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Introduction: HER2 mutations are reported to occur in 2%-5% of all cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The clinical outcomes in patients with HER2-mutant NSCLC treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) plus platinum-based chemotherapy as 1st line treatment still remain unclear., Methods: Using the large-scale clinico-genomic database of LC-SCRUM-Asia, the clinico-genomic characteristics and therapeutic outcomes of patients with HER2-mutant NSCLC were investigated., Results: Of the 15,251 patients with NSCLC enrolled in the LC-SCRUM-Asia database, tumor HER2 mutations were detected in 402 patients (2.6 %). The most common subtype of HER2 mutations was exon 20 in-frame insertions (79 %), followed in frequency by mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain other than Exon20ins (10 %) and mutations in extracellular domains (7 %). NSCLCs harboring HER2 mutations showed a higher tumor mutation burden (TMB) as compared with NSCLCs harboring EGFR mutations or ALK fusions (median: 4.22 vs. 2.54 and 2.52 mutation per megabase, respectively). Of the 402 patients, 268 patients had received platinum-based chemotherapy with ICIs (Chemo-ICI, n = 95) or without ICI (Chemo-alone, n = 173) as 1st line treatment. The progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer in the Chemo-ICI group as compared with the Chemo-alone group (median 8.5 vs. 6.3 months; HR [95 %CI]: 0.66 [0.50-0.88]; P < 0.005). Multivariate analysis identified use of ICIs in addition to platinum-based chemotherapy as an independent favorable prognostic factor for PFS. There was no significant difference in the overall survival between the patients of the Chemo-ICI and Chemo-alone groups (median 31.1 vs. 23.3 months; HR [95 %CI]: 0.80 [0.57-1.12], P = 0.20)., Conclusions: Addition of ICIs to platinum-based chemotherapy in 1st line treatment may improve the PFS in patients with HER2-mutant NSCLC. The relatively high TMB might be involved in the prolongation of the PFS in patients with HER2-mutant NSCLC receiving platinum-based chemotherapy with ICIs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Hibiki Udagawa reports grants from Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Amgen K.K., Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. And MSD K.K. and honoraria for lectures from DAIICHI SANKYO COMPANY, LIMITED, CHUGAI PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD., Novartis Pharma K.K., Taiho Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Taiho Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., and MSD K.K. outside the current study. Shingo Matsumoto reports grants from Merck, Chugai Pharmaceutical, MSD and Janssen Pharmaceutical and honoraria for lectures from Eli Lilly outside the current study. Hiroki Izumi reports grants from Amgen, Eisai, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co, Bristol-Myers Squibb Japan, Chugai, AstraZeneca, Ono Pharmaceutical Co, MSD and Merck outside the current study. Yuichiro Ohe reports grants from AstraZeneca, Chugai, Eli Lilly, Kirin, Sumitomo, Pfizer, Taiho, Novartis, Takeda, Daiichi-Sankyo and Janssen and honoraria for lectures from AstraZeneca, Chugai, Chugai, ONO, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bayer, Pfizer, MSD, Taiho, Nippon Kayaku, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Eisai and Daiichi-Sankyo and payment for expert testimony from AstraZeneca, Chugai, ONO, BMS, Kyorin, Celltrion, Amgen, Nippon Kayaku, Boehringer Ingelheim, AnHeart Therapeutics Inc., PharmaMar outside the current study. Terufumi Kato reports grants from Abbvie, Amgen, Arrivent, AstraZeneca, Bayer, BeiGene, BluePrint, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Chugai, Daiichi-Sankyo, Eli Lilly, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Haihe, Janssen, Merck KGaA, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron and Takeda and honoraria for lectures from Amgen, AstraZeneca, BeiGene, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Chugai, Daiichi-Sankyo, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Merck KGaA, MSD, Novartis, Ono, Pfizer, Taiho, and Takeda and other from AstraZeneca, BeiGene, Chugai, Daiichi-Sankyo, Janssen, Merck KGaA, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer outside the current study. His spouse is an employer of Eli Lilly. Kazumi Nishino reports grants from ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD., TAIHO PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD., MSD, AbbVie, DAIICHI SANKYO COMPANY, LIMITED, Amgen, Eisai Co., Ltd., Sanofi K.K., Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K., Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Eli Lilly Japan, Merck Biopharma Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd., AstraZeneca, Merus NV, Gilead Sciences, CHUGAI PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD, Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd and AMGEN and honoraria for lectures from AstraZeneca, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly Japan, MSD, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Merck Biopharma Co., Ltd., Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K., Bristol Myers Squibb, Nippon Kayaku, ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd., CHUGAI PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD, AMGEN, DAIICHI SANKYO COMPANY, LIMITED, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd. outside the current study. Yuki Sato reports honoraria for lectures from AstraZeneca, MSD, Novartis, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Ono Pharmaceutical, Pfizer, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Nippon Kayaku, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Takeda, Kyowa Kirin, Daiichi Sankyo and Boehringer Ingelheim outside the current study. Ryo Toyozawa reports grants from Abbvie, Amgen, AnHeart Therapeutics, Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly Japan, MSD, Novartis Pharma, Pfizer Japan and Takeda Pharmaceutical and honoraria for lectures from AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Eli Lilly Japan, MSD, Nippon Kayaku, Ono Pharmaceutical, Pfizer Japan, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Takeda Pharmaceutical and Thermo Fisher Scientific outside the current study. Koichi Azuma reports honoraria for lectures from AstraZeneca K.K., Ono Pharmaceutical, Chugai Pharmaceutical, MSD, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Takeda Pharmaceutical outside the current study. Tetsuya Sakai reports grants from Amgen, GlaxoSmithKline K.K, Daiichi Sankyo and NEC and honoraria for lectures from AstraZeneca, Novartis, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Takeda, OLYMPUS, Taiho, Chugai, MSD, Merck, Daiichi Sankyo, RIKEN GENESIS and Amco outside the current study. Yuji Shibata reports grants from MSD, Blueprint Medicines Corporation and Novartis and honoraria for lectures from Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Chugai, Takeda, Merck and Eli Lilly Japan outside the current study. Kaname Nosaki reports grants from Takeda, AstraZeneca, MSD K.K, Abbvie, Chugai Pharma, Daiichi Sankyo/UCB Japan and AnHeart Therapeutics and honoraria for lectures from AstraZeneca, Chugai Pharma, Lilly, MSD, Pfizer, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Janssen, Ono Pharmaceutical, Takeda, Novartis and Merck outside the current study. Yoshitaka Zenke reports grants from AstraZeneca, Daiichi-Sankyo, Amgen, GSK, Roche, MSD and Merck and honoraria for lectures from AstraZenca, Lilly, Chugai, Ono, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Takeda, Boheringer-Ingelheim, Taiho, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Nihon Kayaku, Kyowa Kirin and Amgen outside the current study. Shigeki Umemura reports grants from Taiho pharmaceutical, Lilly and MSD and honoraria for lectures from MSD, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Takeda, AstraZeneca and Daiichi sankyo outside the current study. Kiyotaka Yoh reports grants from Abbvie, Amgen, ArriVent Biopharma, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chugai Pharma, Daiichi sankyo, Lilly, MSD, Taiho and Takeda and consulting fees from Boehringer Ingelheim and Abbvie and honoraria for lectures from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Chugai Pharma, Daiichi sankyo, Kyowa kirin, Lilly, MSD, Ono Pharmaceutical and Takeda outside the current study. Masahiro Seike reports grants from Chugai Pharmaceutical, Eli Lilly, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Taiho Pharmaceutical and Nippon Kayaku and honoraria for lectures from AstraZeneca, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Eli Lilly, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Nippon Kayaku, Daiichi-Sankyo, Merck Biopharma, MSD K.K, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Ono Pharmaceutical, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Novartis and Amgen inc outside the current study. Koichi Goto reports grants from Amgen K.K., Astellas Pharma Inc., AstraZeneca K.K., Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., CHUGAI PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD., DAIICHI SANKYO COMPANY, LIMITED, Eisai Co., Ltd., Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K., Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., Merck Biopharma Co., Ltd., MEDICAL& BIOLOGICAL LABORATORIES CO., LTD., MSD K.K., Novartis Pharma K.K., ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD., Pfizer R&D Japan G.K., Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd., Merus N.V. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for the present manuscript. Koichi Goto also reports grants from Amgen Inc., AbbVie GK, AnHeart Therapeutics Inc., Blueprint Medicines Corporation., Craif Inc., Guardant Health Asia, Middle East & Africa, Inc, Haihe Biopharma Co., Ltd., Ignyta,Inc., Life Technologies Japan Ltd., Loxo Oncology, Inc., Lunit Inc., Precision Medicine Asia Co., Ltd., RIKEN GENESIS CO., LTD., Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sysmex Corporation., Turning Point Therapeutics,Inc. and honoraria for lectures from Amgen K.K., Amoy Diagnosties Co.,Ltd., AstraZeneca K.K., Bayer U.S., Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., CHUGAI PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD., DAIICHI SANKYO COMPANY, LIMITED, Eisai Co., Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Guardant Health Japan Corp., iTeos Therapeutics Inc., Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K., Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K., Merck Biopharma Co., Ltd., Nippon Kayaku Co.,Ltd., Novartis Pharma K.K., ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD., Pharma Mar, S.A., RIKEN GENESIS CO., LTD., Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. And Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. And other from Amgen Inc., Amgen K.K., AstraZeneca K.K., Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., DAIICHI SANKYO COMPANY, LIMITED, Eli Lilly Japan K.K., GlaxoSmithKline K.K., Haihe Biopharma Co., Ltd., Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K. and SYNEOS HEALTH CLINICAL K.K. Other authors report no potential conflict of interest to disclose.., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Selpercatinib, a highly selective potent and brain-penetrant RET inhibitor, was shown to have efficacy in patients with advanced RET fusion-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a nonrandomized phase 1-2 study., Methods: In a randomized phase 3 trial, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of first-line selpercatinib as compared with control treatment that consisted of platinum-based chemotherapy with or without pembrolizumab at the investigator's discretion. The primary end point was progression-free survival assessed by blinded independent central review in both the intention-to-treat-pembrolizumab population (i.e., patients whose physicians had planned to treat them with pembrolizumab in the event that they were assigned to the control group) and the overall intention-to-treat population. Crossover from the control group to the selpercatinib group was allowed if disease progression as assessed by blinded independent central review occurred during receipt of control treatment., Results: In total, 212 patients underwent randomization in the intention-to-treat-pembrolizumab population. At the time of the preplanned interim efficacy analysis, median progression-free survival was 24.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 16.9 to not estimable) with selpercatinib and 11.2 months (95% CI, 8.8 to 16.8) with control treatment (hazard ratio for progression or death, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.70; P<0.001). The percentage of patients with an objective response was 84% (95% CI, 76 to 90) with selpercatinib and 65% (95% CI, 54 to 75) with control treatment. The cause-specific hazard ratio for the time to progression affecting the central nervous system was 0.28 (95% CI, 0.12 to 0.68). Efficacy results in the overall intention-to-treat population (261 patients) were similar to those in the intention-to-treat-pembrolizumab population. The adverse events that occurred with selpercatinib and control treatment were consistent with those previously reported., Conclusions: Treatment with selpercatinib led to significantly longer progression-free survival than platinum-based chemotherapy with or without pembrolizumab among patients with advanced RET fusion-positive NSCLC. (Funded by Eli Lilly and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04194944.)., (Copyright © 2023 Massachusetts Medical Society.)

