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Purpose To evaluate chemoradiotherapy (CRT)-induced changes in the expression levels of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and CD8 + tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and prognostic associations in rectal cancer. Methods and Materials We performed a paired analysis using pre-CRT biopsies and the corresponding post-CRT resected tissues of 123 rectal cancer patients undergoing preoperative CRT followed by surgery between 2005 and 2012. Immunohistochemistry of PD-L1 and CD8 was analyzed for the specimens. Results The expression levels of PD-L1 and density of CD8 + TILs increased after CRT ( P + TILs ( P =.020). Patients representing sustained high-to-high PD-L1 expression had poorer overall survival and disease-free interval on univariate Kaplan-Meier analysis ( P =.018 and .029, respectively), with inferior disease-free interval in low-to-low density CD8 + TILs ( P =.010). On multivariate analysis, 2 subgroups with high baseline PD-L1 expression level, the high-to-low and high-to-high alterations, showed worse overall survival (hazard ratio 8.34, 95% confidence interval 1.85-37.53 and hazard ratio 11.03, 95% confidence interval 2.33-52.29, respectively), with the highest mortality risk observed in the high-to-high group. Conclusions This study verified the CRT-induced immunologic shift toward increases in PD-L1 expression and density of CD8 + TILs in rectal cancer patients. The alteration profiles of checkpoint-related molecules identified the patients with poor prognosis, suggesting potential candidates who can benefit from combining CRT and checkpoint inhibitors.

It is becoming increasingly clear that eukaryotic genomes are subjected to higher-order chromatin organization by the CCCTC-binding factor/cohesin complex. Their dynamic interactions in three dimensions within the nucleus regulate gene transcription by changing the chromatin architecture. Such spatial genomic organization is functionally important for the spatial disposition of chromosomes to control cell fate during development and differentiation. Thus, the dysregulation of proper long-range chromatin interactions may influence the development of tumorigenesis and cancer progression.

Six GATA transcription factors play important roles in eukaryotic development. Among these, GATA2, an essential factor for the hematopoietic cell lineage, exhibits low expression in human gastric tissues, whereas GATA6, which is crucial for gastrointestinal development and differentiation, is frequently amplified and/or overexpressed in human gastric cancer. Interestingly, we found that GATA6 was overexpressed in human gastric cancer cells only when GATA2 expression was completely absent, thereby showing an inverse correlation between GATA2 and GATA6. In gastric cancer cells that express high GATA6 levels, a GATA2 CpG island is hypermethylated, repressing expression in these cells. In contrast, GATA6 expression is undetectable in GATA2-overexpressing gastric cancer cells, which lack GATA2 DNA methylation. Furthermore, PRC2 complex-mediated transcriptional silencing of GATA6 was observed in the GATA2-overexpressing cells. We also show that the GATA2 and PRC2 complexes are enriched within the GATA6 locus, and that the recruitment of the PRC2 complex is impaired by disrupting GATA2 expression, resulting in GATA6 upregulation. In addition, ectopic GATA2 expression significantly downregulates GATA6 expression, suggesting GATA2 directly represses GATA6. Furthermore, GATA6 downregulation showed antitumor activity by inducing growth arrest. Finally, we show that aberrant GATA2 methylation occurs early during the multistep process of gastric carcinogenesis regardless of Helicobacter pylori infection. Taken together, GATA2 dysregulation by epigenetic modification is associated with unfavorable phenotypes in human gastric cancer cells by allowing GATA6 expression.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess current levels of awareness of clinical trials (CTs), perceptions regarding their benefits and willingness to participate to CTs among Korean cancer patients. Materials and Methods From December 2012 to August 2015, we distributed questionnaires to cancer patients receiving systemic anti-cancer therapy at Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea. Results A total of 397 out of 520 requested patients (76.3%) responded to the survey. Among the 397 patients, 62.5% were female and the median age was 52 years. Overall, 97.4% (387/397) answered that they have at least heard of CTs. When asked about their level of awareness, 23.8% (92/387) answered that they could more than roughly explain about CTs. The average visual analogue scale score of CT benefit in all patients was 6.43 (standard deviation, 2.20). Patients who were only familiar with the term without detailed knowledge of the contents had the least expectation of benefit from CTs (p=0.015). When asked about their willingness to participate in CTs, 56.7% (225/397) answered positively. Patients with higher levels of awareness of CTs showed higher willingness to participate (p < 0.001). Heavily treated patients and patients with previous experience regarding CTs also showed a higher willingness to participate (p < 0.001). The perceived benefit of CTs was higher in the group willing to participate (p=0.026). Conclusion The patient’s level of awareness regarding CTs was positively related to the positive perception and willingness to participate. Although the general awareness of CTs was high, a relatively large proportion of patients did not have accurate knowledge; therefore, proper and accurate patient education is necessary.

Little is known about people’s attitudes toward death. We aimed to examine attitudes toward death and to investigate their associations with health status in various participant groups. We administered nationwide questionnaires to a total of 4,107 individuals including general Korean population, cancer patients, family caregivers, and physicians. Association of attitudes toward five aspects of dying and death—the ending of life, fearing death because it is painful, anticipating an afterlife, preparing to practice charity and being remembered—and physical, mental, social, and spiritual health status were also analyzed. Attitudes differed. Most (63.4%-76.2%) accepted that death is the ending of life, 45.6%-58.8% feared a painful death, 47.6%-55.0% anticipated an afterlife, 88.5%-93.0% expected to forgive, and 89.9%-94.1% expected to be remembered after death. The general population, cancer patients, and family caregivers had similar attitudes but had more positive attitudes than physicians on the ending of life, fearing a painful death, and anticipating an afterlife. Accepting death as the ending of life and fear of death pain were inversely associated with mental, social, spiritual, or general health status, but participants anticipating an afterlife, expecting to forgive, or expecting to be remembered showed better social, spiritual, or general health status. This nationwide study of various participant groups shows that attitudes toward dying and death were associated with mental, social, spiritual, or general health, but not physical health status. These data suggest that sensitive and skillful discussions of death and dying might contribute to peaceful end of life.

