The Significance of Longitudinal Psoas Muscle Loss in Predicting the Maintenance Efficacy of Durvalumab Treatment Following Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Study.

Sarcopenia assessed at a single time point is associated with the efficacy of immunotherapy, and we hypothesized that longitudinal changes in muscle mass may also be important. This retrospective study included patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received durvalumab treatment after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) between January 2017 and April 2023. Muscle loss and sarcopenia were assessed based on the lumbar skeletal muscle area. Patients with a decrease in muscle area of 10% or more during CCRT were categorized into the muscle loss group, while those with a decrease of less than 10% were categorized into the muscle maintenance group. We evaluated the relationship between muscle changes during CCRT and the efficacy of durvalumab treatment. Among the 98 patients, the muscle maintenance group had a significantly longer PFS of durvalumab treatment compared to the muscle loss group (29.2 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 17.2-not reached] versus 11.3 months [95% CI: 7.6-22.3]; p = 0.008). The multivariable analysis confirmed that muscle change was a significant predictor of a superior PFS (HR: 0.47 [95% CI: 0.25-0.90]; the p-value was less than 0.05). In contrast, the OS between the groups did not differ significantly (not reached [95% CI: 21.8 months-not reached] and 36.6 months [95% CI: 26.9-not reached]; p = 0.49). Longitudinal muscle changes during CCRT are a predictor of durvalumab's efficacy in patients with NSCLC after CCRT.

Clinical outcomes of first-line combination therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitor for metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma: a multi-institutional retrospective study in Japan.

BACKGROUND: In metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), recent studies have shown promising efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) combination therapy. However, there are insufficient evidences about clinical efficacy and safety of ICI combination therapy in metastatic non-ccRCC (nccRCC). METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 44 patients treated with nivolumab plus ipilimumab (ICI + ICI group) or anti-PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor plus tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) (ICI + TKI group), and assessed clinical efficacy in both groups. RESULTS: Of all patients, overall response rate and disease control rate for ICI combination treatments were 36.3% and 75%, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was 8.8 and 23.9 months, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of liver metastasis significantly affected worse PFS and OS (p = 0.035 and p = 0.049). Importantly, PFS and OS seemed similar in ICI + ICI group and ICI + TKI group (p = 0.778 and p = 0.559). Although the discontinuation rate of the combination therapy due to adverse effects in patients aged ≥ 75 years was significantly higher compared to that in patients aged < 75 years (45% versus 12%, p = 0.017), there were no significant differences in PFS and OS between two groups (p = 0.290 and p = 0.257, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study confirms clinical benefit of ICI combination therapy for metastatic nccRCC patients in real-world settings. Furthermore, the effectiveness of combination therapy was comparable between patients aged < 75 and those ≥75 years with respect to clinical prognosis.

Cumulative incidence and risk factors for medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw during long-term prostate cancer management.

