Two-Stage Single-Arm Trials Are Rarely Analyzed Effectively or Reported Adequately

PURPOSE Two-stage single-arm designs have historically been the most common design used in phase II oncology. They remain a mainstay today, particularly for trials in rare subgroups. Consequently, it is imperative such studies be designed, analyzed, and reported effectively. We comprehensively review such trials to examine whether this is the case. METHODS Oncology trials that used Simon's two-stage design over a 5-year period were identified and reviewed. They were evaluated for whether they reported sufficient design (eg, required sample size) and analysis (eg, CI) details. Articles that did not adjust their inference for the incorporation of an interim analysis were also reanalyzed. RESULTS Four-hundred twenty-five articles were included. Of these, just 47.5% provided the five components that ensure design reproducibility. Only 1.2% and 2.1% reported an adjusted point estimate or CI, respectively. Just 55.3% provided the final stage rejection bound, indicating many trials did not test a hypothesis for their primary outcome. Trial reanalyses suggested reported point estimates underestimated treatment effects and reported CIs were too narrow. CONCLUSION Key design details of two-stage single-arm trials are often unreported. Their inference is rarely performed such as to remove bias introduced by the interim analysis. These findings are particular alarming when considered against the growing trend in which nonrandomized trials make up a large proportion of all evidence on a treatment's effectiveness in a rare biomarker-defined patient subgroup. Future studies must improve the way they are analyzed and reported.

Is antibiotic treatment effective in the management of chronic low back pain with disc herniation? Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Background There has been immense interest and debate regarding the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment for chronic low back pain. Two randomised controlled trials have examined the efficacy of antibiotics for chronic low back pain with disc herniation and Modic changes, but have reported conflicting results. The aim of this double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial is to determine the efficacy of antibiotic treatment in a broader patient subgroup of chronic low back pain with disc herniation and investigate whether the presence of Modic changes predicts response to antibiotic therapy. Methods One hundred and seventy individuals with chronic low back pain will be recruited through hospital and private medical and allied health clinics; advertising in national, community and social media; and posting of flyers in community locations. They will be randomly allocated to receive either amoxicillin-clavulanate (500 mg/125 mg) twice per day for 90 days or placebo. The primary outcome measure of pain intensity will be assessed using the Low Back Pain Rating scale and a 100-mm visual analogue scale at 12 months. Secondary measures of self-reported low back disability and work absence and hindrance will also be examined, and an economic analysis will be conducted. Intention-to-treat analyses will be performed. Discussion There is uncertainty about whether antibiotic treatment is effective for chronic low back pain and, if effective, which patient subgroup is most likely to respond. We will conduct a clinical trial to investigate the efficacy of antibiotics compared with placebo in individuals with chronic low back pain and a disc herniation. Our findings will provide high-quality evidence to assist in answering these questions. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12615000958583. Registered on 11 September 2015

CytoSorb® Hemoadsorption as a Promising Tool to Handle COVID-19-Induced Cytokine Storm

Accumulating evidence suggests that a patient subgroup with severe COVID-19 develops a cytokine release syndrome leading to capillary leakage and organ injury. Recent publications addressing therapy of cytokine storms recommended new extracorporeal therapies such as hemoadsorption. This case report describes a 59-year-old SARS-CoV-2-positive patient with severe ARDS. Due to severe hyperinflammation with concomitant hemodynamic instability and progressive renal failure, combination of continuous renal replacement and CytoSorb® hemoadsorption therapy was initiated. Treatment resulted immediately in a control of the hyperinflammatory response. Simultaneously, lung function continued to improve accompanied by profound hemodynamic stabilization. We report the successful utilization of CytoSorb® hemoadsorption in the treatment of a patient with SARS-CoV-2-induced cytokine storm syndrome.

Neue Krankheiten mit Bluttranskriptomik entschlüsseln

The COVID-19 pandemic is leading to increasing numbers of patients all over the world. Reports on a dysregulated immune system in the severe cases calls for a better characterization of the ongoing changes. To dissect COVID-19-driven immune host responses, we profiled whole blood transcriptomes enabling a data-driven stratification based on molecular phenotype. This analysis allowed prediction of patient subgroup-specific drug candidates targeting the dysregulated systemic immune response of the host.

Nitroglycerin (NTG) plus whole intracranial radiotherapy for brain metastases (BM) in non-small cell cancer patient (NSCLC): A randomized open label, phase II clinical trial.

9114 Background: Hypoxia has been associated with chemo-radioresistance secondary to Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor induced by Hypoxia Induced Factor (HIF). Nitroglycerin (NTG) can reduce HIF-1 in cell lines, and this may have anti-angiogenic, pro-apoptotic, and anti-efflux effects. Particularly, EGFR mutated (EGFRm) tumor cell lines have been shown to overexpress both VEGF and HIF. In this phase II study, we evaluated the effect of transdermal NTG on intracranial objective response rate (iORR), intracranial progression-free survival (ICPFS), and overall survival (OS) of NSCLC patients with BM. Methods: We performed an open-label, phase II clinical trial among ninety-six histologically confirmed NSCLC patients with BM. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive NTG plus WBRT (30 Gy in 10 fractions) or WBRT alone. iORR and ICPFS were evaluated by MRI by two independent, blinded radiologists. Nitroglycerin was administered using a transdermal 36 mg patch, which released 10 mg in 24 hours with a rest interval of 12 hours from Monday-Friday throughout WBRT administration (10 days). Results: Fifty patients were allocated to the control group, while 46 were allocated to the experimental group (NTG); among these 26 (55.3%) had EGFRm in the control group and 21 (44.7%) had EGFRm in the NTG arm. In terms of the iORR, patients in the NTG group had a significantly higher response when compared to controls (56.6% vs. 43.5%; p = 0.024). Additionally, patients who received NTG in addition to WBRT had an independently prolonged ICPFS compared with those who received WBRT alone (27.7 vs. 9.6; HR: 0.470 [95%CI: 0.24-0.89]; p = 0.021). PFS was also positively impacted (HR: 0.519 [95%CI: 0.27-0.98]; p = 0.043). The benefit in terms of iORR and ICPFS (HR: 0.38 [95%CI: 0.16-0.91]; p = 0.030) was particularly important in the EGFRm patient subgroup. No differences were observed in OS. A significantly higher rate of vomiting presented in the NTG arm of the study ( p= 0.016). Conclusions: The concurrent administration of NTG and chemo-radiotherapy improves iORR and ICPFS among NSCLC patients with BM. The benefit is particularly significant in the EGFRm patient subgroup. Clinical trial information: NCT04338867.