Purpose Genexol-PM is a Cremophor EL–free formulation of low-molecular-weight, non-toxic, and biodegradable polymeric micelle-bound paclitaxel. We conducted a phase III study comparing the clinical efficacy and toxicity of Genexol-PM with conventional paclitaxel (Genexol). Materials and Methods Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive Genexol-PM 260 mg/m2 or Genexol 175 mg/m2 intravenously every 3 weeks. The primary outcome was the objective response rate (ORR). Results The study enrolled 212 patients, of whom 105 were allocated to receive Genexol-PM. The mean received dose intensity of Genexol-PM was 246.8±21.3 mg/m2 (95.0%), and that of Genexol was 168.3±10.6 mg/m2 (96.2%). After a median follow-up of 24.5 months (range, 0.0 to 48.7 months), the ORR of Genexol-PM was 39.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 31.2 to 46.9) and the ORR of Genexol was 24.3% (95% CI, 17.5 to 31.1) (pnon-inferiority=0.021, psuperiority=0.016). The two groups did not differ significantly in overall survival (28.8 months for Genexol-PM vs. 23.8 months for Genexol; p=0.52) or progression-free survival (8.0 months for Genexol-PM vs. 6.7 months for Genexol; p=0.26). In both groups, the most common toxicities were neutropenia, with 68.6% occurrence in the Genexol-PM group versus 40.2% in the Genexol group (p < 0.01). The incidences of peripheral neuropathy of greater than grade 2 did not differ significantly between study treatments. Conclusion Compared with standard paclitaxel, Genexol-PM demonstrated non-inferior and even superior clinical efficacy with a manageable safety profile in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Purpose KX-01 is a novel dual inhibitor of Src and tubulin. Unlike previous Src inhibitors that failed to show clinical benefit during treatment of breast cancer, KX-01 can potentially overcome the therapeutic limitations of current Src inhibitors through inhibition of both Src and tubulin. The present study further evaluates the activity and mechanism of KX-01 in vitro and in vivo. Materials and methods The antitumor effect of KX-01 in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines was determined by MTT assay. Wound healing and immunofluorescence assays were performed to evaluate the action mechanisms of KX-01. Changes in the cell cycle and molecular changes induced by KX-01 were also evaluated. A MDA-MB-231 mouse xenograft model was used to demonstrate the in vivo effects. Results KX-01 effectively inhibited the growth of breast cancer cell lines. The expression of phospho-Src and proliferative-signaling molecules were down-regulated in KX-01-sensitive TNBC cell lines. In addition, migration inhibition was observed by wound healing assay. KX-01-induced G2/M cell cycle arrest and increased the aneuploid cell population in KX-01-sensitive cell lines. Multi-nucleated cells were significantly increased after KX-01 treatment. Furthermore, KX-01 effectively delayed tumor growth in a MDA-MB-231 mouse xenograft model. Conclusion KX-01 effectively inhibited cell growth and migration of TNBC cells. Moreover, this study demonstrated that KX-01 showed antitumor effects through the inhibition of Src signaling and the induction of mitotic catastrophe. The antitumor effects of KX-01 were also demonstrated in vivo using a mouse xenograft model.

For patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, sorafenib is the only approved drug worldwide, and outcomes remain poor. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of nivolumab, a programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor, in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with or without chronic viral hepatitis.We did a phase 1/2, open-label, non-comparative, dose escalation and expansion trial (CheckMate 040) of nivolumab in adults (≥18 years) with histologically confirmed advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with or without hepatitis C or B (HCV or HBV) infection. Previous sorafenib treatment was allowed. A dose-escalation phase was conducted at seven hospitals or academic centres in four countries or territories (USA, Spain, Hong Kong, and Singapore) and a dose-expansion phase was conducted at an additional 39 sites in 11 countries (Canada, UK, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan). At screening, eligible patients had Child-Pugh scores of 7 or less (Child-Pugh A or B7) for the dose-escalation phase and 6 or less (Child-Pugh A) for the dose-expansion phase, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 1 or less. Patients with HBV infection had to be receiving effective antiviral therapy (viral load100 IU/mL); antiviral therapy was not required for patients with HCV infection. We excluded patients previously treated with an agent targeting T-cell costimulation or checkpoint pathways. Patients received intravenous nivolumab 0·1-10 mg/kg every 2 weeks in the dose-escalation phase (3+3 design). Nivolumab 3 mg/kg was given every 2 weeks in the dose-expansion phase to patients in four cohorts: sorafenib untreated or intolerant without viral hepatitis, sorafenib progressor without viral hepatitis, HCV infected, and HBV infected. Primary endpoints were safety and tolerability for the escalation phase and objective response rate (Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors version 1.1) for the expansion phase. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01658878.Between Nov 26, 2012, and Aug 8, 2016, 262 eligible patients were treated (48 patients in the dose-escalation phase and 214 in the dose-expansion phase). 202 (77%) of 262 patients have completed treatment and follow-up is ongoing. During dose escalation, nivolumab showed a manageable safety profile, including acceptable tolerability. In this phase, 46 (96%) of 48 patients discontinued treatment, 42 (88%) due to disease progression. Incidence of treatment-related adverse events did not seem to be associated with dose and no maximum tolerated dose was reached. 12 (25%) of 48 patients had grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events. Three (6%) patients had treatment-related serious adverse events (pemphigoid, adrenal insufficiency, liver disorder). 30 (63%) of 48 patients in the dose-escalation phase died (not determined to be related to nivolumab therapy). Nivolumab 3 mg/kg was chosen for dose expansion. The objective response rate was 20% (95% CI 15-26) in patients treated with nivolumab 3 mg/kg in the dose-expansion phase and 15% (95% CI 6-28) in the dose-escalation phase.Nivolumab had a manageable safety profile and no new signals were observed in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Durable objective responses show the potential of nivolumab for treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.Bristol-Myers Squibb.

// Kyoung-Min Cho 1, 3 , Hyunkyung Park 1 , Do-Youn Oh 1, 2 , Tae-Yong Kim 1 , Kyung Hun Lee 1, 2 , Sae-Won Han 1, 2 , Seock-Ah Im 1, 2 , Tae-You Kim 1, 2 and Yung-Jue Bang 1, 2 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea 2 Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea 3 Department of Internal Medicine, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Correspondence to: Do-Youn Oh, email: ohdoyoun@snu.ac.kr Keywords: biliary tract cancer, skeletal muscle depletion, weight change, BMI, prognosis Received: December 28, 2016 Accepted: May 22, 2017 Published: June 02, 2017 ABSTRACT Background: No prior study has investigated the dynamics of body weight with body muscle mass as a prognostic factor in advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) patients undergoing palliative chemotherapy. We investigated whether low skeletal muscle mass affects survival in patients with BTC, with a co-analysis of body weight loss and body mass index (BMI). Results: By multivariate analysis, low skeletal muscle mass at diagnosis and decreased SMI during chemotherapy ( p = 0.008 and p < 0.001, respectively) were poor prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). Subgroup analysis revealed that low skeletal muscle mass patients who were overweight or obese (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2 ) showed worse OS ( p < 0.001). Additionally, patients with both decreased BMI and SMI during chemotherapy had worse OS ( p < 0.001). Furthermore, patients with decreased SMI had shorter survival regardless of change in BMI. However, for patients with SMI maintained during chemotherapy, decreased BMI had no effect on survival ( p = 0.576). Materials and Methods: We consecutively enrolled 524 patients with advanced BTC who received palliative chemotherapy between 2003 and 2013. Total muscle cross-sectional area (cm 2 ) at the L3 level assessed by computed tomography was analyzed. We defined low skeletal muscle mass as a skeletal muscle index (SMI) < 48.5 cm 2 /m 2 (men) and < 39.5 cm 2 /m 2 (women) using ROC curves. Conclusions: Low skeletal muscle mass, obesity and muscle depletion during palliative chemotherapy are meaningful prognostic factors in advanced BTC. Considering muscle depletion with weight change could help to more accurately predict prognoses of patients with BTC.

