Do guidelines influence breathlessness management in advanced lung diseases? A multinational survey of respiratory medicine and palliative care physicians

Background: Respiratory medicine (RM) and palliative care (PC) physicians’ management of chronic breathlessness in advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), fibrotic interstitial lung disease (fILD) and lung cancer (LC), and the influence of practice guidelines was explored via an online survey. Methods: A voluntary, online survey was distributed to RM and PC physicians via society newsletter mailing lists. Results: 450 evaluable questionnaires (348 (77%) RM and 102 (23%) PC) were analysed. Significantly more PC physicians indicated routine use (often/always) of opioids across conditions (COPD: 92% vs. 39%, fILD: 83% vs. 36%, LC: 95% vs. 76%; all p < 0.001) and significantly more PC physicians indicated routine use of benzodiazepines for COPD (33% vs. 10%) and fILD (25% vs. 12%) (both p < 0.001). Significantly more RM physicians reported routine use of a breathlessness score (62% vs. 13%, p < 0.001) and prioritised exercise training/rehabilitation for COPD (49% vs. 7%) and fILD (30% vs. 18%) (both p < 0.001). Overall, 40% of all respondents reported reading non-cancer palliative care guidelines (either carefully or looked at them briefly). Respondents who reported reading these guidelines were more likely to: routinely use a breathlessness score (χ2 = 13.8; p < 0.001), use opioids (χ2 = 12.58, p < 0.001) and refer to pulmonary rehabilitation (χ2 = 6.41, p = 0.011) in COPD; use antidepressants (χ2 = 6.25; p = 0.044) and refer to PC (χ2 = 5.83; p = 0.016) in fILD; and use a handheld fan in COPD (χ2 = 8.75, p = 0.003), fILD (χ2 = 4.85, p = 0.028) and LC (χ2 = 5.63; p = 0.018). Conclusions: These findings suggest a need for improved dissemination and uptake of jointly developed breathlessness management guidelines in order to encourage appropriate use of existing, evidence-based therapies. The lack of opioid use by RM, and continued benzodiazepine use in PC, suggest that a wider range of acceptable therapies need to be developed and trialled

Implementation of the Time-to-Event Continuous Reassessment Method Design in a Phase I Platform Trial Testing Novel Radiotherapy-Drug Combinations—CONCORDE

CONCORDE is the first phase I drug-radiotherapy (RT) combination platform in non–small-cell lung cancer, designed to assess multiple different DNA damage response inhibitors in combination with radical thoracic RT. Time-to-event continuous reassessment method (TiTE-CRM) methodology will inform dose escalation individually for each different DNA damage response inhibitor-RT combination and a randomized calibration arm will aid attribution of toxicities. We report in detail the novel statistical design and implementation of the TiTE-CRM in the CONCORDE trial. METHODS: Statistical parameters were calibrated following recommendations by Lee and Cheung. Simulations were performed to assess the operating characteristics of the chosen models and were written using modified code from the R package dfcrm. RESULTS: The results of the simulation work showed that the proposed statistical model setup can answer the research questions under a wide range of potential scenarios. The proposed models work well under varying levels of recruitment and with multiple adaptations to the original methodology. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate how TiTE-CRM methodology may be used in practice in a complex dose-finding platform study. We propose that this novel phase I design has potential to overcome some of the logistical barriers that for many years have prevented timely development of novel drug-RT combinations

A phase IB and randomised phase IIA trial of CApecitabine plus Radium-223 (Xofigo((TM))) in breast cancer patients with BONe metastases: CARBON trial results

