Resnick, Murray B.

AbstractThe gold standard for enrollment and endpoint assessment in metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatosis clinical trials is histologic assessment of a liver biopsy performed on glass slides. However, obtaining the evaluations from several expert pathologists on glass is challenging, as shipping the slides around the country or around the world is time‐consuming and comes with the hazards of slide breakage. This study demonstrated that pathologic assessment of disease activity in steatohepatitis, performed using digital images on the AISight whole slide image management system, yields results that are comparable to those obtained using glass slides. The accuracy of scoring for steatohepatitis (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score ≥4 with ≥1 for each feature and absence of atypical features suggestive of other liver disease) performed on the system was evaluated against scoring conducted on glass slides. Both methods were assessed for overall percent agreement with a consensus “ground truth” score (defined as the median score of a panel of three pathologists’ glass slides). Each case was also read by three different pathologists, once on glass and once digitally with a minimum 2‐week washout period between the modalities. It was demonstrated that the average agreement across three pathologists of digital scoring with ground truth was noninferior to the average agreement of glass scoring with ground truth [noninferiority margin: −0.05; difference: −0.001; 95% CI: (−0.027, 0.026); and p < 0.0001]. For each pathologist, there was a similar average agreement of digital and glass reads with glass ground truth (pathologist A, 0.843 and 0.849; pathologist B, 0.633 and 0.605; and pathologist C, 0.755 and 0.780). Here, we demonstrate that the accuracy of digital reads for steatohepatitis using digital images is equivalent to glass reads in the context of a clinical trial for scoring using the Clinical Research Network scoring system.

4500 Background: Trastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody against human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). The primary objective of RTOG 1010 was to determine if trastuzumab increases disease-free survival (DFS) when combined with trimodality treatment for patients with HER2 overexpressing esophageal adenocarcinoma. Methods: This open label, randomized phase III trial included patients with newly diagnosed stage T1N1-2, T2-3N0-2 adenocarcinoma of the esophagus involving the mid, distal, or esophagogastric junction and up to 5cm of the stomach. All patients received chemotherapy (C) of paclitaxel, 50mg/m2 and carboplatin AUC = 2, weekly for 6 weeks, with radiation (XRT: 3D-CRT or IMRT, 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions) followed by surgery. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive weekly trastuzumab 4mg/kg week 1 then 2mg/kg/weekly x 5 during CXRT then 6 mg/kg for 1 dose prior to surgery and 6mg/kg every 3 weeks for 13 treatments after surgery. HER2 status was determined by IHC and gene amplification by FISH. With a 2-sided alpha of 0.05, 162 DFS events provide 90% power to detect a signal for an increase in median DFS from 15 to 25 months. DFS and overall survival (OS) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. and arms were compared using the log rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze treatment effect. Results: 571 patients were entered for assessment of HER2 expression, 203 HER2+ patients randomized. The median follow-up for alive patients is 5.0 years. The estimated 2, 3, and 4-year DFS (95% CI) for the CXRT +trastuzumab arm were 41.8% (31.8%, 51.7%), 34.3% (24.7%, 43.9%), and 33.1% (23.6%, 42.7%), respectively, and for the CXRT arm were 40.0% (30.0%, 49.9%), 33.4% (23.8%, 43.0%), and 30.1% (20.7%, 39.4%), respectively; log-rank p = 0.85. The median DFS time is 19.6 months (13.5-26.2) for the CXRT +trastuzumab arm compared to 14.2 months (10.5-23.0) for the CXRT arm. The hazard ratio (95% CI) comparing the DFS of CXRT+trastuzumab arm to the CXRT arm was 0.97 (0.69, 1.36). The median OS time was 38.5 months (26.2-70.4) for the CXRT+trastuzumab arm compared to 38.9 months (29.0-64.5) for the CXRT arm, hazard ratio (95% CI): 1.01 (0.69, 1.47). There was no statistically significant increase in treatment-related toxicities with the addition of trastuzumab including no increase in cardiac events. Conclusions: The addition of trastuzumab to trimodality treatment did not improve DFS for patients with HER2 overexpressing esophageal adenocarcinoma. Supported by NCI grants U10CA180868, UG1CA189867, U10CA180822 and Genentech. Clinical trial information: NCT01196390 .

3639 Background: The first phase of the multi-center prospectively specified retrospective study Validating Indicators To Associate Recurrence (VITAR), assessing the relationship between GCC gene expression in formalin fixed (FFPE) LNs and time to recurrence (TTR) in stage II CC pts not treated with adjuvant chemotherapy (Sargent, Annals Surg Onc 2011), showed promising initial results. Here we report a validation set of 463 new stage II CC pts. Methods: GCC mRNA was quantified by RT-qPCR using FFPE LNs from untreated T3N0 CC pts diagnosed from 1999-2008 with at least 12 LNs examined , blinded to clinical outcomes. Patients were classified by GCC LN ratio (LNR) (high risk: LNR > 0.1; low risk: LNR ≤ 0.1), with LNR defined as ratio of GCC positive to GCC informative LNs. Cox regression models tested the relationship between GCC and the primary endpoint of TTR, adjusted for age, tumor grade, number of LN examined pathologically, and lymphovascular invasion. Mismatch repair (MMR) status was also assessed. All primary analyses and cut-points were pre-specified. Results: 46pts (10%) recurred (rec), median follow-up was 65 months, median LNs examined was 20, and 42% (195/463) were classified high risk. Overall, TTR was not significantly associated with binary GCC LNR risk class (HR=1.47, p=.208) or DFS (HR= 1.39, p=.097). One site’s (n=97) tissue grossing method precluded appropriate LN assessment with existing GCC qualification methods. Excluding this site resulted in a TTR HR=1.91, p=0.051 (multivariate). In a post-hocanalysis excluding this site and using a 3-level GCC risk group of high (LNR > 0.20), intermediate (0.10 < LNR < 0.20) and low (LNR < 0.10), high risk group pts had a 5-yr rec risk of 22% versus 8% in low risk (HR 2.72, p=0.006). MMR status was not significantly associated with TTR (multivariate p=0.30). Conclusions: GCC status is a promising prognostic factor in appropriately staged stage II CC pts not treated with adjuvant therapy independent of traditional histopathology risk factors, but GCC determination must be performed with methodology adapted to the tissue procurement and fixation technique. Outcome associations were strengthened when considering a 3-level GCC categorization.

