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Colorectal Cancer
Neuroendocrine Tumors
Gastrointestinal Cancer
Hepatobiliary Cancer

New Data in Colorectal, Neuroendocrine, Gastric, and Hepatocellular Cancers

THE ANNUAL GASTROINTESTINAL CANCERS SYMPOSIUM took place earlier this year in San Francisco. In addition to important studies captured in our past few issues, The ASCO Post here briefly summarizes additional interesting studies. Adjuvant Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy in Colon Cancer...

breast cancer
gastroesophageal cancer
gastrointestinal cancer

FDA Approves Trastuzumab-qyyp in HER2-Overexpressing Breast and Gastric Cancers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved trastuzumab-qyyp (Trazimera), a biosimilar to trastuzumab (Herceptin), for the treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-overexpressing breast cancer and HER2-overexpressing metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal...

Gastroesophageal Cancer
Gastrointestinal Cancer

FDA Approves Trifluridine/Tipiracil for Recurrent, Metastatic Gastric and GEJ Adenocarcinoma

ON FEBRUARY 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved trifluridine/tipiracil tablets (Lonsurf)—a fixed combination of trifluridine, a nucleoside metabolic inhibitor, and tipiracil, a thymidine phosphorylase inhibitor—for adult patients with metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction...

Immunotherapy
Gastrointestinal Cancer

Study Shows Limited Antitumor Activity of Pembrolizumab in Neuroendocrine Tumors

Neuroendocrine tumors appear resistant to single-agent immunotherapy, according to the results of the KEYNOTE-028 trial of pembrolizumab. “Pembrolizumab monotherapy showed limited antitumor activity but a manageable safety profile in patients with previously treated, advanced neuroendocrine...

gastroesophageal cancer
gastrointestinal cancer

FDA Approves Trifluridine/Tipiracil for Recurrent, Metastatic Gastric and GEJ Adenocarcinoma

On February 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved trifluridine/tipiracil tablets (Lonsurf)—a fixed combination of trifluridine, a nucleoside metabolic inhibitor, and tipiracil, a thymidine phosphorylase inhibitor—for adult patients with metastatic gastric or...

gastroesophageal cancer
gastrointestinal cancer
immunotherapy

Addition of First-Line Ramucirumab to Cisplatin and Fluoropyrimidine in Metastatic Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma

In the phase III RAINFALL trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Fuchs et al found no apparent benefit of the addition of the VEGFR-2 inhibitor ramucirumab to first-line cisplatin and fluoropyrimidine treatment in metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. Study Details The...

Immunotherapy
Gastrointestinal Cancer

First-Line Trastuzumab Plus Pembrolizumab Shows Efficacy in Patients With Metastatic Esophagogastric Cancer

When added to first-line chemotherapy in patients with untreated metastatic HER2-positive esophageal, gastroesophageal junction, and gastric adenocarcinoma, the combination of pembrolizumab and trastuzumab produced responses in 87% of patients, with 100% of patients experiencing disease control and ...

Gastrointestinal Cancer
Head and Neck Cancer

Andecaliximab in Untreated Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer

The large phase III GAMMA-1 trial failed to replicate the encouraging findings from a previous smaller study of andecaliximab plus chemotherapy in untreated HER2-negative gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, according to Manish A. Shah, MD, of Weill Cornell Medicine/New York...

gastrointestinal cancer

Rongbo Lin, MD, on Gastric Cancer: Results From the FNF-004 Trial

Rongbo Lin, MD, of Fujian Cancer Hospital, discusses phase II study findings on FOLFOX alone vs paclitaxel plus FOLFOX vs intraperitoneal paclitaxel plus FOLFOX as a first-line treatment in advanced gastric cancer (Abstract 6).

gastroesophageal cancer
gastrointestinal cancer

Manish A. Shah, MD, on Gastric Cancer: Results From the GAMMA-1 Study on First-Line Combination Therapy

Manish A. Shah, MD, of NewYork–Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, discusses phase III data on the efficacy and safety of andecaliximab combined with mFOLFOX6 as first-line treatment in patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (Abstract 4).

gastrointestinal cancer

David H. Ilson, MD, PhD, on Gastric Cancer: Results From the TAGS Study on Third-Line Trifluridine/Tipiracil

David H. Ilson, MD, PhD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses findings on the efficacy and safety of third-line trifluridine/tipiracil in patients with metastatic gastric cancer with or without prior gastrectomy (Abstract 3).

breast cancer
gastroesophageal cancer
gastrointestinal cancer

FDA Approves Biosimilar Trastuzumab-dttb

On January 18, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved trastuzumab-dttb (Ontruzant), a biosimilar referencing trastuzumab, across all eligible indications—namely, adjuvant treatment of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer, metastatic breast cancer, and metastatic gastric cancer or...