BackgroundApproximately 70% of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) develop bone metastases. Despite advances in systemic treatment options and the use of bone targeted agents in the management of bone metastases to reduce skeletal morbidity, there remains an unmet need for further treatment options. Radium-223 (Ra223) is an alpha-emitting radiopharmaceutical that is preferentially taken up into bone at sites of increased osteoblastic activity where it emits high-energy, short-range alpha-particles that could provide a targeted anti-tumour effect on bone metastases. Here we evaluate the safety, feasibility and efficacy findings of the combination of Ra223 with capecitabine chemotherapy in patients with MBC with bone involvement.MethodsCARBON is a multi-centre, open-label phase IB/IIA study evaluating the combination of Ra223 (55 kBq/kg day 1 given on 6 weekly schedule) and capecitabine (1000 mg/m2 bd days 4-17 every 21 days) in patients with bone metastases from MBC (± other disease sites). Other eligibility criteria included ECOG performance status 0-2, ≤2 lines of chemotherapy for MBC and current bisphosphonate or denosumab use for ≥ 6 weeks. The phase IB part of the trial (6 patients) was conducted to provide preliminary feasibility and safety of capecitabine + Ra223. Thereafter, 28 patients were randomised (2:1) to capecitabine + Ra223 or capecitabine alone to further characterise the safety profile and evaluate efficacy, the primary efficacy endpoint being the bone turnover marker (urinary n-telopeptide of type I collagen) change from baseline to end of cycle 5 and secondary endpoints of time to first symptomatic skeletal event, and disease progression at extra-skeletal and bone disease.ResultsIn addition to bone metastases, 10/23 [44%] and 13/23 [57%] capecitabine + Ra223 and 2/11 [18%] and 9/11 [82%] capecitabine alone patients had soft tissue and visceral disease sites respectively. More capecitabine + Ra223 patients had received prior chemotherapy for MBC: 11/23 [48%] vs 2/11 [18%]. The analysis populations comprise 34 patients (23 capecitabine + Ra223, 11 capecitabine); 2 patients randomised to capecitabine + Ra223 received capecitabine alone and are included in the capecitabine arm. Median number of cycles received was 8.5 in capecitabine + Ra223 (range 3-12) and 12 in the capecitabine arm (range 1-12). 94/95 prescribed Ra223 cycles were administered. No dose limiting toxicities were seen in phase IB and no patients developed grade ≥ III diarrhoea. Gastrointestinal, haematological and palmer-planter erthyrodysesthesia adverse events were similar in both arms. Although formal statistical comparisons were not made, changes in bone turnover markers, the times to extra-skeletal progression and bone disease progression, and the frequency of symptomatic skeletal events were similar across the two treatment arms.ConclusionCapecitabine + Ra223 at the planned dose was safe and feasible in MBC patients with bone metastases. However, no efficacy signals were seen that might suggest greater efficacy of the combination over capecitabine alone clinically or biochemically

Osteonecrosis of the jaw and oral health-related quality of life after adjuvant zoledronic acid: an adjuvant zoledronic acid to reduce recurrence trial subprotocol (BIG01/04)

PURPOSE: In patients with early breast cancer, adjuvant zoledronic acid (zoledronate) may reduce recurrence and improve survival. However, zoledronate is associated with the occasional development of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). We report on the frequency of ONJ and investigate oral health-related quality of life (Oral-QoL) in a large randomized trial (Adjuvant Zoledronic Acid to Reduce Recurrence [AZURE]). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Three thousand three hundred sixty women with stage II or III breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive standard adjuvant systemic therapy alone or with zoledronate administered at a dose of 4 mg for 19 doses over 5 years. All potential occurrences of ONJ were reported as serious adverse events and centrally reviewed. Additionally, we invited 486 study participants to complete the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) to assess Oral-QoL around the time the patients completed 5 years on study. Multivariable linear regression was used to calculate mean scores and 95% CIs in addition to identifying independent prognostic factors. RESULTS: With a median follow-up time of 73.9 months (interquartile range, 60.7 to 84.2 months), 33 possible cases of ONJ were reported, all in the zoledronate-treated patients. Twenty-six cases were confirmed as being consistent with a diagnosis of ONJ, representing a cumulative incidence of 2.1% (95% CI, 0.9% to 3.3%) in the zoledronate arm. Three hundred sixty-two patients (74%) returned the OHIP-14 questionnaire. Neither the prevalence nor severity of impacts on Oral-QoL differed significantly between zoledronate patients and control patients. CONCLUSION: Adjuvant zoledronate used in the intensive schedule studied in the AZURE trial is associated with a low incidence of ONJ but does not seem to adversely affect Oral-QoL

Implementation of the time-to-event continuous reassessment method design in a phase I platform trial testing novel radiotherapy-drug combinations-CONCORDE

PURPOSECONCORDE is the first phase I drug-radiotherapy (RT) combination platform in non-small-cell lung cancer, designed to assess multiple different DNA damage response inhibitors in combination with radical thoracic RT. Time-to-event continuous reassessment method (TiTE-CRM) methodology will inform dose escalation individually for each different DNA damage response inhibitor-RT combination and a randomized calibration arm will aid attribution of toxicities. We report in detail the novel statistical design and implementation of the TiTE-CRM in the CONCORDE trial. METHODS Statistical parameters were calibrated following recommendations by Lee and Cheung. Simulations were performed to assess the operating characteristics of the chosen models and were written using modified code from the R package dfcrm. RESULTS The results of the simulation work showed that the proposed statistical model setup can answer the research questions under a wide range of potential scenarios. The proposed models work well under varying levels of recruitment and with multiple adaptations to the original methodology.CONCLUSION The results demonstrate how TiTE-CRM methodology may be used in practice in a complex dose-finding platform study. We propose that this novel phase I design has potential to overcome some of the logistical barriers that for many years have prevented timely development of novel drug-RT combinations.</p