Bone-modifying agents (BMA) are extensively used in treating patients with prostate cancer with bone metastases. However, this increases the risk of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). The safety of long-term BMA administration in clinical practice remains unclear. We aimed to determine the cumulative incidence and risk factors of MRONJ. One hundred and seventy-nine patients with prostate cancer with bone metastases treated with BMA at our institution since 2008 were included in this study. Twenty-seven patients (15%) had MRONJ during the follow-up period (median, 19 months; interquartile range, 9-43 months). The 2-year, 5-year, and 10-year cumulative MRONJ incidence rates were 18%, 27%, and 61%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified denosumab use as a risk factor for MRONJ, compared with zoledronic acid use (HR 4.64, 95% CI 1.93-11.1). Additionally, BMA use at longer than one-month intervals was associated with a lower risk of MRONJ (HR 0.08, 95% CI 0.01-0.64). Furthermore, six or more bone metastases (HR 3.65, 95% CI 1.13-11.7) and diabetes mellitus (HR 5.07, 95% CI 1.68-15.2) were risk factors for stage 2 or more severe MRONJ. MRONJ should be considered during long-term BMA administration in prostate cancer patients with bone metastases.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition status is a remarkable biomarker for the combination treatment with avutometinib and defactinib in KRAS-mutated non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Recent therapeutic strategies for KRAS-mutated cancers that inhibit the MAPK pathway have attracted considerable attention. The RAF/MEK clamp avutometinib (VS-6766/CH5126766/RO5126766/CKI27) is promising for patients with KRAS-mutated cancers. Although avutometinib monotherapy has shown clinical activity in patients with KRAS-mutated cancers, effective combination strategies will be important to develop. METHODS: Using a phosphorylation kinase array kit, we explored the feedback mechanism of avutometinib in KRAS-mutated NSCLC cells, and investigated the efficacy of combining avutometinib with inhibitors of the feedback signal using in vitro and in vivo experiments. Moreover, we searched for a biomarker for the efficacy of combination therapy through an in vitro study and analysis using the The Cancer Genome Atlas Programme dataset. RESULTS: Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) phosphorylation/activation was increased after avutometinib treatment and synergy between avutometinib and FAK inhibitor, defactinib, was observed in KRAS-mutated NSCLC cells with an epithelial rather than mesenchymal phenotype. Combination therapy with avutometinib and defactinib induced apoptosis with upregulation of Bim in cancer cells with an epithelial phenotype in an in vitro and in vivo study. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that the epithelial-mesenchymal transition status may be a promising biomarker for the efficacy of combination therapy with avutometinib and defactinib in KRAS-mutated NSCLC.

The prognostic impact of peripheral blood eosinophil counts in metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients treated with nivolumab.

Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have gained approval for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), the response rate is still limited. Therefore, it is urgent to explore novel markers of responses to ICIs that can help assess clinical benefits. Recently, it has been noted that peripheral blood eosinophil counts are an independent factor correlated with clinical outcome of ICIs in some types of cancer. We investigated peripheral blood absolute eosinophil counts (AECs) at baseline and 4 weeks after the initiation of nivolumab for mRCC patients between February 2016 and May 2022. In addition, we examined clinicopathological features including irAEs and analyzed the correlation between AECs and clinical efficacy of nivolumab. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for all patients were 5.7 and 25.5 months, respectively. The median AECs in patients with irAEs were significantly higher at baseline and 4 weeks after the treatment compared to those without irAEs (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001). With the cutoff value of AECs of 329 cells/µL at 4 weeks after the treatment for prediction of irAEs, high-AECs groups had significantly higher number of responders compared with that in low-AECs group (p < 0.001). Accordingly, the PFS and OS were significantly better in patients with high-AECs group than those in low-AECs group (p = 0.03 and p = 0.009). High-AECs at 4 weeks after the treatment serve as the prominent surrogate marker associated with the incidence of irAEs and better clinical outcome in mRCC patients receiving nivolumab.

Impact of the response to platinum-based chemotherapy on the second-line immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer with PD-L1 expression ≤49%: a multicenter retrospective study.

Introduction: The efficacy of second-line immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is limited in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with ≤ 49% PD-L1 expression. Although chemoimmunotherapy is a promising strategy, platinum-based chemotherapy followed by ICI monotherapy is often used to avoid synergistic adverse events. However, predictors of the efficacy of ICI monotherapy after platinum-based chemotherapy in NSCLC with ≤ 49% PD-L1 expression remain scarce. Methods: This multicenter retrospective study evaluated 54 advanced or recurrent NSCLC patients with ≤ 49% PD-L1 expression who were treated with second-line ICI monotherapy following disease progression on first-line platinum-based chemotherapy at nine hospitals in Japan. The impact of response to platinum-based chemotherapy on the efficacy of subsequent ICI monotherapy was investigated. Results: The response to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy was divided into two groups: the non-progressive disease (PD) group, which included patients who did not experience disease progression after four cycles of chemotherapy, and the PD group, which included patients who showed initial PD or could not maintain disease control during the four cycles of chemotherapy and switched to second-line ICI monotherapy. Among the 54 patients, 32 and 22 were classified into the non-PD and PD groups, respectively. The non-PD group showed better response rates (p = 0.038) and longer overall survival (OS) with ICI monotherapy (p = 0.023) than the PD group. Multivariate analysis identified that maintaining a non-PD status after four cycles of chemotherapy was an independent prognostic factor for ICI monotherapy (p = 0.046). Moreover, patients with a modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) of 0 showed a tendency for longer OS with ICI monotherapy (p = 0.079), and there was a significant correlation between maintaining non-PD after four cycles of chemotherapy and an mGPS of 0 (p = 0.045). Conclusion: Maintaining a non-PD status after four cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy was a predictor of OS after second-line ICI monotherapy. These findings will help physicians select the most suitable treatment option for NSCLC patients who were treated with platinum-based chemotherapy and switched to second-line treatment. Those who experienced early PD during platinum-based chemotherapy should not be treated with ICI monotherapy in the second-line setting.

