Citations 88

Local/Regional Recurrence Rates After Breast-Conserving Therapy in Patients Enrolled in Legacy Trials of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (AFT-01)

Annals of Surgery | December 15, 2022 | Volume: 277 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 841-845

10.1097/sla.0000000000005776 | PMID 36521077

Objective: We sought to evaluate local/regional recurrence rates after breast-conserving surgery in a cohort of patients enrolled in legacy trials of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology and to evaluate variation in recurrence rates by receptor subtype. Background: Multiple randomized controlled trials have demonstrated equivalent survival between breast conservation and mastectomy, albeit with higher local/regional recurrence rates after breast conservation. However, absolute rates of local/regional recurrence have been declining with multi-modality treatment. Methods: Data from 5 Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology legacy trials that enrolled women diagnosed with breast cancer between 1997 and 2010 were included. Women who underwent breast-conserving surgery and standard systemic therapies (n=4,404) were included. Five-year rates of local/regional recurrence were estimated from Kaplan-Meier curves. Patients were censored at the time of distant recurrence (if recorded as the first recurrence), death, or last follow-up. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify factors associated with time to local/regional recurrence, including patient age, tumor size, lymph node status, and receptor subtype. Results: Overall 5-year recurrence was 4.6% (95% CI=4.0-5.4%). Five-year recurrence rates were lowest in those with ER+ or PR+ tumors (Her2+ 3.4% [95% CI 2.0-5.7%], Her2- 4.0% [95% CI 3.2-4.9%]) and highest in the triple-negative subtype (7.1% [95% CI 5.4-9.3%]). On multivariable analysis, increasing nodal involvement and triple-negative subtype were positively associated with recurrence (P<0.0001). Conclusions: Rates of local/regional recurrence after breast conservation in women with breast cancer enrolled in legacy trials of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology are significantly lower than historic estimates. This data can better inform patient discussions and surgical decision-making.
1244 Alliance A151804: Establishment of a national biorepository to advance studies of immune-related adverse events

Regular and Young Investigator Award Abstracts | November 7, 2022 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: No issue available | Pages: A1290-A1291

10.1136/jitc-2022-sitc2022.1244

Associations between body mass index, weight loss and overall survival in patients with advanced lung cancer

Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle | October 21, 2022 | Volume: 13 | Issue: 6 | Pages: 2650-2660

10.1002/jcsm.13095 | PMID 36268548

AbstractBackgroundWeight loss (WL) has been associated with shorter survival in patients with advanced cancer, while obesity has been associated with longer survival. Integrating body mass index (BMI) and WL provides a powerful prognostic tool but has not been well‐studied in lung cancer patients, particularly in the setting of clinical trials.MethodsWe analysed patient data (n = 10 128) from 63 National Cancer Institute sponsored advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) trials. Risk matrices were created using BMI and WL percentage, which were divided into ‘grades’ based on median survival. Relationships between survival, BMI and WL percentage were examined using Kaplan–Meier estimators and Cox proportional hazards (PH) models with restricted cubic splines.ResultsFor NSCLC, a twofold difference was noted in median survival between the BMI > 28 and WL ≤ 5% group (13.5 months) compared with the BMI < 20 and WL > 5% group (6.6 months). These associations were less pronounced in SCLC. Kaplan–Meier curves showed significant survival differences between grades for both NSCLC and SCLC (log‐rank, P < 0.0001). In Stage IV NSCLC, Cox PH analyses with restricted cubic splines demonstrated significant associations between BMI and survival in both WL ≤ 5% (P = 0.0004) and >5% (P = 0.0129) groups, as well as in WL > 5% in Stage III (P = 0.0306). In SCLC, these relationships were more complex.ConclusionsBMI and WL have strong associations with overall survival in patients with advanced lung cancer, with a greater impact seen in NSCLC compared with SCLC. The integration of a BMI/WL grading scale may provide additional prognostic information and should be included in the evaluation of therapeutic interventions in future clinical trials in advanced lung cancer.
Clinical Trial Enrollment, Ineligibility, and Reasons for Decline in Older vs Younger Patients With Cancer in the National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program

JAMA Network Open | October 10, 2022 | Volume: 5 | Issue: 10 | Pages: e2235714

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.35714 | PMID 36215074

This cross-sectional study assesses differences in clinical trial participation among older vs younger adults with cancer.
Olanzapine with or without an NK-1 receptor antagonist for preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy: A phase III randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (ALLIANCE A221602).

Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 6, 2022 | Volume: 40 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 12107-12107

10.1200/jco.2022.40.16_suppl.12107

12107 Background: Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), a major adverse effect of cancer treatment, can attenuate life quality. Multiple international antiemetic guidelines have recommended a 4-drug regimen (corticosteroid, 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, NK-1 receptor antagonist, and the antipsychotic medication olanzapine) for decreasing highly emetogenic CINV. This raised a question regarding whether antiemetic therapy regimens for highly emetogenic chemotherapy could be de-intensified, decreasing cost and side effects from anti-emetogenic agents. Methods: Study A221602 was developed to compare two olanzapine-containing antiemetic regimens, one with the use of an NK-1 receptor antagonist (aprepitant or fosaprepitant) and one without. Patients (pts) received intravenous highly emetogenic chemotherapy as either 1) cisplatin, given on one day, at a dose of ≥ 70 mg/m2, with or without other chemotherapy agent(s) or 2) doxorubicin (60 mg/m2) plus cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m2) on one day. Pts in both arms received 1) a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist (palonosetron 0.25 mg IV or ondansetron 8-16 mg IV or 16-24 mg PO,) on day one, 2) dexamethasone (12 mg PO, day one followed by 8 mg PO, days 2-4), and 3) olanzapine (10 mg/day PO, days 1 to 4). On Day 1, all agents were given prior to chemotherapy, with the exception that olanzapine could be taken prior to chemotherapy or at bedtime. Additionally, pts were randomized to receive an NK-1 receptor antagonist (fosaprepitant 150 mg IV or aprepitant 130 mg IV; 346 pts) or a matching placebo (344 pts). The primary objective was to compare the proportion of patients with no nausea for 5 days following receipt of their chemotherapy between the two study arms. Results: While there was no suggestion of outcome differences on day 1 between the two study arms, fewer pts (7.4%; upper limit of the 95% confidence interval was 13.5%) without NK-1 receptor antagonists were without nausea for the complete 5-day study period. Conclusions: Per the study design, created to exclude a 10% benefit for NK-1 receptor antagonists, the results did not provide sufficient evidence to reject the hypothesis that the 4-drug regimen was superior to the protocol 3-drug regimen (p=0.24). Support: UG1CA189823; Clinical trial information: NCT03578081.
Deficit Accumulation Frailty Index (DAFI) scores and acute myeloid leukemia outcomes.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 6, 2022 | Volume: 40 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 12040-12040

