Published papers

In Japan, comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) tests for refractory cancer patients have been approved since June 2019, under the requirement that all cases undergoing CGP tests are annotated by the molecular tumor board (MTB) at each government-designated hospital. To investigate improvement in precision oncology, we evaluated and compared the proportion of cases receiving matched treatments according to CGP results and those recommended to receive genetic counseling at all core hospitals between the first period (11 hospitals, June 2019 to January 2020) and second period (12 hospitals, February 2020 to January 2021). A total of 754 and 2294 cases underwent CGP tests at core hospitals in the first and second periods, respectively; 28 (3.7%) and 176 (7.7%) patients received matched treatments (p < 0.001). Additionally, 25 (3.3%) and 237 (10.3%) cases were recommended to receive genetic counseling in the first and second periods, respectively (p < 0.001). The proportion was associated with the type of CGP test: tumor-only (N = 2391) vs. tumor-normal paired (N = 657) analysis (10.0% vs. 3.5%). These results suggest that recommendations regarding available clinical trials in networked MTBs might contribute to increasing the numbers of matched treatments, and that tumor-normal paired rather than tumor-only tests can increase the efficiency of patient referrals for genetic counseling.

INTRODUCTION: The combination of oxaliplatin-based doublet chemotherapy and molecular targeted agents is the standard first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer. However, the temporal evolution of associated treatment outcomes is unclear. We utilized Aide et Recherche en Cancérologie Digestive (ARCAD) data to evaluate the chronological changes in clinical outcomes associated with this regimen in metastatic colorectal cancer. METHODS: An individual patient data meta-analysis was performed using data from 5424 patients enrolled in 13 randomized controlled trials within the ARCAD database between 2004 and 2017. Eligible patients received oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy combined with bevacizumab or anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibodies. Intervals of 2004-2008, 2009-2013, and 2014-2017 were examined. Overall, progression-free, and post-progression survivals were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for key prognostic factors. RESULTS: Median overall survival improved over time, from 21.4 months (2004-2008) to 28.6 months (2009-2013) and 29.7 months (2014-2017). Similar trends were observed for progression-free and post-progression survivals. Multivariable analysis confirmed the treatment period as an independent prognostic factor for overall and progression-free survivals. Subgroup analyses revealed improvements in overall survival for left-sided and RAS wild-type tumors, whereas minimal gains were found for right-sided or RAS-mutated tumors. Increased use of subsequent therapies contributed to prolonged post-progression survival. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated progressive improvements in survival outcomes for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receiving first-line oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy plus molecular targeted agents. The findings highlight the importance of biomarker-driven treatment strategies and the evolving role of subsequent therapies in optimizing clinical outcomes.

