Long-term follow-up results of cytarabine-containing chemotherapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Background/aims: We evaluated the feasibility and long-term efficacy of the combination of cytarabine, idarubicin, and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) for treating patients with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).

Methods: We included 87 patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia and a t(15;17) or promyelocytic leukemia/retinoic acid receptor alpha (PML-RARα) mutation. Patients received 12 mg/m2/day idarubicin intravenously for 3 days and 100 mg/m2/day cytarabine for 7 days, plus 45 mg/m2/day ATRA.

Subsequent pregnancy and long-term safety after breast cancer: a retrospective analysis of Korean health insurance data.

Purpose: Long-term safety of pregnancy after breast cancer (BC) remains controversial, especially with respect to BC biological subtypes.

Methods: We analyzed a population-based retrospective cohort with BC from 2002 to 2017. Patient-level 1:1 matching was performed between pregnant and nonpregnant women.

An open-label expanded access program of afatinib in EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor-naïve patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer harboring EGFR mutations.

Background: Afatinib is approved globally for EGFR-TKI treatment-naïve patients with EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this Korean expanded access program, we evaluated its 'real-world' safety and efficacy.

Methods: EGFR-TKI treatment-naïve patients with EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC received afatinib 40 mg/day until disease progression or other withdrawal criteria.

Real-World Experience of Nivolumab in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer in Korea.

Purpose: The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors represents a major advance in the treatment of lung cancer, allowing sustained recovery in a significant proportion of patients. Nivolumab is a monoclonal anti-programmed death cell protein 1 antibody licensed for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after prior chemotherapy. In this study, we describe the demographic and clinical outcomes of patients with advanced NSCLC treated with nivolumab in the Korean expanded access program.

Molecular characterization of lung adenocarcinoma from Korean patients using next generation sequencing.

The treatment of Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) could benefit from the incorporation of precision medicine. This study was to identify cancer-related genetic alterations by next generation sequencing (NGS) in resected LUAD samples from Korean patients and to determine their associations with clinical features. A total of 201 tumors and their matched peripheral blood samples were analyzed using targeted sequencing via the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform of 242 genes with a median depth of coverage greater than 500X.

A Randomized-Controlled Phase 2 Study of the MET Antibody Emibetuzumab in Combination with Erlotinib as First-Line Treatment for EGFR Mutation-Positive NSCLC Patients.

Introduction: The hepatocyte growth factor receptor mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) is reported to be a negative prognostic marker in EGFR-mutant NSCLC and involved in resistance to EGFR inhibitors. Emibetuzumab, a humanized immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal bivalent MET antibody, blocks ligand-dependent and ligand-independent hepatocyte growth factor/MET signaling. This phase 2 study compared erlotinib with and without emibetuzumab in first-line treatment of EGFR-mutant metastatic NSCLC.

Safety, tolerability, and anti-tumor activity of olmutinib in non-small cell lung cancer with T790M mutation: A single arm, open label, phase 1/2 trial.

Objectives: The aim of this phase 1/2 study was to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and antitumor activity of olmutinib in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had failed ≥ 1 previous line of EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy.

Materials And Methods: Phase 1 consisted of dose-escalation and four dose-expansion parts (1: olmutinib 300 mg once daily; 2A: 800 mg once daily [EGFR T790 M mutation-positive patients]; 2B: 500 mg twice daily [EGFR T790 M mutation-positive]; 3: 800 mg once daily [EGFR T790 M mutation-negative]). In phase 2, EGFR T790 M mutation-positive patients received olmutinib 800 mg once daily.

Tissue and Plasma EGFR Mutation Analysis in the FLAURA Trial: Osimertinib versus Comparator EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor as First-Line Treatment in Patients with EGFR-Mutated Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: To assess the utility of the EGFR Mutation Test, with tissue and plasma, for first-line osimertinib therapy for patients with -mutated (m; Ex19del and/or L858R) advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from the FLAURA study (NCT02296125).

Experimental Design: Tumor tissue m status was determined at screening using the central cobas tissue test or a local tissue test. Baseline circulating tumor (ct)DNA m status was retrospectively determined with the central cobas plasma test.

Osimertinib versus Standard of Care EGFR TKI as First-Line Treatment in Patients with EGFRm Advanced NSCLC: FLAURA Asian Subset.

