Citations

119 Background: Radiotherapy (RT) interruptions have a negative impact on outcomes in many epithelial malignancies treated with definitive RT. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of RT duration on outcomes in patients (pts) with esophageal cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Methods: Pts treated with definitive CRT on RTOG trials 8501 and 9405 were included. Separate analyses were performed in pts receiving standard dose (SD-CRT; 50 Gy + 5FU + cisplatin) and high dose (HD-CRT; 64.8 Gy + 5FU + cisplatin) CRT. Local (LF) and regional (RF) failure were estimated by the cumulative incidence method. Disease-free (DFS) and overall (OS) survival were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate (UVA) and multivariate (MVA) Cox proportional hazards models were utilized to examine for correlation between RT duration (< vs. ≥ median) with LF, RF, DFS and OS. Results: In the SD-CRT cohort (n=235), 96 pts (41%) had ≥ 1 RT interruption for a median of 3 (IQR 1-6) days. The median RT duration was 39 (IQR 37-43) days. In UVA and MVA, RT duration was not associated with LF, RF, DFS, or OS. Estimated outcome rates are in the table. In the HD-CRT cohort (n=107), 64 pts (60%) had ≥ 1 RT interruption for a median of 3.5 (IQR 2-7.5) days. The median RT duration was 52 (IQR 50-57) days. In UVA, RT duration ≥ 52 days was associated with a 33% reduction in risk of DFS failure (HR=0.66, 95% CI [0.44-0.98], p=0.039) and a 29% reduction in risk of death (HR=0.71, 95% CI [0.48-1.06], p=0.09). When excluding the 25 pts with RT dose < 64.8 Gy, RT duration was not associated with DFS or OS. Conclusions: In pts with esophageal cancer receiving definitive SD-CRT, an association between RT duration and outcomes was not observed. In pts receiving HD-CRT, longer RT duration was associated with improved DFS, which may have been due to a significant number of deaths at RT dose < 64.8 Gy. Supported by NCI U10 grants CA21661, CA180868, CA180822, CA37422. Clinical trial information: NCT00002631. [Table: see text]

3 Background: Previous reports suggested that AAT when combined with salvage RT following RP in patients may improve prostate cancer control outcomes. Methods: Post-RP patients with pT3pN0 or with pT2pN0 and positive margins who had or developed elevated PSA levels from 0.2 to 4.0 ng/ml were randomized on a phase III, double-blind, trial of RT + placebo (64.8 Gy in 36 fractions of 1.8 Gy) vs. RT + AAT (24 months bicalutamide, 150 mg daily) during and after RT. The primary end-point was overall survival. Trial design required 725 patients and provided 80% power to detect a reduction in death rate by at least 28.5% and a 1-sided significance level of 0.046. Results: From 3/98 to 3/03, 761 eligible patients (median age 65) were randomized to RT + AAT (384) or RT + placebo (377). 248 patients (33%) were pT2pN0 and 513 (67%) were pT3pN0. 671 (88%) had a PSA nadir after RP of < 0.5 ng/ml. 649 (85%) had an entry PSA value of <1.6, 112 patients (15%) had an entry PSA of 1.6-4. Median follow up was 12.6 years. Actuarial overall survival at 10 years was 82% for RT plus AAT and 78% for RT + placebo and a hazard ratio of 0.75 (95% CI: 0.58-0.98) with a 1-sided p value of 0.018 (2-sided p = 0.036). The 12-year incidence of PC central-reviewed deaths were 2.3% for RT + AAT and 7.5% for RT + placebo ( p< 0.001).The cumulative incidence of metastatic PC at 12 years was less in the RT + AAT arm, 14% (51 patients), vs. 23% (83 patients) in the RT + placebo arm (p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses of the relative benefits of the addition of AAT to RT are planned and will be presented. Late grade III and IV toxicity were similar in the AAT and placebo arms. The combined grade III and IV toxicities for RT + AAT and RT + placebo were: bladder 7.0% vs. 6.7%, bowel 2.7% vs. 1.6%. Gynecomastia differed significantly by treatment arm, 70% vs. 11%. Conclusions: 24 months of AAT using 150mg bicalutamide daily during and after salvage RT significantly improved long term overall survival and reduced the incidence of metastatic PC and PC death. Support: NCI grants U10CA21661, U10CA180868, U10CA180822, and U10CA37422 and AstraZeneca. Clinical trial information: NCT00002874.

