Search

BACKGROUND Preclinical studies suggested that the addition of bevacizumab could overcome acquired resistance (AR) to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of a combination of afatinib and bevacizumab after AR. METHODS Patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer after AR were enrolled during any line of therapy. Afatinib was prescribed at 30 mg, and 15 mg/kg bevacizumab was administered every 3 weeks until progression. RESULTS Between October 2014 and May 2017, 32 eligible patients were evaluated. The mutation subtypes were Del-19 (20 [63%]), L858R (11 [34%]), and L861Q (1 [3%]). T790M was detected in 14 patients (44%). The median number of prior regimens was 4 (range, 1-10). Six patients obtained a partial response, and 23 had stable disease; this resulted in an objective response rate (ORR) of 18.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.2%-36.4%) and a disease control rate of 90.7% (95% CI, 75.0%-98.0%). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.3 months (95% CI, 3.9-8.7 months). The ORRs and median PFS times of T790M+ and T790M- patients were 14.3% and 22.2%, respectively, and 6.3 and 7.1 months, respectively; those of Del-19 and L858R patients were 20.0% and 11.1%, respectively, and 6.3 and 5.1 months, respectively. Grade 3 or higher adverse events (incidence ≥ 10%) included paronychia (25%), hypertension (41%), and proteinuria (19%). There were no treatment-related deaths, interstitial lung disease, or bevacizumab-associated severe bleeding. CONCLUSIONS Afatinib plus bevacizumab demonstrated clinical efficacy and safety after AR to EGFR TKIs and could be a therapeutic salvage option for T790M- populations.

// Akito Hata 1 , Nobuyuki Katakami 1 , Shigeki Nanjo 1 , Chiyuki Okuda 1 , Reiko Kaji 1 , Katsuhiro Masago 1 , Shiro Fujita 1 , Hiroshi Yoshida 2 , Kota Zama 2 , Yukihiro Imai 3 and Yukio Hirata 1 1 Division of Integrated Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation Hospital, Kobe, Japan 2 Department of Contract Research for Clinical Pathology, GeneticLab Co. Ltd., Sapporo, Japan 3 Department of Clinical Pathology, Kobe City Medical Center, General Hospital, Kobe, Japan Correspondence to: Akito Hata, email: a-hata@fbri.org Keywords: PD-L1; EGFR mutation; non-small cell lung cancer; PD-L1 IHC; PD-L1 antibody Received: April 12, 2017 Accepted: November 11, 2017 Published: December 01, 2017 ABSTRACT Background: Current clinical trials have suggested poorer efficacies of anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunotherapies for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ) mutations, implying lower PD-L1 expression in EGFR -mutant NSCLC than in EGFR -wild type. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed correlation between PD-L1 expression and EGFR status in clinical samples of pretreated NSCLC. PD-L1 immunohistochemistry was performed using the 28-8 anti-PD-L1 antibody for tumor cell membrane staining. H-score was adopted to evaluate both percentage and intensity. We investigated H-scores ≥1, ≥5, and ≥10 as PD-L1+ cut-offs. H-score ≥10 was defined as strong PD-L1+. Results: We investigated 96 available histologic samples in 77 pretreated patients with NSCLC. Median H-score in EGFR -mutant samples (n=65) was 3 (range, 0-150), whereas EGFR -wild-type (n=31) was 8 (range, 0-134) (p=0.0075). Using H-scores ≥1, ≥5, and ≥10 cut-offs, incidence of PD-L1+ in EGFR -mutant vs. EGFR -wild-type samples were: 85% (55/65) vs. 94% (29/31) (p=0.2159); 42% (27/65) vs. 74% (23/31) (p=0.0027); and 22% (14/65) vs. 48% (15/31) (p=0.0074), respectively. Patient-oriented (n=77) univariate analysis for strong PD-L1+ found age of sample (p=0.0226) and EGFR mutation status (p=0.0490) as significant factors. Multivariate analysis identified EGFR mutation status as the only significant factor (p=0.0121, odds ratio 2.99) for strong PD-L1+. H-scores of PD-L1 expression varied in all 11 cases receiving multiple rebiopsies, and categories of positivity migrated in 10 (91%) of 11 patients. Conclusions: PD-L1 expression was significantly lower in EGFR -mutant NSCLC samples than in EGFR wild-type samples. Its expression could be dynamic and affected by age of sample.

Errors in sequencing are a major obstacle in the interpretation of next-generation sequencing (NGS) results. In the present study, sequencing errors identified from analysis of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) identified during exome sequencing of human germline DNA were studied using the Thermo Fisher Ion Proton System. Two consanguineous cases were selected for sequencing using the AmpliSeq Exome capture kit, and SNVs found in both cases were validated using Sanger sequencing. A total of 98 SNVs detected by NGS were randomly selected for further analysis. Nine of the analyzed SNVs were shown to be false positives when confirmed by Sanger sequencing. All but one SNV were considered to be homopolymer regions, mainly through the insertion or deletion of nucleotides. The remaining error was considered to be related to the primer. The present results revealed that the majority of the SNV sequencing errors originated from homopolymer insertion/deletion errors, which are commonly observed when using the Ion Torrent system.

Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate whether irradiation induces the expression of tumor programed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and methods Seventeen patients with NSCLC who received chemoradiotherapy and underwent tumor resection and six patients whose pre-treatment biopsy specimens were available, were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for PD-L1 expression between September 2011 and June 2016 at the Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation Hospital. Results Among six patients for which pre-irradiation biopsy samples were available, the H-score for PD-L1 was reduced after irradiation following staining with two different antibody clones (SP28-8 and SP142). A PD-L1 H-score >5 with SP28-8 antibody (hazard ratio=6.46; 95% confidence interval=1.209-34.53; p=0.029) was a significant negative factor for duration of progression-free survival after curative operation or chemoradiation. Conclusion We showed that tumor PD-L1 expression decreased in patients with NSCLC who received chemoradiotherapy and radiation resistance might be due to pre-treatment PD-L1 expression.