IMpower132 explored the safety and efficacy of atezolizumab plus pemetrexed and platinum-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Key eligibility criteria for the phase 3, open-label, IMpower132 study included age ≥18 y, histologically or cytologically confirmed advanced non-squamous NSCLC per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0/1, and no prior systemic treatment for stage IV NSCLC. Patients received atezolizumab (1200 mg) plus pemetrexed (500 mg/m 2 ) and cisplatin (75 mg/m 2 ) or carboplatin (area under the concentration curve, 6 mg/mL/min) (APP arm) or chemotherapy alone (PP arm). The co-primary study endpoints were overall survival (OS) and investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) per RECIST 1.1 in the intention-to-treat population. A subgroup analysis was conducted in Japanese patients. In the Japanese subgroup (n = 101), median OS was 30.8 (95% CI, 24.3 to not estimable) mo in the APP arm (n = 48) and 22.2 (95% CI, 15.7-30.8) mo in the PP arm (n = 53; hazard ratio [HR], 0.63 [95% CI, 0.36-1.14]). PFS was 12.8 (95% CI, 8.6-16.6) mo in the APP arm vs 4.5 (95% CI, 4.1-6.7) mo in the PP arm (HR, 0.33 [95% CI, 0.21-0.58]). Grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 68.8% of APP arm patients and 44.2% of PP arm patients. Consistent with global study results, atezolizumab plus pemetrexed and platinum-based chemotherapy improved efficacy and was well tolerated in Japanese patients with advanced NSCLC despite a higher incidence of grade 3/4 TRAEs., (© 2021 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.)

Selpercatinib, a novel, highly selective and potent, inhibitor of RET , demonstrated clinically meaningful antitumor activity with manageable toxicity in heavily pretreated and treatment-naive RET fusion-positive non-small-cell lung cancer patients in a Phase I/II clinical trial. LIBRETTO-431 (NCT04194944) is a randomized, global, multicenter, open-label, Phase III trial, evaluating selpercatinib versus carboplatin or cisplatin and pemetrexed chemotherapy with or without pembrolizumab in treatment-naive patients with locally advanced/metastatic RET fusion-positive nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer. The primary end point is progression-free survival by independent review. Key secondary end points include overall survival, response rate, duration of response and progression-free survival. Clinical trial registration: NCT04194944 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of pemetrexed plus cisplatin versus vinorelbine plus cisplatin as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with pathologic stage II-IIIA nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC)., Patients and Methods: We performed a randomized, open-label, phase III study at 50 institutions within 7 clinical study groups in Japan. Patients with completely resected pathologic stage II-IIIA (TNM 7th edition) nonsquamous NSCLC were randomly assigned to receive either pemetrexed (500 mg/m 2 , day 1) plus cisplatin (75 mg/m 2 , day 1) or vinorelbine (25 mg/m 2 , days 1 and 8) plus cisplatin (80 mg/m 2 , day 1) with stratification by sex, age, pathologic stage, EGFR mutation, and institution. These treatments were planned to be given every 3 weeks for 4 cycles. The primary end point was recurrence-free survival in the modified intent-to-treat population, excluding ineligible patients., Result: Between March 2012 and August 2016, 804 patients were enrolled (402 assigned to vinorelbine plus cisplatin and 402 assigned to pemetrexed plus cisplatin). Of 784 eligible patients, 410 (52%) had stage IIIA disease and 192 (24%) had EGFR -sensitive mutations. At a median follow-up of 45.2 months, median recurrence-free survival was 37.3 months for vinorelbine plus cisplatin and 38.9 months for pemetrexed plus cisplatin, with a hazard ratio of 0.98 (95% CI, 0.81 to 1.20; 1-sided P = .474). Grade 3-4 toxicities reported more frequently for vinorelbine plus cisplatin than for pemetrexed plus cisplatin were febrile neutropenia (11.6% v 0.3%, respectively), neutropenia (81.1% v 22.7%, respectively), and anemia (9.3% v 2.8%, respectively). One treatment-related death occurred in each arm., Conclusion: Although this study failed to show the superiority of pemetrexed plus cisplatin for patients with resected nonsquamous NSCLC, this regimen showed a better tolerability as adjuvant chemotherapy.

