The 50 most-cited articles in Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2017

Purpose To provide evidence-based recommendations to oncology clinicians, patients, family and friend caregivers, and palliative care specialists to update the 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) provisional clinical opinion (PCO) on the integration of palliative care into standard oncology care for all patients diagnosed with cancer. Methods ASCO convened an Expert Panel of members of the ASCO Ad Hoc Palliative Care Expert Panel to develop an update. The 2012 PCO was based on a review of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) by the National Cancer Institute Physicians Data Query and additional trials. The panel conducted an updated systematic review seeking randomized clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses, as well as secondary analyses of RCTs in the 2012 PCO, published from March 2010 to January 2016. Results The guideline update reflects changes in evidence since the previous guideline. Nine RCTs, one quasiexperimental trial, and five secondary analyses from RCTs in the 2012 PCO on providing palliative care services to patients with cancer and/or…

Purpose Abemaciclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitor, demonstrated efficacy as monotherapy and in combination with fulvestrant in women with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced breast cancer previously treated with endocrine therapy. Methods MONARCH 3 is a double-blind, randomized phase III study of abemaciclib or placebo plus a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor in 493 postmenopausal women with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer who had no prior systemic therapy in the advanced setting. Patients received abemaciclib or placebo (150 mg twice daily continuous schedule) plus either 1 mg anastrozole or 2.5 mg letrozole, daily. The primary objective was investigator-assessed progression-free survival. Secondary objectives included response evaluation and safety. A planned interim analysis occurred after 189 events. Results Median progression-free survival was significantly prolonged in the abemaciclib arm (hazard ratio, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.41 to 0.72; P = .000021; median: not reached in the abemaciclib…

Purpose MONARCH 2 ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02107703) compared the efficacy and safety of abemaciclib, a selective cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitor, plus fulvestrant with fulvestrant alone in patients with advanced breast cancer (ABC). Patients and Methods MONARCH 2 was a global, double-blind, phase III study of women with hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative ABC who had progressed while receiving neoadjuvant or adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET), ≤ 12 months from the end of adjuvant ET, or while receiving first-line ET for metastatic disease. Patients were randomly assigned 2:1 to receive abemaciclib or placebo (150 mg twice daily) on a continuous schedule and fulvestrant (500 mg, per label). The primary end point was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS), and key secondary end points included overall survival, objective response rate (ORR), duration of response, clinical benefit rate, quality of life, and safety. Results Between August 2014 and December 2015, 669 patients were randomly assigned to receive…

Purpose Retrospective studies suggest that metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) for oligorecurrent prostate cancer (PCa) improves progression-free survival. We aimed to assess the benefit of MDT in a randomized phase II trial. Patients and Methods In this multicenter, randomized, phase II study, patients with asymptomatic PCa were eligible if they had had a biochemical recurrence after primary PCa treatment with curative intent, three or fewer extracranial metastatic lesions on choline positron emission tomography-computed tomography, and serum testosterone levels > 50 ng/mL. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to either surveillance or MDT of all detected lesions (surgery or stereotactic body radiotherapy). Surveillance was performed with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) follow-up every 3 months, with repeated imaging at PSA progression or clinical suspicion for progression. Random assignment was balanced dynamically on the basis of two factors: PSA doubling time (≤ 3 v > 3 months) and nodal versus non-nodal metastases. The primary end point was androgen deprivation therapy…

Purpose Cardiac dysfunction is a serious adverse effect of certain cancer-directed therapies that can interfere with the efficacy of treatment, decrease quality of life, or impact the actual survival of the patient with cancer. The purpose of this effort was to develop recommendations for prevention and monitoring of cardiac dysfunction in survivors of adult-onset cancers. Methods Recommendations were developed by an expert panel with multidisciplinary representation using a systematic review (1996 to 2016) of meta-analyses, randomized clinical trials, observational studies, and clinical experience. Study quality was assessed using established methods, per study design. The guideline recommendations were crafted in part using the Guidelines Into Decision Support methodology. Results A total of 104 studies met eligibility criteria and compose the evidentiary basis for the recommendations. The strength of the recommendations in these guidelines is based on the quality, amount, and consistency of the evidence and the balance between benefits and harms. Recommendations It is important…

Purpose We conducted a retrospective analysis to assess the safety profile of nivolumab monotherapy in patients with advanced melanoma and describe the management of adverse events (AEs) using established safety guidelines. Patients and Methods Safety data were pooled from four studies, including two phase III trials, with patients who received nivolumab 3 mg/kg once every 2 weeks. We evaluated rate of treatment-related AEs, time to onset and resolution of select AEs (those with potential immunologic etiology), and impact of select AEs and suppressive immune-modulating agents (IMs) on antitumor efficacy. Results Among 576 patients, 71% (95% CI, 67% to 75%) experienced any-grade treatment-related AEs (most commonly fatigue [25%], pruritus [17%], diarrhea [13%], and rash [13%]), and 10% (95% CI, 8% to 13%) experienced grade 3 to 4 treatment-related AEs. No drug-related deaths were reported. Select AEs (occurring in 49% of patients) were most frequently skin related, GI, endocrine, and hepatic; grade 3 to 4 select AEs occurred in 4% of patients. Median time to onset of select AEs…

