taxane and Vomiting

The antibody-drug conjugate trastuzumab emtansine is indicated for the treatment of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer previously treated with trastuzumab and a taxane. Approval of this drug was based on progression-free survival and interim overall survival data from the phase 3 EMILIA study. In this report, we present a descriptive analysis of the final overall survival data from that trial.. EMILIA was a randomised, international, open-label, phase 3 study of men and women aged 18 years or older with HER2-positive unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer previously treated with trastuzumab and a taxane. Enrolled patients were randomly assigned (1:1) via a hierarchical, dynamic randomisation scheme and an interactive voice response system to trastuzumab emtansine (3·6 mg/kg intravenously every 3 weeks) or control (capecitabine 1000 mg/m. Between Feb 23, 2009, and Oct 13, 2011, 991 eligible patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to either trastuzumab emtansine (n=495) or capecitabine and lapatinib (control; n=496). In this final descriptive analysis, median overall survival was longer with trastuzumab emtansine than with control (29·9 months [95% CI 26·3-34·1] vs 25·9 months [95% CI 22·7-28·3]; hazard ratio 0·75 [95% CI 0·64-0·88]). 136 (27%) of 496 patients crossed over from control to trastuzumab emtansine after the second interim overall survival analysis (median follow-up duration 24·1 months [IQR 19·5-26·1]). Of those patients originally randomly assigned to trastuzumab emtansine, 254 (51%) of 495 received capecitabine and 241 [49%] of 495 received lapatinib (separately or in combination) after study drug discontinuation. In the safety population (488 patients treated with capecitabine plus lapatinib, 490 patients treated with trastuzumab emtansine), fewer grade 3 or worse adverse events occurred with trastuzumab emtansine (233 [48%] of 490) than with capecitabine plus lapatinib control treatment (291 [60%] of 488). In the control group, the most frequently reported grade 3 or worse adverse events were diarrhoea (103 [21%] of 488 patients) followed by palmar-plantar erythrodysaesthesia syndrome (87 [18%]), and vomiting (24 [5%]). The safety profile of trastuzumab emtansine was similar to that reported previously; the most frequently reported grade 3 or worse adverse events in the trastuzumab emtansine group were thrombocytopenia (70 [14%] of 490), increased aspartate aminotransferase levels (22 [5%]), and anaemia (19 [4%]). Nine patients died from adverse events; five of these deaths were judged to be related to treatment (two in the control group [coronary artery disease and multiorgan failure] and three in the trastuzumab emtansine group [metabolic encephalopathy, neutropenic sepsis, and acute myeloid leukaemia]).. This descriptive analysis of final overall survival in the EMILIA trial shows that trastuzumab emtansine improved overall survival in patients with previously treated HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer even in the presence of crossover treatment. The safety profile was similar to that reported in previous analyses, reaffirming trastuzumab emtansine as an efficacious and tolerable treatment in this patient population.. F Hoffmann-La Roche/Genentech.

Topics: Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anemia; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Antineoplastic Agents; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Aspartate Aminotransferases; Breast Neoplasms; Breast Neoplasms, Male; Bridged-Ring Compounds; Capecitabine; Diarrhea; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Hand-Foot Syndrome; Humans; Lapatinib; Male; Maytansine; Middle Aged; Quinazolines; Receptor, ErbB-2; Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors; Retreatment; Survival Rate; Taxoids; Thrombocytopenia; Trastuzumab; Vomiting; Young Adult

Lenalidomide, a highly potent immunomodulatory derivative of thalidomide, potentiates the action of paclitaxel in vitro against prostate cancer cell lines in co-culture with mononuclear cells. A modular Phase I study of lenalidomide and paclitaxel in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) was conducted to assess PSA kinetics with lead-in lenalidomide and the feasibility of the combination.. Men with metastatic CRPC with prior taxane chemotherapy were planned for single-agent "lead-in" lenalidomide for 21/28 days at dose-levels: -1 (5 mg), 0 (10 mg), +1 (15 mg), +2 (20 mg), +3 (25 mg); followed by lenalidomide at the same dose and schedule in combination with weekly intravenous paclitaxel 100 mg/m(2) over 3 h on days 1, 8, 15 every 28 days utilizing a 3 + 3 dose-escalation design.. Dose-limiting toxicity was observed in 4/6 patients with first-cycle combination therapy at the 10 mg dose-level and 3/6 patients at the 5 mg dose-level of lenalidomide, respectively. These included Grade 3 neutropenia precluding planned paclitaxel therapy (n = 3), grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity (n = 2), chest pain (n = 1) and pulmonary embolism (n = 1). With lead-in lenalidomide, two patients with lymph-node dominant CRPC had a PSA-decline and regression in lymph node disease, respectively. Two of seven evaluable patients had PSA declines by 50% with combination therapy. Progression-free survival was 13 weeks (range 4-35 weeks).. The high dose-limiting toxicity rates observed with lenalidomide and weekly paclitaxel require exploration of alternate dose-schedules of the combination in the second-line setting of CRPC. These early observations suggest distinctive toxicity and efficacy outcomes from thalidomide in combination with paclitaxel.