Objectives: SPECTRA is a multicenter, randomized phase II study of chemotherapy with cisplatin (CDDP) plus S-1 versus CDDP plus pemetrexed (PEM) in combination with thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) for locally advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer, in order to determine which of these two regimens might be preferable for comparison with standard therapies in a future phase III study., Materials and Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to receive CDDP + S-1 (CDDP 60 mg/m 2 on day 1 and S-1 80 mg/m2 on days 1-14, every 4 weeks, up to 4 cycles) or CDDP + PEM (CDDP 75 mg/m 2 + PEM 500 mg/m 2 on day 1, every 3 weeks, up to 4 cycles) combined with TRT (60 Gy in 30 fractions). The primary endpoint was the 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate. The sample size had been set at 100 patients., Results: A total of 102 patients were randomized to receive CDDP + S-1 or CDDP + PEM (CDDP + S-1, n = 52; CDDP + PEM, n = 50) between January 2013 and October 2016. The results in the CDDP + S1 group and CDDP + PEM group were as follows: completion rates of TRT (60 Gy)/chemotherapy (4 cycles) was 92 %/73 % and 98 %/86 %, respectively; the response rates were 60 % and 64 %, respectively; median PFS after a median follow-up of 32.1 months, 12.7/13.8 months (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.16; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 0.73-1.84); 2-year PFS rate, 36.5 % (95 % CI, 23.5-49.6)/32.1 % (95 %CI, 18.9-45.4); median OS, 48.3/59.1 months (HR = 1.05; 95 %CI, 0.58-1.90); 2-year OS rate, 69.2 % (95 %CI, 56.7-81.8)/66.4 % (95 %CI, 53.0-79.9); Grade 3 toxicities: febrile neutropenia (12 %/2 %), anorexia (8 %/16 %), diarrhea (8 %/0 %), esophagitis (6 %/8 %), and neutropenia (35 %/50 %); Grade 2 or worse radiation pneumonitis, 15 % (8 patients)/4 % (2 patients)., Conclusion: The 2-year PFS rate in the CDDP + S-1 arm was higher than that in the CDDP + PEM arm. Both treatments were safe, with manageable toxicities., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest S.N. reports grants and personal fees from AstraZeneca, Chugai, Taiho, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, Shionogi, and Yakult, grants and personal fees from Pfizer, MSD, and Eli Lilly, grants from Merck Serono, outside the submitted work. T.Y. reports personal fees from Chugai, Boehringer Ingelheim, AstraZeneca, and Bristol‐Myers Squibb, outside the submitted work. K.S. reports personal fees from Chugai, Ono, Novartis, and Taiho, outside the submitted work. A.O. reports personal fees from Taiho, Ono, Chugai, Novartis, AstraZeneca, and MSD, outside the submitted work. T.S reports grants and personal fees from Astellas, AstraZeneca, Chugai, Eli Lilly, Kissei, MSD, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Pfizer, and Takeda, personal fees from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Nippon Kayaku, Ono, Roche, Taiho, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Yakult, grants from Bayer, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, LOXO Oncology, Merck Serono, outside the submitted work. M.N. reports grants and non-financial support from F. Hoffmann-La Roche, during the conduct of the study; grants and personal fees from Ono, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Chugai, Eli Lilly, Taiho, AstraZeneca, MSD, Novartis, personal fees from Boehringer-Ingelheim, Sankyo Healthcare, Taiho, Merck Serono, grants from Astellas, outside the submitted work. N.Y. reports grants and personal fee from Chugai, Eisai, Eli Lilly, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Ono, and Takeda, grants from Taiho, Quintiles, Astellas, Novartis, Daiichi-Sankyo, Kyowa-Hakko Kirin, Bayer, Janssen Pharma, MSD, and Merck, personal fees from AstraZeneca, Otsuka, Cimic, and Sysmex, outside the submitted work. T.H. reports grants and personal fees from Ono, Chugai, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Eli Lilly, Kissei, Taiho, Pfizer, Clovis Oncology, MSD, and Ignyta, grants from Merck Serono, Eisai, Takeda, Dainippon Sumitomo, Abbvie, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Daiichi Sankyo, Astellas, Servier, Janssen, outside the submitted work. H.O. reports grants from Takeda, MSD, Ono, AstraZeneca, Merck, Chugai, Taiho, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Daiich Sankyo, outside the submitted work. T.K. reports grants and personal fee from AstraZeneca, MSD, and Chugai, personal fees from Eli Lilly, Ono, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Boehringer Ingelheim, outside the submitted work. M.S. reports grants and personal fees from Chugai, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Ono, MSD, and Novartis, grants from Takeda, AbbVie, Ignyta, and Loxo Oncology, personal fees from Taiho, and Boehringer Ingelheim, outside the submitted work. K.G. reports grants and personal fees from Taiho, Chugai, Ono, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, MSD, DAIICHI SANKYO, Pfizer, Novartis, Takeda, Eli Lilly, Merck Serono, Boehringer Ingelheim, RIKEN GENESIS, AbbVie, and Life Technologies, grants from Sumitomo Dainippon, Astellas, Eisai, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Ignyta, Janssen, Loxo Oncology, Sysmex Corporation, and Oxonc, personal fees from F.Hoffmann-La Roche, SRL, and Nippon Kayaku, outside the submitted work. T.Y. reports grants and personal fees from Takeda, Chugai, Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi-Sankyo, and Bayer, grants from Ono, Merck Serono, Astellas, and Eli Lilly, personal fees from Taiho, Pfizer, Sysmex, Huya Biosciences, and Gilead Sciences, outside the submitted work. Y.O. reports grants and personal fees from Lilly, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Taiho, AstraZeneca, Chugai, ONO, Pfizer, MSD, Kyorin, Takeda, Novartis, AbbVie, grants from Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, LOXO, and Janssen, personal fees from Celltrion, outside the submitted work. T.A. declares no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The J-ALEX study compared the efficacy and safety of alectinib with crizotinib in Japanese patients with advanced ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Superiority in independent review facility (IRF)-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) was demonstrated for alectinib at the second pre-planned interim PFS analysis (data cutoff: December 3, 2015; hazard ratio [HR] 0.34, 99.7 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.17-0.71, P < 0.0001). We report final PFS data and the second pre-planned interim analysis of overall survival (OS) and safety (data cutoff: June 30, 2018)., Methods: Patients aged ≥20 years who were ALK inhibitor-naïve and chemotherapy-naïve, or had received one prior chemotherapy regimen, were randomized to receive alectinib 300 mg (n = 103) or crizotinib 250 mg (n = 104) twice daily. The primary end point was IRF-assessed PFS. Secondary end points included OS and safety. All patients entered survival follow-up in July 2018., Results: Median follow-up was 42.4 months for alectinib and 42.2 months for crizotinib. Sustained improvement in IRF-assessed PFS with alectinib was shown (HR 0.37, 95 % CI: 0.26-0.52; median PFS 34.1 months vs 10.2 months crizotinib). At the second interim OS analysis, superiority of alectinib to crizotinib could not be concluded (stratified HR 0.80, 99.8799 % CI: 0.35-1.82, stratified log-rank P = 0.3860; median OS not reached alectinib vs 43.7 months crizotinib). Fewer alectinib-treated patients experienced grade ≥3 adverse events (36.9 % vs 60.6 % crizotinib)., Conclusions: At the final PFS analysis, alectinib continued to demonstrate superiority in IRF-assessed PFS versus crizotinib in ALK-inhibitor-naïve ALK-positive NSCLC, with a favorable safety profile. OS follow-up continues., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Purpose: Adjuvant FOLFOX therapy is an established standard-of-care for resected colon cancer. Peripheral sensory neuropathy (PSN) is regarded as the major toxicity issue related to FOLFOX therapy. There have been a few reports on the recovery status from PSN thereafter. JOIN trial investigated the tolerability and efficacy of adjuvant modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6) in Japanese patients with stage II/III colon cancer., Methods: Twelve cycles of mFOLFOX6 were given to patients with stage II/III curatively resected colon cancer. Treatment outcomes, including disease-free survival (DFS), relapse-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and recovery status of PSN during 3-year follow-up, were investigated., Results: Of the 882 patients enrolled from 2010 to 2012, 864 were eligible for the efficacy analyses. Three-year DFS, RFS, and OS were favorable in 92.1, 92.8, and 97.4% of stage II patients; 76.4, 77.9, and 93.8% of stage IIIA/B; and 61.6, 62.7, and 85.9% of stage IIIC, respectively. The cumulative incidence of PSN during treatment was 47.8% in grade 1 (G1), 30.3% in G2, and 5.8% in G3. For those with G3 PSN during treatment, there was gradual recovery in 1.1% of patients at 12 months after enrollment, 0.5% at 24 months, and 0.2% at 36 months. However, G1 or G2 residual PSN after 3 years was observed in 21.0% (18.7%, G1; 2.3%, G2)., Conclusions: Adjuvant mFOLFOX6 therapy was effective and well tolerated in patients with stage II/III colon cancer. Most patients recovered from G3 PSN related to oxaliplatin, but approximately 20% of patients had G1 or G2 PSN at 3-year follow-up.

The ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) crizotinib has shown dramatic effects in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring ROS1 fusion genes. However, patients inevitably develop resistance to this agent. Therefore, a new treatment strategy is required for lung tumors with ROS1 fusion genes. In the present study, lung cancer cell lines, HCC78 harboring SLC34A2-ROS1 and ABC-20 harboring CD74-ROS1, were used as cell line-based resistance models. Crizotinib-resistant HCC78R cells were established from HCC78. We comprehensively screened the resistant cells using a phosphor-receptor tyrosine kinase array and RNA sequence analysis by next-generation sequencing. HCC78R cells showed upregulation of HB-EGF and activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) phosphorylation and the EGFR signaling pathway. Recombinant HB-EGF or EGF rendered HCC78 cells or ABC-20 cells resistant to crizotinib. RNA sequence analysis by next-generation sequencing revealed the upregulation of AXL in HCC78R cells. HCC78R cells showed marked sensitivity to EGFR-TKI or anti-EGFR antibody treatment in vitro. Combinations of an AXL inhibitor, cabozantinib or gilteritinib, and an EGFR-TKI were more effective against HCC78R cells than monotherapy with an EGFR-TKI or AXL inhibitor. The combination of cabozantinib and gefitinib effectively inhibited the growth of HCC78R tumors in an in vivo xenograft model of NOG mice. The results of this study indicated that HB-EGF/EGFR and AXL play roles in crizotinib resistance in lung cancers harboring ROS1 fusions. The combination of cabozantinib and EGFR-TKI may represent a useful alternative treatment strategy for patients with advanced NSCLC harboring ROS1 fusion genes., (© 2018 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.)

Purpose: The purpose of this phase I/II study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of S-1 plus cisplatin at the recommended schedule with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC)., Methods: Eligible patients with LA-NSCLC were treated with cisplatin intravenously at a dose of 60 mg/m 2 on day 8 plus oral S-1 at a dosage of 40 mg/m 2 twice per day for two different treatment schedules for up to 4 cycles. Patients also concurrently received 60 Gy of thoracic radiation in 30 fractions. The primary endpoint of the phase II study was the proportion of patients who survived for more than 2 years., Results: Between August 2005 and October 2010, a total of 45 patients were enrolled in this phase I/II study; their long-term survival was then followed for a median period of 5.8 years. Nineteen of the 39 patients in the phase II study survived for more than 2 years and met the primary endpoint of the study. The median overall survival period was 24.9 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 17.4-74.5 months], and the 2- and 5-year overall survival rates were 51.0 and 43.0%, respectively. The response rate was 85%, and the median progression-free survival period was 13.8 months (95% CI 9.5-27.1 months). Hematological toxicity was mild. Grade 3 febrile neutropenia and pneumonitis was observed in 5 and 5%, respectively., Conclusion: Our study indicated that S-1 plus cisplatin with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy yielded encouraging survival outcomes and an acceptable safety profile for LA-NSCLC.