103 Background: Beginning in 2014, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recognized very high-risk (VHR) prostate cancer (cT3b-T4, or primary Gleason pattern 5, or more than 4 biopsy cores with Gleason score 8-10, or multiple HR features) as a classification distinct from high-risk (HR) disease. Using prospectively collected institutional data, we describe contemporary treatment patterns and short-term outcomes in the VHR population. Methods: Men who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) between January 2010 and June 2015 were identified using the Johns Hopkins RP database, and trends in management were compared across the study period. Pathological and short-term clinical outcomes were assessed in men with VHR cancer. Non organ-confined disease (NOCD) was defined as ≥ pT3 disease or lymph node positivity, persistent postoperative PSA as ≥ 0.2 ng/mL, and biochemical recurrence (BCR) as a PSA ≥ 0.2 ng/mL following an initial undetectable postoperative PSA. Results: During the study period, 4,954 men underwent RP, of which 161 (3.2%) men had VHR cancer at diagnosis. The annual proportion of men who underwent RP with VHR cancer increased over the study period (chronologically 1.8%, 1.0%, 3.3%, 4.1%, 5.6%, and 5.2%; p<0.001). Sixteen percent of men with VHR disease were enrolled in pre-surgical clinical trials, with an increase from 0% of men in 2010 to 19.1% in 2015 (p=0.11). At RP, 39% of the VHR cohort had seminal vesicle invasion, 26% had lymph node involvement, and a total of 74% had NOCD. Following surgery, 33% of men had PSA persistence, and 40% experienced either PSA persistence or BCR during follow-up (median 13.4 months). Of 136 men with at least one follow-up assessment, 15 (11.0%) developed metastasis; 33% of the cohort was treated with radiation therapy, 42% with androgen deprivation, and 15% with docetaxel. Conclusions: The VHR population carries the greatest risk of clinical progression following local treatment. Over the past five years, we have observed increasing surgical treatment and clinical trial enrollment at our institution. Continued assessment of post-operative interventions and outcomes will help to facilitate counseling and establish point estimates from which to power clinical trials.

PURPOSE: Hot flashes represent a significant clinical problem for some breast cancer survivors. Safe, effective treatment is needed for this prominent clinical problem. Although it has been shown that estrogen or progesterone replacement therapy can alleviate this problem, there are continued safety concerns regarding the use of hormonal therapies in these women. Based on anecdotal information, we hypothesized that soy-derived phytoestrogens, weak estrogen-like substances in the soybean that demonstrate estrogen agonist and/or antagonist effects when they bind to estrogen receptors, could alleviate hot flashes. This current trial was designed to investigate this hypothesis.PATIENTS AND METHODS: This double-blind clinical trial involved breast cancer survivors with substantial hot flashes. After randomization, patients underwent a 1-week baseline period with no therapy. This was followed by 4 weeks of either soy tablets or placebo. The patients then crossed over to the opposite arm in a double-blind manner for the last 4 weeks. Patients completed a daily questionnaire documenting hot flash frequency, intensity, and perceived side effects.RESULTS: Of the 177 women who were randomized and started the study substance, 155 (88%) provided useable data over the first 5 weeks; 149 provided usable data over the entire 9 weeks. There was no suggestion that the soy product was more effective in reducing hot flashes than the placebo. At study completion, patients preferred the soy product 33% of the time, the placebo 37% of the time, and neither substance 31% of the time. No toxicity was observed.CONCLUSION: The soy product did not alleviate hot flashes in breast cancer survivors.

We described physical activity measures and hourly patterns in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) after stratification for generic and COPD-specific characteristics and, based on multiple physical activity measures, we identified clusters of patients. In total, 1001 patients with COPD (65% men; age, 67 years; forced expiratory volume in the first second [FEV 1 ], 49% predicted) were studied cross-sectionally. Demographics, anthropometrics, lung function and clinical data were assessed. Daily physical activity measures and hourly patterns were analysed based on data from a multisensor armband. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis were applied to physical activity measures to identify clusters. Age, body mass index (BMI), dyspnoea grade and ADO index (including age, dyspnoea and airflow obstruction) were associated with physical activity measures and hourly patterns. Five clusters were identified based on three PCA components, which accounted for 60% of variance of the data. Importantly, couch potatoes (i.e. the most inactive cluster) were characterised by higher BMI, lower FEV 1 , worse dyspnoea and higher ADO index compared to other clusters ( p < 0.05 for all). Daily physical activity measures and hourly patterns are heterogeneous in COPD. Clusters of patients were identified solely based on physical activity data. These findings may be useful to develop interventions aiming to promote physical activity in COPD.