Japanese sake making using wild yeasts isolated from natural environments.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the most important microorganisms for the food industry, including Japanese sake, beer, wine, bread, and other products. For sake making, Kyokai sake yeast strains are considered one of the best sake yeast strains because these strains possess fermentation properties that are suitable for the quality of sake required. In recent years, the momentum for the development of unique sake, which is distinct from conventional sake, has grown, and there is now a demand to develop unique sake yeasts that have different sake making properties than Kyokai sake yeast strains. In this minireview, we focus on "wild yeasts," which inhabit natural environments, and introduce basic research on the wild yeasts for sake making, such as their genetic and sake fermentation aspects. Finally, we also discuss the molecular breeding of wild yeast strains for sake fermentation and the possibility for sake making using wild yeasts.

Relapsing cytokine release syndrome in a patient with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with pembrolizumab and axitinib therapy.

As immune checkpoint inhibitors become more widely available, the optimal management of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) is becoming increasingly important. Although irAEs are diverse, reports on cytokine release syndrome are rare. Here, we report a case of a 48-year-old man with relapsing cytokine release syndrome after receiving pembrolizumab and axitinib combination therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. During dose reduction of prednisolone for immune-related hepatitis on day 33 after starting pembrolizumab plus axitinib, the patient suddenly developed abdominal pain, and a few hours later became hypotensive and poorly oxygenated. Despite the use of a ventilator and high doses of catecholamines, blood pressure and oxygenation could not be maintained. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and intra-aortic balloon pumping were also administered. The cytokine release syndrome (CRS) was treated with tocilizumab, and his general condition improved. Lower-grade CRS relapsed four times despite a moderate dose of oral prednisolone with mycophenolate mofetil or tacrolimus. After gradual reduction in prednisolone over 5 months, the patient was discharged from the hospital. Partial remission of renal cell carcinoma continued for 21 months, and salvage radical nephrectomy was performed. The patient remained disease-free without the need for further treatment 9 months after surgery.

