Is early integration of palliative care feasible and acceptable for advanced respiratory and gastrointestinal cancer patients? A phase 2 mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that early integration of palliative care improves quality of life, lowers spending and helps clarify preferences and goals for advanced cancer patients. Little is known about the feasibility and acceptability of early integration. AIM: Assessing feasibility of early integration of palliative care, and exploring concerns perceived and problems encountered by patients, relatives and oncologists. DESIGN: A phase 2 mixed-methods study ( ClinicalTrials.Gov :NCT02078700). METHODS: Oncologists of two outpatient clinics offered a specialised palliative care intervention integrated with standard oncological care to all consecutive newly diagnosed metastatic respiratory/gastrointestinal cancer patients. We interviewed samples of patients, relatives and oncologists to explore strengths and weaknesses of the intervention. RESULTS: The intervention was proposed to 44/54 eligible patients (81.5%), 40 (90.1%) accepted, 38 (95.0%) attended the first palliative care visit. The intervention was completed for 32 patients (80.0%). It did not start for three (7.5%) and was interrupted for three patients who refused (7.5%). The Palliative Care Unit performed 274 visits in 38 patients (median per patient 4.5), and 24 family meetings with relatives of 16 patients. All patients and most relatives referred to the usefulness of the intervention, specifically for symptoms management, information and support to strategies for coping. Oncologists highlighted their difficulties in informing patients on palliative intervention, sharing information and coordinating patient's care with the palliative care team. CONCLUSION: Early integration of palliative care in oncological setting seems feasible and well accepted by patients, relatives and, to a lesser extent, oncologists. Some difficulties emerged concerning patient information and inter-professional communication.

Expression of pERK and VEGFR-2 in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and resistance to sorafenib treatment.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The study aimed to evaluate the tissue expression of molecules involved in intracellular signalling pathways as predictors of response to sorafenib in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: We considered 77 patients enrolled into three prospective trials of sorafenib treatment for whom pretreatment tumour tissue was available. The tissue expression of ß-catenin, glutamine synthetase (GS), phosphorylated extracellular signal regulated kinase (pERK), phosphorylated v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog (pAKT) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) was analysed by immunostaining. Stains were scored semiquantitatively and compared with a reference group of 56 untreated HCCs. RESULTS: Overall, the expression of antigens was comparable between treated and untreated patients. Shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were associated with increased pERK staining (≥ 2+ scores) (PFS: 75th percentile 4.4 vs 8.4 months; P = 0.01; OS: 75th percentile 7.0 vs 15.0 months; P = 0.005) and VEGFR-2 staining (≥ 2+ scores) (PFS: 75th percentile 3.8 vs 7.0 months; P = 0.039; OS: 75th percentile 6.3 vs 15.0 months; P = 0.004). At multivariate analysis, both pERK and VEGFR-2 staining maintained an independent effect on OS (HR 2.09; 95% CI, 1.13-3.86, P = 0.019 and HR 2.28; 95% CI, 1.13-4.61, P = 0.021 respectively). No effect was observed for the other tested biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated tissue expression of pERK and VEGFR-2 was predictive of poor outcome in advanced HCC treated with sorafenib.

Strong Notch activation hinders bevacizumab efficacy in advanced colorectal cancer.

AIM: To assess the role of Notch activation in predicting bevacizumab efficacy in colorectal cancer (CRC). MATERIALS & METHODS: Notch activation was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) on 65 CRC enrolled within randomized clinical trials assessing first-line bevacizumab-based chemotherapy and on 21 CRC treated with chemotherapy alone. RESULTS: Strong Notch (IHC 3+) activation was negatively associated with response (18 vs 62% in low Notch cases [IHC 0, 1, 2+]; p = 0.016), progression-free survival (4.9 vs 12.1 months; p = 0.002) and overall survival (19.3 vs 30.4 months; p = 0.039). No correlation was found between Notch activation and clinical outcome in CRC treated with chemotherapy alone. CONCLUSION: A potential role of Notch activation in the antitumor activity of bevacizumab could be hypothesized.