head and neck cancer
gastrointestinal cancer
immunotherapy

2019 GI Cancers Symposium: Pembrolizumab in Second-Line Therapy for Advanced Esophageal Cancer

Pembrolizumab significantly improved overall survival in the second-line setting of advanced esophageal cancer in patients whose tumors tested positive for programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) with a combined positive score (CPS) of 10 or greater. This was compared to investigator’s choice...

gastrointestinal cancer

2019 GI Cancers Symposium: Safety, Efficacy of Trifluridine/Tipiracil in Metastatic Gastric Cancer With or Without Gastrectomy

In a poster session earlier today David Ilson, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and colleagues reported on a preplanned subgroup analysis of the double-blind phase III TAGS study looking at the safety and efficacy of the oral agent trifluridine/tipiracil (FTP/TPI) in heavily...

gastroesophageal cancer
gastrointestinal cancer

2019 GI Cancers Symposium: Addition of Andecaliximab to mFOLFOX6 in Treatment-Naive Advanced Gastric or GEJ Adenocarcinoma

A phase I/Ib study found that the addition of andecaliximab, a monoclonal antibody that inhibits matrix metalloproteinase 9, to modified fluorouracil (5-FU), leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX6) showed activity in gastric and or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) carcinoma. Based on these...

hepatobiliary cancer
gastrointestinal cancer

EORTC-NCI-AACR: Dabrafenib Plus Trametinib Active in Some BRAF V600E–Mutated Gastrointestinal Cancers

In a late-breaking presentation at the 30th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, Zev Wainberg, MD, reported on results from a phase II international clinical trial of dabrafenib (Tafinlar) plus trametinib (Mekinist), which showed some activity in 36 patients ...

Gastrointestinal Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
Immunotherapy

First-Line Immunotherapy Shows Benefit in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Subset

In previously untreated patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and tumors demonstrating microsatellite instability–high (MSI-high) or mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR), immunotherapy with nivolumab (Opdivo) and low-dose ipilimumab (Yervoy) produced a durable clinical benefit in the...

Gastrointestinal Cancer

Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy Yields Major Response in Colon Cancer Subset

In a small study of patients with early-stage colon cancer, neoadjuvant ipilimumab (Yervoy) plus nivolumab (Opdivo) produced major pathologic responses in 100% of patients with mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient tumors but in none of the patients with MMR-proficient tumors, researchers reported at the ...

breast cancer
gynecologic cancer
lymphoma
pancreatic cancer
gastroesophageal cancer
bladder cancer
symptom management
gastrointestinal cancer

FDA Pipeline: What’s New in Biosimilars, Drug Reviews, Designations, and More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued the following new approvals and designations: Approval for Pegfilgrastim Biosimilar The FDA recently approved a pegfilgrastim biosimilar, pegfilgrastim-cbqv (Udenyca). The biosimilar has been approved to decrease the incidence...

gastrointestinal cancer

PERSIST-5: 5-Year Adjuvant Imatinib in Resected Intermediate- or High-Risk Primary Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor

In the phase II PERSIST-5 study reported in JAMA Oncology, Raut et al found that 5 years of adjuvant imatinib therapy was associated with little risk of recurrence in patients with resected intermediate- or high-risk primary gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). As noted by the investigators, 3...

gastrointestinal cancer

Trifluridine/Tipiracil in Heavily Pretreated Metastatic Gastric Cancer

In the phase III TAGS trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Shitara et al found that trifluridine/tipiracil (Lonsurf) significantly improved overall survival vs placebo in patients with heavily pretreated metastatic gastric cancer. In the double-blind trial, 507 patients with nonresectable...

Gastrointestinal Cancer

Neuroendocrine Tumors: New Data, New Options

Because neuroendocrine tumors are not one disease but a continuum of diseases, ranging from well-differentiated tumors to poorly differentiated and small cell tumors, treatment approaches can vary greatly. At the 2018 Debates and Didactics in Hematology and Oncology conference, held on Sea Island,...

Gastrointestinal Cancer
Colorectal Cancer

Maintenance Therapy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Benefit Seen With Panitumumab Combination

Although the optimal approach to maintenance is not definitive in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who have undergone chemotherapy-based induction with anti–endothelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) agents, the phase II VALENTINO trial showed that anti-EGFR maintenance therapy with...

gastroesophageal cancer
gastrointestinal cancer
immunotherapy

Pertuzumab and Trastuzumab Plus Chemotherapy in HER2-Positive, Metastatic Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer

As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Tabernero et al, the phase III JACOB trial showed no significant overall survival benefit of adding pertuzumab (Perjeta) to trastuzumab (Herceptin) plus chemotherapy in first-line treatment of HER2-positive metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction...