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) develops through the alteration of several critical pathways. This study was aimed at evaluating the influence of critical pathways on survival outcomes for patients with CRC. METHODS Targeted next-generation sequencing of 40 genes included in the 5 critical pathways of CRC (WNT, P53, RTK-RAS, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase [PI3K], and transforming growth factor β [TGF-β]) was performed for 516 patients with stage III or high-risk stage II CRC treated with surgery followed by adjuvant fluoropyrimidine and oxaliplatin chemotherapy. The associations between critical pathway mutations and relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival were analyzed. The associations were further analyzed according to the tumor location. RESULTS The mutation rates for the WNT, P53, RTK-RAS, PI3K, and TGF-β pathways were 84.5%, 69.0%, 60.7%, 30.0%, and 28.9%, respectively. A mutation in the PI3K pathway was associated with longer RFS (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36-0.99), whereas a mutation in the RTK-RAS pathway was associated with shorter RFS (adjusted HR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.01-2.52). Proximal tumors showed a higher mutation rate than distal tumors, and the mutation profile was different according to the tumor location. The mutation rates of Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS), phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit α (PIK3CA), and B-Raf proto-oncogene serine/threonine kinase (BRAF) were higher in proximal tumors, and the mutation rates of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), tumor protein 53 (TP53), and neuroblastoma RAS viral oncogene homolog (NRAS) were higher in distal tumors. The better RFS with the PI3K pathway mutation was significant only for proximal tumors, and the worse RFS with the RTK-RAS pathway mutation was significant only for distal tumors. CONCLUSIONS A PI3K pathway mutation was associated with better RFS for CRC patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, and an RTK-RAS pathway mutation was associated with worse RFS. The significance of the prognostic impact differed according to the tumor location. Cancer 2017;123:3513-23. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

To evaluate the prognostic significance of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR), and total phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) expressions in patients undergoing adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for proximal extrahepatic bile duct (EHBD) cancer.Sixty-three patients with proximal EHBD cancer who underwent curative resection followed by adjuvant CRT were enrolled into this study. Postoperative radiotherapy was delivered to tumor bed and regional lymph nodes up to a median of 40 Gy (range, 40 to 54 Gy). Fifty-nine patients also received fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy as a radiosensitizer. p-Akt, p-mTOR, and PTEN expression were assessed with immunohistochemical staining on the tissue microarray.p-Akt, p-mTOR, and PTEN were expressed in 23 (36.5%), 17 (27.0%), and 24 patients (38.1%), respectively. p-Akt expression was associated with distant metastasis and overall survival (OS), but not with locoregional recurrence. The 5-year distant metastasis-free and OS rates were 25.8% versus 58.2% (P=0.007), and 27.5% versus 50.2% (P=0.0167) in patients with negative and positive expression, respectively. On multivariate analysis, nodal involvement was the only significant prognosticator predicting inferior distant metastasis-free survival (P=0.0105), whereas p-Akt expression had a borderline significance (P=0.0541). As for OS, p-Akt expression was a marginally significant prognosticator (P=0.0635), whereas other risk factors lost the statistical significance.p-Akt expression tended to be associated with a favorable prognosis in patients undergoing curative resection followed by adjuvant CRT for proximal EHBD cancer.

Objective The use of information communication technology (ICT)–based tailored health management program can have significant health impacts for cancer patients. Information provision, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and decision conflicts were analyzed for their relationship with need for an ICT-based personalized health management program in Korean cancer survivors. Methods The health program needs of 625 cancer survivors from two Korean hospitals were analyzed in this cross-sectional study. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors related to the need for an ICT-based tailored health management system. Association of the highest such need with medical information experience, HRQOL, and decision conflicts was determined. Furthermore, patient intentions and expectations for a web- or smartphone-based tailored health management program were investigated. Results Cancer survivors indicated high personalized health management program needs. Patients reporting the highest need included those with higher income (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.70; 95% [confidence interval] CI, 1.10-2.63), those who had received enough information regarding helping themselves (aOR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.09-2.66), and those who wished to receive more information (aOR, 1.59; 95% CI, 0.97-2.61). Participants with cognitive functioning problems (aOR, 2.87; 95%CI, 1.34-6.17) or appetite loss (aOR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.07-2.93) indicated need for a tailored health care program. Patients who perceived greater support from the decision-making process also showed the highest need for an ICT-based program (aOR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.30-0.82). Conclusions We found that higher income, information provision experience, problematic HRQOL, and decisional conflicts are significantly associated with the need for an ICT-based tailored self-management program.

Additional file 1: Supplementary Table S1. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis of factors associated with overall survival in triple negative breast cancer. (DOC 40 KB)

Additional file of Ki-67 can be used for further classification of triple negative breast cancer into two subtypes with different response and prognosis

Immunotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer is effective only for mismatch repair-deficient tumors with high microsatellite instability that demonstrate immune infiltration, suggesting that tumor cells can determine their immune microenvironment. To understand this cross-talk, we analyzed the transcriptome of 91,103 unsorted single cells from 23 Korean and 6 Belgian patients. Cancer cells displayed transcriptional features reminiscent of normal differentiation programs, and genetic alterations that apparently fostered immunosuppressive microenvironments directed by regulatory T cells, myofibroblasts and myeloid cells. Intercellular network reconstruction supported the association between cancer cell signatures and specific stromal or immune cell populations. Our collective view of the cellular landscape and intercellular interactions in colorectal cancer provide mechanistic information for the design of efficient immuno-oncology treatment strategies.

Purpose: Identifying the association between somatic mutations and the radiation response of tumor is essential for understanding the mechanisms and practicing personalized radiotherapy. The presen...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differential effect of chemotherapy regimen in preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer.The medical records of 279 patients who underwent preoperative CRT followed by surgery for cT3/4 rectal cancer from 2003 to 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty-four patients were treated with one cycle of i.v. bolus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) during 1st week (group A), 214 patients with two cycles of i.v. bolus 5-FU during 1st and 5th week (group B), and 31 patients with oral capecitabine on the days with radiotherapy (group C). Propensity score matching was performed between three groups.Median follow-up was 60.1 months. Five-year locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 91.2, 83.3, 75.0, and 84.5%, respectively. Thirty-one patients per group were allocated to three groups via propensity score matching. On univariate analysis, concurrent chemotherapy regimen was not a significant prognostic factor for survival outcomes in the matched group analysis (OS, p=0.175; DFS, p=0.481; DMFS, p=0.515; LRFS, p=0.456). In addition, there was no significant difference in the sphincter preserving surgery rate, circumferential resection margin status, and pathologic response between three groups (p=0.441, 1.000, 0.818, respectively). As regards to treatment-related toxicity, 9 patients showed grade 3 neutropenia in group B, while there was no grade 3 or higher toxicity in groups A and C.The concurrent chemotherapy regimen (5-FU #1 vs 5-FU #2 vs capecitabine) did not have a significant effect on treatment outcomes in locally advanced rectal cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant CRT.