Topics: Aged; Anemia; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Bridged-Ring Compounds; Combined Modality Therapy; Diarrhea; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Administration Schedule; Humans; Lenalidomide; Male; Middle Aged; Nausea; Neutropenia; Orchiectomy; Paclitaxel; Prostate-Specific Antigen; Prostatic Neoplasms; Survival Analysis; Taxoids; Thalidomide; Treatment Outcome; Vomiting

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of single-agent gemcitabine for the treatment of patients with anthracycline- and taxane-pretreated metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Eligible patients were required to have bidimensionally measurable MBC that had been treated with 2-4 prior chemotherapy regimens that included an anthracycline and a taxane. Gemcitabine was delivered at a dose of 800 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle until evidence of disease progression.. Twenty-two patients were enrolled and included in the safety analysis; 18 patients were evaluable for response. The median age of patients was 54 years (range, 36-70 years). The mean number of prior chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease was 2.3, and the mean dose of gemcitabine delivered was 911 mg/m2 (range, 600-1600 mg/m2).. Overall, gemcitabine was well tolerated with minimal grade 3 toxicities; the only grade 4 toxicity was 1 case of pulmonary embolus. Three patients had evidence of partial tumor regression (17%; 95% CI, 4%-41%), and 1 patient had a 41% decrease in tumor volume, including liver metastasis.. Gemcitabine is active and well tolerated as monotherapy given in heavily pretreated patients with MBC after anthracyclines and taxanes. The activity and safety reported in this trial are consistent with previous reports in similar patients.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Anthracyclines; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Bone Neoplasms; Breast Neoplasms; Bridged-Ring Compounds; Deoxycytidine; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Doxorubicin; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; Gemcitabine; Humans; Infusions, Intravenous; Liver Neoplasms; Lung Neoplasms; Middle Aged; Nausea; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Neoplasm Staging; Prognosis; Salvage Therapy; Skin Neoplasms; Soft Tissue Neoplasms; Survival Analysis; Taxoids; Treatment Outcome; Vomiting

Due to advances in anticancer treatment and supportive care, patients increasingly complained about nonphysical side effects of chemotherapy and targeted therapy in recent years. Therefore, continuous assessment of side effects and patients' perceptions is important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the identification and severity of side effects perceived by ovarian cancer (OC) and breast cancer (BC) patients undergoing contemporary anticancer therapy.. Between 2015 and 2017, consecutive chemo-naïve OC and BC patients were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Interviews were performed 12 ± 3 weeks after start of anticancer therapy, and patients were asked to select and rank, according to severity, 72 physical or nonphysical symptoms potentially related to their treatment. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics.. Forty-five OC patients and 98 BC patients completed the interview. Sleeping difficulties were ranked as the most troublesome symptom, followed by concerns about family or partner, and loss of hair. Alopecia was the most predominant side effect for BC patients, whereas OC patients were highly afflicted by numbness in limbs. Chemotherapy alone or in combination with targeted therapy caused pronounced sleep disturbances. Prolonged taxane treatment led to shortness of breath and numbness in limbs. Vomiting was ranked by one and nausea by eight women among the five most bothersome symptoms.. Sleep disturbances have lately emerged as the most severe problem in women with OC or BC receiving anticancer therapy. Concerns about family and partner were ranked second in the current study and first in previous investigations.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alopecia; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Bevacizumab; Breast Neoplasms; Bridged-Ring Compounds; Carboplatin; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Nausea; Ovarian Neoplasms; Perception; Prospective Studies; Sleep Wake Disorders; Taxoids; Trastuzumab; Vomiting; Young Adult

