The Cancer JournalPub Date : 2019-11-01DOI: 10.1097/PPO.0000000000000412
J. Burger
{"title":"Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors","authors":"J. Burger","doi":"10.1097/PPO.0000000000000412","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/PPO.0000000000000412","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) is a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase that plays a central role in the signal transduction of the B-cell antigen receptor and other cell surface receptors, both in normal and malignant B lymphocytes. B-cell antigen receptor signaling is activated in secondary lymphatic organs and drives the proliferation of malignant B cells, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells. During the last 10 years, BTK inhibitors (BTKis) are increasingly replacing chemotherapy-based regimen, especially in patients with CLL and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors are particularly active in patients with CLL and MCL, but also received approval for Waldenström macroglobulinemia, small lymphocytic lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma, and chronic graft-versus-host disease. Current clinical practice is continuous long-term administration of BTKi, which can be complicated by adverse effects or the development of drug resistance. Alternatives to long-term use of BTKi are being developed, such as combination therapies, permitting for limited duration therapy. Second-generation BTKis are under development, which differ from ibrutinib, the first-in-class BTKi, in their specificity for BTK, and therefore may differentiate themselves from ibrutinib in terms of adverse effects or efficacy.","PeriodicalId":22430,"journal":{"name":"The Cancer Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80245669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Cancer JournalPub Date : 2019-11-01DOI: 10.1097/PPO.0000000000000410
C. Ujjani, B. Cheson
{"title":"Targeted Therapies in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia","authors":"C. Ujjani, B. Cheson","doi":"10.1097/PPO.0000000000000410","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/PPO.0000000000000410","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Small molecule inhibitors, including B-cell receptor antagonists and B-cell lymphoma - 2 inhibitors, have revolutionized the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). These agents have improved outcomes for patients of all prognostic backgrounds, thus securing their role in the frontline setting. Impressive activity has been demonstrated both with monotherapy and in combination with other targeted therapeutics. The most important remaining question is whether to administer small molecule inhibitors in a sequential fashion or in combination with each other and/or anti-CD20–directed therapy. Together, a number of retrospective and prospective clinical trials have provided insight into patient outcomes with different sequencing and combination strategies. While rituximab does not appear to provide significant additional benefit to ibrutinib, the incorporation of venetoclax appears to enable a deeper response and allow for a shorter duration of therapy. How durable of a response this produces and whether patients can be effectively retreated with venetoclax remain unclear. As various targeted therapy doublets and triplets are explored, it is important to investigate whether they produce significant long-term benefits over monotherapy and whether these approaches are appropriate for all patients.","PeriodicalId":22430,"journal":{"name":"The Cancer Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75927600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Cancer JournalPub Date : 2019-11-01DOI: 10.1097/PPO.0000000000000407
P. Islam, A. Mato
{"title":"Real-World Evidence for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in the Era of Targeted Therapies","authors":"P. Islam, A. Mato","doi":"10.1097/PPO.0000000000000407","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/PPO.0000000000000407","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The landscape of chronic lymphocytic leukemia has transformed in the era of small molecule inhibitor targeted therapies. While randomized controlled trials remain the criterion standard in evaluating new therapies, they are often unable to keep pace with the clinical questions that arise during the use of novel agents. Real-world evidence is generated through analysis of data such as electronic medical records, payer claims, and patient registry databases and can provide invaluable information to supplement randomized controlled trials, such as outcomes in patient populations excluded from clinical trials, rates of discontinuation or dose reductions in clinical practice, survival outcomes, and optimal sequencing of novel agents. This review aims to discuss major findings from recent, relevant, real-world evidence publications that have greatly informed our understanding of chronic lymphocytic leukemia as it is treated in clinical practice.","PeriodicalId":22430,"journal":{"name":"The Cancer Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81841803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Cancer JournalPub Date : 2019-11-01DOI: 10.1097/PPO.0000000000000416
T. Kipps, M. Choi