First-Line Chemoimmunotherapy versus Sequential Platinum-Based Chemotherapy Followed by Immunotherapy in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with ≤49% Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Expression: A Real-World Multicenter Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: The long overall survival (OS) observed among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with high programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) groups in previous phase III trials suggests the limited efficacy of CIT among the subgroup with ≤49% PD-L1 expression on tumor cells. Hence, sequential treatment with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy followed by second-line immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment (SEQ) is an option. This study examined whether first-line CIT would provide better outcomes than SEQ in patients with advanced NSCLC with ≤49% PD-L1 expression. METHODS: This retrospective study evaluated patients with untreated NSCLC who received first-line CIT or SEQ at nine hospitals in Japan. OS, progression-free survival (PFS), PFS-2 (the time from first-line treatment to progression to second-line treatment or death), and other related outcomes were evaluated between the CIT and SEQ groups. RESULTS: Among the 305 enrolled patients, 234 eligible patients were analyzed: 165 in the CIT group and 69 in the SEQ group. The COX proportional hazards model suggested a significant interaction between PD-L1 expression and OS (p = 0.006). OS in the CIT group was significantly longer than that in the SEQ group in the 1-49% PD-L1 expression subgroup but not in the <1% PD-L1 expression subgroup. Among the subgroup with 1-49% PD-L1 expression, the CIT group exhibited longer median PFS than the SEQ group (CIT: 9.3 months (95% CI: 6.7-14.8) vs. SEQ:5.5 months (95% CI: 4.5-6.1); p < 0.001), while the median PFS in the CIT group was not statistically longer than the median PFS-2 in the SEQ group (p = 0.586). There was no significant difference between the median PFS in the CIT and SEQ groups among the <1% PD-L1 expression subgroup (p = 0.883); the median PFS-2 in the SEQ group was significantly longer than the median PFS in the CIT group (10.5 months (95% CI: 5.9-15.3) vs. 6.4 months (95% CI: 4.9-7.5); p = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: CIT is recommended for patients with NSCLC with 1-49% PD-L1 expression because it significantly improved OS and PFS compared to SEQ. CIT had limited benefits in patients with <1% PD-L1 expression, and the median PFS-2 in the SEQ group was significantly longer than the median PFS in the CIT group. These findings will help physicians select the most suitable treatment option for patients with NSCLC, considering PD-L1 expressions.

Predictive Value of Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score and Persistent Inflammation among Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Durvalumab Consolidation after Chemoradiotherapy: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Durvalumab consolidation after chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is a standard treatment for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, studies on immunological and nutritional markers to predict progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) are inadequate. Systemic inflammation causes cancer cachexia and negatively affects immunotherapy efficacy, which also reflects survival outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 126 patients from seven institutes in Japan. RESULTS: The modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) values, before and after CRT, were the essential predictors among the evaluated indices. A systemic inflammation-based prognostic risk classification was created by combining mGPS values before CRT, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels after CRT, to distinguish tumor-derived inflammation from CRT-induced inflammation. Patients were classified into high-risk (n = 31) and low-risk (n = 95) groups, and the high-risk group had a significantly shorter median PFS of 7.2 months and an OS of 19.6 months compared with the low-risk group. The hazard ratios for PFS and OS were 2.47 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.46-4.19, p < 0.001) and 3.62 (95% CI: 1.79-7.33, p < 0.001), respectively. This association was also observed in the subgroup with programmed cell death ligand 1 expression of ≥50%, but not in the <50% subgroup. Furthermore, durvalumab discontinuation was observed more frequently in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group. CONCLUSION: Combining pre-CRT mGPS values with post-CRT CRP levels in patients with locally advanced NSCLC helps to predict the PFS and OS of durvalumab consolidation after CRT.

Endobronchial metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma treated with Lenvatinib: A case report.

Endobronchial metastasis (EBM) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rare though HCC often metastasizes to the lungs. In this case report, a 74-year-old man with a history of HCC with chronic hepatitis C experienced hemoptysis and a dry cough. During immunotherapy for postoperative recurrent HCC, chest computed tomography (CT) revealed soft tissue shadows in the right upper and lower lobe bronchi, and we pathologically diagnosed as EBM of HCC using bronchoscopy. Although the prognosis of HCC with EBM is poor, lenvatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was administered and resulted in improved symptoms, decreased tumour markers, and reduced EBM shadows on chest CT scans. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of lenvatinib monotherapy for EBM of HCC. It is important to perform a bronchoscopy for early diagnosis of EBM, followed by lenvatinib treatment.

Analysis of Tumor Heterogeneity Through AXL Activation in Primary Resistance to EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors.

