Association between neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-lymphocyte ratio, and survival in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (NLR, PLR, and overall survival in UPS).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cancer-related inflammation has been shown to be a driver of tumor growth and progression, and there has been a recent focus on identifying markers of the inflammatory tumor microenvironment. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are inflammatory indices that have been identified as prognostic biomarkers in various malignancies. However, there is limited and conflicting data regarding their prognostic value in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and specifically in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS). METHODS: This was a retrospective review of patients who underwent surgical treatment for primary UPS from 1993 to 2021. Cutoff values for NLR and PLR were determined by receiver operating curve analysis. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine prognostic factors on univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Eighty-six patients were included. The optimal cutoff value was 3.3 for NLR and 190 for PLR. Both high NLR (HR 2.44; 95% CI 1.29-4.63; p = 0.005) and high PLR (HR 1.99; 95% CI 1.08-3.67, p = 0.02) were associated with worse OS on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, metastasis at presentation and radiotherapy were independently predictive of OS, but high NLR (HR 1.30; 95% CI 0.64-2.98; p = 0.41) and high PLR (HR 1.63; 95% CI 0.82-3.25; p = 0.17) were not predictive of survival. CONCLUSIONS: High pre-treatment NLR and PLR were associated with decreased overall survival but were not independent predictors of survival in patients undergoing resection for UPS. Until additional prospective studies can be done, survival outcomes are best predicted using previously established patient- and tumor-specific factors.

Four-Phase, Definitive Chemoradiation for a Real-World (Poor Risk and/or Elderly) Patient Population With Locally Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Introduction With the incorporation of modernized radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, treatment outcomes have improved for patients with locally advanced, unresectable diseases. Elderly or poor performance status patients comprise more than half of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, but they are often underrepresented or excluded in clinical trials. Split-course concurrent chemoradiotherapy can be an effective treatment, showing good adherence and a favorable toxicity profile for unresectable, locally advanced NSCLC. Method We identified locally advanced NSCLC cancer patients via a single institution retrospective study. Patients were treated using a four-phase, split-course external beam radiotherapy approach with concurrent chemotherapy. The primary endpoints analyzed were completion rate, incidence, and severity of treatment-related toxicities, progression-free survival (PFS), and median overall survival (OS). Results Thirty-nine locally advanced lung cancer patients were treated with split-course chemoradiation (CRT). The median age at diagnosis was 73 years old. Seventeen patients had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score of 2. Twenty-three patients had a clinical diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and 10 patients were on home oxygen at the time of diagnosis. All patients completed 6000 centigrays (cGy) of radiation, and 95% of the patients completed at least three cycles of concurrent chemotherapy. No patients experienced grade 3 to 5 acute thoracic toxicities. Overall median survival was 12.7 months, and PFS was 7.5 months. Conclusion Our retrospective analysis of 39 poor risk and/or elderly patients with locoregional NSCLC treated with concurrent CRT via a split-course regimen suggests favorable oncologic outcomes and superb treatment completion rates and toleration.

Does synovial sarcoma grade predict oncologic outcomes, and does a low-grade variant exist?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: While historically aggressive, some synovial sarcomas (SS) are clinically indolent. This study sought to determine whether SS grade predicts oncologic outcomes and whether Grade 1 disease might exist. METHODS: Thirty-five cases from 2010 to 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinicopathological data were analyzed and Kaplan-Meier assessed survival. RESULTS: The median patient age was 37 years (interquartile range: 28-51.5). The local control rate was 74.3%, and recurrence-free survival (RFS) was worse in positive versus negative margin resections (p = 0.023). The incidence of metastasis was 21.9% (n = 7) at a median 31 ± 31.7 months, and metastasis-free survival was 50.0% in Grade 3 SS versus 86.5% in Grade 2 (p = 0.026). Among a theoretical Grade 1 group, the overall survival (OS) and RFS profiles were improved compared to Grade 2 and 3 SS, respectively (p = 0.014 and p = 0.030). The Grade 1 group had a 15.8% (n = 3) metastatic rate and 80% 10-year survival. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor grade appears to predict outcomes in SS. A theoretical Grade 1 group showed improved OS and RFS versus Grades 2 and 3 SS, with metastatic rates and long-term survival resembling the historical literature for other low-grade soft tissue sarcomas. Our group continues to support the French Federation of Cancer Centers diagnostic strategy and NCCN treatment guidelines for SS.