Background Concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CRT) is the current standard of care for patients with locally advanced lung adenocarcinoma; however, little has been reported about the impact of epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ) mutation on CRT efficacy. Methods From 2006 to 2013, we retrospectively screened 104 unresectable stage III adenocarcinoma patients who were examined for EGFR mutation status and received definitive concurrent CRT consisting of platinum doublet chemotherapy in first-line setting and compared the clinical outcomes and recurrence patterns according to mutation status. Results Among 104 patients, EGFR mutation was detected in 29 (28%). The overall response rate did not differ between EGFR -mutant and wild-type patients (72.4% versus 72.0%, p = 0.607). The median progression-free survival in concurrent CRT was significantly shorter in EGFR-mutant patients than in wild-type patients (9.8 [95% confidence interval, CI: 7.6–19.0] versus 16.5 [95% CI: 11.8–19.9] months, p = 0.041). The 2-year recurrence-free survival rate was 7.7% and 28.1% in EGFR -mutant and wild-type patients, respectively ( p = 0.028). Distant metastases were more frequently identified as the first recurrence site in EGFR-mutant patients than in wild-type patients (76% versus 40%, p = 0.001). The brain was the most often affected site in EGFR -mutant patients (35%). However, locoregional recurrence was less common in EGFR -mutant patients than in the wild-type population (14% versus 35%, p = 0.027). Overall survival was similar between EGFR -mutant and wild-type patients (51.1 [95% CI: 28.2–70.2] versus 42.9 [95% CI: 35.3 to not available] months, p = 0.637). Among the EGFR wild-type population who were examined for Kras mutation, Kras -mutant patients had significantly worse overall survival than Kras wild-type patients (21.6 versus 49.8 months, p = 0.024). Conclusion Concurrent CRT resulted in shorter progression-free survival in EGFR -mutant stage III adenocarcinoma patients than in wild-type patients, mainly because of distant metastasis relapse, regardless of better local control. Because of these distinct biological features, a different strategy, including EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors for EGFR -mutant locally advanced adenocarcinoma patients receiving definitive CRT may be needed.

Afatinib, the second-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), has been postulated to be associated with improved inhibition of EGFR-dependent tumor growth compared with first-generation EGFR-TKIs for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We present a case of lung adenocarcinoma (cT3N0M0) treated with neoadjuvant afatinib and sleeve lobectomy. Because of the location of the tumor, reduced FEV1 value, and the presence of EGFR mutation, the patient was planned to be prescribed afatinib (30 mg daily) for 3 weeks as neoadjuvant therapy and underwent sleeve lobectomy to avoid pneumonectomy as much as possible. Although the patient presented with grade 3 diarrhea and dose reduction of afatinib to 20 mg daily was needed, several image findings showed a partial response of the tumor on Day 20. Oral administration of afatinib was discontinued on Day 22. A right upper sleeve lobectomy combined with partial resection of lower lobe was performed after oral administration of afatinib on Day 24. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful and she has been free of recurrence for 26 months. This strategy could reduce the risk of pneumonectomy with acceptable side effects. The treatment, clinical course and pathological findings of the patient are discussed.

Introduction Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation T790M accounts for approximately half of acquired resistances to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). Because T790M is mediated by TKI exposure, its penetration and "on–off" may affect T790M status. Methods We retrospectively reviewed T790M status and clinical course of patients who had undergone multiple rebiopsies after acquired resistance to EGFR-TKI. Results Of 145 patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC receiving rebiopsy after acquired resistance, 30 underwent multiple site rebiopsies, and 24 received repeated rebiopsies at the same lesion. In 22 patients who underwent rebiopsies from both central nervous system (CNS; 20 cerebrospinal fluids [CSF] and 2 brain tumoral tissues) and thoracic lesions (7 lung tissues, 14 pleural effusions, and 1 lymph node), 12 were thoracic-T790M-positive. Of these 12 patients, 10 were CNS-T790M-negative, despite exhibiting thoracic-T790M-positive. All 10 thoracic-T790M-negatives were CNS-T790M-negative. Three patients revealed a spatial heterogeneous T790M status among their thoracic lesions. In 24 patients receiving repeated rebiopsies at the same lesion (12 lung tissues, 6 CSFs, and 6 pleural effusions), T790M status of lung lesions varied in five patients after TKI-free interval. In all five patients whose T790M status changed from positive to negative, EGFR-TKI rechallenge was effective. In three of these five patients, after further TKI exposure, T790M status changed from negative to positive again. There was also a patient whose CSF T790M status changed from negative to positive after high-dose erlotinib therapy. Conclusions T790M status in an individual patient can be spatiotemporally heterogeneous because of selective pressure from EGFR-TKI.

Introduction Atezolizumab, an anti–programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) agent, is effective and well tolerated in patients with pretreated advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We assessed its efficacy and safety in Japanese patients through subgroup analyses of the phase 3 OAK study ( NCT02008227 ). Patients and Methods Key eligibility criteria of this randomized, controlled, open-label, international study include locally advanced/metastatic NSCLC, ≥ 1 prior platinum-based chemotherapy, age ≥ 18 years, measurable disease (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors v1.1), and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 or 1. Atezolizumab 1200 mg or docetaxel 75 mg/m2 was provided intravenously every 3 weeks. Co-primary end points were overall survival (OS) in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population and those with ≥ 1% PD-L1 expression on tumor cells (TC) or tumor-infiltrating immune cells (IC; TC1/2/3 or IC1/2/3). Results Sixty-four ITT patients were Japanese; 19 had TC1/2/3 or IC1/2/3 status. In Japanese ITT patients, median OS in the atezolizumab arm (n = 36) was longer than the docetaxel arm (n = 28; 21.3 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 11.0-not estimable (NE)] versus 17.0 months [95% CI, 12.5-NE], respectively; hazard ratio 0.80 [95% CI, 0.41-1.57]). In the TC1/2/3 or IC1/2/3 population, median OS was 21.3 months (95% CI, 15.0-NE) and NE in the atezolizumab (n = 11) and docetaxel (n = 8) groups, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.22-3.05]). Atezolizumab was generally well tolerated, with no treatment-related deaths. Conclusion Atezolizumab was effective and well tolerated in pretreated Japanese patients with NSCLC. Results are consistent with the primary analysis of OAK.

