scholarly journals Irreversible electroporation for locally advanced pancreatic cancer

Author(s):  
D. A. Astakhov ◽  
D. N. Panchenkov ◽  
Yu. V. Ivanov ◽  
O. R. Shablovsky ◽  
A. G. Kedrova ◽  
...  

Aim. To assess overall survival and recurrence-free period in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer who underwent irreversible electroporation of the tumor in combination with chemotherapy. Matherials and methods. It was performed a prospective analysis of overall survival in 23 patients who underwent irreversible electroporation of unresectable pancreatic cancer for the period from May 2012 to March 2017. Control group consisted of 35 patients with pancreatic cancer stage III who received standard chemotherapy alone. Results. Mean age of patients was 61 years (range 45–80). All procedures were successful. Fifteen patients had pancreatic head cancer, 8 – cancer of pancreatic body. Preoperative chemotherapy has been applied in 20 (86.9%) patients for 4 months prior to surgery on the average. Seventeen (73%) patients underwent chemotherapy after electroporation procedure. 90-day mortality was 4.3% (n = 1) in electroporation group. Surgery was followed by improved local recurrence-free survival (12 and 6 months, respectively, p = 0.01) and distant recurrence-free survival (15 and 8 months, respectively, p = 0.03). Overall survival was 18 and 11 months, respectively (p = 0.03). Conclusion. Irreversible electroporation of locally advanced pancreatic cancer is safe. Four-month chemotherapy followed by surgical procedure is associated with good local response and better overall survival compared with chemotherapy alone. These data will be validated in further multicenter study.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakob Liermann ◽  
Patrick Naumann ◽  
Fabian Weykamp ◽  
Philipp Hoegen ◽  
Juergen Debus ◽  
...  

PurposeEffective treatment strategies for unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) patients are eagerly warranted. Recently, convincing oncological outcomes were demonstrated by carbon ion radiotherapy. Nevertheless, there is a lack of evidence for this modern radiation technique due to the limited number of carbon ion facilities worldwide. Here, we analyze feasibility and efficacy of carbon ion radiotherapy in the management of LAPC at Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center (HIT).MethodsBetween 2015 and 2020, 21 LAPC patients were irradiated with carbon ions with a total dose of 48 Gy (RBE) in single doses of 4 Gy (RBE). Three patients (14%) were treated with concomitant chemotherapy with gemcitabine 300 mg/m2 body surface weekly. Toxicity rates were extracted from the charts. Overall survival, progression free survival, local control, and locoregional control were evaluated using Kaplan–Meier estimates.ResultsOne patient developed ascites CTCAE grade III during radiotherapy, which was related to a later histologically confirmed metachronous peritoneal carcinomatosis. No further higher-graded toxicity could be observed. The most common symptoms were nausea and abdominal pain. After a median estimated follow-up time of 19.1 months, the median progression free survival was 3.7 months, and the median overall survival was 11.9 months. The estimated 1-year local control and locoregional control rates were 89 and 84%, respectively.ConclusionCarbon ion radiotherapy of LAPC patients is safely feasible. Local tumor control rates were high. Nevertheless, compared to historical data, an overall survival improvement could not be observed. This could be explained by the poor prognosis of the selected underlying patients that mostly did not respond to prior chemotherapy as well as the early and frequent emergence of distant metastases that demonstrate the necessity of additional chemotherapy in further studies.


2022 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Woeste ◽  
Khaleel D. Wilson ◽  
Edward J. Kruse ◽  
Matthew J. Weiss ◽  
John D. Christein ◽  
...  

