A multicenter phase II trial of carboplatin and cetuximab for treatment of advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: To investigate the activity of carboplatin and cetuximab in NSCLC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a single arm, multicenter phase II trial, and the primary objective was response rate. RESULTS: The overall response rate observed was 9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3-19), the progression-free survival was 2.9 months (95% CI, 1.9-3.6), the median overall survival was 8.2 months (95% CI, 4.9-10.5), and 1-year survival rate was 33% (95% CI, 21-45). CONCLUSION: The combination of carboplatin and cetuximab demonstrated lower activity than double agent platinum-based therapy and does not warrant further development.

A phase I/II trial of weekly docetaxel and gefitinib in elderly patients with stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Phase III trials in elderly patients with advanced (stage IIIB/IV) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) reveal treatment with single agent chemotherapy improves survival. The role of double agent therapy in this patient population is an area of investigation. METHODS: A phase I/II trial was performed in elderly patients (age>or=70 years) with stage IIIB/IV disease and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-2. Patients were treated with gefitinib 250 mg daily. Patients received docetaxel on a treatment schedule of days 1, 8, 15 of an every 28 days schedule. The phase I portion of the trial consisted of dose escalation docetaxel from 30 to 36 mg/m2 using a three patient cohort design. The trial design contained continuous monitoring for excessive toxicity with pre-selected toxicity boundaries. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were evaluable for efficacy and toxicity analysis. The median age was 75.5 years. The majority of the patients had stage IV disease (85%), ECOG functional status of 0-1 (81%), were male (65%), and current or former smokers (88%). Eleven patients experienced National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria grades 3-5 non-hematologic toxicity during the first cycle. The toxicity was determined to be unexpected, and the trial was discontinued. Overall response rate (complete+partial responses) was 31%, and the median survival was 6.5 months (95% confidence interval (CI) (3.6-9.0)), and estimated 1-year survival rate was 27% (95% CI (13-55%)). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of weekly docetaxel and gefitinib had activity; however, unexpected toxicity was observed in the elderly patient population.

Phase III trial comparing a defined duration of therapy versus continuous therapy followed by second-line therapy in advanced-stage IIIB/IV non-small-cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: To compare four cycles of therapy versus continuous therapy to determine the optimal duration of chemotherapy in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Stage IIIB/IV NSCLC patients were randomized to arm A (four cycles of carboplatin at an area under the curve of 6 and paclitaxel 200 mg/m(2) every 21 days) or arm B (continuous treatment with carboplatin/paclitaxel until progression). At progression, all patients on both arms were to receive second-line weekly paclitaxel at 80 mg/m(2)/wk. The primary end points were survival and quality of life (QOL). RESULTS: Two hundred thirty patients were randomized. Fifty-seven percent of arm A patients completed four courses of therapy. In the 116 arm B patients, the median number of cycles delivered was four (range, zero to 19 cycles). Forty-two percent received five or more cycles; 18% received eight or more cycles. Overall response rates were 22% and 24% for arms A and B, respectively (P =.80). Median survival time and 1-year survival rates were 6.6 months and 28% for arm A and 8.5 months and 34% for arm B, respectively (log-rank P =.63). Rates of hematologic and nonhematologic toxicity were similar between the two arms, except for neuropathy. The rate of grade 2 to 4 neuropathy increased from 19.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.6% to 26.2%) at cycle 4 to 43% (95% CI, 28.6% to 57.4%) at cycle 8. There were no differences in QOL. Only 45% of patients received second-line therapy (42% in arm A v 47% in arm B, P =.42). CONCLUSION: This study shows no overall benefit in survival, response rates, or QOL to continuing treatment with carboplatin/paclitaxel beyond four cycles in advanced NSCLC.

