Comprehensive genomic profiling of salivary gland carcinoma: Analysis of the Center for Cancer Genomics and Advanced Therapeutics database in Japan.

Comprehensive information on genetic alterations in salivary gland cancer (SGC) is limited. This study aimed to elucidate the genetic and clinical characteristics of patients with SGC using the Center for Cancer Genomics and Advanced Therapeutics (C-CAT) database, a Japanese national genomic database. We analyzed data of 776 patients with SGC registered in the C-CAT database between June 1, 2019, and June 30, 2023. Adenoid cystic carcinoma was the most common histologic type, followed by salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) and adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified. Genetic data of 681 patients receiving FoundationOne® CDx were analyzed. We identified specific features of the combination of TP53 and CDKN2A alterations among the histological types. Specific LYN amplification was mainly detected in carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma and myoepithelial carcinoma. For SDC, the frequency of ERBB2 and BRAF alterations were higher in cases with metastatic lesions than in those with primary lesions. Although 28.6% patients were offered recommended treatment options, only 6.8% received the recommended treatments. This study highlights the differences in genetic alterations among the histological types of SGC, with comprehensive genomic profiling tests revealing lower drug accessibility. These findings could contribute to the development of personalized treatment for patients with SGC.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Improves Feasibility of Larynx Preservation and Prognosis in Resectable Locally Advanced Cervical Esophageal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The optimal strategy for cervical advanced esophageal cancer remains controversial in terms of oncologic outcome as well as vocal and swallowing function. Recently, in East Asian countries, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has been a standard strategy for advanced esophageal cancer. METHODS: This study included 37 patients who underwent NAC, and 33 patients who underwent definitive chemoradiation therapy (dCRT) as larynx-preserving treatment for locally advanced cervical esophageal cancer from 2016 to 2021. This study retrospectively investigated outcomes, with comparison between NAC and dCRT for locally advanced cervical esophageal cancer. RESULTS: Larynx preservation was successful for all the patients with NAC and dCRT. After NAC, the rate of complete or partial response was 78.4%, and 30 patients underwent larynx-preserving surgery. On the other hand, after dCRT, the complete response rate was 71.9%, and 4 patients underwent larynx-preserving salvage surgery. Overall survival (OS) and progression free survival were similar between the two groups. However, for the patients with resectable cervical esophageal cancer (cT1/2/3), the 2-year OS rate was significantly higher with NAC (79.9%) than with dCRT (56.8%) (P = 0.022), and the multivariate analyses identified only NAC and cN0, one of the two as a significantly independent factor associated with a better OS (NAC: P = 0.041; cN0, 1: P = 0.036). CONCLUSION: The study showed that NAC as larynx-preserving surgery for resectable cervical esophageal cancer preserved function and had a better prognosis than dCRT. The authors suggest that NAC may be standard strategy for larynx preservation in patients with resectable cervical esophageal cancer.

Survival Outcome Superiority of Total Pharyngolaryngectomy Compared with Chemoradiotherapy for T4aM0 Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Nationwide Database Study of Japan.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to elucidate whether total pharyngolaryngectomy (TPL) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) provides a better prognostic outcome in patients with T4aM0 hypopharyngeal carcinoma (HPSCC) using a nationwide database. METHODS: All data were obtained from the Head and Neck Cancer Registry of Japan, and information from patients who were newly diagnosed with T4aM0 HPSCC between 2011 and 2015 was extracted. The primary endpoint was disease-specific survival (DSS), and the secondary endpoint was overall survival (OS). The inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) adjustments was used for survival analyses. RESULTS: Our cohort included 1143 patients. The TPL and CRT groups included 724 and 419 patients, respectively. Following IPTW adjustments, both the OS and DSS of the TPL group were significantly longer than those of the CRT group (P = .02 and P = .002, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Survival superiority was demonstrated for patients with T4aM0 HPSCC treated with TPL compared with those treated with CRT.

