Immune-related Liver Injury is a Poor Prognostic Factor in Patients with Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

It remains unclear whether severe liver immune-related adverse events (liver-irAEs) can affect the prognosis in nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients. Of the 365 NSCLC patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), 19 suffered from severe liver-irAEs (grade ≥3). The median time-to-onset of liver-irAEs was 53 days postinjection of the first ICI. The progression-free survival and overall survival of the liver-irAEs group (median 69 and 262 days, respectively) were significantly worse than the nonliver-irAEs group (128 and 722 days; P = 0.010 and P = 0.007; respectively). In conclusion, liver-irAEs were associated with poor prognosis in NSCLC patients.

CEBPγ facilitates lamellipodia formation and cancer cell migration through CERS6 upregulation.

Ceramide synthase 6 (CERS6) promotes lung cancer metastasis by stimulating cancer cell migration. To examine the underlying mechanisms, we performed luciferase analysis of the CERS6 promoter region and identified the Y-box as a cis-acting element. As a parallel analysis of database records for 149 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cancer patients, we screened for trans-acting factors with an expression level showing a correlation with CERS6 expression. Among the candidates noted, silencing of either CCAAT enhancer-binding protein γ (CEBPγ) or Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1) reduced the CERS6 expression level. Following knockdown, CEBPγ and YBX1 were found to be independently associated with reductions in ceramide-dependent lamellipodia formation as well as migration activity, while only CEBPγ may have induced CERS6 expression through specific binding to the Y-box. The mRNA expression levels of CERS6, CEBPγ, and YBX1 were positively correlated with adenocarcinoma invasiveness. YBX1 expression was observed in all 20 examined clinical lung cancer specimens, while 6 of those showed a staining pattern similar to that of CERS6. The present findings suggest promotion of lung cancer migration by possible involvement of the transcription factors CEBPγ and YBX1.

Comparing incidences of infusion site reactions between brand-name and generic vinorelbine in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

AIM: This study aimed to compare the incidence of infusion site reactions (ISRs) induced by intravenous administration of brand-name and generic vinorelbine (VNR) for treating non-small cell lung cancer. METHOD: This single-centre retrospective cohort study was conducted by medical chart review of VNR infusions. ISRs were defined as symptoms around the infusion site, including pain, redness and swelling. ISRs requiring treatment were defined as ISRs requiring treatments including steroid ointments, vein repuncture and local steroid injections. RESULTS: In all, 1973 VNR infusions were administered to 340 patients (brand-name 141 patients, generic 199 patients). ISRs and ISRs requiring treatment were observed in 161 and 100 patients, respectively. The ISR incidence per patient and per injection was significantly higher in generic VNR-treated patients than in brand-name VNR-treated patients (53.3% vs 39.0%, P = 0.0112 and 15.0% vs 9.9%, P = 0.0008, respectively). The frequency of ISRs requiring treatment was also significantly higher in the generic group (per patient 36.7% vs 19.2%, P = 0.0005; per injection 11.3% vs 5.5%, P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that generic VNR was significantly associated with an increased risk of ISRs (per patient adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.775, P = 0.0155; per injection AOR 1.672, P = 0.004) and ISRs requiring treatment (per patient AOR 2.422, P = 0.0012; per injection AOR 2.286, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Intravenous infusion of generic VNR was associated with an increased risk of ISRs. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanism underlying the increased incidence of ISRs with generic VNR.

Short hydration with 20 mEq of magnesium supplementation for lung cancer patients receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous administration of magnesium with a short hydration regimen is recommended for patients receiving high-dose cisplatin to protect against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. However, the optimal dose of magnesium supplementation has not been clarified. The aim of this trial was to investigate the safety and efficacy of a short hydration regimen with 20 mEq of magnesium supplementation for lung cancer patients receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy. METHODS: The key eligibility criteria included cytologically or histologically diagnosed lung cancer, candidacy for cisplatin-based (≥ 60 mg/m2) chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, no prior chemotherapy, aged 20-75 years, and adequate renal function. Cisplatin was administered with pre-hydration with 20 mEq of magnesium sulfate. Mannitol was administered just before cisplatin infusion to enforce diuresis. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who underwent cisplatin-based chemotherapy with a short hydration regimen with 20 mEq of magnesium supplementation without a grade 2 or higher elevation in creatinine. RESULTS: Forty patients with a median age of 66 years (range 35-74) were prospectively enrolled. Median baseline creatinine was 0.71 mg/dL. Median dose of cisplatin in the first cycle was 80 mg/m2. In the first cycle, no patients developed grade 2 creatinine toxicity. During the treatment period, one patient developed grade 2 creatinine elevation; thus, the proportion of patients without a grade 2 or higher elevation in creatinine was 97.5% (95% confidence interval 86.8-99.9). CONCLUSION: A short hydration regimen with 20 mEq of magnesium supplementation is safe and feasible for patients with lung cancer receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

