Ng, Kimmie

Abstract Background Little is known about patterns of and factors associated with treatment for de novo metastatic cancer patients who die soon after diagnosis. In this study, we examine treatment patterns for patients newly diagnosed with metastatic lung, colorectal, breast, or pancreatic cancer who died within 1 month of diagnosis. Methods We identified 100 848 adult patients in the National Cancer Database with de novo metastatic lung, colorectal, breast, and pancreatic cancer, diagnosed between 2004 and 2014 and who died within 1 month. We performed descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses to examine receipt of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormonal therapy by cancer type, adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical variables. Results Treatment substantially varied by cancer type, over time, age, insurance, and facility type. Surgery ranged from 0.4% in pancreatic to 28.3% in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, chemotherapy from 5.8% among CRC to 11% in lung and breast cancer patients, and radiotherapy from 1.3% in pancreatic to 18.7% in lung cancer patients. Use of some treatments (eg, surgery for CRC and breast cancer) progressively declined between 2004 and 2014. Compared with lung cancer patients treated at National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers, those treated at community cancer centers had 48% lower odds of radiation. Conclusions Treatment of patients diagnosed with imminently fatal de novo metastatic cancer varied markedly by cancer type and patient/facility characteristics. These variations warrant more research to better identify patients with imminently fatal de novo metastatic cancer who may not benefit from aggressive and expensive therapies.

TPS3624 Background: To improve survival for patients with mCRC, efforts are needed to identify and treat actionable genomic alterations. HER2 is amplified in approximately 5-8% of patients with KRAS and NRAS (RAS) wild-type mCRC. HER2 functions as an oncogenic driver and a mediator of EGFR antibody (Ab) resistance. Although prior studies have shown that anti-HER2 therapies are active in patients with HER2+ (HER2 IHC 3+ or HER2 amplified) mCRC, there are no HER2-directed therapies approved for these patients. Tucatinib is a potent and highly selective oral small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor of HER2, currently being developed to treat metastatic breast cancer. In HER2+ CRC patient derived xenograft models, tucatinib has substantial anti-tumor activity. The addition of the anti-HER2 monoclonal Ab trastuzumab augments tumor growth inhibition. Methods: This single-arm phase II study will test the combination of tucatinib and trastuzumab in patients with HER2+ mCRC. Eligible patients include those with RAS wild-type mCRC who have been previously treated with 5-FU, oxaliplatin, irinotecan, and an anti-VEGF monoclonal Ab. Patients must have HER2+ disease by IHC, FISH, or NGS. Prior treatment with anti-HER2 targeting therapy is excluded. The primary objective is to assess the objective response rate for the combination. Secondary objectives are to evaluate the efficacy (PFS, OS, clinical benefit rate), safety, and tolerability of the combination. Correlation between tissue and blood-based biomarkers and clinical outcomes will be explored. Blood will be collected at baseline and each restaging to determine if the combination eliminates HER2 amplified circulating tumor DNA. Subjects will receive tucatinib at a dose of 300mg by mouth daily, and trastuzumab will be administered every 3 weeks (8 mg/kg IV day 1 of cycle 1, then 6 mg/kg IV Q3 weeks). Response will be assessed every 3 cycles (9 weeks) per RECIST version 1.1. Both agents will be provided by the study. This study was initiated in February 2017. Recruitment is ongoing at 8 sites in the Academic and Community Cancer Research United (ACCRU) network. Clinical trial information: NCT03043313.

Purpose Previous studies have suggested that higher plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D] levels are associated with decreased colorectal cancer risk and improved survival, but the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in advanced colorectal cancer and its influence on outcomes are unknown. Patients and Methods We prospectively measured plasma 25(OH)D levels in 515 patients with stage IV colorectal cancer participating in a randomized trial of chemotherapy. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as 25(OH)D lower than 20 ng/mL, insufficiency as 20 to 29 ng/mL, and sufficiency as ≥ 30 ng/mL. We examined the association between baseline 25(OH)D level and selected patient characteristics. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) for death, disease progression, and tumor response, adjusted for prognostic factors. Results Among 515 eligible patients, 50% of the study population was vitamin D deficient, and 82% were vitamin D insufficient. Plasma 25(OH)D levels were lower in black patients compared to white patients and patients of other race (median, 10.7 v 21.1 v 19.3 ng/mL, respectively; P < .001), and females compared to males (median, 18.3 v 21.7 ng/mL, respectively; P = .0005). Baseline plasma 25(OH)D levels were not associated with patient outcome, although given the distribution of plasma levels in this cohort, statistical power for survival analyses were limited. Conclusion Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent among patients with stage IV colorectal cancer receiving first-line chemotherapy, particularly in black and female patients.