Introduction: The phase II JO25567 study compared the efficacy and safety of erlotinib plus bevacizumab vs. erlotinib alone as first-line therapy for advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC)., Objective: Our objective is to provide updated analyses of safety and the assessment of manageability of specific adverse events., Methods: Patients with stage IIIB/IV or recurrent, non-squamous, EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC were randomized to receive erlotinib plus bevacizumab or erlotinib. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival. Adverse event frequency rates, predictability and manageability, reasons for discontinuation, time to onset, and outcomes of specific adverse events were analyzed., Results: The safety analysis population comprised 152 randomized patients (75 erlotinib plus bevacizumab; 77 erlotinib) who received at least one dose of study drug between February 2011 and March 2012. There was no difference in overall incidence of serious adverse events between arms, but more grade 3 or higher adverse events were reported with erlotinib plus bevacizumab (90.7%) than with erlotinib (53.2%), primarily due to grade 3 hypertension. Hypertension was controllable with antihypertensive medications in most cases. Proteinuria and bleeding were also more frequently reported with erlotinib plus bevacizumab than with erlotinib but were manageable and did not lead to early discontinuations., Conclusions: The addition of bevacizumab to erlotinib prolonged progression-free survival in EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC. Follow-up safety data were consistent with the known safety profiles of both erlotinib and bevacizumab in NSCLC; this combination appeared to be manageable, and treatment was well tolerated. JapicCTI-111390.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to select, for a phase III trial, the more promising of weekly-dose intensive chemotherapy or amrubicin+cisplatin chemotherapy as subsequent therapy after induction chemoradiotherapy for previously untreated limited-disease small cell lung cancer (LD-SCLC)., Materials and Methods: Patients aged 20-70 years with untreated clinical stage II/III LD-SCLC were eligible. After one cycle of accelerated hyperfractionation thoracic radiotherapy with etoposide plus cisplatin, patients without progression were randomized to either 3 cycles of cisplatin 25mg/m2 (days 1, 8), doxorubicin 40mg/m2 (day 1), etoposide 80mg/m2 (days 1-3), and vincristine 1mg/m2 (day 8) every 2 weeks (CODE) or amrubicin 40mg/m2 (days 1-3) and cisplatin 60mg/m2 (day 1) every 3 weeks (AP). The primary endpoint was the one-year progression-free survival (PFS). The sample size was 72 to select the arm yielding a better one-year PFS (55% vs. 65%) with a probability of 80%., Results: From March 2011 to February 2014, 85 patients were registered. After the induction chemoradiotherapy, 75 patients were randomized to CODE (n=39) or AP (n=36). The one-year PFS (95% confidence interval) was 41.0% (25.7-55.8) in the CODE group and 54.3% (36.6-69.0) in the AP group. Grade 4 neutropenia/grade 3 febrile neutropenia occurred in 47%/16% in the CODE group and 78%/42% in the AP group., Conclusion: The one-year PFS was better in the AP group, but it did not reach the expected 55%. Therefore, neither regimen is suitable for a phase III trial., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: We conducted this single-institute; prospective, non-randomized parallel two-arm phase II study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of switch maintenance chemotherapy with S-1 after induction therapy with a platinum-based regimen in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)., Patients and Methods: Patients not showing disease progression after induction platinum-based chemotherapy received S-1 at the dose of 40mg/m 2 twice daily for 14 consecutive days, every three weeks, with or without bevacizumab (Bev) at the dose of 15mg/kg. In cases where the induction chemotherapy regimen contained Bev, Bev was used as continuation maintenance chemotherapy where appropriate. The efficacy/toxicity of switch maintenance chemotherapy with S-1 and S-1+Bev was evaluated separately. The primary end point of this study was the treatment success rate at three months after the start of S-1 treatment., Results: Between July 2010 and January 2014, 79 patients were enrolled, of which 78 were found to be eligible for inclusion in this study. The treatment success rate at three months was 28.2% (90% confidence interval (CI), 7.1-17.1%) in the S-1 group and 64.1% (90% CI, 50.0-76.8%) in the S-1+Bev group. The primary endpoint was met in the S-1+Bev group. The median PFS and OS were 2.6 months and 11.0 months in the S-1 group, and 4.6 months and 19.9 months in the S-1+Bev group, respectively. The most common grade three toxicity was neutropenia (10% incidence in the S-1+Bev group). There were no cases of febrile neutropenia., Conclusions: Switch maintenance chemotherapy with S-1 in combination with continuation maintenance chemotherapy with bevacizumab yielded modest efficacy with mild and acceptable toxicities., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: There is little information on the clinical outcome of patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) treated with third-line chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to clarify the prognostic factors of SCLC patients receiving third-line chemotherapy., Patients and Methods: Between November 2001 and October 2011, 202 of 648 consecutive SCLC patients at the National Cancer Center Hospital East received third-line chemotherapy. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to identify the prognostic factors for overall survival after third-line chemotherapy., Results: The demographics of the 202 patients were as follows: median age 66 years, 83% male, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) 0, 1, 2, and 3 values of 22, 122, 49, and 9, respectively. Median time to treatment failure after second-line chemotherapy (TTF2) was 4.5 months (TTF2 ≥ 5/< 5 months, 82/120). The median overall survival after third-line chemotherapy was 5.1 months. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that PS 0-1 (hazard ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.27-0.54; P < .001) and TTF2 ≥ 5 months (hazard ratio, 0.57; 95% confidence interval, 0.41-0.79; P < .001) were independent prognostic factors. TTF2 threshold of 5 months was determined on the basis of concordance probability adjusted by PS., Conclusion: PS 0-1 and TTF2 ≥ 5 months were associated with a favorable prognosis among SCLC patients receiving third-line chemotherapy. These 2 factors might be helpful for the selection of candidates for third-line chemotherapy and for patient stratification when conducting future clinical trials in the third-line setting., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Etoposide and irinotecan are key drugs in the treatment of small-cell lung cancer. We did this study to investigate whether combined chemotherapy with cisplatin, etoposide, and irinotecan was superior to topotecan monotherapy as second-line chemotherapy in patients with sensitive relapsed small-cell lung cancer., Methods: We did this open-label, multicentre, randomised phase 3 trial at 29 institutions in Japan. Patients with small-cell lung cancer that responded to first-line treatment but showed evidence of disease relapse or progression at least 90 days after completion of the first-line treatment were eligible to participate. Enrolled patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive combination chemotherapy with cisplatin plus etoposide plus irinotecan or topotecan alone. Randomisation was done via the minimisation method with biased-coin balancing for Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, disease stage at enrolment, and institution. Combination chemotherapy consisted of five 2-week courses of intravenous cisplatin 25 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8, intravenous etoposide 60 mg/m(2) on days 1-3, and intravenous irinotecan 90 mg/m(2) on day 8, with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor given by hypodermic injection every day starting from day 9 of the first course (except on the days anticancer drugs were given). Topotecan therapy consisted of four courses of intravenous topotecan 1·0 mg/m(2) on days 1-5, every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was overall survival in the intention-to-treat population, which was analysed with a one-sided α of 5%, and safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of study drug. The trial is registered with University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry, number UMIN000000828., Findings: Between Sept 20, 2007, and Nov 30, 2012, 180 patients were enrolled, with 90 assigned to each treatment group. The median follow-up for censored patients was 22·7 months (IQR 20·0-35·3). Overall survival was significantly longer in the combination chemotherapy group (median 18·2 months, 95% CI 15·7-20·6) than in the topotecan group (12·5 months, 10·8-14·9; hazard ratio 0·67, 90% CI 0·51-0·88; p=0·0079). The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events were neutropenia (75 [83%] patients in the combination chemotherapy group vs 77 [86%] patients in the topotecan group), anaemia (76 [84%] vs 25 [28%]), and leucopenia (72 [80%] vs 46 [51%]). Grade 3 or 4 febrile neutropenia was more common in the combination chemotherapy group than in the topotecan group (28 [31%] vs six [7%]), as was grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia (37 [41%] vs 25 [28%]). Serious adverse events were reported in four (4%) patients in the topotecan group and nine (10%) in the combination chemotherapy group. Two treatment-related deaths (one each of pneumonitis and pulmonary infection) occurred in the topotecan group and one (febrile neutropenia with sepsis) occurred in the combination chemotherapy group., Interpretation: Combination chemotherapy with cisplatin plus etoposide plus irinotecan could be considered the standard second-line chemotherapy for selected patients with sensitive relapsed small-cell lung cancer., Funding: National Cancer Center and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A phase I study recommended carboplatin (CBDCA, area under the curve = 5) plus pemetrexed (PEM, 500 mg/m(2)) for elderly patients (≥75-years old) with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PEM maintenance therapy was well tolerated. We conducted a multicenter phase II trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this regimen in elderly patients with NSCLC. Four courses of CBDCA plus PEM, followed by PEM, were administered. The primary endpoint was the 1-year overall survival (OS) rate, and the secondary endpoints were OS, progression-free survival (PFS), response rate (RR), and safety. Thirty-four patients (median age, 77 years) were enrolled between June 2012 and May 2013. The median observation time was 22.7 months. The primary endpoint of the 1-year OS rate was 58.0 % (95 % confidence interval (CI) 42.9-78.4 %), and RR and disease control rate were 41.2 and 85.3 %, respectively. Fourteen patients had partial responses, 15 had stable disease, 4 had disease progression, and 1 was not evaluated. The maintenance therapy rate was 58.8 %. The median PFS was 5.7 months (95 % CI 3.9-8.9 months), and median OS was 20.5 months (95 % CI 10.0-infinity months). Grade ≥3 hematological adverse events included leucopenia (23.5 % of patients), neutropenia (55.9 %), anemia (35.3 %), and thrombocytopenia (20.6 %). Grade ≥3 non-hematological adverse events included febrile neutropenia (8.8 %), elevated aminotransferases (5.9 %), infection (23.5 %), and anorexia/fatigue (5.9 %). Four patients had interstitial lung diseases (ILD) and one died due to ILD. CBDCA plus PEM, followed by PEM, was effective and reasonably tolerated in chemotherapy-naïve elderly patients with non-squamous NSCLC. Clinical Trial Registration This trial is registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (Trial Number UMIN 000004810).