A phase II randomized dose escalation trial of sorafenib in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Sorafenib has proven survival benefits in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The viability of continuing sorafenib at a higher dosage in patients who experienced radiologic disease progression was investigated. METHODS: Patients who experienced disease progression while on sorafenib 400 mg twice daily were randomized to sorafenib 600 mg twice daily (n = 49) or best supportive care (n = 52). The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Time to progression, overall survival, and safety were also evaluated. RESULTS: The study did not meet its primary end point. The difference in PFS between the sorafenib arm (3.91 months) and the best supportive care arm (2.69 months) did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.086). Adverse events were mainly grade 1-2 and similar across both groups. In the sorafenib arm, the most frequent events were diarrhea (80%), weight loss (75%), fatigue (67%), hand-foot-skin reaction (49%), abdominal pain (37%), and stomatitis (26%). CONCLUSIONS: Escalated-dose sorafenib in patients with advanced HCC who progressed while on sorafenib, failed to provide any clinical benefit. Second-line treatment still remains an open issue to be explored in appropriate clinical trials.

Predictive and Prognostic Role of Pre-Therapy and Interim 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT Parameters in Metastatic Advanced Neuroendocrine Tumor Patients Treated with PRRT.

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) is an effective therapeutic option in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumor (NET). However, PRRT fails in about 15-30% of cases. Identification of biomarkers predicting the response to PRRT is essential for treatment tailoring. We aimed to evaluate the predictive and prognostic role of semiquantitative and volumetric parameters obtained from the 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT before therapy (bPET) and after two cycles of PRRT (iPET). A total of 46 patients were included in this retrospective analysis. The primary tumor was 78% gastroenteropancreatic (GEP), 13% broncho-pulmonary and 9% of unknown origin. 35 patients (76.1%) with stable disease or partial response after PRRT were classified as responders and 11 (23.9%) as non-responders. Logistic regression analysis identified that baseline total volume (bTV) was associated with therapy outcome (OR 1.17; 95%CI 1.02-1.32; p = 0.02). No significant association with PRRT response was observed for other variables. High bTV was confirmed as the only variable independently associated with OS (HR 12.76, 95%CI 1.53-107, p = 0.01). In conclusion, high bTV is a negative predictor for PRRT response and is associated with worse OS rates. Early iPET during PRRT apparently does not provide information useful to change the management of NET patients.

The value of lactate dehydrogenase serum levels as a prognostic and predictive factor for advanced pancreatic cancer patients receiving sorafenib.

Although lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) serum levels, indirect markers of angiogenesis, are associated with a worse outcome in several tumours, their prognostic value is not defined in pancreatic cancer. Moreover, high levels are associated even with a lack of efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, contributing to explain negative results in clinical trials. We assessed the role of LDH in advanced pancreatic cancer receiving sorafenib. Seventy-one of 114 patients included in the randomised phase II trial MAPS (chemotherapy plus or not sorafenib) and with available serum LDH levels, were included in this analysis. Patients were categorized according to serum LDH levels (LDH ≤ vs.> upper normal rate). A significant difference was found in progression free survival (PFS) and in overall survival (OS) between patients with LDH values under or above the cut-off (PFS: 5.2 vs. 2.7 months, p = 0.0287; OS: 10.7 vs. 5.9 months, p = 0.0021). After stratification according to LDH serum levels and sorafenib treatment, patients with low LDH serum levels treated with sorafenib showed an advantage in PFS (p = 0.05) and OS (p = 0.0012). LDH appears to be a reliable parameter to assess the prognosis of advanced pancreatic cancer patients, and it may be a predictive parameter to select patients candidate to receive sorafenib.

A phase I study of continuous hepatic arterial infusion of Irinotecan in patients with locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Aim of this phase I study was to identify the maximum tolerated dose and dose limiting toxicity of continuous infusion of Irinotecan through a port-a-cath placed in the hepatic artery in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis to explore new strategies in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Response rate and time-to-progression were analysed. METHODS: Irinotecan was delivered as a five-day continuous infusion every 21 days, with increases of 2.5mg/m(2)/day every three patients, starting from 7.5mg/m(2)/day. Dose limiting toxicity corresponded to one patient in each triplet developing G4 haematological or G3 non-haematological toxicity, confirmed in two triplets. Twenty-eight patients (17 Child-Pugh A, 11 B) received treatment and tumour response was assessed after three courses completed by 22 patients. RESULTS: Dose limiting toxicity was G3 diarrhoea in two patients, reached at 27.5mg/m(2)/day and the recommended dose was set at 25mg/m(2)/day. Nineteen of 30 patients experienced adverse events related to porth-a-cath placement and one died from liver ischemia and sepsis. Median time-to-progression was 11.3 months. CONCLUSION: Intrarterial infusion of Irinotecan is feasible in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma on cirrhosis at a recommended dose of 25mg/m(2)/day, with no major adverse drug-related events, but with some concerns about the insertion and management of the intra-arterial device.