Background: Blood-based CRC screening has yielded performance comparable to stool-based screening tests and may be a modality that addresses the adherence gap in CRC screening. To investigate the diagnostic performance and its clinical relevance, we evaluated the test performance of a blood-based CRC screening test in a large cohort of individuals enriched for advanced colorectal neoplasia and early CRCs. Methods: 501 individuals presenting to ten institutions in Japan from 2020 to 2021 for treatment of advanced adenomas (AAs) or CRCs were consented and provided a pre-treatment blood sample (40mL whole blood in Streck cfDNA blood collection tubes). All eligible individuals underwent surgery or endoscopic resection within 30 days after sample collection and the pathological specimens were reviewed to determine cancer histology and stage, as well as AA histology. Pre-treatment blood samples were analyzed with a multi-modal (genomic and epigenomic) cfDNA CRC detection assay (Shield, Guardant Health, USA). Final cfDNA results were correlated with clinical data to determine the association of clinicopathological characteristics with test sensitivity. This study is registered as a clinical trial under UMIN000037765. Results: 451/501 (90%) individuals met inclusion/exclusion criteria and provided adequate blood samples that passed testing quality control criteria. Median age at consent was 67.4 years (range 31 – 92). 44% were female. 214/451 (47%) had a prior positive fecal occult blood test (FOBT). Of individuals with a negative or unknown FOBT testing, 161/237 (68%) had GI symptoms (e.g. abdominal pain, bloody/narrowing stool, constipation/diarrhea). The test identified 88% (268/305) of CRCs, including 71% (79/111) Stage I, 98% (87/89) Stage II, 97% (90/93) Stage III, and 100% (12/12) Stage IV. Overall sensitivity in detecting Stage I-III was 87%. The test identified 37% (54/146) of AAs, including 49% (33/68) of carcinoma in situs and 24% (9/37) of AAs with high-grade dysplasia. Sensitivity for right-sided CRC was 84% (61/73), 87% (59/68) for left-sided CRC, and 90% (148/164) for rectal tumors. Stage I test sensitivity was significantly associated with tumor size (>20mm; p<0.01), left-sided or rectal tumor location (p<0.05), and tumor depth (p<0.01) in univariate analysis, whereas the tumor depth (T2) was the sole factor associated with test positivity (p<0.05) in multivariate analysis. Specificity on this assay is 90% as determined in the ECLIPSE clinical study (NCT04136002). Conclusions: This study evaluates the performance of a blood-based test for CRC and its clinicopathological relevance in a large-scale cohort. In this population enriched for early colorectal neoplasia, the sensitivity was 88% for CRC and 37% for AAs. This performance is consistent with previous reports. Clinical trial information: UMIN000037765.

PURPOSE: Analysis of ctDNA may enable early identification of patients likely to relapse, presenting an opportunity for early interventions and improved outcomes. Tumor-naïve plasma-only approaches for minimal residual disease (MRD) assessment accelerate turnaround time, enabling rapid treatment decisions and ongoing surveillance. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Plasma samples were obtained from 80 study participants with stage II or III colorectal cancer selected from CIRCULATE-Japan GALAXY. MRD status was assessed using a tumor-naïve ctDNA assay (xM) that integrates methylation and genomic variant data, delivering a binary call. MRD was assessed at 4 weeks postsurgery [landmark time point (LMT)] using methylation and genomic variant data and longitudinally (median, 22.1 months) using only methylation data. RESULTS: At LMT, 69/80 study participants were evaluable (36 recurrent; 33 nonrecurrent). Of recurrent study participants, 22/36 had detectable ctDNA (MRD-positive) at LMT and 29/33 nonrecurrent study participants had undetectable ctDNA (MRD-negative), yielding a clinical sensitivity of 61.1% and specificity of 87.9%. Additionally, 74 study participants were evaluable for longitudinal performance with a clinical sensitivity of 83.3% and specificity of 89.5%. The median lead time from the first MRD-positive result to recurrence was 4.77 months overall, and 5.30 months for study participants with no adjuvant treatment. At 12 weeks postsurgery, MRD status strongly correlated with disease-free survival (adjusted HR, 9.69), outperforming carcinoembryonic antigen correlation (HR, 2.13). CONCLUSIONS: This tumor-naïve MRD assay demonstrated clinically meaningful performance at LMT and longitudinally, accurately predicting clinical recurrence. MRD status was a stronger prognostic biomarker for disease-free survival compared with standard-of-care carcinoembryonic antigen.

We have made substantial progress in developing cancer treatments that target specific molecular vulnerabilities in an increasing number of cancer types. Interrogation of complex genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic (referred to as omics) profiles, integrated with comprehensive clinical data, represents the essential next step to inform the development and application of selective approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. However, the majority of patients with cancer around the world, and particularly those living in resource-limited settings, cannot access molecular testing and targeted therapies due to regulatory, financial, logistical, educational, and clinical barriers. This widespread inaccessibility drives substantial health disparities both within and between countries and hampers the investigation of new preventative and therapeutic opportunities due to restricted access to biomarker-based clinical trials and translational research programmes. In addition to the inadequacy of cancer molecular testing, therapeutic development is limited by the scarcity of crucial data concerning response and resistance mechanisms.

