Citations

AbstractThe clinical application of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for gastrointestinal (GI) neoplastic lesions has been developed with appreciation for the great efforts and kind support of Dr. Tom Dougherty and his followers’ contributions. There are several published studies on clinical PDT in the field of GI oncology. Esophageal cancer was one of the first clinical indications for PDT that was approved as an endoscopic procedure in both the United States and Japan. PDT was initially used as a palliative local treatment for patients with obstructive esophageal cancer. PDT is also indicated for eradicative therapy for dysplastic Barret’s esophagus, which is the precursor state of esophageal adenocarcinoma, with the support of level one evidence. In Japan, PDT was approved as a curative treatment for superficial esophageal carcinoma lesions, which are difficult to treat with endoscopic resection. Further, PDT using second‐generation photosensitizers is approved for early local failure after radiotherapy, for which treatment with other modalities is difficult. PDT has also been assessed in other GI cancers, including gastric cancer, biliary cancer and pancreatic cancer. In this review, we overview the history and state of PDT for GI cancer.

Abstract Introduction: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematologic cancer that mostly affects elderly patients who are at increased risk for development of cardiac-related comorbidities due to age-, disease-, and treatment-related factors. In real world data, approximately 25-30% of MM patients are hospitalized for a cardiac event after MM diagnosis (Kistler et al. American Society Hematology 2012 Annual Meeting, poster 2916). The proteasome inhibitor, carfilzomib, is approved for treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory MM. In carfilzomib clinical trials, grade 3 or higher cardiac failure was reported for ~4% of patients (Stewart et al. NEJM 2015;372:142-52, Dimopoulos et al. Lancet Oncol 2016;17:27-38). In this retrospective analysis, we sought to evaluate the incidence rate (IR) of cardiac events in MM patients treated with carfilzomib in a real-world setting in the US and to describe differences in baseline characteristics between carfilzomib-treated MM patients who do and do not have cardiac events. Methods: Newly-diagnosed MM patients with symptomatic disease were identified in the Truven MarketScan claims database from 1/1/05 to 6/30/15 using an algorithm validated for ascertainment of MM patients in claims data (Princic et al. Blood 2015;126:4521). All carfilzomib-treated patients were included in the analysis. The first dose of carfilzomib was the index date. The baseline period was 12 months prior to the MM diagnosis date to the index date. Cardiac events (hypertension, heart failure, ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias and conduction disorders, and cardiomyopathy) were identified during baseline by inpatient (IP) or outpatient (OP) claims and after index date by primary diagnosis on IP claims (hospitalized events). Logistic regression was used to estimate baseline covariates associated with any cardiac event. Due to sample size constraints, multivariate regression was not performed. The incidence rate (IR) per 1000 patient-years (PYRs) and associated 95% confidence interval (CI) of hospitalized cardiac events during carfilzomib treatment which included 30 days after the last carfilzomib dose were calculated among patients without a history of the corresponding hospitalized event during the baseline period. Results: The cohort included 498 MM patients treated with carfilzomib; 108 (22%) patients had ≥1 cardiac event identified by both IP and OP claims and 24 (5%) had ≥1 hospitalized cardiac event. Of the 24 hospitalized patients, 14 were hospitalized during carfilzomib treatment (median days to onset = 104) and 8 were hospitalized after carfilzomib treatment (>30 days post dosing; median days to onset = 284). The median age (range) of the 24 patients with hospitalized cardiac events and those with no hospitalized cardiac claims (n=474) was 62 (37, 79) and 61 (36, 96) years, respectively (Table). Baseline medical history of any cardiac event was evident for 92% of hospitalized patients and 84% of non-hospitalized patients. Among hospitalized patients, 25% were over 75 years as compared with 13% of non-hospitalized patients. In univariate analysis, patients with baseline amyloidosis, hypertensive chronic kidney disease, and chronic kidney disease had higher odds of having a hospitalized cardiac event. No significant differences were seen in the proportion of patients with or without a hospitalized cardiac event when evaluated by line of therapy or by carfilzomib treatment regimen (monotherapy or combination). Among patients aged 75+ years, 8.7% were hospitalized, while 2.5% and 4.9% of 65-74 and 18-64 year old patients were hospitalized, respectively (Table). IR per 1000 PYRs [95% CI] among the 14 carfilzomib-treated MM patients hospitalized for any cardiac event during the carfilzomib treatment period was 89.7 (49.0; 150.5) - see Figure for IRs of specific cardiac events. Conclusions: Among carfilzomib-treated patients in a US claims database, hospitalization for a cardiac event was uncommon (~5%) and does not exceed what has been observed in MM patients. Patients at highest risk for cardiac hospitalizations had a history of amyloidosis or chronic renal failure. Additional analyses in much larger populations are needed to better understand risk factors for these events. Disclosures Chari: Array Biopharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Amgen Inc.: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding. Aggarwal:Amgen: Employment, Equity Ownership. Mezzi:Amgen Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Wang:Amgen Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Kim:Amgen Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Zhu:Amgen Inc.: Consultancy. Braunlin:Amgen Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Werther:Amgen Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Mikhael:Abbvie: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Sanofi: Research Funding; Onyx: Research Funding.

