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• No predictive biomarker has been validated for bevacizumab in glioblastoma to date. • We tested candidate biomarkers in patients receiving bevacizumab on a clinical trial. • No single protein tested using immunohistochemistry predicted overall survival. • Gain in Chromosome 19 was observed in long survivors, but the sample size was small. • This study exemplifies the importance of biomarker analysis in clinical trials. The CABARET trial (ACTRN12610000915055) reported no difference in overall survival (OS) between patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) randomized to either bevacizumab monotherapy or bevacizumab plus carboplatin. However, a subset of patients showed durable responses and prolonged survival, with recorded survival times of over 30 months in five of 122 patients (4%). Patient selection for bevacizumab therapy would be enhanced if a predictive biomarker of response or survival could be identified; this biomarker sub-study attempted to identify novel biomarkers. Patients who opted to participate in this sub-study and who had adequate biospecimens for analysis (n = 54) were retrospectively evaluated for the expression of a series of tumor proteins. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to measure the expression of 19 proteins previously implicated in cancer treatment response to bevacizumab. MGMT promoter methylation was also assessed. Tumor DNA from five patients with outlying survival duration ('poor' and 'exceptional' survivors) was subjected to whole genome sequencing (WGS). No single protein expression level, including VEGF-A, predicted OS in the cohort. WGS of poor and exceptional survivors identified a gain in Chromosome 19 that was exclusive to the exceptional survivors. Validation of this finding requires examination of a larger independent cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Second-line treatment with irinotecan for advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer prolongs survival. It is uncertain whether irinotecan is better administered with 5-fluorouracil or alone in patients previously treated with a fluoropyrimidine. We compared toxicity (particularly diarrhoea), quality of life, and efficacy of combination chemotherapy and irinotecan in these patients. Methods: In DaVINCI, a randomised phase II trial, patients with advanced colorectal cancer were randomly allocated to: Combination therapy (FOLFIRI), irinotecan (180mg/m2 IV over 90min, day 1), 5-fluorouracil (400mg/m2 IV bolus and 2400mg/m2 by 46-hour infusion from day 1) and folinic acid (20mg/m2 IV bolus, day 1), 2-weekly; or Single-agent, irinotecan (350mg/m2 IV over 90min), 3-weekly. Toxicity was evaluated every treatment cycle; QOL and response 6-weekly. Analysis was by intention to treat. The trial, amended from a larger factorial design, was terminated early due to slow recruitment. Results were also combined with other second-line irinotecan trials. Findings: We randomised 44 patients to combination and 45 to single agent. Eight patients in the irinotecan arm and 4 in the combination arm had grade 3/4 diarrhoea (P =0.24). Treatment groups did not differ significantly in overall QOL changes, response rate or progression free or overall-survival. In a systematic review of 29 trials of second-line irinotecan-based treatment, single-agent irinotecan was associated with more diarrhoea and alopecia than the combination but efficacy was similar. Interpretation: Combination treatment compared with single-agent irinotecan reduces alopecia and diarrhoea without compromising efficacy on clinical outcomes. Both regimens remain as reasonable treatment options. Funding: Research grant (Pfizer). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: There is a strong unmet need to improve systemic therapy in mesothelioma. Chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed improves survival in malignant pleural mesothelioma, and immune checkpoint inhibitors are an emerging treatment in this disease. We aimed to evaluate the activity of durvalumab, an anti-PD-L1 antibody, given during and after first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed in patients with advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma.Methods: DREAM was a multicentre, single-arm, open-label, phase 2 trial done in nine hospitals in Australia. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older and had histologically confirmed malignant pleural mesothelioma considered unsuitable for cancer-directed surgery, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1, and measurable disease as per the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.0 (mRECIST) for mesothelioma that was previously untreated with systemic therapy. All histological subtypes were eligible. The first six participants were treated for two cycles in a safety run-in. All participants received cisplatin 75 mg/m2, pemetrexed 500 mg/m2, and durvalumab 1125 mg intravenously on day 1 of a 3-weekly schedule for a maximum of six cycles. Change from cisplatin to carboplatin with an area under the curve of 5 was permitted. Durvalumab was continued for a maximum of 12 months. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival at 6 months, measured according to mRECIST for malignant pleural mesothelioma and analysed in the intention-to-treat population. Safety analyses included all participants who receive at least one dose of any study drug. This study is registered with the Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12616001170415.Findings: Between Dec 28, 2016, and Sept 27, 2017, 55 participants were enrolled. 54 patients were eligible and were followed up for a median of 28·2 months (IQR 26·5-30·2). 31 (57%; 95% CI 44-70) of 54 patients were alive and progression-free at 6 months. The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were neutropenia (seven [13%] patients), nausea (six [11%]), and anaemia (four [7%]). A total of 60 serious adverse events occurred in 29 participants, five of which were considered possibly related to durvalumab. Five patients died during the study treatment; none of these five deaths were attributed to study treatment.Interpretation: The combination of durvalumab, cisplatin, and pemetrexed has promising activity and an acceptable safety profile that warrants further investigation in a randomised phase 3 trial.Funding: AstraZeneca. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background AGOC has a poor prognosis with limited benefits from treatments following failure of chemotherapy (CT). Regorafenib (BAY 73-4506)(REG) is an oral multi-kinase inhibitor targeting kinases involved in angiogenesis (VEGFR1-3, TIE-2), tumor microenvironment (PDGFR-β, FGFR), and oncogenesis (RAF, RET and KIT). INTEGRATE (phase 2) demonstrated REG effectiveness in prolonging PFS in AGOC pts, with a positive OS trend and less toxicity than other REG trials at the same doses. REG was effective across all regions/subgroups, with regional differences noted in magnitude of effect. INTEGRATE II (phase 3) will explore whether REG is effective in prolonging survival in all patients, and in the Asian sub-population Methods International randomised phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 2:1 (REG:placebo)(PBO) randomisation and stratification by tumour location, geographic region, and prior VEGF inhibitors. Histologically confirmed AGOC patients, with evaluable metastatic or locally advanced disease refractory to/relapsed following at least 2 lines of CT, will receive best supportive care plus 160mg REG or matched placebo orally on days 1-21 of each 28 day cycle until disease progression or prohibitive adverse events. Primary endpoint is OS. Secondary endpoints: PFS, response rate, quality of life, safety, identification of prognostic/predictive biomarkers for study endpoints, and REG PK across geographical regions. 350 patients (50% from Asia, with at least 50 patients to be recruited from Japan) randomized in a 2:1 ratio will provide 90% power to detect a hazard ratio (HR) for OS of 0.67 with a 2-sided α of 0.05 assuming PBO median survival is 4.5 mos. The sample size accommodates an interim analysis undertaken once 2/3 of required events have occurred. Results 27 ANZ, 8 Canadian, 15 Korean, 5 Taiwanese, and 2 Japanese sites have been activated with 106 patients enrolled. Remaining Japanese/US sites expected to activate through Q1/Q2 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]