Background: In the phase 3 PARADIGM trial (NCT02394795), adding panitumumab (PAN) to FOLFOX6 improved overall survival (OS) compared with bevacizumab (BEV) in patients (pts) with RASWT mCRC. In this exploratory analysis, we investigated the role of acquired gene alterations in pts who experienced progressive disease (PD) and the impact of these alterations on post-progression survival (PPS). Methods: PPS was defined as the interval from PD to death. Pre- and post-treatment cell-free DNA (cfDNA) was analyzed using the custom PlasmaSELECT-R 91 PGDx panel (NCT02394834). PFS, OS, and PPS were compared by patterns of acquired gene alterations. Results: Among the enrolled 802 pts, 390 discontinued treatment due to PD, of which 276 (70.8%) had evaluable pre- and post-treatment cfDNA samples (PAN, 126; BEV, 150). PAN pts with acquired RTK/RAS alterations had shorter PPS than those without alterations (13.2 vs 18.8 mo, HR 1.88 [95% CI: 1.28–2.76]) with the same trend in OS. BEV pts with acquired CIMP pathway alterations had shorter PPS than those without (14.9 vs 18.6 mo; HR 1.58 [1.09–2.29]); OS had similar results. Co-occurrence of gene alterations was more frequent in PAN vs BEV (overall 52.4% vs 43.3%, RTK/RAS gene co-alterations 25% vs 10%). Co-occurrence of gene alterations resulted in shorter PPS only in PAN pts. Conclusions: Distinctive patterns of acquired gene alterations were observed in PAN- and BEV-treated pts with PD. Co-occurrence of gene alterations, particularly in the RTK/RAS pathway, was more prevalent with PAN than BEV. Clinical trial information: NCT02394834.

BACKGROUND: Safety and effectiveness of aflibercept with 5-fluorouracil/levofolinate/irinotecan have not been reported in Japanese patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in a real-world clinical setting. METHODS: This post-marketing surveillance enrolled patients with un-resectable advanced or recurrent mCRC who were prescribed aflibercept from December 2017 to June 2019 in Japan. Data, collected up to 1 year from starting treatment, included patient background, safety, and effectiveness assessed by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 or physician's evaluation. RESULTS: Of 261 patients registered from 64 centers, 235 [53.2% male with a median age of 67 years (range 28-84)] received treatment and were included in the safety analysis. Aflibercept was received at 1st, 2nd, and ≥ 3rd line in 1.3%, 48.1%, and 50.2% of patients, respectively. Median number of treatment cycles was 6 (range 1-22) and relative dose intensity was 75.4% (range 14.3-101.8%). Adverse events (all grades) were reported in 88.5% of patients, including neutropenia (34.5%), proteinuria (24.7%), hypertension (17.0%), diarrhea (17.0%), and decreased appetite (15.3%). Three treatment-related deaths occurred by perforation of the digestive tract, pneumonia and gastrointestinal bleeding, and sudden death. The effectiveness analysis included 198 patients. Overall response rate was 6.1% (1st line, 0%; 2nd line, 10.1%; ≥ 3rd line, 2.1%) and disease control rate was 47.5% (1st line, 100%; 2nd line, 58.6%; ≥ 3rd line, 34.4%). CONCLUSION: No new risks of aflibercept were identified in real clinical practice. Effectiveness in patients at the 2nd line was consistent with previous reports.