Background: Osimertinib demonstrated promising efficacy for refractory leptomeningeal metastases (LM) in preclinical data and a clinical study at 160 mg, but there is limited data for the standard 80 mg dose. Methods: T790M-positive patients with suspected LM after classical epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) failure were enroled. Results: We investigated 13 patients (5 definitive and 8 possible LM cases). In two of the five definitive cases with T790M in and outside the central nervous system (CNS), osimertinib was effective for both lesions, with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) clearance of cancer cells and sensitive/T790M mutations. In three definitive cases with extra-CNS T790M without CSF T790M, cancer cells and sensitive mutations in the CSF persisted after osimertinib initiation. The median progression-free survival of all 13 patients was 7.2 months. Osimertinib was generally well-tolerated despite poor performance status, but interstitial lung disease (grade 2) was confirmed in one patient. Based on 25 samples from 13 patients, the osimertinib CSF penetration rate was 2.5±0.3%. Conclusions: Osimertinib 80 mg is a useful therapeutic option for refractory LM after classical EGFR-TKI failure. It appears more effective in CSF T790M-positive cases.

Aim The aim of the present study was to compare successful rate, failure reasons, and complications among procedures of histological rebiopsy. Patients and methods We retrospectively reviewed medical records of histologically rebiopsied cases with non-small cell lung cancer. Results One hundred and eleven histological rebiopsies were performed in: 86 (77%) lung; 11 (10%) lymph node; 5 (5%) pleura; 4 (4%) liver; 2 (2%) muscle; 2 (2%) adrenal gland; and 1 (1%) rib. Successful rate by computed tomography-guided biopsy (CTGB), transbronchial biopsy (TBB), and ultrasound-guided biopsy were 86% (48/56), 90% (28/31), and 100% (24/24), respectively. Reasons for rebiopsy failure by CTGB were no/insufficient malignant cells (n=5) and pneumothorax (n=3), and those by TBB were no/insufficient malignant cells (n=2) and bleeding (n=1). Severe complications (≥grade 3): one grade 3 pneumothorax and one grade 4 air embolization were observed in two (2%, 2/111) cases receiving CTGB. Conclusion Rebiopsy of histological samples can be highly successful and feasible by optimal procedural selection.

BackgroundEGFR gene mutation is independently associated with a favorable response in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving epidermal growth factor receptor -tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), regardless of sex or smoking history. Squamous cell carcinoma patients harboring EGFR mutations show a significantly worse response to EGFR-TKIs compared with adenocarcinoma patients. We hypothesized that the serum cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA 21-1) is associated with the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs in EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients.MethodsWe retrospectively screened 160 NSCLC patients harboring EGFR mutations, who had received either gefitinib, or erlotinib between 1992 and 2011. Patients were screened for clinical characteristics, the efficacy of EGFR-TKI, and tumor markers (carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA]/CYFRA 21-1) at the initial diagnosis.ResultsOf 160 eligible patients treated with EGFR-TKIs, 77 patients with high CYFRA 21-1 level (>2 ng/ml) showed significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS) than the 83 patients with normal CYFRA 21-1 level (median PFS, 7.5 versus 13.3 months; p < 0.001). No significant difference in PFS was observed between the high-CEA group (>5 ng/ml) and the normal-CEA group (median PFS, 8.6 versus 11.2 months; p = 0.242). A multivariate analysis revealed that high CYFRA 21-1 level is independently associated with PFS (hazard ratio, 1.27; p = 0.002). No significant difference in overall survival was observed between the high- and the normal-CYFRA 21-1 groups (median overall survival, 24.8 versus 39.1 months; p = 0.104).ConclusionsPatients with a high CYFRA 21-1 level have significantly shorter PFS. CYFRA 21-1 is not a prognostic but a predictive marker of EGFR-TKI treatment in EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients.

Background: Relatively little is known about acute exacerbation (AE) of interstitial pneumonia associated with collagen vascular diseases (CVD-IPs). Objectives: This study was aimed at clarifying clinical characteristics and outcome in AE of CVD-IPs, compared with those of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 112 admission cases with suspected AE of CVD-IPs or IIPs during 2003–2009. IIPs were diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) or non-IPF, mostly based on radiologic findings. Of these, 15 AEs of CVD-IPs (6 rheumatoid arthritis, 6 dermatomyositis and 3 systemic sclerosis) and 47 AEs of IIPs (13 IPF and 34 non-IPF) were included. Results: The clinical characteristics in AE of CVD-IPs were similar to those of IIPs, except for younger age (63.3 ± 6.8 vs. 73.8 ± 9.1 years; p = 0.0001) and higher PaO2/FiO2 at the onset of AE (205 ± 81.2 vs. 145 ± 53.8 mm Hg; p = 0.002) in the former. Dermatomyositis-related interstitial pneumonia (IP) showed a relatively indolent onset and was often associated with worsening control of the underlying disease, whereas AE of other CVD-IPs resembled that of IIPs. 90-day mortality of 33% in AE of CVD-IPs was similar to that of IIPs (44%; p = 0.44) or non-IPF (34%; p = 0.94), but was significantly better than that of IPF (69%; p = 0.04). Conclusion: Clinical features and outcome in AE of CVD-IPs were similar, if not identical, to those of IIPs, having a significant impact on the clinical course. AE of advanced IPF with typical radiologic features seems to have higher mortality compared with other forms of IP.