Adjustment of creatinine clearance for carboplatin dosing in Calvert's formula and clinical efficacy for lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: The Cockcroft-Gault formula is commonly used as a substitute for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in Calvert's formula for carboplatin dosing, where adjusting serum creatinine measured using the enzymatic method with 0.2 mg/dL has been suggested in Japan. However, the effects of these adjustments on efficacy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer remain unknown. METHODS: We conducted a post hoc analysis of the PREDICT1 study (CJLSG1201), a multicenter prospective observational trial of carboplatin-pemetrexed. Glomerular filtration rate values in Calvert's formula were back-calculated from the administered dosages of carboplatin and the reported value of the target area under the curve. We estimated the serum creatinine adjustments and divided the patients into crude and adjusted groups. RESULTS: Patients in the crude group (N = 169) demonstrated similar efficacy to those in the adjusted group (N = 104) in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio [HR], 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76-1.35; p = 0.916 vs. HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.65-1.17; p = 0.363), with higher grade 3-4 hematologic toxicity. Among patients aged ≥75 years, the crude group (N = 47) showed superior efficacy compared with the adjusted group (N = 17) in PFS and OS (HR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.20-0.69; p = 0.002 vs. HR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.23-0.82; p = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: Serum creatinine adjustment may be associated with similar efficacy compared to the crude serum creatinine value. In older patients, the adjustment should be cautiously applied owing to the potential for reduced efficacy.

Development of an immuno-wall device for the rapid and sensitive detection of EGFR mutations in tumor tissues resected from lung cancer patients.

Detecting molecular targets in specimens from patients with lung cancer is essential for targeted therapy. Recently, we developed a highly sensitive, rapid-detection device (an immuno-wall device) that utilizes photoreactive polyvinyl alcohol immobilized with antibodies against a target protein via a streptavidin-biotin interaction. To evaluate its performance, we assayed epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, such as E746_A750 deletion in exon 19 or L858R substitution in exon 21, both of which are common in non-small cell lung cancer and important predictors of the treatment efficacy of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The results showed that in 20-min assays, the devices detected as few as 1% (E746_A750 deletion) and 0.1% (L858R substitution) of mutant cells. Subsequent evaluation of detection of the mutations in surgically resected lung cancer specimens from patients with or without EGFR mutations and previously diagnosed using commercially available, clinically approved genotyping assays revealed diagnostic sensitivities of the immuno-wall device for E746_A750 deletion and L858R substitution of 85.7% and 87.5%, respectively, with specificities of 100% for both mutations. These results suggest that the immuno-wall device represents a good candidate next-generation diagnostic tool, especially for screening of EGFR mutations.

Spinal Cord Ischemia Secondary to Epidural Metastasis from Small Cell Lung Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Spinal cord ischemia is an uncommon event that is mainly caused by dissociation of the ascending aorta as a complication after aortic surgery. Spinal arteries can develop collateral circulation; therefore, the frequency of spinal infarction is about 1% of that in the brain. Few cases of spinal cord ischemia developing in the course of lung cancer have been reported. CASE REPORT We presented the case of a 56-year-old man with small cell lung carcinoma, cT4N2M1a (stage IV). He was treated with irradiation and 2 courses of platinum and etoposide combination chemotherapy. He complained of back pain followed by quadriplegia and sensory disturbance after cessation of chemotherapy. With a diagnosis of spinal cord metastasis, steroids were administered. However, diaphragmatic paralysis appeared a few hours later. He was started on palliative care and died after 6 days. Autopsy showed epidural metastasis and spinal ischemia at the C5 level. CONCLUSIONS Epidural metastasis can compress the spinal artery and cause circulatory disorders. Spinal cord ischemia should be considered in patients with rapid paralysis in the course of lung cancer.