Background: The combination of nedaplatin, a cisplatin derivative, and docetaxel showed promising activity for advanced squamous cell lung carcinoma in a previous phase 1-2 study. We compared nedaplatin plus docetaxel with cisplatin plus docetaxel in patients with previously untreated advanced or relapsed squamous cell lung carcinoma to determine effects on overall survival., Methods: We did a randomised, open-label, phase 3 study at 53 institutions in Japan. Eligibility criteria included pathologically proven squamous cell lung cancer with stage IIIB/IV or postoperative recurrence, age 20-74 years, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1, no previous chemotherapy or recurrence more than a year after previous adjuvant chemotherapy, and adequate organ function. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to 100 mg/m(2) nedaplatin and 60 mg/m(2) docetaxel intravenously, or 80 mg/m(2) cisplatin and 60 mg/m(2) docetaxel, every 3 weeks for four to six cycles (at the treating oncologist's discretion). Randomisation was done centrally at the West Japan Oncology Group data centre via a computer-generated allocation sequence with dynamic minimisation that balanced stage (IIIB/IV or postoperative recurrent), sex, and institution. The primary endpoint was overall survival in the modified intention-to-treat population (ie, all patients who were randomly assigned and met the inclusion criteria). Safety analyses were done in all randomly assigned patients who received at least one dose of the study regimen. This trial is registered with the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry, number UMIN000002015, and is closed to new participants., Findings: Between July 6, 2009, and July 26, 2012, 355 patients were randomly assigned. 349 patients were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis (177 in the nedaplatin group and 172 in the cisplatin group). Overall survival was significantly longer in the nedaplatin group (median 13·6 months, 95% CI 11·6-15·6) than in the cisplatin group (11·4 months,10·2-12·2; hazard ratio 0·81, 95% CI 0·65-1·02; p=0·037, one-sided stratified log-rank test). Grade 3 or worse nausea (seven of 177 patients in the nedaplatin group and 25 of 175 in the cisplatin group), fatigue (six vs 20), hyponatraemia (24 vs 53), and hypokalaemia (four vs 15) were more frequent in the cisplatin group than in the nedaplatin group, whereas grade 3 or worse leucopenia (98 vs 77), neutropenia (146 vs 123), and thrombocytopenia (16 vs none) were more frequent in the nedaplatin group than in the cisplatin group. Treatment-related deaths occurred in four and three patients in nedaplatin and cisplatin groups, respectively., Interpretation: Overall survival was significantly longer with nedaplatin plus docetaxel than with cisplatin plus docetaxel, and the regimens had different safety profiles. Nedaplatin plus docetaxel could be a new treatment option for advanced or relapsed squamous cell lung cancer., Funding: West Japan Oncology Group and Sanofi., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This open-label, phase I, dose-escalation part of a phase I/II study evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of nintedanib, a triple angiokinase inhibitor, combined with pemetrexed in Japanese patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after first-line chemotherapy., Methods: A fixed dose of pemetrexed (500 mg/m(2) iv) was administered on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle followed by oral nintedanib twice daily (bid) on days 2-21, starting at 100 mg bid and escalating to 200 mg bid in 50-mg intervals, using a standard 3 + 3 design. After ≥4 cycles of combination therapy, patients could continue nintedanib monotherapy until disease progression or undue adverse events (AEs). Primary endpoints were maximum tolerated dose (MTD), defined as the highest dose at which the incidence of dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) was <33.3 % during the first treatment course, and AEs (CTCAE v3.0). DLTs were primarily defined as grade ≥3 non-hematologic or grade 4 hematologic AEs., Results: Eighteen patients were included in the analysis. DLTs were experienced by 2/9 patients receiving 200 mg bid, 1/6 receiving 150 mg bid, and 0/3 receiving the lowest dose. The MTD of nintedanib plus pemetrexed was 200 mg bid. The most common drug-related AEs were elevated liver enzymes and gastrointestinal AEs. Two patients achieved partial response, and 10 had stable disease., Conclusions: Nintedanib plus pemetrexed had a manageable safety profile and showed promising signs of efficacy in previously treated Japanese patients with advanced NSCLC. As in Caucasian patients, the MTD of nintedanib was 200 mg bid. Clinical trial information NCT00979576.

Purpose: The influence of microenvironmental factors on the effectiveness of chemotherapy is being increasingly recognized. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between cancer cell and stromal cell phenotypes in primary tumors and the progression-free survival (PFS) of recurrent lung cancer patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 87 postoperative recurrent lung adenocarcinoma patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. The expressions of drug resistance-related proteins including BCRP, ezrin, and ALDH1 in cancer cells, the number of CD204-positive tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and the presence of podoplanin-positive cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the primary tumor were examined. The relationships between the immunohistochemical staining results of primary tumors and the PFS after receiving chemotherapy were also analyzed., Results: Among the clinicopathological factors of primary tumors, only an advanced pathological stage was significantly associated with a shorter PFS. As for immunohistochemical staining, no significant relationships were found between the PFS and the expression of BCRP, ezrin, or ALDH1. Although the number of CD204-positive TAMs was not associated with the PFS, the presence of podoplanin-positive CAFs was significantly associated with a shorter PFS (median PFS: 5.1 vs. 7.8 months, P = 0.028). A multivariate analysis revealed a tendency of podoplanin-positive CAFs to be correlated with a shorter PFS (P = 0.087)., Conclusions: The presence of podoplanin-positive CAFs in the primary tumor could be a predictor of a shorter PFS in recurrent lung adenocarcinoma patients who received chemotherapy. These findings suggest that stromal-cell-derived factors should be incorporated into predictions of the effectiveness of chemotherapy.

Purpose: Adjuvant FOLFOX is a widely accepted standard therapy for resected colon cancer. The incidence of grade 3-4 peripheral sensory neuropathy (PSN) was 12.4 and 5.7 % in the MOSAIC and Eastern MASCOT trials, while that of grade 3-4 allergic reactions (AR) was 2.9 and 3.1 %, respectively. The JFMC41-1001-C2 trial (JOIN trial) investigated the tolerability of modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6) in Japanese colon cancer patients., Methods: Twelve cycles of mFOLFOX6 were given to patients with the same eligibility criteria as in the MOSAIC study: stage II or III curatively resected colon cancer, performance status of 0-1, aged 20 years or older, starting mFOLFOX6 within 7 weeks of surgery, and adequate organ function. The primary endpoints were the incidence of PSN persisting for ≥8 days that interfered with daily activities and the incidence of grade 3-4 AR. The target sample size was 800., Results: From November 2010 to March 2012, 882 patients were enrolled at 198 institutions. Safety was analyzed in 828 patients with finalized data out of 848 patients receiving mFOLFOX6. The incidence of PSN persisting ≥8 days was 3.3 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) 2.2-4.7], while that of grade 3-4 AR was 1.7 % (95 % CI 0.9-2.8). The treatment completion rate was 67.0 %. The median total dosage of oxaliplatin was 811.1 mg/m(2). The overall incidence of grade 3-4 PSN was 5.8 %. Interstitial pneumonitis occurred in one patient. There were no treatment-related deaths., Conclusions: Adjuvant mFOLFOX6 is tolerable for Japanese patients with colon cancer.

Aim: To investigate the efficacy and safety of carboplatin, paclitaxel, and bevacizumab (CPB) combination chemotherapy in patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with pre-existing interstitial lung disease (ILD)., Patients and Methods: Twenty-five patients with non-squamous NSCLC with ILD who underwent CPB therapy between March 2007 and July 2013 were analyzed for treatment profiles., Results: The median age was 67 (range=53-79) years and 96% were men. The triplet chemotherapy was repeated for a median of four cycles. The objective response rate was 72% (18/25), the median progression-free survival time was 7.2 months, and the median overall survival time was 8.5 months. The most frequent adverse event of grade 3 or more was neutropenia (72%, 18/25). Chemotherapy-induced acute exacerbation of ILD occurred in 12% of patients., Conclusion: CPB therapy may be an effective and feasible regimen even for patients with ILD, although clinicians should be concerned regarding neutropenia and acute exacerbation of ILD., (Copyright© 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.)

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of vinorelbine and cisplatin for the treatment of patients with advanced (stage IIIB, IV or relapse) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with interstitial pneumonia (IP)., Patients and Methods: A total of 67 patients treated with vinorelbine and cisplatin as a first-line chemo therapy between January 2002 and December 2013 were retrospectively reviewed., Results: The overall response rate was 34.3% [95% confidence interval (CI)=22.9%-45.7%). The median progression-free survival, median overall survival, and 1-year survival rates were 3.7 months (95% CI=3.1-4.3 months), 7.4 months (95% CI=5.4-9.4 months), and 22.4% (95% CI=12.4%-32.4%), respectively. The incidence of acute exacerbation of IP following first-line chemotherapy was 10.4%., Conclusion: The combination of vinorelbine and cisplatin is a feasible treatment option for advanced NSCLC patients with IP, after careful consideration of the potential risks and benefits on an individual basis., (Copyright© 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.)

