potentially be targeted by inhibiting the VEGF pathway using bevacizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against VEGF-A. This study was designed to determine the efficacy and safety of these regimens in the cooperative group setting. Eligibility included age ≥18, recurrent or progressive GBM after standard chemoradiation. Treatment was intravenous bevacizumab 10 mg/kg and either irinotecan (CPT) 125 mg/m2 every 2 weeks or temozolomide (TMZ) 75-100 mg/m2 day 1-21 of 28 day cycle. Accrual goal was 57 eligible patients per arm. Primary endpoint was 6 month progression-free survival (6-m PFS); a predetermined rate of ≥35 % to declare efficacy. 60 eligible patients were enrolled on TMZ arm and 57 patients on CPT arm. Median age was 56, median KPS was 80. For TMZ arm, the 6-m-PFS rate was 39 % (23/59); for the CPT arm, the 6-m-PFS rate was 38.6 % (22/57). Objective responses: TMZ arm had 2 (3 %) CR, 9 (16 %) PR; CPT arm had 2 (4 %) CR, 13 (24 %) PR. Overall there was moderate toxicity: TMZ arm with 33 (55 %) grade 3, 11 (18 %) grade 4, and 1 (2 %) grade 5 (fatal) toxicities; CPT arm had 22 (39 %) grade 3, 7 (12 %) grade 4, and 3 (5 %) grade 5 toxicities. The 6-m-PFS surpassed the predetermined efficacy threshold for both arms, corroborating the efficacy of bevacizumab and CPT and confirming activity for bevacizumab and protracted TMZ for recurrent/progressive GBM, even after prior temozolomide exposure. Toxicities were within anticipated frequencies with a moderately high rate of venous thrombosis, moderate hypertension and one intracranial hemorrhage.

Xerostomia health-related quality of life: NRG oncology RTOG 0537.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this secondary analysis was to determine change in overall health-related quality of life (HRQOL) based on patient data obtained from NRG Oncology RTOG 0537 as measured by the RTOG-modified University of Washington Head and Neck Symptom Score (RM-UWHNSS). METHODS: A multi-site prospective randomized clinical trial design stratified 137 patients with post-radiation therapy xerostomia according to prior pilocarpine (PC) treatment and time after radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy and randomized patients into two groups. Patients were assigned to acupuncture or PC. Twenty-four sessions of acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (ALTENS) were administered over 12 weeks, or oral PC (5 mg) three times daily over the same 12 weeks. The RM-UWHNSS was administered at baseline and at 4, 6, 9, and 15 months after the date of randomization. RESULTS: There were no between-arm differences in change scores on the RM-UWHNSS in the individual items, total score, or factor scores. For statistical modeling, race and time were significant for all outcomes (total and factor scores), while treatment arm was not significant. The ALTENS arm showed greater yet nonsignificant improvement in outcomes compared to the PC arm. CONCLUSION: Although no significant treatment differences were seen in this trial, patients receiving ALTENS consistently had lower scores, indicating better function, as compared to those receiving PC. Radiation-induced xerostomia improved over time for all patients.

The impact of concurrent granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor on quality of life in head and neck cancer patients: results of the randomized, placebo-controlled Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 9901 trial.

PURPOSE: The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of GM-CSF in reducing mucosal injury and symptom burden from curative radiotherapy for head and neck (H&N) cancer. METHODS: Eligible patients with H&N cancer receiving radiation encompassing ≥50 % of the oral cavity or oropharynx received subcutaneous GM-CSF or placebo. Quality of life (QoL) was assessed using the RTOG-modified University of Washington H&N Symptom Questionnaire at baseline 4, 13, 26, and 48 weeks from radiation initiation. RESULTS: Of 125 eligible patients, 114 were evaluable for QoL (58 GM-CSF, 56 placebo). Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and baseline symptom scores were well balanced between the treatment arms. At the end of the acute period (13 weeks), patients in both arms reported negative change in total symptom score indicating increase in symptom burden relative to baseline (mean -18.4 GM-CSF, -20.8 placebo). There was no difference in change in total symptom score (p > 0.05) or change in mucous, pain, eating, or activity domain scores (p > 0.01) between patients in the GM-CSF and placebo arms. Analysis limited to patients treated per protocol or with an acceptable protocol deviation also found no difference in change in total symptom score (p > 0.05) or change in domain scores (p > 0.01) between treatment arms. Provider assessment of acute mucositis during treatment did not correlate with patient-reported mucous domain and total symptom scores (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: GM-CSF administered concurrently during head and neck radiation does not appear to significantly improve patient-reported QoL symptom burden.

