• Impact on quality of life from multi-modality treatment for lung cancer: a randomised controlled feasibility trial of surgery versus no surgery as part of multi-modality treatment in potentially resectable stage III-N2 NSCLC (the PIONEER trial)

  Taylor, Sally; Tsim, S; Navani, N; Baldwin, D; Woolhouse, I; Edwards, J; Grundy, S; Robson, J; Rhodes, S; Burnside, N; et al. (2021-07)
• Using Video Technology to Improve Fairness in Objective Structured Clinical Examination Scoring Reply

  Yeates, P.; Fuller, R.; McKinley, R. K. (2022)
• Using Real-world Data to Define a Validated Nomogram for Advanced Bladder Cancer Patients Who Respond to Immunotherapy

  Elumalai, T.; Croxford, W.; Buijtenhuijs, B.; Conroy, R.; Sanderson, B.; Enting, D.; Aversa, C.; Doss, G.; Das, A.; Vasudev, N. S.; et al. (2022)

  Aims Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are used in incurable urothelial cancers, both in chemo-naïve and platinum-refractory patients. Efficacy and toxicity data published outside controlled clinical trials are limited. We report overall survival, progression-free survival and toxicities of ICIs in locally advanced (LABC) or metastatic bladder cancer (MBC). We aimed to develop and validate a prognostic model for these patients. Materials and methods A multicentre real-world individual patient-level data study (n = 272) evaluating ICIs in the first-line platinum-ineligible or platinum-refractory setting for LABC/MBC between March 2017 and February 2020 was undertaken. Cox regression analyses evaluated the association of prognostic factors with overall survival. Data were split to create a training (n = 208) and validation (n = 64) cohort. The backward elimination method with a P-value cut-off of 0.05 was used to develop a reduced prognostic model using the training data set. The concordance index and assessment of observed versus predicted survival probabilities were used to evaluate the final model. Results The median follow-up was 18.9 (15.8–21.5) months. The median overall survival and progression-free survival in the training cohort were 9.2 (95% confidence interval 7.4–10.5) and 4.5 months (3.5–5.7), respectively. The most common grade 1/2 adverse events recorded were fatigue (47.8%) and infection (19.9%). Five key prognostic factors found in the training set were low haemoglobin, high neutrophil count, choice of immunotherapy favouring pembrolizumab, presence of liver metastasis and steroid use within 30 days of treatment. The concordance index for the training and validation cohorts was 0.66 (standard error = 0.05) and 0.64 (standard error = 0.04), respectively, for the final model. A nomogram was developed to calculate the expected survival probabilities based on risk factors. Conclusions Real-world data were used to produce a validated prognostic model for overall survival in LABC/MBC treated with ICIs. This model could assist in patient stratification, interpreting and framing future trials incorporating PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in LABC/MBC.
• Work-Up and Outcome of Hepatic Resection for Peri-Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma (PH-CCA) without Staging Laparoscopy

  Jegatheeswaran, S.; Stathakis, P.; Spiers, H. V. M.; Mohammed, F.; Petras, P.; Satyadas, T.; Parker, M. J.; Lamarca, A.; Jamdar, S.; Sheen, A. J.; et al. (2022)

  Background: This study reports the outcome of a work-up programme for resection of peri-hilar cholangiocarcinoma (PH-CCA) without the use of staging laparoscopy. Methods: This is a clinical case cohort series of patients undergoing surgical resection of PH-CCA without the use of staging laparoscopy in the work-up algorithm. During the 13 years from 1 January 2009 to 1 January 2022, 32 patients underwent laparotomy for planned surgical resection of PH-CCA. Data were collected on demographic profile, admission biochemistry, radiology, pre-operative intervention, operation and outcome, together with post-operative complications and disease-free and overall survival. Results: All patients underwent pre-operative contrast-enhanced CT. Twenty-four (75%) underwent pre-operative MR. Twenty-three (72%) underwent pre-operative biliary drainage. Twenty-nine patients (91%) had either type III or IV peri-hilar cholangiocarcinoma. One patient (3%) in this series underwent a non-resectional laparotomy. Twenty-nine (91%) had a final histopathological diagnosis of PH-CCA. One further patient had a final diagnosis of an intraductal papillary neoplasm of the biliary tree (IPNB) with high-grade dysplasia but no invasive cancer. Eleven patients (36%) received chemotherapy after surgery. The median (95% CI) time to recurrence was 14 (7–31) months. The median survival was 25 (18-upper limit not reached) months. Conclusion: This cohort of 32 patients undergoing attempted resection for PH-CCA without the use of staging laparoscopy in the work-up algorithm indicates that with careful attention to patient fitness and cross-sectional and interventional radiologic/endoscopic imaging, a very low non-therapeutic laparotomy rate of 3% can be achieved and sustained.
• ADAURA: The Splash of Osimertinib in Adjuvant EGFR-Mutant Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

  Ortega-Franco, A.; Rafee, S. (2022)

  The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) for the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harbouring sensitizing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations revolutionized the diagnostic and treatment algorithm of this subset of patients almost two decades ago. Since then, a number of trials have evaluated the role of TKI therapy in early-stage disease, with encouraging disease-free survival (DFS) results but lack of a survival advantage. ADAURA, a phase III trial evaluating 3 years of adjuvant osimertinib versus placebo in patients harbouring EGFR mutations with completely resected stage IB–IIIA NSCLC, recently reported a profound DFS benefit (hazard ratio 0.21), favourable quality of life and reduction in the risk of brain metastases. These results led to osimertinib’s fast track approval by the US Food and Drug Administration, with this drug thus becoming the first EGFR-TKI approved for the treatment of early-stage disease. However, the key endpoint of overall survival remains immature and questions around indication (i.e. stage, need for adjuvant chemotherapy), optimal treatment duration, biomarkers of response and cost-effectiveness remain to be answered. In this article, we critically appraise the findings of ADAURA and discuss future challenges.

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