We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of the relative maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) of metastatic lymph node (LN) compared with that of primary tumor (SUV_LN/SUV_Tumor) based on a pretreatment [¹⁸F]-FDG PET/CT scan in patients with clinically node-positive esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (cN+ ESCC) treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT). We retrospectively evaluated cN+ ESCC patients who underwent a PET/CT scan before dCRT. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristics analysis was performed to identify the optimal cutoff value for SUV_LN/SUV_Tumor. Prognostic influences of SUV_LN/SUV_Tumor on distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using the Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test for univariate analysis and Cox’s proportional hazards regression model for multivariate analysis. We identified 112 patients with newly diagnosed cN+ ESCC. After a median follow-up of 32.0 months, 50 (44.6%) patients had distant failure and 84 (75.0%) patients died. Patients with high SUV_LN/SUV_Tumor (≥ 0.39) experienced worse outcomes than low SUV_LN/SUV_Tumor (< 0.39) (two-year DMFS: 26% vs. 70%, p < 0.001; two-year OS: 21% vs. 48%, p = 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that SUV_LN/SUV_Tumor was an independent prognostic factor for both DMFS (adjusted HR 2.24, 95% CI 1.34–3.75, p = 0.002) and OS (adjusted HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.03–2.53, p = 0.037). Pretreatment of SUV_LN/SUV_Tumor is a simple and useful marker for prognosticating DMFS and OS in cN+ ESCC patients treated with dCRT, which may help in tailoring treatment and designing future clinical trials.

Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are the standard treatment for EGFR mutation-positive (EGFRm+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to create a novel nomogram to help physicians suggest the optimal treatment for patients with EGFRm+ NSCLC. Records of 2190 patients with EGFRm+ NSCLC cancer who were treated with EGFR-TKIs (including gefitinib, erlotinib, and afatinib) at the branches of a hospital group between 2011 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Their clinicopathological characteristics, clinical tumor response, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) data were collected. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify potential prognostic factors to create a nomogram for risk stratification. Univariate analysis identified 14 prognostic factors, and multivariate analysis confirmed the pretreatment independent factors, including Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, morphology, mutation, stage, EGFR-TKIs (gefitinib, erlotinib, or afatinib), and metastasis to liver, brain, bone, pleura, adrenal gland, and distant lymph nodes. Based on these factors, a novel nomogram was created and used to stratify the patients into five different risk groups for PFS and OS using recursive partitioning analysis. This risk stratification can provide additional information to clinicians and patients when determining the optimal therapeutic options for EGFRm+ NSCLC.

Gemcitabine plus S-1 (GS) is commonly used to treat advanced pancreatic cancer (APC) in Asia. Few clinical experiments have demonstrated the clinical efficacy of GS in routine clinical practice. We aimed to identify the prognostic factors and develop a prognostic model for survival prediction in patients with APC, treated with GS. Records of 111 patients with newly diagnosed APC who received first-line palliative GS chemotherapy during 2010–2016 in Taiwan were analyzed retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed for the identification of prognostic factors. A prognostic model using prognosticators from the multivariate analysis was developed for survival prediction. The median overall survival (OS) for the cohort was 9.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.0–10.6). The prognostic model was constructed based on four independent prognosticators: performance status, tumor stage, pre-treatment albumin level, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. Patients were categorized by tertiles into good, intermediate, and poor prognostic groups. The median OS values for each of these groups were 21.1 (95% CI, 8.2–33.9), 9.2 (95% CI, 8.3–10.1), and 5.8 months (95% CI, 4.4–7.1; log-rank p < 0.001), respectively. The bootstrapped corrected C-index of this model was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.71–0.89). The developed model was robust and could accurately predict survival in this population, and can assist clinicians and patients in survival discrimination and the determination of appropriate medical care goals. Additional research is needed to externally validate the model’s performance.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate possible treatment strategies for patients with de novo T790M mutation‐positive (T790M+) non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods: Patients diagnosed with de novo T790M+ NSCLC and treated with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR‐TKIs) between 2011 and 2018 at a regional hospital in Taiwan were retrospectively reviewed. Their clinicopathological characteristics and subsequent treatment information were collected, and potential prognostic factors were identified using univariate and multivariate analyses.Results: All tumors with T790M mutations coexisted with sensitizing mutations. Through the last follow‐up in May 2021, afatinib and osimertinib demonstrated better progression‐free survival (PFS, p < 0.01) and overall survival (OS, p < 0.01) than gefitinib and erlotinib. Additionally, patients with low T790M ratios had better PFS than those with high T790M ratios, implying that the proportion of T790M+ tumors determined the response to EGFR‐TKIs. Multivariate analysis confirmed that both EGFR‐TKI treatment (osimertinib hazard ratio [HR] 0.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01–0.30; afatinib HR 0.09, 95% CI 0.02–0.39) and a low T790M ratio (HR 0.29, 95% CI 0.12–0.69) were independently favorable prognostic factors for patients with de novo T790M+ NSCLC. Median PFS was 6.1 (95% CI 4.4–7.8) months. In addition, patients treated with first‐generation (1G)/second‐generation (2G) EGFR‐TKIs followed by osimertinib (n = 8) demonstrated the best OS compared with patients treated with frontline osimertinib (n = 5) or 1G/2G EGFR‐TKIs without osimertinib (n = 28, p < 0.01).Conclusion: Sequential TKIs may represent an alternative option for de novo T790M mutation, particularly frontline afatinib and tumors with low T790M ratios.