INTRODUCTION: Non-variceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage is traditionally managed with mechanical devices, thermal coagulation, or injection therapy. However, due to specific lesion characteristics, certain cases may not be easily or effectively managed by these methods, in which case either a novel therapy or repurposing of an existing technique could be considered. Here, we present a case of gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) addressed with cryotherapy. CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS: An 82 year old man with CAD s/p CABG, AS s/p AVR, symptomatic AVB s/p PPM, HTN, and BPH presented to his primary care provider Clinic with chronic, symptomatic, transfusion-dependent iron-deficiency anemia with a hemoglobin nadir of 6.7 g/dL from 12.2 g/dL four months prior. The patient also reported possible melena, though stool appearance was obscured by oral iron supplementation. He underwent diagnostic EGD, which identified severe GAVE with mild associated bleeding throughout the entire stomach. This was therapeutically managed with APC, but given the severity and diffuse nature of the GAVE (Figure 1), the patient was referred for cryotherapy. Medically, the patient was recommended to initiate PPI therapy and continue iron supplementation. Three sessions occurring at 1 month intervals were completed, followed by one session 3 months out. By the third session, the patient no longer required transfusional support to maintain appropriate hemoglobin levels. On endoscopic follow-up 6 months out (one year from initial EGD), the GAVE had improved in severity (Figure 2). DISCUSSION: The current treatment of GAVE primarily involves argon plasma coagulation, which is limited by its inability to treat large areas of mucosa in an efficient manner. However, data supporting the use of cryotherapy as a safe and effective treatment for GAVE are emerging. Patients with diffuse, extensive mucosal gastrointestinal lesions should be referred to a tertiary care center to assess cryotherapy candidacy.

INTRODUCTION: Epidermal metaplasia is a histological correlate to a white patch on the surface of a mucous membrane that cannot be rubbed off, known as leukoplakia. It is a common finding in oral mucosa, however rare in esophageal mucosa. Etiology of this condition in the esophagus is unclear, thought to be associated with esophageal tobacco and alcohol exposure or possibly an unusual response to chronic acid reflux. In contrast to oral leukoplakia there is a female predominance. Although generally asymptomatic, symptom presentation can include dysphagia. Endoscopic features include slightly elevated whitish surface, which can be translucent or cobblestone-like in appearance. The natural history is unknown though there is concern for an increased risk of squamous cell cancer. Due to paucity of published studies about this condition, we aim to report a case treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS: A 64-year-old Caucasian man with a history of tobacco use and stable weight, presented to Gastroenterology clinic due to an 11-month history of solid food esophageal dysphagia. Physical examination was unremarkable. Upper endoscopy demonstrated white plaques at the gastroesophageal junction (Figure 1A and B). Biopsies obtained from this abnormality showed esophageal epidermoid metaplasia consistent with leukoplakia and mild patchy active chronic inflammation. GMS stain for fungal organisms was negative. An ESD procedure was planned, due to lesion size to ensure complete removal. Chromoscopy with methylene blue was used to mark the borders of the lesion and ESD was accomplished without adverse events (Figure 1C). Histologic examination confirmed hyperplastic squamous esophageal mucosa with marked hyperkeratosis without dysplasia and negative margins. During 2 year follow up, patient reported complete resolution of his dysphagia. DISCUSSION: The management strategy for esophageal leukoplakia is not well defined though reports suggest that endoscopic resection and surveillance are warranted. Here we represent a case where symptoms resolved and the lesion was completely removed by ESD.

INTRODUCTION: Volumetric laser endomicroscopy (VLE) is a high-resolution imaging modality used in Barrett’s esophagus (BE) surveillance. Established VLE scoring systems use a combination of features to guide BE dysplasia diagnosis but it remains unclear whether these features are sufficient to reach optimal VLE diagnostic performance. This study explores an exhaustive list of VLE features using one-to-one imaging to pathology correlation to develop optimal VLE diagnostic models for BE dysplasia. METHODS: In this prospective, multi-center (5 sites) study, patients with dysplastic BE underwent VLE with laser targeted regions of interest (ROIs), followed by standard surveillance endoscopy and biopsy directed to laser-marked sites. Histology was reviewed by two GI pathologists (MV, RO) who achieved a consensus diagnosis (gold-standard). ROIs were dysplastic if low-grade dysplasia (LGD), high-grade dysplasia (HGD) or intramucosal adenocarcinoma (IMC) was present. Two VLE experts (CLL, GJT) reviewed ROIs and corresponding endoscopic images to identify and define a set of VLE features associated with BE dysplasia. A multi-variable logistic regression model based on least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method was developed to determine the optimal diagnostic performance of these features. A decision tree model with high clinical usability also was developed to evaluate VLE diagnostic performance for real-time image interpretation. RESULTS: A total of 461 VLE ROIs with matching histology were obtained from 150 patients (Table 1). A final dataset of 55 neoplastic (LGD, 12; HGD, 24; IMC, 19) and 56 randomly selected non-dysplastic ROIs were reviewed. Twenty-eight VLE features were identified describing layering, signal intensity, surface topography, and glandular characteristics. LASSO logistic regression modeling identified 5 VLE features which when utilized optimized diagnostic performance with an area under the curve (AUC) for BE dysplasia of 0.95 (Figure 1). To improve clinical usability, a decision tree model was optimized to three levels with an AUC of 0.90 (Figure 2). CONCLUSION: This study represents the most comprehensive review of VLE features associated with BE dysplasia to date. The proposed high-performing diagnostic models suggest that VLE can be used efficiently and effectively to enhance BE surveillance by identifying ROIs for targeted biopsy. Further validation of the proposed VLE models will determine their clinical utility.