Introduction: EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors are standard therapeutic agents for patients with advanced NSCLC harboring EGFR mutations. Nevertheless, some patients exhibit primary resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the first-line treatment setting. AXL, a member of the TYRO3, AXL, and MERTK family of receptor tyrosine kinases, is involved in primary resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in EGFR-mutated NSCLC. Methods: We investigated spatial tumor heterogeneity using autopsy specimens and a patient-derived cell line from a patient with EGFR-mutated NSCLC having primary resistance to erlotinib plus ramucirumab. Results: Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that AXL mRNA expression differed at each metastatic site. In addition, AXL expression levels were likely to be negatively correlated with the effectiveness of erlotinib plus ramucirumab therapy. Analysis of a patient-derived cell line established from the left pleural effusion before initiation of treatment revealed that the combination of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors and an AXL inhibitor remarkably inhibited cell viability and increased cell apoptosis in comparison with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor monotherapy or combination therapy of these inhibitors with ramucirumab. Conclusions: Our observations suggest that AXL expression may play a critical role in the progression of spatial tumor heterogeneity and primary resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC.

Rationale and design of phase II clinical trial of dual inhibition with ramucirumab and erlotinib in EGFR exon 19 deletion-positive treatment-naïve non-small cell lung cancer with high PD-L1 expression (SPIRAL-3D study).

Background: Osimertinib is a standard treatment option for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, osimertinib monotherapy yields poor clinical outcomes in some patients, necessitating the development of novel treatment strategies. In addition, several studies have suggested that high programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression is associated with poor progression-free survival (PFS) for osimertinib monotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC harboring EGFR mutations. Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of erlotinib plus ramucirumab for EGFR exon 19 deletion-positive treatment-naïve NSCLC with high PD-L1 expression. Design: A single-arm, prospective, open-label, phase II study. Methods and Analysis: Patients with treatment-naïve EGFR exon 19 deletion-positive NSCLC with high PD-L1 expression and a performance status of 0-2 will receive combination therapy with erlotinib plus ramucirumab until evidence of disease progression or development of unacceptable toxicity. High PD-L1 expression is defined as a tumor proportion score of 50% or higher, as determined by PD-L1 immunohistochemistry 22C3 pharmDx testing. The Kaplan-Meier method and the Brookmeyer and Crowley method with the arcsine square-root transformation will be used with PFS as the primary endpoint. The secondary endpoints include overall response rate, disease control rate, overall survival, and safety. A total of 25 patients will be enrolled. Ethics: The study has been approved by the Clinical Research Review Board, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan, and written informed consent will be obtained from all patients. Discussion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical trial to focus on PD-L1 expression in EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC. If the primary end point is met, combination therapy with erlotinib and ramucirumab could become a potential treatment option for this clinical population. Trial Registration: This trial was registered with the Japan Registry for Clinical Trials on 12 January 2023 (jRCTs 051220149).

[A Case of Primary Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder Showing Effectiveness of Chemotherapy with Gemcitabine and Cisplatin].

A 55-year-old female presented to the hospital with a complaint of gross hematuria. Transurethral resection of bladder tumor was performed. The specimens pathologically showed signet ring cells and no urothelial carcinoma components. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomographic (CT) scan revealed bladder tumor, cervical metastasis, bilateral ovarian metastasis, and multiple lymph node metastasis. She was diagnosed with a primary signet ring cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder with cT3bN2M1, and was treated with chemotherapy of gemcitabine and cisplatin combination (GC). After 2 cycles of GC, the value of CEA which was elevated to 106 ng/ml before treatment, became negative. CT scan showed that her disease had successfully responded to the chemotherapy, and remained efficacious till the end of 6 cycles. The patient subsequently received 1 cycle of gemcitabine and nedaplatin and 3 cycles of avelumab due to renal insufficiency. Yet, 14 months after diagnosis, cerebellar metastases appeared and the patient died of meningeal carcinomatosis.