// Akito Hata 1 , Daijiro Harada 3 , Chiyuki Okuda 1 , Reiko Kaji 1 , Yoshio Masuda 2 , Yoshika Takechi 4 , Toshiyuki Kozuki 3 , Naoyuki Nogami 3 and Nobuyuki Katakami 1 1 Department of Medical Oncology, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan 2 Department of Pharmacy, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan 3 Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Hospital Organization Shikoku Cancer Center, Matsuyama, Japan 4 Department of Pharmacy, National Hospital Organization Shikoku Cancer Center, Matsuyama, Japan Correspondence to: Akito Hata, email: akitohata@hotmail.com Keywords: docetaxel; ramucirumab; febrile neutropenia; pegylated-granulocyte-colony stimulating factor Received: March 22, 2018 Accepted: May 21, 2018 Published: June 12, 2018 ABSTRACT Purpose: The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of docetaxel plus ramucirumab with primary prophylactic pegylated (PEG)-granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) for pretreated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Results: Sixty-one pretreated NSCLC patients underwent docetaxel plus ramucirumab. Primary prophylactic PEG-G-CSF was performed in 52 (85%) patients (prophylactic group). No febrile neutropenia (FN) (0%) was confirmed in 52 prophylactic group patients, whereas FN was observed in 3 (33%) of 9 non-prophylactic group patients. Among prophylactic group, median lines of prior therapy was 2 (range, 1–9). Median cycles of docetaxel plus ramucirumab was 3 (range, 1–25) (9 and 3 cases moved to ramucirumab and docetaxel monotherapies, respectively). Response rate and disease control rate were 30.8% and 73.1%, respectively. Median progression-free survival was 4.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.0–6.6) months. Median overall survival was 11.4 (95% CI, 8.0–13.9) months. Six (11.5%) patients had grade 3/4 neutropenia. Observed grade 3 (incidence ≥10%) adverse event (AE) was oral mucositis (13.5%). There were no grade 4/5 non-hematological AEs. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated the efficacy and safety of docetaxel plus ramucirumab with PEG-G-CSF in clinical practice. Primary prophylactic PEG-G-CSF could markedly reduce incidence of FN. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of pretreated NSCLC cases who had received docetaxel plus ramucirumab in our departments.

Introduction: Mutation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene can predict the efficacy of EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Different mutations have been shown to co-occur in a single tumor. However, the frequency of these so-called "complex mutations" and the efficacy of gefitinib in treating patients with these mutations are unclear. Methods: We investigated the frequency of complex mutations in 783 patients with non-small cell lung cancer seen at our institutes between April 2006 and May 2009. Mutational analysis was performed using the peptide nucleic acid-locked nucleic acid polymerase chain reaction clamp method. Gefitinib efficacy was evaluated in patients found to have complex mutations. Results: EGFR mutations were detected in 318 (41%) patients, with 21 (6.6%) of these individuals having complex mutations. Sixteen of these 21 patients received gefitinib. The response rate (RR) was 67% (95% confidence interval [CI], 35–90%) and median progression-free survival was 12.2 months (95% CI, 1.3 months to undeterminable). Analysis of RR according to mutation type revealed that patients with deletional mutation in exon 19 (Del-19) and a point mutation in exon 21 (L858R) had a better RR (86%, 6 of 7) than those with other complex mutation patterns such as a point mutation in exon 18 (G719S) + L858R (40%, 2 of 5) (p = 0.2222). The median progression-free survival was also longer in these patients (16.5 months; 95% CI, 1.1 months to undeterminable versus 3.8 months; 95% CI, 0.7–10.0 months) (p = 0.0459). Conclusions: Complex EGFR mutations are not rare. Gefitinib has different efficacy according to the type of complex EGFR mutations. Patients with Del-19 and L858R mutations may benefit more from gefitinib than other types of complex mutations.

Summary Background Trial of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in the emergency department (ED) for heterogeneous acute respiratory failure (ARF) has been optional and its clinical benefit unclear. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study comparing between two periods, October 2001–September 2003 and October 2004–September 2006, i.e., before and after adopting an NIV-trial strategy in which NIV was applied in the ED to any noncontraindicated ARF patients needing ventilatory support and was then continued in the intermediate-care-unit. During these two periods, we retrieved cases of ARF treated either invasively or with NIV, and compared the patients' in-hospital mortalities and the length of ICU and intermediate-care-unit stay. Results Compared were 73 (invasive 56, NIV 17) and 125 cases (invasive 31, NIV 94) retrieved from 271 and 415 emergent admissions with proper pulmonary etiologies for mechanical ventilation, respectively. Of their respiratory failures, type (hypercapnic/non-hypercapnic, 0.97 vs. 0.98) and severity (pH 7.23 vs. 7.21 for hypercapnic; PaO 2 /FiO 2 133 vs. 137 for non-hypercapnic) were similar, and the rate of predisposing etiologies was not significantly different. However, excluding those with recurrent aspiration pneumonia for whom NIV was mostly used as "ceiling" treatment, significant reductions in both overall in-hospital mortality (38%–19%, risk ratio 0.51, 95% CI 0.31–0.84), and median length of ICU and intermediate-care-unit stay (12 vs. 5 days, P Conclusions NIV-trial in the ED for all possible patients with ARF of pulmonary etiologies, excluding those with recurrent aspiration pneumonia, may reduce overall in-hospital mortality and ICU stays.