Multicenter validation study of a treatment selection MAP for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

BACKGROUND: Somatostatin analogs, molecular-targeted agents and cytotoxic anticancer agents are available as therapeutic agents for the systemic treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, and we have developed a first-line treatment selection MAP to enable selection of the optimal treatment strategy for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. The purpose of this study was to validate the usefulness of the treatment selection MAP. METHODS: Patients who had received systemic therapy for a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor between January 2017 and December 2020 were compared according to whether they had been treated as recommended by the MAP (matched patients) or not (unmatched patients) to determine whether better outcomes were achieved by the matched patients. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival of the matched group and unmatched groups in the somatostatin analog, molecular-targeted agent and cytotoxic anticancer agents areas of the MAP. RESULTS: There were 41 (55%) MAP-matched patients in all areas among the 74 patients registered at seven hospitals. The MAP-matched rates were 100, 77 and 38% in the somatostatin analog area, molecular-targeted agent area and cytotoxic anticancer agents area, respectively. All of the unmatched patients had been selected for less intensive treatment. The median progression-free survival in the matched group and unmatched group in the molecular-targeted agent area of the MAP were 46.6 and 15.4 months, respectively, and a multivariate analysis identified MAP-matched (hazard ratio 0.18 [95% confidence interval: 0.04-0.87], P = 0.032) as the only significant independent favorable predictive factor. CONCLUSION: The usefulness of the MAP for treatment selection was validated in the molecular-targeted agent area of the MAP.

English version of Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines 2022 for gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) issued by the Japan Society of Clinical Oncology.

The Japan Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guidelines 2022 for gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) have been published in accordance with the Minds Manual for Guideline Development 2014 and 2017. A specialized team independent of the working group for the revision performed a systematic review. Since GIST is a rare type of tumor, clinical evidence is not sufficient to answer several clinical and background questions. Thus, in these guidelines, we considered that consensus among the experts who manage GIST, the balance between benefits and harms, patients' wishes, medical economic perspective, etc. are important considerations in addition to the evidence. Although guidelines for the treatment of GIST have also been published by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), there are some differences between the treatments proposed in those guidelines and the treatments in the present guidelines because of the differences in health insurance systems among countries.

Impact of taxanes after PD-1 blockade exposure in advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) blockade improves survival in patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the efficacy of taxanes after exposure to PD-1 blockade remains unclear in patients with advanced ESCC. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical outcomes of advanced ESCC patients treated with taxanes (paclitaxel or docetaxel) with/without prior exposure to PD-1 blockade (Exposed /Naïve group) at National Cancer Center Hospital from June 2016 to December 2020. RESULTS: Ninety-nine patients (Exposed group, n = 32; Naïve group, n = 67) were included. The objective response rate (ORR) of the Exposed group was significantly higher than that of the Naïve group (37.5% vs. 13.4%, p = 0.009). The median progression-free survival was similar between the Exposed and Naïve groups (3.8 vs. 2.8 months, HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.65-1.86, p = 0.66). PD-1 blockade exposure independently predicated higher ORR to taxanes in multivariate analysis. Grade ≥ 3 adverse events were comparable between the Exposed and Naïve groups (45.8% vs. 40.3%, p = 0.64). CONCLUSIONS: Taxanes following PD-1 blockade in advanced ESCC showed a higher ORR but similar PFS compared to taxanes without prior PD-1 exposure.