443 Background: Identification of a sensitive and specific prognostic marker would aid in the management of patients (pts) with standard histopathology node negative colon cancer (CC). We conducted a pooled individual pt data analysis to confirm the prognostic value of GCC for disease recurrence in untreated stage II CC. Methods: GCC mRNA was quantified by RT-qPCR using formalin-fixed LN from 310 stage II pts diagnosed from 1991-2006 enrolled in two studies (Sargent 2011 [study1] and Haince 2009 [study2]). Patients were classified by GCC LN ratio (LNR) (high risk: LNR ≥ 0.1; low risk: LNR < 0.1), with LNR defined as number of GCC positive LN divided by number of informative LNs. Clinical outcomes included time to recurrence (TTR), overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Stratified log-rank tests and multivariate Cox models assessed the association between clinical outcomes and GCC LN status. Results: The 5-year recurrence rate in study 1 (n=241) was 15.8%, 24.9% in study 2 (n=69). GCC LNR high risk pts had significantly higher risk of TTR, OS, DSS and DFS, which remained after adjusting for age, T stage, grade, number of LNs examined, and presence of lymphovascular invasion ( Table ). In a secondary analysis of low risk stage II pts (T3, ≥12 LNs examined, and negative surgical margins, n=241), a strong relationship between GCC LNR and each endpoint remained (TTR HR=4.34, 95% CI=2.07 – 9.13, p<0.001). Conclusions: Pts with GCC LNR high risk status have significantly poorer outcomes compared to pts with low risk status, particularly among those traditionally considered to be low risk. [Table: see text]

369 Background: A multi-center prospectively specified retrospective study Validating Indicators to Associate Recurrence (VITAR) is assessing the relationship between guanylyl cyclase C (GCC) gene expression in formalin fixed LNs and recurrence risk in stage II CC pts not treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Here we report the preplanned initial analysis performed with 241 pts. Methods: GCC mRNA was quantified by RT-qPCR using FFPE LNs tissues from untreated stage II CC pts diagnosed from 1999-2006 with at least 10 LN examined blinded to clinical outcomes. Cox regression models examined the relationship between GCC nodal status and the prespecified primary endpoint of recurrence risk. Results: Twenty-ninepts (12%) had a disease recurrence or cancer death, median follow-up was 60 months and median LNs examined was 15. The ratio of the number of GCC+ LNs over the total number of informative LNs (LNR) significantly predicted higher recurrence risk for 84 pts classified as high risk (HR, 2.38; p=0.02). The estimated 5-yr recurrence rates were 10% and 27% for the low and high risk group, respectively. After adjusting for age, T stage, number of LNs assessed, and MMR status, the significant association remained (HR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.17-5.83; p=0.02). In a subset of 181 pts with negative margin, T3 tumor only and ≥12 LN examined, the GCC LNR had a HR for recurrence of 5.06 (95% CI 1.61-15.91, p=0.003), translating into 5-yr recurrence rates of 4% among low risk pts and 27% for the high-risk group. Conclusions: Our results suggest that GCC expression in LNs is a significant determinant of recurrence in appropriately staged CC pts not treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. The validation component of the study is ongoing. [Table: see text] [Table: see text]

Abstract Purpose: Recurrence risk assessment to make treatment decisions for early-stage colon cancer patients is a major unmet medical need. The aim of this retrospective multicenter study was to evaluate the clinical utility of guanylyl cyclase C (GCC) mRNA levels in lymph nodes on colon cancer recurrence. Methods: The proportion of lymph nodes with GCC-positive mRNA (LNR) was evaluated in 463 untreated T3N0 patients, blinded to clinical outcomes. One site's (n = 97) tissue grossing method precluded appropriate lymph node assessment resulting in post hoc exclusion. Cox regression models tested the relationship between GCC and the primary endpoint of time to recurrence. Assay methods, primary analyses, and cut points were all prespecified. Results: Final dataset contained 366 patients, 38 (10%) of whom had recurrence. Presence of four or more GCC-positive lymph nodes was significantly associated with risk of recurrence [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.46, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07–5.69, P = 0.035], whereas binary GCC LNR risk class (HR = 1.87, 95% CI, 0.99–3.54, P = 0.054) and mismatch repair (MMR) status (HR = 0.77, 95% CI, 0.36–1.62, P = 0.49) were not. In a secondary analysis using a 3-level GCC LNR risk group classification of high (LNR &gt; 0.20), intermediate (0.10 &lt; LNR ≤ 0.20), and low (LNR ≤ 0.10), high-risk patients had a 2.5 times higher recurrence risk compared with low-risk patients (HR = 2.53, 95% CI, 1.24–5.17, P = 0.011). Conclusions: GCC status is a promising prognostic factor independent of traditional histopathology risk factors in a contemporary population of patients with stage IIa colon cancer not treated with adjuvant therapy, but GCC determination must be performed with methodology adapted to the tissue procurement and fixation technique. Clin Cancer Res; 20(16); 4361–9. ©2014 AACR.