{"title":"Targeted Therapy in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia","authors":"T. Kipps, M. Choi","doi":"10.1097/PPO.0000000000000416","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/PPO.0000000000000416","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Despite a prevailing view that advances in cancer therapy will come through selective targeting of enzymes encoded by mutated oncogenes responsible for the neoplastic phenotype, recent advances in the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have instead exploited knowledge of its biology. Indeed, CLL cells depend on interactions with cells and soluble factors present in the tumor microenvironment for proliferation and survival. B-cell receptor signaling and chemokine-receptor signaling play prominent roles. Elucidation of these signaling pathways has defined physiologic targets for drugs, such as ibrutinib, which inhibit Bruton tyrosine kinase and are therapeutically effective. The characteristic high-level expression of BCL2 in CLL that can enhance leukemia-cell survival has now become an Achilles heel targeted by clinically effective drugs such as venetoclax. Here we discuss advances in such targeted therapy and highlight other disease attributes, such as the distinctive expression of ROR1, which may be targeted for clinical benefit, alone or in combination with other targeted therapies.","PeriodicalId":22430,"journal":{"name":"The Cancer Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76475824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Cancer JournalPub Date : 2019-11-01DOI: 10.1097/PPO.0000000000000417
N. Jain, S. O'brien
{"title":"The Shifting Paradigm in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia","authors":"N. Jain, S. O'brien","doi":"10.1097/PPO.0000000000000417","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/PPO.0000000000000417","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) was the standard treatment for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia for the last 2 decades. Recently, with the introduction of targeted therapies, the role of CIT has declined significantly. In the first-line setting, the role of CIT is limited to young fit patients with mutated immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region and without del(17p)/TP53 mutation. There is a limited role for CIT in relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia.","PeriodicalId":22430,"journal":{"name":"The Cancer Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78765609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Cancer JournalPub Date : 2019-11-01DOI: 10.1097/PPO.0000000000000411
R Andrew Harkins, Sharvil P Patel, Christopher R Flowers
{"title":"Cost-effectiveness of New Targeted Agents in the Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.","authors":"R Andrew Harkins, Sharvil P Patel, Christopher R Flowers","doi":"10.1097/PPO.0000000000000411","DOIUrl":"10.1097/PPO.0000000000000411","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common adult leukemia and is clinically heterogeneous. Integration of oral targeted therapies (OTTs) in the management of CLL has fundamentally altered CLL treatment pathways and improved outcomes for patients with CLL.We review the cost-effectiveness of OTTs in the treatment of CLL. We used MeSH (Medical Subject Heading) terms and keywords to search the National Library of Medicine online MEDLINE database (PubMed) for articles related to cost-effectiveness of OTTs in CLL care.Oral targeted therapies add considerable expense to the treatment of CLL for patients and the health care system. Cost-effectiveness analyses of OTTs are not uniform in their conclusions and depend on patient groups selected for analysis. Given the substantial increase in expense associated with integration of OTTs in CLL treatment, cost reduction methods are needed to ensure equitable access to novel therapies for all patients with CLL.</p>","PeriodicalId":22430,"journal":{"name":"The Cancer Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7141587/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87682866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Cancer JournalPub Date : 2019-11-01DOI: 10.1097/PPO.0000000000000406
A. Kittai, J. Woyach
{"title":"Resistance Mechanisms to Targeted Agents in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia","authors":"A. Kittai, J. Woyach","doi":"10.1097/PPO.0000000000000406","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/PPO.0000000000000406","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Agents that specifically target pathologic mechanisms of survival have now been approved for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in both the treatment-naive and relapsed/refractory settings. These 4 agents include the Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor ibrutinib, the B-cell leukemia/lymphoma-2 inhibitor venetoclax, and the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase inhibitors idelalisib and duvelisib. Although clinical outcomes are improved with all of these inhibitors, acquired resistance does occur and leads to progression of disease. Resistance to targeted therapy can occur through direct mutations of the target or through the overexpression of alternative cell survival pathways not affected by the specific inhibitor. Determining which patients will develop resistance, why resistance occurs, how to overcome resistance, and when to test for resistance are all subjects of ongoing research. In this review, we describe the current data relative to the development of resistance to targeted therapies in CLL.","PeriodicalId":22430,"journal":{"name":"The Cancer Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85232020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Cancer JournalPub Date : 2019-11-01DOI: 10.1097/PPO.0000000000000413
