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E. Ehrnrooth



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    OA23 - EGFR Targeted Therapies in Advanced NSCLC (ID 410)

    • Event: WCLC 2016
    • Type: Oral Session
    • Track: Advanced NSCLC
    • Presentations: 1
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      OA23.03 - Second-Line Afatinib for Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lung: Analysis of Afatinib Long-Term Responders in the Phase III LUX-Lung 8 Trial (ID 4711)

      14:40 - 14:50  |  Author(s): E. Ehrnrooth

      • Abstract
      • Presentation
      • Slides

      Background:
      Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung is a genetically complex and difficult-to-treat cancer. In LUX-Lung 8, afatinib (40mg/day) significantly improved OS (median 7.9 vs 6.8 months, HR=0.81 [95% CI, 0.69‒0.95], p=0.008), PFS (2.6 vs 1.9 months, HR=0.81 [0.69‒0.96], p=0.010) and DCR versus erlotinib (150mg/day) in patients with relapsed/refractory SCC of the lung (n=795). Notably, 12-month (36 vs 28%; p=0.016) and 18-month survival (22 vs 14%; p=0.016) was significantly higher with afatinib than erlotinib, indicating that some patients derive prolonged benefit from afatinib. Here, we present post-hoc analysis of baseline characteristics and efficacy/safety of afatinib in long-term responders (treatment for ≥12 months). Hypothesis-generating analysis of archived tumor samples and blood serum was undertaken to identify possible molecular/clinical biomarkers.

      Methods:
      Tumor samples were retrospectively analyzed using FoundationOne[TM] next-generation sequencing (NGS); EGFR expression was determined by immunohistochemistry. Pre-treatment serum samples were analyzed with VeriStrat[®], a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry test, and classified as VeriStrat-Good or VeriStrat-Poor-risk.

      Results:
      15/398 patients treated with afatinib were long-term responders. Median duration of treatment was 16.6 months (range: 12.3‒25.8). Patient characteristics were similar to the overall dataset (median age: 65 years [range: 54‒81]; male: 80.0%; Asian: 13.3%; ECOG 0/1: 40.0%/60.0%; best response to chemotherapy CR or PR/SD: 53.3%/46.7%; current and ex-smokers: 80.0%). Median PFS was 16.2 months (range: 2.8‒24.0); median OS was 23.1 months (range: 12.9‒31.5). The most common treatment-related AEs (all grade/grade 3) were: diarrhea (73.3%/6.7%); rash/acne (66.7%/6.7%); stomatitis (13%/7%). AEs generally occurred soon after treatment onset (median onset, days [range]: diarrhea 11 [5‒48]; rash/acne 17 [9‒107]; stomatitis 15 [11‒19]). Four patients required a dose reduction to 30mg/day due to treatment-related AEs (diarrhea, rash, stomatitis, diarrhea/rash). NGS was undertaken in 9 patients and details will be presented at the meeting. Genomic aberrations in the ErbB/FGF gene families were identified in 44.4%/55.6% of long-term responders (overall dataset: 29.4%/58.0%). Of 14 patients assessed by VeriStrat, 85.7% were VeriStrat-Good (overall dataset: 61.6%). Immunohistochemistry data was available for two patients; one overexpressed EGFR (≥10% positive cells; H-score ≥200)

      Conclusion:
      Baseline characteristics of long-term responders to afatinib were similar to the overall dataset. In this sub-group, afatinib conferred a survival benefit of nearly 2 years. Afatinib was well tolerated with predictable and transient AEs that occurred soon after treatment onset. The dataset was too small to identify any clear NGS/VeriStrat predictive signals. Further studies are required to predict long-term response to afatinib.

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    P3.02b - Poster Session with Presenters Present (ID 494)

    • Event: WCLC 2016
    • Type: Poster Presenters Present
    • Track: Advanced NSCLC
    • Presentations: 1
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      P3.02b-003 - Second-Line Afatinib versus Erlotinib for Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lung (LUX-Lung 8): Analysis of Tumour and Serum Biomarkers (ID 5627)

      14:30 - 14:30  |  Author(s): E. Ehrnrooth

      • Abstract
      • Slides

      Background:
      LUX-Lung 8 compared second-line afatinib (40 mg/day; n=398) and erlotinib (150 mg/day; n=397) in patients with stage IIIB/IV squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung. PFS (median 2.6 vs 1.9 months, HR=0.81 [95% CI, 0.69–0.96], p=0.010) and OS (median 7.9 vs 6.8 months, HR=0.81 [0.69–0.95], p=0.008) were both significantly improved with afatinib versus erlotinib. Here we report exploratory molecular (n=245) and immunohistochemical (n=288) analyses of tumour samples to assess the frequency of short variants (SVs) and copy number alterations (CNAs) in cancer-related genes and whether these tumour genomic alterations, or EGFR expression levels, have clinical utility as prognostic/predictive biomarkers in patients with SCC of the lung. We also assessed the predictive utility of the prospectively validated VeriStrat®, a serum protein test (n=675).

      Methods:
      Archived tumour samples were retrospectively analysed using next-generation sequencing (FoundationOne™). Tumour EGFR expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry; EGFR positivity was defined as staining in ≥10% of cells. Pretreatment serum samples were assigned as VeriStrat-Good or VeriStrat-Poor according to a mass spectrometry signature. Cox regression analysis was used to correlate OS/PFS with genomic alterations (individual or grouped into gene families e.g. ErbB family), EGFR expression levels and VeriStrat status.

      Results:
      The frequency of ErbB family alterations was low (SVs: EGFR 6.5%, HER2 4.9%, HER3 6.1%, HER4 5.7%; CNAs: EGFR 6.9%, HER2 3.7%). No individual genetic alterations, or grouped ErbB family aberrations, were prognostic of OS/PFS. Treatment benefit from afatinib versus erlotinib was consistent in all molecular subgroups. Most tumours were EGFR-positive by immunohistochemistry (afatinib: 82%; erlotinib: 86%). EGFR expression was not predictive of OS or PFS benefit (EGFR-positive PFS: HR=0.76 [0.57‒1.02]; OS: HR=0.84 [0.63‒1.12]; EGFR-negative PFS: HR=0.87 [0.45‒1.68]; OS: HR=0.77 [0.40‒1.51]). In afatinib-treated patients, both PFS (HR=0.56 [0.43‒0.72], p<0.0001) and OS (HR=0.40 [0.31‒0.51], p<0.0001) were improved in the VeriStrat-Good versus the VeriStrat-Poor group. VeriStrat-Good patients had significantly longer OS and PFS when treated with afatinib versus erlotinib (median OS: 11.5 vs 8.9 months, HR=0.79 [0.63‒0.98]; PFS: HR=0.73 [0.59‒0.92]). In VeriStrat-Poor patients there was no significant difference in OS between afatinib and erlotinib (HR=0.90 [0.70‒1.16]). However, there was no significant interaction between treatment arms and VeriStrat classification.

      Conclusion:
      Despite comprehensive, multifaceted analysis, no biomarkers were identified that predicted the benefit with afatinib over erlotinib in patients with SCC of the lung. Afatinib is a treatment option in this setting irrespective of patients’ tumour genetics or EGFR expression levels. However, patient outcome strongly depends on VeriStrat status.

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