Background: Osimertinib is a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) designed to overcome acquired T790M resistance mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the efficacy of osimertinib in patients without acquired T790M mutations has not been well studied. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of osimertinib in patients treated with first- and second-generation EGFR-TKIs followed by later-line osimertinib treatment. Patients: The clinical data and survival outcomes of 172 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with osimertinib following frontline EGFR-TKIs at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from 2014 to 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. T790M mutations were detected using tissue sequencing and/or liquid biopsy. Results: A total of 172 EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients treated with frontline EGFR-TKI therapy followed by later-line osimertinib were enrolled in the current study and divided into three groups based on the T790M status (positive, negative, or unknown T790M). Patients with NSCLC harboring acquired T790M mutation treated with osimertinib had the best objective response rate (ORR) (52.6%, 25.0%, and 32.0%, p = 0.044), disease control rate (DCR) (79.3%, 41.7%, and 68.0%, p = 0.011), and progression-free survival (PFS, median PFS, 12.6, 3.1, 10.4 months, p = 0.001) among the three groups (positive, negative, and unknown T790M, respectively). However, a marked difference was found between positive and negative T790M mutations but not between positive and unknown T790M mutations. Univariate analysis was performed to identify potential prognostic factors for PFS in 172 patients treated with osimertinib. Lung metastasis (p < 0.001), brain metastasis (p < 0.009), number of metastatic sites (p < 0.001), PFS with frontline EGFR-TKIs (p = 0.03), and T790M status (p = 0.006) were identified as prognostic factors for PFS with osimertinib. Multivariate analysis showed that lung metastasis (p < 0.001) and PFS with frontline EGFR-TKIs and T790M status were independent prognostic factors. Conclusion: This study confirmed the greater efficacy of later-line osimertinib for NSCLC with acquired T790M mutation than for NSCLC without acquired T790M mutation. Detection of the T790M mutation after frontline treatment (first- and second-generation EGFR-TKI) is crucial for prolonging the survival of NSCLC patients harboring EGFR mutation. Osimertinib may be considered an option for NSCLC with unknown T790M mutations, as a certain subpopulation may benefit from osimertinib.

The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the tolerability and survival outcomes of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) treatment in patients with a performance status ≥ 2. The data for 517 patients treated with EGFR-TKIs between January 2011 and January 2018 at a regional hospital in northern Taiwan were analyzed. Clinical and pathological features were collected, and univariate as well as multivariable analyses were undertaken to identify potential prognostic factors. The overall objective response rate, median progression-free survival (PFS), and median overall survival (OS) were 56.3%, 11.4 months, and 15.3 months, respectively. The mutation status (exon 19 deletion), locally advanced disease, dose adjustment, and the lack of liver and pleural metastasis were independent and favorable prognostic factors for PFS. Age < 60 years, mutation status (exon 19 deletion), dose adjustment, and lack of lung, liver, and no pleural metastasis were independent and favorable prognostic factors for OS. GFR-TKIs demonstrated acceptable efficacy and safety in the current cohort. Dose adjustment was identified as an independent prognostic factor for both PFS and OS, regardless of which EGFR-TKIs were used. The current research provided novel evidence of the clinical prescription of frontline EGFR-TKIs for EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma patients with a PS score ≥2.