Background: Metastatic disease remains the leading cause of cancer-related death, yet most precision oncology strategies still emphasize profiling primary tumors and tracking cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA). Although ctDNA has transformed genomic profiling, molecular residual disease monitoring, and early cancer detection, it cannot directly capture viable tumor cell states, phenotypic plasticity, or functional adaptations that drive metastatic spread. We propose that the next phase of precision oncology should integrate the cellular dimension of metastasis through systematic circulating tumor cell (CTC) profiling. Methods: The SCRUM-MONSTAR platform, one of the largest pan-cancer molecular profiling initiatives in Japan, offers an exceptional foundation for this transition through its nationwide infrastructure for multi-omics analysis, longitudinal biospecimen collection, and artificial intelligence-enabled clinical interpretation. By combining matched tissue profiling, serial ctDNA analysis, single-cell CTC transcriptomics, metabolomics, and organoid- and mouse-based functional modeling, SCRUM-MONSTAR-CTC could evolve into a translational ecosystem for anti-metastatic drug discovery. Within this framework, we highlight adherent-to-suspension transition (AST) as one representative, experimentally tractable plasticity program that enables tumor cells to survive in circulation and subsequently colonize distant organs. Discussion: We envision that identifying and therapeutically targeting AST-related and other metastatic plasticity programs across tumor types will provide a path toward clinically actionable anti-metastatic therapies. More broadly, this framework could enable the identification of metastatic vulnerabilities, the development of biomarker-guided anti-metastatic trials, and the reverse translation of patient-derived discoveries into early-phase clinical testing. Precision oncology must move beyond cataloging tumor genomes and begin targeting metastasis as a dynamic biological process. Trial Registration: UMIN000056873, approved by the Institutional Review Board of the National Cancer Center Hospital East.

107Background: The "No Placebo Initiative" demonstrated that the survivals of patients (pts) receiving placebo in a salvage-line setting, exhibited no significant difference across trials (CORRECT, RECOURSE, CONCUR and TERRA). Therefore, we believe that a nomogram can be generated using the ARCAD database to predict survival of pts who completed standard therapy. Methods: Of 40, 889 Individual patient data (IPD) from 59 studies, 723 pts received placebo from 4 randomized studies were pooled. The potential prognostic factors considered include BMI and Age. Imputed datasets were constructed by a multiple imputation method since the original dataset contains some missing values. Overall survival (OS) was defined as the time from randomization to death from any cause. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models for OS were estimated based on the variables showing clinically and statistically significant by univariate analysis. Prediction performance of the final model was evaluated using the concordance index for survival data and calibration plots. Results: From univariate and multivariate analysis, ECOG performance status, Royal Marsden Hospital score (calculated by albumin level, LDH level, and number of metastatic site), primary site location, liver meta, peritoneal meta were selected as variables. We successfully developed a highly accurate nomogram to predict post-standard treatment prognosis for pts with mCRC. Concordance index for OS was 0.66. Conclusions: Although further validation in other cohorts is needed, this nomogram could be very useful to estimate the survival for clinical practice and enrolling in clinical trials. [Table presented]

Background: Durvalumab combined with fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel (D-FLOT) has demonstrated significant improvement in event-free survival (EFS) among patients with resectable gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (GEJA) and is expected to become a new standard of care. Nevertheless, surgical resection remains requisite and is associated with substantial morbidity and deterioration in quality of life for GEJA. Given that D-FLOT achieves a pathological complete response in ∼20% of patients, intensification of total neoadjuvant therapy with short-course radiation (SRT) could further increase clinical CR (cCR) rates and facilitate non-operative management (NOM) in selected GEJA patients. Trial design: EPOC2301 is a single-arm, phase II study evaluating the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab with FLOT plus SRT as total neoadjuvant therapy for resectable GEJA. Patients receive two cycles of FLOT and one dose of pembrolizumab, followed by 25 Gy radiotherapy, then two more cycles of FLOT and one dose of pembrolizumab. Response is assessed by computed tomography, positron emission tomography-computed tomography, endoscopy with bite-on-bite biopsy, and whole-genome circulating tumor DNA analysis. Patients achieving cCR or near-cCR continue NOM with pembrolizumab and FLOT, whereas those without adequate response undergo surgery followed by adjuvant pembrolizumab and FLOT. The primary endpoint is 3-year EFS.