BackgroundIrreversible electroporation (IRE) has emerged as a viable consolidative therapy after induction chemotherapy, in which this combination has improved overall survival of locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). Optimal timing and patient selection for irreversible electroporation remains a clinically unmet need. The aim of this study was to investigate preoperative factors that may assist in predicting progression-free and overall survival following IRE.MethodsA multi-institutional, prospectively maintained database was reviewed for patients with LAPC treated with induction chemotherapy followed by open-technique irreversible electroporation from 7/2015-5/2019. RECIST 1.1 criteria were used to assess tumor response and radiological progression. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were recorded. Survival analyses were performed using Kaplan Meier and Cox multivariable regression analyses.Results187 LAPC patients (median age 62 years range, 21 – 91, 65% men, 35% women) were treated with IRE. Median PFS was 21.7 months and median OS from diagnosis was 25.5 months. On multivariable analysis, age ≤ 61 (HR 0.41, 95%CI 0.21-0.78, p<0.008) and no prior radiation (HR 0.49, 95%CI 0.26-0.94, p=0.03) were positive predictors of OS after IRE. Age ≤ 61(HR 0.53, 95%CI, 0.28-.99, p=0.046) and FOLFIRINOX followed by gemcitabine/abraxane induction chemotherapy (HR 0.37,95%CI 0.15-0.89, p=0.027) predicted prolonged PFS after IRE. Abnormal CA19-9 values at the time of surgery negatively impacted both OS (HR 2.46, 95%CI 1.28-4.72, p<0.007) and PFS (HR 2.192, 95%CI 1.143-4.201, p=0.018) following IRE.ConclusionsAge, CA 19-9 response, avoidance of pre-IRE radiation, and FOLFIRINOX plus gemcitabine/abraxane induction chemotherapy are prominent factors to consider when referring or selecting LAPC patients to undergo IRE.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (29) ◽  
pp. 2643-2650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle C. Cuneo ◽  
Meredith A. Morgan ◽  
Vaibhav Sahai ◽  
Matthew J. Schipper ◽  
Leslie A. Parsels ◽  
...  

PURPOSE AZD1775 (adavosertib) is an inhibitor of the Wee1 kinase. In this study, we built on our preclinical studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AZD1775 in combination with gemcitabine and radiation in patients with newly diagnosed locally advanced pancreatic cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirty-four patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer were enrolled with the intention to receive four 21-day cycles of gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m2 days 1 and 8) with AZD1775 (once daily on days 1, 2, 8, and 9). Cycles 2 and 3 were administered concurrently with radiation, and cycles 5 to 8 were optional. AZD1775 was dose escalated using a time-to-event continual reassessment method on the basis of the rate of dose-limiting toxicities within the first 15 weeks of therapy. The primary objective was to determine the maximum tolerated dose of AZD1775 given in conjunction with gemcitabine and radiation. Secondary objectives were to estimate overall and progression-free survival and determine pharmacodynamic activity of AZD1775 in surrogate tissues. RESULTS The recommended phase II dose of AZD1775 was 150 mg/d. Eight patients (24%) experienced a dose-limiting toxicity, most commonly anorexia, nausea, or fatigue. The median overall survival for all patients was 21.7 months (90% CI, 16.7 to 24.8 months), and the median progression-free survival was 9.4 months (90% CI, 8.0 to 9.9 months). Hair follicle biopsy samples demonstrated evidence of Wee1 inhibition with decreased phosphorylation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 staining by immunohistochemistry after AZD1775 administration at the recommended phase II dose. CONCLUSION AZD1775 in combination with gemcitabine and radiation therapy was well tolerated at a dose that produced target engagement in a surrogate tissue. The overall survival is substantially higher than prior results combining gemcitabine with radiation therapy and warrants additional investigation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1609
Author(s):  
Zainab L. Rai ◽  
Roger Feakins ◽  
Laura J. Pallett ◽  
Derek Manas ◽  
Brian R. Davidson

Locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) accounts for 30% of patients with pancreatic cancer. Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a novel cancer treatment that may improve survival and quality of life in LAPC. This narrative review will provide a perspective on the clinical experience of pancreas IRE therapy, explore the evidence for the mode of action, assess treatment complications, and propose strategies for augmenting IRE response. A systematic search was performed using PubMed regarding the clinical use and safety profile of IRE on pancreatic cancer, post-IRE sequential histological changes, associated immune response, and synergistic therapies. Animal data demonstrate that IRE induces both apoptosis and necrosis followed by fibrosis. Major complications may result from IRE; procedure related mortality is up to 2%, with an average morbidity as high as 36%. Nevertheless, prospective and retrospective studies suggest that IRE treatment may increase median overall survival of LAPC to as much as 30 months and provide preliminary data justifying the well-designed trials currently underway, comparing IRE to the standard of care treatment. The mechanism of action of IRE remains unknown, and there is a lack of data on treatment variables and efficiency in humans. There is emerging data suggesting that IRE can be augmented with synergistic therapies such as immunotherapy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 4017-4017
Author(s):  
Masato Ozaka ◽  
Makoto Ueno ◽  
Hiroshi Ishii ◽  
Junki Mizusawa ◽  
Hiroshi Katayama ◽  
...  

4017 Background: FOLFIRINOX, consisting of leucovorin (LV), fluorouracil (FU), irinotecan (IRI) and oxaliplatin (L-OHP), and GnP, consisting of gemcitabine (GEM) plus nab-paclitaxel (nPTX), have shown superior efficacy over GEM in patients (pts) with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Although several studies have reported the efficacy of FOLFIRINOX or GnP for pts with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC), no randomized controlled trial to compare the two regimens has been conducted in those pts. To select the most promising chemotherapy for LAPC, a randomized phase II selection design trial (JCOG1407) was conducted to compare between modified FOLFIRINOX (FOLFIRINOX with dose reduction of IRI and without bolus FU; Arm A) and GnP (Arm B) for pts with LAPC. Methods: In Arm A, 85 mg/m2 of L-OHP, 200 mg/m2 of l-LV, 150 mg/m2 of IRI, followed by 2,400 mg/m2 of continuous FU over 46 hours are infused every 2 weeks. In Arm B, 125 mg/m2 of nPTX followed by 1,000 mg/m2 of GEM are infused on days 1, 8, and 15 every 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was overall survival (the proportion of 1-year OS), and secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), distant metastasis-free survival (MFS) and response rate in pts with target lesions. The planned sample size was 124 pts to select more effective regimen in 1-year OS with a probability of at least 0.85 and to test the null hypothesis of 53% in 1-year OS with a one-sided alpha of 5% and 80% Results: From 2015 to 2019, a total of 126 pts was enrolled from 29 Japanese institutions, and were allocated to Arm A (n = 62) or Arm B (n = 64). The median (range) age was 66 (44-75) years and 58.7% were male. At the analysis, after a median (range) follow-up of 1.52 (0.55-3.99) years, 75 (59.5%) pts died. The proportion of 1-year OS was better in Arm B, 77.4% [95% CI 64.9–86.0] vs. 82.5% [95% CI 70.7–89.9], but 2-year OS was better in Arm A, 48.2% [95% CI 33.3–61.7] vs. 39.7% [95% CI 28.6–52.5]. Median OS was 2.0 years [95% CI 1.6-2.7] in Arm A and 1.8 years [95% CI 1.5-2.0] in Arm B. 1-year PFS for Arm A/B was 47.5 % [95% CI 34.5-59.4]/40.2% [95% CI 27.8-52.3], and 1-year MFS was 64.2 % [95% CI 50.9-74.8]/57.3% [95% CI 43.9-68.6]. Arm A was better OS in pts with CA19-9 <1000 U/mL and the opposite trend was observed in pts with CA19-9>1000 U/mL. Response rate was 30.9% [95% CI 19.1-44.8] in Arm A, and 41.4% [95% CI 28.6-55.1]) in Arm B. Incidences of grade 3-4 non-hematological toxicities for Arm A and Arm B were 66.1% and 67.2%, respectively. There was no treatment-related death. Conclusions: This study was the first randomized trial comparing the two regimens. The 1-year OS of the primary endpoint in GnP was better than mFOLFIRINOX, but mFOLFIRINOX achieved longer survival in 2-year OS. It is required to confirm longer OS and safety profiles which regimen should be selected as a standard regimen in LAPC. Clinical trial information: jRCTs031180085.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 439-439
Author(s):  
Daniel W Kim ◽  
Grace Lee ◽  
Colin D. Weekes ◽  
David P. Ryan ◽  
Aparna Raj Parikh ◽  
...  

