Background Activating BRAF V600E mutations are found in approximately 1–2% of adenocarcinomas of the lung offering an opportunity to test targeted therapy for this disease. Dabrafenib is an oral selective inhibitor of the BRAF kinase. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical activity of dabrafenib in patients with advanced BRAF V600E-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods In this phase 2, multicenter, nonrandomized, open-label study of previously treated and untreated patients with stage IV, metastatic NSCLC and BRAF V600E mutation, we evaluated the antitumor activity and safety of oral dabrafenib (150 mg twice daily). The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed overall response rate (ORR) in patients receiving ≥ 1 dose of study drug. Safety analysis was performed on the all-treated population (all previously treated and untreated patients receiving ≥ 1 dose of study drug). The study is ongoing but not enrolling participants in this cohort. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01336634. Findings Between August 2011 and February 2014 a total of 84 previously treated and untreated patients were enrolled. Investigator-assessed ORR for 78 pretreated patients was 33% (95% confidence interval [CI], 23·1 to 44·9). Independent review committee assessment of ORR was consistent with investigator-based assessment. Four of the six previously untreated patients had an objective response. One patient died on study due to intracranial hemorrhage that was considered by the investigator to be due to study drug. Serious adverse events were reported in 35 (42%) of 84 patients. The most frequent grade 3 or higher adverse events were cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (10 [12%] of 84 patients), asthenia (4 [5%] of 84 patients), and basal cell carcinoma (4 [5%] of 84 patients). Interpretation This is, to our knowledge, the first prospective trial focusing on BRAF V600E-mutant NSCLC to show clinical activity of a BRAF inhibitor. The results presented here suggest that dabrafenib may represent a future treatment option for patients with BRAF V600E-mutant NSCLC, a population with limited therapeutic options. Funding This trial was funded by GlaxoSmithKline. Dabrafenib is an asset of Novartis AG as of March 2, 2015.

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Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a disease of the upper aerodigestive tract and is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers worldwide. A high rate of cancers involving the head and neck are reported across the Asian region, with notable variations between countries. Disease prognosis is largely dependent on tumor stage and site. Patients with early stage disease have a 60-95% chance of cure with local therapy. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are important to increase the likelihood of cure and survival. However, the majority of patients present with locally advanced disease and require multimodality treatment. This necessitates, a multidisciplinary approach which is essential to make appropriate treatment decisions, particularly with regards to tolerability, costs, available infrastructure and quality of life issues. Unfortunately, majority of the studies that dictate current practice have been developed in the west where diseases biology, patient population and available infrastructure are very different from those in the Asian continent. With this in mind an expert panel of Head and Neck Oncologists was convened in May 2012 to review the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) clinical practice guidelines and develop practical recommendations on the applicability of these guidelines on the management of head and neck cancer for Asian patients. The objective of this review and consensus meeting was to suggest revisions, to account for potential differences in demographics and resources, to the NCCN and ESMO guidelines, to better reflect current clinical management of head and neck cancer within the Asian region for health care providers. These recommendations, which reflect best clinical practice within Asia, are expected to benefit practitioners when making decisions regarding optimal treatment strategies for their patients.

This is the first phase II study of S-1 monotherapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer after failure of both irinotecan-and oxaliplatin-containing regimens. The initial dose of S-1 was 35 mg m À2 , administered twice daily for 14 days every 3 weeks. Treatment was repeated until the occurrence of disease progression. Twenty-eight patients were enrolled. S-1 was administered to 21 patients as third-line therapy and to the remaining seven patients as fourth-line therapy. Of 26 evaluable patients, the overall response rate was 14.3% (95% CI, 0.4 -28.1), and the disease control rate was 42.9% (95% CI, 23.3 -62.4). With a median follow-up period of 227 days, median time to progression and overall survival duration were 91 and 414 days, respectively. The 1-year survival rate of all patients was 60.7%. There was no grade 4 toxicity. Grade 3 haematological toxicities were documented only in two patients. In conclusion, S-1 shows potential as a salvage regimen in heavily pretreated colorectal cancer patients. The twice-daily dose of 35 mg m À2 was well tolerated and can be used in designing further combination chemotherapy.

Hyperactivation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway occurs frequently in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, clinical outcomes of targeting the PI3K pathway have been underwhelming. In present study, we investigated the resistant mechanisms and potential combination therapeutic strategy to overcome adaptive resistance to PI3K inhibitor in HNSCC. Treatment of NVP-BKM120, a pan-PI3K inhibitor, led to upregulation of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and subsequent activation of either extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) or signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3), causing modest antitumor effects on the growth of HNSCC cells. Blockade of autocrine IL-6 signaling with siRNA or neutralizing antibody for IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) completely abolished NVP-BKM120-induced activation of ERK and STAT3 as well as expression of c-Myc oncogene, which resulted in enhanced sensitivity to NVP-BKM120. Moreover, when compared with a pharmacologic inhibitor or silencing of STAT3, trametinib, a MEK inhibitor, in combination with NVP-BKM120 yielded more potent anti-proliferative effects by inhibiting S phase transition, arresting cells at G0/G1 phase, and downregulating IL-6 and c-Myc expression. Furthermore, as compared with either agent alone, combination of NVP-BKM120 with trametinib or tocilizumab, a humanized anti-IL-6R antibody, significantly suppressed tumor growth in NVP-BKM120-resistant patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDTX) models, which was also confirmed in PDTX-derived cell lines. Collectively, these results suggested that IL-6/ERK signaling is closely involved in adaptive resistance of NVP-BKM120 in HNSCC cells, providing a rationale for a novel combination therapy to overcome resistance to PI3K inhibitors.