Early onset lung cancer, cigarette smoking and the SNP309 of the murine double minute-2 (MDM2) gene

The polymorphism SNP309 (rs2279744) in the promoter region of the MDM2 gene has been shown to alter protein expression and may play a role in the susceptibility to lung cancer. The MDM2 protein is a key inhibitor of p53 and several mechanisms of MDM2/p53 interactions are presently known: modulating DNA-repair, cell-cycle control, cell growth and apoptosis

First‐line nab‐paclitaxel plus carboplatin for patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer: results of the NEPTUN study

Abstract Background Platinum‐based chemotherapy remains a first‐line standard of care for approximately 30% of patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) not harboring a druggable alteration. Favorable efficacy and safety of the nab‐paclitaxel/carboplatin (nab‐P/C) combination was shown in the pivotal phase 3 trial. However, information on effectiveness of nab‐P/C in a real‐world setting in Germany is missing. The NEPTUN study prospectively investigated the effectiveness and safety of nab‐P/C in patients with advanced NSCLC in a real‐world setting. Methods Patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC received first‐line nab‐P/C according to clinical routine. The primary endpoint was 6‐month progression‐free survival rate (PFS6). Other endpoints included further effectiveness parameters, safety and quality of life. Data were analyzed descriptively. Results 408 patients were enrolled. PFS6 was 40.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 35.3–46.2); median PFS was 5.2 months (95% CI, 4.5–5.7). overall response rate was 41.5% (95% CI, 36.3–46.8). Median overall survival (OS) was 10.5 months (95% CI, 9.2–11.6). Subgroup analyses revealed median OS for squamous versus non‐squamous histology (11.8 months [95% CI, 9.2–13.8] vs. 9.6 months [95% CI, 7.7–11.2]) and age ≥70 versus <70 years (11.7 months [95% CI, 9.4–14.3] vs. 9.6 months [95% CI, 7.5–11.2]). Most common treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were anemia (26.5%), leukopenia (25.7%), and thrombocytopenia (16.6%). Mostly reported grade 3/4 TEAEs were leukopenia (10.2%), anemia (8.6%), and pneumonia (5.1%). nab‐paclitaxel‐related deaths as reported by the investigator occurred in 0.8% of patients. Conclusion These real‐world data support the effectiveness and safety of nab‐P/C as first‐line treatment for patients with advanced NSCLC independent of tumor histology. The results are comparable with the pivotal phase 3 trial. No new safety signals emerged