Background: Based on the Ph III IMbrave150 trial, atezo + bev has been approved globally and is the standard of care for pts with unresectable HCC who have not received prior systemic therapy. With an additional 12 mo of follow-up from the primary analysis (median, 15.6 mo), atezo + bev showed consistent clinically meaningful treatment benefit and safety (Finn ASCO GI 2021). Here, we report results of updated analyses considering high-risk factors. Methods: Pts were randomized 2:1 to receive atezo 1200 mg IV q3w + bev 15 mg/kg IV q3w or sor 400 mg PO BID until loss of clinical benefit or unacceptable toxicity. High-risk pts were defined as those who had tumor invasion of the main trunk of the portal vein and/or the portal vein branch contralateral to the primarily involved lobe (Vp4), and/or bile duct invasion and/or tumor occupancy of ≥ 50% of liver. Results: In the ITT population, 64 (19%) pts randomized to atezo + bev and 37 (22%) pts randomized to sor were defined as high risk. 10 pts had bile duct invasion, 73 had Vp4 portal vein invasion and 31 had liver tumor occupancy of ≥ 50%. 9 pts in the atezo + bev arm and 4 pts in the sor arm had 2 high-risk factors. OS, PFS and ORR all favored atezo + bev over sor, in both non-high-risk and high-risk patients. See table for efficacy results. In safety-evaluable pts, Grade 3/4 treatment-related AEs (TRAEs) occurred in 122 (45%) of 269 non-high-risk and 21 (35%) of 60 high-risk atezo + bev pts. Grade 5 TRAEs occurred in 5 (2%) non-high-risk and 1 (2%) high-risk atezo + bev pt. Conclusions: Efficacy benefit was seen with atezo + bev vs sor regardless of the presence of high-risk features. HRs remained similar despite the numerical differences in median OS between non-high-risk and high-risk pts. Further, the overall safety data in the atezo + bev arm were comparable between non-high-risk and high-risk pts and in line with the known safety profile of each drug. Non-High RiskHigh RiskITTAtezo + BevSorAtezo + BevSorAtezo + BevSorEvaluable for OS/PFS, n2721286437336165Median OS (95% CI), mo22.8 (19.1, 24.9)15.7 (13.2, 19.0)7.6 (6.6, 12.8)5.5 (4.1, 6.7)19.2 (17.0, 23.7)13.4 (11.4, 16.9)HR (95% CI)0.68 (0.51, 0.91)0.62 (0.39, 1.00)0.66 (0.52, 0.85)Median PFS (95% CI), moa7.2 (6.5, 9.6)4.4 (4.0, 5.8)5.4 (4.0, 6.9)2.8 (2.5, 5.3)6.9 (5.7, 8.6)4.3 (4.0, 5.6)HR (95% CI)0.61 (0.48, 0.78)0.74 (0.47, 1.17)0.65 (0.53, 0.81)Evaluable for ORR, n2631246335326159Confirmed ORR, n (%)a,b81 (31)13 (10)16 (25)5 (14)97 (30)18 (11)Complete response, n (%)a20 (8)05 (8)1 (3)25 (8)1 (1)Median DOR (95% CI), moa,c19.0 (14.6, NE)12.6 (4.9, 17.0)16.3 (13.5, NE)16.5 (3.9, NE)18.1 (14.6, NE)14.9 (4.9, 17.0)NCT03434379.Clinical cutoff date: Aug 31, 2020.DOR, duration of response; HR, hazard ratio; IRF, independent review facility; NE, not estimable; ORR, objective response rate; OS, overall survival; PFS, progression-free survival.aAssessed by an IRF per RECIST 1.1.bORR IRF RECIST 1.1-evaluable population was based on patients who presented with measurable disease at baseline.cDOR analysis was based on all confirmed responders. Citation Format: Richard S. Finn, Shukui Qin, Masafumi Ikeda, Peter R. Galle, Michel Ducreux, Tae-You Kim, Masatoshi Kudo, Ho Yeong Lim, Valeriy Breder, Philippe Merle, Ahmed Kaseb, Daneng Li, Yin-Hsun Feng, Wendy Verret, Alan Nicholas, Lindong Li, Ning Ma, Andrew X. Zhu, Ann-Lii Cheng. IMbrave150: Updated efficacy and safety by risk status in patients (pts) receiving atezolizumab (atezo) + bevacizumab (bev) vs sorafenib (sor) as first-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr CT009.

3559 Background: The MORPHEUS platform consists of multiple, global, open-label, randomized Phase Ib/II trials designed to identify early efficacy and safety signals of treatment (tx) combinations across cancers. Here, atezo (anti-PD-L1) was tested with Imprime and bev (anti-VEGF) for MSS mCRC, a poorly immunogenic cancer generally resistant to checkpoint inhibitors. Imprime acts as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern that, when bound to anti-β glucan antibodies (ABA), activates the innate immune system with the potential to 1) promote priming and expansion of tumor-specific T cells, 2) promote M2-M1 macrophage polarization and 3) enhance the immunomodulatory effects of atezo and bev. Therefore, we hypothesized that atezo + Imprime + bev would induce an antitumor response beyond that of rego, a standard-of-care multikinase inhibitor, in patients (pts) with MSS mCRC. Methods: Pts with MSS mCRC unselected for the Imprime-specific biomarker (ABA) and refractory to 1-2 prior lines of standard therapy received atezo (1200 mg IV every 3 weeks [q3w]) + Imprime (4 mg/kg IV on Days 1, 8, 15) + bev (7.5 mg/kg IV q3w) or control tx with rego (160 mg orally days 1-21; dose escalation to 160 mg during Cycle 1 allowed per institutional guidelines). The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR; investigator-assessed RECIST 1.1); secondary endpoints included disease control rate (DCR; response or stable disease ≥ 12 weeks), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and safety. Results: Pts were followed-up for ≥18 wk. 15 pts received atezo + Imprime + bev and 13 received rego. Grade (Gr) 3/4 tx-related adverse events (TRAEs) were seen in 13% of atezo + Imprime + bev and 62% of rego pts. No Gr 5 AEs occurred in atezo + Imprime + bev pts and 1 (8%) was reported in a rego pt. One pt in each arm (7% vs 8%, respectively) withdrew from tx due to a TRAE. No radiological responses were seen in either arm. Five pts (33%) receiving atezo + Imprime + bev and 8 (62%) receiving rego had stable disease as best response. DCR was 13% with atezo + Imprime + bev and 23% with rego. Median PFS was 1.5 mo (95% CI: 1.4, 2.8) and 2.8 mo (95% CI: 1.6, 3.1), and median OS was 5.7 mo (95% CI: 4.4, 10.5) and 10.2 mo (95% CI: 4.8, NE) with atezo + Imprime + bev and rego, respectively. There was no apparent correlation between baseline PD-L1 expression or CD8+ lymphocyte tumor infiltration and clinical benefit. Further, the systemic exposure of atezo, Imprime and bev and immunogenicity of atezo and bev are in line with previous clinical experience. Additional biomarker, pharmacokinetics and anti-drug antibody data will be shown. Conclusions: Atezo + Imprime + bev was well tolerated; toxicities were consistent with the safety profiles of the individual agents. No efficacy signal was identified with atezo + Imprime + bev in pts with MSS refractory mCRC. Clinical trial information: NCT03555149.

In the present study, we developed a computational method and panel markers to assess microsatellite instability (MSI) using a targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform and compared the performance of our computational method, mSILICO, with that of mSINGS to detect MSI in CRCs. We evaluated 13 CRC cell lines, 84 fresh and 119 formalin-fixed CRC tissues (including 61 MSI-high CRCs and 155 microsatellite-stable CRCs) and tested the classification performance of the two methods on 23, 230, and 3,154 microsatellite markers. For the fresh tissue and cell line samples, mSILICO showed a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 100%, regardless of the number of panel markers, whereas for the formalin-fixed tissue samples, mSILICO exhibited a sensitivity of up to 100% and a specificity of up to 100% with three differently sized panels ranging from 23 to 3154. These results were similar to those of mSINGS. With the application of mSILICO, the small panel of 23 markers had a sensitivity of ≥95% and a specificity of 100% in cell lines/fresh tissues and formalin-fixed tissues of CRC. In conclusion, we developed a new computational method and microsatellite marker panels for the determination of MSI that does not require paired normal tissues. A small panel could be integrated into the targeted NGS panel for the concurrent analysis of single nucleotide variations and MSI.