Purpose Hodgkin Reed-Sternberg cells harbor alterations in chromosome 9p24.1, leading to overexpression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and PD-L2. Pembrolizumab, a programmed death 1-blocking antibody, demonstrated a high overall response rate (ORR) in patients with relapsed or refractory classic Hodgkin lymphoma (rrHL) in phase I testing. Methods KEYNOTE-087 ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT02453594) was a single-arm phase II study of pembrolizumab in three cohorts of patients with rrHL, defined on the basis of lymphoma progression after (1) autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and subsequent brentuximab vedotin (BV); (2) salvage chemotherapy and BV, and thus, ineligible for ASCT because of chemoresistant disease; and (3) ASCT, but without BV after transplantation. Patients received pembrolizumab 200 mg once every 3 weeks. Response was assessed every 12 weeks. The primary end points were ORR by central review and safety. Results A total of 210 patients were enrolled and treated (69 in cohort 1, 81 in cohort 2, and 60 in cohort 3). At the time of analysis, patients…

Purpose We report the efficacy and safety of dabrafenib (BRAF inhibitor) and trametinib (MEK inhibitor) combination therapy in BRAF V600E-mutated anaplastic thyroid cancer, a rare, aggressive, and highly lethal malignancy with poor patient outcomes and no systemic therapies with clinical benefit. Methods In this phase II, open-label trial, patients with predefined BRAF V600E-mutated malignancies received dabrafenib 150 mg twice daily and trametinib 2 mg once daily until unacceptable toxicity, disease progression, or death. The primary end point was investigator-assessed overall response rate. Secondary end points included duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival, and safety. Results Sixteen patients with BRAF V600E-mutated anaplastic thyroid cancer were evaluable (median follow-up, 47 weeks; range, 4 to 120 weeks). All patients had received prior radiation treatment and/or surgery, and six had received prior systemic therapy. The confirmed overall response rate was 69% (11 of 16; 95% CI, 41% to 89%), with seven ongoing responses. Median duration of response,…

Purpose Nivolumab, a programmed death-1 inhibitor, prolonged overall survival compared with docetaxel in two independent phase III studies in previously treated patients with advanced squamous (CheckMate 017; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01642004) or nonsquamous (CheckMate 057; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01673867) non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We report updated results, including a pooled analysis of the two studies. Methods Patients with stage IIIB/IV squamous (N = 272) or nonsquamous (N = 582) NSCLC and disease progression during or after prior platinum-based chemotherapy were randomly assigned 1:1 to nivolumab (3 mg/kg every 2 weeks) or docetaxel (75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks). Minimum follow-up for survival was 24.2 months. Results Two-year overall survival rates with nivolumab versus docetaxel were 23% (95% CI, 16% to 30%) versus 8% (95% CI, 4% to 13%) in squamous NSCLC and 29% (95% CI, 24% to 34%) versus 16% (95% CI, 12% to 20%) in nonsquamous NSCLC; relative reductions in the risk of death with nivolumab versus docetaxel remained similar to those reported in the…

Purpose We evaluated the impact of early integrated palliative care (PC) in patients with newly diagnosed lung and GI cancer. Patients and Methods We randomly assigned patients with newly diagnosed incurable lung or noncolorectal GI cancer to receive either early integrated PC and oncology care (n = 175) or usual care (n = 175) between May 2011 and July 2015. Patients who were assigned to the intervention met with a PC clinician at least once per month until death, whereas those who received usual care consulted a PC clinician upon request. The primary end point was change in quality of life (QOL) from baseline to week 12, per scoring by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General scale. Secondary end points included change in QOL from baseline to week 24, change in depression per the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and differences in end-of-life communication. Results Intervention patients ( v usual care) reported greater improvement in QOL from baseline to week 24 (1.59 v -3.40; P = .010) but not week 12 (0.39 v -1.13; P = .339). Intervention patients also reported lower…

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a rare tumor and one of the most challenging malignancies to treat in all of oncology. Although advances have been made in the treatment of GBM, encouraging outcomes typically are not observed; patients diagnosed with these tumors generally have a dismal prognosis and poor quality of life as the disease progresses. This review summarizes the clinical presentation of GBM, diagnostic methods, evidentiary basis for the current standards of care, and investigational approaches to treat or manage GBM. Because the track record for developing effective therapies for GBM has been dismal, we also review the challenges to successful therapeutic and biomarker development.

Purpose Radiotherapy reduces the absolute risk of breast cancer mortality by a few percentage points in suitable women but can cause a second cancer or heart disease decades later. We estimated the absolute long-term risks of modern breast cancer radiotherapy. Methods First, a systematic literature review was performed of lung and heart doses in breast cancer regimens published during 2010 to 2015. Second, individual patient data meta-analyses of 40,781 women randomly assigned to breast cancer radiotherapy versus no radiotherapy in 75 trials yielded rate ratios (RRs) for second primary cancers and cause-specific mortality and excess RRs (ERRs) per Gy for incident lung cancer and cardiac mortality. Smoking status was unavailable. Third, the lung or heart ERRs per Gy in the trials and the 2010 to 2015 doses were combined and applied to current smoker and nonsmoker lung cancer and cardiac mortality rates in population-based data. Results Average doses from 647 regimens published during 2010 to 2015 were 5.7 Gy for whole lung and 4.4 Gy for whole heart. The median year of irradiation…

Purpose B-cell leukemia/lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) overexpression is common in many non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes. A phase I trial in patients with NHL was conducted to determine safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of venetoclax, a selective, potent, orally bioavailable BCL-2 inhibitor. Patients and Methods A total of 106 patients with relapsed or refractory NHL received venetoclax once daily until progressive disease or unacceptable toxicity at target doses from 200 to 1,200 mg in dose-escalation and safety expansion cohorts. Treatment commenced with a 3-week dose ramp-up period for most patients in dose-escalation cohorts and for all patients in safety expansion. Results NHL subtypes included mantle cell lymphoma (MCL; n = 28), follicular lymphoma (FL; n = 29), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL; n = 34), DLBCL arising from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (Richter transformation; n = 7), Waldenström macroglobulinemia (n = 4), and marginal zone lymphoma (n = 3). Venetoclax was generally well tolerated. Clinical tumor lysis syndrome was not observed, whereas laboratory tumor lysis…