Bevacizumab‐pemetrexed/cisplatin ( BEV ‐ PEM / CIS ) is a first‐line therapeutic for advanced nonsquamous non‐small cell lung cancer. Bevacizumab potentiates PEM / CIS cytotoxicity by inducing transient tumor vasculature normalization. BEV ‐ PEM / CIS has a narrow therapeutic window. Therefore, it is an attractive target for administration schedule optimization. The present study leverages our previous work on BEV ‐ PEM / CIS pharmacodynamic modeling in non‐small cell lung cancer–bearing mice to estimate the optimal gap in the scheduling of sequential BEV ‐ PEM / CIS . We predicted the optimal gap in BEV ‐ PEM / CIS dosing to be 2.0 days in mice and 1.2 days in humans. Our simulations suggest that the efficacy loss in scheduling BEV ‐ PEM / CIS at too great of a gap is much less than the efficacy loss in scheduling BEV ‐ PEM / CIS at too short of a gap.

Abstract Background and study aims Precise staging in T1 esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is critical in determining candidacy for curative endoscopic resection. High-frequency endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has demonstrated suboptimal accuracy in T1 EAC staging due to insufficient spatial resolution. Volumetric laser endomicroscopy (VLE) allows for high-resolution wide-field visualization of the esophageal microstructure. We aimed to investigate the role of VLE in staging T1 EAC. Patients and methods Patients undergoing endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) were prospectively enrolled and only T1 EAC cases were included. EMR specimens were imaged using second-generation VLE immediately after resection. VLE images were analyzed for signal intensity by depth and signal attenuation (dB/mm) in both cross-sectional and en-face orientation. A decision tree model was constructed to combine measured VLE parameters and delineate diagnostic thresholds. Results Thirty EMR scans were obtained – 15 T1a specimens from 9 patients and 15 T1b specimens from 11 patients. T1b specimen VLE scans exhibited higher signal intensity (P < 0.0001) and higher signal attenuation compared to T1a specimens (P = 0.03). A combination of signal attenuation and signal intensity at 150 µm depth yielded optimal diagnostic thresholds and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.77. VLE signal attenuation was significantly associated with grade of differentiation, irrespective of EAC stage. Conclusions VLE signal intensity and signal attenuation are quantitatively distinct in T1a and T1b EAC and associated with grade of differentiation. This is the first study examining the role of VLE for staging of T1 EAC and demonstrates promising diagnostic performance. With further in vivo validation, VLE may serve a role in staging superficial EAC.

114 Background: Clinical staging of early esophageal neoplasia traditionally involves histological confirmation and imaging with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), CT, and PET which have low sensitivity and specificity for staging esophageal cancer (EC). Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) therapy is traditionally used for treatment, but not diagnosis as it is felt to be technically challenging and have a high risk for complications. We applied a new articulating endoscopic knife that permits safe ESD (ESD-CC) to evaluate early neoplasia with potential curative resection. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of patients undergoing ESD to stage or treat suspected early EC (cT1-T2). Clinical stage was done by EUS, CT, and PET. Two expert GI pathologists reviewed all histology. Lesions were examined with high resolution white light endoscopy and narrow band imaging. ESD was done with 1:200,000 epinephrine and methylene blue dye injection for lifting and staining the submucosal space. A 5mm, scissors-like articulated knife was used to perform ESD and hemostasis. Complications during post-ESD observation or follow-up were recorded. Results: A total of 35 patients who underwent ESD-CC were included with median age 70 (IQR 12), 26 males (74%), and followed for a median 3.4 months (IQR 6.4). This group consisted of 32 potential adenocarcinomas and 3 squamous cell cancers. The clinical Pre-ESD diagnoses were cT1 EC (24, 69%) and suspected EC in Barrett’s esophagus (BE) (11, 31%). The cT1 EC cases had ESD staged at least T1b (5, 21%), T1a (11, 46%), EC in situ (1, 4%), and dysplastic BE (7, 29%). The suspected EC cases had ESD staged at least T1b (1, 9%), T1a (2, 18%), and DBE (8, 73%). ESD-CC up-staged 4 (11%), down-staged 10 (29%), and confirmed prior diagnosis in 21 (60%). No complications including bleeding, perforation, or stricture formation regardless of size of ESD, age of patient, or co-morbidities. Conclusions: Staging of early esophageal cancer can be improved using ESD with an articulating knife, without increase in complications. ESD may be used as a staging modality in early esophageal cancer.