// Kyoung-Min Cho 1,3 , Hyunkyung Park 1 , Do-Youn Oh 1,2 , Tae-Yong Kim 1 , Kyung-Hun Lee 1,2 , Sae-Won Han 1,2 , Seock-Ah Im 1,2 , Tae-You Kim 1,2 and Yung-Jue Bang 1,2 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea 2 Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea 3 Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Correspondence to: Do-Youn Oh, email: // Keywords : inflammation, prognosis, advanced biliary tract cancer, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio Received : September 06, 2016 Accepted : November 24, 2016 Published : November 30, 2016 Abstract Background and Purpose: Systemic inflammation is known to promote carcinogenesis in biliary tract cancer (BTC). Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are indicative of systemic inflammation. We evaluated the clinical significance of systemic inflammation measured by NLR and PLR in patients with advanced BTC. Additionally, we also co-analyzed the dynamics of NLR and PLR during chemotherapy. Methods: We reviewed 450 patients with unresectable BTC receiving palliative chemotherapy. NLR and PLR were obtained before initiation of palliative chemotherapy. Changes in NLR, PLR were obtained by subtracting the initial value from the value obtained after progression of chemotherapy. Results: Higher systemic inflammation status also had relation with a primary tumor site ( p = 0.003) and higher levels of CEA ( p = 0.038). The ROC cut-off values of NLR and PLR for predicting overall survival (OS) were 3.8 and 121, respectively. Patients with a high NLR or PLR had worse OS independently in multivariate analysis (6.90 vs . 9.80 months, p = 0.002; 7.83 vs . 9.90 months, p =0.041, respectively). High NLR with increased NLR after chemotherapy is associated with worse OS and progression-free survival (PFS) ( p < 0.001, p = 0.013 respectively). Results are similar for PLR. Conclusion: Systemic inflammation represented by NLR and PLR, predicts the OS of patients with advanced BTC who are receiving palliative chemotherapy. In addition, considering NLR/PLR with a dynamic change of NLR/PLR during chemotherapy might help to predict a more accurate prognosis.

// Hyerim Ha 1 , Ah-Rong Nam 2 , Ju-Hee Bang 2 , Ji-Eun Park 2 , Tae-Yong Kim 1 , Kyung-Hun Lee 1,2 , Sae-Won Han 1,2 , Seock-Ah Im 1,2 , Tae-You Kim 1,2 , Yung-Jue Bang 1,2 and Do-Youn Oh 1,2 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea 2 Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Correspondence to: Do-Youn Oh, email: // Keywords : soluble PDL1, PDL1, immunotherapy, biliary tract cancer, biomarker Received : April 11, 2016 Accepted : October 17, 2016 Published : October 21, 2016 Abstract Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in tumor tissue is under investigation as a candidate biomarker in immuno-oncology dug development. The soluble form of PD-L1 (sPDL1) is suggested to have immunosuppressive activity. In this study, we measured the serum level of sPDL1 and evaluated its prognostic implication in biliary tract cancer (BTC). Blood was collected from 158 advanced BTC patients (68 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, 56 gallbladder cancer, 22 extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and 12 ampulla of vater cancer) before initiation of palliative chemotherapy. Serum sPDL1 was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Clinical data included neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII, neutrophil × platelet/lymphocyte). The patients were assigned to two cohorts (training and validation cohort) using a simple random sampling method to validate the cut-off value of each marker. Validation was performed using a twofold cross-validation method. Overall survival (OS) of all patients was 9.07 months (95% CI: 8.20-11.33). Median sPDL1 was 1.20 ng/mL (range 0.03-7.28, mean 1.50, SD 1.22). Median NLR, PLR and SII were 2.60, 142.85 and 584.93, respectively. Patients with high sPDL1 (≥0.94 ng/mL) showed worse OS than patients with low sPDL1 (7.93 vs. 14.10 months, HR 1.891 (1.35-2.65), p

Background: Time to progression (TTP) is suggested as a reliable endpoint compared with the progression-free survival in the clinical trials of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the correlation between TTP and overall survival (OS) has never been studied. Methods: We searched PubMed and Embase data to obtain data source. Eligible studies were randomised controlled phase III trials, which evaluated the efficacy of systemic chemotherapy or molecular targeted therapy in advanced HCC. The association of treatment effects as shown by the hazard ratio (HR) of TTP and OS in each trial was assessed by the Spearman rank correlation coefficient (rs) and linear regression analysis. The association between median TTP and OS was also investigated. Results: Nine studies with a total of 18 treatment arms and 6318 patients were included. Incremental benefit from the study treatment in TTP from each trial was correlated with incremental benefit in OS. The rs value and R2 value between log (HRTTP) and log (HROS) was 0.73 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.12–0.94, P=0.024) and 0.57. The minimum TTP effect to predict a treatment effect on OS was 0.63. Median TTP was associated with median OS. The rs value between TTP and OS was 0.73 (95% CI 0.40–0.89, P

// Ah-Rong Nam 1, * , Ji-Won Kim 2, * , Yongjun Cha 1, 3 , Hyerim Ha 3 , Ji Eun Park 1 , Ju-Hee Bang 1 , Mei Hua Jin 1 , Kyung-Hun Lee 1, 3 , Tae-Yong Kim 1 , Sae-Won Han 1, 3 , Seock-Ah Im 1, 3 , Tae-You Kim 1, 3 , Do-Youn Oh 1, 3 , Yung-Jue Bang 1, 3 1 Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea 2 Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea 3 Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Do-Youn Oh, email: ohdoyoun@snu.ac.kr Keywords: HER2, biliary tract cancer, gallbladder cancer, trastuzumab, targeted therapy Received: February 18, 2016 Accepted: July 27, 2016 Published: August 09, 2016 ABSTRACT Currently, there is no validated therapeutic target for biliary tract cancer (BTC). This study aimed to investigate the pre-clinical and clinical implication of HER2 as a therapeutic target in BTC. We established two novel HER2-amplified BTC cell lines, SNU-2670 and SNU-2773, from gallbladder cancer patients. SNU-2670 and SNU-2773 cells were sensitive to trastuzumab, dacomitinib, and afatinib compared with nine HER2-negative BTC cell lines. Dacomitinib and afatinib led to G1 cell cycle arrest in SNU-2773 cells and apoptosis in SNU-2670 cells. Furthermore, dacomitinib, afatinib, and trastuzumab showed synergistic cytotoxicity when combined with some cytotoxic drugs including gemcitabine, cisplatin, paclitaxel, and 5-fluorouracil. In a SNU-2670 mouse xenograft model, trastuzumab demonstrated a good anti-tumor effect as a monotherapy and in combination with gemcitabine increasing apoptosis. In our clinical data, 13.0% of patients with advanced BTC were defined as HER2-positive. Of these, three patients completed HER2-targeted chemotherapy. Two of them demonstrated a partial response, and the other one showed stable disease for 18 weeks. In summary, these pre-clinical and clinical data suggest that HER2 could be a therapeutic target, and that a HER2-targeting strategy should be developed further in patients with HER2-positive advanced BTC.

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate systemic inflammatory markers as prognostic factors in patients with stage IIA colorectal cancer. Methods Among the patients who underwent curative resection for colorectal cancer at Seoul National University Hospital between 2002 and 2010, 1,035 who were classified as postoperative pathologic stage IIA (T3N0M0) were included. Systemic inflammatory markers, such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and serum fibrinogen level, were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups according to the cut-off values of the systemic inflammatory markers after receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Survival analysis was performed to identify factors associated with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Results Age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, tumor location, number of harvested lymph nodes, venous invasion, perineural invasion, adjuvant treatment and PNI (HR = 1.534, 95%CI: 1.065–2.211, P = 0.022; HR = 1.915, 95%CI: 1.286–2.852, P = 0.001 for DFS and OS, respectively) were independent significant prognostic factors for both DFS and OS. Conclusions PNI can be a prognostic marker in stage IIA colorectal cancer. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:216–221. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is associated with a poor prognosis in many cancers but the biological mechanisms involved are unknown. Since cytokines and angiogenic factors (CAFs) are reflected by various immune responses, we analyzed the association between the NLR and CAFs and their prognostic implications in gastric cancer (GC). Of 745 GC patients who were enrolled in NLR analysis, 70 underwent NLR and CAF association analyses. Pretreatment serum levels of 52 CAFs were measured by means of multiplex bead immunoassays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Linear regression analysis and survival analysis of the NLR with each CAF were performed. Metastatic organ numbers and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels were significantly higher in patients with a high NLR [greater than 2.42 (median): P = 0.047 and P