Objective: Prospective trials specifically designed for elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer demonstrating the benefit of platinum-based therapies are still lacking. This trial was designed to clarify whether the addition of cisplatin to monotherapy could improve survival for elderly patients., Methods: Elderly patients (age ≥70 years, ECOG performance Status 0-1) with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer were randomized to receive docetaxel 20 mg/m(2) plus cisplatin 25 mg/m(2) on Day 1, 8 and 15 (docetaxel plus cisplatin) or docetaxel 25 mg/m(2) on the same schedule (docetaxel). Both regimens were repeated every 4 weeks until disease progression., Results: One hundred and twenty-six patients were enrolled. Sixty-three were randomly assigned docetaxel plus cisplatin and 63 docetaxel monotherapy. Median age was 76 years (range 70-88). The second planned interim analysis was performed on 112 assessable patients (docetaxel/docetaxel plus cisplatin: 56/56). Although the formal criterion for stopping the trial was not met, the Data and Safety Monitoring Committee recommended study termination on ethical grounds based on the interaction (two-sided P = 0.077, hazard ratios for ≤74/≥75: 0.23/0.72) between age and subgroup and treatment arm, which suggested that docetaxel may not represent an adequate control arm regimen for the age subgroup of 70-74 years., Conclusions: The interpretation of study results is limited due to early stopping. Further study is needed to confirm survival benefit of platinum-based chemotherapy for elderly non-small-cell lung cancer [UMIN-CTR (www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/) ID: C000000146]., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: With use of EGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitor monotherapy for patients with activating EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), median progression-free survival has been extended to about 12 months. Nevertheless, new strategies are needed to further extend progression-free survival and overall survival with acceptable toxicity and tolerability for this population. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of the combination of erlotinib and bevacizumab compared with erlotinib alone in patients with non-squamous NSCLC with activating EGFR mutation-positive disease., Methods: In this open-label, randomised, multicentre, phase 2 study, patients from 30 centres across Japan with stage IIIB/IV or recurrent non-squamous NSCLC with activating EGFR mutations, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 or 1, and no previous chemotherapy for advanced disease received erlotinib 150 mg/day plus bevacizumab 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks or erlotinib 150 mg/day monotherapy as a first-line therapy until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival, as determined by an independent review committee. Randomisation was done with a dynamic allocation method, and the analysis used a modified intention-to-treat approach, including all patients who received at least one dose of study treatment and had tumour assessment at least once after randomisation. This study is registered with the Japan Pharmaceutical Information Center, number JapicCTI-111390., Findings: Between Feb 21, 2011, and March 5, 2012, 154 patients were enrolled. 77 were randomly assigned to receive erlotinib and bevacizumab and 77 to erlotinib alone, of whom 75 patients in the erlotinib plus bevacizumab group and 77 in the erlotinib alone group were included in the efficacy analyses. Median progression-free survival was 16·0 months (95% CI 13·9-18·1) with erlotinib plus bevacizumab and 9·7 months (5·7-11·1) with erlotinib alone (hazard ratio 0·54, 95% CI 0·36-0·79; log-rank test p=0·0015). The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events were rash (19 [25%] patients in the erlotinib plus bevacizumab group vs 15 [19%] patients in the erlotinib alone group), hypertension (45 [60%] vs eight [10%]), and proteinuria (six [8%] vs none). Serious adverse events occurred at a similar frequency in both groups (18 [24%] patients in the erlotinib plus bevacizumab group and 19 [25%] patients in the erlotinib alone group)., Interpretation: Erlotinib plus bevacizumab combination could be a new first-line regimen in EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC. Further investigation of the regimen is warranted., Funding: Chugai Pharmaceutical Co Ltd., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The safety and efficacy of combination of platinum agents plus etoposide for patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with pre-existing interstitial lung disease (ILD) is uncertain., Patients and Methods: Fifty-two patients received platinum agents plus etoposide as first-line chemotherapy for SCLC with pre-existing ILD. The clinical characteristics, treatment outcome and survival of these patients were retrospectively reviewed., Results: During first-line chemotherapy, only one (2%) out of the 52 patients developed an acute exacerbation of ILD. The median number of treatment cycles was four. The overall response rate was 69%. The median progression-free survival period was 4.5 months. The median survival time was 9.4 months. Thirty-three patients (63%) received at least one subsequent chemotherapy regimen, and five of these patients developed acute exacerbation of ILD., Conclusion: The combination of platinum agents plus etoposide is feasible and effective in SCLC patients with pre-existing ILD, compared with regimens after second-line chemotherapy.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is the standard treatment for unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The long-term feasibility and efficacy of vinorelbine and cisplatin with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy were investigated. Eighteen patients received cisplatin (80 mg/m(2)) on day 1 and vinorelbine (20 mg/m(2) in level 1, and 25 mg/m(2) in level 2) on days 1 and 8 every 4 weeks for four cycles in a phase I trial. Ninety-three patients received the same chemotherapy regimen except for the fixed vinorelbine (20 mg/m(2)) dosage and consolidation therapy with docetaxel (60 mg/m(2), every 3 weeks). The thoracic radiotherapy consisted of a single dose of 2 Gy once daily to a total dose of 60 Gy. A total of 111 patients were analyzed in the present study: male/female, 91/20; median age, 60 years; stage IIIA/IIIB, 50/61; and squamous/non-squamous histology, 26/85. The 3-, 5-, and 7-year overall survival rates (95% CI) were 43.2% (33.9-52.2), 25.2% (17.6-33.5), and 23.2% (15.8-31.4), respectively. The median progression-free survival and median survival time (95% CI) were 13.5 (10.1-16.7) months and 30.0 (24.3-38.8) months, respectively. Four patients (4%) experienced Grade 5 pulmonary toxicities from 4.4 to 9.4 months after the start of treatment. In conclusion, approximately 15% of patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC could be cured with chemoradiotherapy without severe late toxicities after 10 months of follow-up. Although based on the data from highly selected population participated in phase I and phase II trial, this analysis would strengthen and confirm the previous reports concerning concurrent chemoradiotherapy with third generation cytotoxic agents., (© 2012 Japanese Cancer Association.)

Background: This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of combined zoledronic acid, cisplatin and docetaxel in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with bone metastases., Patients and Methods: Cisplatin 80 mg/m(2) and docetaxel 60 mg/m(2) with zoledronic acid 4 mg were given intravenously on day 1 every 3-4 weeks. The primary endpoint was feasibility of concomitant administration of zoledronic acid and cisplatin., Results: Thirty-five chemonaïve patients were enrolled. The median number of treatment cycles was four, and two or more cycles were administered in 29 (83%) patients without severe toxicity. No grade 3 or 4 renal toxicity was observed. The objective response rate was 29% and the 1-year survival rate was 37%. The pain score improved in 77% of the patients after six weeks., Conclusion: The combination of zoledronic acid, cisplatin and docetaxel is well-tolerated with acceptable renal toxicity, and has modest activity as a first-line treatment of NSCLC patients with bone metastases.

Background: Pericardial effusion is defined as M1a in the Union Internationale Contre le Cancer seventh tumor, node, metastasis edition for lung cancer. The clinical course of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with pericardial effusion but without distant metastasis (M1a) has not been adequately investigated., Methods: The medical records of patients with SCLC treated at the National Cancer Center Hospital East between July 1992 and December 2007 were reviewed. During this period, 766 patients were newly diagnosed as having SCLC. Thirty-three of the 416 patients with limited disease (LD) SCLC (8%) had pericardial effusion. Seventy-nine patients with LD-SCLC (19%) had ipsilateral pleural effusion or dissemination. Of these, 16 patients had both pericardial and ipsilateral pleural effusion. We divided the 96 M1a patients into two subgroups: group A (n = 33) included patients with pericardial effusion, and group B (n = 63) included patients with ipsilateral pleural effusion or disseminated pleural nodules but without pericardial effusion., Results: The median survival time among the patients with LD-M1a was 13.4 months (95% confidence interval: 10.7-16.6 months), and the 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 56%, 18%, 9%, and 8%, respectively. The survival of the patients with LD-M1a was intermediate between those of the patients with LD-M0 and patients with extensive disease M1b (p < 0.0001). The overall survival period was not statistically different between groups A and B (p = 0.5182). Nineteen patients in group A received chemoradiotherapy, but only two patients survived for more than 2 years (2- and 5-year survival rate: 11% both). Twenty-six patients in group B received chemoradiotherapy, and four patients survived for more than 5 years (5-year survival rate: 18%)., Conclusions: Long-term survival was achieved among patients with SCLC with pericardial effusion but without distant metastasis who successfully underwent chemoradiotherapy, although 5-year survival rate in these patients was relatively lower than in patients with SCLC with ipsilateral pleural effusion but without pericardial effusion or distant metastasis.