Purpose Cabozantinib is an oral potent inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, MET, and AXL and is a standard second-line therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). This randomized phase II multicenter trial evaluated cabozantinib compared with sunitinib as first-line therapy in patients with mRCC. Patients and Methods Eligible patients had untreated clear cell mRCC and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 2 and were intermediate or poor risk per International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium criteria. Patients were randomly assigned at a one-to-one ratio to cabozantinib (60 mg once per day) or sunitinib (50 mg once per day; 4 weeks on, 2 weeks off). Progression-free survival (PFS) was the primary end point. Objective response rate (ORR), overall survival, and safety were secondary end points. Results From July 2013 to April 2015, 157 patients were randomly assigned (cabozantinib, n = 79; sunitinib, n = 78). Compared with sunitinib, cabozantinib treatment significantly increased median PFS (8.2 v 5.6 months)…

Purpose Men with localized prostate cancer often are treated with external radiotherapy (RT) over 8 to 9 weeks. Hypofractionated RT is given over a shorter time with larger doses per treatment than standard RT. We hypothesized that hypofractionation versus conventional fractionation is similar in efficacy without increased toxicity. Patients and Methods We conducted a multicenter randomized noninferiority trial in intermediate-risk prostate cancer (T1 to 2a, Gleason score ≤ 6, and prostate-specific antigen [PSA] 10.1 to 20 ng/mL; T2b to 2c, Gleason ≤ 6, and PSA ≤ 20 ng/mL; or T1 to 2, Gleason = 7, and PSA ≤ 20 ng/mL). Patients were allocated to conventional RT of 78 Gy in 39 fractions over 8 weeks or to hypofractionated RT of 60 Gy in 20 fractions over 4 weeks. Androgen deprivation was not permitted with therapy. The primary outcome was biochemical-clinical failure (BCF) defined by any of the following: PSA failure (nadir + 2), hormonal intervention, clinical local or distant failure, or death as a result of prostate cancer. The noninferiority margin was 7.5% (hazard ratio, < 1.32).…

Purpose To determine the long-term prognosis in each phenotypic subset of breast cancer related to residual cancer burden (RCB) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone, or with concurrent human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted treatment. Methods We conducted a pathologic review to measure the continuous RCB index (wherein pathologic complete response has RCB = 0; residual disease is categorized into three predefined classes of RCB index [RCB-I, RCB-II, and RCB-III]), and yp-stage of residual disease. Patients were prospectively observed for survival. Three patient cohorts received paclitaxel (T) followed by fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (T/FAC): original development cohort (T/FAC-1), validation cohort (T/FAC-2), and independent validation cohort (T/FAC-3). Another validation cohort received FAC chemotherapy only, and a fifth cohort received concurrent trastuzumab (H) with sequential paclitaxel and fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FEC; H+T/FEC). Phenotypic subsets were defined by hormone receptor (HR) and HER2 status at diagnosis,…

Purpose Lenalidomide maintenance therapy after autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) demonstrated prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) versus placebo or observation in several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM). All studies had PFS as the primary end point, and none were powered for overall survival (OS) as a primary end point. Thus, a meta-analysis was conducted to better understand the impact of lenalidomide maintenance in this setting. Patients and Methods The meta-analysis was conducted using primary-source patient-level data and documentation from three RCTs (Cancer and Leukemia Group B 100104, Gruppo Italiano Malattie Ematologiche dell'Adulto RV-MM-PI-209, and Intergroupe Francophone du Myélome 2005-02) that met the following prespecified inclusion criteria: an RCT in patients with NDMM receiving ASCT followed by lenalidomide maintenance versus placebo or observation with patient-level data available and achieved database lock for primary efficacy analysis. Results Overall, 1,208 patients were included in the…

Purpose No standard treatment exists for patients with cholangiocarcinoma for whom first-line gemcitabine-based therapy fails. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 ( FGFR2) fusions/translocations are present in 13% to 17% of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas. BGJ398, an orally bioavailable, selective pan-FGFR kinase inhibitor, has shown preliminary clinical activity against tumors with FGFR alterations. Methods A multicenter, open-label, phase II study ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02150967) evaluated BGJ398 antitumor activity in patients age ≥ 18 years with advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma containing FGFR2 fusions or other FGFR alterations whose disease had progressed while receiving prior therapy. Patients received BGJ398 125 mg once daily for 21 days, then 7 days off (28-day cycles). The primary end point was investigator-assessed overall response rate. Results Sixty-one patients (35 women; median age, 57 years) with FGFR2 fusion (n = 48), mutation (n = 8), or amplification (n = 3) participated. At the prespecified data cutoff (June 30, 2016), 50 patients had…