AbstractPurposeStem cell transplant (SCT) recipients commonly undergo bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) collection as an infectious pulmonary work‐up. Previous studies report the utility and overall diagnostic yield of fiberoptic bronchoscopy with BAL in this vulnerable population, though none focused purely on microbiologic yield or made comparisons with less invasive means of pathogen detection. We sought to determine and elaborate on the microbiologic yield of BAL in SCT recipients, assess a correlation between BAL studies and less invasive means of pathogen detection, and assess the utility of repeating a BAL within 30 days.MethodsBetween January 1, 2009, and July 31, 2013, we reviewed medical records of 125 SCT recipients who underwent 179 BALs. In addition to demographic information and details pertaining to their SCT, a comprehensive review of their microbiologic data was performed and recorded.ResultsOur study showed an overall BAL microbiologic yield of 40%, despite 92% of patients receiving broad‐spectrum antimicrobial therapy at the time of the BAL procedure.ConclusionsAlthough an initial BAL sample in this population provides crucial microbiologic information, repeating the procedure within 30 days may have minimal additional microbiologic yield. BAL continues to be an essential diagnostic tool in SCT recipients undergoing an infectious pulmonary work‐up.

Abstract Aims The presence of cancer can complicate treatment choices for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) increasing both the risk of thrombotic and bleeding events. Methods and results Using data from Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation, we aimed to characterize AF patients with cancer, to describe their management and to assess the association between cancer and cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. Among 9749 patients, 23.8% had history of cancer (57% solid malignancy, 1.3% leukaemia, 3.3% lymphoma, 40% other type, and 2.2% metastatic cancer). Patients with history of cancer were older, more likely to have CV disease, CV risk factors, and prior gastrointestinal bleeding. No difference in antiarrhythmic and antithrombotic therapy was observed between those with and without cancer. Patients with history of cancer had a significantly higher risk of death (7.8 vs. 4.9 deaths per 100 patient-years follow-up, P = 0.0003) mainly driven by non-CV death (4.2 vs. 2.4 per 100 patient-years follow-up; P = 0.0004) and higher risk of major bleeding (5.1 vs. 3.5 per 100 patient-years follow-up; P = 0.02) compared with non-cancer patients; no differences were observed in risks of strokes/non-central nervous system embolism (1.96 vs. 1.48, P = 0.74) and CV death (2.89 vs. 2.07, P = 0.35) between the two groups. Conclusion A history of cancer is common among AF patients with up to one in four patients having both. Antithrombotic therapy, rates of cerebrovascular accident, other thrombotic events and cardiac death were similar in AF patients with or without a history of cancer. Patients with cancer, however, were at higher risk of major bleeding and non-CV death.

Abstract Introduction Genetic loci for Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been identified in whites of European ancestry, but the genetic architecture of AD among other populations is less understood. Methods We conducted a transethnic genome‐wide association study (GWAS) for late‐onset AD in Stage 1 sample including whites of European Ancestry, African‐Americans, Japanese, and Israeli‐Arabs assembled by the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium. Suggestive results from Stage 1 from novel loci were followed up using summarized results in the International Genomics Alzheimer's Project GWAS dataset. Results Genome‐wide significant (GWS) associations in single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)–based tests ( P < 5 × 10 −8 ) were identified for SNPs in PFDN1/HBEGF , USP6NL/ECHDC3 , and BZRAP1‐AS1 and for the interaction of the (apolipoprotein E) APOE ε4 allele with NFIC SNP. We also obtained GWS evidence ( P < 2.7 × 10 −6 ) for gene‐based association in the total sample with a novel locus, TPBG ( P = 1.8 × 10 −6 ). Discussion Our findings highlight the value of transethnic studies for identifying novel AD susceptibility loci.

ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy of abatacept to that of placebo for the treatment of giant cell arteritis (GCA).MethodsIn this multicenter trial, patients with newly diagnosed or relapsing GCA were treated with abatacept 10 mg/kg intravenously on days 1, 15, and 29 and week 8, together with prednisone administered daily. At week 12, patients in remission underwent a double‐blinded randomization to continue to receive abatacept monthly or switch to placebo. Patients in both study arms received a standardized prednisone taper, with discontinuation of prednisone at week 28. All patients remained on their randomized assignment until meeting criteria for early termination or until 12 months after enrollment of the last patient. The primary end point was duration of remission (relapse‐free survival rate).ResultsForty‐nine eligible patients with GCA were enrolled and treated with prednisone and abatacept; of these, 41 reached the week 12 randomization and underwent a blinded randomization to receive abatacept or placebo. Prednisone was tapered using a standardized schedule, reaching a daily dosage of 20 mg at week 12 with discontinuation in all patients at week 28. The relapse‐free survival rate at 12 months was 48% for those receiving abatacept and 31% for those receiving placebo (P = 0.049). A longer median duration of remission was seen in those receiving abatacept compared to those receiving placebo (median duration 9.9 months versus 3.9 months; P = 0.023). There was no difference in the frequency or severity of adverse events, including infection, between the treatment arms.ConclusionIn patients with GCA, the addition of abatacept to a treatment regimen with prednisone reduced the risk of relapse and was not associated with a higher rate of toxicity compared to prednisone alone.