The combination therapy of CPT-11, a prodrug of SN-38, with S-1, a dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase inhibitory fluoropyrimidine, shows a high clinical response rate in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, this combination causes severe toxicities such as diarrhea. Here, we investigated the advantages of treatment with the SN-38-incorporating polymeric micelles NK012 over CPT-11 in combination with S-1 in mice bearing a NSCLC xenograft in terms of antitumor activity and toxic effects, particularly intestinal toxicity. In vitro cytotoxic effects were examined in human NSCLC cell lines (A549, PC-9, PC-14, EBC-1 and H520). In vivo antitumor effects were evaluated in PC-14- and EBC-1-bearing mice after NK012 or CPT-11 administration on Days 0 and 7 and S-1 administration on Days 0-13. Pathological changes in the small intestine were also investigated. The in vitro growth inhibitory effects of NK012 were 56.8- to 622-fold more potent than those of CPT-11. NK012/S-1 treatment showed significantly higher antitumor activity both in PC-14-bearing (p = 0.0007) and EBC-1-bearing mice (p < 0.0001) than CPT-11/S-1 treatment. The deformity and decrease in the density of intestinal villi were more severe in CPT-11/S-1-treated mice than in NK012/S-1-treated mice. NK012/S-1 combination is a promising candidate regimen against NSCLC without inducing toxicities such as severe diarrhea and therefore warrants clinical evaluation.

Background: It has been demonstrated that NK012, a novel 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (SN-38)-incorporating polymeric micelle, exerts significantly more potent antitumor activity against various human tumor xenografts than irinotecan (CPT-11) (a water-soluble prodrug of SN-38). Combination therapy of anticancer agents with bevacizumab (Bv), an anti-vascualr endothelial growth factor humanized monoclonal antibody, has more potently inhibited tumor growth than either agent alone. In the current study, the authors examined the antitumor effect of NK012 in combination with Bv against human lung cancer., Methods: Nude mice bearing lung adenocarcinoma (PC-14 or A549 xenografts) were administered NK012 at SN-38-equivalent doses of 5 mg/kg or 30 mg/kg in combination with or without Bv at 5 mg/kg. CPT-11 at a dose of 66.7 mg/kg was administered with or without Bv at a dose of 5 mg/kg in the same experimental model. To evaluate interaction with Bv, the pharmacokinetics and microvessel density in tumors that were treated on each regimen were analyzed., Result: In vitro, the growth-inhibitory effect of NK012 was 50-fold more potent than that of CPT-11 and was almost equivalent to that of SN-38. In vivo studies revealed that the combination of NK012 plus Bv had significantly greater antitumor activity against human lung cancer xenografts compared with NK012 alone (PC-14, P=.0261; A549, P<.001). The pharmacokinetic profile of NK012 revealed that coadministration of Bv did not interfere with the accumulation of NK012., Conclusions: In this study, significant antitumor activity was noted with NK012 in combination with Bv against lung cancer cells. The current results warrant the clinical evaluation of NK012 in lung cancer., (Copyright © 2010 American Cancer Society.)

There has been no report about re-challenge chemotherapy (RC) consisting of the same regimen as first-line chemotherapy in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of RC as second-line chemotherapy in patients with relapsed NSCLC. We conducted a retrospective review of 28 consecutive NSCLC patients who were treated with RC and compared their clinical outcomes with those of 38 consecutive NSCLC patients who were treated with docetaxel (DOC) at our hospital between July 1992 and December 2003. The RC group consisted of 21 men and 7 women, with a median age of 62 years (range, 42-76 years). Most first-line regimens were platinum-based and the median administered course was 3 (range, 2-7). All patients had responded to the first-line chemotherapy and had performance status (PS) 1 at relapse. The median interval from the end of first-line chemotherapy to relapse was 5.0 months (range, 1.6-36.1 months). The overall response rate of RC was 29%. The median survival time from the beginning of RC was 17.0 months and the 1-year survival rate was 60%. RC led to a significantly better overall survival rate than DOC (p=0.0342). RC could be an active second-line regimen in patients with relapsed NSCLC who responded to first-line chemotherapy., (Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: In approximately the year 2000, the results of a number of important studies of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were published., Methods: Between July 1992 and December 2003, 223 patients with NSCLC aged > or = 70 years received chemotherapy alone as their initial treatment at the National Cancer Center Hospital East. These patients were divided into 2 groups: those that began treatment between 1992 and 1999 (group A) and between 2000 and 2003 (group B). The details of chemotherapy regimens and outcomes were compared., Results: In group A, 83% of patients received platinum-based chemotherapy, two-thirds of these regimens comprised platinum plus second-generation combination chemotherapy. In contrast, although 55% of patients received platinum-based chemotherapy in group B, 41% of patients received non-platinum-based chemotherapy. Among patients in group B, performance status was significantly associated with the selection of platinum-based or non-platinum-based chemotherapy; age was marginally associated with this selection. Median survival time (MST), 1-year survival rate, and 2-year survival rate were 6.7 months, 14%, and 7%, respectively, in group A, and 8.1 months, 35%, and 20% in group B (p=0.0109). Multivariate analysis revealed that clinical stage and administration of salvage chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors., Conclusions: In and after the year 2000, chemotherapy regimens changed greatly and survival of elderly patients significantly improved in our institute, and this improvement appears to be attributable mostly to the effect of salvage chemotherapy. These results suggest that even elderly patients should be offered salvage chemotherapy regardless of age, if possible., (Crown Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) and the recommended dose of combination chemotherapy with gemcitabine (GEM) and carboplatin (CBDCA) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with a performance status (PS) of 2., Methods: Chemotherapy-naïve NSCLC patients with PS 2 were enrolled. Chemotherapy consisted of an escalated dose of GEM on days 1 and 8 and CBDCA on day 1 every 3 weeks. Patients were scheduled to receive GEM (mg/m(2))/CBDCA (area under the curve: AUC) at four dose levels: 800/4 (level 1), 1000/4 (level 2), 1000/4.5 (level 3) and 1000/5 (level 4), respectively., Results: Between February 2004 and August 2006, 13 patients were enrolled in this study. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were thrombocytopenia, febrile neutropenia and hyponatremia. DLTs were observed in two of six patients at dose level 1 and in three of six patients at dose level 2. Dose level 2 was thus determined to be the MTD. Among 12 evaluable patients, 7 patients had stable diseases and 5 patients had progressive diseases, and the median survival time was 3.8 months., Conclusions: The MTD and the recommended dose for Phase II studies of this regimen were determined to be GEM 1000 mg/m(2) and CBDCA AUC of 4. Additional objective measures are needed to evaluate patients' risk and benefit in future clinical trials for PS 2 patients.

Purpose: To investigate the advantages of treatment with the SN-38-incorporating polymeric micelles NK012 over CPT-11 in combination with cisplatin [cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum (II) (CDDP)] in mice bearing a small cell lung cancer xenograft in terms of antitumor activity and toxicity, particularly intestinal toxicity., Experimental Design: Cytotoxic effects were evaluated in human small cell lung cancer cell lines [H69, H82, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-secreting cells (SBC-3/VEGF and its mock transfectant SBC-3/Neo)]. In vivo antitumor effects were evaluated in SBC-3/Neo-bearing and SBC-3/VEGF-bearing mice after NK012/CDDP or CPT-11/CDDP administration on days 0, 7, and 14. Drug distribution was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography or fluorescence microscopy, and the small intestine was pathologically examined., Results: The in vitro growth-inhibitory effects of NK012 were 198- to 532-fold more potent than those of CPT-11. A significant difference in the relative tumor volume on day 30 was found between NK012/CDDP and CPT-11/CDDP treatments (P = 0.0058). Inflammatory changes in the small intestinal mucosa were rare in all NK012-treated mice but were commonly observed in CPT-11-treated mice. Moreover, a large amount of CPT-11 was excreted into the feces and high CPT-11 concentration was detected in the small intestinal epithelium. On the other hand, a small amount of NK012 was found in the feces and NK012 was weakly and uniformly distributed in the mucosal interstitium., Conclusions: NK012/CDDP combination may be a promising candidate regimen against lung cancer without severe diarrhea toxicity and therefore warrants further clinical evaluation.

Background: To the authors' knowledge, the prognostic factors in recurrent small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients treated with second-line chemotherapy have not yet been clearly identified to date., Methods: Between July 1992 and December 2003, 232 of 515 patients who were diagnosed to have SCLC at the National Cancer Center Hospital East were administered second-line chemotherapy for recurrent disease. The authors retrospectively analyzed the relation between clinical factors evaluated at the time of recurrence and the response to second-line chemotherapy or survival in these patients., Results: The results of univariate analyses revealed that response was significantly associated with the performance status (PS) alone, whereas survival was significantly associated with the PS, disease extent, and sensitivity to first-line chemotherapy. Multivariate analysis identified PS (P< .0001) and sensitivity to first-line chemotherapy (P= .0024) as the independent prognostic factors for survival. When the patients were grouped according to these 2 significant prognostic factors, the survival of patients with a PS of 0 to 1 was significantly better than that of the patients with a PS of 2 to 4 both among cases that were sensitive and those that were refractory to first-line chemotherapy. Although the survival of sensitive recurrent cases was significantly better than that of the refractory recurrent cases among the patients with a PS of 0 to 1 patients, no survival difference was observed between the sensitive and refractory recurrent cases in the patients with a PS of 2 to 4., Conclusions: Both PS and sensitivity to initial chemotherapy were found to be significant prognostic factors for survival in recurrent SCLC patients treated with second-line chemotherapy. These 2 factors should therefore be used as stratification factors in future clinical trials.