PET-CT staging affects time to treatment in sarcoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: PET-CTs are being increasingly utilized in sarcoma care. This study sought to investigate the impact of PET-CT acquisition on time to treatment initiation. METHODS: The records of bone and soft tissue sarcoma patients treated at our institution were reviewed. Dates of initial presentation to a sarcoma-treating physician and dates of treatment initiation were recorded. RESULTS: Time to treatment was greater in patients (p < 0.001) with median time to treatment of 26 days (IQR 17, 36) and 20 days (IQR 12, 29) for those who did and did not undergo PET-CT, respectively. Those who underwent PET-CT in addition to a plain chest CT also had significantly increased time to treatment (p < 0.001) with median time to treatment of 27 days (IQR 17, 36) and 20 days (IQR 13, 28) for those who underwent both studies and those who underwent plain CT alone, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a statistically significant increase in time to treatment with the acquisition of a PET-CT scan, the added time is likely clinically insignificant. Additionally, PET-CT may offer additional benefits in potentially more accurate staging.

What is the clinical impact of staging and surveillance PET-CT scan findings in patients with bone and soft tissue sarcoma?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Positron emission tomography-computerized tomography (PET-CTs) are becoming increasingly utilized in sarcoma care, workup, and surveillance. This study aimed to describe additional PET-CT findings as well as subsequent workups and changes in the clinical course due to those results. METHODS: Patient records were retrospectively reviewed, and the additional workups and evaluations triggered by PET-CT findings were qualitatively analyzed to document their results. Additional changes in the clinical course were documented. RESULTS: A total of 183 bone and soft tissue sarcoma patients underwent PET-CT as part of staging or surveillance. Additional workup was performed in 31.5% (n = 41 of 130) patients who had positive PET-CT findings. Among these, 36.6% (n = 15 of 41) patients had clinically significant findings that altered the clinical course. Overall, 14.8% (n = 27 of 183) experienced a change in the clinical course due to PET-CT. CONCLUSION: PET-CT often highlights lesions of potential clinical importance. Additional workup, as well as changes in the clinical course, were not infrequent. Future, multi-institutional studies should address the value of PET-CT in sarcoma care.

The clinical utility of next-generation sequencing for bone and soft tissue sarcoma.

Background: Sarcomas are a rare and heterogeneous tumor group composed of a variety of histologic subtypes. Targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) of bone and soft tissue sarcomas is a nascent field with limited evidence for its use within clinical practice. Therefore, further research is needed to validate NGS in sarcoma and assess the clinical utility of these techniques with the hope of improving treatment options.Methods: Comprehensive molecular profiling with NGS was performed on 136 tumors (116 soft tissue, 20 bone) using two commercial vendors. Patient records were retrospectively reviewed, and the clinical impact of NGS-related findings were qualitatively analyzed to determine actionable mutations and number of changes in treatment.Results: The median age was 55.0 years (IQR 42-67 years), and most patients were non-metastatic at presentation (80.9%, n = 110). Prior to performing NGS, 72.1% (n = 98) were treated with a mean 1.1 ± 1.2 lines of systemic chemotherapy. NGS identified 341 putative alterations with at least one mutation present in 89.7% (n = 122) of samples. In a subset of 111 patients with available TMB data, 78.7% (n = 107) had a low (<6 m/Mb) mutational burden. Among all 136 cases, 47.1% (n = 64) contained clinically actionable alterations, and 12 patients had a change in medical treatment based on NGS. Those who underwent a treatment change all had metastatic or recurrent disease; three of these patients experienced a clinical benefit.Conclusion: Most bone and soft tissue sarcomas harbor at least one genetic alteration, and it appears a sizeable number of tumors contain mutations that are clinically actionable. While a change in treatment based off NGS-related findings occurred in 12 cases, three patients experienced a clinical benefit. Our data provide further proof-of-concept for NGS in sarcoma and suggest a clinical benefit may be observed in select patients.

