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A. Morabito



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    P2.11 - Poster Session 2 - NSCLC Novel Therapies (ID 209)

    • Event: WCLC 2013
    • Type: Poster Session
    • Track: Medical Oncology
    • Presentations: 1
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      P2.11-023 - BE-Positive: Gefitinib in first-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harboring activating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. A combined retrospective and prospective analysis from Italian patients. (ID 1881)

      09:30 - 09:30  |  Author(s): A. Morabito

      • Abstract

      Background
      Advanced NSCLC patients have an extremely poor prognosis with a 5-year survival rate of less than 5%. In 2009, the European Medicines Agency approved gefitinib, a reversible EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, at the dose of 250 mg daily for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR activating mutations. As the first-line EGFR mutation positive data at that time were mainly in Asian populations a prospective phase IV, open-label, single-arm study of first-line gefitinib in Caucasian patients was presented: this trial confirmed the activity and efficacy of gefitinib in 106 Caucasian patients (Douillard EMCTO 2013). In the same way, we initially collected retrospectively, continuing then prospectively, the data of NSCLC EGFR-mutation positive Italian patients treated with first-line gefitinib, with the aim to evaluate the therapeutic outcomes and the approaches beyond progression in a “real life population”.

      Methods
      We collected data of patients who started gefitinib from June 2009 until May 2013. Primary endpoint was the evaluation of first line outcomes, in terms of: objective response rate (ORR), duration of treatment, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and safety. Secondary endpoint is the evaluation of the outcomes beyond progression to gefitinib. Here we report the results of first-line gefitinib of a large number of Caucasian patients.

      Results
      Data of 203 patients from 23 Italian Institutions were collected. The main patients characteristics were: median age 67 (range: 33-87), male/female 76/127, ECOG performance status (PS) 0/1/2/3/4 in 89/92/18/2/2 patients, 90.6% adenocarcinoma (in our study the percentage of carcinoma non otherwise specified was 1.5%), never/former/current smoker in 129/64/10, del19/L858R/uncommon in 128/57/18. In one case a T790M mutation ex novo was found in association with the deletion of the exon 19 (not all the patients were tested for this mutation at baseline). A median time for obtaining the EGFR test result was 8-15 days (more than 30% of the patients got the results in less than one week). Patients evaluable at the time of data lock were 168, of these 3 (1.8%) patients achieved a complete response, 72 (42.9%) a partial response for an ORR of 44.7%, 54 (32.1%) patients were stable. Median treatment with gefitinib was 38 weeks. Main toxicities were: grade 3-4 skin rash and diarrhea in 1.8% and 4.2%, respectively. Treatment was definitely stopped due toxicity in 4.2% of patients. After progression in 5 cases a re-biopsy was performed and 94 (56%) received a second-line treatment.

      Conclusion
      BE-Positive is the first study reporting results of first-line gefitinib in a large "real life population" of Caucasian patients. Data were firstly collected in a retrospective fashion, than in a prospective way. This study shows that Caucasian patients reported lower ORR when indirectly compared to Asian counterparts, but this is probably due to the partial analysis of the patients, excluding at this time those who are still on treatment. However, the tolerability profile was excellent and the median time of treatment is quite overlapping to literature data. The outcomes of PFS, OS and treatment beyond gefitinib progression will be reported when mature.

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    P2.24 - Poster Session 2 - Supportive Care (ID 157)

    • Event: WCLC 2013
    • Type: Poster Session
    • Track: Supportive Care
    • Presentations: 1
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      P2.24-007 - First-line Pemetrexed plus Cisplatin followed by maintenance Pemetrexed vs Carboplatin-Paclitaxel plus Bevacizumab followed by maintenance Bevacizumab (ERACLE) in advanced non squamous non-small Cell Lung Cancer : a Quality of Life-oriented, multicenter randomized phase III trial of the GOIM (Gruppo Oncologico Italia Meridionale). (ID 749)

      09:30 - 09:30  |  Author(s): A. Morabito

      • Abstract

      Background
      Chemotherapy (CT) for advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NS-NSCLC) without oncogenic drivers remains palliative with suggested similar efficacy and survival among different regimens. Histotype, maintenance therapy (m) and quality of life (QoL) have been explored to improve patients (pts) outcome. The ERACLE trial (NCT01303926), a QoL-oriented phase III trial, was designed to compare the QoL for two CT regimens.

      Methods
      Pts with stage IIIB/IV NS-NSCLC (ECOG 0/1) were randomized (1:1) to receive first-line CT. Arm A received 6 cycles of Cisplatin (C) (75 mg/m[2])/Pemetrexed (P) (500 mg/m[2]) q3w, followed by mP (500 mg/m[2]), while Arm B received Carboplatin (Cb) AUC 6/Paclitaxel (T) 200 mg/m[2] plus Bevacizumab (Be) 15 mg/kg q3w for 6 cycles, followed by mBe 15 mg/kg. Both treatments were administered until progression, unacceptable toxicity or death. Stratification was based on Study Centre and disease stage. Co-Primary endpoints were EQ5D Index (EQ5D-I) and EQ5D-VAS (Euro-QoL questionnaire). Quality of life data were collected at three time points during the induction phase and at 12 and 18 weeks during the maintenance phase. Secondary endpoints were QoL over time, safety and activity of CT arms. A sample size of 49 pts per arm (that have not progressed during initial CT and during maintenance therapy for at least 12 weeks) would have 91% chance to have 12-point Minimal Interesting Difference (MID) between arms for EQ5D-VAS, and 87% chance to find 0.137 MID between arms for EQ5D-I. It is assumed that about 20% of pts in both arms experience progressive disease before the evaluation of the primary endpoint. The study sample was then increased to 118.

      Results
      From 1/2011 to 3/2012, 118 pts were randomized to Arm A (n=60) or Arm B (n=58). Baseline demographics were well balanced across arms; Arm A/Arm B male: 70%/77.6%, PS 0: 78.3%/79.3%, stage IV 95%/93%, smokers: 63%/52% . Seventy four pts (62,7%) received maintenance chemotherapy. Treatment differences (mean change from baseline), EQ5D-VAS = 1.82 (95%CI -8.60 to 12.24; P=0.73), EQ5D-I = 0.15 (95%CI 0.01 to 0.29), favoured arm A. Safety was as expected without relevant haematological toxicity and with a significant impact of G3/4 alopecia (p=0.002) and G 1-3 neurotoxicity in ARM B (p=0.008) during induction. Response rates were (Arm A/Arm B) partial responses 40%/51%; stable disease 48.3%/27.6%. The Hazard Ratio (HR) for Progression Free Survival Arm A/Arm B [Cox's analysis] was 0.62 (95%CI 0.41 to 0.95) p=0.03 and HR for Overall Survival Arm A/Arm B [Cox's analysis] was 0.69 (95%CI 0.61 to 1.04) p=0.08.

      Conclusion
      Arm A showed better (over the MID) health profile (EQ5D-I) as compared to Arm B. EQ5D-VAS didn’t find any significant difference between treatment arms. By assuming equal activity, the choice of a treatment for advanced NSCLC should be mainly based on QoL.