NALIRIFOX versus nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine in treatment-naive patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (NAPOLI 3): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma remains one of the most lethal malignancies, with few treatment options. NAPOLI 3 aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of NALIRIFOX versus nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine as first-line therapy for metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC). METHODS: NAPOLI 3 was a randomised, open-label, phase 3 study conducted at 187 community and academic sites in 18 countries worldwide across Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Australia. Patients with mPDAC and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score 0 or 1 were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive NALIRIFOX (liposomal irinotecan 50 mg/m2, oxaliplatin 60 mg/m2, leucovorin 400 mg/m2, and fluorouracil 2400 mg/m2, administered sequentially as a continuous intravenous infusion over 46 h) on days 1 and 15 of a 28-day cycle or nab-paclitaxel 125 mg/m2 and gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2, administered intravenously, on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Balanced block randomisation was stratified by geographical region, performance status, and liver metastases, managed through an interactive web response system. The primary endpoint was overall survival in the intention-to-treat population, evaluated when at least 543 events were observed across the two treatment groups. Safety was evaluated in all patients who received at least one dose of study treatment. This completed trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04083235. FINDINGS: Between Feb 19, 2020 and Aug 17, 2021, 770 patients were randomly assigned (NALIRIFOX, 383; nab-paclitaxel-gemcitabine, 387; median follow-up 16·1 months [IQR 13·4-19·1]). Median overall survival was 11·1 months (95% CI 10·0-12·1) with NALIRIFOX versus 9·2 months (8·3-10·6) with nab-paclitaxel-gemcitabine (hazard ratio 0·83; 95% CI 0·70-0·99; p=0·036). Grade 3 or higher treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 322 (87%) of 370 patients receiving NALIRIFOX and 326 (86%) of 379 patients receiving nab-paclitaxel-gemcitabine; treatment-related deaths occurred in six (2%) patients in the NALIRIFOX group and eight (2%) patients in the nab-paclitaxel-gemcitabine group. INTERPRETATION: Our findings support use of the NALIRIFOX regimen as a possible reference regimen for first-line treatment of mPDAC. FUNDING: Ipsen. TRANSLATION: For the plain language summary see Supplementary Materials section.

Ramucirumab for the treatment of patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer in community oncology practices.

BACKGROUND: Limited real-world research has investigated ramucirumab for the treatment of patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer. This study was designed to describe ramucirumab monotherapy or combination therapy use in a community oncology practice setting. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational cohort study to describe the treatment of adult patients with gastric or GEJ cancer who initiated ramucirumab treatment between 4/21/14 and 6/30/16 within the US Oncology Network. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to assess clinical outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess patient-level predictors of ramucirumab monotherapy or combination therapy. RESULTS: A total of 505 patients (mean age 64.4 years; 75.1% male) were included in the analysis; subgroups included: monotherapy (22.8%; n = 115), combination therapy (77.2%; n = 390). Monotherapy patients were significantly older (67.7 vs. 63.4 years; P = 0.0006), received ramucirumab approximately 3 months later after diagnosis (16.9 vs. 14.1 months; P = 0.0318) and more frequently initiated ramucirumab in the third or later lines of treatment (38.3 vs. 8.2%; P<0.0001) than patients receiving combination therapy. Median overall survival (OS) for monotherapy and combination therapy from the start of second-line therapy was 5.5 months (confidence interval [CI] 4.3, 7.8) and 7.4 months (CI 6.6, 8.8), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that patients who received ramucirumab monotherapy started ramucirumab therapy later after diagnosis and were older than those who received ramucirumab in combination. Additionally, survival data suggest that outcomes observed in community oncology practices are similar to data from phase 3 clinical trials.

Systemic therapy for advanced carcinoid tumors: where do we go from here?

Carcinoid tumors are relatively indolent, but the treatment of advanced disease remains a challenge. Liver-directed therapies are a consideration in patients with liver-dominant disease. Somatostatin analogs (SSTa) are routinely used to control hormone-mediated symptoms (carcinoid syndrome), but the identification of systemic agents with antitumor efficacy has proven difficult. Aside from octreotide for small bowel carcinoid (which is associated with delayed progression), no treatment has proven antitumor activity. Chemotherapy seems to be of limited value. The role of interferon is also controversial; it is typically used after failure of octreotide. Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy may have activity in patients with SST receptor-expressing tumors, but randomized controlled trials are lacking. Advances in the understanding of the mechanisms underlying tumor progression have led to the identification of several potential therapeutic targets (including the vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] and mammalian target of rapamycin [mTOR] signaling pathways), but none has been definitively validated in carcinoid. Everolimus is associated with a trend toward improved progression-free survival in patients with progressive carcinoid, but is not approved for this indication. Therefore, a serious unmet need remains for additional therapeutic strategies for patients with advanced disease. Several avenues are under study, including the use of novel SSTa; VEGF and mTOR inhibitors; and agents that interfere with insulin growth factor 1 receptor and AKT signaling. Moving forward, optimizing patient selection based on clinical features or biomarkers holds promise for identifying individuals most likely to benefit from therapy.