Gastrointestinal Cancer
Colorectal Cancer

Ipilimumab in Combination With Nivolumab for MSI-H or dMMR Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

On July 10, 2018, ipilimumab (Yervoy) was granted accelerated approval for use in combination with nivolumab (Opdivo) for the treatment of patients at least 12 years of age with microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer progressing...

gastrointestinal cancer

MUC16 Mutation, Tumor Mutation Load, and Prognosis in Gastric Cancer

In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Li et al found that MUC16 mutation was associated with increased tumor mutation load and improved prognosis in gastric cancer. The study involved analysis of genomic data from 437 gastric cancer samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA; discovery set) and...

breast cancer
gastroesophageal cancer
gastrointestinal cancer
immunotherapy

European Commission Approves Trastuzumab Biosimilar

The European Commission (EC) has approved Trazimera, a biosimilar to trastuzumab (Herceptin), for the treatment of human epidermal growth factor (HER2)–overexpressing breast cancer and HER2-overexpressing metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. This approval...

gastrointestinal cancer
immunotherapy

Ability of Assay to Predict Response to Immunotherapy in Patients With Advanced Gastric Cancer

Researchers from Samsung Medical Center and Guardant Health, Inc have demonstrated the feasibility of determining a measure analogous to tumor mutation burden, a promising biomarker that may predict patient response to certain immunotherapies, utilizing the Guardant360 assay, a...

gastroesophageal cancer
gastrointestinal cancer
immunotherapy

Second-Line Pembrolizumab vs Paclitaxel in Advanced Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer

As reported in The Lancet by Shitara et al, the phase III KEYNOTE-061 trial showed no significant overall survival benefit with pembrolizumab vs paclitaxel in patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer progressing on platinum-fluoropyrimidine treatment with programmed cell...

Solid Tumors
Gastrointestinal Cancer

Optimizing Biologics in Metastatic Colon Cancer

Biologics are credited with increasing median overall survival in colorectal cancer to approximately 30 months. Their optimal use was discussed by Axel Grothey, MD, Professor of Oncology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, in an article he coauthored for the Journal of Oncology Practice 1...

Solid Tumors
Gastrointestinal Cancer
Colorectal Cancer

Care for Colorectal Cancer Costs Twice as Much in Western Washington vs British Columbia, With Similar Survival

It is widely acknowledged that the costs of cancer care are much higher in the United States than in Canada, with outcomes that are thought to be similar. A new study presented at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting supports that view, by documenting and quantifying the differences in health-care costs...

Solid Tumors
Gastrointestinal Cancer
Colorectal Cancer

Less Is More: No Benefit Reported for Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy in Colorectal Cancer

With a growing emphasis on value in cancer care, some types of resource-intensive therapies may need to be reconsidered. One such treatment may be hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, which showed no benefit during surgery for colorectal cancer confined to the peritoneum in the PRODIGE 7...

gastrointestinal cancer

Risk of Gastrointestinal Cancers in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis

In a meta-analysis reported in The Lancet Oncology, Yamada et al found that patients with cystic fibrosis are at increased risk of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers vs the general population. Improved management of cystic fibrosis has led to increased life expectancy and increased incidence of...

gastroesophageal cancer
gastrointestinal cancer

Postoperative Chemotherapy vs Chemoradiotherapy in Resectable Gastric Cancer

In the Scandinavian phase III CRITICS trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Cats et al found no benefit of postoperative chemoradiotherapy vs chemotherapy among patients with gastric cancer who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Compliance with postoperative regimens was poor in both groups....

gastroesophageal cancer
gastrointestinal cancer
immunotherapy

Anti–PD-1 Immunotherapy in Previously Treated Gastric Cancer

As reported in JAMA Oncology by Fuchs et al, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) showed activity in patients with previously treated advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer in the phase II KEYNOTE-059 trial. Study Details In the study, 259 patients from sites in 16 countries who had disease...

gastrointestinal cancer

Antibiotic Therapy for Helicobacter pylori Infection and Prevention of Metachronous Gastric Cancer

In a Korean study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Choi et al found that antibiotic treatment for Helicobacter pylori was associated with a significant reduction in metachronous gastric cancer in patients who had undergone endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer or high-grade...

gastrointestinal cancer

SSO 2018: Improved Survival With Nodal Downstaging in Gastric Cancer if ypN0 Is Achieved

A team of researchers led by Naruihiko Ikoma, MD, MS, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, analyzed outcomes in 316 patients with gastric cancer to determine whether patients who had clinically positive nodal disease before preoperative therapy have...