Pulmonary metastasectomy in bone and soft tissue sarcoma with metastasis to the lung.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the outcomes of sarcoma patients with lung metastases who underwent pulmonary metastasectomy (PM), compared to patients who underwent medical management alone. The secondary objective was to compare survival after PM between variables of interest. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of 565 sarcoma patients with confirmed, isolated pulmonary metastasis identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database between 2010 and 2015. 1:4 propensity score matching was used to select PM and non-PM groups. The multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyse prognostic factors of disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: Of the eligible 565 patients, 59 PM patients were matched to 202 non-PM patients in a final ratio of 3.4. After propensity matching, there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between PM and non-PM patients. The median DFS after PM was 32 months (interquartile range 18-59), compared to 20 months (interquartile range 7-40) in patients without PM (P = 0.032). Using a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model, metastasectomy (hazard ratio 0.536, 95% confidence interval 0.33-0.85; P = 0.008) was associated with improved DFS. In a subset analysis of patients who underwent PM only, the median DFS was longer in males compared to females (P = 0.021), as well as in bone sarcoma compared to soft tissue sarcoma (P = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: For sarcoma patients with metastatic lung disease, PM appears to improve the prognosis compared to medical management. Furthermore, there may be a survival association with gender and tumour origin in patients who underwent PM. These data may be used to inform the surgical indications and eligibility criteria for metastasectomy in this setting.

Outcomes of brain metastasis in high-grade bone and soft tissue sarcoma: An analysis of clinicopathological characteristics and survival data.

Brain metastases in sarcoma are exceedingly rare, with few published series documenting ranges from 1% to 8%. This study investigated the outcomes of sarcoma patients with brain metastases using a population-based analysis. This was a retrospective review of 5933 patients with high-grade sarcoma identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database between 2010 and 2015. Of the eligible 5933 patients, 0.7% (n = 44) had brain metastasis. Kaplan-Meier was used to estimate survival and follow-up (reverse Kaplan-Meier), and a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model analyzed prognostic factors of disease-free survival (DFS). Median (IQR) follow-up of all eligible patients was 28 months (12; 47). Patients who developed brain metastasis had a higher proportion of N1 stage disease (p < 0.001), as well as synchronous metastasis to bones, liver, and lungs compared to those without brain metastasis (all p < 0.001). The median (IQR) DFS with brain metastasis was 6 months (2; 12), and survival with brain metastasis was significantly worse than DFS in patients without brain metastasis (p < 0.001). Among those with brain metastasis only, there was no difference in DFS with respect to sex, race, primary tumor origin, T stage or N stage disease, synchronous metastasis to bone, liver or lung, nor with respect to chemotherapy or radiation for treatment of the primary tumor (all p > 0.05). For sarcoma patients with brain metastasis, the outcomes are poor and do not appear to differ by clinicopathologic factors. However, patients with certain histologies and synchronous metastases may warrant more frequent surveillance as there was an association of brain metastasis with these factors.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Is a Predictive Biomarker in Patients with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Mutated Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Treated with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI) Therapy.

BACKGROUND: First-line treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a sensitizing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). Despite higher response rates and prolonged progression free survival (PFS) compared with platinum doublet chemotherapy, a subset of these patients do not receive prolonged benefit from these agents. We investigate if the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and other markers of cachexia and chronic inflammation correlate with worse outcomes in these patients. METHODS: This study is a retrospective review of 137 patients with advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC treated with TKIs at Rush University Medical Center and University of Chicago Medicine from August 2011 to July 2019, with outcomes followed through July 2020. The predictive value of NLR and body mass index (BMI) was assessed at the start of therapy, and after 6 and 12 weeks of treatment by univariable and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: On univariable analysis, NLR ≥ 5 or higher NLR on a continuous scale were both associated with significantly worse PFS and overall survival (OS) at treatment initiation, and after 6 or 12 weeks of treatment. On multivariable analysis, NLR ≥ 5 was associated with increased risk of death at 12 weeks of therapy (HR 3.002, 95% CI 1.282-7.029, p = 0.011), as was higher NLR on a continuous scale (HR 1.231, 95% CI 1.063-1.425, p = 0.0054). There was no difference in PFS and OS and amongst BMI categories though number of disease sites and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status was associated with worse PFS and OS. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with NLR ≥ 5 have a worse median PFS and median OS than patients with NLR < 5. NLR may have value as a predictive biomarker and may be useful for selecting patients for therapy intensification in the front-line setting either at diagnosis or after 12 weeks on therapy. NLR needs to be validated prospectively.