Purpose Epigenetic alterations of specific genes have recently been identified as diagnostic biomarkers for human cancers. However, there are currently no standardized epigenetic biomarkers for drug sensitivity in human gastrointestinal cancer. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify a novel epigenetic biomarker in gastrointestinal cancer. Materials and methods Using bisulfite sequencing and pyrosequencing analysis, DNA methylation patterns of gastric, colon primary tissues and their cancer cells were analyzed, and histone modifications were analyzed using chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. In addition, cancer cells were exposed to cisplatin and treated with a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor. Results We report that in human gastric and colon cancers, latrophilin 2 (LPHN2) is silenced by epigenetic modifications, including CpG island methylation and aberrant histone modifications. We also confirmed that LPHN2 was silenced by DNA hypermethylation in primary gastric and colon tumor tissues compared to their normal counterparts. Interestingly, we found that cancer cells with methylated LPHN2 showed higher sensitivity to cisplatin. Also, 5-aza- 2'-deoxycytidine combined with cisplatin decreased the cytotoxicity of cisplatin in cancer cells with methylated LPHN2. In addition, LPHN2 knockdown in cancer cells with high LPHN2 expression sensitized these cells to the anti-proliferative effects of cisplatin. Conclusion In human gastrointestinal cancer, we found that LPHN2 is regulated by epigenetic modifications, and that cancer cells with lower LPHN2 expression show higher sensitivity to cisplatin. Therefore, the methylation status of LPHN2 is a potential novel epigenetic biomarker for cisplatin treatment in human gastric and colon cancers.

267 Background: Atezo + bev has been approved globally for pts with unresectable HCC who have not received prior systemic therapy, based on results from IMbrave150 (NCT03434379). At a median of 8.6 mo follow-up, both coprimary endpoints were met, with statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements observed with atezo + bev vs sor for OS (HR, 0.58 [95% CI, 0.42, 0.79]; P

269 Background: NIVO 1 mg/kg + IPI 3 mg/kg Q3W (4 doses) followed by NIVO 240 mg Q2W is approved in the US for sorafenib-treated pts with aHCC based on initial results from CheckMate 040 (NCT01658878), which reported objective response rate (ORR) of 32% and median overall survival (mOS) of 22.8 months (mo).1 We present 44-mo long-term follow-up results from the CheckMate 040 NIVO+IPI cohort. Methods: Pts were randomized to 3 arms: [A] NIVO 1 mg/kg + IPI 3 mg/kg Q3W (4 doses) or [B] NIVO 3 mg/kg + IPI 1 mg/kg Q3W (4 doses), each followed by NIVO 240 mg Q2W, or [C] NIVO 3 mg/kg Q2W + IPI 1 mg/kg Q6W. Treatment continued until intolerable toxicity or disease progression. Safety and tolerability, ORR (blinded independent central review per RECIST v1.1), duration of response (DOR), disease control rate (DCR), and OS were assessed. Data cutoff was May 26, 2020. Results: 148 pts were randomized. Minimum follow-up was 44 mo. mOS remained at 22.2 mo in arm A, 12.5 mo in arm B, and 12.7 mo in arm C; 36-mo OS rates were 42%, 26%, and 30%, respectively. Durable responses were achieved across treatment arms, with DOR approaching 4 years in some cases. DCR was higher in arm A than arms B and C. In all arms, responses were observed regardless of baseline programmed death ligand 1 expression ( < 1% or ≥ 1%) or baseline alpha-fetoprotein level ( < 400 µg/L or ≥ 400 µg/L). Pts with hepatitis B or C virus (HBV or HCV) etiology had higher ORR than uninfected pts in arms B (29% vs 43% vs 9%) and C (31% vs 42% vs 0%). ORR was independent of etiology in arm A (HBV, 32%; HCV, 29%; uninfected, 31%). Additional efficacy data are in the table. There were no additional discontinuations due to treatment-related adverse events or immune-mediated adverse events (IMAEs) since the primary analysis. IMAEs were reported more frequently in arm A than arms B and C; the most common were rash, hepatitis, and adrenal insufficiency. Most IMAEs were reversible and resolved when treated using established algorithms. Conclusions: At a minimum follow-up of 44 mo, second-line NIVO1+IPI3 continued to demonstrate clinically meaningful responses and long-term survival benefit in aHCC. The safety profile was manageable and no new safety signals were identified with longer follow-up. Clinical trial information: NCT01658878. [Table: see text]

Importance Most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are diagnosed with advanced disease not eligible for potentially curative therapies; therefore, new treatment options are needed. Combining nivolumab with ipilimumab may improve clinical outcomes compared with nivolumab monotherapy. Objective To assess efficacy and safety of nivolumab plus ipilimumab in patients with advanced HCC who were previously treated with sorafenib. Design, Setting, and Participants CheckMate 040 is a multicenter, open-label, multicohort, phase 1/2 study. In the nivolumab plus ipilimumab cohort, patients were randomized between January 4 and September 26, 2016. Treatment group information was blinded after randomization. Median follow-up was 30.7 months. Data cutoff for this analysis was January 2019. Patients were recruited at 31 centers in 10 countries/territories in Asia, Europe, and North America. Eligible patients had advanced HCC (with/without hepatitis B or C) previously treated with sorafenib. A total of 148 patients were randomized (50 to arm A and 49 each to arms B and C). Interventions Patients were randomized 1:1:1 to either nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 3 mg/kg, administered every 3 weeks (4 doses), followed by nivolumab 240 mg every 2 weeks (arm A); nivolumab 3 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg, administered every 3 weeks (4 doses), followed by nivolumab 240 mg every 2 weeks (arm B); or nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg every 6 weeks (arm C). Main Outcomes and Measures Coprimary end points were safety, tolerability, and objective response rate. Duration of response was also measured (investigator assessed with the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors v1.1). Results Of 148 total participants, 120 were male (81%). Median (IQR) age was 60 (52.5-66.5). At data cutoff (January 2019), the median follow-up was 30.7 months (IQR, 29.9-34.7). Investigator-assessed objective response rate was 32% (95% CI, 20%-47%) in arm A, 27% (95% CI, 15%-41%) in arm B, and 29% (95% CI, 17%-43%) in arm C. Median (range) duration of response was not reached (8.3-33.7+) in arm A and was 15.2 months (4.2-29.9+) in arm B and 21.7 months (2.8-32.7+) in arm C. Any-grade treatment-related adverse events were reported in 46 of 49 patients (94%) in arm A, 35 of 49 patients (71%) in arm B, and 38 of 48 patients (79%) in arm C; there was 1 treatment-related death (arm A; grade 5 pneumonitis). Conclusions and Relevance In this randomized clinical trial, nivolumab plus ipilimumab had manageable safety, promising objective response rate, and durable responses. The arm A regimen (4 doses nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks then nivolumab 240 mg every 2 weeks) received accelerated approval in the US based on the results of this study. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT01658878

