Treatment of advanced BP-NETS with lanreotide autogel/depot vs placebo: the phase III SPINET study.

Prospective data are lacking on early somatostatin analog (SSA) therapy in bronchopulmonary neuroendocrine tumors (BP-NETs; typical carcinoids and atypical carcinoids (TCs and ACs)). SPINET (EudraCT: 2015-004992-62; NCT02683941) was a phase III, double-blind study of lanreotide autogel/depot (LAN; 120 mg every 28 days) plus best supportive care (BSC) vs placebo plus BSC, with an optional open-label treatment phase (LAN plus BSC). Patients had metastatic/unresectable, somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-positive TCs or ACs. Recruitment was stopped early owing to slow accrual; eligible patients from the double-blind phase transitioned to open-label LAN. The adapted primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) during either phase for patients receiving LAN. Seventy-seven patients were randomized (LAN, n = 51 (TCs, n = 29; ACs, n = 22); placebo, n = 26 (TCs, n = 16; ACs, n = 10)). Median (95% CI) PFS during double-blind and open-label phases in patients receiving LAN was 16.6 (11.3; 21.9) months overall (primary endpoint), 21.9 (12.8, not calculable (NC)) months in TCs, and 13.8 (5.4; 16.6) months in ACs. During double-blind treatment, median (95% CI) PFS was 16.6 (11.3; 21.9) months for LAN vs 13.6 (8.3; NC) months for placebo (not significant); corresponding values were 21.9 (13.8; NC) and 13.9 (13.4; NC) months, respectively, in TCs and 13.8 (5.4; 16.6) and 11.0 (2.8; 16.9) months, respectively, in ACs. Patients' quality of life did not deteriorate and LAN was well tolerated. Although recruitment stopped early and the predefined sample size was not met, SPINET is the largest prospective study to date of SSA therapy in SSTR-positive TCs and ACs and suggests clinical benefit in TCs.

A multiinstitutional evaluation of the analgesic efficacy and safety of ketorolac tromethamine, acetaminophen plus codeine, and placebo in cancer pain.

Seventy-five patients with moderate to severe cancer pain were randomly assigned in a double-blind fashion to receive first-dose ketorolac tromethamine 10 mg orally, acetaminophen 600 mg plus codeine 60 mg orally, or placebo, followed by subsequent doses of ketorolac or acetaminophen plus codeine four times daily for 7 days. Patient characteristics were similar among the treatment groups. The first-dose observation documented that both ketorolac and acetaminophen plus codeine produced an equivalent reduction in cancer pain and were superior to placebo as measured by pain intensity differences and pain relief. Multidose comparison documented a small but statistically significant advantage in mean daily pain relief favoring acetaminophen plus codeine, although there were no differences in mean daily ratings of overall effects for either study medication. Adverse symptoms were acceptable with both ketorolac and acetaminophen plus codeine. We conclude that ketorolac has significant analgesic activity in patients with cancer pain, although its precise role in the treatment regimen of these patients remains undefined.