Purpose The optimal regimen intensity before allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is unknown. We hypothesized that lower treatment-related mortality (TRM) with reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) would result in improved overall survival (OS) compared with myeloablative conditioning (MAC). To test this hypothesis, we performed a phase III randomized trial comparing MAC with RIC in patients with acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes. Patients and Methods Patients age 18 to 65 years with HCT comorbidity index ≤ 4 and < 5% marrow myeloblasts pre-HCT were randomly assigned to receive MAC (n = 135) or RIC (n = 137) followed by HCT from HLA-matched related or unrelated donors. The primary end point was OS 18 months post-random assignment based on an intent-to-treat analysis. Secondary end points included relapse-free survival (RFS) and TRM. Results Planned enrollment was 356 patients; accrual ceased at 272 because of high relapse incidence with RIC versus MAC (48.3%; 95% CI, 39.6% to 56.4% and 13.5%; 95% CI, 8.3% to 19.8%, respectively; P < .001). At 18…

Purpose There are no approved treatments for recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma refractory to platinum and cetuximab. In the single-arm, phase II KEYNOTE-055 study, we evaluated pembrolizumab, an anti-programmed death 1 receptor antibody, in this platinum- and cetuximab-pretreated population with poor prognosis. Methods Eligibility stipulated disease progression within 6 months of platinum and cetuximab treatment. Patients received pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks. Imaging was performed every 6 to 9 weeks. Primary end points: overall response rate (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors v1.1, central review) and safety. Efficacy was assessed in all dosed patients and in subgroups on the basis of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and human papillomavirus (HPV) status. Results Among 171 patients treated, 75% received two or more prior lines of therapy for metastatic disease, 82% were PD-L1 positive, and 22% were HPV positive. At the time of analysis, 109 patients (64%) experienced a treatment-related adverse event; 26 patients (15%)…

Purpose We evaluated the safety and feasibility of anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor–modified T (CAR-T) cell therapy in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who had previously received ibrutinib. Methods Twenty-four patients with CLL received lymphodepleting chemotherapy and anti-CD19 CAR-T cells at one of three dose levels (2 × 10 5 , 2 × 10 6 , or 2 × 10 7 CAR-T cells/kg). Nineteen patients experienced disease progression while receiving ibrutinib, three were ibrutinib intolerant, and two did not experience progression while receiving ibrutinib. Six patients were venetoclax refractory, and 23 had a complex karyotype and/or 17p deletion. Results Four weeks after CAR-T cell infusion, the overall response rate (complete response [CR] and/or partial response [PR]) by International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (IWCLL) criteria was 71% (17 of 24). Twenty patients (83%) developed cytokine release syndrome, and eight (33%) developed neurotoxicity, which was reversible in all but one patient with a fatal outcome. Twenty of 24 patients received cyclophosphamide and…

Purpose Mucosal melanoma is an aggressive malignancy with a poor response to conventional therapies. The efficacy and safety of nivolumab (a programmed death-1 checkpoint inhibitor), alone or combined with ipilimumab (a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 checkpoint inhibitor), have not been reported in this rare melanoma subtype. Patients and Methods Data were pooled from 889 patients who received nivolumab monotherapy in clinical studies, including phase III trials; 86 (10%) had mucosal melanoma and 665 (75%) had cutaneous melanoma. Data were also pooled for patients who received nivolumab combined with ipilimumab (n = 35, mucosal melanoma; n = 326, cutaneous melanoma). Results Among patients who received nivolumab monotherapy, median progression-free survival was 3.0 months (95% CI, 2.2 to 5.4 months) and 6.2 months (95% CI, 5.1 to 7.5 months) for mucosal and cutaneous melanoma, with objective response rates of 23.3% (95% CI, 14.8% to 33.6%) and 40.9% (95% CI, 37.1% to 44.7%), respectively. Median progression-free survival in patients treated with nivolumab combined with ipilimumab…

Purpose Provide evidence-based recommendations updating the 2015 ASCO guideline on systemic therapy for patients with stage IV non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods The ASCO NSCLC Expert Panel made recommendations based on a systematic review of randomized controlled trials from February 2014 to December 2016 plus the Cancer Care Ontario Program in Evidence-Based Care’s update of a previous ASCO search. Results This guideline update reflects changes in evidence since the previous guideline update. Fourteen randomized controlled trials provide the evidence base; earlier phase trials also informed recommendation development. Recommendations New or revised recommendations include the following. Regarding first-line treatment for patients with non–squamous cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma (without positive markers, eg, EGFR/ALK /ROS1), if the patient has high programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, pembrolizumab should be used alone; if the patient has low PD-L1 expression, clinicians should offer standard chemotherapy. All other clinical scenarios follow 2015…

Purpose We evaluated the combination of talimogene laherparepvec plus ipilimumab versus ipilimumab alone in patients with advanced melanoma in a phase II study. To our knowledge, this was the first randomized trial to evaluate addition of an oncolytic virus to a checkpoint inhibitor. Methods Patients with unresectable stages IIIB to IV melanoma, with no more than one prior therapy if BRAF wild-type, no more than two prior therapies if BRAF mutant, measurable/injectable disease, and without symptomatic autoimmunity or clinically significant immunosuppression were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive talimogene laherparepvec plus ipilimumab or ipilimumab alone. Talimogene laherparepvec treatment began in week 1 (first dose, ≤ 4 mL × 10 6 plaque-forming units/mL; after 3 weeks, ≤ 4 mL × 10 8 plaque-forming units/mL every 2 weeks). Ipilimumab (3 mg/kg every 3 weeks; up to four doses) began week 1 in the ipilimumab alone arm and week 6 in the combination arm. The primary end point was objective response rate evaluated by investigators per immune-related response criteria. Results One hundred…