Background: The indications for definitive thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) in limited-disease small cell lung cancer (LD-SCLC) and ipsilateral pleural effusion have not been thoroughly investigated. We retrospectively investigated the clinical outcome of LD-SCLC patients with ipsilateral pleural effusion., Methods: The medical records of SCLC patients who received treatment at the National Cancer Center Hospital East between July 1992 and December 2006 were reviewed. Sixty-three of the 373 LD-SCLC patients (17%) had ipsilateral pleural effusion. Of these, 62 patients received chemotherapy as an initial treatment, and were included in this study. Since about 1998, definitive TRT was routinely performed if the patient's pleural effusion disappeared after induction chemotherapy. The 62 patients were divided into three subgroups: group A included patients who received chemotherapy and TRT (n = 26), group B included patients who did not receive TRT in spite of the disappearance of pleural effusion after first-line chemotherapy (n = 8), and group C included patients who did not receive TRT and whose pleural effusion persisted after first-line chemotherapy (n = 28)., Results: The response rate for first-line chemotherapy was 74%. Ipsilateral pleural effusion disappeared after first-line chemotherapy in 34 patients (55%). The median overall survival time was 11.8 months, and the 2 and 3-year survival rates were 21 and 10%, respectively. In groups A, B, and C, the median survival times were 19.2, 10.5, and 9.2 months, respectively, and the 2-year survival rates were 38, 25, and 7%, respectively., Conclusion: Long-term survival was achieved by LD-SCLC patients with ipsilateral pleural effusion who successfully underwent chemoradiotherapy.

Background: Eg5 is a microtubule motor protein that functions in bipolar spindle assembly. We investigated the relationship between Eg5 expression and the response to chemotherapy of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)., Patients and Methods: Eg5 expression was investigated immunohistochemically in 122 formalin-fixed tumor samples from untreated stage IIIB or IV NSCLC patients. We also investigated cyclin B1 expression, which is involved in the G2/M transition. All patients received antimitotic agents combined with platinum chemotherapy. The response to chemotherapy was compared in relation to Eg5 and cyclin B1 expression and in relation to clinicopathological factors., Results: The response rate to chemotherapy of patients with Eg5-positive tumors was 37%, as opposed to 10% for patients with Eg5-negative tumors, and Eg5 expression was significantly associated with the response to chemotherapy (P=0.002). The response rate of patients with cyclin B1-positive tumors (53%) was higher than that of patients with cyclin B1-negative tumors (23%) (P=0.009), and Eg5 expression was significantly correlated with cyclin B1 expression (P=0.005). A multivariate analysis confirmed Eg5 status to be an independent variable related to response to chemotherapy (P=0.008)., Conclusions: Eg5 expression can predict a response to antimitotic agents combined with platinum chemotherapy among patients with advanced NSCLC.

Purpose: The purpose was to assess the feasibility and efficacy of hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (HART) after induction chemotherapy for Stage III non-small-cell lung cancer., Methods and Materials: Treatment consisted of 2 cycles of cisplatin 80 mg/m(2) on Day 1 and vinorelbine 25 mg/m(2) on Days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks followed by HART, 3 times a day (1.5, 1.8, 1.5 Gy, 4-h interval) for a total dose of 57.6 Gy., Results: Thirty patients were eligible. Their median age was 64 years (range, 46-73 years), 24 were male, 6 were female, 8 had performance status (PS) 0, 22 had PS 1, 9 had Stage IIIA, and 21 had Stage IIIB. All but 1 patient completed the treatment. Common grade > or =3 toxicities during the treatment included neutropenia, 25; infection, 5; esophagitis, 5; and radiation pneumonitis, 3. The overall response rate was 83%. The median survival was 24 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 13-34 months), and the 2-year overall survival was 50% (95% CI, 32-68%). The median progression-free survival was 10 months (95% CI, 8-20 months)., Conclusion: Hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy after induction of cisplatin and vinorelbine was feasible and promising. Future investigation employing dose-intensified radiotherapy in combination with chemotherapy is needed.

Background: Vinorelbine is currently one of the most active chemotherapeutic agents. However, it is also a moderate vesicant that is well known to cause venous irritation and phlebitis. We conducted this study to identify clinical risk factors related to the incidence of venous irritation caused by peripheral vinorelbine infusion., Methods: Medical records were used to investigate retrospectively a total of 201 cases of non-small cell lung cancer treated with a chemotherapeutic regimen containing vinorelbine. Venous irritation was evaluated in every course and graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria version 2.0. Gender, age, body mass index (BMI), chemotherapeutic regimen, dose of vinorelbine and prior chemotherapy were used as clinical variables., Results: A total of 928 vinorelbine infusions were administered to the 201 patients, among whom venous irritation occurred in 63 (31%). The incidence of venous irritation was 28% in the normal BMI (<25) group and 45% in the high BMI (25 or more) group and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P = 0.037). There were no significant correlations between the incidence of venous irritation and the clinical variables except BMI. In the multivariate analysis BMI was also a significant independent variable that correlated with increased risk of venous irritation (P = 0.017)., Conclusions: Care is required when using vinorelbine to treat patients with a high BMI, especially with regard to the development of venous irritation.

Background: Thymic carcinoma is a rare neoplasm that often disseminates or metastasizes. The role of chemotherapy in treating this malignancy is unclear. The purpose of the current study was to determine the efficacy and tolerability of a weekly chemotherapy regimen consisting of cisplatin, vincristine, doxorubicin, and etoposide (CODE) for the treatment of advanced thymic carcinoma., Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed 18 patients with thymic carcinoma who were treated between 1996 and 2002. Twelve of these patients had unresectable advanced diseases and received weekly chemotherapy according to the CODE regimen. The CODE regimen consisted of cisplatin (25 mg/m(2), intravenously [i.v.]; weekly administration), vincristine (1 mg/m(2), i.v.; administered during Weeks 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8), doxorubicin (40 mg/m(2), i.v.; administered during Weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9), and etoposide (80 mg/m(2), i.v.; administered for 3 days during Weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9)., Results: The responses of all 12 patients to the CODE regimen were assessed. A partial response was achieved in 5 patients, and the overall response rate was 42%. Only one patient experienced disease progression. The median progression-free survival period was 5.6 months (range, 2-39 months). The overall survival period ranged from 6 to 79 months, with a median survival period of 46 months. Based on the Kaplan-Meier method, the estimated 1-year and 2-year survival rates were 80% and 58%, respectively. The most common side effects were hematologic toxicities, and only mild nonhematologic toxicities were experienced., Conclusions: Weekly chemotherapy treatments according to the CODE regimen were effective and tolerated by patients with advanced thymic carcinoma., (Copyright 2003 American Cancer Society.)

Purpose: In a randomized trial, docetaxel monotherapy yielded longer survival than the best supportive care in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy, and combination chemotherapy regimens containing docetaxel have been assessed to enhance the efficacy of second-line chemotherapy. We conducted a phase I/II trial of gemcitabine and docetaxel in patients with recurrent NSCLC after platinum-based chemotherapy and with an ECOG performance status (PS) of 0 or 1., Patients and Methods: Docetaxel administration was fixed at a dosage of 60 mg/m(2) on day 8, and gemcitabine was administered on days 1 and 8. The starting dose level of gemcitabine was 800 mg/m(2) (level 0), and the subsequent dose level of gemcitabine was 1000 mg/m(2) (level +1). Treatment was repeated every 3 weeks., Results: In the phase I study, 13 patients were enrolled, and in the phase II study, 29 patients were enrolled. Neutropenic fever and omission of treatment on day 8 due to leukopenia (leukocyte count less than 3000/mm(3)) were dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs). Three of six patients experienced DLTs at level +1, which was the maximum tolerated dose. Gemcitabine 800 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8 plus docetaxel 60 mg/m(2) on day 8 (level 0) was recommended for the phase II study. An objective response was observed in 8 (28%) of the 29 patients. The median time to disease progression was 4.2 months (95% CI 0.9-7.7 months). The median survival time was 11.1 months (95% CI 9.9-12.4 months), and the 1-year survival rate was 41%. The most common toxicity, though mild, was hematologic, and consisted of grade 4 neutropenia (18%), grade 3 febrile neutropenia (11%), and grade 3 thrombocytopenia (11%). There were no toxic deaths. Grade 3 non-hematologic toxicities included nausea (4%) and rash (4%)., Conclusions: The combination chemotherapy of gemcitabine and docetaxel is active and well tolerated in patients with recurrent NSCLC after platinum-based chemotherapy and with a good PS.

Weekly administration of low-dose taxane reduces myelosuppression and increases dose intensity as compared with an every third week schedule. We conducted a phase II trial of weekly docetaxel and cisplatin in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to evaluate safety and efficacy. Thirty-seven patients with chemonaïve stage IIIB (n=15), stage IV (n=16), or recurrence after operation (n=6) NSCLC received intravenous infusions of docetaxel at 35 mg/m(2) and cisplatin at 25 mg/m(2) for three consecutive weeks, followed by a week of rest. There were ten partial responses for an objective response rate of 30% (95% confidence interval (CI), 15-46%) in 33 evaluable patients and 27% (95% CI, 13-41%) in the intent-to-treatment population. The median survival was 12.8 months (range 2.5-17.1), and the 1-year survival was 54%. Hematologic toxicities, which were mild, included grade 4 neutropenia in 6%. There were none with febrile neutropenia or severe (grade 3-4) infections, and no septic deaths. The common nonhematologic toxicities included grade 2-3 nausea and vomiting (44%) and grade 2-3 diarrhea (14%). Consecutive weekly administrations of docetaxel and cisplatin for 3 weeks produces minimal myelosuppression and shows activity in the treatment of chemonaïve patients with advanced NSCLC. A randomized phase III trial is warranted to compare this 3 consecutive weeks protocol with administration of docetaxel and cisplatin every third week.