Tadalafil for prevention of erectile dysfunction after radiotherapy for prostate cancer: the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group [0831] randomized clinical trial.

IMPORTANCE: Tadalafil is used to treat erectile dysfunction after prostate cancer treatment, but its role as a preventive agent is undefined. OBJECTIVES: To determine primarily whether tadalafil preserved erectile function in men treated with radiotherapy for prostate cancer, and secondarily to determine whether participant- or partner-reported overall sexual function and sexual and marital satisfaction were affected. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Stratified, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group study with 1:1 randomization at 76 community-based and tertiary medical sites in the United States and Canada. Two hundred forty-two participants with intact erectile function scheduled to receive radiotherapy for prostate cancer were recruited between November 2009 and February 2012 with follow-up through March 2013. INTERVENTIONS: One hundred twenty-one participants were assigned 5 mg of tadalafil daily and 121 were assigned placebo for 24 weeks starting with external radiotherapy (63%) or brachytherapy (37%). Participant-reported International Index of Erectile Function response before radiotherapy and at weeks 2 and 4, between weeks 20 and 24, between weeks 28 and 30, and 1 year thereafter. Participants and partners could respond also to the Sexual Adjustment Questionnaire and to the Locke Marital Adjustment Test before radiotherapy, between weeks 20 and 24 and weeks 28 and 30, and at 1 year. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Primary outcome was off-drug spontaneous erectile function 28 to 30 weeks after radiotherapy started. Secondary end points were spontaneous erection at 1 year; overall sexual function and satisfaction; marital adjustment; and partner-reported satisfaction and marital adjustment at 28 to 30 weeks and 1 year, predictors of tadalafil response; and adverse events. RESULTS: Among 221 evaluable participants, 80 (79%; 95% CI, 70%-88%) assigned to receive tadalafil retained erectile function between weeks 28 and 30 compared with 61 (74%; 95% CI, 63%-85%) assigned to receive placebo (P = .49); an absolute difference of 5% (95% CI, -9% to 19%). A significant difference was also not observed at 1 year (72%; 95% CI, 60%-84% vs 71%; 95% CI, 59%-84%; P = .93). Tadalafil was not associated with significantly improved overall sexual function or satisfaction; a significant difference was not observed in any domain subscale. Partners of men assigned tadalafil noted no significant effect on sexual satisfaction, and marital adjustment was not significantly improved in participants or partners. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Among men undergoing radiotherapy for prostate cancer, daily use of tadalafil compared with placebo did not result in improved erectile function. These findings do not support daily use of tadalafil to prevent erectile dysfunction in these patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00931528.

Impact of Apolipoprotein E Genotype on Neurocognitive Function in Patients With Brain Metastases: An Analysis of NRG Oncology's RTOG 0614.

PURPOSE: Whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) is a common treatment for brain metastases and is frequently associated with decline in neurocognitive functioning (NCF). The e4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene is associated with increased risk of Alzheimer disease and NCF decline associated with a variety of neurologic diseases and insults. APOE carrier status has not been evaluated as a risk factor for onset time or extent of NCF impairment in patients with brain metastases treated with WBRT. METHODS AND MATERIALS: NRG/Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0614 treated adult patients with brain metastases with 37.5 Gy of WBRT (+/- memantine), performed longitudinal NCF testing, and included an optional blood draw for APOE analysis. NCF test results were compared at baseline and over time with mixed-effects models. A cause-specific Cox model for time to NCF failure was performed to assess the effects of treatment arm and APOE carrier status. RESULTS: APOE results were available for 45% of patients (n = 227/508). NCF did not differ by APOE e4 carrier status at baseline. Mixed-effects modeling showed that APOE e4 carriers had worse memory after WBRT compared with APOE e4 noncarriers (Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised total recall [least square mean difference, 0.63; P = .0074], delayed recognition [least square mean difference, 0.75; P = .023]). However, APOE e4 carrier status was not associated with time to NCF failure (hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.60-1.23; P = .40). Memantine delayed the time to NCF failure, regardless of carrier status (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.52-1.01; P = .054). CONCLUSIONS: APOE e4 carriers with brain metastases exhibited greater decline in learning and memory, executive function, and the Clinical Trial Battery Composite score after treatment with WBRT (+/- memantine), without acceleration of onset of difference in time to NCF failure.