Relationship between circulating tumor-associated autoantibodies and clinical outcomes in advanced-stage NSCLC patients receiving PD-1/-L1 directed immune checkpoint inhibition.

BACKGROUND: Durable tumor regressions are observed in a subset of advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving PD-1/-L1 targeted immune checkpoint inhibitors (or 'immunotherapy') alone or in combination with chemotherapy. However, the majority of advanced NSCLC patients receiving these agents do not experience long-term disease control. Existing methods to identify patients most likely to gain clinical benefit from PD-1/-L1 immunotherapy have limitations, creating a need for improved methods to guide treatment selection, particularly for those likely to benefit from single-agent immunotherapy. Here, we describe the development of a series of novel assays for tumor-associated autoantibodies as part of an exploratory study intended to determine if these biomarkers have potential prognostic value in this setting. METHOD: A selection of recombinant tumor autoantigens previously characterized for their diagnostic utility were developed and preliminarily evaluated by this study. These include: Fumarate Dehydrogenase (FH), Hydroxysteroid 17-Beta Dehydrogenase 10 (HSD17B10), Inosine Monophosphate Dehydrogenase 2 (IMPDH2), New York Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma-1 (NY ESO-1), Phosphoglycerate Mutase 1 (PGAM1), and Vimentin. Custom Luminex immunobead assays were developed for these targets to quantitatively assess autoantibody levels in individual patient sera. Assays were erected as indirect immunoassays on MagPlex® Microspheres using standard carbodiimide/NHS-based chemistries, utilizing a biotin-conjugated secondary (i.e. anti-human IgG) antibody and R-phycoerythrin-conjugated streptavidin reporter system. Standard curves were created for quantitative purposes using commercially-available anti-antigen antibodies and permitted analytical performance characteristics to be calculated. These assays were used to preliminarily evaluate a series of pretreatment serum samples from stage IV NSCLC patients receiving anti PD-1/-L1 therapy after failure of at least one prior line of therapy (n = 40) and their classification efficiency calculated based on 12 months overall survival (OS) threshold. RESULTS: Six assays were developed that each showed dynamic ranges of four orders of magnitude and provided more than 90% classification accuracy based on the observed clinical outcome data. Inter- and intra-assay precision was assessed within these standards and overall %CVs of ≤7% and ≤ 10%, respectively, were calculated. Generally, the baseline level of autoantibodies were significantly (p < 0.05) lower in the ≥12 months survival group relative to the <12 months survival groups. Serum titers of FH, HSD170B, NY-ESO-1, and vimentin were significantly correlated with ≥12 month survival (p-value 0.0038, 0.0061, 0.0073, and 0.022, respectively). IMPDH2 and PGAM1 were found to have marginal significance (p-value 0.08 and 0.076, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates an efficient and promising means for assessing circulating autoantibody titers that could be useful in selecting advanced NSCLC patients for PD-1/-L1 directed immunotherapy. Further exploration and validation of this paradigm is warranted to further refine current treatment selection methods for this therapeutic strategy.