4596 Background: In the Phase III IMbrave150 trial, statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in OS and PFS were seen with atezo + bev vs sor in pts with unresectable HCC who had not received prior systemic therapy (Cheng, ESMO Asia, 2019). Historically, CR rates have been low in HCC clinical trials. Here we report the baseline characteristics for IMbrave150 pts with a CR. Methods: IMbrave150 enrolled systemic treatment-naive pts with unresectable HCC. Pts were randomized 2:1 to receive either atezo 1200 mg IV q3w + bev 15 mg/kg IV q3w or sor 400 mg BID until unacceptable toxicity or loss of clinical benefit per investigator. Co-primary endpoints were OS and PFS by independent review facility (IRF)–assessed RECIST 1.1. The key secondary endpoints IRF ORR per RECIST 1.1 and IRF ORR per HCC mRECIST were also part of the study statistical testing hierarchy. Results: The ITT population included 336 pts randomized to atezo + bev and 165 pts randomized to sor. With a median follow-up of 8.6 mo (data cutoff, Aug 29, 2019), OS HR was 0.58 (95% CI: 0.42, 0.79; P = 0.0006) and PFS HR was 0.59 (95% CI: 0.47, 0.76; P < 0.0001) with atezo + bev vs sor. ORR was 27% vs 12% ( P < 0.0001) per IRF RECIST 1.1 and 33% vs 13% ( P < 0.0001) per IRF HCC mRECIST with atezo + bev vs sor, respectively. For responders (per IRF RECIST 1.1), median time to response was 2.8 mo (range, 1.2-11.3) with atezo + bev and 3.3 mo (range, 1.2-7.2) with sor. CR per IRF-assessed RECIST 1.1 was achieved by 18 pts in the atezo + bev arm and 0 pts in the sor arm. The baseline characteristics for atezo + bev CR pts are shown in the table. Additional characteristics will be shown. Conclusions: IMbrave150 demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in both OS and PFS with atezo + bev vs sor in pts with unresectable HCC who have not received prior systemic therapy. Pts achieved CRs regardless of poor prognostic factors or etiology. Atezo + bev may be a practice-changing treatment for pts with unresectable HCC. Clinical trial information: NCT03434379 . [Table: see text]

Table S1. Mutation rate of 40 genes included in the study. Table S2. Mutation rate of critical pathways according to histology. Table S3. Survival after recurrence according to each gene mutation. (Genes with mutation rate over 5%). Table S4. Detailed profile of TGF-β pathway mutation. (DOCX 60 kb)

Background: Oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy for rectal cancer patients after preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is currently based on extrapolated results from colon cancer patients. We evaluated the role of oxaliplatin as adjuvant chemotherapy in rectal cancer patients who received preoperative CRT with fluoropyrimidine monotherapy and total mesorectal excision (TME). Methods: The ADORE is a multicentre, randomised trial in patients with postoperative ypStage II (ypT3-4N0) or III (ypTanyN1-2) rectal cancer after fluoropyrimidine-based preoperative CRT and TME. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive adjuvant chemotherapy either with FL (5-fluorouracil 380 mg/m², leucovorin 20 mg/m²) or FOLFOX (oxaliplatin 85 mg/m², leucovorin 200 mg/m², 5-fluorouracil bolus 400 mg/m² on day 1, 5-fluorouracil infusion 2400 mg/m² for 46 hours). Stratification factors included ypStage and participating centre. Investigators were not blinded to the group assignment. Primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS), analysed according to the intention-to-treat principle (ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT00807911). Findings: A total of 321 patients were enrolled between November 19, 2008, and June 12, 2012. The 6-year DFS rates were 68·2% in the FOLFOX arm vs 56·8% in the FL arm, with a stratified hazard ratio (HR) of 0·63 (95% CI, 0·43-0·93, p=0·018) by intention-to-treat analysis. In the subgroup analysis for DFS, FOLFOX was favourable to FL in patients with ypStage III, ypN1b, ypN2, high-grade histology, minimally regressed tumour, and absence of lymphovascular or perineural invasion. The 6-year overall survival (OS) rate was 78·1% in the FOLFOX arm vs 76·4% in the FL arm (HR 0·73 [0·45-1·19], p=0·21). In the subgroup analysis for OS, FOLFOX was favourable to FL in patients with ypN2 and minimally regressed tumour. Interpretation: Adjuvant FOLFOX improved DFS in rectal cancer patients with ypStage II/III after preoperative CRT. Adjuvant FOLFOX should be chosen based on the postoperative pathologic stage in those received preoperative CRT and TME. Trial Registration Number: ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT00807911 Funding: Sanofi-Aventis, Republic of Korea Declaration of Interest: TWK received research funding from Sanofi-Aventis, Taiho, and Roche. YSH received research funding from Bayer. All other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Ethical Approval: All patients provided written informed consent, and the study protocol was approved by the institutional review boards of all participating institutions.

Introduction A 21-gene prediction assay (Oncotype DX) is helpful to estimate benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with hormone receptor–positive, lymph node–negative early breast cancer. This study was conducted to develop a model to estimate high recurrence score (RS) using easily available clinicopathologic parameters in limited-resource countries. Patients and Methods Hormone receptor–positive, lymph node–negative early breast cancer patients who underwent Oncotype DX were enrolled onto the training set (n = 192). The risk category range of the RS was the same as in the TAILORx study. The multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify significant variables associated with high RS. The independent validation set (n = 264) was established from patients of a different time period. Results The median age in the training set was 47 years, and 78.0% were premenopausal. The number of patients with low RS ( 25) were 42 (22.0%), 122 (63.9%), and 27 (14.1%), respectively. High nuclear grade, no progesterone receptor expression, and high Ki-67 were associated with high RS, and these variables were used to construct the nomogram. It had significant discriminatory power in internal validation (area under the curve = 0.856) and in the validation set (area under the curve = 0.828). The calibration plot showed optimal agreement between predicted and actual probabilities in both sets. Conclusion A nomogram was successfully developed with 3 simple parameters. The probability of high RS can be easily and conveniently estimated using our nomogram. It might be useful to determine whether or not Oncotype DX is conducted in the TAILORx era. Future large-scale prospective studies are warranted.

512 Background: NIVO monotherapy is approved in the United States and other countries for pts with HCC treated with sorafenib (SOR) based on CheckMate 040 (NCT01658878) results, which reported 14% objective response rate (ORR) and 16-month median overall survival (mOS; El-Khoueiry et al. Lancet 2017). Primary efficacy and safety of NIVO + IPI in pts with aHCC previously treated with SOR were presented recently (Yau et al. J Clin Oncol 2019). Here, we will present subgroup analyses from this study. Methods: Pts were randomized to 3 arms: [A] NIVO 1 mg/kg + IPI 3 mg/kg Q3W (4 doses) or [B] NIVO 3 mg/kg + IPI 1 mg/kg Q3W (4 doses), each followed by NIVO 240 mg Q2W, or [C] NIVO 3 mg/kg Q2W + IPI 1 mg/kg Q6W. Treatment continued until intolerable toxicity or disease progression. Primary endpoints included safety/tolerability, ORR, and duration of response (DOR; investigator assessment per RECIST v1.1). Key secondary endpoints included disease control rate (DCR), OS, and progression-free survival (blinded independent central review [BICR] per RECIST v1.1); key exploratory endpoints included ORR (BICR per RECIST v1.1). Data cutoff was January 2019. Results: A total of 148 pts were randomized. Minimum OS follow-up from last pt randomization date to data cutoff was 28 months. At baseline, 34% of all pts had vascular invasion; 82% had extrahepatic spread; and 91% had Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C; 84% discontinued SOR because of disease progression and 14% because of toxicity. For all treated pts, ORR was 31% (7 had complete response), with median DOR of 17 months; DCR was 49%; the 30-month OS rate was 37%. NIVO + IPI was well tolerated; 38% of pts had grade 3–4 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs; most common any grade: pruritus and rash; most common grade 3–4: aspartate aminotransferase increase and lipase increase); 5% had grade 3–4 TRAEs leading to discontinuation. Subgroup analyses based on duration of prior SOR therapy and other pt characteristics will be presented. Conclusions: NIVO + IPI led to clinically meaningful benefits, with a manageable safety profile in pts previously treated with SOR. NIVO + IPI may provide a new treatment option for these pts. Clinical trial information: NCT01658878.

