Phase II trial of bortezomib alone or in combination with irinotecan in patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction or stomach

Invest New Drugs. 2014 Jun;32(3):542-8. doi: 10.1007/s10637-014-0070-0. Epub 2014 Feb 15.

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of bortezomib plus irinotecan and bortezomib alone in patients with advanced gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) and gastric adenocarcinoma. We also sought to explore the effect of these therapeutics on tumor and normal gene expression in vivo.

Methods: Forty-one patients with advanced GEJ (89 %) or gastric (11 %) adenocarcinoma received bortezomib (1.3 mg/m(2) days 1, 4, 8, 11) plus irinotecan (125 mg/m(2) days 1, 8) every 21 days as first line therapy (N = 29), or bortezomib alone as second line therapy (N = 12). The trial was designed to detect a 40 % response rate for the combination, and 20 % response rate for bortezomib alone. Affymetrix HU133A gene chip arrays were used for gene expression studies.

Results: Objective response occurred in 3 of 29 patients (10 %, 95 % confidence intervals [CI] 2 %, 27 %) treated with bortezomib plus irinotecan, and in 1 of 12 patients (8 %, 95 % CI 0 %, 39 %) with bortezomib alone. Due to the limited number of responders, there were no significant correlations with response found in the gene expression profiles of 12 patients whose tumors were sampled before and 24 h after therapy with bortezomib alone (N = 2) or the combination (N = 10).

Conclusions: We conclude that bortezomib is not effective for the treatment of advanced adenocarcinoma of the GEJ or stomach, whether used alone or in combination with irinotecan, in an unselected patient population.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00061932.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase II
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / drug therapy*
  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / adverse effects
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Boronic Acids / administration & dosage
  • Boronic Acids / adverse effects
  • Bortezomib
  • Camptothecin / administration & dosage
  • Camptothecin / adverse effects
  • Camptothecin / analogs & derivatives
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / genetics
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Irinotecan
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Proteasome Inhibitors / administration & dosage
  • Proteasome Inhibitors / adverse effects
  • Pyrazines / administration & dosage
  • Pyrazines / adverse effects
  • Stomach Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Stomach Neoplasms / genetics

Substances

  • Boronic Acids
  • Proteasome Inhibitors
  • Pyrazines
  • Bortezomib
  • Irinotecan
  • Camptothecin

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00061932