Real life experience of patients with locally advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a Turkish oncology group study.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) and gastric cancer (GC) was shown to improve survival in recent studies. We aimed to share our real-life experience of patients who received NACT to compare the efficacy and toxicity profile of different chemotherapy regimens in our country. This retrospective multicentre study included locally advanced GC and GEJ cancer patients who received NACT between 2007 and 2021. Relation between CT regimens and pathological evaluation were analysed. A total of 794 patients from 45 oncology centers in Turkey were included. Median age at the time of diagnosis was 60 (range: 18-86). Most frequent NACT regimens used were FLOT (65.4%), DCF (17.4%) and ECF (8.1%), respectively. In the total study group, pathological complete remission (pCR) rate was 7.2%, R0 resection rate 86.4%, and D2 dissection rate was 66.8%. Rate of pCR and near-CR (24%), and R0 resection (84%) were numerically higher in FLOT arm (p > 0.05). Patients who received FLOT had also higher chemotherapy-related toxicity rate compared to patients who received other regimens (p > 0.05). Median follow-up time was 16 months (range: 1-154 months). Estimated median overall survival (OS) was 58.4months (95% CI: 35.2-85.7) and disease-free survival (DFS) was 50.7 months (95% CI: 25.4-75.9). The highest 3-year estimated OS rate was also shown in FLOT arm (68%). We still do not know which NACT regimen is the best choice for daily practice.  Clinicians should tailor treatment regimens according to patients' multifactorial status and comorbidities for to obtain best outcomes. Longer follow-up period needs to validate our results.

Efficacy and safety of trastuzumab emtansine in older patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer: a real-world study.

INTRODUCTION: Ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) is an antibody-drug conjugate and its survival advantage has been shown in advanced human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer. However, clinical trials underrepresent patients ⩾65 years of age, leading to a lack of information in this population. We analyzed the real-world outcomes of older women who were treated with T-DM1 therapy. METHODS: We performed a multicenter, observational, retrospective analysis of patients aged ⩾65 years treated with T-DM1. A total of 93 patients from 10 cancer centers were involved in the study. Our goal was to determine the survival, response rates, and toxicity profile in T-DM1-treated patients, as well as the factors that influence survival. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 12.2 months. Objective response rate was 29%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 8.47 and 15.0 months, respectively. In multivariate analysis, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Score 2 was found to be an independent prognostic factor for worse PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.81, p = 0.032) and OS (HR 2.33, p = 0.006). Any adverse event (AE) was seen in 92.5% of patients; grade 3 or 4 AEs were seen in 30.1%. Dose reduction or treatment discontinuation rates were 11.8% and 6.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of T-DM1 was acceptable and it was generally well-tolerated among older patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer.

Role of tumor location on high-grade serous ovarian cancer prognosis.

OBJECTIVES: Ovarian cancer is associated with the highest mortality of gynecologic cancers. Epidemiological and genetic factors of ovarian cancer development are clearly defined but prognostic factors have not been adequately identified. Right and left ovarian cancers seem to act different behaviors at high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) prognosis. The aim of this study is to explain this prognostic role of its sidedness. The aim of this study is to explain this prognostic role of its sidedness. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We reviewed 160 consecutive patients with Figo stage 1-3 HGSOCs and undergone surgery at two high-volume hospitals. Prognostic effects of primary tumor location onset were evaluated in terms of 5-year disease free survival and overall survival rate. RESULTS: One hundred-sixty patients with ovarian cancer records were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, that demonstrated a significant difference in the 5-year disease-free survival rates between right and left-sided cancers for all stages (44.6% vs 78.5%, p < 0.001). Also, there was significant difference in the 5-year overall survival rates between the two groups (71.1% vs 91.9%, p = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: Tumor location within the HGSOC seems to be a compelling prognostic factor ovarian cancer. Further prospective studies are needed in order to support our hypothesis.

Prognostic factors of ado-trastuzumab emtansine treatment in patients with metastatic HER-2 positive breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Ado-trastuzumab emtansine is an antibody-drug conjugate that combines the cytotoxic activity of emtansine with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-targeted antitumor features of trastuzumab. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a study of metastatic breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab emtansine. By evaluating progression-free survival, overall survival, and response rates, we aimed to find prognostic factors of trastuzumab emtansine treatment. METHODS: Our study is a single-center, retrospective, observational study. We have clinical data from 78 patients treated with trastuzumab emtansine for metastatic breast cancer, from May 2016 through May 2019, at Kartal Dr Lutfi Kirdar Education and Research Hospital, Medical Oncology Department. Our objective is to assess the survival and response rates in trastuzumab emtansine-treated individuals and the factors associated with survival. The factors we analyzed were cancer antigen 15-3 sensitivity, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status, presence or absence of visceral metastases, presence or absence of cranial metastases, and treatment-associated thrombocytopenia. RESULTS: Among 78 patients, median progression-free survival was 7.8 months, and overall survival was 21.1 months. Twenty of the patients had an objective tumor response. The results showed that trastuzumab emtansine was tolerable with a manageable safety profile and consistent with the results of the previous literature. Mostly seen adverse events were anemia, thrombocytopenia, fatigue, and increased levels of alkaline phosphatase. Patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status = 2 had worse progression-free survival and overall survival compared to ones with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status < 2; progression-free survival and overall survival are worse in cancer antigen 15-3-sensitive breast cancer patients. According to our findings, treatment-associated thrombocytopenia was a significant prognostic factor for survival. Patients with thrombocytopenia had 12 months progression-free survival, whereas patients without thrombocytopenia had only 4.1 months progression-free survival. In like manner, overall survival was much better in the thrombocytopenia-experienced patients as 29.5 versus 11.8 months. CONCLUSIONS: Trastuzumab emtansine prolongs progression-free survival and overall survival with a manageable safety profile. Thrombocytopenia, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status, and cancer antigen 15-3 are correlated with progression-free survival and/or overall survival.

Does the efficacy of regorafenib differ in chemotherapy refractory metastatic colorectal cancer patients who had mucinous pathology compared to those who had non-mucinous pathology?

PURPOSE: To investigate the importance of mucinous histopathology on the assessment of tumor response in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) receiving regorafenib. MATERIALS AND METHOD: All patients diagnosed with histologically confirmed mCRC in 2 oncology centers between 2013 and 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Among 678 patients diagnosed with mCRC, 103 patients were treated with regorafenib. Ninety-four of these patients who had used at least 2 cycles of regorafenib and evaluable for treatment response were included in the analysis. Histopathologically, 18 patients with mucinous adenocarcinoma and 76 patients with nonmucinous adenocarcinoma were compared in terms of response rate and survival durations. RESULTS: Median follow-up duration of 6 months, median age of the patients was 61 (34-77) years. While 19.1% of the patients had mucinous histology, 80.9% had nonmucinous histology. The overall response rate was significantly lower in the mucinous subgroup than the nonmucinous subgroup (5.6% vs 43.4%, respectively, P = 0.003). Similarly, both progression-free survival (3.0 vs 4.0 months, respectively, P = 0.011) and overall survival duration were shorter in the mucinous subgroup (3.0 vs 7.0 months, P = 0.016, respectively) compared with the nonmucinous subgroup. CONCLUSION: The histological subgroup may predict tumor response in mCRC patients receiving regorafenib. Its efficacy on nonmucinous histology had significantly more favorable than mucinous subtype.