Purpose To update the ASCO guideline for antiemetics in oncology. Methods ASCO convened an Expert Panel and conducted a systematic review of the medical literature for the period of November 2009 to June 2016. Results Forty-one publications were included in this systematic review. A phase III randomized controlled trial demonstrated that adding olanzapine to antiemetic prophylaxis reduces the likelihood of nausea among adult patients who are treated with high emetic risk antineoplastic agents. Randomized controlled trials also support an expanded role for neurokinin 1 receptor antagonists in patients who are treated with chemotherapy. Recommendation Key updates include the addition of olanzapine to antiemetic regimens for adults who receive high-emetic-risk antineoplastic agents or who experience breakthrough nausea and vomiting; a recommendation to administer dexamethasone on day 1 only for adults who receive anthracycline and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy; and the addition of a neurokinin 1 receptor antagonist for adults who receive carboplatin area under the curve ≥ 4 mg/mL per…

Purpose To provide guidance to oncology clinicians on how to use effective communication to optimize the patient-clinician relationship, patient and clinician well-being, and family well-being. Methods ASCO convened a multidisciplinary panel of medical oncology, psychiatry, nursing, hospice and palliative medicine, communication skills, health disparities, and advocacy experts to produce recommendations. Guideline development involved a systematic review of the literature and a formal consensus process. The systematic review focused on guidelines, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and randomized controlled trials published from 2006 through October 1, 2016. Results The systematic review included 47 publications. With the exception of clinician training in communication skills, evidence for many of the clinical questions was limited. Draft recommendations underwent two rounds of consensus voting before being finalized. Recommendations In addition to providing guidance regarding core communication skills and tasks that apply across the continuum of cancer care, recommendations…

A MESSAGE FROM ASCO’S PRESIDENT I am pleased to present Clinical Cancer Advances 2017, which highlights the most promising advances in patient-oriented cancer research over the past year. The report gives us an opportunity to reflect on what an exciting time it is for cancer research and how swiftly our understanding of cancer has improved. One year ago, the White House announced the national Cancer Moonshot program to accelerate progress against cancer. This shared vision of progress has reinvigorated the research community, identified new areas of scientific collaboration, and raised our ambitions regarding what may be possible beyond the progress we have already made. When I entered the field 35 years ago, I could not have imagined where we would be today. We can now detect cancer earlier, target treatments more effectively, and manage adverse effects more effectively to enable patients to live better, more fulfilling lives. Today, two of three people with cancer live at least 5 years after diagnosis, up from roughly one of two in the 1970s. This progress has resulted from…

Purpose To provide current recommendations on the use of sentinel node biopsy (SNB) for patients with early-stage breast cancer. Methods PubMed and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical practice guidelines from 2012 through July 2016. An Update Panel reviewed the identified abstracts. Results Of the eight publications identified and reviewed, none prompted a change in the 2014 recommendations, which are reaffirmed by the updated literature review. Conclusion Women without sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases should not receive axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Women with one to two metastatic SLNs who are planning to undergo breast-conserving surgery with whole-breast radiotherapy should not undergo ALND (in most cases). Women with SLN metastases who will undergo mastectomy should be offered ALND. These three recommendations are based on randomized controlled trials. Women with operable breast cancer and multicentric tumors, with ductal carcinoma in situ, who will undergo mastectomy, who previously…

Primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare form of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma that is typically confined to the brain, eyes, and cerebrospinal fluid without evidence of systemic spread. The prognosis of patients with PCNSL has improved during the last decades with the introduction of high-dose methotrexate. However, despite recent progress, results after treatment are durable in half of patients, and therapy can be associated with late neurotoxicity. PCNSL is an uncommon tumor, and only four randomized trials and one phase III trial have been completed so far, all in the first-line setting. To our knowledge, no randomized trial has been conducted for recurrent/refractory disease, leaving many questions unanswered about optimal first-line and salvage treatments. This review will give an overview of the presentation, evaluation, and treatment of immunocompetent patients with PCNSL.

Purpose We assessed the safety and antitumor activity of avelumab, a fully human anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) IgG1 antibody, in patients with refractory metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Methods In this phase Ib, multicenter, expansion cohort, patients with urothelial carcinoma progressing after platinum-based chemotherapy and unselected for PD-L1 expression received avelumab 10 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks. The primary objectives were safety and tolerability. Secondary objectives included confirmed objective response rate (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors [RECIST] version 1.1), progression-free survival, overall survival (OS), and PD-L1-associated clinical activity. PD-L1 positivity was defined as expression by immunohistochemistry on ≥ 5% of tumor cells. Results Forty-four patients were treated with avelumab and followed for a median of 16.5 months (interquartile range, 15.8 to 16.7 months). The data cutoff was March 19, 2016. The most frequent treatment-related adverse events of any grade were fatigue/asthenia (31.8%), infusion-related reaction (20.5%),…

Purpose Most crizotinib-treated patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene ( ALK)-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer (ALK-positive NSCLC) eventually experience disease progression. We evaluated two regimens of brigatinib, an investigational next-generation ALK inhibitor, in crizotinib-refractory ALK-positive NSCLC. Patients and Methods Patients were stratified by brain metastases and best response to crizotinib. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to oral brigatinib 90 mg once daily (arm A) or 180 mg once daily with a 7-day lead-in at 90 mg (180 mg once daily [with lead-in]; arm B). Investigator-assessed confirmed objective response rate (ORR) was the primary end point. Results Of 222 patients enrolled (arm A: n = 112, 109 treated; arm B: n = 110, 110 treated), 154 (69%) had baseline brain metastases and 164 of 222 (74%) had received prior chemotherapy. With 8.0-month median follow-up, investigator-assessed confirmed ORR was 45% (97.5% CI, 34% to 56%) in arm A and 54% (97.5% CI, 43% to 65%) in arm B. Investigator-assessed median progression-free survival was 9.2 months (95% CI,…