背景．肺癌における髄膜癌腫症の予後は，無治療では4∼6週，治療した場合でも2∼3ヶ月の生存と報告され，きわめて不良である．症例．58歳女性（cT4N0M1; 肺内転移），72歳男性（cT4N1M0），68歳女性（cT1N0M1; 骨転移）のstage IIIBまたIV期の肺腺癌の3症例である．各種抗癌剤治療中に，神経症状を伴った髄膜癌腫症を発症した．上皮成長因子受容体チロシンキナーゼ阻害薬（EGFR-TKIs）投与が奏効し，神経症状や頭部MRI画像所見と髄液細胞診での改善が確認できた．最長1年を超える生存が得られた．2症例は髄液検体でEGFR遺伝子変異の検索を施行し，ともに陽性であった．変異の有無によりEGFR-TKIsの治療効果を予測できる可能性がある．結語．髄膜癌腫症を合併した非小細胞肺癌3症例について報告した．EGFR遺伝子変異を有する例では髄膜癌腫症に対してEGFR-TKIsが有用であると考えられた．

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with minor mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene, except for the common 15 base-pair deletions in exon 19 and the L858R mutation in exon 21, is rare, and only few data exist on this patient population. The aim of the present study was to describe the clinical characteristics and to clarify the efficacy of EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with NSCLC harboring minor mutations of the EGFR gene.This was a multicenter, retrospective study that analyzed specimens from patients with NSCLC who had minor EGFR gene mutations and were treated with EGFR-TKIs between June 2002 and March 2012.Out of 56 patients with minor mutations of the EGFR gene, 44 were treated with either gefitinib or erlotinib. Mutation sites were G719X in exon 18 (n=35), L861Q in exon 21 (n=11), and G874S in exon 21 (n=1). Three patients had both the G719S and the L861Q mutation. The response rate to TKI treatment was 29.5%, and the disease control rate was 63.6%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.7 months [95% confidence interval (CI)=2.06-8.66 months]. The median PFS was 7.2 months (95% CI=4.23-12.3 months) in 32 patients who received first- or second-line treatment with EGFR-TKIs, whereas the median PFS was 1.57 months (95% CI=0.73-3.8 months) in 12 patients treated with EGFR-TKIs as a third-line or later treatment. In multivariate Cox analysis, erlotinib therapy was associated with a longer PFS than gefitinib (p=0.025).Patients with NSCLC harboring minor mutations of the EGFR gene exhibited a modest response to EGFR-TKI treatment. Treatment with first-generation EGFR-TKIs, in particular erlotinib, may be considered a first- or second-line option for patients with NSCLC with minor EGFR mutations.

Patients with malignant lung cancer often develop a solitary pulmonary nodule after treatment of the initial cancer. In those cases, it is difficult to distinguish primary lung cancer (PLC) from lung metastasis. Therefore, both local therapy for a single lung lesions and systemic therapy for micrometastases are needed. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of concurrent stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and chemotherapy in patients with metachronous PLC.We reviewed the records of 10 patients with metachronous PLC treated with SBRT and concurrent chemotherapy with curative intent from 2007 to 2013. The delivered radiation dose was 48 Gy in four fractions.All patients received SBRT with concurrent chemotherapy on schedule. Complete response rate was 90%. Safety profile of this treatment was compatible with that of traditional chemoradiotherapy.Our study showed good feasibility and safety for SBRT with concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Objective Information regarding multiple primary malignancies is important, as it has the potential to clarify etiological factors and may indicate the need to refine patient follow-up to include screening for associated malignancies. Upper aerodigestive tract cancer often develops in patients with smoking-related lung cancer; however, little is known about the frequencies or types of other primary malignancies in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without a history of smoking. Methods We retrospectively evaluated the records of patients examined and/or treated for NSCLC at the Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation between January 2007 and June 2012. Patients In total, 938 patients, including 599 men (never-smoker/ever-smoker: 35/564) and 339 women (never-smoker/ever-smoker: 236/103), were analyzed. Results Among the 209 patients (22.3%) with multiple primary malignancies, 151 had a history of smoking and 58 were never-smokers. The most common cancers were gastric (43 cases), colorectal (33 cases), and prostate (29 cases) cancer. Smoking-related cancer was more common in current smokers and ex-smokers for both men and women. Among women with NSCLC, never-smokers were more likely to have thyroid cancer than those with a history of smoking (5.1% vs. 0%, p=0.021). Conclusion In this study, several differences in malignancies were observed between never-smokers and patients with a history of smoking. Thyroid cancer and NSCLC co-existed in some women without a history of smoking, implicating predisposing factors other than tobacco smoke in the onset of these cancers.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic impact of central nervous system metastases (CNS) after acquired resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).We defined CNS-collapse as death due to uncontrolled and progressive CNS metastases. Post-progression survival (PPS) after initial TKI failure and T790M status were retrospectively compared in 92 patients with or without CNS collapse.The median PPS in 32 patients with CNS-collapse (16.7 months) was significantly shorter than that of 60 without (26.8 months) (p=0.0002). T790M was detected in four (12%) out of the 32 CNS-collapse patients and in 26 (43%) out of 60 without (p=0.0026). Median PPS in 39 patients with leptomeningeal metastases (LM) (11.4 months) was significantly shorter versus 53 without (26.8 months) (p=0.0006). The median PPS was 25.1 months in 40 patients with brain metastases and 11.2 months in 52 without (p=0.0387). T790M was detected in 4/5 resected brain tumors (80%) and in 1/26 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples (4%) (p=0.0008).CNS-collapse represented poorer prognosis, which was associated with T790M-negative status and LM. Controlling CNS metastases, especially LM, is important to achieve longer survival.