Preoperative docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil for resectable locally advanced esophageal and esophagogastric junctional adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy consisting of 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel is the standard perioperative treatment for resectable esophageal adenocarcinoma and esophagogastric junctional adenocarcinoma (EGJ-AC) in Western countries. Meanwhile, preoperative chemotherapy consisting of docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) has been developed for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Japan. However, there are few reports on the safety and efficacy of preoperative DCF for resectable EGJ-AC in the Japanese population. METHODS: Patients with histologically confirmed resectable EGJ-AC who received preoperative DCF (docetaxel 70 mg/m2 and cisplatin 70 mg/m2 on day 1 and continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil 750 mg/m2/day on days 1-5 every 3 weeks with a maximum of three cycles) between January 2015 and April 2020 were retrospectively evaluated. We assessed the rates of completion of ≥ 2 courses of DCF and R0 resection, histopathological response, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse events. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients were included. Median follow-up was 28.7 (range, 5.2-70.8) months and median age was 63 (range, 42-80) years. Twenty-one patients (66%) had a performance status of 0. The proportions of clinical stage IIA/IIB/III/IVA/IVB disease were 3%/0%/44%/44%/9%, respectively. The treatment completion rate was 84%. A histopathological response of grade 1a/1b/2/3 was obtained in 58%/26%/13%/3% of cases. Median PFS was 40.7 months (95% confidence interval 11.8-NA). Median OS was not reached (80.8% at 3 years). Grade ≥ 3 adverse events were observed in 63% of cases (neutropenia, 44%; febrile neutropenia, 13%). No treatment-related deaths occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative DCF for resectable EGJ-AC was well tolerated and has promising efficacy.

Comparison of Survival Outcomes Between Larynx-Preserving Open Partial Pharyngectomy and Radiotherapy or Chemoradiotherapy in Patients with Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis with Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting Adjustments.

BACKGROUND: There is a group of hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) patients for whom larynx-preserving open partial pharyngectomy (PP) and radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy (RT/CRT) are indicated. We aimed to retrospectively evaluate the survival difference as there is no evidence directly comparing the two therapies. METHODS: This study evaluated HPSCC patients who were initially treated by PP or RT/CRT at our institution between January 2007 and October 2019. Overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), laryngectomy-free survival (LFS), and local relapse-free survival (LRFS) were evaluated. The main analyses were performed with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) adjustments. Sensitivity analyses compared hazard ratios (HRs) obtained with three models: unadjusted, multivariate Cox regression, and propensity score-adjusted. RESULTS: Overall, 198 patients were enrolled; 63 and 135 underwent PP and RT/CRT, respectively. IPTW-adjusted 5-year OS, DSS, LFS, and LRFS rates in the PP and RT/CRT groups were 84.3% and 61.9% (p = 0.019), 84.9% and 75.8% (p = 0.168), 94.8% and 90.0% (p = 0.010), and 75.9% and 74.1% (p = 0.789), respectively. In the IPTW-adjusted regression analysis, PP was associated with a significant benefit regarding OS (HR 0.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.26-0.90) and LFS (HR 0.17, 95% CI 0.04-0.77). The results obtained with the three models in the sensitivity analyses were qualitatively similar to those of the IPTW-adjusted models. CONCLUSION: Despite the risk of bias related to unadjusted factors, our results suggest that PP is associated with significantly better OS and LFS compared with RT/CRT for HPSCC.

Optimal first-line treatment strategies of systemic therapy for unresectable gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors based on the opinions of Japanese experts.

There are several options for systemic therapy of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NEN), including somatostatin analogues (SSA), molecular-targeted agents, cytotoxic agents, and peptide receptor radionuclide therapy. However, the effectiveness of each agent varies according to the primary site. Although SSA and everolimus are key drugs used for systemic therapy of neuroendocrine tumors arising from the gastrointestinal tract (GI-NET), the optimal strategy for selecting among these modalities remains unexplored. Japanese experts on GI-NET discussed and determined optimal first-line treatment strategies based on the results of previously reported pivotal trials. The consensus was reached that tumor aggressiveness and prognosis can be predicted using hepatic tumor load and Ki-67 labeling index, which are thought to be clinically important factors when selecting systemic therapy for unresectable GI-NET. SSA therapy is considered appropriate for patients with a low hepatic tumor load and low Ki-67 value and everolimus for those with contraindications to SSA therapy. There was also agreement that the treatment strategy should be determined according to whether the origin is in the midgut, considering the biological differences. Based on this strategy, the experts have tentatively created treatment maps and applied them in representative cases of unresectable GI-NET. Japanese experts proposed tentative maps for optimal first-line treatment in patients with unresectable GI-NET. Further investigation is warranted to validate the usefulness of these maps.