Purpose T cells genetically modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) targeting CD19 (CAR-19) have potent activity against acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but fewer results supporting treatment of lymphoma with CAR-19 T cells have been published. Patients with lymphoma that is chemotherapy refractory or relapsed after autologous stem-cell transplantation have a grim prognosis, and new treatments for these patients are clearly needed. Chemotherapy administered before adoptive T-cell transfer has been shown to enhance the antimalignancy activity of adoptively transferred T cells. Patients and Methods We treated 22 patients with advanced-stage lymphoma in a clinical trial of CAR-19 T cells preceded by low-dose chemotherapy. Nineteen patients had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, two patients had follicular lymphoma, and one patient had mantle cell lymphoma. Patients received a single dose of CAR-19 T cells 2 days after a low-dose chemotherapy conditioning regimen of cyclophosphamide plus fludarabine. Results The overall remission rate was 73% with 55% complete remissions and 18%…

Purpose Osimertinib is an irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) selective for both EGFR-TKI sensitizing ( EGFRm) and T790M resistance mutations. AURA (NCT01802632) is a phase I/II clinical trial to determine the dose, safety, and efficacy of osimertinib. This article reports the results from the phase II extension component. Patients and Methods Patients with EGFR-TKI-pretreated EGFRm- and T790M-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) received once-daily osimertinib 80 mg. T790M status was confirmed by central testing from a tumor sample taken after the most recent disease progression. Patients with asymptomatic, stable CNS metastases that did not require corticosteroids were allowed to enroll. The primary end point was objective response rate (ORR) by independent radiology assessment. Secondary end points were disease control rate, duration of response, progression-free survival (PFS), and safety. Patient-reported outcomes comprised an exploratory objective. Results In total, 201 patients received treatment, with a median…

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer, and despite cure rates exceeding 90% in children, it remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children and adults. The past decade has been marked by extraordinary advances into the genetic basis of leukemogenesis and treatment responsiveness in ALL. Both B-cell and T-cell ALL comprise multiple subtypes harboring distinct constellations of somatic structural DNA rearrangements and sequence mutations that commonly perturb lymphoid development, cytokine receptors, kinase and Ras signaling, tumor suppression, and chromatin modification. Recent studies have helped to understand the genetic basis of clonal evolution and relapse and the role of inherited genetic variants in leukemogenesis. Many of these findings are of clinical importance, and ongoing studies implementing clinical sequencing in the management of leukemia are expected to improve diagnosis, monitoring of residual disease, and early detection of relapse and to guide precise therapies. Here, we provide a concise review of genomic studies…

Purpose To develop a prognostic system for transplantation-age patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF) that integrates clinical, cytogenetic, and mutation data. Patients and Methods The study included 805 patients with PMF age ≤ 70 years recruited from multiple Italian centers and the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), forming two independent learning and validation cohorts. A Cox multivariable model was used to select from among a list of 22 variables those that were predictive of overall survival (OS). Integrated clinical and genetic prognostic models with (MIPSS70-plus) or without (MIPSS70) cytogenetic information were developed. Results Multivariable analysis identified the following as significant risk factors for OS: hemoglobin < 100 g/L, leukocytes > 25 × 10 9 /L, platelets < 100 × 10 9 /L, circulating blasts ≥ 2%, bone marrow fibrosis grade ≥ 2, constitutional symptoms, absence of CALR type-1 mutation, presence of high–molecular risk mutation (ie, ASXL1, EZH2, SRSF2, IDH1/ 2), and presence of two or more high–molecular risk mutations. By assigning hazard ratio (HR)–weighted…

Purpose The AURA study ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01802632) included two cohorts of treatment-naïve patients to examine clinical activity and safety of osimertinib (an epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR] -tyrosine kinase inhibitor selective for EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor sensitizing [ EGFRm] and EGFR T790M resistance mutations) as first-line treatment of EGFR-mutated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and Methods Sixty treatment-naïve patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFRm NSCLC received osimertinib 80 or 160 mg once daily (30 patients per cohort). End points included investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and safety evaluation. Plasma samples were collected at or after patients experienced disease progression, as defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), to investigate osimertinib resistance mechanisms. Results At data cutoff (November 1, 2016), median follow-up was 19.1 months. Overall ORR was 67% (95% CI, 47% to 83%) in the 80-mg group, 87% (95% CI, 69% to 96%)…

In recent years, our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of myeloid neoplasms, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), has been greatly advanced by genomics discovery studies that use novel high-throughput sequencing techniques. AML, similar to most other cancers, is characterized by multiple somatically acquired mutations that affect genes of different functional categories, a complex clonal architecture, and disease evolution over time. Patterns of mutations seem to follow specific and temporally ordered trajectories. Mutations in genes encoding epigenetic modifiers, such as DNMT3A, ASXL1, TET2, IDH1, and IDH2, are commonly acquired early and are present in the founding clone. The same genes are frequently found to be mutated in elderly individuals along with clonal expansion of hematopoiesis that confers an increased risk for the development of hematologic cancers. Furthermore, such mutations may persist after therapy, lead to clonal expansion during hematologic remission, and eventually lead to relapsed disease. In contrast, mutations involving NPM1 or signaling…

