Finnes, Heidi D.

Abstract Background Older adults remain underrepresented in prospective trials of immunotherapy for advanced lung cancer. To estimate pembrolizumab adverse events, we conducted a multicenter, nonrandomized, open-label phase 2 trial of oncologist-choice first-line pembrolizumab with or without chemotherapy for older adults with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. Methods Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology A171901 enrolled patients aged 70 years and older with stage IV or recurrent lung adenocarcinoma starting oncologist’s choice of first-line pembrolizumab with or without carboplatin and pemetrexed. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients experiencing a solicited grade 3 or greater adverse event within 6 months. Secondary endpoints included overall survival, quality of life, and association of a geriatric assessment toxicity risk score with severe adverse events. Results Among 95 evaluable patients, 43 (45.3%) received pembrolizumab and 52 (54.7%) received pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy. Median age was 77 years (range = 70-92 years); 11.6% had an E Performance Status of 2 or higher. During 6 months of treatment, 25.6% (95% CI = 13.5% to 41.2%) experienced a solicited grade 3 or greater adverse event in the monotherapy group and 42.3% (95% CI = 28.7% to 56.8%) in the combination group. Median overall survival was 16.4 months (95% CI = 10.1 to not estimable) with monotherapy and 29.9 months (95% CI = 16.4 to not estimable) with combination therapy. Quality of life worsened during treatment. The geriatric assessment toxicity risk score was not associated with severe adverse events with pembrolizumab with or without chemotherapy. Conclusions Older adults with advanced lung adenocarcinoma receiving pembrolizumab with or without chemotherapy had comparable adverse event rates to those in prior registration trials that excluded medically frail patients. These findings can inform shared decision making and support inclusion of older adults in future trials. Clinical Trial NCT04533451 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04533451)

PURPOSE The primary objective of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase II study (Alliance A221805) was to screen two doses of duloxetine for preventing sensory oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN). METHODS Participants were randomly assigned 1:1:1 to receive once daily 30 mg duloxetine, 60 mg duloxetine, or placebo. Eligible participants had stage II to III colorectal cancer and no baseline neuropathy, had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-2, were age 25 years and older, and received oxaliplatin via one of the following doses and schedules: 85 mg/m 2 every 2 weeks (6 or 12 doses) or 130 mg/m 2 every 3 weeks (4 doses). Duloxetine/placebo was taken once daily beginning day 1 of cycle 1 and continued for 17 weeks. The primary end point, a composite response reflecting sensory OIPN symptom severity and onset, was measured in weeks 19-21 using a validated participant-reported outcome survey assessing extremity numbness, tingling, and pain. Response was defined as a participant-reported highest score of ≤2 (ie, 1 = not at all; 2 = a little) on survey items. To be evaluable for the response end point, eligible participants must have initiated oxaliplatin and submitted ≥1 postbaseline OIPN survey. RESULTS Of the 199 participants (n = 66, 30 mg duloxetine; n = 66, 60 mg duloxetine; n = 67, placebo), 46, 47, and 50 (N = 143, 71.8%), respectively, were evaluable for primary end point analysis based on modified intention-to-treat criteria. Participant mean age was 55.1 years (standard deviation = 10.4). Most were White (n = 113, 80.7%) and male (n = 82, 58.6%). The proportion of responders among those receiving placebo (68.0%) was similar to those receiving duloxetine 30 mg (65.2%) or 60 mg (66.0%). Duloxetine adherence rates, measured via pill counts—30 mg (54%), 60 mg (57%), and placebo (59%) groups—were low (<75%). CONCLUSION Duloxetine is not more promising than placebo for preventing sensory OIPN.

The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Adult Cancer Pain provide recommendations for the comprehensive management of pain in patients with cancer. This article will focus on methods for screening for pain, safe and appropriate prescription of opioid and miscellaneous analgesics, and the optimization of nonpharmacologic interventions including integrative and interventional strategies for treatment of cancer-related pain. Additionally, the NCCN Guidelines discuss methods for the safe reduction of opioids when appropriate, as well as techniques for encouraging the judicious use of opioids. The complete version of the NCCN Guidelines for Adult Cancer Pain addresses additional issues that are not covered here, including management of pain during a pain crisis, management of procedure-related pain and anxiety, pain management for cancer survivors, and the use of nonopioid and adjuvant analgesics for cancer-related pain.

Abstract Purpose: AB160 is a 160-nm nano-immunoconjugate consisting of nab-paclitaxel (ABX) nanoparticles noncovalently coated with bevacizumab (BEV) for targeted delivery into tissues expressing high levels of VEGF. Preclinical data showed that AB160 resulted in greater tumor targeting and tumor inhibition compared with sequential treatment with ABX then BEV. Given individual drug activity, we investigated the safety and toxicity of AB160 in patients with gynecologic cancers. Patients and Methods: A 3+3 phase I trial was conducted with three potential dose levels in patients with previously treated endometrial, cervical, and platinum-resistant ovarian cancer to ascertain the recommended phase II dose (RP2D). AB160 was administered intravenously on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle (ABX 75–175 mg/m2, BEV 30–70 mg/m2). Pharmacokinetic analyses were performed. Results: No dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) were seen among the three dose levels tested. Grade 3/4 toxicities included neutropenia, thromboembolic events, and leukopenia. DL2 (ABX 150 mg/m2, BEV 60 mg/m2) was chosen as the RP2D. Seven of the 19 patients with measurable disease (36.8%) had confirmed partial responses (95% confidence interval, 16.3%–61.6%). Pharmacokinetic analyses demonstrated that AB160 allowed 50% higher paclitaxel dosing and that paclitaxel clearance mirrored that of therapeutic antibodies. Conclusions: The safety profile and clinical activity of AB160 supports further clinical testing in patients with gynecologic cancers; the RP2D is DL2 (ABX 150 mg/m2, BEV 60 mg/m2).