Heart dose and coronary artery calcification in patients receiving thoracic irradiation for lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic irradiation (TIR) is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and coronary-related death. Lung cancer patients receive considerable doses of TIR, making them a high-risk population that may benefit from post-therapy surveillance. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) is a known biomarker of CAD development and may serve as a useful indicator of disease progression in this population. We hypothesized greater CAC progression in lung cancer patients subjected to higher whole heart radiation doses. METHODS: CAC progression (pre- and >2 years post-TIR) from chest CT scans of lung cancer patients were evaluated. A 2:1 matched control population was established controlling for age, gender, race, and CT scan interval. Vessel-specific CAC presence, progression, and extension in pre- and post-interval CT studies was evaluated by two blinded reviewers using the ordinal method. Dosimetric treatment files were restored and contours of the whole heart and proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD) were created within existing plans to compute radiation doses (Pinnacle Treatment Planning Software). Binary logistic regression analysis identified factors predictive for CAC development. Multiple logistic regression analysis with hierarchal method was used to assess covariates. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients and 65 controls (50% female) were evaluated; mean age 57 years, mean follow-up post-radiation 4.9±2.2 years. Average mean and maximum left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) radiation doses were 19.9 Gy (95% CI, 14.1-25.7) and 30.7 Gy (95% CI, 23.8-37.5), respectively; 91.6% inter-observer variability. There was greater incidence of coronary calcification in irradiated patients (48.6% vs. 24.6%; P=0.01). In interval CT scans, a greater proportion of radiated patients demonstrated new coronary calcification (P=0.007) and extension within the LAD (P=0.003). Radiation exposure was the only independent predictor of new calcification (OR 3.1; 95% CI: 1.09-9.2). CONCLUSIONS: We identified both an increase in the development and progression of CAC in lung cancer patients receiving TIR. Future studies utilizing alternative cancer populations and larger sample sizes are necessary to further correlate radiographic and dosimetric observations to cardiovascular events.

Neoadjuvant Interdigitated Chemoradiotherapy Using Mesna, Doxorubicin, and Ifosfamide for Large, High-grade, Soft Tissue Sarcomas of the Extremity: Improved Efficacy and Reduced Toxicity.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with large, high-grade extremity soft tissue sarcoma (STS) are at high risk for both local and distant recurrence. RTOG 95-14, using a regimen of neoadjuvant interdigitated chemoradiotherapy with mesna, doxorubicin, ifosfamide, and dacarbazine followed by surgery and 3 cycles of adjuvant mesna, doxorubicin, ifosfamide, and dacarbazine, demonstrated high rates of disease control at the cost of significant toxicity (83% grade 4, 5% grade 5). As such, this regimen has not been widely adopted. Herein, we report our institutional outcomes utilizing a modified interdigitated chemoradiotherapy regimen, without dacarbazine, and current radiotherapy planning and delivery techniques for high-risk STS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adults with large (≥5 cm; median, 12.9 cm), grade 3 extremity STS who were prospectively treated as part of our institutional standard of care from 2008 to 2016 are included. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy consisted of 3 cycles of mesna, doxorubicin, and ifosfamide (MAI) and 44 Gy (22 Gy in 11 fractions between cycles of MAI) after which patients underwent surgical resection and received 3 additional cycles of MAI. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients received the MAI treatment protocol. At a median follow-up of 47.3 months, 23 (88.5%) patients are still alive. Three year locoregional recurrence-free survival, disease-free survival, and overall survival are 95.0%, 64.0%, and 95.0%, respectively. There have been no therapy-related deaths or secondary malignancies. The nonhematologic grade 4 toxicity rate was 7.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant interdigitated MAI radiotherapy followed by resection and 3 cycles of adjuvant MAI has resulted in acceptable and manageable toxicity and highly favorable survival in patients at greatest risk for treatment failure.