10.1200/jco.2022.40.16_suppl.12040

12040 Background: Novel strategies are needed to assess frailty in the context of therapy decisions for older adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Our objectives were to describe pre-treatment DAFI scores for older AML patients treated on clinical trials and explore their relationship with treatment outcomes. Methods: We conducted a exploratory analysis utilizing data from two clinical trials of adults aged ≥60 years with newly diagnosed AML (Alliance/CALGB 11001 [intensive therapy] and Alliance/CALGB 11002 [non-intensive therapy]). We included the subset of patients in each trial enrolled on geriatric assessment companion studies (Alliance/CALGB 361006, 361101). A DAFI score was calculated for each patient using 51 variables including demographic, geriatric assessment, and laboratory data derived from the geriatric assessment. Individuals with ≥90% items were included (consistent with other studies); DAFI scores ranged from 0 to 1 and were evaluated using established categories (0- <.2 [robust]; 0.2-<.35 [pre-frail]; 0.35+ [frail]) and as a continuous score. Associations between DAFI scores and toxicity and overall survival (OS) were evaluated with Fisher’s exact-testing and Kaplan Meier/cox proportional hazards, respectively. Results: The median age was 68 years (range 61, 82) and 72 years (range 61, 92) for those getting intensive (N=31) and less intensive therapy (N= 75), respectively. Individuals in the intensive study had a median pre-treatment DAFI score of 0.15 (range 0.05, 0.31) and were all categorized as robust (75%) or pre-frail (25%). There was no significant difference in median OS (14.6 vs. 14.7 months) or non-hematological grade 3+ adverse events (AEs; 85% vs. 89%) between robust vs. pre-frail individuals in this trial, respectively. However, pre-frail adults experienced a trend towards greater grade 4 non-hematological toxicity than robust individuals (67% vs 26%, p=0.05). In the non-intensive trial, the median DAFI score was 0.24 (range 0.04, 0.48) and most individuals were pre-frail (49.3%) or frail (17.3%). Non-hematologic grade 3+ AEs did not vary by DAFI group, 88% robust, 95% pre-frail, and 77% frail (p=0.15). Median OS was 7.4, 10.8, and 6.3 months for robust, pre-frail, and frail respectively (p=0.17). Adjusting for age, each 0.1 increase in DAFI score was associated with increased mortality hazard (HR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0-3.2). Conclusions: DAFI score calculation provides a potential novel strategy for categorization of frailty in AML. In our assessment, higher DAFI scores were associated with toxicity during intensive induction and mortality in the less intensive setting. This method should be studied in larger samples randomized by treatment intensity. Support: UG1CA189823; Bayer Healthcare/Berlex (CALGB 11001); NCT01253070 (CALGB 11001). Clinical trial information: NCT01253070, NCT01420926.
“It’s Like You Stuck a Pin in It:” African American/Black Patients Describe Cutaneous Toxicity From Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine® | April 20, 2022 | Volume: 40 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 337-340

10.1177/10499091221092698 | PMID 35442101

Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors cause cutaneous toxicity in over 90% of patients. Conceivably, healthcare providers could overlook such toxicity in African American/Black patients because of a darker complexion. This qualitative study sought to learn about such cutaneous signs and symptoms and, if present, to report them in patients’ own words. Methods: Any patient who self-identified as African American/Black and who had been prescribed an EGFR inhibitor was eligible. The current report focuses on patients’ responses to the following question, “What have you noticed since starting your cancer treatment (the EGFR inhibitor), any particular symptoms or reactions, positive or negative?” All interview data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and then independently coded and analyzed by two investigators. Results: Fifteen patients are the focus of this report, and all described cutaneous toxicity. Patients appeared troubled by the cosmetic aspect of these drug-induced skin changes, including their acneiform appearance, describing “little pimples with little, little pus in it.” Notable were comments on hyperpigmentation, “I’m a black person but…. became darker.” Furthermore, patients experienced physical symptoms: “it itches;” “it’s like you stuck a pin in it;” “stinging;” and “burning;”. Conclusion: Although cutaneous toxicity from EGFR inhibitors might be more difficult to visualize among darkly complected patients, the graphic descriptions offered in this qualitative study underscore the need for clinicians to heighten their awareness of such toxicity in African American/Black patients.
Geriatric assessment for older adults receiving less-intensive therapy for acute myeloid leukemia: report of CALGB 361101

Blood Advances | April 14, 2022 | Volume: 6 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 3812-3820

10.1182/bloodadvances.2021006872 | PMID 35420672

Abstract Geriatric assessment (GA) predicts survival among older adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated intensively. We evaluated the predictive utility of GA among older adults treated with low-intensity therapy on a multisite trial. We conducted a companion study (CALGB 361101) to a randomized phase 2 trial (CALGB 11002) of adults ≥60 years and considered “unfit” for intensive therapy, testing the efficacy of adding bortezomib to decitabine therapy. On 361101, GA and quality of life (QOL) assessment was administered prior to treatment and every other subsequent cycle. Relationships between baseline GA and QOL measures with survival were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier estimation and Cox proportional hazards models. One-hundred sixty-five patients enrolled in CALGB 11002, and 96 (52%) of them also enrolled in 361101 (median age, 73.9 years). Among participants, 85.4% completed ≥1 baseline assessment. In multivariate analyses, greater comorbidity (hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index &gt;3), worse cognition (Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration score &gt;4), and lower European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer global QOL scores at baseline were significantly associated with shorter overall survival (P &lt; .05 each) after adjustment for Karnofsky Performance Status, age, and treatment arm. Dependence in instrumental activities of daily living and cognitive impairment were associated with 6-month mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 3.5; confidence interval [CI], 1.2-10.4; and HR, 3.1; CI, 1.1-8.6, respectively). GA measures evaluating comorbidity, cognition, and self-reported function were associated with survival and represent candidate measures for screening older adults planned to receive lower-intensity AML therapies. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01420926 (CALGB 11002).
Validation of POD24 as a robust early clinical end point of poor survival in FL from 5225 patients on 13 clinical trials