Effects of Androgen Deprivation Therapy on Prostate Cancer Outcomes According to Competing Event Risk: Secondary Analysis of a Phase 3 Randomised Trial.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies indicate that the benefit of short-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer depends on competing risks. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a quantitative method to stratify patients by risk for competing events (omega score) could identify subgroups that selectively benefit from ADT. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: An ancillary analysis of NRG/RTOG 9408 phase 3 trial (NCT00002597) involving 1945 prostate cancer patients was conducted. INTERVENTION: Short-term ADT. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: We applied generalised competing event regression models incorporating age, performance status, comorbidity, T category, Gleason score (GS), and prostate-specific antigen (PSA), to stratify patients according to relative hazards for primary cancer-related events (distant metastasis or prostate cancer death) versus competing noncancer mortality. We tested interactions between ADT and subgroups defined by standard risk criteria versus relative risk (RR) using the omega score. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: T2b, higher GS, and higher PSA were associated with an increased RR for cancer-related versus competing mortality events (a higher omega score); increased age and comorbidity were associated with a decreased omega score. Of 996 patients with low-risk/favourable intermediate-risk (FIR) disease, 286 (28.7%) had a high omega score (≥0.314). Of 768 patients with unfavourable intermediate-risk disease, 175 (22.8%) had a low omega score. The overall discordance in risk classification was 26.1%. Both standard criteria and omega score identified significant interactions for the effect of ADT on cancer-related events and late mortality in low- versus high-risk subgroups. Within the low-risk/FIR subgroup, a higher omega score identified patients in whom ADT significantly reduced cancer events and improved event-free survival. Limitations are the need for external/prospective validation and lower RT doses than contemporary standards. CONCLUSIONS: Stratification based on competing event risk is useful for identifying prostate cancer patients who selectively benefit from ADT. PATIENT SUMMARY: We analysed the effectiveness of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for localised prostate cancer among patients, defined by the relative risk (RR) for cancer versus noncancer events. Among patients with traditional low-risk/favourable intermediate-risk disease, those with a higher RR benefitted from short-term ADT.

Noninferiority of Hypofractionated vs Conventional Postprostatectomy Radiotherapy for Genitourinary and Gastrointestinal Symptoms: The NRG-GU003 Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: No prior trial has compared hypofractionated postprostatectomy radiotherapy (HYPORT) to conventionally fractionated postprostatectomy (COPORT) in patients primarily treated with prostatectomy. Objective: To determine if HYPORT is noninferior to COPORT for patient-reported genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms at 2 years. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this phase 3 randomized clinical trial, patients with a detectable prostate-specific antigen (PSA; ≥0.1 ng/mL) postprostatectomy with pT2/3pNX/0 disease or an undetectable PSA (<0.1 ng/mL) with either pT3 disease or pT2 disease with a positive surgical margin were recruited from 93 academic, community-based, and tertiary medical sites in the US and Canada. Between June 2017 and July 2018, a total of 296 patients were randomized. Data were analyzed in December 2020, with additional analyses occurring after as needed. Intervention: Patients were randomized to receive 62.5 Gy in 25 fractions (HYPORT) or 66.6 Gy in 37 fractions (COPORT). Main Outcomes and Measures: The coprimary end points were the 2-year change in score from baseline for the bowel and urinary domains of the Expanded Prostate Cancer Composite Index questionnaire. Secondary objectives were to compare between arms freedom from biochemical failure, time to progression, local failure, regional failure, salvage therapy, distant metastasis, prostate cancer-specific survival, overall survival, and adverse events. Results: Of the 296 patients randomized (median [range] age, 65 [44-81] years; 100% male), 144 received HYPORT and 152 received COPORT. At the end of RT, the mean GU change scores among those in the HYPORT and COPORT arms were neither clinically significant nor different in statistical significance and remained so at 6 and 12 months. The mean (SD) GI change scores for HYPORT and COPORT were both clinically significant and different in statistical significance at the end of RT (-15.52 [18.43] and -7.06 [12.78], respectively; P < .001). However, the clinically and statistically significant differences in HYPORT and COPORT mean GI change scores were resolved at 6 and 12 months. The 24-month differences in mean GU and GI change scores for HYPORT were noninferior to COPORT using noninferiority margins of -5 and -6, respectively, rejecting the null hypothesis of inferiority (mean [SD] GU score: HYPORT, -5.01 [15.10] and COPORT, -4.07 [14.67]; P = .005; mean [SD] GI score: HYPORT, -4.17 [10.97] and COPORT, -1.41 [8.32]; P = .02). With a median follow-up for censored patients of 2.1 years, there was no difference between HYPORT vs COPORT for biochemical failure, defined as a PSA of 0.4 ng/mL or higher and rising (2-year rate, 12% vs 8%; P = .28). Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized clinical trial, HYPORT was associated with greater patient-reported GI toxic effects compared with COPORT at the completion of RT, but both groups recovered to baseline levels within 6 months. At 2 years, HYPORT was noninferior to COPORT in terms of patient-reported GU or GI toxic effects. HYPORT is a new acceptable practice standard for patients receiving postprostatectomy radiotherapy. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03274687.