Treatment Patterns and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Metastatic Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors Treated in the Community Practice Setting in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to understand treatment patterns and clinical outcomes in metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor patients treated in a large community oncology network. METHODS: This retrospective study used the McKesson Specialty Health/US Oncology Network iKnowMed electronic health record database with supplemental chart review. Eligibility criteria included a metastatic neuroendocrine tumor diagnosis between January 1, 2008, and to December 31, 2012; at least 2 US Oncology Network visits; and age at least 18 years. Follow-up was through October 31, 2014. RESULTS: Among the 229 patients identified, median age was 64.0 years, 52.4% were male, 69.4% were white, and 62.9% were overweight/obese. Primary tumor sites included small bowel (47.6%), pancreas (31.4%), and stomach/colorectum (21.0%). There were 16.2% under observation without treatment, 52.4% received only somatostatin analogs (SSAs), and 31.4% received chemotherapy/targeted therapy during treatment. In the first-line setting (n = 192), 77% received SSAs, 12% received chemotherapy, and 10.9% received targeted therapy. Fifty percent of patients receiving octreotide had a relative dose intensity of less than 85%, and 16.7% received above-label dose. Toxicities of SSAs included diarrhea (18.2%), abdominal pain (16.9%), and fatigue (13.5%). Median overall survival from diagnosis was 68.0 months (95% confidence interval, 57.1 to not reached). CONCLUSIONS: Most metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor patients received systemic treatment with SSAs. Patient treatment used an individualized dosing approach. Overall survival and toxicity were consistent with the published literature.

Pilot trial of intravenous infusion of a replication-selective adenovirus (ONYX-015) in combination with chemotherapy or IL-2 treatment in refractory cancer patients.

ONYX-015 is an adenovirus that selectively replicates in p53 dysfunctional or mutated malignant cells. We performed a pilot trial to determine the safety and feasibility of treatment with ONYX-015 delivered intravenously in patients with advanced malignancy. One cohort of five patients received ONYX-015 once a week for 6 weeks at a dose of 2 x 10(12) particles per infusion in combination with weekly infusions of irinotecan (CPT11, 125 mg per week) and 5-fluorouracil (5FU, 500 mg per week). A second cohort of five patients received the combination of ONYX-015 at a dose of 2 x 10(11) particles per week for 6 weeks in combination with interleukin 2 (IL 2, 1.1 x 10(6) units daily via subcutaneous injection for 5 days each week for 4 weeks). Toxicity attributable to ONYX-015 was limited to transient fever. All patients demonstrated elevations in neutralizing antibody titers within 4 weeks of the infusion of ONYX-015. Serum levels of IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interferon-gamma increased within 6 hours of viral infusion, suggesting immune activation. This response was more pronounced in the cohort of patients who received 2 x 10(12) particles per infusion. Two patients demonstrated uptake of viral particles in malignant tissue by quantitative PCR. Electron microscopy confirmed selective cytoplasmic viral particles within malignant cells but not within adjacent normal tissue in a third patient. In conclusion ONYX-015 can be administered safely in combination with CPT11, 5FU or low-dose IL 2 and is able to access malignant tissue following intravenous infusion. Further investigation of ONYX-015, possibly with agents that may modulate replication activity, or duration of virus survival, is indicated.

Phase I trial of topotecan in combination with gemcitabine in refractory solid tumor patients.

PURPOSE: To determine maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and evidence of antitumor activity of topotecan in combination with gemcitabine in refractory cancer patients. METHODS: This was a Phase I, prospective, dose-escalation trial that employed a novel-dosing schema to investigate clinical safety. Patients were treated in six cohorts with topotecan (T)+gemcitabine (G). The doses of T and G were administered by 30-minute IV infusion, T on days one through five (0.3 mg/m2 to 1 mg/m2) and G on days one and 15 of a 28-day cycle (1000 mg/m2 to 1500 mg/m2). Toxicity was monitored. RESULTS: Twenty-three cancer patients were enrolled (colorectal, n=5; lung, n=4; gastric, n=4; esophageal, n=2; other, n=8). Two of three patients developed grade 3 nonhematologic toxicity attributed to study regimen, thereby fulfilling dose limiting toxicity requirements at cohort 6 (T, 1 mg/m2, G, 1500 mg/m2). Maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was established at cohort 5 (T, 1 mg/m2, G, 1250 mg/m2). Ten patients were treated at cohort 5. Nonhematologic adverse effects (AEs) >grade 3 attributed to the study regimen were not observed. Hematologic toxicity was frequent. Twenty-five percent of patients in cohort 2 and 50% of patients in cohorts 4, 5, and 6 had a reduction of ANC to <500 mm3. All neutropenic episodes were less than one week in duration. Five of the patients in the last three cohorts required delay and/or dose-reduction of G. Nineteen of 23 enrolled patients were evaluable for response. Two patients achieved a minimal response. CONCLUSIONS: The MTD was observed at a T dose of 1 mg/m2 administered on days 1 through 15, and a G dose of 1250 mg/m2 administered on days 1 and 15 via 30 minute intravenous (IV) infusion.