P. Specenier MD, PhD

New oncology reimbursements in Belgium

OVERVIEW OF BELGIAN REIMBURSEMENT NEWS

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2022;16(1):41–2)

New oncology reimbursements in Belgium

OVERVIEW OF BELGIAN REIMBURSEMENT NEWS

BELG J MED ONCOL 2021;15(7):383-5)

New oncology reimbursements in Belgium

OVERVIEW OF BELGIAN REIMBURSEMENT NEWS

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2021;15(6):340)

New oncology reimbursements in Belgium

OVERVIEW OF BELGIAN REIMBURSEMENT NEWS

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2021;15(2):87-91)

New oncology reimbursements in Belgium

LORVIQUA® (LORLATINIB)

Lorviqua^® (lorlatinib) is reimbursed for the treatment of patients with ALK-positive advanced non-small cell carcinoma who progressed during or after prior therapy with a second-generation ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). The use of lorlatinib in the treatment of ALK-positive advanced NSCLC after treatment with at least one second-generation ALK TKI was investigated in a single-arm, multicentre phase I/II study enrolling 139 patients. Patients received lorlatinib orally at the recommended dose of 100 mg once daily, continuously. The primary efficacy endpoint in the phase II portion of the study was objective response rate (ORR), including intracranial (IC)-ORR, as per Independent Central Review (ICR) according to modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumours (modified RECIST version 1.1). In the overall efficacy population of 139 patients, 56 patients (40.3%) had a confirmed objective response by ICR. The ORR was 42.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 24.5-62.8) in the 28 patients who received one prior ALK TKI and 39.6% (95% CI 30.5- 49.4) in the 111 patients who received ≥2 prior ALK TKI. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.5 months (95% CI 2.9-8.2) and 6.9 months (95% CI 5.4-9.5), respectively. The IC-ORR was 66.7% (95% CI 29.9-92.5) in patients who received one prior ALK TKI and 52.1% (95% CI 37.2-66.7) in patients who received ≥2 prior ALK TKI.

Tissue is the issue

SUMMARY

Multimodal therapy, including preoperative chemoradiotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision, has become the standard treatment for patients with locoregionally advanced rectal cancer.¹ We report on a 54- year old female patient with rectal adenocarcinoma cT3N0M0, who was treated with neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy (capecitabine 825 mg/m² BID 5 days/week + 45 Gy in 25 fractions) followed by total mesorectal excision and adjuvant capecitabine for six months. Eleven weeks after the start of adjuvant capecitabine, she presented with dyspnoea, non-productive cough, shortness of breath, chest wall pain, and decrease of physical activity, for which she was admitted to the Antwerp University Hospital (UZA) in Edegem. Computed tomography (CT) revealed pulmonary emboli, enlarged mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes, and multiple micronodules in both lungs. Radiologic findings were suggestive of metastatic lymph nodules and numerous pulmonary metastases. However, pathological diagnosis showed nude granulomas without necrosis without evidence of tumour. Our case illustrates that sarcoid-like lesions may mimic lung metastases in cancer patients being treated with chemotherapy and that tissue still remains the issue.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2021;15(1):40-3)

Highlights in head and neck cancer

Summary

During the 2020 annual ASCO meeting, the most recent advances in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck as well as nasopharyngeal carcinoma were discussed. First of all, weekly cisplatin proved to be non-inferior to three-weekly cisplatin in the postoperative setting. Next, several interesting studies in both locoregionally advanced and recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck will be addressed. Finally, axitinib was shown to increase the six-month progression-free survival rate in patients with recurrent or metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2020;14(5):222-6)