Prospective Observational Study Evaluating the Prognostic Value of the G8 Screening Tool for Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Who Received Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Inhibitor plus Platinum-Etoposide Chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor plus platinum-etoposide chemotherapy is used as a first-line treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), regardless of age. OBJECTIVE: We examined the role of the Geriatric 8 (G8) screening tool for evaluating treatment outcomes in patients with ES-SCLC treated with PD-L1 inhibitor plus platinum-etoposide chemotherapy as first-line therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between September 2019 and October 2021, we prospectively evaluated patients with ES-SCLC treated with immunochemotherapy at ten institutions in Japan. The G8 score was assessed before treatment initiation. RESULTS: We evaluated 44 patients with ES-SCLC. Patients with G8 score > 11 had longer overall survival (OS) than those with G8 score ≤ 11 (not reached versus 8.3 months; log-rank test, p = 0.005). In univariate and multivariate analyses, G8 score > 11 [hazard ratio (HR) 0.34; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.15-0.75; p = 0.008 and HR 0.34; 95% CI 0.14-0.82; p = 0.02, respectively) and performance status (PS) of 2 (HR 5.42; 95% CI 2.08-14.2; p < 0.001 and HR 6.94; 95% CI 2.25-21.4; p < 0.001, respectively) were independent prognostic factors for OS. Among patients with good PS (0 or 1), the OS in patients with G8 score > 11 was significantly longer than that in patients with G8 score ≤ 11 (not reached versus 12.3 months; log-rank test, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: G8 score evaluation before treatment initiation was useful as a prognostic factor for ES-SCLC patients who received PD-L1 inhibitors and platinum-etoposide chemotherapy, even with good PS.

Significance of localized expression of full-length growth differentiation factor-15 in cachexia of advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) is one of the key cachexia-inducing factors. Clinical trials on therapies targeting GDF-15 for cancer and cancer cachexia are underway. While the role of circulating GDF-15 in cachexia has been clarified, the effects of GDF-15 expression within cancer cells remain to be fully elucidated. Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate the expression of GDF-15 in advanced lung cancer tissues and to understand its role in cachexia. METHODS: We retrospectively examined the expression level of full-length GDF-15 in advanced non-small cell lung cancer tissues and analyzed the relationship between the staining intensity and clinical data in 53 samples. RESULTS: We found that 52.8% of the total samples were GDF-15 positive, and GDF-15 expression significantly correlated with improved C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (p = 0.008). It did not correlate with the existence of cancer cachexia and overall survival (p = 0.43). CONCLUSION: Our findings show that GDF-15 expression significantly correlated with improved C-reactive protein/albumin ratio, but not the existence of cancer cachexia in advanced NSCLC patients.

TTF-1 Expression and Clinical Outcomes of Combined Chemoimmunotherapy in Patients With Advanced Lung Adenocarcinoma: A Prospective Observational Study.

Introduction: Lung adenocarcinoma with negative TTF-1 expression is believed to be a poor prognostic factor for certain systemic treatments. Nevertheless, the impact of TTF-1 expression on combined chemoimmunotherapy remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the relationship between tumor TTF-1 expression and the efficacy of combined chemoimmunotherapy in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: This multicenter prospective observational study included 58 patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma treated with combined chemoimmunotherapy across 10 institutions in Japan. The expression of TTF-1 in pretreatment tumors was determined using immunohistochemistry. Results: The objective response rate of combined chemoimmunotherapy was significantly higher in TTF-1-positive groups than in TTF-1-negative groups (p = 0.02). The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival were significantly longer in TTF-1-positive groups than in TTF-1-negative groups (10.9 versus 5.0 mo; p = 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that TTF-1 expression was an independent favorable prognostic factor for PFS. Moreover, TTF-1 expression in patients with lung adenocarcinoma is significantly associated with programmed death-ligand 1 expression (p = 0.003). The TTF-1-positive group with programmed death-ligand 1 tumor proportion score greater than or equal to 50% had a significantly longer PFS than the other groups (p = 0.02). Conclusions: TTF-1 positivity is associated with better clinical outcomes in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma treated with combined chemoimmunotherapy.

Comprehensive Kinase Activity Profiling Revealed the Kinase Activity Patterns Associated with the Effects of EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Therapy in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients with Sensitizing EGFR Mutations.

