Randomized phase II study of modified FOLFOX-6 in combination with ramucirumab or icrucumab as second-line therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer after disease progression on first-line irinotecan-based therapy.

BACKGROUND: Icrucumab and ramucirumab are recombinant human IgG1 monoclonal antibodies that bind VEGF receptors 1 and 2 (VEGFR-1 and -2), respectively. This randomized phase II study evaluated the antitumor activity and safety of icrucumab and ramucirumab each in combination with mFOLFOX-6 in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer after disease progression on first-line therapy with a fluoropyrimidine and irinotecan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive mFOLFOX-6 alone (mFOLFOX-6) or in combination with ramucirumab 8 mg/kg IV (RAM+mFOLFOX-6) or icrucumab 15 mg/kg IV (ICR+mFOLFOX-6) every 2 weeks. Randomization was stratified by prior bevacizumab therapy. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary end points included overall survival (OS), tumor response, safety, and PK. RESULTS: In total, 158 patients were randomized, but only 153 received treatment (49 on mFOLFOX-6, 52 on RAM+mFOLFOX-6, and 52 on ICR+mFOLFOX-6). Median PFS was 18.4 weeks on mFOLFOX-6, 21.4 weeks on RAM+mFOLFOX-6, and 15.9 weeks on ICR+mFOLFOX-6 (RAM+mFOLFOX-6 versus mFOLFOX-6, stratified hazard ratio [HR] 1.116 [95% CI 0.713-1.745], P = 0.623; ICR+mFOLFOX-6 versus mFOLFOX-6, stratified HR 1.603 [95% CI 1.011-2.543], P = 0.044). Median survival was 53.6 weeks on mFOLFOX-6, 41.7 weeks on RAM+mFOLFOX-6, and 42.0 weeks on ICR+mFOLFOX-6. The most frequent adverse events reported on the ramucirumab arm (RAM+mFOLFOX-6) were fatigue, nausea, and peripheral sensory neuropathy; those on the icrucumab arm (ICR+mFOLFOX-6) were fatigue, diarrhea, and peripheral sensory neuropathy. Grade ≥3 serious adverse events occurred at comparable frequency across arms. CONCLUSIONS: In this study population, combining ramucirumab or icrucumab with mFOLFOX-6 did not achieve the predetermined improvement in PFS. CLINICALTRIALSGOV: NCT01111604.

Treatment patterns and survival in patients with ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer: a Canadian retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Crizotinib was the first agent approved for the treatment of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive (+) non-small-cell lung cancer (nsclc), followed by ceritinib. However, patients eventually progress or develop resistance to crizotinib. With limited real-world data available, the objective of the present work was to evaluate treatment patterns and survival after crizotinib in patients with locally advanced or metastatic ALK+ nsclc in Canada. METHODS: In this retrospective study at 6 oncology centres across Canada, medical records of patients with locally advanced or metastatic ALK+ nsclc were reviewed. Demographic and clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes data were abstracted. Analyses focused on patients who discontinued crizotinib treatment. RESULTS: Of the 97 patients included, 9 were crizotinib-naïve, and 39 were still receiving crizotinib at study end. The 49 patients who discontinued crizotinib treatment were included in the analysis. Of those 49 patients, 43% received ceritinib at any time, 20% subsequently received systemic chemotherapy only (but never ceritinib), and 37% received no further treatment or died before receiving additional treatment. Median overall survival from crizotinib discontinuation was shorter in patients who did not receive ceritinib than in those who received ceritinib (1.7 months vs. 20.4 months, p < 0.001). In a multivariable analysis, factors associated with poorer survival included lack of additional therapies (particularly ceritinib), male sex, and younger age, but not smoking status; patients of Asian ethnicity showed a nonsignificant trend toward improved survival. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of patients with ALK+ nsclc received no further treatment or died before receiving additional treatment after crizotinib. Treatment with systemic agents was associated with improved survival, with ceritinib use being associated with the longest survival.

Management of egfr tki-induced dermatologic adverse events.

Targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (egfr) pathway has become standard practice for the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Compared with chemotherapy, egfr tyrosine kinase inhibitors (tkis) have been associated with improved efficacy in patients with an EGFR mutation. Together with the increase in efficacy comes an adverse event (ae) profile different from that of chemotherapy. That profile includes three of the most commonly occurring dermatologic aes: acneiform rash, stomatitis, and paronychia. Currently, no randomized clinical trials have evaluated the treatments for the dermatologic aes that patients experience when taking egfr tkis. Based on the expert opinion of the authors, some basic strategies have been developed to manage those key dermatologic aes. Those strategies have the potential to improve patient quality of life and compliance and to prevent inappropriate dose reductions.

Managing treatment-related adverse events associated with Alk inhibitors.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangements have been identified as key oncogenic drivers in a small subset of non-small-cell lung cancers (nsclcs). Small-molecule Alk kinase inhibitors such as crizotinib have transformed the natural history of nsclc for this subgroup of patients. Because of the prevalence of nsclc, ALK-positive patients represent an important example of the paradigm for personalized medicine. Although Alk inhibitors such as crizotinib are well tolerated, there is a potential for adverse events to occur. Proactive monitoring, treatment, and education concerning those adverse events will help to optimize the therapeutic index of the drugs. The present review summarizes the management of treatment-related adverse events that can arise with Alk inhibitors such as crizotinib.

A phase I study of binimetinib (MEK 162), a MEK inhibitor, plus carboplatin and pemetrexed chemotherapy in non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.

INTRODUCTION: MEK inhibition is a potential therapeutic strategy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This phase I study evaluates the MEK inhibitor binimetinib plus carboplatin and pemetrexed in stage IV non-squamous NSCLC patients (NCT02185690). METHODS: A standard 3 + 3 dose-escalation design was used. Binimetinib 30 mg BID (dose level 1 [DL1]) or 45 mg BID (dose level 2 [DL2]) was given with standard doses of carboplatin and pemetrexed using an intermittent dosing schedule. The primary outcome was determination of the recommended phase II dose (RP2D) and safety of binimetinib. Secondary outcomes included efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and an exploratory analysis of response based on mutation subtype. RESULTS: Thirteen patients (6 DL1, 7 DL2) were enrolled: 7 KRAS, 5 EGFR, and 1 NRAS mutation. The RP2D was binimetinib 30 mg BID. Eight patients (61.5%) had grade 3/4 adverse events, with dose limiting toxicities in 2 patients at DL2. Twelve patients were evaluated for response, with an investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR) of 50% (95% CI 21.1%-78.9%; ORR 33.3% by independent-review, IR), and disease control rate 83.3% (95% CI 51.6%-97.9%). Median progression free survival (PFS) was 4.5 months (95% CI 2.6 months-NA), with a 6-month and 12-month PFS rate of 38.5% (95% CI 19.3%-76.5%) and 25.6% (95% CI 8.9%-73.6%), respectively. In an exploratory analysis, KRAS/NRAS-mutated patients had an ORR of 62.5% (ORR 37.5% by IR) vs. 25% in KRAS/NRAS wild-type patients. In MAP2K1-mutated patients, the ORR was 42.8%. CONCLUSION: The addition of binimetinib to carboplatin and pemetrexed appears to have manageable toxicity with evidence of activity in advanced non-squamous NSCLC.

Perspectives on treatment advances for stage III locally advanced unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer.

For more than a decade, there has been no improvement in outcomes for patients with unresectable locally advanced (la) non-small-cell lung cancer (nsclc). The standard treatment in that setting is definitive concurrent chemotherapy and radiation (ccrt). Although the intent of treatment is curative, most patients rapidly progress, and their prognosis is poor, with a 5-year overall survival (os) rate in the 15%-25% range. Those patients therefore represent a critical unmet need, warranting expedited approval of, and access to, new treatments that can improve outcomes. The pacific trial, which evaluated durvalumab consolidation therapy after ccrt in unresectable la nsclc, demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (pfs) and a significant improvement in os. Durvalumab thus fills a critical unmet need in the setting of unresectable la nsclc and provides a new option for patients treated with curative intent. Here, we review the treatment of unresectable la nsclc, with a focus on the effect of the clinical data for durvalumab.

Canadian consensus: oligoprogressive, pseudoprogressive, and oligometastatic non-small-cell lung cancer.