Significance of lymphovascular invasion in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by esophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) was previously reported to be an independent factor associated with survival in locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (LAESCC) patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC); however, the detailed clinicopathological significance of LVI remains unclear. This study evaluated the prognostic impact of LVI in patients with LAESCC after NAC with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (CF) or docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) followed by surgery and in LAESCC patients with recurrence after NAC and surgery. METHODS: 438 patients with thoracic LAESCC who had undergone NAC followed by an esophagectomy with three-field lymphadenectomy were assessed using a propensity score matched analysis, and their long-term outcomes were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: In matched cohort, a multivariate analysis of relapse-free survival (RFS) in the NAC-CF group suggested that ypN (≥ 1, HR = 3.715, p = 0.004) and LVI (positive, HR = 3.366, p = 0.012) were independent factors associated with RFS; in the NAC-DCF group, ypN (≥ 1, HR = 4.829, p < 0.001) was the only independent factor associated with RFS. Comparisons of overall survival (OS) between the ypN + /LVI + group and other groups among patients with recurrence in each NAC regimen showed significant differences in both of NAC groups (p < 0.001, respectively). The ypN + /LVI + group had a significantly poor OS in both an oligometastatic recurrence (OMR) group (p < 0.001) and a non-OMR group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggested that the independent factor associated with prognosis of patients with LAESCC after NAC and surgery may differ according to the NAC regimen, and the presence of both ypN and LVI was a prognostic factor for patients with recurrence, including those with OMR. These results might be helpful when deciding on an additional treatment strategy for LAESCC patients.

Safety and short-term efficacy of preoperative FOLFOX therapy in patients with resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who are ineligible for cisplatin.

BACKGROUND: The standard preoperative treatment for resectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (LAESCC) in Japan is docetaxel, cisplatin (CDDP), and 5-fluorouracil. However, patients with renal or cardiac dysfunction and elderly patients are ineligible for a CDDP-containing regimen because of toxicities. Oxaliplatin, leucovorin, and 5-fluorouracil (FOLFOX) therapy has less renal toxicity than CDDP-containing regimens and does not require hydration. However, there are limited data on preoperative FOLFOX therapy in these patients. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed patients with resectable LAESCC who were aged ≥ 75 years or had renal or cardiac dysfunction and received preoperative FOLFOX between 2019 and 2021. FOLFOX was administered every 2 weeks for 3 or 4 cycles and was followed by surgery. Adverse events associated with chemotherapy, the complete resection (R0) rate, relative dose intensity (RDI), and histopathological response were evaluated. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were eligible. Median age was 77 (range 65-89) years; 68.6% were aged ≥ 75 years, 74.3% had renal dysfunction, and 17.1% had cardiac dysfunction. The RDI was 70.2% and 87.1% for bolus and continuous intravenous 5-fluorouracil, respectively and 85.2% for oxaliplatin. The most common grade ≥ 3 adverse events were neutropenia (60.0%) and leucopenia (28.6%). Two patients (5.7%) had febrile neutropenia and grade 3 pneumonia. Thirty-one patients underwent surgery. The R0 resection rate was 87.1%, and there was no histopathological evidence of residual tumor in 16.1%. There were no treatment-related deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative FOLFOX had a manageable safety profile and showed favorable short-term efficacy in patients with resectable LAESCC who were ineligible for CDDP-containing treatment.

