Imaging Endpoints’ Novel Imaging Helps Highlight Response Rate to Triple Drug Regimen Among Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
Key Points
Question Is adding cisplatin to nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine treatment associated with increased overall survival and complete response potential among patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma?
Findings In this single-arm, phase 1b/2 clinical trial of 25 patients, the combination of cisplatin, nab-paclitaxel, and gemcitabine for the treatment of patients with previously untreated stage IV pancreatic adenocarcinoma was associated with an overall response rate of 71%, including a complete response rate of 8%. The median overall survival was 16.4 months, and the median progression-free survival was 10.1 months.
Meaning Adding cisplatin to nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine in this pilot study was associated with substantially increased clinical activity; thus, further investigation of this triple-drug combination in larger studies is warranted.
Abstract
Importance Genomes of metastatic pancreatic cancers frequently contain intrachromosomal aberrations, indicating a DNA repair deficiency associated with sensitivity to DNA damaging agents, such as platinum.
Objective To determine response rate following treatment with nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine plus platinum-based cisplatin for patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA).
Design, Setting, and Participants This was a single-arm, open-label, phase 1b/2 clinical trial of nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine plus cisplatin treatment in which 25 patients with previously untreated metastatic PDA were enrolled. The trial was conducted from December 2013 to July 2016 at 3 US sites, with the last patient receiving study treatment at the end of October 2016, and the study closing January 2018.
Interventions Patients were treated with nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine plus various doses of cisplatin, 25 mg/m2, 37.5 mg/m2, and 50 mg/m2, on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle.
Main Outcomes and Measures Primary end point was complete response rate as assessed by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1 (RECIST), and levels of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (or in nonexpressers, carbohydrate antigen 125 or carcinoembryonic antigen). Efficacy analysis included evaluable patients (those who received at least 1 dose of study treatment and had at least 1 postbaseline tumor assessment).
Results Of 25 patients enrolled in the study, the median (range) age was 65.0 (47.0-79.0) years, 14 (56%) were men, and most (24) were white (96%). The maximum tolerable dose of cisplatin was 25 mg/m2. The most common treatment-related adverse events grade 3 or higher were thrombocytopenia (17 patients [68%]), anemia (8 patients [32%]), and neutropenia (6 patients [24%]). Fatal events occurred for 3 patients (12%); 2 were related to study participation. A median (range) of 8 (1-15) cycles was completed. The RECIST responses in 24 evaluable patients included 2 complete responses (8%), which was below the primary end point of 25%, 15 partial responses (62%), 4 stable disease (17%), and 3 progressive disease (12%), with median overall survival of 16.4 (95% CI, 10.2-25.3) months; 16 patients (64%) were alive at 1 year, 10 (40%) at 2 years, 4 (16%) at 3 years, and 1 (4%) at 4 plus years. Overall survival ranged from 36 to 59 months. Median progression-free survival was 10.1 (95% CI, 6.0-12.5) months. Thus, the overall response rate was 71%, and the disease control rate was 88%.
Conclusions and Relevance This triple drug regimen showed substantial clinical activity in this small study. Although the primary end point was not reached, the high overall response rate, disease control rate, and median survival time among patients with advanced PDA treated with this combination are encouraging. The regimen is being studied in patients with PDA in the neoadjuvant setting and in patients with advanced biliary cancers.
Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01893801