Colorectal Cancer
Gastrointestinal Cancer
Immunotherapy

Triplet Therapy Poses a Triple Threat to BRAF-Mutated Colorectal Cancers

Triplet therapy that inhibits the BRAF, MEK, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathways appears promising in BRAF-mutated colorectal cancer, a malignancy that typically does not respond to BRAF inhibition alone. Early results from the BEACON CRC study showed a 48% response rate and an...

Gastrointestinal Cancer
Colorectal Cancer

Studies Explore Colon Tumor Sidedness, Lung Radiation Dose in Esophageal Cancer, Pembrolizumab in Liver Cancer, and More

Along with full coverage of key presentations from the 2018 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, The ASCO Post brings our readers this additional news roundup.  Side Matters in Colon Cancer One of the studies included in the global IDEA trial, which compared 3 vs 6 months of adjuvant chemotherapy in ...

Solid Tumors
Gastrointestinal Cancer

Lutetium Lu-177 Dotatate in Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

On January 26, 2018, the radiolabeled somatostatin analog lutetium Lu-177 dotatate (Lutathera) was approved for the treatment of somatostatin receptor–positive gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, including foregut, midgut, and hindgut neuroendocrine tumors, in adults.1,2 Supporting...

issues in oncology
gastrointestinal cancer

Rehospitalization Patterns After Gastrointestinal Cancer Hospitalizations

In a study reported in the Journal of Oncology Practice, Manzano et al found that unplanned rehospitalization within 30 days after gastrointestinal (GI) cancer hospitalization was more likely after medical vs surgical index hospitalizations among older patients. Some risk factors for...

Gastrointestinal Cancer

EXPERT POINT OF VIEW: Stephen Leong, MD

STEPHEN LEONG, MD, of the University of Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Center, Aurora, discussed the RAINFALL findings at the symposium, commenting, “The study did meet its primary endpoint of progression-free survival; however, it was disappointing not to see a benefit in overall survival or...

Gastrointestinal Cancer

Ramucirumab/Chemotherapy in Gastric Cancer: ‘Positive’ Trial but Insufficient Benefit

BASED ON EFFICACY seen in the second-line setting for the treatment of metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, ramucirumab (Cyramza) was evaluated as first-line therapy in the international phase III RAINFALL trial. Although the study met its primary endpoint, with a 25%...

Solid Tumors
Gastrointestinal Cancer

FDA Approves Radiopharmaceutical for Rare Gastrointestinal Cancers

On January 26, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved lutetium Lu-177 dotatate (Lutathera) for the treatment of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). The drug is indicated for adult patients with somatostatin receptor–positive GEP-NETs. GEP-NETs can be...

gastrointestinal cancer

Incidence of Noncardia Gastric Cancer Increasing Among Americans Under 50

A type of cancer that occurs in the lower stomach has been increasing among some Americans under the age of 50, even though in the general population, the incidence of all stomach cancers has been declining for decades. These findings were published by Anderson et al in the Journal of the National...

pancreatic cancer
gastrointestinal cancer

FDA Approves Lutetium Lu-177 Dotatate for Treatment of Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

On January 26, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved lutetium Lu-177 dotatate (Lutathera) for the treatment of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). This is the first time a radiopharmaceutical has been approved for the treatment of GEP-NETs. Lu-177 dotatate is...

Gastrointestinal Cancer

Nodal Stage Migration and Prognosis in Anal Cancer

  In a study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Sekhar and colleagues found that the increasing proportion of lymph node–positive disease associated with enhanced detection techniques has led to nodal stage migration in anal cancer, which may reduce prognostic discrimination on the basis of lymph...

gastroesophageal cancer
gastrointestinal cancer

Maria Svensson, MD, PhD Candidate, on Esophageal and Gastric Cancers: Significance of PD-1 and PD-L1 Expression

Maria Svensson, MD, PhD Candidate, of Lund University, discusses high expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in chemotherapy-naive esophageal and gastric adenocarcinomas, the implications for survival, and the link to a deficiency in mismatched repair genes (Abstract 9).

gastroesophageal cancer
gastrointestinal cancer

Manish A. Shah, MD, on Gastric Cancer: Results From the RAINFALL Trial

Manish A. Shah, MD, of Weill Cornell Medicine, discusses phase III study findings on cisplatin plus capecitabine or fluorouracil with or without ramucirumab as first-line therapy in patients with metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (Abstract 5).

gastrointestinal cancer
immunotherapy

Florian Lordick, MD, on Gastric Cancer: Final Results From the AIO Trial

Florian Lordick, MD, of the University Medicine Leipzig, discusses study findings on intraperitoneal immunotherapy with the antibody catumaxomab for patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis from gastric cancer (Abstract 4).

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