Novel pathological staging for patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to clarify an appropriate staging system for patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (LAESCC) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) prior to surgery. METHODS: A total of 388 patients with clinical stage II or III LAESCC who had undergone NAC followed by an esophagectomy with three-field lymphadenectomy were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The relapse-free survival (RFS) curves plotted using ypN grading and ypTNM staging both monotonically decreased as the classification number increased, and the groups were more clearly separated than when the Japanese Classification (JC) was applied. A multivariate analysis of relapse free survival (RFS) suggested that ypN (HR = 2.911, P < 0.001), lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (HR = 2.608, P < 0.001) were independent factors associated with OS. The LVI+/ypN+ group had a significantly poorer outcome than the other groups (P < 0.001). The 5-year RFS rates for patients with ypStage IIIA or higher among the LVI-negative cases and ypStage II or higher among the LVI-positive cases were around 0.6 or under. The novel pathological staging which was based on the present results was proposed and RFS curves of each novel stage suggested the suitability of these staging for our cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest that a novel pathological staging system using the ypTNM classification, in which the supraclavicular lymph node was regarded as a regional lymph node and the presence of LVI was included as a category, was appropriate for patients with LAESCC after NAC prior to surgery.

Short-term outcomes of induction chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin, and fluorouracil (TPF) in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

There is an unmet need for improving survival outcomes of locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, for example, T4/ N3 stage disease. To this end, we administered induction chemotherapy (IC) with TPF (docetaxel, cisplatin, and fluorouracil) because this stage of disease is associated with a high risk of recurrence and is difficult to control with standard treatments, such as chemoradiotherapy (CRT) alone or CRT followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. The aim of this retrospective single-center study was to clarify the short-term outcomes of locally far-advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated with IC-TPF, followed by CRT with cisplatin. Data from 11 patients were extracted from our database, indicating that the overall response rate to IC-TPF, clinical complete response rate after CRT, 1-year progression-free survival, and 1-year overall survival were 73%, 91%, 68%, and 89%, respectively. Hematological toxicity was the most common adverse event reported during IC-TPF with 64% of patients suffering grade 3 or 4 neutropenia, 55% grade 3 or 4 leucopenia and 9% febrile neutropenia. Despite the small number of patients, these data are important because there is a limited number of studies investigating IC-TPF followed by CRT in Japanese patients. This pilot study provides some indication of the short-term effectiveness and toxicity of this therapeutic approach, which may be superior to standard treatments. Long-term follow-up is warranted to assess the effectiveness of IC-TPF in terms of clinical outcome and late-phase toxicity.

Long-term outcomes of patients with recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus undergoing salvage endoscopic resection after definitive chemoradiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Salvage endoscopic resection (ER) has been reported to be effective for patients with local failure of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT). This study aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of salvage ER for patients with local failure of ESCC and to identify risk factors associated with disease recurrence after salvage ER. METHODS: This study included 45 patients undergoing salvage ER after dCRT during 2000 to 2017. After ER, all patients were required to undergo surveillance esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) once or twice every year, and a computed tomography (CT) examination was repeated every 3 to 6 months. We assessed short-term outcomes and long-term outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 45 patients in this study, the baseline clinical T stage before dCRT was T1 in 80%, 66% of the patients did not have nodal metastasis. The median time from CRT to the detection of local failure was 11 months (range 2-130 months). The en-bloc resection rate was 46%, and the R0 resection rate was 38%, respectively. Stricture occurred after salvage ER for one case, while adverse events such as bleeding or perforation and ER-related death did not occur. After a median observation period of 57 months, recurrence free survival at 3 years was 58%, overall survival was 72%, and disease specific survival was 81%. In multivariate analysis, clinical N stage before CRT was the only independent risk factor of recurrence after salvage ER (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Salvage ER might be effective local treatment in patients with local failure after dCRT. For the patients with clinical N stage, frequent surveillance should be performed.

General rules for clinical and pathological studies on oral cancer (2nd edition): a synopsis.