Blood | March 17, 2022 | Volume: 139 | Issue: 11 | Pages: 1684-1693

10.1182/blood.2020010263 | PMID 34614146

Abstract Observational studies and stand-alone trials indicate that patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) who experience disease progression within 24 months of front-line chemoimmunotherapy (POD24), have poor outcomes. We performed a pooled analysis of 13 randomized clinical trials of patients with FL in the pre- and postrituximab eras to identify clinical factors that predict POD24. Logistic regression models evaluated the association between clinical factors and POD24. Cox regression evaluated the association between POD24 as a time-dependent factor and subsequent overall survival (OS). A landmark analysis evaluated the association of POD24 with OS for the subset of patients who were alive at 24 months after trial registration. Patients without progression at 24 months at baseline had favorable performance status (PS), limited-stage (I/II) disease, low-risk FL International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) score, normal baseline hemoglobin, and normal baseline β2 microglobulin (B2M) level. In a multivariable logistic regression model, male sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.30), PS ≥2 (OR, 1.63), B2M (≥3 mg/L; OR, 1.43), and high-risk FLIPI score (3-5; OR, 3.14) were associated with increased risk of progression before 24 months. In the time-dependent Cox model and the 24-month landmark analysis, POD24 was associated with poor subsequent OS (hazard ratio, 4.85 and 3.06, respectively). This is the largest pooled analysis of clinical trials data validating POD24 as a robust indicator of poor FL survival and identified clinical predictors of early death and progression that can aid in building comprehensive prognostic models incorporating clinical and molecular predictors of POD24.
Temporal, Location- and Symptom-Specific Likelihood of Patient-Reported Sensory Symptoms Related to Oxaliplatin-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (OIPN) in Patients Receiving Oxaliplatin for Three Months

Cancers | February 27, 2022 | Volume: 14 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 1212

10.3390/cancers14051212 | PMID 35267520

While oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) is more common and severe in patients who receive the previous standard, 6-month oxaliplatin-based treatment, we hypothesized that OIPN was still pervasive in patients who received shorter, 3-month-treatment regimens. Using six EORTC QLQ-CIPN20 questions that quantify numbness (N), tingling (T) and shooting/burning pain (P) in upper/lower distal extremities, our aim is to quantify patient-reported responses over 3 months (6 cycles) of oxaliplatin regarding symptom-specific timing, location and severity. For each question, patients were asked how each of the sensory symptoms had affected them during the preceding week, with 1 = “Not at all”, 2 = “A little”, 3 = “Quite a bit” and 4 = “Very much”. The proportional odds model for the cumulative log odds of response that allowed symptom-specific patient heterogeneity to be obtained was applied to a pooled dataset from the placebo arms of two multisite OIPN prevention trials and fit separately to the upper/lower distal extremities. For each symptom, we report the cycle-specific marginal probabilities for each response. In 141 patients, substantial patient heterogeneity in the likelihood, at a given cycle, of a more severe response for a symptom was present. Distinct patterns in the probabilities for each response over time for N and T were observed between the upper/lower distal extremities, while the probabilities of a response >1 for P was largely negligible in both locations. Despite the decrease in exposure to oxaliplatin from 6 to 3 months, OIPN was still pervasive with patients experiencing considerable N and T in the fingers (or hands) and toes (or feet).