Available data in the literature comparing different induction chemotherapy (IC) regimens on locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are scarce. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the outcomes of locoregionally advanced NPC patients who were treated with taxane, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (TPF) or cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (PF) as IC followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).. In total, 1879 patients with locoregionally advanced NPC treated with IC and CCRT from a prospectively maintained database were included in the present observational study. We compared overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and locoregional relapse-free survival, using the propensity score method.. In total, 1256 patients received TPF or PF as IC backbone. The TPF group showed significantly better OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.660; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.442-0.986; P = 0.042), DSS (HR, 0.624; 95% CI 0.411-0.947; P = 0.027) and DMFS (HR, 0.589; 95% CI 0.406-0.855; P = 0.005) compared with the PF group in multivariable analyses. Propensity score matching identified 294 patients in each cohort and confirmed that TPF was associated with significantly improved 5-year OS (88.1% vs. 80.7%; P = 0.042), DSS (88.5% vs. 80.7%; P = 0.021) and DMFS (87.9% vs. 78.6%; P = 0.012) rates compared with the PF group. There were no significant differences in locoregional relapse-free survival before or after matching.. In our study, IC with the TPF regimen combined with CCRT showed improved long-term survival for the patients with locoregionally advanced NPC compared with the PF regimen. However, a prospective randomized clinical trial to validate these findings is necessary.

Topics: Adult; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Bridged-Ring Compounds; Chemoradiotherapy; Cisplatin; Female; Fluorouracil; Humans; Induction Chemotherapy; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Male; Middle Aged; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms; Nausea; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Neutropenia; Propensity Score; Retrospective Studies; Taxoids; Vomiting

To compare the efficacy and tolerability of taxane and nontaxane therapy in senior adults with chemonaïve metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), and examine the effect of patient health status on outcomes.. Between 2009 and 2011, 333 patients aged≥70 years with mCRPC were enrolled in a prospective international registry. Patients were categorized as having received taxane-based or nontaxane therapy, and classified as fit, vulnerable, frail, or terminal, according to investigator judgement or International Society of Geriatric Oncology guidelines. Efficacy measures included overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival. Grade 3/4 toxicities were recorded. Predictors of OS were identified using multivariate Cox regression.. The proportions of fit/vulnerable/frail patients were 65%/14%/17% (International Society of Geriatric Oncology), and 39%/43%/17% (investigator). In single-factor analyses, taxane therapy improved OS (hazard ratio [95%CI] = 0.53 [0.30-0.93]; P = 0.027) and progression-free survival (hazard ratio [95% CI] = 0.55 [0.40-0.76]; P<0.001) vs. nontaxane therapy. Patients with frailty also benefited from taxane therapy (adapted regimen in 52%). In multivariate analysis, taxanes improved OS even with poor prognostic factors present (P = 0.017); age was unrelated to prognosis. Taxane therapy was well tolerated; most common grade 3/4 toxicities (taxane vs. nontaxane) were fatigue (17% vs. 4%), nausea/vomiting (14% vs. 5%) and neutropenia (10% vs. 1%).. The results of this nonrandomized, observational study suggest that first-line taxane therapy may benefit senior adults with mCRPC more than alternative therapies. Treatment decisions should not be based on chronological age.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Bridged-Ring Compounds; Fatigue; Humans; International Cooperation; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Male; Nausea; Neutropenia; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant; Registries; Taxoids; Vomiting

There are extremely limited data available in the general oncology or gynecologic cancer literature to document the effectiveness of antiemetic therapy over multiple courses of cytotoxic chemotherapy.. To examine this highly clinically relevant issue, we analyzed the complete treatment course of patients with gynecologic cancers receiving carboplatin-based chemotherapy regimens who had participated in one of four institutional serotonin-receptor antagonist antiemetic trials, which had specifically evaluated the benefits of such therapy during only the first treatment course. Medical records were reviewed to examine the development of emesis during subsequent chemotherapy treatment cycles.. The 91 patients included in this analysis received a median of 6 courses (range 1-18) of carboplatin (initial AUC dose 4, 5, and 6 in 29, 29, and 32 patients, respectively). All received ondansetron or granisetron plus dexamethasone with every treatment course. Complete control of emesis (no acute or delayed nausea or vomiting) was experienced by 56 (62%) patients during every cycle. Conversely, 20% of women noted one or more episodes of nausea without vomiting and 19% developed at least one incidence of vomiting. In no case was emesis considered to be severe (grade 3), and no patient required either discontinuation of carboplatin or a dose reduction due to the development of emesis.. In the large majority of patients, serotonin-receptor antagonist antiemetic therapy, administered in combination with dexamethasone, is highly effective over multiple courses in preventing significant carboplatin-induced nausea and vomiting.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antiemetics; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Bridged-Ring Compounds; Carboplatin; Clinical Trials as Topic; Dexamethasone; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; Genital Neoplasms, Female; Granisetron; Humans; Middle Aged; Nausea; Ondansetron; Retrospective Studies; Serotonin Antagonists; Taxoids; Vomiting