Introduction: Nanotechnology for cancer therapy aims to increase drug delivery to tumor sites while lowering toxicity. AR160 is a novel 160 nm nano-immunoconjugate consisting of commercial grade nab-paclitaxel (NP) nanoparticles non-covalently coated with rituximab (R) for targeted delivery into tissues expressing CD20. The drug delivery system and clinical grade product was developed in the laboratory of Svetomir N. Markovic, M.D.,Ph.D. Single agent rituximab at a dose of 375 mg/m 2 in relapsed patients with aggressive lymphomas is not utilized and has limited activity in patients with multiple relapses. Taxanes (Younes 1995, Wilson 1995) have modest clinical activity as a single agent with overall response rates of 23% and 17%, respectively, when administered at doses of 200 mg/m 2 and 140 mg/m 2 in previously treated patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). We hypothesized that utilizing the targeted ability of rituximab that the AR160 taxane nanoparticle would have activity in relapsed B-cell NHL and offer a new class of agents for relapsed B-cell NHL. Methods: A 3+3 phase I clinical trial was conducted in patients with relapsed refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma to determine the maximum tolerated dose of AR160 administered intravenously on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Patients were required to have had prior systemic treatment with no other therapy with clinical benefit. Patients with aggressive lymphoma were required to have a stem cell transplant if transplant eligible. AR160 was prepared on-site in the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center Research Pharmacy, and the product was reconstituted by mixing the two agents delivering as one combined infusion at a specific concentration. The starting dose level (DL1) was NP at 100mg/m 2 with R at 40 mg/m 2. These doses were significantly lower than standard doses. Disease evaluations were conducted after every 2 treatment cycles using CT based criteria from the revised 2014 Lugano Classification or PET scans. Patients were treated until disease progression or intolerability. Samples were collected for pharmacokinetic (PK) studies. Results: Nine (7 males and 2 females) patients with a median age of 61 (range 55-84 years) were enrolled (2 follicular lymphoma (FL), 1 previously transformed from FL to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) followed by FL relapse, 1 high-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 rearrangements transformed from FL, 1 transformed FL to DLBCL, 2 high-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 rearrangements, 1 high-grade B-cell lymphoma NOS and 1 mantle cell lymphoma. The median number of prior treatments was 4 (range 3-16). At dose level 1, all 3 of the first 3 patients experienced grade 3 or 4 neutropenia (C1D15, C4D1, and C1D15) with the C4D1 a grade 4 and unlikely related. After the first three patients, de-escalation to dose level -1 was implemented per protocol with NP at 75 mg/m 2 and rituximab at 30 mg/m 2. There was one patient with a grade 3 non-hematological adverse event all possibly related to treatment (anorexia, diarrhea, and enterocolitis). There were 6 partial responses (71%), 1 complete response (14%) with high-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 rearrangement, 1 stable disease with mantle cell lymphoma and 1 patient had progressive disease. Six of the 9 patients were alive with subsequent therapies. PK evaluation is pending. Conclusion: AR160 therapy is a novel drug delivery system incorporating significantly lower doses of paclitaxel and rituximab that is safe and demonstrates promising clinical activity in patients with low-grade and high-grade previously treated B-cell lymphomas. This principle of treatment is applicable to other disorders. Further clinical testing is warranted in these patient populations.

PURPOSE:High-dose methotrexate (HDMTX; > 500 mg/m2) is an important component of lymphoma therapy. Serum MTX monitoring at 48 hours is the standard approach to identify those at increased risk of developing MTX toxicity. Our aim was to characterize the incidence of complications and their association with MTX levels.METHODS:A retrospective review of our institutional electronic medical record was conducted to identify patients with lymphoma who received HDMTX between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2018. We characterized the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI), intensive care unit (ICU) admission, length of hospital stay (LOS), and 30-day mortality across 48-hour MTX levels. To establish an association between 48-hour MTX levels and the complications listed, we performed chi-square analysis for dichotomous variables and Kruskal-Wallis for nonparametric data. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis was performed to identify the MTX level where AKI grade ≥ 2 was more likely. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for this MTX level.RESULTS:We identified 642 patients with 2,804 cycles of HDMTX. The incidence of AKI was 19.1% with AKI grade ≥ 2 making up 21% of cases. Rates of AKI, ICU admission, and 30-day mortality are associated with elevated 48-hour MTX levels. There was a significant increase in median LOS with elevated MTX levels ( P < .001). Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis for AKI grade ≥ 2 demonstrated a 48-hour MTX level threshold of 1.28 μmol/L. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed age, male sex, elevated body surface area, higher MTX dose, monotherapy, and first cycle as independent factors.CONCLUSION:Elevated MTX levels are associated with a significant increased rate of AKI, ICU admission, prolonged LOS, and 30-day mortality. Elevated 48-hour MTX levels, particularly > 1.28 μmol/L, should alert clinicians for complications and to initiate measures to reduce MTX levels.