Purpose Patients who receive combined modality treatment for stage I and II Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) have an excellent outcome. Early response evaluation with positron emission tomography (PET) scan may improve selection of patients who need reduced or more intensive treatments. Methods We performed a randomized trial to evaluate treatment adaptation on the basis of early PET (ePET) after two cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) in previously untreated-according to European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer criteria favorable (F) and unfavorable (U)-stage I and II HL. The standard arm consisted of ABVD followed by involved-node radiotherapy (INRT), regardless of ePET result. In the experimental arm, ePET-negative patients received ABVD only (noninferiority design), whereas ePET-positive patients switched to two cycles of bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (BEACOPPesc) and INRT (superiority design). Primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Results Of 1,950 randomly…

Purpose Racial/ethnic disparities in cancer survival in the United States are well documented, but the underlying causes are not well understood. We quantified the contribution of tumor, treatment, hospital, sociodemographic, and neighborhood factors to racial/ethnic survival disparities in California. Materials and Methods California Cancer Registry data were used to estimate population-based cancer-specific survival for patients diagnosed with breast, prostate, colorectal, or lung cancer between 2000 and 2013 for each racial/ethnic group (non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and separately each for Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino) compared with non-Hispanic whites. The percentage contribution of factors to overall racial/ethnic survival disparities was estimated from a sequence of multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Results In baseline models, black patients had the lowest survival for all cancer sites, and Asian American and Pacific Islander patients had the highest, compared with whites. Mediation analyses suggested that stage at…

Purpose The KEYNOTE-028 trial ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02054806) was designed to assess the safety and efficacy of pembrolizumab in 20 programmed death ligand 1-positive, advanced solid tumor cohorts. Here, we present the results from the cohort of patients with advanced cervical cancer. Methods Patients were treated with pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks for up to 24 months. Response was assessed every 8 weeks for the first 6 months and every 12 weeks thereafter. The primary end point was overall response rate per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1, by investigator review. Safety was a secondary end point. Results Twenty-four patients were enrolled in the cervical cancer cohort. The median age was 42 years (range, 26 to 62 years), 22 patients (92%) had received prior radiation therapy, and 15 patients (63%) had received two or more lines of therapy, including bevacizumab (10 of 24 patients), for advanced disease. At the data cutoff, median follow-up duration was 11.0 months (range, 1.3 to 32.2 months). Overall response rate was 17% (95% CI, 5%…

Purpose Hereditary factors play an important role in colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, yet the prevalence of germline cancer susceptibility gene mutations in patients with CRC unselected for high-risk features (eg, early age at diagnosis, personal/family history of cancer or polyps, tumor microsatellite instability [MSI], mismatch repair [MMR] deficiency) is unknown. Patients and Methods We recruited 1,058 participants who received CRC care in a clinic-based setting without preselection for age at diagnosis, personal/family history, or MSI/MMR results. All participants underwent germline testing for mutations in 25 genes associated with inherited cancer risk. Each gene was categorized as high penetrance or moderate penetrance on the basis of published estimates of the lifetime cancer risks conferred by pathogenic germline mutations in that gene. Results One hundred five (9.9%; 95% CI, 8.2% to 11.9%) of 1,058 participants carried one or more pathogenic mutations, including 33 (3.1%) with Lynch syndrome (LS). Twenty-eight (96.6%) of 29 available LS CRCs demonstrated abnormal MSI/MMR…

Purpose The safety and efficacy of pembrolizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against programmed death 1 (PD-1), were assessed in patients with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-expressing extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) in the multicohort, phase Ib open-label KEYNOTE-028 study ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02054806). Methods Patients with SCLC received pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks for 24 months or until disease progression or intolerable toxicity occurred. PD-L1 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. PD-L1-positive patients had membranous PD-L1 expression in ≥ 1% of tumor and associated inflammatory cells or positive staining in stroma. Response was assessed by investigator per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 every 8 weeks for the first 6 months and every 12 weeks thereafter. Adverse events (AEs) were reported per the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. Primary end points were safety, tolerability, and objective response rate (ORR). Secondary end points included…

Purpose Until recently, limited options existed for patients with advanced melanoma who experienced disease progression while receiving treatment with ipilimumab. Here, we report the coprimary overall survival (OS) end point of CheckMate 037, which has previously shown that nivolumab resulted in more patients achieving an objective response compared with chemotherapy regimens in ipilimumab-refractory patients with advanced melanoma. Patients and Methods Patients were stratified by programmed death-ligand 1 expression, BRAF status, and best prior cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 therapy response, then randomly assigned 2:1 to nivolumab 3 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks or investigator’s choice chemotherapy (ICC; dacarbazine 1,000 mg/m2 every 3 weeks or carboplatin area under the curve 6 plus paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 every 3 weeks). Patients were treated until they experienced progression or unacceptable toxicity, with follow-up of approximately 2 years. Results Two hundred seventy-two patients were randomly assigned to nivolumab (99% treated) and 133 to ICC (77% treated). More…

Purpose A relationship between mean heart dose (MHD) and acute coronary event (ACE) rate was reported in a study of patients with breast cancer (BC). The main objective of our cohort study was to validate this relationship and investigate if other dose-distribution parameters are better predictors for ACEs than MHD. Patients and Methods The cohort consisted of 910 consecutive female patients with BC treated with radiotherapy (RT) after breast-conserving surgery. The primary end point was cumulative incidence of ACEs within 9 years of follow-up. Both MHD and various dose-distribution parameters of the cardiac substructures were collected from three-dimensional computed tomography planning data. Results The median MHD was 2.37 Gy (range, 0.51 to 15.25 Gy). The median follow-up time was 7.6 years (range, 0.1 to 10.1 years), during which 30 patients experienced an ACE. The cumulative incidence of ACE increased by 16.5% per Gy (95% CI, 0.6 to 35.0; P = .042). Analysis showed that the volume of the left ventricle receiving 5 Gy (LV-V5) was the most important prognostic dose-volume…