Validation of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Patients With Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer Receiving Comprehensive Nodal Irradiation in the RadComp Trial.

PURPOSE: Our purpose was to evaluate the measurement properties of patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures used in the ongoing RadComp pragmatic randomized clinical trial (PRCT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: The deidentified and blinded data set included 774 English-speaking female participants who completed their 6-month posttreatment assessment. Eleven PRO measures were evaluated, including the Trial Outcome Index from the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B), Satisfaction with Breast Cosmetic Outcomes, the BREAST-Q, and selected Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures. PROs were measured at 3 timepoints: baseline, completion of radiation therapy (RT), and 6 months post-RT. Ten variables were used as validity anchors. Pearson or Spearman correlations were calculated between PROs and convergent validity indicators. Mean PRO differences between clinically distinct categories were compared with analysis of variance methods (known-groups validity). PRO change scores were mapped to change in other variables (sensitivity to change). RESULTS: Most correlations between PROs and validity indicators were large (≥0.5). Mean score for Satisfaction with Breast Cosmetic Outcomes was higher (better) for those with a lumpectomy compared with those with a mastectomy (P < .001). Mean scores for the FACT-B Trial Outcome Index and for PROMIS Fatigue and Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities were better for those with good baseline performance status compared with those with poorer baseline performance status (P < .05). At completion of RT and post-RT, mean scores for Satisfaction with Breast Cosmetic Outcomes and BREAST-Q Radiation were significantly different (P < .001) across categories for all Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy -Treatment Satisfaction - General items. There were medium-sized correlations between change scores for FACT-B Trial Outcome Index, Fatigue, Anxiety, and Ability to Participate in Social Roles and change scores in the Visual Analog Scale. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer receiving radiation in the RadComp PRCT, our findings demonstrate high reliability and validity for important PRO measures, supporting their psychometric strength and usefulness to reflect the effect of RT on health-related quality of life.

Prognostic Significance of Immune Cell Infiltration in Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer Treated with Definitive Chemoradiation: A Secondary Analysis of RTOG 0524 and RTOG 0712.