Background Treatment for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is often determined by the presence of biomarkers that predict the response to agents targeting specific molecular pathways. Demands for multiplex analysis of the genes involved in the pathogenesis of NSCLC are increasing. Methods We validated the Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine (PGM) system using the Ion AmpliSeq Cancer Hotspot Panel and compared the results with those obtained using the gold standard methods, conventional PCR and Sanger sequencing. The cycleave PCR method was used to verify the results. Results and Conclusion The Ion Torrent PGM resulted in a similar level of accuracy in identifying multiple genetic mutations in parallel, compared with conventional PCR and Sanger sequencing; however, the Ion Torrent PGM was superior to the other sequencing methods in terms of increased ease of use, even when taking into account the small amount of DNA that was obtained from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) biopsy specimens.

The aim of the present study was to analyze factors that affect progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after S-1 therapy, in particular epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status.Between October 2009 and June 2013, 56 patients with advanced NSCLC were analyzed for EGFR somatic mutations and treated with S-1 with or without bevacizumab. Risk factors associated with PFS were evaluated using a Cox proportional hazards regression model with a step-down procedure. Proportional hazards assumptions were checked and satisfied and only variables with statistical significance in univariate analysis were included in multivariate analysis.The median PFS of patients with EGFR mutations who received S-1 therapy was significantly longer than that of patients with wild-type EGFR. The median PFS of patients with good performance status (PS) was significantly longer than that of patients with poor PS. In multivariate analysis, wild-type EGFR and poor PS were significant and independent negative factors that affect PFS after S-1 therapy.EGFR mutation and good PS were positive predictive factors for PFS after S-1 therapy, suggesting that S-1 therapy is efficacious for patients with EGFR-activating mutations even in a multi-line setting.

Recent reports have shown gefitinib, epidermal growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) induced marked improvement in ECOG performance status (PS) as first-line therapy in EGFR mutation-positive patients with extremely poor PS. EGFR mutations frequently occur in east-Asian, female, non-smoking, adenocarcinoma patients, however they are occasionally detected in patients with non-adenocarcinomas or with a heavy smoking history. We describe a case in which EGFR mutation was detected in a male, current smoker, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patient with PS 4, who showed a marked response to the first-line gefitinib therapy. EGFR mutational analysis is recommended even for SCC patients especially in east-Asian populations.

9034 Background: Irreversible EGFR-TKI monotherapies showed only moderate efficacy after AR to reversible EGFR-TKIs. Preclinical studies suggested that addition of Bev to EGFR-TKIs could overcome AR, and Bev demonstrated synergistic effects with Afa in TKI-resistant xenograft models. Methods: ECOG PS 0-2 patients (pts) with EGFR-mutant NSCLC after AR to EGFR-TKIs were enrolled at any lines. Rebiopsy was essential to confirm T790M status after AR. Afa was prescribed at 30 mg, and Bev administered at 15 mg/kg tri-weekly until progression. Results: Between October 2014 and September 2016, 33 eligible pts were enrolled. Median age was 66 (range, 48-86). Twenty-one (64%) pts were female, and 22 (67%) were never smoker. Mutation subtypes were 20 (61%) Del-19, 12 (36%) L858R, and 1 (3%) L861Q. T790M was detected in 14 (42%) pts. Median number of prior regimens was 4 (range, 1-10). First prior TKIs were 20 (61%) gefitinib, 10 (30%) erlotinib or 3 (9%) Afa. Six pts obtained partial response and 23 stable disease, resulting in response rate (RR) of 18.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.0-35.5%) and disease control rated of 87.9% (95% CI, 71.8-96.6%). Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival were 5.9 (95% CI, 3.5-8.8) months and not reached, respectively. Median RR and PFS of T790M+ vs. T790M- were 14.3% vs. 21.2% (p = 0.6189) and 6.2 vs. 5.2 months (p = 0.8619), respectively. Median RR and PFS of Del-19 vs. L858R were 20.0% vs. 8.3% (p = 0.3789) and 5.9 vs. 5.1 months (p = 0.8996), respectively. Afa dosage was reduced to 20 mg in 15 (45%) pts and increased to 40 mg in 2 (6%) pts. Median number of Bev administrations was 6 (range, 1-14). Bev was interrupted in 5 (15%) pts. Adverse events ≥grade 3: rash (3%); paronychia (24%); mucositis (6%); diarrhea (3%); liver dysfunction (3%); hypertension (39%); and proteinuria (15%) were observed. There were no treatment-related deaths, interstitial lung disease, nor Bev-associated severe bleedings. Conclusions: Afa + Bev demonstrated the efficacy and safety after AR to EGFR-TKIs. It could be a therapeutic salvage option for T790M- populations. Clinical trial information: UMIN000014710.

Elderly patients with stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are frequently underrepresented in clinical trials that evaluate chemoradiotherapy, due to their poor functional status, coexisting illnesses and limited life expectancy. The Japan Clinical Oncology Group 0301 trial (JCOG0301) was the first study to demonstrate that thoracic radiation therapy (TRT) with daily low-dose carboplatin may improve the outcome of elderly patients with stage III NSCLC. However, the efficacy and safety profiles of chemoradiotherapy, including platinum doublets, have not been clearly determined in this patient population. We retrospectively assessed the efficacy and toxicity of weekly paclitaxel in combination with carboplatin and concurrent TRT in patients aged ≥75 years with previously untreated locally advanced NSCLC. Between February, 2004 and July, 2013, we collected the data of 20 patients treated with weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin for 6 weeks and concurrent TRT. The objective response rate was 90%, the disease control rate was 95%, the median progression-free survival was 8.63 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.7-16.7] and the median overall survival (OS) was 16.1 months (95% CI: 10.7-41.6). There were no grade 4 hematological or non-hematological toxicities and no reported treatment-related deaths. Therefore, platinum doublet therapy in combination with TRT did not provide a clinically significant survival benefit in our population of elderly patients with locally advanced NSCLC. However, the present study demonstrated the good feasibility and safety of this regimen. Further prospective clinical trials are required to evaluate the efficacy and safety of platinum doublet with TRT in elderly patients.