Purpose Metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is characterized by excessive hyaluronan (HA) accumulation in the tumor microenvironment, elevating interstitial pressure and impairing perfusion. Preclinical studies demonstrated pegvorhyaluronidase alfa (PEGPH20) degrades HA, thereby increasing drug delivery. Patients and Methods Patients with previously untreated metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were randomly assigned to treatment with PEGPH20 plus nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine (PAG) or nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine (AG). Tumor HA levels were measured retrospectively using a novel affinity histochemistry assay. Primary end points were progression-free survival (PFS; overall) and thromboembolic (TE) event rate. Secondary end points included overall survival, PFS by HA level, and objective response rate. An early imbalance in TE events in the PAG arm led to a clinical hold; thereafter, patients with TE events were excluded and enoxaparin prophylaxis was initiated. Results A total of 279 patients were randomly assigned; 246 had HA data; 231 were evaluable for efficacy; 84…

Purpose Histologic transformation of EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) into small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) has been described as one of the major resistant mechanisms for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). However, the molecular pathogenesis is still unclear. Methods We investigated 21 patients with advanced EGFR-mutant LADCs that were transformed into EGFR TKI-resistant SCLCs. Among them, whole genome sequencing was applied for nine tumors acquired at various time points from four patients to reconstruct their clonal evolutionary history and to detect genetic predictors for small-cell transformation. The findings were validated by immunohistochemistry in 210 lung cancer tissues. Results We identified that EGFR TKI-resistant LADCs and SCLCs share a common clonal origin and undergo branched evolutionary trajectories. The clonal divergence of SCLC ancestors from the LADC cells occurred before the first EGFR TKI treatments, and the complete inactivation of both RB1 and TP53 were observed from the early LADC stages in sequenced tumors. We…

Purpose Combination treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors has shown enhanced antitumor activity compared with monotherapy in tumor types such as melanoma. The open-label, parallel-cohort, dose-escalation, phase I CheckMate 016 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab plus ipilimumab in combination, and nivolumab plus a tyrosine kinase inhibitor in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Safety and efficacy results from the nivolumab plus ipilimumab arms of the study are presented. Patients and Methods Patients with mRCC received intravenous nivolumab 3 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg (N3I1), nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 3 mg/kg (N1I3), or nivolumab 3 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 3 mg/kg (N3I3) every 3 weeks for four doses followed by nivolumab monotherapy 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks until progression or toxicity. End points included safety (primary), objective response rate, and overall survival (OS). Results All patients in the N3I3 arm (n = 6) were censored at the time of analysis as a result of dose-limiting toxicity or other reasons. Forty-seven patients were treated in…

Purpose The multicohort phase Ib KEYNOTE-028 (NCT02054806) study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of pembrolizumab, an anti-programmed death 1 monoclonal antibody, in patients with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) -positive advanced solid tumors. The results from the advanced endometrial cancer cohort are reported. Patients and Methods Female patients with locally advanced or metastatic PD-L1-positive endometrial cancer who had experienced progression after standard therapy were eligible. Patients received pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks for up to 24 months or until progression or unacceptable toxicity. Primary efficacy end point was objective response rate by RECIST (version 1.1). Secondary end points included safety, duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival, and overall survival. The data cutoff was February 17, 2016. Results Of 75 patients screened, 36 (48.0%) had PD-L1-positive tumors, and 24 (32.0%) were enrolled. Fifteen (62.5%) of these 24 patients had received at least two previous lines of therapy for advanced disease. Three patients…

Purpose Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is treatment-responsive. Definitive chemoradiation results in high cure rates but causes long-term toxicity and may represent overtreatment of some patients. This phase II trial evaluated whether complete clinical response (cCR) to induction chemotherapy (IC) could select patients with HPV-associated OPSCC for reduced radiation dose as a means of sparing late sequelae. Methods Patients with HPV16 and/or p16-positive, stage III-IV OPSCC received three cycles of IC with cisplatin, paclitaxel, and cetuximab. Patients with primary-site cCR to IC received intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) 54 Gy with weekly cetuximab; those with less than cCR to IC at the primary site or nodes received 69.3 Gy and cetuximab to those regions. The primary end point was 2-year progression-free survival. Results Of the 90 patients enrolled, 80 were evaluable. Their median age was 57 years (range, 35 to 73 years), with the majority having stage T1-3N0-N2b OPSCC and a history of ≤ 10 pack-years of cigarette…

Purpose Bosutinib is a potent dual SRC/ABL kinase inhibitor approved for adults with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) resistant and /or intolerant to prior therapy. We assessed the efficacy and safety of bosutinib versus imatinib for first-line treatment of chronic-phase CML. Methods In this ongoing, multinational, phase III study, 536 patients with newly diagnosed chronic-phase CML were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive 400 mg of bosutinib once daily (n = 268) or imatinib (n = 268). Per protocol, efficacy was assessed in patients who were Philadelphia chromosome-positive with typical (e13a2/e14a2) transcripts (bosutinib, n = 246; imatinib, n = 241). Patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative-/ BCR-ABL1-positive status and those with unknown Philadelphia chromosome status and/or atypical BCR-ABL1 transcript type were excluded from this population. Results The major molecular response (MMR) rate at 12 months (primary end point) was significantly higher with bosutinib versus imatinib (47.2% v 36.9%, respectively; P = .02), as was complete cytogenetic…