Chemoradiation therapy (CRT) is a treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Using a novel transcriptomic profiling panel, we validated prognostic immune biomarkers to CRT using 70 pretreatment tumor samples from prospective trials of MIBC (NRG/RTOG 0524 and 0712). Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated via the Kaplan-Meier method and stratified by genes correlated with immune cell activation. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to assess group differences. Clustering of gene expression profiles revealed that the cluster with high immune cell content was associated with longer DFS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.26-1.10; p = 0.071) and OS (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.24-0.97; p = 0.040) than the cluster with low immune cell content. Higher expression of T-cell infiltration genes (CD8A and ICOS) was associated with longer DFS (HR 0.40, 95% CI 0.21-0.75; p = 0.005) and OS (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.25-0.94; p = 0.033). Higher IDO1 expression (IFNγ signature) was also associated with longer DFS (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.24-0.88; p = 0.021) and OS (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.24-0.99; p = 0.048). These findings should be validated in prospective CRT trials that include biomarkers, particularly for trials incorporating immunotherapy for MIBC. PATIENT SUMMARY: We analyzed patient samples from two clinical trials (NRG/RTOG 0524 and 0712) of chemoradiation for muscle-invasive bladder cancer using a novel method to assess immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Higher expression of genes associated with immune activation and high overall immune-cell content were associated with better disease-free survival and overall survival for patients treated with chemoradiation.

External Validation of a Digital Pathology-based Multimodal Artificial Intelligence Architecture in the NRG/RTOG 9902 Phase 3 Trial.

BACKGROUND: Accurate risk stratification is critical to guide management decisions in localized prostate cancer (PCa). Previously, we had developed and validated a multimodal artificial intelligence (MMAI) model generated from digital histopathology and clinical features. Here, we externally validate this model on men with high-risk or locally advanced PCa treated and followed as part of a phase 3 randomized control trial. OBJECTIVE: To externally validate the MMAI model on men with high-risk or locally advanced PCa treated and followed as part of a phase 3 randomized control trial. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Our validation cohort included 318 localized high-risk PCa patients from NRG/RTOG 9902 with available histopathology (337 [85%] of the 397 patients enrolled into the trial had available slides, of which 19 [5.6%] failed due to poor image quality). OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Two previously locked prognostic MMAI models were validated for their intended endpoint: distant metastasis (DM) and PCa-specific mortality (PCSM). Individual clinical factors and the number of National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) high-risk features served as comparators. Subdistribution hazard ratio (sHR) was reported per standard deviation increase of the score with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) using Fine-Gray or Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: The DM and PCSM MMAI algorithms were significantly and independently associated with the risk of DM (sHR [95% CI] = 2.33 [1.60-3.38], p < 0.001) and PCSM, respectively (sHR [95% CI] = 3.54 [2.38-5.28], p < 0.001) when compared against other prognostic clinical factors and NCCN high-risk features. The lower 75% of patients by DM MMAI had estimated 5- and 10-yr DM rates of 4% and 7%, and the highest quartile had average 5- and 10-yr DM rates of 19% and 32%, respectively (p < 0.001). Similar results were observed for the PCSM MMAI algorithm. CONCLUSIONS: We externally validated the prognostic ability of MMAI models previously developed among men with localized high-risk disease. MMAI prognostic models further risk stratify beyond the clinical and pathological variables for DM and PCSM in a population of men already at a high risk for disease progression. This study provides evidence for consistent validation of our deep learning MMAI models to improve prognostication and enable more informed decision-making for patient care. PATIENT SUMMARY: This paper presents a novel approach using images from pathology slides along with clinical variables to validate artificial intelligence (computer-generated) prognostic models. When implemented, clinicians can offer a more personalized and tailored prognostic discussion for men with localized prostate cancer.

Integrating Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Into Cancer Clinical Trials.

The practice of oncology requires analyzing and synthesizing abundant data. From the patient's workup to determine eligibility to the therapies received to the post-treatment surveillance, practitioners must constantly juggle, evaluate, and weigh decision-making based on their best understanding of information at hand. These complex, multifactorial decisions have a tremendous opportunity to benefit from data-driven machine learning (ML) methods to drive opportunities in artificial intelligence (AI). Within the past 5 years, we have seen AI move from simply a promising opportunity to being used in prospective trials. Here, we review recent efforts of AI in clinical trials that have moved the needle towards improved prediction of actionable outcomes, such as predicting acute care visits, short term mortality, and pathologic extranodal extension. We then pause and reflect on how these AI models ask a different question than traditional statistics models that readers may be more familiar with; how then should readers conceptualize and interpret AI models that they are not as familiar with. We end with what we believe are promising future opportunities for AI in oncology, with an eye towards allowing the data to inform us through unsupervised learning and generative models, rather than asking AI to perform specific functions.