The serum-based VeriStrat® test is associated with proinflammatory reactants and clinical outcome in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The VeriStrat test is a serum proteomic signature originally discovered in non-responders to second line gefitinib treatment and subsequently used to predict differential benefit from erlotinib versus chemotherapy in previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Multiple studies highlight the clinical utility of the VeriStrat test, however, the mechanistic connection between VeriStrat-poor classification and poor prognosis in untreated and previously treated patients is still an active area of research. The aim of this study was to correlate VeriStrat status with other circulating biomarkers in advanced NSCLC patients - each with respect to clinical outcomes. METHODS: Serum samples were prospectively collected from 57 patients receiving salvage chemotherapy and 70 non-EGFR mutated patients receiving erlotinib. Patients were classified as either VeriStrat good or poor based on the VeriStrat test. Luminex immunoassays were used to measure circulating levels of 102 distinct biomarkers implicated in tumor aggressiveness and treatment resistance. A Cox PH model was used to evaluate associations between biomarker levels and clinical outcome, whereas the association of VeriStrat classifications with biomarker levels was assessed via the Mann-Whitney Rank Sum test. RESULTS: VeriStrat was prognostic for outcome within the erlotinib treated patients (HR = 0.29, p < 0.0001) and predictive of differential treatment benefit between erlotinib and chemotherapy ((interaction HR = 0.25; interaction p = 0.0035). A total of 27 biomarkers out of 102 unique analytes were found to be significantly associated with OS (Cox PH p ≤ 0.05), whereas 16 biomarkers were found to be associated with PFS. Thrombospondin-2, C-reactive protein, TNF-receptor I, and placental growth factor were the analytes most highly associated with OS, all with Cox PH p-values ≤0.0001. VeriStrat status was found to be significantly associated with 23 circulating biomarkers (Mann-Whitney Rank Sum p ≤ 0.05), 6 of which had p < 0.001, including C-reactive protein, IL-6, serum amyloid A, CYFRA 21.1, IGF-II, osteopontin, and ferritin. CONCLUSIONS: Strong associations were observed between survival and VeriStrat classifications as well as select circulating biomarkers associated with fibrosis, inflammation, and acute phase reactants as part of this study. The associations between these biomarkers and VeriStrat classification might have therapeutic implications for poor prognosis NSCLC patients, particularly with new immunotherapeutic treatment options.

Differential expression of circulating biomarkers of tumor phenotype and outcomes in previously treated non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving erlotinib vs. cytotoxic chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to identify serum biomarkers capable of predicting clinical outcomes in previously-treated NSCLC patients with wild-type for EGFR activating mutations or insufficient tissue for mutation status determination. METHODS: Sixty-six Luminex immunoassays representative of biological themes that emerged from a re-analysis of transcriptome data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were evaluate against pretreatment serum specimens from previously-treated advanced NSCLC patients received either cytotoxic chemotherapy (n=32) or erlotinib (n=79). Known EGFR mutation positive cases were excluded from analysis. Associations of biomarkers with outcome parameters and their differential interaction with treatment for survival outcomes were assessed using multivariate Cox PH analyses. RESULTS: Our EMT-based transcriptomic analysis revealed a range of biological processes associated with angiogenesis, apoptosis, cachexia, inflammation, and metabolism emerging as those most highly associated with patient outcome. These processes were evaluated via surrogate serum biomarkers. A treatment-biomarker interaction analysis revealed that higher pretreatment levels of c-Met signaling biomarkers (i.e. HGF levels), pro-inflammatory/ pro-cachexia (e.g. IL-8, sIL-2Rα, FGF-2) processes and a pro-angiogenic (e.g. TGF-α, IL-8, VEGF) milieu were associated with inferior survival (HR=0.35, 0.29, 0.58, 0.50, 0.61, 0.45, respectively; all p<0.05) for patients receiving chemotherapy, relative to erlotinib. In contrast, high levels of decoy receptor for IL-1, sIL-1RII, and a high tissue vimentin/E-cadherin ratio were associated with a poor OS (HR=3.78; p=0.00055) in the erlotinib cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Contemporary precision medicine initiatives that pair patient tumor characteristics with the optimal therapy type may maximize the use of agents targeting EGFR in the treatment of NSCLC.

Docetaxel, bevacizumab, and gemcitabine for very high risk sarcomas in adolescents and young adults: A single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with very high risk sarcomas have poor outcomes and are in need of novel therapies. PROCEDURE: From January 2005 to February 2016, we retrospectively identified all AYA patients with relapsed or metastatic high-grade sarcomas, who were treated with at least one cycle of docetaxel (T), bevacizumab (A), and gemcitabine (G) (TAG ; T = 100 mg/m2 Day 8, A = 15 mg/kg Day 1, G = 1,000 mg/m2 Days 1 and 8). RESULTS: Fourteen patients, median age of 20 (15-30), received a total of 80 cycles of TAG, and were followed for a median of 83 months. Diagnosis included osteosarcoma (OST; 8), Ewing sarcoma (3), and soft tissue sarcoma (3). Five of 14 patients achieved clinical remission (CR), 3 had partial responses (PR), 3 had stable disease (SD), and 3 had progressive disease (PD). The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 7 and 19 months, respectively. The objective response rate (CR + PR) and tumor control rate (CR + PR + SD) were 57% and 79%, respectively, with two patients alive after 5 years; toxicities included thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, and capillary leak syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Our study builds on previous studies utilizing TAG in adult leiomyosarcoma (LMS) by focusing on AYA, non-LMS sarcomas, especially OST. Our experience suggests that TAG is well tolerated and has activity in very high risk sarcomas in AYA.