The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate bevacizumab combined with weekly paclitaxel with and without carboplatin in pre-treated patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Between November 2009 and October 2011, 43 pre-treated patients with non-squamous NSCLC received bevacizumab (15 mg/kg, day 1) plus weekly paclitaxel (60-80 mg/m(2), days 1, 8, 15) with carboplatin (area under the curve=4-5, day 1) (n=36), or bevacizumab plus weekly paclitaxel (n=7) alone every four weeks.The response rate and disease control rates were 48.8% (21/43) and 86.0% (37/43), respectively. Median progression-free survival was 5.7 months, and overall survival was 14.5 months. Grade 3/4 neutropenia was observed in 37.2% of patients and peripheral neurotoxicity in 0%. No bevacizumab-related death was observed.Even for heavily pre-treated patients, bevacizumab plus weekly paclitaxel with or without carboplatin was effective and tolerable in non-squamous NSCLC.

BACKGROUND The secondary epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation Thr790Met (T790M) accounts for approximately half of acquired resistances to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). Recent reports have demonstrated that the emergence of T790M predicts a favorable prognosis and indolent progression. However, rebiopsy to confirm T790M status can be challenging due to limited tissue availability and procedural feasibility, and little is known regarding the differences among patients with or without T790M mutation. METHODS The study investigated 78 EGFR-mutant patients who had undergone rebiopsy after TKI failure. The peptide nucleic acid–locked nucleic acid polymerase chain reaction clamp method was used in EGFR mutational analyses. Various patient characteristics and postprogression survivals (PPSs) after initial TKI failure were retrospectively compared in patients with and without T790M. RESULTS The T790M mutation was identified in 4 (17%) of 24 central nervous system lesions, and in 22 (41%) of 54 other lesions (P = .0417). No other characteristics had a statistical association with T790M prevalence. Median PPS was 31.4 months in 26 patients with T790M, and 11.4 months in 52 patients without T790M (P = .0017). In the multivariate analysis, statistically significant factors for longer PPS included T790M-positive, good performance status, and no carcinomatous meningitis. CONCLUSIONS The emergence of T790M in central nervous system lesions was rare, compared with other lesions. Patients with T790M after TKI failure appear to have better prognoses than those without T790M. TKI rechallenge or continuous administration beyond progression may be effective after initial TKI failure. Cancer 2013;119:4325–4332. © 2013 American Cancer Society.

Recent reports have shown gefitinib, epidermal growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) induced marked improvement in ECOG performance status (PS) as first-line therapy in EGFR mutation-positive patients with extremely poor PS. EGFR mutations frequently occur in east-Asian, female, non-smoking, adenocarcinoma patients, however they are occasionally detected in patients with non-adenocarcinomas or with a heavy smoking history. We describe a case in which EGFR mutation was detected in a male, current smoker, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patient with PS 4, who showed a marked response to the first-line gefitinib therapy. EGFR mutational analysis is recommended even for SCC patients especially in east-Asian populations.

Objective: Erlotinib has demonstrated survival benefit in patients with not only adenocarcinoma but also squamous cell carcinoma. Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors are more effective in Asian populations, including the Japanese than in western populations. However, a higher incidence of interstitial lung disease has been reported as a fatal adverse event in the Japanese population. There is little data on erlotinib for Japanese patients with pretreated squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: Between January 2004 and October 2010, we retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of erlotinib administered as the first epidermal growth factor receptortyrosine kinase inhibitors for 41 Japanese patients with pretreated squamous cell carcinoma. Patients with pre-existing interstitial lung disease were carefully excluded by several examinations including high-resolution computed tomography. Results: The response rate and disease control rate were 9.7% [95% confidence interval: 2.7‐23.1%) and 43.9% (95% confidence interval: 28.5‐60.2%], respectively. Median time to treatment failure and overall survival were 2.2 months (95% confidence interval: 1.0‐2.8 months) and 11.0 months (95% confidence interval: 5.7‐15.7 months), respectively. Interstitial lung disease (Grade 5) was observed in one (2.4%) patient. Patients with Grade 0‐1 skin rashes vs. patients with Grades 2‐3 exhibited disease control rates of 28 vs. 83% (P ¼ 0.0017), and median time to treatment failure of 1.2 months vs. 3.4 months (P ¼ 0.0099). Conclusions: Erlotinib has moderate efficacy for pretreated squamous cell carcinoma in Japanese patients. A higher grade of skin rash was associated with clinical benefit. Careful exclusion of pre-existing interstitial lung disease can minimize the occurrence of interstitial lung disease.

Background Nitric oxide (NO) is a free radical that is involved in carcinogenesis. Endothelial NO, synthesized from L-arginine by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), inhibits apoptosis and promotes angiogenesis, tumor cell proliferation and metastasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of polymorphisms in the eNOS gene on prognosis of patients with advanced stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Unresectable, chemotherapy naïve stage III or IV NSCLC patients who were treated with standard platinum-containing doublet regimens were analyzed. All individuals were genotyped for the single-nucleotide polymorphism G894T in exon 7 of the eNOS gene and for a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism in intron 4 that results in a rare smaller allele (a) and a common larger allele (b), to investigate the association between these polymorphisms and clinical outcomes. The primary endpoint was correlation with overall survival. Results From October 2004 to December 2007, 108 patients (male/female, 66/42; Stage IIIA/IIIB/IV, 6/30/72) aged 29-77 years (median 63) with good performance status were consecutively enrolled in this study. Using Kaplan-Meier estimates, we showed that 5-year overall survival was significantly increased in patients carrying the VNTR a-allele compared with VNTR b/b patients (P = 0.015). In multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis, the VNTR polymorphism was an independent prognostic factor for survival. Conclusions The results support the role of the VNTR polymorphism in intron 4 as a marker for survival in patients with advanced stage NSCLC who are candidates for standard chemotherapy.