For doctors and other medical staff treating oral cancer, it is necessary to standardize the basic concepts and rules for oral cancer to achieve progress in its treatment, research, and diagnosis. Oral cancer is an integral part of head and neck cancer and is treated in accordance with the general rules for head and neck cancer. However, detailed rules based on the specific characteristics of oral cancer are essential. The objective of this article was to contribute to the development of the diagnosis, treatment, and research of oral cancer, based on the correct and useful medical information of clinical, surgical, pathological, and imaging findings accumulated from individual patients at various institutions. Our general rules were revised as the UICC was revised for the 8th edition and were published as the Japanese second edition in 2019. In this paper, the English edition of the "Rules" section is primarily presented.

Retrospective comparison of nab-paclitaxel plus ramucirumab and paclitaxel plus ramucirumab as second-line treatment for advanced gastric cancer focusing on peritoneal metastasis.

Background Ramucirumab (RAM) plus solvent-based (sb)-paclitaxel (PTX) is the standard second-line chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer (AGC). The subset analysis of the ABSOLUTE trial, which confirmed non-inferiority of weekly nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab)-PTX to weekly sb-PTX, suggested that nab-PTX might have better efficacy than sb-PTX in patients with peritoneal metastasis. We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of RAM plus sb-PTX and nab-PTX in patients with peritoneal metastasis of AGC. Methods AGC patients who received RAM plus sb-PTX or nab-PTX as second-line chemotherapy from June 2015 to February 2019 were included in the study. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), response rate, and safety were assessed. Results A total of 128 patients were included in this study (93 in the RAM plus sb-PTX group and 35 in the RAM plus nab-PTX group). PFS was 4.1 months in the RAM plus sb-PTX group and 4.6 months in the RAM plus nab-PTX group (HR 0.90; 95%CI 0.58-1.41, p = 0.643). OS was 8.9 months in the RAM plus sb-PTX group and 11.4 months in the RAM plus nab-PTX group (HR 0.95; 95%CI 0.56-1.62, p = 0.847). A total of 62 and 31 patients had peritoneal metastasis in the RAM plus sb-PTX and the RAM plus nab-PTX groups, respectively. RAM plus nab-PTX showed a slightly longer survival compared to RAM plus sb-PTX in patients with peritoneal metastasis (PFS 5.8 vs 3.5 months, HR 0.66; 95% CI 0.40-1.10, p = 0.109). Conclusion This study suggests that RAM plus nab-PTX might be a more effective treatment for peritoneal metastasis of AGC.

Study protocol for a multi-institutional randomized phase III study comparing combined everolimus plus lanreotide therapy and everolimus monotherapy in patients with unresectable or recurrent gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors; Japan Clinical Oncology Group Study JCOG1901 (STARTER-NET study).

Everolimus is recognized as one of the standard drugs for the treatment of unresectable or recurrent gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NET). However, recent evidence has suggested that addition of somatostatin analogs to everolimus may yield better survival outcomes as compared to everolimus alone. In April 2020, we have initiated a randomized phase III trial in Japan, to confirm the superiority of combined everolimus plus lanreotide therapy over everolimus monotherapy in patients with unresectable or recurrent gastroenteropancreatic NETs with poor prognostic factors (Ki-67 labeling index: LI 5%-20% or Ki-67 LI < 5% with diffuse liver metastases). We plan to enroll a total of 250 patients from 76 institutions over an accrual period of 5 years. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival. The key secondary endpoint is overall survival, with response rate, disease control rate, and proportion of patients with adverse events as the other secondary endpoints. This trial is registered with the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials as jRCT1031200023 [https://jrct.niph.go.jp/en-latest-detail/jRCT1031200023].

Identification of serum microRNAs predicting the response of esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma to nivolumab.