476 Background: Atezo + bev in pts with unresectable HCC who had not received prior systemic therapy has shown statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in OS and PFS per independent review facility-assessed RECIST 1.1 vs sor in the Phase III IMbrave150 study (Cheng ESMO Asia 2019). Here, we report PRO data from this trial to show pt perspectives on the overall clinical benefit of atezo + bev. Methods: Pts were randomized 2:1 to receive either atezo 1200 mg IV q3w + bev 15 mg/kg IV q3w or sor 400 mg PO BID until loss of clinical benefit or unacceptable toxicity. Pts completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-HCC18 questionnaires before tx, every 3 wk on tx, and every 3 mo after tx discontinuation or disease progression. A pre-specified secondary endpoint was time to deterioration (TTD; first ≥ 10-point decrease from baseline held for 2 consecutive assessments or 1 assessment followed by death within 3 wk) of pt-reported quality of life (QOL), physical functioning, and role functioning. Pre-specified exploratory analyses included TTD of and proportion of pts with a clinically meaningful change (≥ 10 points from baseline) in key pt-reported symptoms. Results: Questionnaire completion rates were ≥ 92% in both arms from baseline through most of the tx period. Compared with sor, atezo + bev delayed TTD of pt-reported QOL (median TTD, 11.2 vs 3.6 mo; HR, 0.63 [95% CI: 0.46, 0.85]), physical functioning (median TTD, 13.1 vs 4.9 mo; HR, 0.53 [95% CI: 0.39, 0.73]), and role functioning (median TTD, 9.1 vs 3.6 mo; HR, 0.62 [95% CI: 0.46, 0.84]). Atezo + bev also delayed TTD in pt-reported appetite loss, fatigue, pain, and diarrhea vs sor; a lower proportion of pts on atezo + bev experienced clinically meaningful deterioration in each of these symptoms vs sor. Conclusions: High-quality PRO results from IMbrave150 showed large and consistent benefits in key aspects of the pt experience with atezo + bev, further supporting its overall clinical benefit in pts with unresectable HCC who have not received prior systemic therapy. Clinical trial information: NCT03434379.

Background In this first-in-human, Phase 1 study of a microRNA-based cancer therapy, the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of MRX34, a liposomal mimic of microRNA-34a (miR-34a), was determined and evaluated in patients with advanced solid tumours. Methods Adults with various solid tumours refractory to standard treatments were enrolled in 3 + 3 dose-escalation cohorts and, following RP2D determination, expansion cohorts. MRX34, with oral dexamethasone premedication, was given intravenously daily for 5 days in 3-week cycles. Results Common all-cause adverse events observed in 85 patients enrolled included fever (% all grade/G3: 72/4), chills (53/14), fatigue (51/9), back/neck pain (36/5), nausea (36/1) and dyspnoea (25/4). The RP2D was 70 mg/m2 for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 93 mg/m2 for non-HCC cancers. Pharmacodynamic results showed delivery of miR-34a to tumours, and dose-dependent modulation of target gene expression in white blood cells. Three patients had PRs and 16 had SD lasting ≥4 cycles (median, 19 weeks, range, 11–55). Conclusion MRX34 treatment with dexamethasone premedication demonstrated a manageable toxicity profile in most patients and some clinical activity. Although the trial was closed early due to serious immune-mediated AEs that resulted in four patient deaths, dose-dependent modulation of relevant target genes provides proof-of-concept for miRNA-based cancer therapy. Clinical trial registration NCT01829971.

It is important to take into account potential prognostic factors to select patients with brain metastasis from colorectal cancer (CRC) who will benefit from active neurosurgical treatment. Therefore, we experimentally investigated our single institutional data to develop a novel CRC-specific graded prognostic assessment (GPA) and to help clinicians determine the optimal management. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 107 patients with brain metastases from CRC who received any kind of treatment in our hospital and had sufficient clinical information. The median overall survival was 5.2 months, and the 1- and 2-year overall survival rates were 23.7 and 6.6%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the number of brain metastases ≥ 6, presence of neurologic symptoms, and elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen (≥ 30 ng/ml) were the independent prognostic factors for poor overall survival, while performance status was not. Based on this, we developed the CRC-specific GPA index and stratified patients into three categories. The median overall survival for patients with GPA scores of 0–0.5, 1.0–1.5, and 2.0–2.5 was 2.3, 4.3, and 12.7 months, respectively (p

Lessons Learned Irinotecan could not be proven noninferior to paclitaxel as a second-line treatment for patients with metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer. The failure to demonstrate noninferiority may have been a result of insufficient patient enrollment. Both agents were tolerable but showed different toxicity profiles. Background This phase III study compared the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel versus irinotecan in patients with metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer (MRGC) who had experienced disease progression following first-line chemotherapy. Methods Patients were randomized to receive either paclitaxel (70 mg/m2; days 1, 8, 15, every 4 weeks) or irinotecan (150 mg/m2 every other week). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Results This study was stopped early due to low accrual rate. A total of 112 patients were enrolled; 54 were allocated to paclitaxel and 58 to irinotecan. Median PFS for the paclitaxel and irinotecan groups was 3.5 and 2.1 months, respectively (hazard ratio [HR], 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86–1.88; p = .234). Noninferiority of irinotecan to paclitaxel was not proved because the upper boundary of the 95% CI (1.88) exceeded the predefined upper margin of noninferiority (1.32). Median overall survival (OS) was 8.6 months in the paclitaxel group and 7.0 months in the irinotecan group (HR, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.91–2.11; p = .126). Among toxicities greater than or equal to grade 3, neutropenia (11.5%) was the most common, followed by peripheral neuropathy (7.7%) in the paclitaxel group, and neutropenia (34.5%) followed by nausea, vomiting, and anemia (8.6%, respectively) in the irinotecan group. Conclusion Although paclitaxel showed numerically longer PFS and OS compared with irinotecan, this was statistically insignificant. Both irinotecan and paclitaxel are valid second-line treatment options in MRGC.

Background Oxaliplatin is a platinum derivative that has shown efficacy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. S-1 is an oral fluoropyrimidine that has substituted for 5-fluorouracil in many cancers. This was a multicenter, open-label, single-arm phase II trial that evaluated the efficacy of S-1 and oxaliplatin (SOX) in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. All patients included in the present study were systemic treatment-naïve. Prior treatment with sorafenib was allowed, but other treatments were not. Methods Patients received S-1 (40 mg/m2 twice daily from day 1–14) and oxaliplatin (130 mg/m2 on day 1) every 3 weeks. The primary end point was time to progression (TTP). Secondary end points included progression-free survival, overall survival (OS), response rate, and safety profile. Results Thirty six patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma were included in this study. The median TTP was 3.0 months (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.75–5.25), and the median OS was 10.3 months (95% CI, 6.4–14.3). Bone metastasis was associated with poorer TTP and OS. The efficacy of SOX was unaffected by prior sorafenib or locoregional therapy. The objective response rate was 13.9%. No grade 4 toxicity or death from adverse events occurred. The most common grade 3 toxicities were neutropenia (13.9%), thrombocytopenia (13.9%), and diarrhea (8.3%). Conclusions Although this trial did not meet its primary end point, the SOX regimen showed comparable efficacy and safety to the 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) regimen. As the SOX regimen is easier for patients, SOX may be a reasonable substitute for FOLFOX in hepatocellular carcinoma. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01429961. Registered 7 September 2011.