A randomized phase II trial of first-line treatment with gemcitabine, erlotinib, or gemcitabine and erlotinib in elderly patients (age ≥70 years) with stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Single-agent gemcitabine is a standard of care for elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, but novel therapies are needed for this patient population. METHODS: We performed a noncomparative randomized phase II trial of gemcitabine, erlotinib, or the combination in elderly patients (age ≥70 years) with stage IIIB or IV non-small cell lung cancer. Patients were randomized to arms: A (gemcitabine 1200 mg/m on days 1 and 8 every 21 days), B (erlotinib 150 mg daily), or C (gemcitabine 1000 mg/m on days 1 and 8 every 21 days and erlotinib 100 mg daily). Arms B and C were considered investigational; the primary objective was 6-month progression-free survival. RESULTS: Between March 2006 and May 2010, 146 eligible patients received protocol therapy. The majority of the patients (82%) had stage IV disease, 64% reported adenocarcinoma histology, 90% reported current or previous tobacco use, and 28% had a performance status of 2. The 6-month progression-free survival rate observed in arms A, B, and C was 22% (95% confidence interval [CI] 11-35), 24% (95% CI 13-36), and 25% (95% CI 15-38), respectively; the median overall survival observed was 6.8 months (95% CI 4.8-8.5), 5.8 months (95% CI 3.0-8.3), and 5.6 months (95% CI 3.5-8.4), respectively. The rate of grade ≥3 hematological and nonhematological toxicity observed was similar in all three arms. The best overall health-related quality of life response did not differ between treatment arms. CONCLUSIONS: Erlotinib or erlotinib and gemcitabine do not warrant further investigation in an unselected elderly patient population.

Racial differences in clinical outcomes from metastatic breast cancer: a pooled analysis of CALGB 9342 and 9840--Cancer and Leukemia Group B.

PURPOSE: African American women are more likely to be diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at the time of presentation than whites, and have shorter survival once diagnosed. This study examines racial differences in clinical outcomes in the setting of two large cooperative group randomized clinical trials. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study cohort consisted of 787 white (80%) and 195 African American (20%) patients with metastatic breast cancer enrolled in two successive Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) trials using taxanes in the metastatic setting. Differences in overall survival (OS), response incidence, and time to treatment failure (TTF) were examined by race. In addition, differences in the incidence of baseline and treatment-related toxicities were examined. RESULTS: With 779 deaths (166 African Americans and 613 whites), median OS was 14.3 months for African Americans and 18.75 months for whites (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.37; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.63). When adjusted for prognostic factors, African Americans had a 24% increase in the hazard of death compared with whites (HR = 1.24; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.51). No significant differences in TTF or overall response to therapy were seen. No clinically significant toxicity differences were seen. CONCLUSION: African Americans with metastatic breast cancer have an increased hazard of death compared with whites despite the receipt of similar per-protocol treatment, but experience no differences in TTF or overall response to therapy. We hypothesize that more direct and robust measures of comorbidities, and perhaps other factors such as receipt of subsequent therapy could help further explain the observed survival difference.

Second-line, low-dose, weekly paclitaxel in patients with stage IIIB/IV nonsmall cell lung carcinoma who fail first-line chemotherapy with carboplatin plus paclitaxel.

BACKGROUND: Second-line chemotherapy with docetaxel improves survival and quality of life (QoL) in patients with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) who fail first-line platinum-based regimens. The authors sought to determine the activity of second-line, low-dose, weekly paclitaxel in patients with NSCLC who failed first-line chemotherapy with carboplatin plus paclitaxel. METHODS: Patients with Stage IIIB/IV NSCLC who had received first-line carboplatin/paclitaxel were treated with low-dose (80 mg/m(2)), weekly paclitaxel at the time of disease progression. Response rates, QoL, and survival were outcome end points. RESULTS: Sixty-two patients were included in this analysis. The median age was 62 years (range, 32-76 years), 55% of patients were male, 89% of patients had Stage IV NSCLC, and the Karnofsky performance status was 90-100% in 31% of patients, 70-80% in 55% of patients, and 60% in 14% of patients. Twenty-six percent of patients experienced disease progression as their best response to first-line carboplatin plus paclitaxel, whereas 52% of patients had stable disease, and 23% of patients had achieved a response. The median time from first-line carboplatin plus paclitaxel to second-line, low-dose, weekly paclitaxel was 9.5 weeks (range, 1-78 weeks). The toxicity profile was extremely favorable, with no Grade 4 toxicity and < 10% Grade 3 hematologic or nonhematologic toxicity in all patients with the exception of neuropathy. Ten percent of patients experienced both Grade 2 and Grade 3 neuropathy. The overall objective response rate was 8%. The median survival was 5.2 months (95% confidence interval [95%CI], 3.6-6.2 months), and the 1-year and 2-year survival rates were 20% (95%CI, 10-30%) and 9% (95%CI, 1-16%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Second-line, low-dose, weekly paclitaxel had activity in selected patients with Stage IIIB/IV NSCLC who failed first-line chemotherapy with carboplatin plus paclitaxel. The toxicity profile of this approach is extremely favorable, and outcome expectations are similar to the outcome expectations with other single agents in this setting.