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G. Bellezza



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    P1.07 - Poster Session with Presenters Present (ID 459)

    • Event: WCLC 2016
    • Type: Poster Presenters Present
    • Track: SCLC/Neuroendocrine Tumors
    • Presentations: 1
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      P1.07-018 - Incidence of Brain Recurrence and Survival Outcomes in High-Grade Neuroendocrine Carcinomas of the Lung: Implications for Clinical Practice (ID 3879)

      14:30 - 14:30  |  Author(s): G. Bellezza

      • Abstract
      • Slides

      Background:
      Among patients with advanced high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma (HGNEC) of the lung, the optimal therapeutic management is much less established for large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (LCNECs) than for small cell lung cancers (SCLCs). We evaluated the survival outcomes and incidence of brain recurrence of advanced LCNECs, and compared them with those of a population of SCLCs matched by stage.

      Methods:
      Forty-eight unresected stage III HGNECs (16 LCNECs and 32 SCLCs) and 113 stage IV HGNECs (37 LCNECs and 76 SCLCs) were eligible for the analysis. The efficacy of platinum-etoposide chemotherapy with or without thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) and/or prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) was investigated.

      Results:
      Overall response was significantly lower for LCNECs compared with SCLCs for both stage III (43.8% vs 90.6% respectively, P=0.004) and stage IV (43.3% vs 64.5%, respectively, P=0.04). Similarly, an inferior outcome was observed in terms of progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) for LCNECs compared with SCLCs, which, however, reached significance only for stage III disease (median: 5.6 vs 8.9 months, P=0.06 and 10.4 vs 17.6 months, P=0.03 for PFS and OS, respectively), (Figure 1). Histologic subtype (LCNEC vs SCLC) was an independent prognosticator in multivariate analysis. In the lack of PCI, LCNECs showed a high cumulative incidence of brain metastases, as 58% and 48% of still living stage III and IV patients, respectively, developed brain metastases at 18 moFigure 1



      Conclusion:
      Patients with advanced LCNECs are at high risk for brain recurrence. Unresected stage III LCNECs treated with platinum-etoposide with or without TRT bear a dismal prognosis, when compared indirectly with SCLC counterparts. Randomized trials should evaluate whether PCI could improve survival of advanced LCNECs.

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    P3.02c - Poster Session with Presenters Present (ID 472)

    • Event: WCLC 2016
    • Type: Poster Presenters Present
    • Track: Advanced NSCLC
    • Presentations: 1
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      P3.02c-068 - Immunotherapy against Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): Looking for Predictive Factors to Avoid an Untargeted Shooting (ID 5207)

      14:30 - 14:30  |  Author(s): G. Bellezza

      • Abstract

      Background:
      The use of immunotherapy for the whole Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) population, is like an untargeted shooting. So trying to discover predicitve factors to response still represents the key to the problem. We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of patients (pts) treated with Nivolumab, in the attempt to correlate clinical and molecular features with response.

      Methods:
      69 heavily pretreated advanced NSCLCs (16 squamous/ 53 adenocarcinomas) were retrospectively evaluated for response to Nivolumab. Pts’ samples from a subgroup of responders (14/17 pts, 82%), were further analyzed for PD-L1/PD-1 expression by immunoistochemistry (IHC), and for TILs density. We used rabbit monoclonal antibodies anti PD-L1 [clone E1L3N] for tumor cell expression (0-3, negative-intense) and mouse monoclonal antibody anti PD-1 [clone EH33] for TILs.

      Results:
      Clinico-pathologic characteristics: mostly smoker males (81%), PS 0-1 (85%), EGFR+ 7%, K-RAS+ 23%. Overall response rate was 25% (2% complete response and 23% partial response), stable disease 30%, progressive disease 41%. Median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for the entire cohort were 2.9 and 8.3 months (mo) respectively. 1 and 2-y OS rates were both 44% (95% CI, 29-58). Pts with EGFR + NSCLC showed a significantly lower median OS with respect to the wild type cohort (4.5 vs NR; p < 0.005) as well as pts with brain metastases (4.1 vs NR), while a trend toward improvement in PFS for K-RAS+ was seen. A subgroup analysis according to the time to progression to prior chemotherapy regimen (< 3 mo versus > 6 mo), confirmed a poorer survival for those with rapid spread of disease. Among laboratory tests, a better outcome for those who developed G2 leucopenia was demostrated (OS 8.3 vs 5.0 mo). Severe drug-related adverse events occurred in only 5.7% of pts. PD-L1, PD-1, TIL expression for 14/17 pts with OR, were as follows: PD-L1 > 5% 6/14 pts (43%); PD-1 2/14 (14%); focal TILs presence 7/14 (50%).

      Conclusion:
      Nivolumab confirms activity in NSCLC with durable responses and accettable safety profile. Of note, 44% of our patients were alive at 2 years. No predictive role emerged in our small cohort, according PD-L1, PD-1 and TILs expression, for those obtaining a tumor response. Interactions among alternative factors such as smoking habit, mutational status, time to progression, bone marrow toxicities (ie leucopenia), may have more powerful association with response and clinical outcome. Updated clinical activity and biomarker analysis will be presented.