Introduction: Here we report efficacy and safety data of an Asian subset of the phase III FLAURA trial (NCT02296125), which compares osimertinib with standard of care (SoC) EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with previously untreated advanced NSCLC with tumors harboring exon 19 deletion (Ex19del)/L858R EGFR TKI-sensitizing mutations.

Methods: Eligible Asian patients (enrolled at Asian sites) who were at least 18 years of age (≥20 years in Japan) and had untreated EGFR-mutated advanced NSCLC were randomized 1:1 to receive osimertinib (80 mg, orally once daily) or an SoC EGFR TKI (gefitinib, 250 mg, or erlotinib, 150 mg, orally once daily). The primary end point was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS).

A Randomized, Open-Label, Phase II Study Comparing Pemetrexed Plus Cisplatin Followed by Maintenance Pemetrexed versus Pemetrexed Alone in Patients with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-Mutant Non-small Cell Lung Cancer after Failure of First-Line EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor: KCSG-LU12-13.

Purpose: The optimal cytotoxic regimens have not been established for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who develop disease progression on first-line epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI).

Materials And Methods: We conducted a multi-center randomized phase II trial to compare the clinical outcomes between pemetrexed plus cisplatin combination therapy followed by maintenance pemetrexed (PC) and pemetrexed monotherapy (P) after failure of first-line EGFR-TKI. The primary objective was progression-free survival (PFS), and secondary objectives included overall response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and safety and toxicity profiles.

CNS Response to Osimertinib Versus Standard Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Patients With Untreated EGFR-Mutated Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose We report CNS efficacy of osimertinib versus standard epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with untreated EGFR-mutated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer from the phase III FLAURA study. Patients and Methods Patients (N = 556) were randomly assigned to osimertinib or standard EGFR-TKIs (gefitinib or erlotinib); brain scans were not mandated unless clinically indicated. Patients with asymptomatic or stable CNS metastases were included.

Nivolumab in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients who failed prior platinum-based chemotherapy.

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy and safety of nivolumab in Korean patients with stage IIIB/IV or recurrent non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who failed platinum-based chemotherapy.

Materials And Methods: In this multicenter, open-label, Phase II study, 100 patients with stage IIIB or IV squamous (n = 44) or non-squamous (n = 56) NSCLC received nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks for 6 weeks per treatment cycle. Patients continued treatment until disease progression or intolerable adverse events (AEs), and then entered a follow-up phase.

Molecular Screening of Small Biopsy Samples Using Next-Generation Sequencing in Korean Patients with Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Korean Lung Cancer Consortium (KLCC-13-01).

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a common type of cancer with poor prognosis. As individual cancers exhibit unique mutation patterns, identifying and characterizing gene mutations in NSCLC might help predict patient outcomes and guide treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical adequacy of molecular testing using next-generation sequencing (NGS) for small biopsy samples and characterize the mutational landscape of Korean patients with advanced NSCLC.

Efficacy and Safety of Ramucirumab With Docetaxel Versus Placebo With Docetaxel as Second-Line Treatment of Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Subgroup Analysis According to Patient Age in the REVEL Trial.

Introduction: Ramucirumab, a recombinant human immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody receptor antagonist designed to block the ligand-binding site of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), was evaluated as second-line treatment in combination with docetaxel in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer in the REVEL trial (NCT01168973). Ramucirumab significantly improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). We report age subgroup analysis results primarily on the basis of a 65-year cutoff.

Osimertinib in Untreated EGFR-Mutated Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: Osimertinib is an oral, third-generation, irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) that selectively inhibits both EGFR-TKI-sensitizing and EGFR T790M resistance mutations. We compared osimertinib with standard EGFR-TKIs in patients with previously untreated, EGFR mutation-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: In this double-blind, phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned 556 patients with previously untreated, EGFR mutation-positive (exon 19 deletion or L858R) advanced NSCLC in a 1:1 ratio to receive either osimertinib (at a dose of 80 mg once daily) or a standard EGFR-TKI (gefitinib at a dose of 250 mg once daily or erlotinib at a dose of 150 mg once daily).

Incidental Pulmonary Embolism After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: Long-Term Clinical Follow-Up.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence and natural history of incidentally found and untreated pulmonary embolism (PE) at coronary CT angiography after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 353 patients consecutively registered between January 1, 2010, and November 11, 2015, who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting followed within 2 weeks by coronary CT angiography. All patients received 100 mg of aspirin and 75 mg of clopidogrel after surgery.