439 Background: Chemoradiation (CRT) induced lymphopenia is common and associated with poorer survival in multiple solid malignancies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of lymphopenia in patients with nonmetastatic, unresectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) treated by neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX (5-fluorouracil [5FU]/leucovorin/irinotecan/oxaliplatin) followed by CRT. We hypothesized that severe lymphopenia would correlate with worse survival. Methods: The inclusion criteria for this single-institution retrospective study were: 1) biopsy-proven diagnosis of unresectable PDAC, 2) absence of distant metastasis, 3) receipt of neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX followed by CRT, and 4) absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) available prior to and two months after initiating CRT. In general, CRT consisted of 5FU or capecitabine and RT with 58.8 Gy over 28 fractions. Lymphopenia was graded according to CTCAE v5.0. The primary variable of interest was lymphopenia at two months, dichotomized by ALC of < 0.5/μl (Grade 3 lymphopenia). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Cox modeling and Kaplan-Meier methods were used to perform survival analyses. Results: A total of 138 patients were identified. Median follow-up for the entire cohort was 16 months. Median age was 65. Fifty-six percent were female, 86% were Caucasian, and 97% had ECOG ≤1. Median tumor size was 3.8 cm. Tumor location was pancreatic head in 63%, body in 22%, tail in 8%, and neck in 7%. Median baseline ALC for the entire cohort was 1.5 k/ul. Two months after initiating CRT, 106 (77%) had severe (Grade 3 or worse) lymphopenia. While there were no significant differences in baseline patient or disease characteristics, patients with severe lymphopenia received higher doses of RT with longer duration of treatment compared to those without severe lymphopenia. On multivariable Cox model, severe lymphopenia at two months was significantly associated with increased hazards of death (HR = 4.00 [95% CI 2.03-7.89], p < 0.001). Greater number of neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX cycles received prior to CRT was associated with lower hazards of death (HR = 0.84 [95% CI 0.77-0.92], p < 0.001). The 12-month OS was 73% vs. 90% in the cohort with vs. without severe lymphopenia, respectively (log-rank p < 0.001). Conclusions: Treatment-related lymphopenia is common and severe lymphopenia may be a prognostic marker of poorer survival in locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Closer observation in high-risk patients and minimization of RT dose and duration are potential approaches to mitigating CRT-related lymphopenia. Our findings also suggest an important role of the host immunity in pancreatic cancer outcomes, supporting the ongoing efforts of immunotherapy trials in pancreatic cancer.


Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eran van Veldhuisen ◽  
Claudia van den Oord ◽  
Lilly J. Brada ◽  
Marieke S. Walma ◽  
Jantien A. Vogel ◽  
...  

Locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) has several definitions but essentially is a nonmetastasized pancreatic cancer, in which upfront resection is considered not beneficial due to extensive vascular involvement and consequent high chance of a nonradical resection. The introduction of FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy and gemcitabine-nab-paclitaxel (gem-nab) has had major implications for the management and outcome of patients with LAPC. After 4–6 months induction chemotherapy, the majority of patients have stable disease or even tumor-regression. Of these, 12 to 35% are successfully downstaged to resectable disease. Several studies have reported a 30–35 months overall survival after resection; although it currently remains unclear if this is a result of the resection or the good response to chemotherapy. Following chemotherapy, selection of patients for resection is difficult, as contrast-enhanced computed-tomography (CT) scan is unreliable in differentiating between viable tumor and fibrosis. In case a resection is not considered possible but stable disease is observed, local ablative techniques are being studied, such as irreversible electroporation, radiofrequency ablation, and stereotactic body radiation therapy. Pragmatic, multicenter, randomized studies will ultimately have to confirm the exact role of both surgical exploration and ablation in these patients. Since evidence-based guidelines for the management of LAPC are lacking, this review proposes a standardized approach for the treatment of LAPC based on the best available evidence.


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