Journal of Clinical and Translational Science (Sep 2017)

2207

  • Jacob Ezra Shabason,
  • Jerry Chen,
  • Smith Apisarnthanarax,
  • Nevena Damjanov,
  • Bruce Giantonio,
  • Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla,
  • Peter O’Dwyer,
  • Mark O’Hara,
  • Kim Reiss,
  • Ursina Teitelbaum,
  • Paul Wissel,
  • Jeffery Drebin,
  • Charles Vollmer,
  • Michael Kochman,
  • Rosemarie Mick,
  • Norge Vergara,
  • Nirag Jhala,
  • Abigail Berman,
  • Jay Dorsey,
  • Sydney M. Evans,
  • Gary Kao,
  • John N. Lukens,
  • John P. Plastaras,
  • James M. Metz,
  • Edgar Ben-Josef

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1017/cts.2017.121
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 1
pp. 32 – 33

Abstract

Read online

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer typically have poor outcomes, with a median survival of ~16 months. Novel methods to improve local control are needed. Nab-paclitaxel (abraxane) has shown efficacy in pancreatic cancer and is FDA approved for metastatic disease in combination with gemcitabine. Nab-paclitaxel is also a promising radiosensitizer based on laboratory studies, but it has never been clinically tested with definitive radiotherapy for locally advanced disease. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We performed a phase 1 study using a 3+3 dose-escalation strategy to determine the safety and tolerability of dose escalated nab-paclitaxel with fractionated radiotherapy for patients with unresectable or borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. Following induction chemotherapy with 2 cycles of nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine, patients were treated with weekly nab-paclitaxel and daily radiotherapy to a dose of 52.5 Gy in 25 fractions. Final dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) determination was performed at day 65 after the start of radiotherapy. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Nine patients received nab-paclitaxel at a dose level of either 100 mg/m2 (n=3) or 125 mg/m2 (n=6). One DLT (grade 3 neuropathy) was observed in a patient who received 125 mg/m2 of nab-paclitaxel. Other grade 3 toxicities included fatigue (11%), anemia (11%), and neutropenia (11%). No grade 4 toxicities were observed. With a median follow-up of 8 months (range 5–28 months), median survival was 19 months and median progression-free survival was 10 months. Following chemoradiation, 3 patients underwent surgical resection, all with negative margins and limited tumor viability. Of the 3 patients, 2 initially had borderline resectable tumors and 1 had an unresectable tumor. Tumor (SMAD-4, Caveolin-1) and peripheral (circulating tumor cells and microvesicles) biomarkers were collected and are being analyzed. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: The combination of fractionated radiation and weekly nab-paclitaxel was safe and well tolerated. This regimen represents a potentially promising therapy for patients with unresectable and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer and warrants further investigation.