Survival Prediction in Ambulatory Patients With Stage III/IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Using the Palliative Performance Scale, ECOG, and Lung Cancer Symptom Scale.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have a life expectancy of less than 1 year. Therefore, it is important to maximize their quality of life and find a tool that can more accurately predict survival. MATERIALS: The Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) is used to predict survival for patients with advanced disease based on functional dimensions. The value of the PPS in ambulatory patients with cancer has not been examined to date. The Lung Cancer Symptom Scale (LCSS) measures six major symptoms and their effect on symptomatic distress and activity. We evaluated 62 patients with stage III or IV NSCLC and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Scale Score ≥1 at baseline in a thoracic oncology clinic. In all, 62 patients had LCSS and PPS evaluated at baseline and 54 patients had 4-week follow-up using LCSS, PPS, and ECOG. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients completed baseline and follow-up. Mean age was 63.7 years. Sixty-three percent were receiving chemotherapy at evaluation. Seventeen patients died. Mean baseline measures were LCSS 6.18 (1-14); PPS 66.6 (40-90); and ECOG 1.82 (1-4). Censored survival times were calculated from enrollment of the first patient for 380 days. A proportional hazardous model was computed for survival status. Hazard ratios for death were 1.25 (P = .013) for LCSS, 2.12 (P = .027) for ECOG, and 1.02 for PPS (P = .49). CONCLUSIONS: The LCSS predicted prognosis best in this study. The PPS did not accurately predict prognosis in our patient population.

Treatment of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the lung: a review.

Lung cancer remains the single deadliest cancer both in the US and worldwide. The great majority of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is attributed to cigarette smoking, which fortunately is declining alongside cancer incidence. While we have been at a therapeutic plateau for advanced squamous cell lung cancer patients for several decades, recent observations suggest that we are on the verge of seeing incremental survival improvements for this relatively large group of patients. Current studies have confirmed an expanding role for immunotherapy [including programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) inhibition], a potential opportunity for VEGFR inhibition, and even future targets in fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) and PI3K-AKT that collectively should improve survival as well as quality of life for those affected by squamous cell lung cancer over the next decade.

Survival Benefit of Surgery after Chemoradiotherapy for Stage III (N0-2) Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Is Dependent on Pathologic Nodal Response.

INTRODUCTION: The benefit of surgery (trimodality therapy [TMT]) after chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for patients with stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is controversial, but nodal pathologic complete response (N-PCR) is accepted as a strong predictor of overall survival (OS). We compared the outcomes of patients treated with TMT versus CRT, focusing on the importance of N-PCR. METHODS: Patients with stage III NSCLC treated with CRT or TMT from December 2004 through December 2012 were included; patients with N3 disease were excluded. Pathologic nodal response dichotomized surgical patients into N-PCR versus residual nodal disease (RND) groups. Actuarial OS, progression-free survival (PFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were compared between patients treated with CRT and TMT and between CRT and N-PCR/RND. RESULTS: The cohort was composed of 138 patients (52% CRT and 48% TMT). The median OS was significantly higher after TMT than after CRT (81 versus 31.8 mo, p = 0.0068). This benefit was restricted to N-PCR (n = 50, 83.2 versus 31.8 mo, p = 0.0004), as RND (n = 19) experienced poor OS (16.1 mo). On multivariable analyses, N-PCR had superior OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.38; p = 0.0012), PFS (HR, 0.42; p = 0.0005), and DMFS (HR, 0.42; p = 0.0007) compared with CRT. Conversely, there were trends for worse OS and PFS for RND versus CRT, although only inferior DMFS was significant (HR, 1.83; p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical patients with complete nodal clearance experienced superior survival, but those with RND fared no better than CRT alone. Mediastinal response may play an important role in the decision to proceed with surgical resection after CRT for stage III NSCLC.