BACKGROUND: Nivolumab, a programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor, showed promising activity for the treatment of advanced esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma in a phase II study (ONO-4538-07; JapicCTI-No.142422). We explored serum microRNA (miRNA) candidate predictive markers of the response to nivolumab. METHODS: In the phase II study, 19 patients received nivolumab (3 mg/kg IV Q2W) at National Cancer Center Hospital. The expression of 2565 serum miRNAs before and during treatment was analyzed using a 3D-Gene Human miRNA Oligo Chip (Toray Industries, Inc.). Immune-related response evaluation criteria used to evaluate response and miRNA expression were compared between responders and non-responders. The top 20 miRNAs by accuracy in receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were identified by leave-one-out cross-validation, and those with the area under curve values > 0.8, cross-validated accuracy > 0.8, and a 0.5 difference in the average log2 expression level between responders and non-responders were further analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 19 patients, five responded to nivolumab. We identified miRNAs related to the response to nivolumab, including one detected in the serum before treatment (miR-1233-5p; AUC = 0.895) and three present after treatment (miR-6885-5p, miR-4698 and miR-128-2-5p; AUC = 0.93, 0.97 and 0.93, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Candidate miRNAs capable of predicting the response to nivolumab were identified in the serum of patients with advanced esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma in ONO-4538-07.

Safety and efficacy of cell-free and concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy (CART) in gastrointestinal cancer patients with massive ascites treated with systemic chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: Gastrointestinal cancer is frequently associated with malignant ascites, resulting in poor prognosis. While cell-free and concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy (CART) improves ascites-related symptoms, its clinical impact in combination with systemic chemotherapy is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CART in gastrointestinal cancer patients with massive ascites treated with chemotherapy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of gastrointestinal cancer patients with massive ascites who received CART and chemotherapy at our hospital between July 2015 and September 2017. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients received CART and chemotherapy: gastric cancer (n = 21) and colorectal cancer (n = 9). The initial CART improved performance status in 20% of the patients, and the mean serum albumin and creatinine was significantly improved. Median time to treatment failure and overall survival of chemotherapy following CART were 2.1 and 3.5 months in gastric cancer patients and 5.8 and 5.8 months in colorectal cancer patients, respectively. The frequency of paracentesis was decreased after introduction of CART followed by chemotherapy in 83% of gastric cancer and in all colorectal cancer patients who had received paracentesis before the initial CART. There were no grade 3/4 adverse events during the CART procedure. Grade 3/4 hematotoxic and non-hematotoxic adverse events of chemotherapy following CART were 30% and less than 10%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of CART followed by chemotherapy is safe and could be a treatment option for gastrointestinal cancer patients with massive ascites.

Comparison of involved field radiotherapy and elective nodal irradiation in combination with concurrent chemotherapy for T1bN0M0 esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The optimal radiation field of chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for stage I esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is unknown. This retrospective study compared efficacy and safety of two CRT modalities, involved field irradiation (IFI) and elective nodal irradiation (ENI), when treating patients with clinical stage I (T1bN0M0) ESCC. METHODS: Patients had received 60 Gy CRT concurrently with 5-FU and cisplatin between January 2000 and December 2012. The clinical target volume of IFI was limited to the primary tumor plus a 2-cm craniocaudal margin; that of ENI covered the primary tumor plus the field of regional lymph nodes. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-five patients were selected (IFI group, 78; ENI group, 117). The 5-year overall, cause-specific and progression-free survival rates were 90.5%, 91.6% and 77.6% in the IFI group, and 72.5%, 88.3%, 57.9% in the ENI group, respectively. Of recurrent patients (n = 16 in the IF and n = 33 in the ENI groups) after achieving complete remission, 12 (75%) in the IFI group received definitive salvage therapy, 11 (33%) patients did in the ENI group. More patients died of diseases other than esophageal cancer in the ENI group (n = 29, 25%) than in the IFI group (n = 3, 3.8%). Multivariate analysis identified ENI (HR 3.63 [1.78-7.38], p < 0.001), age ≥ 70 (HR 2.65 [1.53-4.58], p < 0.001) and PS = 1 (HR 2.36 [1.33-4.18], p = 0.003) as poor prognostic factors for OS. CONCLUSIONS: IF irradiation would be better than ENI for the patients with stage I ESCC who received definitive chemoradiotherapy.