Background: Little evidence has been generated for how best to manage patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (nsclc) presenting with rarer clinical scenarios, including oligometastases, oligoprogression, and pseudoprogression. In each of those scenarios, oncologists have to consider how best to balance efficacy with quality of life, while maximizing the duration of each line of therapy and ensuring that patients are still eligible for later options, including clinical trial enrolment. Methods: An expert panel was convened to define the clinical questions. Using case-based presentations, consensus practice recommendations for each clinical scenario were generated through focused, evidence-based discussions. Results: Treatment strategies and best-practice or consensus recommendations are presented, with areas of consensus and areas of uncertainty identified. Conclusions: In each situation, treatment has to be tailored to suit the individual patient, but with the intent of extending and maximizing the use of each line of treatment, while keeping treatment options in reserve for later lines of therapy. Patient participation in clinical trials examining these issues should be encouraged.

ALK inhibitors, resistance development, clinical trials.

The treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (nsclc) has undergone a paradigm shift since the early 2000s. The identification of molecular subtypes of the disease, based on oncogenic drivers, has led to the development of personalized medicine and the ability to deliver molecularly targeted therapies to patients. In the 10 years that have elapsed since the discovery of the ALK gene in a patient with nsclc, several active drugs have moved rapidly from bench to bedside, and multiple others are currently in clinical trials. Those developments have led to important improvements in patient outcomes, while simultaneously raising key questions about the optimal treatment for ALK-positive nsclc. The inevitable emergence of resistance to alk-directed therapy is central to ongoing research and daily clinical practice for affected patients. In the present review, we highlight the current treatment landscape, the available and emerging clinical trials, and the evolving clinical decision-making in ALK-positive nsclc, with a focus on Canadian practice.

Real-world benefit of nivolumab in a Canadian non-small-cell lung cancer cohort.

Background: Nivolumab was the first immuno-oncology agent available for the treatment of lung cancer in Canada. In the present study, we evaluated the real-world benefit of nivolumab in Canadian patients with lung cancer. Methods: Patients included in the cohort were identified from a registry of patients treated through expanded access to nivolumab before and after Health Canada approval. Demographics were collected from the application forms. Outcome data for the duration of treatment and survival were collected retrospectively. Results: In contrast to the randomized clinical trial populations, our study cohort included patients who were older (median age: 66 years; range: 36-92 years) and who had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2 (8.9%). Despite the poorer-prognosis cohort, median overall survival was 12.0 months, which is comparable to the survival demonstrated in the randomized phase iii trials of nivolumab in lung cancer. Median time to treatment discontinuation was 3.45 months and was similar for all patient subgroups, including poorer-prognosis groups such as those with a performance status of 2, those 75 years of age and older, and those with brain metastases. Conclusions: Nivolumab given in a real-world clinical setting was associated with results similar to those reported in the phase iii clinical trial setting.

Community paediatricians' counseling patterns and knowledge of recommendations relating to child restraint use in motor vehicles.

BACKGROUND: Road traffic injury is the leading cause of death among Canadian children and youth. Transport Canada recommends four types of child restraint depending on the size of the child, and recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of recommended restraint use. OBJECTIVES: To determine community paediatricians' knowledge of Transport Canada recommendations for child restraint use in vehicles, and to examine paediatricians' counseling patterns in relation to child passenger safety. METHODS: A mailed questionnaire survey of all community paediatricians affiliated with the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto was conducted. A 16 item questionnaire gathered information on knowledge of Transport Canada recommendations for child restraint use, general counseling patterns in relation to child passenger safety, and demographic information. RESULTS: In total, 60 community paediatricians in active practice were identified. Of these, 48 (80%) responded to the mailed questionnaire. Almost all paediatricians (92%) correctly identified the recommended weight for transition to a forward-facing car seat, whereas fewer paediatricians (63%) correctly identified the recommended weight for transition to a booster seat from a forward-facing car seat, and only one third of paediatricians correctly identified the recommended weight for transition from a booster seat to a seat belt. CONCLUSION: Community paediatricians' knowledge of Transport Canada recommendations for child restraint use in vehicles is incomplete. There is a need for such recommendations to be better disseminated to paediatricians and parents so that information on child restraint use is delivered in a clear and consistent manner.