Recurrent FGFR2 amplification is observed in gastroesophageal cancers but clinical implications are unknown. We investigated the association of FGFR2 amplification with cytotoxic chemotherapy outcome in gastroesophageal cancer (GC) patients. Between 2016 and 2018, we identified 1045 metastatic GC patients who received palliative fluoropyrimidine/platinum-based chemotherapy and underwent tumor genomic profiling at a tertiary hospital in Korea and two US cancer centers. We retrospectively identified FGFR2-amplified cases and abstracted clinicopathologic features and treatment outcomes. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate the variables that demonstrated effects on progression free and overall survival PFS and OS. Descriptive statistics were used to correlate level of FGFR2 copy number amplification CNA and clinicopathological parameters. The incidence of FGFR2-amplified GC was 4.0 %. A total of 42 FGFR2-amplified GC patients were included and divided into high and lower FGFR2 amplification values. Fifteen patients had an FGFR2 CNA greater than 30, and 27 had a CNA of 30 or less. There was no significant differences between age, sex, tumor localization, Lauren classification, or tumor staging. After a median follow-up duration of 11.4 months, patients with high FGFR2 amplification had significantly poorer median PFS (3.2 vs. 4.8 months, hazard ratio (HR) 2.08, 95 % CI, 1.03-4.22, P = 0.042) and significantly shorter median OS (10.1 vs. 26.3 months, HR 2.99, 95 % CI = 1.05-8.49, P = 0.040) than the low FGFR2 amplification group. Recurrent FGFR2 amplification was observed in roughly 4.0 % of GC patients. High FGFR2 amplification was significantly associated with poor progression free survival and overall survival in GC patients. Clinical studies of FGFR2-directed therapies are warranted and should consider stratification by FGFR2 CNA.

Since non-anthracycline-based chemotherapy with L-asparaginase has improved survival outcomes in patients with extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL), the incidence of central nerve system (CNS) relapse can be different when compared with previous reports. In this research, we sought to identify the incidence of and predictors for CNS relapse and to evaluate the necessity of CNS prophylaxis with intermediate-dose MTX (ID-MTX). The records of 399 patients in the training cohort and 253 patients in the validation cohort with ENKTL who received non-anthracycline-based chemotherapy were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether the chemotherapy regimen included ID-MTX above 2 g/m². A new CNS-PINK model was developed using one-point powerful predictors of CNS relapse [the prognostic index of natural killer lymphoma (PINK); HR: 2.908; P = .030 and extranodal involvement (≥ 2); HR: 4.161; P = .001] and was calculated as a sum of scores. The high-risk group of CNS-PINK was defined as 2 points. The cumulative incidence of CNS relapse was different between the CNS-PINK risk groups in the training (P < .001) and validation cohort (P = .038). Patients in the high-risk CNS-PINK group who received SMILE or SMILE-like regimens with ID-MTX (S-ID-MTX) displayed a lower incidence rate of CNS relapse than did those who received other regimens without ID-MTX in the training cohort (P = .029). The CNS-PINK was demonstrated its strong predictability of CNS relapse in ENKTL patients. The effect of S-ID-MTX for preventing CNS events in high-risk CNS-PINK patients should be verified by future studies.

Kim KH, et al. Immune Netw. 2020 Nov;20(6):e48. https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2020.20.e48

There are few reports of breast cancer patients who carry germline mutations in both germline breast cancer susceptibility genes 1 (gBRCA1) and 2 (gBRCA2). In this study, we analyzed the clinical, pathological, and genomic characteristics of Korean breast cancer patients with both gBRCA1 and gBRCA2 mutations. Medical records of patients who received gBRCA1 and gBRCA2 testing at Samsung Medical Center between January 2007 to October 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood leukocytes. Among a total of 2720 patients, four patients with both gBRCA1 and gBRCA2 mutations were identified (4/2720; 0.14%). Seven patients who had a gBRCA1 mutation and gBRCA2 variants of uncertain significance (VUS) were also identified. In those patients with both gBRCA1 and gBRCA2 mutations, the mean age at diagnosis for breast cancer was 36 years (range, 31–43 years). All four tumors were infiltrating ductal carcinomas and three of the tumors were estrogen receptor-negative, progesterone receptor-negative, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (triple-negative). All four patients who carried germline mutations in both BRCA1 and BRCA2 had a family history of breast/ovarian cancer. Pathologic stage was II in three patients and I in one patient. Breast cancer patients with both gBRCA1 and gBRCA2 mutations were rare, young at diagnosis, and all but one tumor was triple-negative based on our single-center experience.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy and safety of docetaxel rechallenge in the salvage setting in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. Materials and Methods: Clinicopathologic data from patients treated with docetaxel rechallenge were collected from a single-center cancer registry. Among 227 patients who received first-line docetaxel for mCRPC between January 2011 and June 2019, 23 undergo rechallenge docetaxel after failure to androgen receptor targeting agents and/or cabazitaxel treatment. Endpoints included radiologic progression-free survival (PFS), treatment duration, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response and safety. Results: Overall, 30%, 44%, 13%, and 13% of patients received docetaxel rechallenge as either the third, fourth, fifth, or sixth-line therapy, respectively, at a median of 23.6 months after stopping first-line docetaxel. With first-line docetaxel and rechallenge, median treatment duration was 6.4 and 3.3 months, respectively. With docetaxel rechallenge, PSA response was 35% (95% confidence interval [CI], 15% to 54%) and median PFS was 4.5 months (95% CI, 1.9 to 7.1 months). The median OS was 24.3 months (95% CI, 4.6 to 44.0 months). There were 7 severe adverse events (grade 3 or more) including anemia (8.7%), neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, diarrhea, and nausea (4.3% each). Conclusions: Docetaxel rechallenge showed meaningful anti-tumor activity with acceptable toxicity in heavily pretreated patients with mCRPC.