EGFR mutations are strong predictive markers for EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) therapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although NSCLC patients with sensitizing EGFR mutations have better prognoses, some patients exhibit worse prognoses. We hypothesized that various activities of kinases could be potential predictive biomarkers for EGFR-TKI treatment among NSCLC patients with sensitizing EGFR mutations. In 18 patients with stage IV NSCLC, EGFR mutations were detected and comprehensive kinase activity profiling was performed using the peptide array PamStation12 for 100 tyrosine kinases. Prognoses were observed prospectively after the administration of EGFR-TKIs. Finally, the kinase profiles were analyzed in combination with the prognoses of the patients. Comprehensive kinase activity analysis identified specific kinase features, consisting of 102 peptides and 35 kinases, in NSCLC patients with sensitizing EGFR mutations. Network analysis revealed seven highly phosphorylated kinases: CTNNB1, CRK, EGFR, ERBB2, PIK3R1, PLCG1, and PTPN11. Pathway analysis and Reactome analysis revealed that the PI3K-AKT and RAF/ MAPK pathways were significantly enriched in the poor prognosis group, being consistent with the outcome of the network analysis. Patients with poor prognoses exhibited high activation of EGFR, PIK3R1, and ERBB2. Comprehensive kinase activity profiles may provide predictive biomarker candidates for screening patients with advanced NSCLC harboring sensitizing EGFR mutations.

Predictive value of p53 and AXL immunostaining for the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor-based therapy after osimertinib treatment in patients with epidermal growth factor-mutant non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Current evidence indicates that immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have a limited efficacy in patients with lung cancer harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. However, there is a lack of data on the efficacy of ICIs after osimertinib treatment, and the predictors of ICI efficacy are unclear. METHODS: We retrospectively assessed consecutive patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC who received ICI-based therapy after osimertinib treatment at 10 institutions in Japan, between March 2016 and March 2021. Immunohistochemical staining was used to evaluate the expression of p53 and AXL. The deletions of exon 19 and the exon 21 L858R point mutation in EGFR were defined as common mutations; other mutations were defined as uncommon mutations. RESULTS: A total of 36 patients with advanced or recurrent EGFR-mutant NSCLC were analyzed. In multivariate analysis, p53 expression in tumors was an independent predictor of PFS after ICI-based therapy (p = 0.002). In patients with common EGFR mutations, high AXL expression was a predictor of shorter PFS and overall survival after ICI-based therapy (log-rank test; p = 0.04 and p = 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSION: The levels of p53 in pretreatment tumors may be a predictor of ICI-based therapy outcomes in patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC after osimertinib treatment. High levels of AXL in tumors may also be a predictor of ICI-based therapy outcomes, specifically for patients with common EGFR mutations. Further prospective large-scale investigations on the predictors of ICI efficacy following osimertinib treatment are warranted.

Comparison of the prognosis of symptomatic cerebral infarction and pulmonary embolism in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer patients face a high risk of thromboembolism (TE), which is considered to be a poor prognostic factor. However, the impact of symptomatic cerebral infarction (CI) and pulmonary embolism (PE) on the prognosis of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is not fully understood. METHODS: We retrospectively identified 46 patients with advanced NSCLC who developed symptomatic CI or PE at five hospitals in Japan between January 2010 and December 2019. Prognosis and biomarker levels after incident CI and PE were investigated. RESULTS: Of the 46 patients, 36 developed symptomatic CI, and 10 developed symptomatic PE. The median follow-up duration after incident CI and PE was 18.2 months. Although the proportion of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grade 4 tended to be higher in patients with PE than in those with CI (30% vs. 11%, p = 0.16), the overall survival (OS) after incident TE tended to be worse in patients with CI than in those with PE (median 2.3 months vs. 9.1 months, log-rank test p = 0.17). Multivariate analysis showed that OS after CI was worse in patients with high D-dimer (DD) levels than in those with low DD levels at the time of incident CI (median 1.3 months vs. 8.3 months, log-rank p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective study demonstrated that the prognosis of patients tended to be poorer after CI than after PE. The DD levels at the time of incident CI might be a promising predictor of clinical outcomes in advanced NSCLC patients who develop CI.