S. Heltai, P. Ghia, L. Scarfò
{"title":"Relevance of Minimal Residual Disease in the Era of Targeted Agents","authors":"S. Heltai, P. Ghia, L. Scarfò","doi":"10.1097/PPO.0000000000000413","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/PPO.0000000000000413","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The evaluation of minimal residual disease (MRD) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has evolved in parallel with the enormous progresses in the therapeutic armamentarium and the application of cutting-edge diagnostic techniques the CLL community witnessed in the past few years. Minimal residual disease is considered an objective measure of disease status defined by the number of residual leukemic cells detected in a sample of peripheral blood and/or bone marrow as proportion of the total white blood cells and defined undetectable if fewer than 1 CLL cell among 10,000 white blood cells (10−4 or 0.01%) is detected. In this review, we aim at shedding light on how to evaluate MRD, what we already know about MRD from the experience with chemoimmunotherapy, and why MRD evaluation remains still relevant in the era of targeted agents.","PeriodicalId":22430,"journal":{"name":"The Cancer Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84770432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Cancer JournalPub Date : 2019-07-01DOI: 10.1097/PPO.0000000000000387
Yuki Saito, H. Noto, O. Takahashi, D. Kobayashi
{"title":"Visit-to-Visit Hemoglobin A1c Variability Is Associated With Later Cancer Development in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus","authors":"Yuki Saito, H. Noto, O. Takahashi, D. Kobayashi","doi":"10.1097/PPO.0000000000000387","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/PPO.0000000000000387","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose Recent studies have shown that patients with diabetes mellitus have a higher risk of tumorigenesis. However, the effect of glycemic variability on tumorigenesis among diabetic patients has not been well investigated. Hence, we performed a retrospective cohort study to analyze the effect of visit-to-visit hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) variability and later onset of malignancies. Methods This study included 2640 patients with diabetes mellitus 50 years or older. To analyze visit-to-visit glycemic activity, we calculated intrapersonal SD of all recorded HbA1c and used SD-HbA1c as a measure of glycemic variability. Because the number of individual visits varied, we divided SD-HbA1c by visit times in order to adjust for the potential influence of visit time difference between individuals. Patients were divided into quartiles according to their HbA1c variability, and Cox regression models were used to evaluate the association between glycemic variability and later onset of tumorigenesis. Results Three hundred thirty patients (12.5%) developed malignancy during follow-up. The median follow-up period was 1511 days (4.1 years; interquartile range, 2487.5 days). Relative to the group with the lowest glycemic variability (first quartile), the groups with higher glycemic variability showed a dose-dependent association with tumorigenesis. The odds ratios for the second, third, and fourth quartiles were 1.20 (95% confidence interval, 0.88–1.65), 1.43 (1.02–2.00), and 2.19 (1.52–3.17), respectively. The mean HbA1c and diabetes mellitus duration periods were not significantly associated with tumorigenesis. This result was consistent when limiting the number of covariates. Conclusions These results demonstrated that visit-to-visit HbA1c variability is a potential risk factor for later tumorigenesis. The association may be mediated by oxidative stress or hormone variability. Routine cancer screening may be suggested for diabetic patients with unstable glycemic control.","PeriodicalId":22430,"journal":{"name":"The Cancer Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90858168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Cancer JournalPub Date : 2019-07-01DOI: 10.1097/PPO.0000000000000385
Chris A Karlovich, P Mickey Williams
{"title":"Clinical Applications of Next-Generation Sequencing in Precision Oncology.","authors":"Chris A Karlovich, P Mickey Williams","doi":"10.1097/PPO.0000000000000385","DOIUrl":"10.1097/PPO.0000000000000385","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The ability of next-generation sequencing (NGS) to comprehensively assess the molecular profile of a tumor specimen has transformed the clinical testing landscape in oncology. Accordingly, recent years have seen broad uptake of clinical NGS to inform cancer patient management. However, significant challenges remain. The annotation and clinical interpretation of variants identified by NGS tests often require rigorous review and may vary between laboratories. While a clearer regulatory path has emerged, reimbursement for NGS tests remains a subject of continuing debate. Basket clinical studies such as the National Cancer Institute Molecular Analysis of Therapy Choice are evaluating the degree to which matching of a targeted therapy to tumor molecular profile by NGS can be applied independently of tissue histology. Newer applications of NGS such as for circulating tumor DNA testing and to identify novel RNA fusion driver events continue to expand its clinical utility.</p>","PeriodicalId":22430,"journal":{"name":"The Cancer Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6658137/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88828311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}