Background: Patients with lung cancer may develop a second primary lung cancer after treatment of the initial lesion (metachronous PLC). In those cases, it is difficult to distinguish primary lung cancer from lung metastasis. Therefore, we need both local therapy for a single lung lesion, and systemic therapy for micrometastasis. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is now the standard treatment for patients with inoperable Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However SBRT with concurrent chemotherapy may be feasible and effective for selected patients with NSCLC. This retrospective study was aimed at evaluating the safety and tolerability of concurrent SBRT and chemotherapy in patients with metachronous primary lung cancer. Methods: We reviewed the records of 10 patients with metachronous primary lung cancer treated with SBRT and concurrent chemotherapy with curative intent from 2007 to 2013. All patients had T1 tumor. The median age was 65 years with a range of 58 to 79 years. The median delivered radiation dose was 48 Gy in 4 fractions. Concurrent chemotherapy regimen was cisplatin plus docetaxel, cisplatin plus vinorelbine, nedaplatin plus docetaxel, carboplatin plus docetaxel, and carboplatin plus paclitaxel, carboplatin plus docetaxel. Results: All patients received SBRT on schedule. Concurrent chemotherapy was successfully accomplished as originally planned in 10 patients. Initial effect of SBRT plus chemotherapy could be evaluated in all cases. Complete local remission was achieved in 9 patients and Partial local remission was achieved in one patient. Local recurrence were not observed in any patient. Only one patient alone had distant metastases. A grade 3 or 4 neutrophil count decreased occurred in 7 patients, grade 3 febrile neutropenia in 2 patients, and grade3 anemia in one patient. No treatment-related deaths were observed. Conclusion: Our study showed good feasibility and safety of SBRT and concurrent chemotherapy.

Aim: Several reports demonstrated efficacies of EGFR-TKI rechallenge in EGFR-mutant NSCLC, but the efficacies were only moderate (response rate [RR], 0-10% disease control rate [DCR], 20-30%, and progression-free survival [PFS], 2-3 months). Some preclinical studies suggested synergistic effects of bevacizumab and EGFR-TKI in TKI-resistant models. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of EGFR-TKI rechallenge with bevacizumab after acquired resistance to TKI in EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Methods: Between January 2010 and January 2014, twenty-one NSCLC patients, previously treated with EGFR-TKIs, received EGFR-TKI rechallenge in combination with bevacizumab. We retrospectively evaluated the RR, DCR, PFS, overall survival (OS), and safety. Re-biopsy was performed in all cases to examine T790M resistant mutation status. The efficacy was compared between T790M-positive and –negative populations. Results: The eligible 21 patients were all EGFR mutant. Previous EGFR-TKI treatments were 8 gefitinib, 11 erlotinib, and 2 afatinib. 11 patients had EGFR-TKIs rechallenge with bevacizumab successively without interval, and 10 patients received same after 1-4 intervening systemic regimens. EGFR-TKIs for rechallenge in combination with bevacizumab were 2 gefitinib and 19 erlotinib. Two (9.5%) had partial response, 12 (90%) had stable disease. The RR and DCR were 9.5% and 95%, respectively. The median PFS was 3.6 months (95% confidence interval (CI); 2.5-14.9 months), and the median OS was 13.5 months (95% CI; 9.7-21 months). On re-biopsy, 6 patients had T790M with the initial sensitive mutation. The RR, DCR, median PFS and median OS for T790M positive vs negative were 0% vs 13% (p = 0.23), 100% vs 93% (p = 0.40), 3.6 months vs 4.1 months (p = 0.78), and 15.1 months vs 13.5 months (p = 0.656), respectively. Severe adverse events (≧grade 3) were as follows: grade 3 hypertension in one (4.8%) and grade 3 anemia in one patient (4.8%). Conclusions: EGFR-TKI rechallenge with bevacizumab demonstrated higher DCR and modestly longer PFS, compared with EGFR-TKI monotherapy rechallenge. Its activity did not differ according to T790M status. EGFR-TKI rechallenge with bevacizumab can be a therapeutic option for EGFR-mutant NSCLC with acquired resistance regardless of resistant mechanisms. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Background The secondary EGFR mutation (MT) T790M accounts for approximately half of acquired resistances to EGFR-TKI. A recent report has demonstrated that the presence of T790M predicts a favorable prognosis and indolent progression, compared with the absence of T790M after TKI failure. However, rebiopsy to confirm the T790M status can be challenging due to limited tissue availability and procedural feasibility, and little is known about the differences among patients with or without T790M. Methods We investigated 73 patients harboring EGFR MTs who had undergone rebiopsy to confirm the emergence of T790M after TKI failure. The PNA-LNA PCR clamp method was used in EGFR MT analyses. Pt characteristics (age, gender, smoking history, performance status, EGFR MT site, initial TKI, response to initial TKI, line of initial TKI, PFS with initial TKI and biopsy site) and postprogression survivals (PPS) after initial TKI failure were retrospectively compared in patients with and without T790M. Results We identified T790M in 2 (10%) of 21 central nervous system (CNS) (19 cerebrospinal fluid and 2 brain tissue) specimens, and in 20 (38%) of 52 other lesions (25 lung tissue, 24 pleural effusion and 3 lymph node) (P = 0.0225). Other characteristics had no statistical association with the detection of T790M. Median PPS in patients with T790M was 34.0 months, and in those without T790M, 14.5 months (P = 0.0038). Although none of our patients received TKIs continuously after initial failure, 56 (77%) patients were re-administered TKIs. Regardless of T790M status, PPS in patients with TKI re-administration (23.4 months) was significantly longer than without re-administration (10.4 months) (P = 0.0085). Conclusions The emergence of T790M in CNS is rare compared with other lesions. Patients with T790M after TKI failure have significantly better prognosis than those without T790M. The effectiveness of TKI re-administration or continuous administration beyond progression is suggested after initial TKI failure.